Reversing "Westernisation"

In an earlier post I introduced you to Michael Pollan, author of "In Defense of Food".  Of particular interest to me was one of the studies mentioned in that book.  However before I tell you about that, I'd like firstly to quote you another paragraph from the book to give us a definition of the "Western Diet":

"All of our uncertainties about nutrition should not obscure the plain fact that the chronic diseases that now kill most of us can be traced directly to the industrialisation of our food:  the rise of highly processed foods and refined grains; the use of chemicals to raise plants and animals in huge monocultures; the superabundance of cheap calories of sugar and fat produced by modern agriculture; and the narrowing of the biological diversity of the human diet to a tiny handful of staple crops, notably wheat, corn and soy.  These changes have given us the Western diet that we take for granted:  lots of processed foods and meat, lots of added fat and sugar, lots of everything - except vegetables, fruits, and whole grains."

Now back to that study . . .


In 1982 a group of 10 middle-aged, overweight and diabetic Aborigines living near Derby in Western Australia agreed to take part in an experiment to see if temporarily reversing the process of "westernisation" they had undergone might also reverse their health problems.  Since leaving the bush some years before all had developed diabetes and other health issues including high risk factors for heart disease.  The main dietary components in their urban setting were:  flour, sugar, rice, carbonated drinks, alcoholic beverages (beer and port), powdered milk, cheap fatty meat, potatoes, onion, and variable contributions of other fresh fruits and vegetables.  Also their lifestyles were much more sedentary.

After seven weeks back in the bush living a hunter-gatherer lifestyle and eating foods such as fish, birds, kangaroo, witchetty grubs, turtle, crocodile, yams, figs and bush honey, blood tests showed a striking improvement in all aspects of their health.  Kerin O'Dea, the nutrition researcher who conducted the experiment concluded "all of the metabolic abnormalities of type II diabetes were either greatly improved or completely normalised by a relatively short reversion to their traditional hunter-gatherer lifestyle."

Now I'm not suggesting that we all start living on turtle and kangaroo, and definitely not witchetty grubs, but this research is very encouraging.  It demonstrates that taking the "westernisation" out of our diet will improve health and begin to reverse health problems.  That's awesome!

God created our bodies so intricately to do amazing things.  We all have the mechanism to be healthy, full of energy and glowing every day.  We just have to put the right fuel in to enable our body to perform at its very best!

~ take every opportunity to put the good stuff in ~

This blog is about me, what I'm doing, what's working for me, and what's not. It includes my experiences and opinions. It is for general information only and is in no way intended to replace the advice of a health care professional.