Day Six - Don't eat that steak! Your intestines are too long!

If there were such a thing as a professional web browser, I would have all the qualifications.  I am a prolific googler.  I have so much useless knowledge as a result of this it's uncanny.  Although I'm great as a Trivial Pursuit partner, this yearn for trivial facts is pretty much useless.

On my quiet Sunday afternoon, I googled "vegans and digestion".  You'd be amazed what I discovered!  Now, I realize everything you find on the internet isn't always true, but what I found did spark some interest that may lead to further investigation.  Apparently, there is some question as to whether humans are designed to be meat eaters.  True carnivores have sharp needle-like teeth that rip flesh while humans have blunt teeth designed to mash vegetables into oblivion.    Apparently adding to this speculation is the length of our small intestine.  Yes, you heard that right - the human small intestine is just too damn long.  Apparently size does matter.

Carnivores (including lions and your beloved house cat Fluffy) have relatively short small intestines allowing food to pass through relatively quickly.  Humans, on the other hand, have a freakishly long intestine and food can take 12 to 19 hours to pass through.  When a human eats meat, it begins to rot before making it's grand exit releasing dangerous free radicals into the system.  Free radicals, apparently, have been linked to cancer.   Meat also chugs along at a snails pace and hangs around inside of you way past it's welcome.  This loitering meat in turn blocks the small intestine's ability to absorb nutrients making you eat more to get satisfied.  So basically, this rotting flesh in your guts makes you fat and gives you cancer.  Damn you, rotting flesh!

Tonight I marinated a portobello mushroom in italian dressing, tossed it on my trusty George Foreman grill and ate it on a bun with lettuce, onion and pickle.  I will say that I am not going hungry at all and I am eating less.  I think there may be something to this absorption thing.  I am definitely satisfied when I eat.  My challenge is to keep it interesting.  Thank you for all the comments and suggestions!  It really does help.