The Caveman Experience part 1

Why Would Anyone Want To Be Like A Caveman?

Let's face it we have a damn good thing going for us here as present day modern humans.  We have houses, cars, boats and planes.  We have hospitals, heaters, air conditioners, beds, television on demand! Life is comfortable, life is secure, life is, life is... a little boring sometimes.  If you're like me, you like comforts and luxuries, like air condition on a 100 degree day; however I also believe there is a need to rough it from time to time.  A need to be in touch with nature.  This link to nature can provide feedback about the state of our health and humanity.  It can also give us strength to endure difficult times, whether personal, or on a grander scale: political, economic, and sheer force of nature.

As kids we are able to integrate imagination and play seamlessly.  If we played Spaceman, we became spacemen. I used to play all sorts of games with neighbors from pirates to race car drivers (on bikes of course).  This ability to follow wherever our imagination leads us, gets lost on us as we age, and reason becomes the order of the day.

This skill can be useful, and I believe provides us a form of escape, almost like meditation.  If you have a couple of minutes just try and imagine what it was like to be a caveman.  No airplanes or cars, no grocery stores, no banks, no bills, no lifesaving ambulances. It's just you, your tribe, nature, and other animals. Imagine waking up hungry. What would you eat? Imagine preparing for the day. What work is necessary to be done?  Obviously there are no bosses or deadlines, but survival is the ultimate Dictator. As a primal person how did we know what to do to prepare for winter? for animal attacks? for hunting food? for shelter? How did we express love?

It is important to remember we are genetically the same as paleolithic people.  In a way, they are still with us, somewhere in the back of our brain.  We share the same fears, reactions, and needs for love.  We also have the same nutritional needs.  Let's not forget we have been evolving for millions of years, this thing called civilization is merely the tip of the iceberg. It is not so much that I want to be or act as a Caveman.  The fact is that we are still 99% the same, and ignoring this is literally ignoring humanity. When we talk about primal urges, it is usually reserved for ugly uncontrollable human behavior.  I believe, however we all have primal needs. If we ignore these through the filter of civilization, it can lead to diseases of the mind, neuroses and psychoses. This reality is much uglier than a primal urge!

A Primal Game From Mark's Daily Apple

Why The Need For A Primal Diet?

Man made food is killing us! The true problem is that man does not make food, he destroys it.  Nature gives us something perfect, and man figures out a way to make a buck on it. In some circumstances preserved denatured food serves a purpose.  For example in times of famine, it sure would be nice to have a few satchels of rice and flour stored away. That makes sense, especially in underdeveloped countries. For the most part we should eat as caveman did, because ultimately he built our engine by selecting those foods! Our brains and internal organs are what they are, because he learned to hunt, to scavenge and to gather.

It's amazing how many foods humans are well adapted to eat! We have a whole spectrum of fruits and vegetables, spices and herbs, nuts and seeds, fish, poultry, and meats.  With all that variety, and thousands of ways to prepare them, why do we still eat Doritos, Corn Flakes, or Snickers? Sugar, sugar, and more sugar.  Yes it is addictive, and maybe people need to admit they are powerless over it, but then we need to move on. The best way to do this is through knowledge.  Once you know what ravages simple carbohydrates inflict on your body, you begin to fear them.  The high blood sugar, leads to high insulin levels, leads to stored fat, leads to insulin resistance, leads to inflammation, leads to heart disease, obesity, diabetes: Metabolic Syndrome! Not a good syndrome to have.  In the spirit of knowledge here is a link to Dr. Eades post Are we Meat Eaters or Vegetarians.  While you're there look at his archives.  Here is a man who has a lot of info!