Is it weird to be healthy or are we wired to be healthy?
By Michelle, Jenck, M-Ed
Is it any wonder that our physical and mental health is so tragically offline?
Given our modern environments, technological influences and human predilections for salt, sugar, and fat, it shouldn’t be all that surprising that we are not well. Our bodies were designed to be outside, in nature, working physically, moving, eating the food we grow, catch and forage.
People who live the latter lifestyle are often considered “granola” or “hippy.” In my experience, they are often scorned outliers or the subject of a hearty, knee-slapping guffaw.
Once, when I mentioned my exercise routine, a healthcare executive responded, “Oh, you’ll never catch me doing that.” How tragic is it that healthcare has so little to do with health? And everyone just shrugs and says, “What can you do?”
Someone once shared with me that they were struggling to lose weight. I asked if they were watching what they ate. Their response was amusing, albeit sad, “Yeah, I watch it don’t fall off my fork, ha, ha.”
These responses are the norm. We resort to humor and rationalization when we are uncomfortable. These have become the normalized and acceptable response because it is weird to be healthy.
Somewhere along the way, we’ve confused what’s common with what’s normal. If eating real food, moving our bodies, spending time outdoors, and getting enough rest makes someone a weirdo, maybe the world needs more weirdos.
Is it any wonder we’re not well?
Thank you for your interest. Follow more of my work on Substack at The Tao te Mitchy, PQ Initiative, and Divergent Ideas.
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Photo by Rubenz Arizta on Unsplash
