Human existence is based on ingesting high quality nutrient-dense plant and animal matter. It is our genetic design that ultimately dictates what we need to obtain from the environment to maintain existence. This design was sculpted by our interaction with the African savanna between 3 million and 40,000 years ago.
Through advanced technology and culture, humans began to exert increasing levels of control over the environment that culminated in significant changes to the what, when and how of ingestion. Unfortunately these changes have occurred too recently on an evolutionary time scale for us to completely adapt to them. Based on this perspective, most modern foods are not compatible with our design. They were not available on the African savanna as they were inedible, toxic or simply would not have existed without the use of technology. Human by Design uses principles, practices and methods associated with Paleolithic nutrition to approximate what was ingested on the African savanna. Paleolithic nutrition is a scientific discipline that revolves around establishing principles associated with the human diet. This discipline is based on the theory that each organism is designed for a particular diet, which is dictated by their genetic design. Paleolithic nutrition enables us to restore the appropriate expression of our design by emphasizing the ingestion of high quality nutrient-dense plant and animal foods.
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Human movement is a function of the seamless interaction between the nervous and musculoskeletal systems. Continuous sensory input from the environment produces a coordinated sequencing of movement in particular groupings of body segments resulting in movement patterns or chains. These movement patterns or kinetic chains (KC’s) are combined in a variety of ways to address “motor” or movement tasks within a particular environment. Basic human movement patterns include: walking, running, jumping, hanging, swinging, throwing, striking, pushing, pulling, carrying, reaching, lifting, bending and extending. These particular movement patterns are expressed through movement qualities such balance, agility, strength, power, endurance and flexibility.
Human movement patterns and qualities were a function of existence on the African savanna. They were developed via direct interaction with this environment. However, this is not the case for modern humans. We will need to approximate this developmental process in the modern environment to restore these movement capabilities. Approximating this process involves the development of movement patterns and qualities that were a function of an African savanna existence. The closer a movement pattern or quality is to this expression, the more “functional” it is. A functional movement practice essentially involves developing movement patterns and qualities that are associated with human movement capabilities. Awareness as designed is the direct, immediate experience of reality here and now. It is the expression of the complete, balanced functioning of mind. With the transition from African savanna to modern environment, our existence has become more conceptual rather than experiential. This was in large part due to our increasing reliance on functions associated with the intellect. However, more thinking, language and culture has inadvertently created conditions that promote the habitual ignorance and misinterpretation of the direct experience of reality. This interferes with the complete, balanced functioning of mind, creating an experience that is heavily influenced by abstraction. The effects of this modern expression of mind are cumulative and insidious. We need to get back to the direct, immediate experience of reality.
Reality is simply the unfolding moment, here and now. It is change and action expressed as experience. This is not abstraction. The realization of this truth is the point of Buddhism, Zen Buddhism and more specifically zazen, the practice of seated meditation. These perspectives are based on becoming completely engaged with action: the unfolding moment. Through this simple yet profound practice, we experience reality as experienced on the African savanna…directly, immediately, here and now. This is awareness as designed. Being completely aware is the essential teaching of Buddhism and Zen Buddhism, and it is literally expressed as the practice of seated meditation. Zazen is not only an approximation of ancestral awareness, it IS awareness. Consistent practice enables us to realize this for ourselves, restoring the complete, balanced functioning of mind. Human by Design approaches the interaction between organism and environment from three basic elements of existence: Awareness, Movement and Ingestion. Each element summarizes a fundamental aspect of this interaction. The element of awareness is the experience of being. However, it’s much more than just the experience of being human, it is reality itself. The element of movement involves the expenditure of energy. It is how we physically interact with the environment. The element of ingestion involves the intake of energy. It is what we obtain from our environment to maintain our existence.
From this perspective, human ingestion is expressed as the consumption of primarily plant matter with a secondary emphasis on the ingestion of animal matter. This includes: fruits, salads, vegetables, roots and tubers, mushrooms, nuts and insects, shellfish, frogs, turtles, snakes, eggs as well as cows, chickens and pigs. Ingestion is the physical intake of substances to support existence. It is how we sustain being. Ingestion involves the consumption of substances from the environment. This occurs via the digestive system, which processes what we ingest, breaking these substances down into a form that we can use, as well as excreting anything we can’t as waste. Even though the digestive system appears to be separate, it is fully integrated and works synergistically with every other bodily system to support existence. Remember, even though each element appears to be separate they are in reality fully integrated, synergistic and ultimately seamless. Through scientific evidence, experience and thought experiments we can determine appropriate ways to approximate the environmental conditions of the African savanna for each element. The systematic implementation of these approximations will restore the appropriate expression of our design, and along with it, optimal health and wellbeing. Human by Design approaches the interaction between organism and environment from three basic elements of existence: Awareness, Movement and Ingestion. Each element summarizes a fundamental aspect of this interaction. The element of awareness is the experience of being. However, it’s much more than just the experience of being human, it is reality itself. The element of movement involves the expenditure of energy. It is how we physically interact with the environment. The element of ingestion involves the intake of energy. It is what we obtain from our environment to maintain our existence.
