3549: Are We Just Modern Zoo Animals? The Ancestral Mismatch (Part 1) by Ben Greenfield on Healthy Habits

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[00:01:00] This is Optimal Health Daily. Are we just modern zoo animals? The Ancestral Mismatch, Part 1 by Ben Greenfield of bengreenfieldlife.com. And I'm Dr. Neal Malik. Hey there, happy Saturday. Thank you so much for being here and welcome back to Optimal Health Daily, where I act as your narrator of the best health and fitness blogs all for free.

[00:01:21] Now, today's post is titled Part 1, but this article is complete on its own. We might get to Part 2 another day, but with that, let's get right to it and start optimizing your life. Are we just modern zoo animals? The Ancestral Mismatch, Part 1 by Ben Greenfield of bengreenfieldlife.com.

[00:01:46] Over the past five weeks, I've given you my perspective on the biohacking and longevity scene. I've noted the emptiness and time-wasting that can result from the vain pursuit of immortality, so often seen in the advanced health optimization world. So, does that mean you and I should all just walk away from the notion of stem cells, red light therapy, hyperbaric oxygen, peptides, or other so-called anti-aging modalities? Not necessarily.

[00:02:14] But it does mean that we should focus on what gives us the most bang for our buck from a health standpoint. Namely, the basics. And warning, the biohacking and health optimization industry doesn't really like that term, the basics. Yes, the basics. Wait, don't quit paying attention because you suspect I'm about to tell you to start eating fewer Twinkies and Little Debbie's snack cakes and to hit the gym occasionally.

[00:02:39] I'm going to instead tell you about a few basic concepts that are slightly lesser known than don't eat junk food and move more mantras. Concepts founded upon the idea of an ancestral mismatch. What's an ancestral mismatch? Think about it this way. We live in a comfy, post-industrial, technology-infused era that looks and operates nothing like the environment our ancestors lived in for most of history.

[00:03:06] Yet our biology is still remarkably similar to our ancestors. Rather than experiencing the pressure involved with hunting, foraging, farming, and gardening, most of us do not have to burn significant calories to find, make, or grow calories. Instead, we have 24-7 access to hyperpalatable foods.

[00:03:26] Yet, we retain robust calorie conservation mechanisms that, in previous eras, might have bestowed us with extra storage fat for surviving a time of famine, but now just make us overweight, obese, or inflamed. Rather than experiencing the beneficial thermal stress of working outdoors in the winter, or sweating outdoors in the summer, we largely live, work, sleep, drive, and fly in comfortable, temperature-controlled boxes.

[00:03:55] Rather than hauling rocks, building fences, planting crops, and chasing prey, we now mostly zoom and thumb type. Rather than eating seasonally with significant plant-based dietary diversity, we now eat iceberg lettuce salads with tomatoes and mini-carrots, drowned in ranch dressing that we didn't even have to personally ranch. Now, don't get me wrong.

[00:04:45] We did the acute struggles of the caveman, like wild animals, famine, pestilence, and Viking invaders, with the chronic diseases of modernity, like obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and microplastic invaders. In that respect, we're a bit like zoo animals, which die of an entirely different set of diseases, like metabolic disorders, depression, cardiovascular complications, and so on, when compared to their wild counterparts. We humans aren't much different.

[00:05:14] So, now that you know you're surrounded by a mismatch of ample, over-processed calories, and, unless you're lucky enough to have a side job in construction, painting, or farming, probably not engaged in a lifestyle for which you are adequately loading your joints, stressing your bones, or moving your muscles in a primal fashion. How do you fight the uphill battle against the biological entropy that contributes to frailty and chronic disease? You can start by understanding that comfort gradually kills.

[00:05:44] Or, as biologist Gary Brecca says, quote, aging is the aggressive pursuit of comfort, end quote. And based on that, choose to embrace short, consistent, strategically timed bouts of discomfort. These bouts, also called hormetic stressors, are based on the idea that what would harm or kill you in large amounts induces cellular resilience in small amounts.

[00:06:09] For example, after you lift heavy things repeatedly, your muscles look a little like World War II inside. Too much of that intense damage, like three hours at the gym, can cause organ stress and excess soreness. But small bouts of it induce muscle growth and increased bone density. Cardiovascular stress, in excess, strains the heart and stiffens the arteries.

[00:06:34] But, in consistent, moderate doses, induces a stronger heart and better blood flow. Your body handles a single 30-mile run far differently than, say, 10 3-mile runs adequately spaced out. Getting too hot for too long can cause electrolyte depletion and damaged brain cells. But short, frequent bouts of sauna have been shown to reduce risk of dying from anything, except maybe your sauna collapsing on you.

