"The idea of living like our ancestors has become something of a wellness craze. Take the Paleo diet, barefoot running, and cold plunges - trends that encourage you to shed the comforts of modern living. But anthropologist Michael Gurven, a professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, says these fads miss the deeper meaning of how our ancestors survived and thrived."
"Gurven has spent decades living and working with remote tribal populations to learn how humans evolved to thrive in challenging environments. He has spent time with indigenous tribes like the Moseten and Tsimane in Bolivia, who follow traditional subsistence lifestyles and have extraordinarily good health, with strikingly low rates of chronic illnesses like heart disease and dementia."
Preindustrial and traditional subsistence societies exhibit strong social bonds, steady physical activity, lifelong learning, and moderate diets that correlate with low chronic disease rates and enhanced resilience. Indigenous groups such as the Moseten and Tsimane in Bolivia demonstrate strikingly low levels of heart disease and dementia while maintaining multigenerational cooperation for hunting, food preparation, and childcare. Contemporary wellness fads that mimic surface-level ancestral practices often miss deeper social and lifestyle foundations that supported longevity. Emphasizing community integration, consistent movement, cognitive engagement across the lifespan, and modest caloric intake offers actionable pathways toward improved health and longevity.
Read at Business Insider
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