|
|
      |
| The Lounge | Champions | The Wire | Schedule | Audio | Arcade | The Top Ten | Historical | Email | Video |
|
|
|
| The Lounge | Champions | The Wire | Schedule | Audio | Arcade | The Top Ten | Historical | Email | Video |
 |
Were Cave Dwellers Ever Fat?
In our mind's eye, we see our ancient ancestors as they have been depicted in paintings, stories, films, and scientific recreations. Small, wiry, hairy figures surrounding a huge beast, poised for the kill. Do we know if that picture is really accurate? We do know, from skeletal fragments that have survived, that they were definitely smaller than present day human beings. We can surmise that they were wiry from the lifestyle they pursued: irregular availability of food and long hours of daily hunting. We can assume that women started to gather plants, grasses, fruits, and seeds to provide an alternate source of sustenance to the men's only intermittently successful hunting efforts. We have only vague timelines on when tribes started to move out of caves and into shelters they made themselves. We can only guess about the invention of cooking pots, an enormous advance from simply an open fire. As the race became more domesticated, the variety of food expanded and therefore the availability of something to eat became more assured. Eventually, civilization sparked, agriculture was born, and eating became a process of selection and choice rather than mere consumption to stay alive. It was at this juncture, we can posit, that individual's weights started to differentiate, depending upon personal choice, the wealth or strength to obtain extras, or the physical demands of one's occupation. What did our cavemen forbears bequeath as their legacy? Underfed and overactive, they willed us a body that still thinks we dwell in the primordial forest. Suddenly cut back on our intake of food and the alert is sounded through the nervous system and organs of our prehistoric physiology. "Famine coming, famine coming" our bodies shriek and immediately our metabolism slows to a crawl. The body attempts to hold onto its fat like a Paleolithic hunter grasping his animal skin against the elements. In the very architecture of our bodies: tail remnants, vestigial organs, and a primitive metabolic system, we carry the seeds of our own weight difficulties. To work with our bodies, rather than constantly fight them, we need to recreate the world in which our bodies developed. While we cannot participate in a primeval hunt, we can repeatedly, over a long period of time, consume only limited calories so that our bodies don't have to worry about getting enough food, but process the little they do get rapidly and efficiently. Our little friends, the white rats in the laboratory mazes, have proven over and over again, that consistent undereating is the pathway to good health and longevity. For all they did for mankind in the dawn of history, the cave dwellers deserve our thanks and our respect as do the bodies they left as their testimony. What ungrateful abuse we heap on them when we allow ourselves to grow flabby and fat, desecrating their gift and nullifying their efforts. Virginia Bola is a licensed psychologist and an admitted diet fanatic. She specializes in therapeutic reframing and the effects of attitudes and motivation on individual goals. The author of The Wolf at the Door: An Unemployment Survival Manual, and a free ezine, The Worker's Edge, she recently published a psychologically-based weight control e-workbook, "Diet with an Attitude" which develops mental skills towards the goal of permanent weight control. She can be reached at http://dietwithanattitude.blogspot.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Proven Strategies to Effectively Burn Fat Out Of Your Body! Part 1 It is much safer to your long term health to reduce weight by natural means rather than taking medication that poses a series of health threatening side effects. In order to attack the problem of reducing weight we must identify the kind of bodies we have. Cellulite: The Biggest Female Epidemic Cellulite is probably one of the most embarrassing of all physical faults that women have.Cellulite isn't just a problem with the obese or overweight either. A Diet Made For You Will Make All The Difference To achieve your goals you need a diet that takes into account who you are and what you want.People diet for lots of reasons, and with lots of aims in mind. Coconut Oil Diets Have you heard about coconut oil diets yet? People are adding coconut oil to their diets and are getting incredible results. They are losing weight, getting more energy, and getting healthier. How To Maintain Your Ideal Weight The main reasons most people have difficulty maintaining their ideal weight are : ? Overeating? Lack of willpower? Eating fattening foods? Weight Loss products that help take weight off, but cannot maintain it? It's all just too hard - calorie counting, exercise, too tired, too busy? I don't look too bad do I?All too often, people succeed in losing weight, only to put it all back on again once the diet is over. Yo-yoing is a familiar story amongst dieters. Why Breakfast is Good for You Ok.. From Now On, Europe Focuses On Dieting Pills A state of emergency has been recently put on European Union agenda. In the next ten years, European countries will be "on diet". Is Pain Stopping You From Losing Weight? If you are overweight and suffer from pain in your feet that radiates from your heel, you are not alone. Almost one quarter of overweight people suffer from plantar fasciitis, a debilitating condition that causes heel pain and can limit a person's ability to walk or exercise. Simple Plans for Social Eating and Travel It's one thing to stick with your diet regimen when you're at home, in control of the contents of your refrigerator and your portion sizes. But what about going out to dinner with friends? Worse, how do you stay on track when your dream vacation has you seated by the dessert cart at every meal?Eating right when you're out of your comfort zone can actually be easier than when you are at home, so long as you think smart and plan ahead. Protein - Its Place In Your Weight Loss Program Any food that we take into our bodies is composed of macronutrients, micronutrients and water. The macronutrients (macro = large) are protein, fat and carbohydrates; the micronutrients (micro = small) are vitamins, minerals and trace elements. Tips For Successful Weight Loss Throughout my childhood and teenage years I watched as my mother tried every fad diet under the sun. I recall one time she ate boiled cabbage and nothing else for a whole week. Food Cravings: Use EFT to Learn Patience Food Cravings: How to Practice PatienceDuring holidays and parties you may try to "plan ahead" so you can avoid some of the rush. Last year at Christmas I realized I had to take three major dishes for Christmas Eve dinner and it suddenly dawned on me that I'd have to bake the cake the night ahead. Staying Toned After Weight Loss Staying Toned After Weight Loss----------------------------------------Following significant weight loss, it is vital to have an exercise routine to keep your muscles firm and help to tighten the skin. One of the biggest drawbacks to significant weight loss is the flabby skin that is visible that often can take months to disappear. A Personal Trainers...Holidaze Rules of day to day no longer apply as you surrender to the hearts and minds of those closest. Conversation, food and wine are intoxicating. 4 Tips for Fast Fat Loss Part IV Fat Loss Tip #4) Eat More ProteinYes, it's important to keep your protein intake high when dieting to make sure that you don't burn off any muscle tissue in your quest to get ripped. But that's not what I'm talking about. Leaning Toward Lean: Clear Thinking For Better Health(Care) Mindfulness is all about paying attention. It's amazing what can be accomplished when mindfulness is applied to systems that need all the attention they can get. Maximize Your Fat Burning Potential Do you compete in sports for weight loss or fat burning? Are you frustrated by that stubborn fat that seems to stay with you no matter how hard you train?Many athletes are in the same boat. They train hard, lose some weight, but then hit a plateau and the fat loss stops. Conquer Those Carbohydrate Cravings Are you a hopeless carbohydrate addict? Let's conquer these cravings once and for all?.. Coris Creations - Salmon Burger Atop Veggies There's nothing more fun then being creative with food and eating healthy at the same time. I had bought frozen salmon burgers to just keep in the freezer for a quick, easy meal. Is Losing Weight The Same As Losing Fat? Contrary to common belief, your weight is not really the indicator of a weight problem - the actual percentage of body fat is the true indicator. You need to know what percent of you is actually FAT.
|
Section Site Map - Submit News - Feedback - Comments - Advertise with Us Copyright © 2006 Luminati Inc. All rights reserved. 
|
