In 2016 Yoshinori Ohsumi received the Nobel Prize for discovering the mechanisms of autophagy- the process of absorbing old, broken, malfunctioning cells and utilizing them for energy. Autophagy literally means self-eating. It is a body’s way of cleaning up and recycling of our cellular debris. The great news is that it is relatively easy to activate this process. Yes, you must have guessed it by now – it is turned on when we stop eating. It doesn’t happen immediately and it differs from individual to individual but it is something that has always been a part of human life and only recently and in some regions of the world we’ve created conditions where food is abundant and easily accessible all the time. Due to the lifestyle changes, our bodies do not quite know how to deal with the situation when we eat so frequently. What makes matters worse, for quite a long time now, eating multiple meals every day has been encouraged as something beneficial for our health and well-being! Well, not anymore. Many recent studies investigating the impact of intermittent and other types of fasting show the many benefits of creating a window of not eating and allowing the body to turn on the mechanism of self-repair and regeneration. Some of these benefits are: Lowering insulin levels Repairing or elimination of damaged cells Growth hormone stimulation Reduction of insulin resistance Lowering glucose levels. Once we realize the positive impact of calorie restriction/fasting practices, we begin to perceive the feeling of hunger in an entirely different light. Not only that it is OK to skip a meal or two occasionally. but it is something necessary to do even to maintain the basic functionality. Do not fear the feeling of hunger. Think about it as a signal that your body is doing some usually very needed cleaning up. (As long as the person is not undernourished). Another dimension of Primal Tao practice is paying attention to the quality of the fuel we provide our bodies with. There is a lot of confusion in the contemporary world as far as what we should be eating to remain healthy. Obviously, the current governmental suggestions don’t seem to be working too well, considering that we are in the midst of obesity epidemics. It seems appropriate to note what kinds of foods are consumed in the so-called “blue zones” known for extreme longevity and health of their inhabitants. It could also be informative to know what indigenous people eat and used to eat to sustain themselves calorically and maintain a high level of health and performance. When we take a closer look at what’s worked for us so far in the development of the human species, we notice a lot of diversity in macro and micronutrients selection, suggesting our ability to adapt to various environments and sources of energy. With many variables present, it is still easy to observe that the processing of all of these, sometimes very different natural foods is minimal (other than simply cooking, baking, or fermenting). They are eaten and prepared promptly and while still being fresh whenever possible. If the food is stored for later, it is usually dried or frozen. No artificial chemical components are added to it. Fillers, emulsifiers, preservatives etc are not used. This is a vital message for us to absorb and apply in our daily lives: WE NEED TO EAT REAL FOOD! Natural as much as possible. Fresh. Simple. Unprocessed. Sugar and all other sweeteners, white flour, artificial beverages, processed carbohydrates, genetically modified products, and pre-cooked ready-meals are not designed to comprise the bulk of the human diet. I know that many of you will say: WE HAVE NO TIME FOR FOOD PREPARATION! If it is true – you have to change something! You might as well say: we have no time for breathing! ...
Movement.
