Feet on ground

When loading regular non paleo hot dogs, which besides meat were stuffed with nitrates, glucose, starches and all things horrible, I experienced a fleeting moment of guilt. I should be eating some real food. Like some grass fed beef and butter soaked veggies.

But then I started thinking about all the people in the world who continually eat corns, vegetable oils, legumes, sugars, toxic additives and so on who live long lives and who most of the time do not appear very sick.

Reading paleo health literature you might get the impression that everyone who bases their diet on the things we learn should be avoided would simply fall apart, rot from the inside out and become inflamed to the point of combustion.

But they don’t. There are people all around me living on what I would call a crappy diet, and they are fine. Sure some infections and pains could probably be avoided and perhaps they could feel just a little better, but that’s not the point. The point is that they’re fine. Most people around me are grain based. Athletes and sedentary alike on low fat, high fructose, high corn diets, and their doing fine most of the time.

I know we are sick animals, us industrialized humans. Most of us probably do not know what it feels like to be in good health most of the time. But knowing what I do about nutrition and the effects of food on the body I am surprised at how little I or any other paleo(ish) stand out. Where are the superpowers? Why aren’t we more different?

Even considering that most people are sick most of the time or that we are only beginning to see the ill effects of the way we live, I have to admit to myself, that the difference between those living on healthy diets and people living on diets composed of the thing I shun, are not as big as I might be inclined to think.

I am not trying to, nor do I want to downplay the effects of healthy diets. Diet matters and it matters more to those dealt the worst genetic cards.

I just realized that this perspective was missing in my mind and that it should be there to keep me from getting airborne. To keep my feet on the ground, as I am constantly fighting an urge to be carried away and at the same time I’m truly baffled by the results some achieve by lifestyle changes.

Just a thought…