Evolutionary WellBeing the paleolithic model Francis Heylighen Evolution

Evolutionary Well-Being: the paleolithic model Francis Heylighen Evolution, Complexity and Cognition group Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Well-being What are the conditions for optimal quality-of-life? Physical Health • Absence of diseases • Fitness • Energy, absence of fatigue Mental Health • Absence of mental diseases (depression, dementia, …) • Intelligence, self-actualization • Happiness, subjective well-being

Evolutionary Well-being Medical research constantly produces contradictory results • E. g. more or less fat or carbohydrate? Happiness research lacks an integrated framework Solution: evolution as integrating paradigm • During millions of years of evolution humans have adapted to a particular environment/lifestyle, the EEA • The EEA “fits” humans best • It provides the conditions for optimal well-being

Discord between Genes and Civilisation Modern lifestyles are too recent for evolution to adapt to them • Large-scale adaptation takes thousands of generations Small-scale (one gene) adaptation may be possible • E. g. lactose tolerance in Europeans • But these have little effect on overall functioning

History of Humanity Stage Approximate time First hominins 5 000 years ago First Homo Sapiens 100 000 years ago Migration “out of Africa” 40 000 years ago Beginning of Agriculture 10 000 years ago Industrialization Information society 200 years ago 20 years ago

Diseases of Civilisation Physical • Cardiovascular diseases • Obesity, diabetes, “metabolic syndrome” • Cancer • Allergies, asthma, autoimmune diseases Mental • Depression, anxiety, chronic stress… • ADHD, autism, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, …

The Healthy Hunter-Gatherer No diseases of civilisation • Death mostly from child mortality and injuries, not from chronic illness Athletic Strength and Fitness at all Ages • Tall, robust, healthy skeletons

Some Evidence Lower Total Blood Cholesterol in primitive populations versus average Americans Low Blood Pressure in HG Elevated insulin sensitivity in populations leading a primitive lifestyle Lower fasting plasma insulin levels in the Horticulturalists of Kitava (Papua-New Guinea) versus Swedes Lower Body Mass Index in Primitive Populations compared to Westerners Lower Waist (cm)/height (m) in the Horticulturalists of Kitava (Papua-New Guinea) compared to healthy Swedes Better visual acuity in HG versus industrialized populations. Better bone health markers in HG fossils compared to primitive agriculturists and Western populations Lower fracture rates in Papua- New Guinea primitive populations compared to Western populations Very low incidence of Chronic Degenerative diseases (Metabolic Syndrome - Diabetes Cardiovascular Diseases - Cancer - Acne - Myopia) in primitive populations

Aerobic Fitness

Subcutaneous Fat

The Happy Hunter-Gatherer Affluence and Leisure • work only a few hours/day Egalitarian society • no real hierarchy Free, spontaneous attitude • children are hardly every punished • Lots of laughter and play No alienation from nature

Development of Civilization Reducing the risks • Hunger, predators, accidents, … Maximizing productivity By controlling the environment • Via increasingly sophisticated methods and technologies • → Agriculture, industry, ICT… Result: growth in population, but decline in well-being

Variation vs. Regulation Modern paradigm: regulation • Minimizing deviations from goal • Planning & optimizing • Requires strict regularity, rule-following “Paleo” paradigm: variation • Exploration, improvisation, adaptation • Opportunism • Diversity, unpredictability

(Paleo) Life is an adventure Adventure = sequence of mostly unpredictable, challenging encounters Challenge = incitement to action • Difficult but stimulating task Challenge Types: • Positive: exploit opportunity • Negative: evade danger

Challenges stimulate the organism to develop its capacities, by releasing: • HGH → stronger muscles & bones, less fat • BDNF → more neurons, synapses, brain tissue… Use it or Lose it! • New challenges → new skills (“What does not kill us, makes us stronger”) • Sustained challenges → sustained skills • Reduced challenges → reduced skills → even more reduced challenges … → death

Power Law Distribution of Challenges intensity frequency Few strong challenges Some medium challenges Many weak challenges

Paleo challenges Acute stresses • intense but short • followed by long relaxation • and feeling of satisfaction Examples • Climbing a tree for fruit • Hunting a big animal • Crossing an ice-cold river • Running from a predator

Modern Challenges Far-away goals • E. g. preparing a Ph. D • Little feedback to stimulate motivation Repetitive, controlled, focused work • E. g. working on a computer or in a factory all day • Little variation or diversion Result: chronic stress • E. g. repetitive strain injury, burnout, depression, monotonous diet, lack of exercise…

Concrete Recommendations To combat chronic stress and optimize well-being, we should introduce more “paleo” elements in our lifestyle In different domains: • Diet • Movement • Exposure to natural challenges • Play and relaxation • Child care and education • …

Paleo Diet Eat what HGs ate: • Meat, Fish, Eggs… • Vegetables, Fruit, Nuts… Avoid what HGs did not eat: • Grains, dairy, sugar, most vegetable oils • additives, junk food

