Why Simple Health Solutions Don’t Sell

Whenever I think the true principles of health and longevity are gaining traction with the general public, readers of this newsletter burst my bubble with text messages about what’s happening in the real world.

Recently, one subscriber sent me a photo of the “Heart Healthy Meal Plan” a hospital recommended to a friend. Whole milk and fatty meats are out; eggs are capped at four per week; up to nine servings per day of bread, cereal, and pasta are fine, of course. Another reader sent me snapshots of the study guide for her personal training certification. The book tells aspiring personal trainers to encourage clients to consume their protein from carbohydrate-heavy beans, peas, and seeds — which have poor protein bioavailability as well as high levels of anti-nutrients. The book also says that specifically teenage boys and men should reduce their consumption of meat, poultry, and eggs, an assertion I assume is related to debunked claims about cholesterol and heart disease. As a reminder, even the U.S. government, in 2016, decoupled dietary cholesterol from serum cholesterol and dropped dietary limits.

One reason it’s so hard to persuade people about health is that powerful interests continue to secure prime advertising space from authority figures — in these examples, from hospitals and top-rated coaching certifications. The pro-vaccine, pro-drug material that fills medical school textbooks is another example. People don’t see the marketing for what it is because the implications are too threatening: Trusted institutions cause harm.    

I also have another, lighter theory about why promoting smart health choices is so hard. Mainly, because it’s boring.

My wife recently pressed her dad into visiting a series of doctors for long overdue checkups and blood tests. Some of the results were alarming, so doctors told the dad to educate himself about how to eat healthy.

As a consequence, everyone in his social circle — me, my wife, my mother-in-law, friends, relatives, acquaintances, neighbors — now we are all subject to his lectures about the magical qualities of quinoa. And the merits of olive oil vs. avocado oil. Or why cassava bread is a better choice compared to wheat bread. Or how much sugar is in plain yogurt vs. vanilla-flavored yogurt. He beams when he opens his kitchen cabinet to show me the stacked boxes of rice flour spaghetti. The top shelf of his fridge is filled with gallons of reduced-fat milk.

Of course, none of this has anything to do with anything.

Real health is boring. It’s free, so the medical-industrial complex isn’t involved. It’s easy, so it won’t impress the fellow members of your retirement community. Even for bloggers and influencers, a true healthy lifestyle doesn’t leave much to write about.

Here are three windows into real health:

1) Get outside at sunrise. Depending upon your location, season, and employment status, head to the pool, and stay there.

At early sunrise:

• Your eyes synchronize your circadian rhythm by showing your brain the day has begun. Every cell in your body is meant to operate on a 24-hour cycle, including your immune system.
• Red and near infrared light penetrate deep into tissues, stimulating the mitochondria to produce more ATP (cellular energy) through photobiomodulation. The root cause of diseases from cancer to Alzheimer’s is mitochondria failing to produce sufficient energy for cells to function properly.   
• Morning light starts the production of melatonin in your eye for better sleep at night.

From post-sunrise to mid-morning:

• More prominent red and infrared light stimulates the production of nitric oxide in mitochondria through the activation of the enzyme cytochrome c oxidase; UVA light penetrates the skin to release nitric oxide from nitrite stores in the dermal layers. Nitric oxide plays a crucial role in regulating blood pressure by relaxing and widening blood vessels.
• Stronger near infrared light enhances mitochondrial function, aiding tissue repair and reducing inflammation.
• Exposure to more morning light regulates weight, appetite, and glucose metabolism.

At late morning:

• UVA light stimulates nitric oxide gastrointestinal mucosal defense and reduces gut disease generation.
• UVB light is responsible for vitamin D synthesis, interacting with the skin to create metabolites crucial for bone health, immune function, and reducing cancer risk.
• UV light plays a critical role in the formation of liquid crystalline water, which not only creates a protective layer inside blood vessels, but also forms a highly lubricated surface that facilitates flow.

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2) Eat meat, fish, and eggs if you’re worried about the impact of food on your levels of insulin and blood glucose. Unprocessed animal products have a glycemic index of zero. Animal products have the highest protein bioavailability, and are the exclusive source for key nutrients including retinol (vitamin A), B12, and DHA.

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3) Go for a walk for 80 percent of your exercise needs. Long duration, low intensity exercise forms the base of overall conditioning and cardiovascular health. Walking also strengthens your core and glutes, which helps reduce low back pain.

The dilemma for my father-in-law, and lots of other people, is that no one is interested in hearing stories about lounging around the pool, eating unlimited amounts of meat, and going for a stroll.

The simplicity of good health poses one other persuasion problem. Vast numbers of people, particularly older folks, build a lifestyle around their health and health problems. One pundit described the fuss many seniors make around health as their “hobby.” With more precision, I would call it their identity.

What happens to the ego if you strip away all the doctor visits, the inane wellness newsletters, the poring over health insurance forms, the trips to pharmacies for vaccinations, the weekly ritual of restocking your pill box organizer … and instead just turn and face the sun? What does it mean when after a month of syncing up with your star and planet that your malaise, mystery pains, and mental haze vanish?

No one is afraid that bypassing the medical profession won’t work. It doesn’t cost anything and you have nothing to lose. The real fear is that it will.