by Zack Parker
Our ancestors were nomadic hunter-gatherers. They basically ate in the way wild deer eat. They would roam from place to place eating whatever they could find. Their diets were almost exclusively controlled by naturally occurring food sources. Once all of the naturally occurring food in an area had been exhausted, they were forced to move on. Most of the time, they would have to trust their past experiences to tell them whether something that seemed edible, was harmful or not. Many became ill or sometimes had to die before it was figured out what it was that they were eating that was no good for food. They had to learn the hard way that not all things that tasted good were safe to eat. It was trial and error with sickness or death being the unfortunate consequences. In this continuous search for food, many died of malnutrition or became too weak to carry on. Those that had more of an ability to tell whether foods were harmful or not, survived more often. Their survival allowed for the passing on of their genetic abilities and learned knowledge to their offspring. This development of genetic predisposition and the accumulation of knowledge led them to develop desires for certain foods and gave them the skills needed to obtain them.
These skills were needed because of the rareness in which the harder to acquire nutrients are found in naturally occurring food sources. One thing that would have been in short supply was sugar. Aside from seasonal fruits they may have luckily happened upon and the even harder to find honey; A rare delicacy indeed, most sugars came in the form of starches that were found in roots and grains. You can bet that when these treats were found, they did not last long. These energy-rich sources of food not only helped them survive but they allowed them to flourish because they were often nutrient rich. A second vital component of their diets that they literally couldn’t live without was salt or sodium. This precious and vital component of a healthy diet was hard to come by. Most natural sodium sources are found in fresh meats, roots, and deep leafy greens. Even if these items were sometimes available and edible, sodium is in deficient concentrations here. When found, these natural sodium containing foods were quickly recognized as foods that they needed to eat all they could, while they could. Lastly and perhaps the hardest to come by in nature was fat. Some fats can be found in vegetables but mostly in small amounts. However, large quantities were found in animal meats. We existed for a long time before we developed weapons, so there was very little meat in our diets. Much like other wild animals, when there was animal fat and meat they had to gorge themselves on these precious commodities before they began to rot. They did not necessarily require meat for protein, but the fat that animal consumption provided was highly valued and sought after. Animal consumption provided an extraordinarily high level of calorie intake very quickly as compared to other food sources as well. These three: Sugar, Salt, and Fat became the lifeblood of our existence. We slowly began to develop genetic predispositions towards enjoying the tastes and textures of these three foods because they increased our energy and vitality. They changed from being things that we sometimes happened to eat, to foods we sought out and desired.
The point is, these three resources were in very, very, very short supply! As time went on, our glorious ancestors continued to develop these powerful instincts to eat as much of these items as possible anytime they could. This lifestyle is known as "feast or famine," and it ruled over the lives of humans for an incredibly long time. It was an exceedingly difficult life that resulted in much shorter life spans than we have now. With shorter lives, the need to reproduce was much more critical and so was the verbal passing on of knowledge and skills. As knowledge and skills were passed on from generation to generation amongst these nomadic peoples, they became more knowledgeable and talented at finding food. This increase in skill led to the ability to spot areas of sustainability. Eventually, they would find places that allowed them to settle and live off the land year-round. Once this settling took place our ability as humans to notice patterns started to really pay off. They observed that specific food sources were more bountiful in certain seasons and this is when everything began to change for mankind. This is where our ancestors began to realize they could step slightly outside of the natural order of things and plant more of what grew well in nature during certain times of the year. This allowed for greater harvests. This was the beginning of farming and agriculture.
Farming and Agriculture brought about far greater availability to food and nutrition. The big problem is that as our ancestors continued to develop their skills, they still retained those deeply ingrained instincts. Eat sugar! Eat salt! Eat fat! So as our ability to provide year-round food sources grew you would think those instincts would fade. However, those instincts took thousands upon thousands of years to develop fully, and we have only had such plentiful access to all the foods we desire for a very short period of time. So they continue to be deeply ingrained. These left-over instincts have been swept under the rug and used by a select few to create massive industries around our appetites. This was the easiest thing in the world to do. Provide food and humans will eat it. After all, we are only doing what comes to us naturally right? Have you ever heard the saying “don’t go into the grocery store hungry!"? Well, now you know why. Our primal, ancient, survival instincts go into overdrive and take over. Without a healthy appreciation for willpower, we can quickly and easily fall victim to the very instincts that once helped to ensure the survival of our species. Eat sugar! Eat Salt! Eat Fat! It does not matter whether we are standing in our kitchen, walking down the aisle at the grocery store, or looking at the fast food signs while riding down the road, our decision making becomes very, very compromised!
