
Insects, tarantulas, scorpions, and grubs occupy a distinct category in Aajonus's dietary framework, they are legitimate flesh foods, valid sources of protein and fat, and in certain cultural and survival contexts, they are primary staples. Aajonus was unambiguous that any kind of flesh food qualifies as meat, and that this category extends to insects and arachnids. He stated directly: "Meat, that doesn't mean red meat. That means any kind of flesh food, even if it's an insect."
Overview
Insects, tarantulas, scorpions, and grubs occupy a distinct category in Aajonus's dietary framework, they are legitimate flesh foods, valid sources of protein and fat, and in certain cultural and survival contexts, they are primary staples. Aajonus was unambiguous that any kind of flesh food qualifies as meat, and that this category extends to insects and arachnids. He stated directly: "Meat, that doesn't mean red meat. That means any kind of flesh food, even if it's an insect."
His personal relationship with these foods was characterized by candid ambivalence. He acknowledged eating tarantulas, scorpions, raw grasshoppers, grubs, and having indirectly consumed roach-derived products. He ate these foods when starving in the desert during his healing journey, and he observed many cultures, particularly across Asia and South America, for whom insects are not a survival fallback but a prized, everyday food. He consistently framed Western squeamishness about insects as a cultural conditioning problem, not a biological or nutritional one, and he was critical of himself for not being able to fully overcome that squeamishness.
His core position was that insects are whole foods, real protein, real fat, real minerals, and that populations who eat them raw and regularly appear to thrive. He never excluded them from the Primal Diet framework. Rather, he repeatedly said he would eat them if he had no other option, and he admired those for whom insects were a natural and enjoyable part of daily eating.
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Properties and Effects
This internal fat content is what makes insects nutritionally dense despite their small size and external skeletal structure. The fat is not visible from the outside, insects carry their skeletal structure on the outside (their exoskeleton), so the entire internal cavity is available for soft tissue, fat, and fluid. He saw this as a design that concentrates nutrition.
He extended this to scorpion stings received accidentally, describing three separate stings he received during the construction and move-in of his Thailand house. In each case, he observed that his body's response time shortened dramatically with each exposure, from 24 hours of symptoms to one hour, to 20-30 minutes, to 10 minutes, to nearly no sensation at all. He attributed this to his body developing an "appendix memory" for the venom. He described it: "My body either has grown back the appendix or it has devised a type of appendix memory somewhere else in my body."
He connected this to his lack of an appendix, noting that the appendix is the body's library of foreign substances, and without it, the first-time response to a venom or poison takes up to 36 hours to develop. But repeated exposures train the body to respond in minutes regardless of whether the appendix is present.
He confirmed: "Before, when I'd get a bee sting like 20 years ago, having no appendix, I knew it would last for a week, something like that. Having the scorpions, all three of them, the highest concentration of venom and deadly, by the third day, I'll get a few bites, the first took a long time, because that's the first time I'd been stung by a scorpion in my life. Sure, it took 24 hours to really take care of and get it under a harness. But the next time, an hour, two hours. Next time, 20, 30 minutes."
He also described Chinese practices of eating scorpions without removing the poison gland at all, and noted that they don't get sick from it, though he never determined why.
He said: "The milky white stuff inside. Not a bad taste. Odd. But because it was so hairy. But they're big, you know, there's a lot to eat."
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Form and State
He also noted that some Asian communities eat beetles raw directly from the manure as they pick them: "They eat them while they're picking them. Live beetles. They'll just pop them in the mouth. You hear crunch, crack, crunch, crunch, crunch. It sounds like you're eating potato chips."
He described the Thai method of eating raw beetles harvested from buffalo dung: "I've got patience there. We'll go and pick them out in the morning, put them in a little container, and eat them like candy all day long as they're going around doing their chores."
He described frying methods too: stir-fried in water, or fried in coconut cream, noting the resulting crispy texture. He described cockroaches in Thailand fried in water until crispy, and grasshoppers fried in coconut cream. While he documented these methods observed in Asian cultures, his preference within the Primal Diet framework would be raw.
He mentioned that some Thai people stir-fry beetles in water, eating them "for the last 3 [minutes]" implying a very brief cooking time rather than prolonged heat exposure.
He described large grubs in the Amazon, "worms this long and that big around", that were considered specialty foods among jungle-dwelling Peruvians. These were eaten raw by popping them directly into the mouth.
He also mentioned a version of this from a different beetle he observed near rose bushes and manure, noting the same five-day lifecycle.
He described the textural quality of maggots when asked: "Maggots are soft. There's no crunch to a maggot. Yeah, white mushy thing."
The worm as a quality indicator for the corn itself is a significant point, the presence of a living, eating worm signals the absence of pesticides and GMO traits, because those things would kill or deter the worm. The worm also carries the flavor of what it eats, making it a corn-flavored food.
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Sourcing and Preparation
- "I ate scorpions and tarantulas, just popped off their poison gland and would eat them."
