I was on a boat the other day when I received a text. I was being asked a question that required me to jump online and check an email. I was able to get the answer, take a snapshot of it, and send the answer back to the person via text. I could do all that from a boat in the middle of a lake, and it was sent to a friend four states away.
The advances taking place in almost every industry are mind-blowing. The advances are no longer linear…today’s growth is exponential. Your smartphone, being a thousand times faster and a million times cheaper than the supercomputers from the 1970’s, is a great example of the power of exponential growth.
So why is it that with all of the progress and amazing advances, we are still so sick, stressed out, and unhappy? One of the biggest problems we have is that we have bought into the idea that the answers to our problems will be solved with some massive technological breakthrough.
We are always looking for something new. The newest thing must be the best thing. If it’s old, it can’t be great. Old stuff can’t be as good as the newest stuff. If this is true, though, we should be healthier, happier, and life should be getting better and better. Will something new solve our problems?
Let’s look at wellness, as this is one of the most prominent areas where we think newer must be better. The new workout programs, diets, medicines, and products have failed to get us well. Roughly eight out of ten Americans suffer with at least one chronic illness and fifty-five percent suffer with two or more.
So here is my recommendation… instead of always trying something new, I want to encourage you to try something old! Go back to the basics.
Our hunter-gatherer ancestors had very little in terms of stuff. Yet they did not suffer with the diabetes, obesity, cancers, and heart disease that plague us today. How could a group of people with so little, living such a primitive life, be healthier than we are in terms of chronic illness.
The answer is simple… they stuck to the basics. Humans, like all living things, have specific needs in order to function optimally. Our ancestors, as well as primitive tribes that still exist today, avoided chronic illness by simply eating, moving, and thinking like a wild human. What did they eat? Real, whole foods. Nothing processed, no artificial sweeteners or flavors, no pesticides, and genetically modified foods.
What exercise did they do? They walked, climbed, lifted, and had short bursts of intense activity. They did not need treadmills, they did not go to specialized gyms, they didn’t order personal trainers, and they didn’t have access to any “as seen on tv” fat burning miracle.
What about leisure time? They danced, rested, played simple games, and spent time together. I have a great picture of two small children from a tribe having a sack race. The smiles on their faces are amazing. The equipment needed? Two burlap sacks!
While I am in no way against progress and advancement, we don’t have to look back too far to realize that despite the medical breakthroughs, hundreds of different diets, fad workouts, and access to medicine, doctors, hospitals, and nutritional supplements, we are not well.
I want to encourage you to go back to the basics. There is no gismo, gadget, or device that will make you healthy the way simple, healthy, and balanced living will. Eat real foods, go for a walk or a hike, read a good book, start journaling, write a friend a handwritten letter, sit outside, walk barefoot, plant a garden, rent a canoe, go tent camping, ride your bike to the store, do push-ups and sit-ups before bed, and tell stories to your children about your childhood. Get out there and try something old.
