In the previous post we talked mostly of things that are bad for us, however even of things universally known to be good for us should we be wary. Unfortunately nothing exists, as far as I know, that is always good for everyone, in any mode of application, amount and frequency. No form of training, action or activity. No food, drink or substance. No aspirin or radiation. No emotion, feeling or form of meditation. We are complex and changing creatures, never even consistent within our own selves. Sometimes at different stages, and sometimes simultaneously we have different needs and pleasures, occasionally even contradictory to one another. When we are cold, we like the heat, and when hot we seek the cold. When we are hungry, we like to eat but when we are full the very idea of food bothers us. When we have a shortage of liquid we need water, but when over hydrated, water is harmful to us. These are very interesting thoughts, but a thought that becomes obsessive does not help us grow. To make a more complex example, it is typical in the medical field that a person with a calcium deficiency in their bones develops kidney stones if they increase their calcium intake through diet and supplements, without the deficiency in the bone being improved in any way.
Training in psychophysical practice is a wonderful thing, but there is a limit to the quantity, the intensity and the frequency of training that when exceeded, causes the practice to cease being beneficial and become simply tiring. I still remember an American triathlete I advised who was amazed when I suggested for the first time to reduce her training before a race. For her it was an absurd concept, as her impression was that the more you exercise, the stronger you become. Just as simplistic is the reasoning of those who on deciding that a certain class of foods is bad for them, remove them permanently from their diet. Again I have a memory, this time of a young father, who, hungry for knowledge and holism, had a dream to raise his son in the purest possible way: only clean air, spring water, very, very fresh and unprocessed organic foods, no chemicals, vaccinations, perfumes, or television. Just outdoor living, and healthy activities. Such a scheme is suitable for a community living all together, isolated, according to these principles (and even then they would need to assess practicalities). In all other cases, this will produce a maladjusted individual, of fragile health, subject to potential violent reactions when he accidentally comes into contact with a substance for years so carefully avoided. This individual will also come into contact with people, things and situations that will contradict his lifestyle. It is not true that a “pure” lifestyle strengthens us (a “pure” way of life, as opposed to a “dirty” one (?), what it does, is specializes us, with all the pros and cons that implicates. In other words, when we live in a world we must learn to make the most of it, by managing its dynamic, not rejecting it. Otherwise we could come out quite worse for wear. Keeping on the subject of foods, a food that “the more we eat, the better” unfortunately does not exist. The magic lies not in the food or the (miraculous) medicine, but in the ‘optimization: in the satisfaction of one’s needs in a particular moment according to their goals and projects. Think about it, and you will not find a food (including water) for which, depending on our condition at the time, there is no optimal psychological and physiological limit beyond which any benefit ceases, and problems begin. Even fish, the most delicate protein, and the one most suited to our metabolism, should not be misused: eating fish three times a day for years would create several metabolic disorders, fatigue, hyper-specialization of enzymes, coenzymes, and hormones … not to mention the fact that if we only eat fish, then there is no room for anything else, we would have to give up many other foods that also have important functions. Needless to say, as you can live only on berries and fruits, you can probably live on fish alone… but here we are talking about quality of life, not survival. We will return to the subject of food and diet with a series of various elaborations. For now, happy variation and optimization :) [Translated from Italian by Hayley Egan]
Image: Totò - Courtesy luigidelia.it
