98 animal, vegetable, miracle
foods fortified with B12 to prevent this dangerous deficiency. Vegan diets
also tend to be skimpy in the calcium department, so supplements there
can be helpful as well.
Humans are naturally adapted to an omnivorous diet: we have canine
teeth for tearing meat and plenty of enzymes in our guts to digest the pro-
teins and fats found in animals. Ancestral societies in every part of the world
have historically relied on some animal products for sustenance. Even the
ancient Hindu populations of India were not complete vegetarians—
though they did not know this. Traditional harvesting techniques always
left a substantial amount of insect parts, mostly termite larvae and eggs, in
their grain supply. When vegan Hindu populations began moving to En-
gland, where food sanitation regulations are stricter, they began to suffer
from a high incidence of anemia. Just a tiny amount of meat (even bug
parts!) in the diet makes a big difference. Of course, abstaining from meat
for relatively short periods for spiritual reasons is a practice common to
many societies. During these times, traditionally, we’re meant to be less ac-
tive and more contemplative, reducing our need for the nutrients supplied
by animal products.
Generally speaking, people who are not strict vegetarians will find more
options in their local- food scene. Pasture- based meat and eggs are pro-
duced nearly everywhere in the country, unlike soybean curd and other
products that may anchor a vegan diet. Chicken, lamb, and other meats
from small farms are available throughout the year. And while animal fats—
even for meat eaters—are considered nutrition ogres, they are actually
much healthier than the hydrogenated oils that replace them in many pro-
cessed foods. (Trans fat, a laboratory creation, has no nutritional function
in our bodies except to float around producing free radicals that can dam-
age tissue.) Good- quality animal fats contain vitamins A, D, B6, and B12,
and some essential minerals. Free- range meat and eggs have a healthy
rather than unhealthy cholesterol content, because of what the animal ate
during its happy little life.
The following is a chicken recipe we invented that reminds us of Tuc-
son. We use free- range chicken, and fresh vegetables in summer, but in early
spring we rely on our frozen zucchini and corn from last summer. The one