>Peter, it looks like the language barrier is tougher than I thought. >For instance my only exposure to "macro nutrients" has been in the >context of soil. Animal feed is usually reported as crude protein, >total digestible fiber, fat, and such. I can't remember "macro" ever >being attached. It is a term used a lot among nutritionists. Many diets are defined by their breakdown of the main macronutrients, carbs/proteins/fats. 80/10/10 = the high carb Ornish/Pritikin type diet, 60/20/20 = the ADA diet, 40/30/30 = the zone diet and 20/40/40 = the low carb Atkins type diet. Regarding the Atkins diet I am not sure about the exact ratios but they are in that neighborhood. ADA stands for the American Diabetic Ass. Rex: >Similarly, cows eat, and do well on a diet of tubers, which you >suggest is an impossibility. They might be able to get by for a while but my point is that they would never be able to thrive on a diet of high brix tubers simply because they are biologically designed to eat grass. This point would even more obvious if they were fed a diet of high brix, unshelled coconuts and high brix, whole durians exclusively - even a low brix grass diet would be way superior to this. :) Rex: >They also relish fruits such as tomatoes, oranges, and apples. But hardly in amounts that would classify them as fruitarians. :) Rex: >And, based on cats, I assume lions eat grass. I have often seen cats eat grass but if I decided to feed my cat a diet consisting of mainly high brix grasses, I am sure even you would try to talk me out of it. :) Peter: >>Have you ever compared the brix of wild fruits and greens to that of >>their modern hybridized counterparts? Rex: >In other words, if there were two 'wild' fruit trees and one had >better tasting fruit, it would stand a better chance of having a human >or animal pluck its fruit and spread its seed. That makes a lot of sense but I think my rather naive question was how does the brix of wild celery compare to that of celery selected and grown by human hand? Rex: >However, FWIW, I do sometimes check the Brix values of weeds in crops. >If the weed Brix is higher than the crop Brix, I know I'm fertilizing >improperly (i.e., I'm feeding the weeds instead of the crop). Interesting that weeds and crops would have such different needs for nutrients. Peter: >>Repeat after me: A high brix, imbalanced diet is less detrimental >>to health than a low brix, imbalanced diet and brix never can >>make up for fundamental imbalances of macronutrients in a diet. ;-) Rex: >Peter, I tried repeating this and it puzzled me. I saw the smiley, >and tried laughing, but even that didn't work. That is because you are not trying hard enough. You have got to keep repeating it like a mantra until the meaning comes to you. :) Rex: >Even allowing for your misuse of "macronutrients," I still can't >figure if you're serious. Then, when I combine the above with this... You doubt my sincerity? - you will be contacted promptly by my second so this blotch on my honor can be wiped off. :) Peter: >>Rex, you cannot fool us with another one of your poorly veiled plugs >>for fruitarianism. ;-) Rex: >...I have to accept that all seriousness, or attempts at seriousness, >are out the window. Have I been assigned an agenda? You mean you are denying that you are a fruitarian mold. :) Rex: >If so be careful, for labeling me may instead label you. Labels have throughout history served the important function of identifying undesirable social elements. The CDC - The Committee for Dietary Cleansing - will tolerate no more of your evasiveness - are you or are you not a plant for the subversive fringe group the Fruitarian Liberation Front? ;-) Peter: >>Likewise, if humans are not designed to eat high fruit diets, no >>matter how high the brix of the fruits consumed, it will not be able >>to make up for the macronutrient imbalances in such diets. Rex: >Well, your claim is logical *if* humans are not designed to eat fruit. Is there in your opinion any evidence to support the suggestion that humans are designed to eat a high brix fruit diet? Rex: >OTOH, why does the high Brix stuff taste so wondrously good? Because Brix is a good indicator of when plants have fully matured and because high brix = high mineral and high overall nutrient content. Rex: >Sorry Peter, but that's the best I can do today. Don't sweat it. Before long you will learn that when I am seem to be kidding is when I am the most serious and when I seem sincere is when I should be trusted the least. ;-) Best, Peter