Extremism in health is rampant. Fad diets are garnering lots of attention and research. Food advocates are going full-on locavore, shunning any food that does not come from within 20 miles of their home or grown in their own backyards. Vegans are mainstream, even calling their veggie-endeavors “plant strong,” and prescribing “green” drinks for their alkalizing properties. These approaches to health are all fantastic for those who have the means, education, and capacity to stick to them. The overarching health problems remain and obesity is still the massive public health problem of our generation.
Why has health become so extreme, complicated, and confusing?
Some of the recent “foodumentaries” that have come out over the past few years display an interesting trend:
Extreme health protocols as a means to health.
Some examples include: Drinking only juice for months at a time (no chewing here!), never eating another piece of bread (gluten is toxic for everyone!), eating meat only (saturated fat is actually good for you!), or eating things that never had a “face or mother” (red meat kills and dairy makes you fat!).
As a population, we are on a crash course with rampant obesity. In another five years, more than half the population will be obese and diabetic with the potential to bankrupt our entire health care system and to cripple our economic development.
I posit that the beauty of health lies in its simplicity. Walk around, and eat some fruits and veggies! Recent research actually shows that by watching less T.V. and eating more fruits and vegetables people can dramatically improve their health. In short, simple lifestyle changes can lead to dramatic health results.
I harken back to Michael Pollan here: “Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly Plants.” But I might alter this a bit:
“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. Walk around. And easy on the T.V. watching.”
You might even occasionally imbibe a cold beer or nice glass of red wine.
Always Going for Glory!
Healthbent Entrepreneur 