Why look to the traditional diets of native cultures for eating?

Because people knew how to eat long before they knew what a nutrient was.

Human beings are incredible eating machines.  Seemingly odd items as the Intuit's seal blubber, the African Masai's cows' blood, Mayans' corn, beans with very little meat, make for healthy eating habits with the cultures being known for no heart disease or type 2 diabetes to speak of.

So why can't potato chips, cookies, coleslaw and a thick filet mignon be considered odd items for a healthy diet? One look at the average American will tell you why not.

There is no one ideal diet.  But there is one diet that will get you in trouble, the diet that eats lots of processed food, lots of calories, few vegetables, fruits or whole grains. It's the diet that reliably develops heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity and certain cancers.

Remember, not everything in a grocery store should be considered food. Rules to live by:

1. Don't eat something your grandmother wouldn't recognize as food.  She might not recognize a papaya, forgive her and buy.  She wouldn't recognize the new Splenda with Fiber.
2. Avoid products with ingredients you'd need a chemistry set to duplicate.  Ethoxylated triglycerides?
3. Pay more for food, less for healthcare. Processed food made with soy and corn ingredients are going to be cheaper because the government subsidizes their growth. Go figure but don't eat'em. In 1960 we spent 18% of our income on food, now 9.5%.  Meanwhile healthcare costs have tripled.  Eat healthier, eat less (a lot less) processed foods.
4. Don't eat mindlessly.  Eating in the car, in front of a screen (computer or tv, no matter) is eating mindlessly.  Do that and you'll eat more.