Shortcomings of Modern Diet Too much • Carbohydrates, Omega 6 fats, Trans fats, Salt, “Antinutrients” Too little • Proteins, Omega 3 fats, Antioxidants, Fiber, Vitamins, Minerals About right • Total Calories (if some exercise) • Total and Saturated Fats

High-Glycemic Diet Glycemic Load = • amount of glucose released in blood by eating food • Depends on amount of easily digestible carbohydrate (sugar, starch…) High GL foods lead to • Insulin resistance → • diabetes, obesity, inflammation, cardiovascular disease…

Paleo Exercise Variety of Basic Movements • �unning, walking, climbing, swimming, crawling, lifting, R carrying, defending, jumping, throwing, catching, balancing. Dealing with complex challenges • Not in a gym, but preferably in nature • No exercise machines, but rocks, trees, other people, etc. • Using the whole body (and mind) No long, repetitive exertions • E. g. jogging several hours/week, marathons, triathlon

Power Law for Exercise Plenty of rest (most of the time) • Sleeping, lying, sitting… Lots of low level (several hours/week) • Walking, cycling, swimming… Some medium level (1 -2 hours/week) • Jogging, hiking, climbing… A little high level (20 -30 min. /week) • Sprinting, jumping, lifting heavy weights…

Contact with Nature Experience of Nature is good for mental and physical health Lots of empirical evidence, e. g. • Patients with view on nature recover more quickly • Less illness/social problems in neigborhoods with trees • Walks/exercise in nature improve mood and reduce stress • less ADHD in greener surroundings • Watching pictures of nature increase concentration afterwards

Possible Explanations Biophilia hypothesis (E. O Wilson): • Inborn love of life/nature Attention Restoration Theory (Kaplan) • Nature is infinitely complex, varied, fractal, extensive, surprising… • Artificial environments are simple, regular, with strong, distinct stimuli • fascination with nature lets attention mechanism relax

Exposure to Sunlight produces Vitamin D in the skin • More important than previously thought • Strenghtens bones • Boosts immunity • Prevents cancer Lack of (sun)light triggers depression • S. A. D.

Exposure to heat and cold Temperature differences challenge the organism • Cold burns calories like exercise • Cold baths boost immune system • Saunas produce “heat shock proteins” that repair damage • Heat increase sweating and heart rate

Exposure to “Dirt” Don’t be afraid of germs! Hygiene hypothesis • Less allergies in less hygienic surroundings Immune system needs to be challenged • To learn to deal with dangerous pathogens • To learn to discriminate “good” from “bad” Symbiotic bacteria necessary for our health • Help digestion, protect skin

Play is necessary to develop a variety of skills • Physical, perceptual, coordination, social, … • In a relaxed, free manner

Rest Regular sleep • Approximately 8 hours/night • Melatonin repairs damage Regular time for relaxation or vacation Body needs time to repair damage and grow Mind needs to consolidate connections • and explore new ones

Being in the Present Awareness of the here and now • No worrying about future • No guilt about past • No thinking, but experiencing, feeling, sensing, perceiving Relaxes the mind Creates feeling of well-being

Hunter-Gatherer Baby Care Breast-feeding until age of about 4 years Almost constant touch • sleeping with parents • Carrying on the body • Lots of cuddling Never leaving baby alone Prompt and sensitive response to all baby’s needs • Never let baby cry

Child Raising Secure Base (→self-actualization) • HG parents are caring but liberal • Child is more inclined to explore if it knows it can come back to protective parent • The older it gets, the further it explores, the more autonomous it becomes Insecure attachment (→ neurosis) • parental care not always available • and/or no freedom to explore • → enduring anxiety and self-doubt

Letting Children Play HG social environment • Small group of children of mixed age • Different adults available to emulate • But not to control Exploration of natural objects and environments • • E. g. pools, sand, animals, sticks… Little worry about “natural” dangers • e. g. sharp objects, fire, heights…

Advantages of HG education Children • more self-confident, autonomous, inventive, cheerful… • learn to empathize with others, and thus develop a sense of morals and justice • learn how nature functions: basic physics, biology, geography, … Avoidance of modern mental problems • ADHD, autism, asocial attitudes, depression, neuroses, ….

Summary Paleo paradigm = • Variety of challenges around secure base • Playful, exploratory attitude • Leads to relaxed but on-going growth Modern paradigm= • Maximal suppression of unintended variations • Planning and control • Safer, but leads to chronic stress and degeneration

The present situation Information society is more varied and liberal than industrial and agricultural society But has kept and exacerbated bad habits: • Too little: nutrients, play, relaxation, variation, movement, nature, sunlight, touch, … • Too much: chronic, repetitive stressors • → increasing diseases of civilisation

What to do? With our knowledge of the Paleo lifestyle, these shortcomings should be easy to address • resulting in a much higher quality-of-life • Health, fitness, longevity, happiness, mental clarity Simply put • Adding varied challenges and exposures • While minimizing the danger • Keeping the Paleo model in mind to select the most healthy options