No matter what we choose to call our ancestors, they lived in a simple way, ate what the land provided for them, and didn’t have labels on everything that existed.  Let’s face it, living in a ‘natural’ state is a challenge for us.  We are sophisticated, complicated and too evolved to simplify and go back to basics.

We are always trying to improve something… improve our tastes, our looks, our standard of living.  What would happen if we tried living a more natural existence?  We process our foods to make them more enticing, and easily prepared.  All the while, removing the natural balance of vitamins and minerals.  Why do we strip the food, then add the nutrients back into it… duh.

Just like our paleolithic grandparents,  my family eats meat.  We have a couple of local farmers who we order from each week.  As I’ve said before, I am a regirgitated vegetarian, I’ve watched the PETA videos and feel great sympathy for the inhumane ways that our money-hungry larger corporations treat their livestock.  But I find peace in knowing that these farmers care for their animals and they have a peaceful, free-roaming, happy existence.  Plus we are supporting our community!

For my family, all of this started about a year ago.  We removed Gluten products from our house in an effort to reduce my daughter’s Gastro-Intestinal discomfort.  Sometimes she would sit on the potty in tears because her belly wasn’t treating her kindly     I was ready to take her to a specialist, knowing she inherited her temperamental stomach, but decided to try removing Gluten products first.  Viola!  About 2 weeks into it, almost good as new.  There was an occasional cramp that we realized was linked to dairy.  So our household became gluten and dairy free.  We realized that my hubby’s issues were slowly weaning too.  But we still had some work to do.  We started watching ingredients a LOT more and became very aware of the relationship between food and our bodies.  My husband is a 6’4 manly-man… so the more I was removing from his vegetarian diet the crankier and more particular he was becoming.  I was slowly running out of options…. until he started researching the Paleo Diet.  The Paleo Diet  basically means, if our Paleo Peeps didn’t eat it, we shouldn’t either.  hmmm… kinda makes sense.

While we’ve evolved some since the days of living in caves and chasing dinosaurs, it doesn’t necessarily mean in a good way.   Our evolution has a far greater impact than we’d like to admit.  Especially if you look at the increasing number of people battling cancer, MS, and other debilitating diseases that our bodies are succumbing too.  We all know ‘we are what we eat’, but what exactly are we eating?  I wonder if all of the fast food chains disappeared and we took all the processed junk out of our diet, how much those numbers would decrease.  We don’t want to be ’bothered’ with preparing meals, so we buy microwavable meals or swing through the drive-thru.  Why do we pay the least amount of attention to the most important thing for our body, for our life?  We don’t want to be inconvenienced…. Until our health fails us.

Next, look in any medicine cabinet, cosmetic case or bathtub, and try to pronounce the chemicals that we are putting on our bodies.  We know that most of that junk causes cancer, and yet, we continue to use it.  I am guilty.  Especially with the cosmetics!  But I am trying to change my habits, and after reading the following article, I feel like it is something that is approachable.

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/going-poo-less/

I will acknowledge that our environment is much different now than when our ancestors roamed the Earth.  There are many more pollutants in our air and water, leaving toxic residue on our porous skin.  So which is the lesser of the two evils?  Do we wash away the toxins with more toxins?  A visit to the pool, and intense sweaty workout, a night out on the town with a ‘do’ full of hairspray or root-lifter…ewwwww.  I can’t give it up all-together, however, I figure this is a step in the right direction.  Many times I switch my shampoo for Baking Soda just to help get some of the oily residue off my noggin.  Works quite well!

Through my Yoga practice, I try improve my breath, my postures, my patience, my life.  Yoga brings me closer to Nature.  Mother Nature knows what is best for us.  She provides the foods that are best for our body (meats, local veggies, and some fruit), so if it doesn’t come from nature, it probably shouldn’t be consumed.  Some people call this living like a Cave(wo)man or living Primal or Paleo.  However we try to label it (since we sophisticates must put a label on everything), it’s message is basically the same… get back to our natural state.  If man has ‘improved’ it, then it probably isn’t any better, just more complicated and fancy…. and lethal.

Wishing you health and happiness!

Namaste’

Carrisa