So how did they live, and what can we learn? First off, let me say the fact that these people lived long did not mean they lived easy. The majority of the population back then worked physically demanding jobs for long hours. The hard work was a large part of what contributed to their longevity. To fuel 60 hour work weeks at labor intensive jobs, these folks took in 150 to 200% of the calories that we would normally eat today. The benefit that came from eating all these calories was not a result of the calories themselves, but of the organic foods they ate. These people lived off the land. They raised their own fruits and vegetables, and ate them fresh from the garden. Their meats were fresh kills from local farms or successful hunting. These people did not waste. They ate far more of the animals they had, including: organs, soups made from bones, whole fish including the heads and roe, and fatty parts that we tend to throw away these days. Essentially the biggest thing that this group did right was to eat a very large amount of highly nutritious foods. Their hard work provided the incentive to eat, and their nutrient dense foods kept them alive a long time. According to the study, a person that lived past the age of five in that setting could expect to live a longer and healthier life than we do today, over a hundred years later.
So what can we do today to recreate the good aspects of the lives they led so that we may reap some of the benefits? The following are two steps toward living like they did :
By Samuele on English Wikipedia Samuele nella Wikipedia Italiana [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons
Work Hard:
If you are like most of us and don't spend your days lumberjacking or bricklaying, the next best thing is to hit the gym. Don't get me wrong, I don't think an hour at the gym is going to simulate 8 hours shoveling dirt, but it will get your metabolism up and stimulate an appetite. If you are looking to burn maximum calories in minimum time, olympic lifts with heavy weights are a great way to go. The more you do the better, whether it be at the gym, at work, or in the yard. The average workers back then burned between 3000 and 4500 calories a day. We probably are not going to get anywhere near that on a daily basis, but the closer the better.
Eat More... of Good Things:
A result of the hard work you do will be the desire to get some grub. When I say eat more I mean eat more of certain things. In America today we get more than enough carbs and protein, there is no need to up the intake of that stuff. What we do need more of is phytonutrients, and that comes from plants. Eat organic plants and eat lots of them. The leafier and the darker the better. Try to get in as many colors as you can daily as well. Blending and drinking the juice and pulp is a good way to get in a ton of plant matter conveniently. When considering meat products, try using as much of the animal as you are comfortable with. An easy way to start is with beef bone broths and chicken soups (check out the simple chicken soup post).
When you can, buy organic and local fruits and veggies. When organic is not available buy conventional and local. You always want to get food that was grown as close to home as possible. Free range organic meat products are not only better for the animal, but they are better for you. Animals that live in the sun and graze on grasses and grains that they would naturally eat will provide more and better nutrient quality when consumed.
Pretty simple, work hard and eat good stuff. And yeah, we may never be able to take in the high amounts of vitamins and minerals that they did back then. As a result we may never come to know the low levels of degenerative disease that they saw. They lived hard lives, they deserved a break. In the meantime we'll have some fun while we're strong and if we do get some crappy disease when we're old, at least we'll have 3D movies to distract us. Carpe Diem.
Click here to check out the article.
No comments:
Post a Comment