Description
This book proposes seven principles of weight control and wellbeing. The seven principles are grounded in the premise that weight control cannot be separated from physical and mental fitness and that physical and mental fitness can best be attained and maintained by living in harmony with nature. This premise is in turn derived from the Darwinian theory of evolution, which in part states that all organic life forms including the human species have the inherent ability to adapt to changes in life environment and neutralize adverse external shocks; however, the faster the pace of change in the life environment and the greater the frequency and intensity of adverse external shocks to which their bodies are being subjected, the more compromised their ability to cope with and survive these shocks will be.
In the modern technology-driven industrial and information age in which we humans live, the frequency and intensity of man-made adverse shocks to our life environment are threatening our survival as a species. Our way of life, including what we do, what we eat, what we drink, how we play, and what and how we think, is moving further and further away from what would have been the case had the natural process of human evolutionary adaptation been allowed to take its own course. Any approach to weight control and wellbeing that does not respect the natural process of human evolutionary adaptation is bound to fail. There is a danger that weight control diets and exercise regimens that are hastily drawn up without due regard to the principle of living in harmony with nature may be counterproductive.
The seven principles of weight control and wellbeing that respect the principle of living in harmony with nature are:
1. Weight control starts with working towards a healthy body and mind;
2. A healthy body and mind is achieved through a healthy balanced diet,
an appropriate amount of physical exercise and maintaining a peaceful and cheerful mind;
3. A healthy balanced diet is best achieved through the intake of a variety of foods from a variety of sources in as natural a state as possible;
4. How much one eats is not as critical for human health and weight control as what one eats;
5. The appropriate amount of physical exercise depends on one’s age and the existing level of physical fitness;
6. A peaceful and cheerful mind is attained through self-respect, respect
for others, respect for nature, a positive attitude toward life, and
occasional quiet moments; and
7. The ideal body weight is the one associated with one’s optimum mental and physical fitness, not a specific number on a scale.
The seven principles lead to a triad of essential requirements for weight control and wellbeing: a healthy balanced diet, an appropriate level of physical exercise, and an appropriate disciplining of the mind. The book presents practical and concrete steps for achieving the triad of essential requirements for weight control and wellbeing and for maintaining the triad in a state of stable equilibrium. The steps are specifically designed to respect the natural process of human evolutionary adaptation and the principle of living in harmony with nature.
The book is designed as a lifetime companion, a reference book for all women and men, young and old, who strongly desire to achieve and maintain a healthy body and mind.