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I was kind of with him right up until this:

> But if you ask yourself who's the healthiest person you know, almost certainly they subscribe to some sort of named philosophy that helps them make consistent and value-driven decisions about what they eat and how they move. Maybe they're vegan or paleo.

Maybe I’m an outlier, but that tends to be more true of the least healthy people I know.

Named philosophies with strict rules give you far more opportunities to measure your failures. It’s too easy to slip, notice you’ve slipped, and figure, “well, I’ve done that much, I guess I’m just off the wagon today.” (Not to mention that vegan and paleo both leave room for some wildly unhealthful decisions without breaking the rules.)

It seems like his philosophy isn’t as strict as that, though. I like the approach in large part because it isn’t like going vegan or paleo. As with so many things, it’s all about finding moderation and an approach that you can stick to sustainably.



Healthiest person I ever knew was my gradma. She sure as hell wasn't vegan or paleo.

She was Catholic and she was practicing the virtue of temperance every day.

We often adopt lifestyles, we do certain things, in order to become healthier, fitter, smarter, richer...

She wasn't doing it because who she wanted become. She was doing it because of who she was.


> She wasn't doing it because who she wanted become. She was doing it because of who she was.

So she would have had no problem stopping such behavior without fear of repercussion? If not then the motivation is not solely self directed. Many people are engaged in virtuistic pursuits because of fear or selfishness. Their outward actions can't always be taken at face value.


Wouldn't that just mean her named philosophy was Catholicism?


That could be a result of selection bias as well though. People who are already healthy are probably less likely to reach for extreme diets than people who are unsatisfied with their health.




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