A few years ago, I was your typical office-worker: stressed out, uneven energy, overweight, and inconsistent complexion. Now I'm just your typical 28-year old urban hunter-gatherer on a quest to be healthy, and having a few adventures along the way. See my full bio.
I took biology during my freshman year of high school. The class came right after lunch, and I struggled to stay awake. It should have been easy. Our teacher, Mr. Otto, was a rock star. He had studied gorillas in Africa (Lesotho), rocked a pony tail (and pulled it off), and was just one of those cool teachers. But day after day, I'd nod off in class. I just accepted it as normal -- people get sleepy after lunch. No different than people getting sleepy at night.
It didn't help that I couldn't see the blackboard. It was a large, lab-style classroom and I sat near the back. As I would squint at the board trying to take notes, I thought, "Huh, it's a little odd that they would build a classroom so long that you couldn't see the blackboard from the back." As if the classroom were defective, not my eyes. (My delusions of grandeur started at a young age.) I asked the girl sitting next to me if she could see the blackboard. She said no, it's fuzzy for me too. So we both continued squinting, confirming each other's belief that we each had normal eyesight. Turns out, of course, that both of us needed glasses.
The moral is simple. Don't define "normal" by looking at the people around you. We understand this concept in the case of the girl with bad eyesight sitting next to me in class, but we forget it elsewhere. We think that if everybody in our family has bad eyesight, then it's normal to have bad eyesight. Or if everybody in the country is overweight, then it's normal to be overweight. Or if all the kids in class fall asleep after lunch, then it's normal to be tired after eating.
But when you widen your frame of reference to include other people (like other cultures) and periods of time (like our hunter-gatherer ancestors), you see normal in a whole new light. The body's natural condition is to be healthy. That is normal. And to be overweight is abnormal, to have acne is abnormal, to have flat feet is abnormal, to have allergies is abnormal, to get sick every month is abnormal, to fall asleep after every meal is abnormal, to be weak is abnormal, to be depressed is abnormal, to be unhealthy is abnormal.
Well, it's time to take back normal. Healthy is the new normal.
Comments
Reminds me of a quote I once
Reminds me of a quote I once read by Krishnamurti: "It's no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society."
Another great post. Just
Another great post. Just today my Dad, surprised at my continuing weight loss, asked about my weight and diet, and asked about my plans. I asked what he meant, and he asked when I would start eating normal and stop trying to lose weight. I told him "this is the way I have to eat for my health". Weird how perception of normal can vary.
Though my allergies have
Though my allergies have gotten far better over the years. Especially compared to my childhood and early adulthood... when I was eating the standard American diet. That being said though. They are not gone, and I'm not sure that they'll ever be. However, they are not year-round. They come toward the middle/end of spring. I can say though that I have not caught a cold in probably four years now... at least.
Agreed that diet alone may
Agreed that diet alone may not do away with adult allergies. But nasal allergies are much less prevalent in rural areas and places where people are exposed to all the pollens and dirt and microbes. I wasn't actually thinking about food allergies when I wrote the post.
I agree with all of this save
I agree with all of this save for the opinion that allergies are abnormal. For instance, I’m allergic to cow’s milk and soy. Things that almost every person should steer clear of anyway. I’m also allergic to ragweed and pollen. And though eating in a paleo manner does help me avoid allergic reactions to soy and milk, I wouldn’t say that the other two allergens are abnormal at all. They’re just something that causes my immune system to go on overload for some reason. Perhaps there’s evolutionary purpose to it? Who knows?
I really feel normal for the
I really feel normal for the first time. I was really amazed at how abnormal and unhealthy I was until I discovered what it was like to be healthy, strong, no bleeding gums, no eczema, no hair falling out, have workout stamina and shortened recovery time, and a myriad other things I thought had to do with me being in my mid-30s. Turns out I was just eating crap. And I wasn't even eating bad in the typical sense. I ate whole grains, lentils, so-called healthy, low-fat, high-carb, high-fiber, foods, vegetable oils, no sugars or processed foods. But it just wasn't doing me any good.
I agree that a simple
I agree that a simple majority shouldn't define normal! At the pool today I noticed that the most common sunscreen was one that is FULL of poisonous chemicals. No thanks. My family will form our own version of healthy and this will be normal for MY kids.
Now wait a minute, everybody
Now wait a minute, everybody I know has told me that not ever getting sick and being able to run a 5k without dying is the result of great genes! ;D
Great point. This is a
Great point. This is a concept I've been geeking out on for a while. We as a culture are so used to thinking that the human body is this defective piece of machinery that needs lots of medication, surgery, and constant conscious attention that we think of being healthy as some far off ideal, hard to imagine and even harder to reach. If we start thinking of being fit as the true "base camp" point that we embark from, I think we'll have more motivation to get our asses into shape.
Can you expound on some of
Can you expound on some of these things. Such as "having allergies is abnormal," etc. I totally agree with your views on diet, but I also suffer from bad allergies, have been surrounded by depressed people and would be interested in hearing how your views on these issues tie into diet. Thanks.
I used to have horrible
I used to have horrible allergies up until 6 months ago when I started eating paleo. If you eat real food your allergies should go away. I am pretty strict with the paleo food and beleive you have to be if you want great health. For over 20 years I just considered my allergies normal because the doctors couldn't really help me. Turns out it was just grains that caused inflamation leading to bad allergies.
@Aarurl: I also have a story
@Aarurl: I also have a story of how I helped my body to heal itself of allergies by eliminating grains and dairy from my diet, but not everyone's body reacts the same way. If you want to get all pre-historic (no shoes, dirty ground) about it, there is actually a solid argument for humans having developed a symbiotic relationship with parasites. NPR did a feature on Radio Lab about Jasper Lawrence, not too long ago. (He infested himself with hookworm to get rid of allergies and asthma.) His story is available here: http://www.asthmahookworm.com; the RadioLab story should be able to be found here through NPR: http://blogs.wnyc.org/radiolab/2009/09/07/parasites