I came across a compelling theory on fitness and nutrition, recently, that’s based on our evolutionary past. The idea is that our minds and bodies are a product of millions of years of evolution. And since our genes haven’t changed over the last 40,000 years, our DNA is that of the hunter-gatherers.
Athlete/scientist, Art De Vany suggests that our genes were formed at a time when activity was essential; you were active or you starved or were eaten. He theorizes that many of the modern chronic diseases (Alzheimer’s, coronary heart disease, insulin resistance, etc.) are a result of sedentary life; that our genes require activity for healthful expression. Exercise is not something you do just to drop a few pounds, it’s necessary for a healthy life.
In the first chapter of his book, Evolutionary Fitness (a book in progress), De Vany states that our exercise should mimic the activities of our ancestral past. He recommends high intensity training; exercise which activates the fast twitch muscle fibers for brief periods. He says that hitting the fast twitch fibers is the key to staying young. In practical terms this means interval training for cardio. And, high intensity weight training; lifting heavier weights for fewer reps.
He also suggests a low carb diet based on our evolutionary past. He says our diet should contain an enormous amount of plant foods, as well as lots of protein and essential fats (omega-3). The universal characteristic of the hunter-gatherer diet was the complete absence of grains, milk, beans and processed foods. They ate no cereals and consumed no vegetable oils, so their omega-6 to omega-3 ration was relatively balanced.
What I find interesting is that there’s a lot of recent research on nutrition, fitness and aging which supports his theory.
More on this to come…