We have all been around a dog in season. We all know how unpredictable, untamed, and reckless our pets can become. Our once well behaved, friendly, and relaxed pet can quickly become something we barely recognize. And why? Instincts! That's why! That's almost exactly what happens to us as a species. In the same manner that our K-9 buddies are overcome by their deeply ingrained instincts, we also fall to the mercy of our distant ancestor’s need for survival. Now don't feel too bad, some measures can be taken to assist us in this primal battle. The first step was just made; banishing ignorance! Sometimes just exposure to knowledge is enough to bring about powerful change in the human mind. Usually, exposure to knowledge does at least one positive thing. It causes us to ask questions. When we ask questions in this day and age, it is not long before we begin to find answers! The more answers we have, the more we become what is known as "informed consumers," and that is a powerful title. That title will change your life. In the same way our ancestors used the accumulation of knowledge to increase the chances of their survival; we must also use our vast amount of knowledge to increase ours. The difference here is huge though. Where their knowledge allowed for an increased supply of food, our knowledge allows for improved control of food restriction. Our food restriction is equally as vital to our health now, as having food to eat was to their health then. However, we must first acquire an awareness of this knowledge and then implement it in our lives.
Unfortunately, ignorance is the most promoted quality in all of modern civilization. Ignorance breeds ignorance which creates generation upon generation of profits. Realize right now that this sugar, salt, fat discussion is not one of my creation. These facts have been known for a long, long time. Huge industries, the largest in the world, have grown around this knowledge. When you are in the business of selling food, and you realize that you can capitalize on natural instincts and use psychology to boost profits significantly, while also creating addictions to your products that will maintain your earnings for the life of your customer then trust me, that's what you do! That's what the food giants have been doing for decades now. Their tactics don’t just end with nutritional triggers. Have you ever noticed how many red and yellow colors are used in the sale of food? They are used because research has discovered that they elicit a response in our human brains. For some reason when we see those combinations of color, it triggers a hunger response in our mind. Wow! And I thou
ght I just liked cheeseburgers!?!
Do your research. Every product, every commercial, every fast food color scheme is designed to take more and more of our free will in exchange for our money. Honestly, who can blame them? Its business and business is good! Unfortunately, those high-profit margins almost parallel the rising epidemic levels of food-related illnesses that we see all around us.
I am only sharing this information with you because I have found these realizations to be highly valuable in my own life. Your health is your life, and your life is one of the only things you can ever truly call your own. So please do what you will with this information. Just do this for me. Get online or search for streaming service and watch something with food for the image. Not a cooking competition or food critiquing show though. Watch something centered on education and knowledge. Do this just once a week, once a month, or even just once. Don’t say “No” to watching certain material because it does not go along with your current beliefs in regards to food. Remember, most of those beliefs have been crafted by very clever marketing campaigns throughout you and your family’s lives. Get outside of your comfort zone. I promise you that once exposed to the data you will never be the same. Some recommendations I can make are:
1) Sugar-coated
2) Food Choices
3) Cowspiracy
4) Food Matters
5) Forks over knives
6) Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead
7) What the Health?
Truthfully, these are all good. Most point towards a vegan lifestyle but try to keep in mind that this is not mandatory. Substantial change with substantial long-term health benefits can still be attained by making minor changes at first, and then growing at your own pace as you become more enlightened. Try to remember all the struggle and sacrifice that our ancestors had to endure as they traveled through time. It is what was necessary to allow for us to be here today. Understand that further growth and development of yourself and our species will continue to require struggle and sacrifice. However, just as we have adapted in the past, our adaptive nature will continue to carry us into the future, with new hope and purpose. Those things we currently cling to for survival will one day just be looked upon as the growing pains of a species that became too successful too fast, before adaptations could be made. Today though, today we adapt. Today, you change. Today, we all grow. I hope this helps.
Chapter 11
Moderation
I believe this may very well be one of the most complex and challenging topics to grasp in this entire book. It is deceptively complex while giving off the impression of simplicity. Its true meaning and proper practice have depths of which I feel are still out of reach for myself. However, it is this understanding of how difficult this concept can be to grasp that is the motivation behind writing this chapter. This understanding allows me to see quite clearly why moderation is so hard to practice for almost all of us. I do however feel the term moderation and what it means are somewhat familiar to most of us. If you were raised to practice almost any religion, then you are probably familiar with the concept and practice of moderation. If you were raised without religion, then you have probably still been introduced to the idea at some point in your life. If not, then you will be much more familiar with the concept by the time you finish this chapter. The reason behind my writing here is that I feel in order to find balance in life we must learn to let the practice of using moderation in all areas of our existence become much more of a focus.
