How Fat was She?

'She was WAY too fat.'

That's what the vet told me after our Guinea Pig, Hamlette,
died of respiratory failure this week.

'It's sort of ironic,' she said. 'They don't live as long in
captivity as they do in the wild.'

Dr. Brooks explained that domesticated Guinea Pigs eat way
too much and don't get enough exercise.

'They're used to living on scrub-brush, and having to work and
scrounge around for their food. We feed them way too much.'

Sounds a lot like another type of animal I know.

Domesticated humans live longer than our prehistoric
counterparts. We're better-prepared to battle the elements
(and you can only outrun the saber-tooth tiger so many times)

But even though our Space-Age advances are helping us live longer,
we're still dying much sooner that we should. The same way our
labor-saving devices give us shorter and more stress-full days.

It is the Best of times. It is the Worst of times.

With our large brains, we should be able to figure out a way
to have the Best of both worlds. To combine the robust health
of a Caveman with the longer lifespan of a Spaceman.

Or are we doomed by domestication?

Maybe not. We've come up with something called 'exercise'
to balance out our sedentary lifestyle. But the way we
preserve and process food only keeps us more sedentary.

The length and quality of our lifespan really depends on
finding a human version of 'scrub-brush'.

So, this weekend take a minute and observe yourself
(which is a distinctly human ability). Look at things like

TV
Fresh Food
Packaged Food
Fresh air
sunshine
water
movement/activity
exercise
how your clothes fit

And ask yourself: am I in domestic bliss, or am I in captivity?

Since you're human, you can change it if you want to.

Dr. Vince

P.S. If you need help with activity/exercise, I recommend
Coach K's "Uphill Fitness Training"
http://www.drvinceonline.com/uphill_fitness.htm
It helps you get firm, fit and flexible by moving the way
you're created to move

P.S.S. If you need help finding the right kind of 'scrub-brush'
to eat, I recommend the Dr. Vince Caveman Club
http://www.drvinceonline.com/caveman.htm
The monthly newsletter and CD give you all the health
benefits of Stone Age eating with Space Age convenience

You can try a one-month test drive here:
http://www.drvinceonline.com/testdrive.htm