[00:07:02] Treading water in a frigid river in December or hiking Mount Everest in your underwear could cause hypothermia and nervous system strain. But short, frequent bouts of cold exposure may improve metabolism, help burn fat, and maintain cognitive sharpness. Massive doses of UVA and UVB radiation from too much sunlight could lead to skin cancer. But regular, reasonable sunlight exposure is one of the best things you can do for cellular energy production.

[00:07:31] Unlike animals, plants don't have hooves, teeth, nails, claws, or antlers. So they instead defend themselves with toxic compounds, like saponins, or soap-like irritants that, if consumed in high amounts, will cause a mammal to poop out the plant seeds elsewhere, or at least not return to the plant and eat it into oblivion. You know this if you've ever witnessed undigested corn kernels, kale shreds, potato skins, or quinoa in your toilet bowl.

[00:07:57] But those same toxins consumed in small amounts can make your immune system more resilient, and your gut bacteria more diverse. If you fast with no food for days or weeks on end, you'll get weak, experience muscle atrophy, and run out of energy to accomplish anything meaningful. Yet going for 10-16 hours without food regularly, such as implementing a daily dinner-to-breakfast 12-hour fast, can give your gut a much-needed rest, and accelerate your body's own cellular cleanup processes.

[00:08:28] Once you understand this concept of hormesis, it becomes simple to weave small bouts of hormetic stress into your average day. Lift heavy stuff sometimes. Get breathless each day by tackling stairs and hills. Don't stuff your face 24-7. Sweat regularly. Finish the last 30 seconds of your shower with cold water, or do the whole thing cold. Eat a wide variety of plants. Get outside in the sunlight, even on a cloudy day, for an hour or two.

[00:08:57] In summary, and every day having subjected yourself to mild amounts of discomfort throughout. You just listened to the post titled, Are We Just Modern Zoo Animals? The Ancestral Mismatch, Part 1, by Ben Greenfield of bengreenfieldlife.com. And I'll be right back with my commentary. Ultra Running Shoes are all about space. The space to go further. To feel better.

[00:09:26] To do something you never thought possible. And this space starts with Ultra Fit. Unlike traditional running shoes, Ultra Fit gives toes more room to move naturally. So every step is strong, balanced, and comfortable. Whatever you're lacing up for, stay out there. With Ultra. Shop now at ultrarunning.com. That's A-L-T-R-A-Running.com. Your heart can tell you a lot about your health. Apple Watch Series 12 measures your heart rate every five seconds

[00:09:56] with the most accurate heart rate sensing in a wearable. So your Vitals app, now with heart rate variability, can tell you when something is off. And your readiness score can let you know when to rest and when to push. Hear the story in every heartbeat with Apple Watch Series 12. The features described are for wellness purposes only and not for medical use. iPhone 11 or later required. Based on Apple-conducted study of heart rate accuracy, August 2026. Visit apple.com slash applewatchseries12. Dr. Neal Malik here with my commentary. Discomfort drives growth.

[00:10:25] Look, I've used this analogy many times. Imagine the last time you learned anything that seemed complicated at first, like driving a car. When you first sat in the driver's seat of a car, it was probably overwhelming and very uncomfortable. Before you even start the car's engine, you have to first check all of your mirrors to make sure you can see all of the necessary angles around the car. Then, once you start the car, all of these gauges light up, demanding your attention. Then, you need to depress the brake pedal,

[00:10:55] shift the car into gear, look in all the mirrors again to ensure it's safe to go, then go. Wait, no. Don't release the brake pedal too quickly, and don't press on the gas pedal with too much force. Hang on. Did you check your blind spots before going? Okay. Once you finally get on the road, try not to stare at those gauges that are lighting up in front of you. And, also, be sure to signal at least 100 feet before turning. But if you're on a highway or a freeway, signal for at least five seconds before changing lanes.

[00:11:24] And, before you change lanes, remember, you got to check those blind spots. Oh, and give yourself at least three seconds of car space between you and the car in front of you. You get the idea. This is complicated and very uncomfortable, right? But after years of driving, what happens? We have become so used to all of these tasks, it becomes second nature. What seems so complicated and intimidating has become something we hardly even think about. You've become comfortable with that skill.

[00:11:53] So, you can apply the same idea to any new skill you're trying to learn. So, all of this to say that you've done this before. You've pushed through discomfort to master something new. So, why are we afraid to do this when it comes to something as important as our health? As today's author, Ben Greenfield, said, let's not run away from discomfort, but instead embrace it and end every day knowing that we have pushed ourselves to be just a bit better. All right. That'll do it for today.

[00:12:22] I hope you have a great weekend if you're listening in real time and I'll see you back here tomorrow for the Sunday show and where your optimal life awaits.