Go WILD!

When I retired in January, one of my good friends, Drew Forsyth, loaned me a book co-authored by Dr John Ratey called Go Wild. I had a couple of other reads on the my runway, so I finally got on the task a few days ago, found it an easy and entertaining read, and I thought I'd share some thoughts about what I will take away.

First of all, why would Drew wish to share the book in the first place? Drew and I were together at Central when Principal Russ Atkinson brought Dr Ratey's SPARK movement to the staff. Drew is a huge proponent of SPARK, bringing it with him to Barrie North with his transfer there, and he had followed up that by reading Go Wild. As a fellow SPARKler, he felt I would be interested ... and I am grateful that he did.

Secondly, some background ...

Dr John Ratey was the mastermind behind the SPARK movement. It was coined SPARK because Dr Ratey had authored a book of the same name that focused on the connection between activity and learning, especially the functions of the Prefrontal Cortex. In a nutshell, Dr Ratey proved that regular bouts of activity that lead to elevated heart rates, fired up the brain to accept and assimilate more information. Principal Atkinson LOVED the message and insisted this was something we should embrace at Central. A few of us really liked the idea, spent a week of that summer just outside of Boston at Eagle Hill Academy with Dr Ratey learning even more about SPARK, and opened that school year full of good intentions. We quickly found that students were receptive to the idea of more movement, but embracing the intensity level that Dr Ratey recommended was a bit of a learning curve. As they slowly warmed to the idea throughout the year, the staff at Central saw positive, albeit gradual, changes in academics, behaviour and mood. The community around Central was soon treated to the regularity of small hordes of students moving and grooving their way in and around the campus, laughing and giggling the whole time as they played like youngsters at recess ... EXACTLY what Dr Ratey prescribed.

Thirdly, why was the book called Go Wild?

Dr Ratey co-authored the Go Wild with a journalist named Richard Manning. The essence of the book was a recommendation that human beings, Homo Sapiens in particular, have been evolving for a very long time and much of our biology is the result of nature picking and choosing more efficient ways for us to continue to maintain our place near the top of the food chain. Evolution, for those that don't recall, is measured in REALLY long units of time, and although coined a theory, is the scientific explanation for the changes that the fossil record indicates. Since evolutionary units are so long, when compared with the length that humans have lived in civilizations, Dr Ratey and Mr Manning propose that much of the afflictions we suffer today (diabetes, cancer, heart disease, dementia, etc) can be traced back to ignoring our biological roots through practices that are counter-productive. They assert all can be addressed by returning to practices buried deep in our past.

The book is divided into different thought lines ... Nutrition, Activity, Mental State, Socializing and Stress Management ... with explanations about what science supports and recommendations for changes to habits and practices. There are many references to other experts and how their work supports what Ratey/Manning are saying so, by and large, the changes range from moderate to significant, largely dependent on where you are presently with respect to each thought line. The thrust of their argument is enshrined in the notion that our bodies work far more efficiently if we return to a way of life predating the agricultural movement, with its move toward wheat and corn as staples. Without spoiling your read, it's the move back to a Hunter-Gatherer lifestyle with it's broader family definitions, varied diet low on carbohydrates, daily movement, closeness to nature and living in the moment.

Being brutally honest, there are some things contained in this book that I would really struggle to adopt, not the least of which is the Keto-like diet that sacrifices carbs with the aim to kickstart our fat burning machinery. I have read up on this diet and I have what I feel is a good understanding of its premise, but I have to confess that it would take a Herculean effort to commit 100% to it. Ratey, in particular, stresses that he is not on the Paleo bandwagon, but reading his personal experiences makes it is clear that his consumption closely resembles it. Recently, in both response to the C19 changes coupled with the time retirement affords, Joyce and I have made a conscious decision to reduce our meat + prepared foods consumption by substituting a larger variety of deliciousness delivered mostly through the regular use of our Instapot. We have both found the move to be beneficial.

The other recommendation I would struggle with is running. Both Ratey and Manning are proponents and do a thorough job of outlining the biological reasons why this is the most human of activities. A few years ago, I exercised my way into a romance with running, but despite all of my best intentions, eventually had to succumb to the realization that my body type was not built for it, evidenced by creaking knees and ankles. I would support all that the book espouses in regard to this, but I would have to use the low-impact version of hiking or biking, and it is something that Joyce and I can share, since running was never her thing either.

In the end, that's it. The rest of the recommendations are things that we could certainly make an effort to adopt ... except the expansion of the family unit through increased socializing ... for obvious reasons right now. One of the recommendations I have zero experience with ... Meditation strikes me like one I should become more versed in. I think it will prove to be an interesting investigation.

As a final thought ...
Go Wild is a pretty neat read, and is certainly thought provoking, even if you don't choose to try anything that it recommends. If you're already inclined in its direction, you'll find a few gems of knowledge that justify those beliefs, and maybe even include ways to extend them. If you're not on this bandwagon yet ... and I am not saying you should be ... there's much to ponder about what is being said and the proof behind it. Since we're supposed to be quasi quarantined anyway, what a great thing to do, considering the increased time for developing your sense of self.

I have to give Drew his book back so I can't lend you this one.
The ISBN is 978-0-316-24610-1 and you can get a copy of Amazon.ca ... Click Here
Happy Hunting!