Nowadays, most of the food we consume is purchased in grocery stores or farmer’s markets, organized in convenient rows, and advertised with appropriate signage. Other than having enough money to pay for groceries, there aren’t any real barriers to getting sufficient food in our bellies. No hunting or gathering is necessary, unless you count gathering your groceries in a shopping bag. Obviously, obtaining food was much more of a challenge for our ancestors. They had to track, kill, identify, and use their intellect to feed themselves.
Many health conscious folks are fully aware of how important sunlight is for happiness, disease prevention, and overall wellness. The significance of just being out in nature is lost on some people though. Despite this lack of recognition, there is plenty of research showing that spending time in nature can decrease feelings of depression and aggression, and increase self-esteem, generosity ability to focus, and overall health. Of course, spending time outside is also an excellent opportunity to unplug and have fun!
Losing weight and having a low body fat percentage seem to be universally associated with health. That is what is portrayed in the media, where the phrases "lose fat" and "get healthy" are often used in the same breath. However, as I have pointed out before, being lean and being healthy are not one and the same.
Today, I would like to go one step further and say that trying to lose weight is often unhealthy. I came to this conclusion after reading a few books on the subject, including Health at Every Size by Linda Bacon and 12 Paleo Myths by Matt Stone. What follows is an excerpt from the introduction to a book I am writing tentatively named The Unintentional Weight Loss Solution: Be Healthy to Lose Weight Don't Lose Weight to Be Healthy. As its name suggests, the book focuses on healthy lifestyle habits rather than dieting for long-term change in body composition. One of my favorite books that I’ve read this year has undoubtedly been Health at Every Size by Linda Bacon. Her main message in the book is that body fat and those who have a lot of it have been unfairly demonized by society. The book is not perfect, and when she talks about nutrition I definitely have a few bones to pick, but taken as a whole I think Health at Every Size is spot on and could help a lot of folks with their health. Besides talking about the unfortunate stigma around body fat, Bacon gives a number of interesting and useful tidbits regarding eating habits and how they relate to nutrient absorption, satiety, and overeating. Here are seven of my favorites:
Women and men that sit for six or more hours a day are 40% and 20% more likely to die within 15 years than their brothers and sisters who sit for less than three hours a day, independent of whether they exercise or not. People with sitting jobs have twice the rate of cardiovascular disease as people with non-sitting jobs. People who sit most of the day are 54% more likely to die of a heat attack.
Shoes are an accessory that most everyone uses on a daily basis. People wear different shoes for different uses, ranging from formal shoes to wear with a suit, to casual shoes to wear on a hot day. Shoes are picked based on their aesthetics as well as their function. I have a rather peculiar taste in footwear so I won't comment much on aesthetics. The function of shoes is really what I am interested in.
Mental health is a big part of overall wellness. So much so, that the World Health Organization includes mental health in its overall definition of health. It makes sense: think of a time in your life when you were most energetic and vibrant. It is very likely that this period was a time of great mental health. This can be seen on a day to day level as well. When my mental health is high, I am much more productive, energetic, and social. In many modern societies, humans are not exposed to enough sunlight. During the week, hours when the sun is out are spent inside working. Even during the weekend, many people choose to be inside whether they are watching tv, socializing, reading a book, etc. Even when we are outside, we are covered in clothing or sunscreen.
This is not how we evolved. Human beings did not stay in their caves all day! They spent their days outdoors hunting, gathering, playing, socializing etc. The health benefits of yoga appeal to many, but actually practicing yoga can be very intimidating. Seeing pictures of people contorted into advanced poses makes the idea of actually doing yoga seem unrealistic.
You probably know that donating blood can benefit other people's lives, but did you know that bloodletting has health benefits for the donor?
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