- "I'd rip off their poisonous gland and I would eat them."
- "Break off the poison gland", used for both scorpions and tarantulas.
- "Pop the poison gland off of it", tarantula specifically.
- "I'd break the poison gland off of it", in the context of desert survival.
He noted the contrast with Chinese practice, where scorpions are eaten without removing the poison gland and people reportedly do not get sick, though he never resolved why: "In China, they eat all kinds of scorpions. They don't even pop off the poison gland. I never figured out that one, but they don't get sick."
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Required Pairing
Aajonus did not specify a mandatory fat buffer pairing for insect consumption in the same explicit way he did for some other foods. However, his general framework, that all protein should be consumed with fat, applies here. He described Thai frying of insects in coconut cream, which provides the fat component in cooked preparations. In his accounts of raw insect consumption in survival contexts, the fat was provided by the insect's own internal fat content, which he described as significant (noting that ants and roaches are "all liquid fat inside").
For venomous bites and stings from these creatures, however, he specified fat-based dairy as part of the neutralization protocol. See Therapeutic Protocols below.
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Contraindications
- i
He expressed the belief that if he had been raised eating insects as part of his normal diet, as Thai people on the Primal Diet have been, he would have no issue: "I've got one Thai on the diet who goes around collecting jum[bos]... If I had been raised like they are with them, as a natural part of their diet, yeah, I'd probably be okay."
- ii
He described the progression of overcoming squeamishness with other difficult foods as a process: "I used to always be paranoid of creepy, crawly things. But if you've been to Asia, man, they eat cockroaches this big... Now I look at a worm or a centipede and I can put it right in my mouth without worrying about it anymore. But I used to always be paranoid."
- iii
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Therapeutic Protocols
Hydrochloric Acid Method: Aajonus described neutralizing venoms using hydrochloric acid, which the healthy stomach naturally produces. He stated: "Hydrochloric acid, like if you get bit by a snake or a scorpion, your body can take hydrochloric, you can vomit. Take the hydrochloric acid and put it on that spot and that'll neutralize that venom."
He also described an experimental self-injection of hydrochloric acid into his own leg after a venom exposure (from a different creature), with the result that "within minutes, my body used that hydrochloric acid to neutralize the venom" and the venom was "gone instantly."
Vomit Applied Topically: He described a wild-context protocol: "Let's say you know somebody who's been bitten by a rattlesnake or stung by a scorpion or bitten by a tarantula, you can vomit and put that vomit on that whole arm or wherever it is, and that body will absorb the hydrochloric acid from that vomit and neutralize that poison."
He described this as something he had done, getting someone to vomit after a rattlesnake bite and applying the vomit to the affected area.
Milk Method: He referenced the American Indian practice of seeking out a lactating animal after a venom bite and drinking milk to draw the poison to the stomach for neutralization. He stated: "When the American Indians ever got bit by something that gave them venom, they would seek out a lactating animal and they would drink the milk and then it would draw the poisons to the stomach and then the hydrochloric acid could neutralize it."
He confirmed: "Milk does it pretty quickly too. Or you can just vomit it once the milk goes in there. You can feel it, you get a little nauseous. You can vomit the poisons out."
Clay Method: He used clay (dirt) when in the desert after eating venomous creatures: "When I was in the desert, I ate clay, dirt, to pull it to my stomach and neutralize the poison." This draws the venom to the stomach for hydrochloric acid neutralization.
Cheese: He mentioned cheese alongside milk as a dairy-based absorber: "You can take milk and cheese and eat that and draw those poisons to the stomach, and then hydrochloric acid will neutralize it. The dairy will absorb it with the minerals and pass it out of your body."
Saliva: He mentioned saliva as a locally available neutralizing agent: "Saliva can also help neutralize venoms. That's why you suck and lick, keep putting your spit on that wound, a bite, you know, you will break it down."
Combined Protocol Summary for Venom Exposure: - Seek dairy (milk or cheese) immediately to draw venom to stomach - Hydrochloric acid in the stomach will neutralize the venom - Clay or dirt can be eaten to pull venom to the stomach if dairy unavailable - Vomit can be applied topically to the bite/sting site if the swelling is external - Saliva applied continuously to the wound can help break down venom locally - In the wild without other options, eating the clay and waiting for the stomach response is sufficient
His Personal Scorpion Sting Experiences, Documented Timeline:
First sting (Thailand, during house move-in): , Tiny scorpion, about one inch long, found in pillow , Sting to wrist , "My arm just ached all the way up for about one day, 24 hours. Very little swelling, a little rash in this area" , No treatment beyond observation , The little scorpions described as "the deadliest, because their venom is not diluted... one sting from those can kill you within two hours" , He applied lime juice to the area because "lime helps to neutralize bacteria"
Second sting (three days later): , Found in glove during work , Another tiny scorpion, same wrist , "Had no sensation, no burning, except for that very spot. And that lasted maybe an hour, just on that spot" , No treatment
Third sting (about ten days later): , Scorpion "fell from a doorway" and landed on his arm , "Again, nothing. Again, nothing." , No sensation
Fourth sting (same summer, from shoe): , Small scorpion in shoe , Sting to same arm , "Ten minutes, sensation was gone"
He summarized: "My body had learned another way to develop that kind of sensory analysis and direction to handle those poisons, even though I don't have an appendix."
