Hacking Our Biology: A 10-Pillar Framework for Revitalizing Health in the Modern World

While technological progress has brought many benefits, modern lifestyles clash with our fundamental biology in multiple ways. This misalignment with our evolutionary roots underpins today’s surging chronic disease rates. Fortunately, we can counteract this mismatch and reclaim “wild” vigour by selectively restoring ancestral inputs our genes expect while limiting modern stressors.

In this article, I will provide an overview of a 10-part framework for optimizing health by bridging the gap between our Palaeolithic genomes and modern realities. Simple, daily practices build the pillars, from increased movement to nature immersion, better sleep, and beyond. By adapting key facets of ancestral life, without sacrificing modernity’s comforts, we can profoundly transform our vitality.

Reintroducing activities and exposures similar to that of our hunter-gatherer forebears can profoundly enhance wellbeing

Examining the Health Impacts of Modernity

Homo sapiens evolved over millions of years in the challenging but nurturing crucible of the natural world. Our bodies and brains adapted exquisitely to this habitat. However, the modern milieu we constructed differs vastly from our evolutionary upbringing.

While affording convenience, safety and choice, the comforts of modern civilization also impose health costs. Rates of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, depression, and autoimmunity grow annually, despite medical advances. Even infectious diseases resurge.

A root cause is the mismatch between our slow-to-adapt genomes and today’s drastically altered living inputs. For example, we evolved to move frequently but now spend most time sedentary. Ancestral diets provided produce and meat, but today highly processed foods dominate. Our ancestors slept when dark but artificial lighting disrupts natural rhythms.

The Solution: Restoring Evolutionarily-Familiar Cues

Supporting evidence reveals that selectively reintroducing activities and exposures similar to that of our hunter-gatherer forebears can profoundly enhance well-being. A conceptual framework of “evolutionary health promotion” has emerged.

The key tenets are straightforward –: Identify lifestyle inputs our bodies evolved with that are now scarce. Then increase exposure to beneficial inputs, like more movement, while limiting detrimental ones, like chronic stress.

Below I outline a 10-part plan for translating this evolutionary approach into daily practices that optimize wellbeing. By blending ancestral wisdom with sensible modernity, we access deep innate vitality.

The 10 Pillars for Revitalizing Health in the Modern World

Pillar 1: Walk Frequently

Our bodies adapted to move many miles daily, but modern life is sedentary.
Make a goal to walk at least 7000-10,000 steps per day.
Seek opportunities to walk, take stairs, and pace during meetings/calls.
Gradually increase daily steps for metabolic and longevity benefits.

Pillar 2: Immerse in Nature

People today spend little time outdoors in natural settings.
Nearby greenspace lowers stress, boosts immunity, and enhances cognition.
Visit parks regularly. Try “forest bathing” walks to soak in nature.
Living closer to nature strongly predicts better health outcomes.

Pillar 3: Spend Time Barefoot

Shoes weaken feet and reduce sensory inputs.
Walking barefoot, especially on natural surfaces, enhances foot strength.
Earthing theory posits absorbing electrons from the earth reduces inflammation.
Enjoy liberating walks along the beach, grass and dirt to reap benefits.

Pillar 4: Incorporate Strength Training

Ancestors engaged in frequent physical exertion and lifting.
Without strength stimulus, our muscles and bones weaken over time.
Lift weights 2-3x weekly to maintain sturdy bones, mobility and power.
Compound lifts like squats, deadlifts and presses provide whole-body benefits.

Pillar 5: Eat Ancestral Foods

Hunter-gatherer diets centred on produce, meat, seeds/nuts.
Today, processed foods make up 25% of calories yet lack nutrition.
Focus diet on minimally processed, fibre & nutrient-dense real foods.
Avoid added sugar, refined grains, vegetable oils, and excess salt from processed foods.

Pillar 6: Prioritize Sleep

Pre-electricity, sleep followed natural circadian rhythms.
Today, artificial lighting and screens disrupt healthy sleep.
Make sleep a priority and aim for 7-9 hours nightly.
Remove TVs and devices from the bedroom for better rest.

Pillar 7: Dim Screens at Night

Blue wavelength light from screens suppresses melatonin.
Avoid phones, tablets, and TV for 1-2 hours before bed.
Install red/amber bulbs to reduce light interference at night.
Read paper books instead of tablets/e-readers at night.

Pillar 8: Withstand Temperature Extremes

Ancestors endured swings in temperature daily.
Today we live largely within narrow thermal comfort zones.
Brief exposures to heat and cold boost metabolic health.
Rotate cold showers, saunas, and chilly walks.

Pillar 9: Practice Gratitude

Hunter-gatherers lived perpetually on the edge, valuing every bounty.
Today, we fixate on problems and take daily blessings for granted.
Keep a gratitude journal listing things you’re thankful for.
Reflecting on good fortune lowers anxiety, and lifts mood.

Pillar 10: Engage in Lifelong Learning

Our large brains evolved to constantly acquire new skills and knowledge.
Learning novel things promotes neuroplasticity and cognitive resilience.
Never stop learning. Take classes, read books, and learn instruments, and languages.
An engaged, challenged mind helps maintain mental acuity over time.

The Way Forward: Blending Old Wisdom and New Discoveries

Modernity brought unprecedented advances. We should not romanticize pre-modern times. Yet evidence suggests integrating selected evolutionary cues can profoundly enhance our health. Spending more time moving, sleeping, immersed in nature, and avoiding chronic stressors provides a potent but sustainable solution.

The practices above aim to deliver the best of both ancestral and modern worlds to enable thriving in today’s environment. Our genomes still expect certain environments and activities for optimal function and we can consciously craft lifestyle inputs that our DNA understands, unlocking latent potential.

Of course, individual factors matter. Experiment to see what practices work for you. Maintain a spirit of discovery in applying this evolutionary framework. Much remains to be learned. But the broad pieces of the puzzle are clear – our health depends on harmonizing the present with the past. Which of the pillars above will you begin integrating to revitalize your innate vitality?

Additional Resources

Feeling in control of your health

If you are interested in improving your health and wellness, check out other resources such as Our Blog, Free Resources and/or join our private Body-Mind Transformation Secrets Community on Facebook, and The 360 Transformation Blueprint Podcast on Spotify and go on an even deeper dive with me to uncover how to succeed in your health and wellness goals.

You may also be interested in our Sleep Secrets Cheat Sheet. It is a great resource with strategies to fix and optimize your sleep which is crucial to succeeding in your health and wellness goals.

Resources

Pictures

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Hacking Our Biology: A 10-Pillar Framework for Revitalizing Health in the Modern World