  Following Socrates' advice "You should learn all you can from those who know.
Everyone should watch himself throughout his life, and notice what sort of meat
and drink and what form of exercise suit his constitution, and he should
regulate them in order to enjoy good health." Based on biological, chemical and
physical considerations I have attempted to synthesize guide lines for an
optimal diet from the vast literature. For an offshoot of the primate line it
may be wise not to stray too far from the line's surprisingly uniform
predominantly frugi- and herbi-vorous diet that is only lightly supplemented by
hunted small mammals, eggs, nuts, insects, etc. By dry weight raw wild fruit
contains fats, proteins, carbohydrates, digested and undigested fiber in the
approximate proportions 5 : 7 : 14 : 17 : 17. The fat component contains both
essential fatty acids, about 23% linoleic and 16% alpha-linolenic, the latter
severely lacking in Western diets. The practical problem is how to as best as
possible, but not religiously, approximate this diet with super-market items.
