Basic Pursuits

There is so much confusing information about health. It's hard to know what's bs without clearcut scientific evidence, which is really hard to come by. Like who's going to pay for experiments that only benefit the public good?

Try applying the gene test. How did our bodies evolve to nurture themselves?

Take Vitamin D. Evidence exists that suggests rather strongly that many folks are very deficient in Vitamin D. That makes sense in terms of our genes. We humans have evolved over millions of years in the sun. Along comes the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century. People start living in tenements and not on farms. They work in factories and not in fields. They get less sun and there is an outbreak of rickets, a bone deforming disease. Scientist figure it out. It's a Vitamin D deficiency Soon milk producers began supplementing their milk with Vitamin D and rickets pretty much disappears.

Now a lot of scientists/doctors feel that Vitamin D deficiency may be a factor in a lot of other diseases from cancer to the flu. I say it's worth looking into. It passes the gene test. Our genes are used to getting Vitamin D from the sun. Most of us get very little sun. The issue is certainly worth exploring.

Another nutrition issue that passes the gene test is whole grains. For thousands of years people ate whole grains. That's what our genes evolved to process. Along comes the industrial revolution and technology mass-produces flour without the germ or the bran. Starchy, cheapo carb white flour sells better. People like white flour. It lacks the slight bitterness of whole grain and it's prettier. But white flour turns to sugar quickly and the sugar hits the blood stream in a flood and causes an instant insulin response. Have that response enough times and the system breaks down and type two diabetes results.

So when you are wondering what to eat, look at the food and ask yourself the question: Was this available 1000 years ago? Did my genes evolve to cope with this? Right away you can eliminate a huge chunk of the American diet. To name just a few: sugar, soft drinks, artificial sweeteners, white flour, white rice, white just about anything.