Blueprint For Health Success

Evolution seems hard. It takes about 100,000 years for the genome to change 1 tenth of 1 percent. Despite appearances, genetically we arent that different from most other species on the planet. But we are different, diversity prevails. Many people believe that it prevails because life, as an entity, wants to be all things. What better explanation for evolution?

Things seem to be a little off track at the moment though. Poverty is high, depression rampant (particularly in the West), more drugs - illicit and legal, are being sold every year, all of this sort of smacks of a fork in the road of evolution doesnt it? But was it always this way? That is; have human beings been dragging their heels along this stunted, barrier laden path since we climbed out of trees? It doesn't seem likely. To me, it seems more likely that our prehistoric breatheren had a higher goal in mind. We were (are) that goal but appear to have lost some of the ancient knowledge and understanding that our ancestors spent millions of years developing. I'm not talking about the ability to skin a wild animal (though that may become generally useful again), I'm talking about the simple ability to feed ourselves correctly, and to live in harmony with each other and with the Earth at large.

I have a theory that our ancestors innately knew that increased consciousness was the goal of the species (and possibly all species). In fact, according to several authors on tribal living, so called 'primitive people' had much higher awareness of their spiritual consciousness than we do today. They must have been doing something right, they lasted for tens thousands of years with relatively unchanged living habits. So what gives, how have we managed to foul our planet, forget our fellow man and become overeight and unhealthy in the evolutionary blink of an eye?

I dont know where the event occurred that changed our consciousness to what it is today, but I do have a theory for overcoming it. It starts with getting your body into a state so that you can begin to use your higher faculties in more useful ways. For example, a caveman had 3 primary needs that had to be satisfied, the need for safety, food and sex. These needs also needed to be satisfied in this order - ie one had to be safe before eating and nourished before engaging in sex. Once these were taken care of, said caveman was free to pursue other meaningful purposes. Failure to meet these needs resulted in stress and anxiety. These same 3 needs are built into us today by virtue of evolution. However today these three factors have different meanings. Safety once upon a time meant protection from weather and animals, food simply meant having enough, and sex was pursued in the interest of sex alone. Today safety means having enough money (or more than enough). Nourishment is almost non exist in our food supply, which is plagued by toxic chemicals. Finally, sex is often a way to manipulate others or to satisfy suppressed adolescent urges. In addition, humans have developed a way to ignore these primal drives to satisfy phychological events, such as buying an expensive car in leiu of buying good food.

Of course all this is only a problem if you believe that our purpose in life is to achieve higher levels of consciousness, reach towards Godness so to speak. If you believe that the purpose is just to accumulate a bunch of stuff, find someone you feel is on par with you and watch a mindless box until you die, then I guess it really doesnt matter whether you satisfy your primal requirements. But if you do wish to become more, have more and experience more - and I'm talking true riches here, not toys and money and materials, then you must get interested in satisfying your primal requirements. I'm not saying that the way to enlightenment requires physical perfection (but why shouldnt it? Dont you deserve that?), but I do know that it is difficult to have 4 consecutive conscious thoughts if you are sitting in your overpriced car, eating processed food and rushing to avoid being late to the job you hate.

So, what to do. Due to the depth required, the following concepts will be addressed in separate articles, but here is what I feel are the necessary components.

1. Develop inner courage and strength. Many people have jobs they hate because they are afraid to lose their house, car and clothes and other material wealth. They worry what people will think of them if they dont have all the bling. So they plow through hating their situation, clinging to the idea that one day, eventually I will have enough to be happy. Unfortunately, if you are looking to stuff to make you happy then you will always be left wanting - there is always more stuff to have. If your pleasure and your strength comes from within, then material objects are powerless over you. You can just enjoy living and not be waiting to live.

2. Manage your stress. Stress can come in many forms and one of the best ways to address it is through breathing and/or meditation. Most adolecents and adults do not breathe correctly today so learn to combine stress management with correct breathing techniques. Meditation can be as simple as taking 15 - 30 minutes a day and sitting with a quieted mind.

3. Drink water. Water should be chlorine free, fluoride free and have a good mineral content. In regards to volume, according to Dr F. Batmanghilij's book Your Body's Many Cries For Water drink at least your bodyweight in kg's x 0.033 litres of water each day.

4. Eat right. What did our far more relaxed, stress free ancestors eat? Whole foods, primarily consisting of animals, vegetables, fruits and nuts. They ate minimal grain food (a component of agriculture and not a staple of the ages), and did not consume a large amount of dairy foods (also an addition with agriculture). Finally, avoid chemical additives - they are poison.

5. Move regularly. Movement does more than just keep you fit. It massages your internal organs and can be used to stimulate the energy centres of the body. Apply the first step to your exercise routine so that your physical goals become about impressing you and not about impressing others.

6. Sleep when it gets dark, get up when it is light. Your body does it's recovery between 10pm and 6am. So go to sleep and rise around these times, it will unleash your full energy for the day, and will let your body and soul recover.

An excellent blueprint for optimal health, appearance and vitality exists in the lifestyle of our ancestors. In addition, by satisfying the requirements of premodern living you are creating a platform for increased awareness and consciousness which are components of spiritual evolution. It is not difficult to make significant changes in your life by implementing these principles, you just need to get clear about why it is you are on this Earth in the first place!

Ryan Prigg