Are you feeling sluggish and fatigued much of the time? How about emotionally? Are you sad, indifferent or pessimistic about life in general? You could be suffering from “Paleo-Deficit Disorder”.
Experts are talking about a new health problem that may affect millions of people around the world, and most people have never heard of it. Paleo-deficit disorder essentially means that modern life – how we work, live, and eat – are evolutionary mismatches with how our ancestors lived. Many types of disorders and diseases may be associated with these mismatches.
Today, it is very difficult to find privacy and quiet solitude, especially in larger cities and urban areas, where large populations of people live and work. We are also far removed from nature – the forests, mountains, streams and lakes where our ancestors spent much of their time hunting, gathering and fishing.
Our ancestors also spent most of their time outdoors in the sunlight. Today, we work indoors and don’t have the opportunity for much exposure to the sun. As a result, up to 42% of people living in the United States are deficient in vitamin D.
We sit far too long in office chairs behind desks and experience work-related stress. Many experts are now decrying that sitting is the new smoking – it’s that bad for our health. We need to get up and move as our ancestors did. Walk through the woods and trails. Take in the aromas emitting from plants, shrubs, trees and flowers. These are all good for our health and well-being.
Our Western Pattern Diet is not what our ancestors ate and has a lot to do with the leading causes of death today – cancer, heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease and others. Some experts indicate that our ancestors were not the red meat eaters we once thought they were, but were instead fish, vegetable, fruit, nuts and honey eaters.
Our environment doesn’t promote paleo-living as we are constantly exposed to chemicals, pollutants, and toxins. From household cleaners, body soaps and shampoos, pharmaceuticals, to the air we breathe, our modern lives are far from those of our ancestors and unfortunately, not in a good or healthy way.