Movement as an integral part of life is the important principle of Primal Tao. Ask yourself every day: what have I done today for my body? Ask yourself every day: what have I done today for my mind? You are wrong if you think that if you live a sedentary lifestyle, an occasional session in the gym will allow you to maintain your functionality and health. You are wrong if you think that doing some crossword puzzles or sudoku from time to time, will allow you to maintain your cognitive abilities throughout your old age. It’s like expecting the development of a muscular body because you enjoy long, frequent walks. The amount of effort and the type of training determines the kind of results that you are going to see. Both our body and our mind need regular stimulation. The degree of adaptation will be proportional to the degree of intensity of the stimulus. Because we’ve created modern conditions in which we spend most of the day sitting, our ability to perform other physical tasks is slowly diminishing. The trouble is that our bodies have not evolved in the evolutionary process to be able to easily deal with extended periods of sitting in one place. As a result, we develop all kinds of “mysterious ailments” and have difficulty explaining their origins. We are all too familiar with the lower back, knee, hip, shoulder and neck pain, headaches and general “stiffness”. Many of these symptoms tend to be attributed to the fact that we are getting older when in reality, it has more to do with the fact that we are getting less and less active. Our beloved “magical” flat tv boxes in every living room do not help much in activating neither our bodies nor our minds. Usually, as if in some hypnotic trance, we sink in the soft embrace of the sofa in front of them and forget about reality at least for a couple of hours. Being active doesn’t necessarily mean that we have to go to the gym, lift some weights or run on the treadmill (although it is certainly one of the ways). Every one of us has a different personality, needs, interests. It is up to us to find a physical and mental type of activity that is best for us. The activity that suits our needs and expectations and gives us a feeling of pleasure, satisfaction, and the ability to sustain it for an indefinite period of time. Nobody is going to do this for us. And if through years of repetition we have already developed habits of inactivity and a sedentary lifestyle, then obviously, our challenges will be proportionally greater. It is good to start looking for opportunities for movement in the flow of our everyday activities. Where can we walk an extra few hundred yards? Where can we take the stairs instead of an elevator? Can we use a bicycle instead of the car sometimes? Can we replace an hour on facebook with an hour walk in the local park? It is important to realize that movement is not negotiable if we want to maintain any decent level of health. We don’t negotiate the need to breathe. Both breathing and moving are indispensable ingredients of life. Primal Tao is here to remind us of that. ...
What is Primal Tao?
When you get up early in the morning and feel like stretching, moving, being active – this is Primal Tao. When you understand that cold, hunger, physical or mental effort, gentle stress, in general, are your allies – this is Primal Tao. When you understand the importance of eating mostly real food (not processed commercially) and only when you feel truly hungry – this is Primal Tao. When you feel tired and rest – this is Primal Tao. When you turn to Nature to recharge your batteries – this is Primal Tao. Ask yourself at the end of the day: Was I active today? Did I allow my stomach to rest and gave my body some good quality food when it needed it? Have I slept well and long enough? How did I deal with stress? Did I go out of my comfort zone and allowed myself to feel a little cold or hot occasionally? In Primal Tao we understand the concept of HORMESIS which means a phenomenon of producing beneficial effects by introducing small doses of the potentially harmful agent. For example, moderate stress on the body in resistance training leads to the strengthening and development of the muscles. The daily habits of Primal Tao reflect a simple understanding that we all need gentle stimulation and challenge for optimal functioning. Primal Tao is a lifestyle. It is a continuous effort to improve the experience of our daily life, health and well being through simplicity and understanding of the mechanisms governing our own selves. It points out simple ways to enhance our daily pleasure of life, energy levels, performance, and vitality. It is meant as an antidote to our crazy busy lives. Lives in which: – we forget to create time for our own body and mind – we forget how to breathe – we forget how to think – we forget how to be active – we fuel ourselves with lots of unnatural foods, for lots of unnatural reasons – we forget how to strengthen our immune systems – we forget how to be with our own minds, with ourselves. – we isolate ourselves from nature and it’s elements – we don’t get enough sleep There is a fascinating new approach to technology and engineering – Biomimicry. It finds time-tested solutions in Nature, imitating its designs. Of course, in a way, this approach is something humans have been doing for a long time. We have looked at nature to find solutions to our problems throughout our entire existence. Nature has been providing us with inspiration for how to build our homes, how to fly in the air, swim in the water, grow food or recycle what is no longer needed. When we pay enough attention we can learn from Nature and its methods to make our own lives easier and more balanced. It applies to our health as well. Observing nature and its creatures allows us to understand ourselves better. It allows us to find ways to discover strategies for maintaining, developing or regaining our own optimal health and well-being. The concept of Primal Tao is the result of such observations, It shares with Biomimicry the same principles of looking for answers in the natural world. It is imitating natural behavioral patterns still present not too long ago in our daily lives but now almost completely absent. Some of them are: The need to eat real food. The need to fast. The need to move. The need to rest. The need to be exposed to natural elements. We get easily confused about how to stay healthy nowadays. Primal Tao is one of the ways to answer this confusion. It is about simplicity, common sense, observation of nature, and effortless and sustainable ways to find your own recipe for a healthy life. ...