From this perspective, human movement is expressed through terrestrial bipedal activity and arboreal-based activities such as climbing, carrying, tool-making and throwing. Movement, action or behavior is the physical activity associated with existence. This is how we interact with the environment. It occurs via the functioning of the nervous, skeletal and muscular systems. Even though these systems appear to be separate, they are fully integrated and work synergistically to produce movement. Continuous sensory input from the environment is processed by the nervous system. This information is used to coordinate the sequential action of body parts and muscles via the skeletal and muscular systems. This results in particular patterns of movement known as movement chains or kinetic chains (KC’s). Human movement is essentially the product of innumerable combinations of movement chains. Remember, even though each element appears to be separate they are in reality fully integrated, synergistic and ultimately seamless. Through scientific evidence, experience and thought experiments we can determine appropriate ways to approximate the environmental conditions of the African savanna for each element. The systematic implementation of these approximations will restore the appropriate expression of our design, and along with it, optimal health and wellbeing. Human by Design approaches the interaction between organism and environment from three basic elements of existence: Awareness, Movement and Ingestion. Each element summarizes a fundamental aspect of this interaction. The element of awareness is the experience of being. However, it’s much more than just the experience of being human, it is reality itself. The element of movement involves the expenditure of energy. It is how we physically interact with the environment. The element of ingestion involves the intake of energy. It is what we obtain from the environment to maintain our existence.
From this perspective, awareness is the direct experience of reality, here and now, via the complete, balanced functioning of mind. This experience is also known as human consciousness or being. Mind is essentially all of the functions supporting the relationship between environmental inputs as sensory data and behavioral outputs as action. However, mind is not just the sum of these functions, it is reality itself. It includes the entire Universe and beyond. Reality IS awareness. Human awareness is a result of the evolution of primate mental abilities. It is biologically rooted in the structure and function of the nervous system, most notably the brain. Mind is generally associated with the brain and nervous system. However, in reality it is actually the sum total of what the body does. Mind is basically humans being: the capacity to see, think, feel and act…to exist. Awareness is this experience. Remember, even though each element appears to be separate they are in reality fully integrated, synergistic and ultimately seamless. Through scientific evidence, experience and thought experiments we can determine appropriate ways to approximate the environmental conditions of the African savanna for each element. The systematic implementation of these approximations will restore the appropriate expression of our design, and along with it, optimal health and wellbeing. Welcome to Human by Design. This website and blog is about my journey on the path of optimal health and wellbeing, which officially began with my diagnosis of Ulcerative Colitis 20 years ago. Check that, it actually began with my second relapse around 15 years ago. However, in hindsight I can say that I began this journey in my youth, but this is a conversation for another time. This post is about the Human by Design system.
Through a number of serendipitous events, I was able to “cure” my disease, which has been in remission to this day. Fortunately these events included my stumbling upon Zen Buddhism, Functional Movement and Paleolithic nutrition, although not necessarily in that order. Over the last 15 years I have implemented principles, practices and methods associated with each of these components, which put me on a path of optimal health and wellbeing. As I continue this path, I would like to share with you how you too can obtain the same results. My journey is the impetus for the Human by Design system and with this first post, I hope to provide you with a brief summary of it. Human by Design is based on the perspective that human existence is simply the expression of the seamless interaction between our physical bodies and the surrounding environment. The funny thing is, we think there is a distinction between the two, but in reality there is no separation at all. To quote Alan Watts, “You and I are all as much continuous with the physical universe as a wave is continuous with the ocean.” Confusing? You bet. As you get deeper into the system you will be able to see reality for yourself. However, it is much easier to approach understanding from the perspective of organism interacting with environment, at least in the beginning. So please bear with me. The human organism is based on a genetic design that was sculpted by our interaction with a particular environment, the African savanna, millions of years ago. This design is associated with optimal health and wellbeing for our particular species. Over the last 10,000 years the surrounding environment, as well as how we interact with it, has changed significantly. Even though 10,000 seems like ancient history, this just isn’t enough time for our bodies to completely adapt. Unfortunately this rapid and novel change has interfered with the appropriate expression of our design. The outcome is a decline in health and wellbeing. I have experienced this first hand and I bet that you have experienced this too. Based on this perspective and my experience with zazen, functional movement and Paleolithic nutrition, I have come to the conclusion that it is possible to restore the appropriate expression of our design and along with it, optimal health and wellbeing. In fact, this is what I have been doing over the last 15 years. This restoration is accomplished by approximating environmental conditions that shaped our genetic design millions of year ago. The systematic implementation of these approximations will result in the appropriate expression of our design, with the outcome being optimal health and wellbeing. Don’t worry, I have figured out a way for you to avoid 15 years of trial and error. I have packaged this particular process as, you guessed it, the Human by Design system. Human by Design approaches the interaction between organism and environment, as well as the approximation of environmental conditions, from three basic elements of human existence: Awareness (being), Movement (action) and Ingestion (consuming). This perspective makes the system much easier to understand and implement. Even though these elements appear to be separate, they are in reality fully integrated, synergistic and ultimately seamless. Don’t believe what I say. To realize this for yourself you must actually implement the principles, practices and methods associated with each element. This is the actual point of the system and it is you who ultimately bears this responsibility, but I can help you along the way. To conclude this already too long post, I am experiencing optimal health and wellbeing and I would love to share with you how you can do the same via the Human by Design system. This website and blog endeavors to point the way and assist you with your journey to optimal health and wellbeing. However, you must actually walk the path. Begin with the first step. |
AuthorSeth Clayton is the creator of the Human by Design System. He is a human from Charlotte, NC who is interested in helping you achieve optimal health and wellbeing through the avenues of Zen Buddhism, Functional Movement and Paleolithic Nutrition. Archives
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