In my personal experience, I have found that practicing moderation has dramatically increased the level of joy in my life while simultaneously decreasing the stresses that existed because of imbalance and the pursuit of excess. The biggest challenge for me when trying to apply this concept actively was in determining what moderation really means and trying to establish what all areas of life it can be used to create balance. As time has passed, I have continued to develop my understanding of this concept. As I do, I continue to be amazed at just how shallow of a definition I used to accept when considering the word moderation. Have you ever honestly considered the question of how to live life in moderation? If your answer was no, then now is the time. Moderation is typically defined as avoiding extremes of behavior or expression: observing reasonable limits; the quality of being moderate; restraint; avoidance of extremes or excesses; temperance. I believe this definition sums up the way most of us define moderation. In one way or another, we all know we should try to sculpt our lives with this understanding, but usually, this philosophy is only applied to a very limited selection of areas, and it’s not even considered in others.
Now that we have a basic understanding of what moderation is, our first obstacle when attempting to obtain it in our lives is the establishment of minimums and maximums in any area that we may decide to focus. That is to say, what is the largest and smallest amount of something we can expose our lives to before it becomes harmful?
This type of question can be applied in any area but here is a short list:
*Just add the word moderated before each of these*
Food consumption of any kind
Dieting
Social life
Travel
Sports
Family time
Alone time
Hobbies
Sex
Alcohol Consumption
Coffee
Amount of pets
Shopping
Purchasing
Exercise
Fast food
Sleep
Relaxation time
Video games
Gambling
As we begin to establish the minimum and maximum levels that can be tolerated, this understanding gives us the first tools needed to discover life’s peaceful mediums. The peaceful medium is the proper amount of anything that we can pursue without creating an imbalance. The peaceful mediums are what will always promote prosperity in our lives and understanding them is paramount to the practicing of true moderation. This can and should be done in any area of our life in which we wish to develop balance.
For many areas of life, the minimum amount can easily be zero. It is most often, but not always, the maximums that cause trouble. These troublesome maximums are easily understood in areas such as fast food or alcohol consumption. We are all aware of what can happen if we consume too much of these two, but there is really no adverse effect of consuming zero. It’s establishing what level above zero that is safe for us, and then abiding by that understanding as often as possible which is so crucial to our health and wellbeing. What about more distinct human needs like food and water? There are definitely both minimum and maximum levels here. If we have too little of either of these our health will begin to fail, and if our course is not changed, it will become catastrophic. If we have too much of either of these, then the same is also true. In each of these examples balance is the key. It’s like the story of Goldilocks; we must not be too hot or too cold. We must find the level that is “just right.” The problem is that we don’t always double check our sources when establishing our understanding of where the area of balance is between our minimums and maximums. And this is where the trouble truly begins for those seeking personal growth and development.
A critical point we must address is the culture in which we are raised. As our experience grows with age, our learned perception of reality comes from observing those around us and from being taught. We use what we learn from our culture to develop our understanding of what reality is supposed to be like so we can determine how to live our lives properly. We typically learn our minimums and maximums in this way. Regardless of who you are or where you are from, it would be almost impossible for the internal rules that you use to govern your life not to be affected, in some way, by the culture in which you were raised. With this understanding, we can clearly see that cultural deviation will inevitably lead to changes in the perceived minimums and maximums in many, if not all areas of the human experience. This can be true for dietary needs, phys
ical health, spiritual pursuits, mental development, social structure, professional motivations, interpersonal relationships, and all other areas one might address. We are all, only one species. We are all Homo Sapiens! There is no argument here. With this understanding, it can be easily understood that the majority of us all have the same basic needs. To begin to understand the difference between what we have been conditioned to think by our cultures and the truth, we must first learn to overcome what could be highly biased cultural perceptions of the peaceful mediums which are involved in the areas where we seek improvement and personal growth. Try to remember these behavioral changes from one culture to the next are not actual changes just established and accepted changes. This revelation of cultural deviation is imperative if we are to find real balance within our life. What you must learn to do is actively seek out the correct peaceful mediums in all areas of life where you may seek balance. Balance can only be achieved through the attainment of a firm grasp on the proper practice of a moderated life.
Trust me; I understand that this subject can be a bit confusing. It is a tough subject to write about! The minimum and maximum levels of all aspects of life are not something that can be covered in this chapter. It’s not something I would ever attempt to define for you. You must determine those values for yourself as the need arises throughout your life. To make this easier to understand, I’m going to isolate one subject matter. Since we are all humans, and we all have the same basic needs, I think I will use food. I think everyone understands food. Food is a must have, and there is not one culture in the world that has not developed heavily around their food sources. In the melting pot of the American culture, most conversations about moderation are usually centered on food and its consumption. However, since America is such a vast continent with such a broad diversity of people, many different cultures affect these conversations. One culture's minimum intake of milk may far exceed another cultures maximum. Similarly, some culture’s maximum consumption of meat may not even reach the minimum for others. Using these two examples, I believe it can be easily understood how individuals from each of these cultures can have very different ideas about where the peaceful mediums should be to properly practice moderation in their diet. While both may have different ideas of what the peaceful medium is, the truth of the matter is they could both be wrong when their opinions are compared to scientific discovery regarding nutrient intake.