In poor countries, people squat. A lot. Even old people. They squat at home, they squat by the side of the road and watch the cars go by, they squat in front of buildings, they squat to play mancala… Squatting, a very natural sitting position for humans, has somehow fallen out of favor in “developed” countries. Take America. Squatting is just not considered a “normal” position in which to sit for a prolonged period. Blogger Oscar Schneegans theorizes that the main reason why people squat in poor countries, and Americans don’t, is that they can’t afford furniture and we can. Read his excellent observations on squatting here.
There may also be a nutritional component.
In many poor countries, people often eat traditional, real food. Old people in these poor countries are often comfortable squatting for a long time.
By contrast, in America, most people eat abundant processed foods containing hydrogenated oils and other industrial oils. Not only are our “older” people often incapable of squatting, they are routinely diagnosed with the “need” for knee replacement or hip replacement surgery.
Coincidence? I think not.
Hydrogenated oils and other industrial oils compromise the integrity of your cells and promote inflammation. They are insidiously present in the majority of packaged and restaurant foods. If you don’t pay attention to them, you are eating them. Period.
Hello America. Time to wake up. Ban hydrogenated oils from your diet. Avoid industrial oils such as canola oil, soybean oil, vegetable oil, corn oil etc. Eat real fats and real food! Forgot how? Here are some ideas to get you back in the saddle!
1. Read http://realfoodmedia.com/ for inspiration. There are 23 excellent blogs to choose from! Surely you will find one to suit your taste!
2. Check out Kelly The Kitchen Kop’s Real Food Wednesdays, for links to a variety of other blogs on real food! A great way to discover delicious real food recipes and inspiration like these irresistible coconut oil chocolates!
3. Read Principles of Healthy Diets by the Weston A. Price Foundation.
4. Resolve to try one new Real Food Recipe every week! How about this delicious gluten-free Easy Risotto with Shrimp, Prosciutto & Peas?
5. Need a little motivation to ditch your hydrogenated-oil laden crackers? Read my post on hydrogenated oils, and especially the links at the end.
6. Read Real Food Fermentation: Preserving Whole Fresh Food with Live Cultures in Your Home Kitchen by ALEX LEWIN, fabulous Feed Me Like You Mean It blogger.
7. Pay a visit to a farmers’ market this weekend, load up on organic veggies, grab some pastured meat and prepare a whole meal from them, without adding any industrial ingredients!
Our bodies were designed to eat real food. Shall we?
goyavier,
Thanks for the link. I wrote more from the fitness standpoint, but I see you’re looking at it from the health perspective. They’re intertwined with each other, of course. You can look at it as two different paths to the same conclusion.
Ironically, I started looking into functional movements – like squats – because of overuse injuries from the knees down. A friend introduced me to Crossfit and that lead to much more intense, functional workouts and much healthier eating, which led to healthier knees.
Oscar
Oscar,
I love that you took action to improve the health of your knees, proof that it is possible! Very inspirational. Please let me know if you write more on this topic. I will definitely do a mirror post and link to you. I love posts that inspire people to eat better and improve fitness and performance!
Keep me posted!
Catherine
Huh. I never thought of this. We used to joke about a phenomenon known as “secretary spread,” how one’s butt seems to grow when one has a desk job. And when one’s butt grows, one’s knees and other supporting joints feel it.
Perhaps it is the crap we eat (especially at our desks) that keeps us from moving around as much as the added weight from not moving around. Kind of cyclic.
You said it! Thank goodness, there are many available strategies to bust out of that cycle!
Thank you for linking to my book, Real Food Fermentation! I REALLY appreciate it!
My pleasure! Nowadays, we must be proactive in order to ensure that we are eating REAL FOODS! Thank you for helping more Americans discover real food!