Peeke Blog

Nature deficiency is something I discovered when I began to conduct my Peeke Week Retreats in nature. I hoped to give people an opportunity to learn just how mentally and physically Fit to Live they are. Outside of diehard outdoor athletes, the people with the most Toxic Belly Fat were amazed at just how out of shape they were, covered in sweat as they scampered over rocks, hoofed it on trails, and gasped for breath as they trudged along. The difference between the groups was that Fit to Live people had the reserves to hit the hills and keep pace without collapsing. They were able to put their mental and physical fitness to the test against nature. The other group found out that when outside their comfort zone and asked to push beyond it, they had scant reserves to succeed. It was humbling and exhilarating for both groups.

When was the last time you were outsidein nature? Howd you feel? In my book Fit to Live, I explore the transition from green place to cement place. I observed what this has done to our waists and our well-being.  It seems weve come full circle: long ago, the outdoors was our home. We used all our senses: sight, smell, touch, taste, hearing. Not simply to survive, but to thrive in the natural world.  As we moved from caves to farms, we stayed tied to the worlds natural cycles. Some people lived in cities, but as recently as 1790, only 5 percent of the US population lived in cities. Even up through the 1960s, most Americans lived closer to nature than we do. 30 years ago, people lived in small houses with big yards, and this has flipped too. Kids used to ride bikes a lot; they used to play outside even more. Adults used to stay outside, ride the bus to work, or spend time outdoors too.

But with the invention of air conditioning and TV, and more recently with the computer and TV game systems, the temptations to stay inside are in every room.

But today 80 percent of Americans live in urban areasand worse, we spend up to 90 percent of our time indoors90 percent!

So how do we deal with this? How can we become Environmentally Fit to Live?  

Getting outside is one of the best things you can do to get rid of your Toxic Belly Fat.  Science shows there is a direct relationship between access to the outdoors and the size of our bodies. Those who live where they can bike, walk or take public transportation are more fit and slimmer than those who dont. And people who live where homes are spread apart and far from shopping walk less and weigh more than others.

A study of national park attendance reveals that attendance grew steadily from the 1930s to 1987. But then it dropped by 25 percent. Why? Most can be attributed to increased screen timemovies, video games, TV and the Internet.  In other words, were too busy watching nature programs to get up off our rear ends and get out there and interact with the real thing.

When we want to become Environmentally Fit to Live, the environment is a key to helping us achieve our goal. This includes the physical structures we live in, the air we breathe, the amount of light were exposed to, the noise, the smells, and the visual stimuli we experience each day.

Remember this famous Lakota proverb: When a man moves away from nature, his heart becomes hard.