The rate of obesity has multiplied worldwide across species, affecting more than just us humans. Obesity and stress permeate even animals in captivity. Is there a way to improve your life in this state of things?
There is a way of improving our lives by returning to our roots when we were fit as living in the wild.
To make the ideal vision of our healthy selves the new standard of living, here are seven powerful quotes on becoming wildly fit by Eric Edmeades, the founder of Wildfit and trainer of Mindvalley’s Wildfit Quest.
If you shift your mindset today, you can expect to see yourself, your friends, and your family more fit at fifty.
1. On the True Definition of Diets
‘Diet’ does not mean ‘Temporary Alteration of Your Life for Short-Term Gain,’ it means ‘Way of Life.’
— Eric Edmeades
Diet—a four-letter word that many would associate with failure. The textbook or cultural definition of “diet” often defines it as a temporary eating program of eating and drinking sparingly. But did you know that the original meaning of the word “diet” came from the Greek verb diaitasthan, which means “to lead one’s life”? So it’s time we stopped saying, “I’m going on a diet,” and instead changed it to:
“I’m improving my way of life” for good.
2. On the Cause of Disease
Fruits and vegetables do not fight disease; it is their absence that causes it.
— Eric Edmeades
The World Health Organization recommends an intake of approximately 400g of fruit and vegetables a day, roughly rounding up to 5 portions. But when you reduce your intake or do not include fruits and vegetables in your daily meals, it’s enough to cause your body to fail.
As Eric mentions, “People are massively overfed and yet, they are still malnourished.”
If you’re wondering how you could properly introduce fruits and vegetables into your diet, watch Eric’s masterclass on The Evolution of Health and Fitness for additional insights.
3. On Where Health Comes From
The more closely a species adhere to their natural evolved diet, the healthier that species will be.
— Eric Edmeades
As Eric says, homo sapiens are the most intelligent species on Earth, but we are also the species that suffers the most disease.
Here’s what happened when our ancestors moved from hunting to farming: their lifestyle and diet became far less nutritionally diverse and not as healthy as compared to a hunter-gatherer diet and lifestyle.
The “captive” diet, also known as the modern Western diet, one heavily influenced by the food industry’s marketing tactics, is not on the list of a naturally evolved diet.
Time to take a note from Eric’s book of living with African bushmen, and learn to adopt the ideas of living and thriving in natural environments by following our “Human Diet.”
(For more information, read this article on The Evolution of Diet by National Geographic.)
4. On the True Cost of Health
It would be so much cheaper to give people free organic food than to treat cancer for the rest of their lives.
— Eric Edmeades
If we calculate the recurring costs of hospital bills, hospice care, health insurance, consultation fees, and not forgetting transportation to and fro the hospital, it’s enough to deter anyone from living and eating unhealthily; not to mention the toll on the mental and emotional psyche of everyone involved.
In the long run, investing in healthier options and choosing to build a diet consisting of organic produce shouldn’t be seen as fashionable but more for its long-term benefits. The odds of a longer and healthier life play in your favor.
5. On How to Feel Your Best
Nothing tastes as good as health and longevity feels.
— Eric Edmeades
If you eat garbage, you’ll feel like garbage. Keeping a well-balanced diet helps us to keep a balanced mind. There’s nothing more holistic than starting with what we consume. Small steps of being mindful of what we put into our body could help us to not only extend our life by a few more years but also ensure those last few years won’t be painful.
Although exercising is a good strategy for weight loss and health; it’s not a way of creating health where it does not exist. It is a way of enhancing health.
— Eric Edmeades
6. On Not Trying Your Best
If you take a moderate approach to your diet, you’re going to have moderate health.
— Eric Edmeades
The phrase “Everything in moderation” is a slippery slope. People stand behind this idea as a means to justify consuming things that are known to be bad for their health. The concept of having a less stringent approach to our diet affects the direct byproduct of our consumption, which is our health and fitness.
This doesn’t mean you should go to extremes, but you’ll need to prepare your mind, body, and soul for the impacts of what you consume before you make it part of your diet.
If you take a moderate approach to your diet, you’re going to have moderate health. We should be flexible in life, but there are core things our body needs to live a great life.
— Eric Edmeades
7. On True Success
The only real measure of success in life is the number of days that you are truly happy.
— Eric Edmeades
Your happiest days bring you the best memories. Don’t let a case of seasonal flu be the reason you couldn’t make it to a winter escapade or obesity be the reason you couldn’t see your grandchildren grow up to achieve their dreams.
Eric puts it quite straightforwardly when he asks his audience, “What has to happen for you to be happy? What has to happen (or fail to happen) for you to be unhappy?”
Take a moment to think about your answer. If you feel more unhappy than you do joy, remind yourself with this take-home quote,
During times of uncertainty, it is very easy to get caught up in community fear or stress — manage your state of mind, and you will attract the best opportunities and people into your life.
— Eric Edmeades
