In a world plagued by calorie-rich diets and soft bellies, the one question everyone has is: what is the BEST way to get fit and stay that way? While the understanding we have of diet and exercise has evolved, there is unfortunately no one answer to these questions. There seem to be as many theories as there are scientists, and some of these theories are highly intriguing and may sound outright bizarre to the layman.
Take the Paleo Diet theory, for instance. There is an entire school of health and fitness experts and biologists who argue that to remain super-charged and fit, we need to look back at the diet and lifestyle of our ancestors from the Paleolithic Age, a good 40,000 years back.
This may surprise you, but the argument is that the genetic blueprint for modern man was already set by then. According to the scientists propagating the virtues of a ‘Paleo diet’, our bodies’ capabilities are set according to the requirements of our Paleolithic ancestors, whose lifestyles commanded the human species for several thousand years. As far as diet goes, this would mean a combination of wild game meat and fresh fruits and vegetables. Dairy produce and grains came much later, when agriculture began about 10,000 years ago.
In terms of exercise, you would be required to do short, intense bursts of cardio, coupled with weight lifting, just as your ancestors would have done during a hunting sprint, followed by the journey back to their dwelling, with the game or hunt of the day on their shoulders.
One of the most enthusiastic proponents of the Paleo fitness regime and diet, author Arthur De Vany, is 73-years old and has a muscular body that would put a man half his age to shame. A former economics professor, De Vany has now written a book titled the Evolution Diet. His system incorporates low-carb eating and intense, interval training workouts. No one can argue with the results, but there are several critics of his science.
Arthur De Vany
The opposing group, which includes Harvard evolutionary biologist Daniel Lieberman, points out several flaws. To begin with, certain evolutionary scientists are quick to point out that there was no one ‘Paleolithic lifestyle’. The people living in ice-age Europe had very different bodily requirements and diet constraints from the tribes of the African grasslands. Also, they add that evolution is not a process that peaked at a certain time and stopped there. It is still ongoing, and there have been a good 3,000 genetic adaptations since the dawn of the agricultural age 10,000 years back. So, it is absurd trying to trace physical blueprints back in the Paleolithic time.
Dr. Lieberman also points out that the conditions were such during the Paleolithic period that people were probably more adept at distance running than sprinting. This notion is rejected totally by the Paleo group, which also includes other significant scientists and authors. It is unlikely that one group will ever be able to convince the other. The debate rages on!
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