He also described the physiological understanding of the venom concentration gradient in scorpions: "As they get larger, each stage they get larger, like a centimeter larger, their venom dilutes by half. So by the time they're adult, their venom is five times less concentrated than it is at the smallest." And: "There's no danger of getting stung by adult scorpions because as they get older, their venom becomes less and less concentrated. It's the little ones you have to worry about."
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Topical Applications
Lime Juice: Apply raw fresh raw lime juice directly to the bite site. He stated this "helps dissolve and neutralize insect's saliva."
Clay-Water-Olive Oil Mixture: Formula: ½ teaspoon powdered sun-dried clay + 1½ tablespoons of water + 1 drop of stone-pressed olive oil Application: Mix and apply to the bitten area. This "attracts and absorbs poisons and soothes the area."
Raw Corn Poultice: If fresh raw corn on the cob is available, chew some and apply it to the bitten area directly.
Corn Starch Poultice (for continued swelling): Formula: 1 tablespoon corn starch + 2 teaspoons good mineral water + 1 pinch of powdered mustard + 2 drops stone-pressed olive oil + ½ pinch of fresh self-grated nutmeg Use if the bitten area continues to swell after initial treatment.
Beet-Lime-Clay Poultice (for poisonous bites): Formula: 1 teaspoon fresh shredded and minced beet + 1½ teaspoon fresh raw lime juice + ½ teaspoon powdered sun-dried clay Application: Apply as a poultice to the area of a poisonous bite.
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Dosage and Safety
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Culinary Applications
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Primary Derivative
He described the production method: "They throw them on miles of these trays of roaches, and they squeeze the white guts out of it, and that's how they made lipstick for 60 years." He explained the reason: roach gut was "the only thing they'd get to stick to the lips that wouldn't cause contamination" and was "non-toxic." He stated that the roach guts provided the adhesive, skin-compatible, non-toxic base that no other known substance could replicate for lip application.
He stated: "All women have been eating roaches for a very long time. Roach guts. Every one of you." And specifically: "Most of you women have been eating roaches, most of you. Lipstick was made exclusively with roach guts up to ten years ago."
He disclosed the source of his information: a patient who was a chemist with the lipstick division of Estée Lauder. He described the scale: "Miles, miles. They had hundreds of miles of roach farms. Literally hundreds of miles of roach farms... all over the world. Here, in America. They had one plant near the Hershey's chocolate factory in California. But hundreds of miles to supply the roach, the lipstick all over the world."
He noted the Latin naming convention used on ingredient lists: "They put the Latin name on the ingredients. Nobody knew what it was unless they looked up the Latin. Oh, that's a roach!"
He contrasted the old formula with the current one: "Now you women are using completely chemical lipstick, and guess what, it's all poisonous. So when you're eating the lipstick that was made from roach guts, you were much better off."
When the industry stopped using roach guts, the farms were shut down and converted to other uses. He described the transition as a move toward more toxic, all-chemical formulations.
The internal composition of roaches that made them suitable for this: "Roaches are the same way [as ants]. It's all liquid fat inside." The liquid fat content is what provided the adhesive, lubricating, skin-compatible property.
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Historical Context
- Thailand: Large cockroaches fried on streets; beetles harvested from buffalo manure and eaten raw or stir-fried; scorpions eaten with and without poison glands; tarantulas eaten; bats eaten; a Thai patient on the Primal Diet who collects and eats large beetles as part of daily diet and "dreams about eating the beetles every day raw"
- China: Scorpions eaten without removing the poison gland, in lower-income markets; sold on sticks; he observed this and found it notable that no illness resulted
- Peru/Amazon: Jungle-dwelling tribes who ate insects as primary protein because animals were overhunted; large grubs eaten raw as specialty foods; caterpillars taken directly from corn; worms eaten
- Australia: Aboriginal tribe that deliberately cultivates maggots from meat strips, eating them as primary food, resulting in exceptional physical capability, running as fast as horses, not needing water
- Asia broadly: "There are also tribes that thrive on the bugs grown in fecal matter." He documented this as a sustainable, healthful food system
He positioned Western squeamishness as culturally manufactured: "You should be squeamish about all the soaps and all the antibacterials and all the chemicals in your [environment]" rather than about natural foods.
His core argument: the female mosquito collects blood to feed her larvae, not for her own nutrition. If the blood were infected with malaria or other pathogens, it would kill the larvae. Therefore the mosquito cannot function as a disease carrier. He stated: "If she infected that larva, if she infected that blood, what would happen? The larva would die." He also argued that humans transmit malaria to mosquitoes (the mosquito picks it up from infected blood), not the reverse.
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