Egyptian art commonly depicts pharaohs as being trim and statuesque, but this was most likely not the case. The Egyptian diet of beer, wine, bread and honey was high in sugar, and studies show that it may have done a number on royal waistlines. Examinations of mummies have indicated that many Egyptian rulers were unhealthy and overweight, and even suffered from diabetes. A notable example is the legendary Queen Hatshepsut, who lived in the 15th century B.C. While her sarcophagus depicts her as slender and athletic, historians believe she was actually obese and balding. A wall relief of an obese male with folds of flesh, gynaecomastia and a paunch. It was not unusual for pharaohs and wealthy people to have themselves portrayed with rolls of fat about their abdomen since this indicated prosperity and success. However, the skin folds of mummies such as those of the pharaohs Amenophis III (reigned 1386-1349 BCE, Dynasty XVIII) and Ramesses III (reigned 1182-1151, dynasty XX) showed that they were immensely fat even though their portraits do not depicts them as such. This wall relief is from Karnak, near Luxor which was known in ancient Egypt as Ipet-isut 'the most select of places'. The
temples of Karnak were built, enlarged, demolished, re-built and restored for over 2000 years after the Theban kings and the god Amun came to prominence at the beginning of the Middle Kingdom (2040-1782 BCE). Karnak was particularly active from the beginning of dynasty XVIII 91570-1293 BCE) when the capital of Egypt was established in Thebes. Ten or twelve years ago there was writing in Protein Power about the data contained in the vast amount of ancient Egyptian mummies. They pointed out that several thousand years ago when the future mummies roamed the earth their diet was a nutritionist’s nirvana. At least a nirvana for all the so-called nutritional experts of today who are recommending a diet filled with whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, and little meat, especially red meat. Follow such a diet, we’re told, and we will enjoy abundant health. Unfortunately, it didn’t work that way for the Egyptians. They followed such a diet simply because that’s all there was. There was no sugar – it wouldn’t be produced for another thousand or more years. The only sweet was honey, which was consumed in limited amounts. The primary staple was a coarse bread made of stone-ground, whole wheat. Animals were used as beasts of burden and were valued much more for the work they could do than for the meat they could provide. The banks of the Nile provided fertile soil for growing all
Layers of Fat
kinds of fruits and vegetables, all of which were a part the low-fat, high-carbohydrate Egyptian diet. And there were no artificial sweeteners, artificial coloring, artificial flavors, preservatives, or any of the other substances that are part of all the manufactured foods we eat today.
Were the nutritionists of today right about their ideas of the ideal diet, the ancient Egyptians should have had abundant health. But they didn’t. In fact, they suffered pretty miserable health. Many had heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity – all the same disorders that we experience today in the ‘civilized’ Western world. Diseases that Paleolithic man, our really ancient ancestors, appeared to escape.