Understanding Ancient Wisdom & Evolution to Enhance Wellbeing in the Modern World w/ Jenny Powers, PhD

"In effect, humans have dragged a body with a long hominid history into an overfed, malnourished, sedentary, sunlight-deficient, sleep-deprived, competitive, inequitable, and socially isolating environment with dire consequences." That quote from the book, On the Origin of Being, perfectly encapsulates the evolutionary mismatch of today's population in the modern world; an environment where everything is changing faster than our genes and physiology can keep up with! Luckily, today's guest, Jenny Powers, is one of the author's of that book, which was just released within the last couple of weeks. Jenny spent over three years researching information for the book that perfectly depicts our evolutionary and anthropological history of our hominid ancestors from which we can learn from their way of life. It's clear that we have forgotten how to live according to our evolutionary physiology.

Jenny Powers is an accomplished writer, scientist, and athlete. She earned her Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology from the University of Colorado, Denver; her journey as a collegiate basketball player taught her to push physical boundaries even as she continually expanded her intellectual horizons. She is deeply inspired by the exploration of human nature and the study of our ancestors; her role researching and co-authoring On the Origin of Being marks the culmination of this passion to date. Jenny balances her professional endeavors with her roles as a wife and mother in Colorado.

In today's conversation, Jenny and I take a deep dive into some of the fascinating and insightful information that is covered in her book, On the Origin of Being. Not only is this historical perspective on how "we" used to live truly captivating, but it also leaves a trail of clues as to how all of us could improve our sleep, nutrition, work and rest, and time spent in nature or observing the natural world to optimize our quality of life in the modern world. Jenny's passion and intellect on these various topics come through during our conversation today. As we just scratch the surface, I highly recommend you check out the book and take a deep dive for yourself!

I hope you enjoy the conversation today with Jenny. Please share this episode with family, friends and colleagues if you find the content especially interesting and/or impactful.

As always, learn lots and light up your health! - Key points:

Introduction and Guest Introduction (00:00:18:00 - 00:00:38:24)

Book Overview and Author Background (00:00:39:01 - 00:01:48:11)

Book Release Date and Transition to Writing (00:01:48:13 - 00:02:51:08)

Research Process and Book Themes (00:02:51:10 - 00:05:56:15)

Impact of Evolutionary Mismatches (00:05:56:15 - 00:07:59:17)

Adapting Modern Life with Ancestral Knowledge (00:07:59:19 - 00:11:02:14)

Importance of Sleep and Circadian Rhythms (00:11:02:20 - 00:17:45:01)

Rest, Recovery, and Connecting with Nature (00:17:45:07 - 00:22:06:07)

Benefits of Nature Exposure (00:22:06:09 - 00:24:59:07)

Community and Social Connections (00:24:59:09 - 00:26:52:08)

Biohacking and Sleep Optimization Strategies (00:27:05:19 - 00:32:51:18)

Nutrition, Evolution, and Personal Dietary Changes (00:32:51:18 - 00:45:17:02)

Addressing Dietary Choices and Unity (00:45:21:05 - 00:45:47:01)

Nutrigenomics and Epigenetics Advances (00:45:47:03 - 00:47:01:16)

Modern Lifestyle Impact on Health (00:47:01:19 - 00:51:34:04)

Work-Life Balance and Mindfulness (00:51:34:05 - 00:57:18:21)

Nature and Mental Health Benefits (00:57:18:23 - 01:04:23:05)

- Watch this video on YouTube

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Book by Jenny Powers & Luke Comer: On the Origin of Being

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Learn more from and about Jenny Powers: