In the Omnivore’s Dilemma, Michael Pollan convincingly and eloquently describes the problems that are associated with a monoculture method of farming. A monoculture is simply a farm that grows only one crop or raises only one animal. The problem with monocultures is that they attempt to separate a single species (or two) from the larger ecosystem in which they have evolved to live. In doing so, literal circles of life or food chains are broken and what often results are pieces that do not quite fit together.
Let’s take for example, cows and grass, who have been living together for quite a long while. The cow is an herbivore who has a gut that is very good (with the help of bacteria) at digesting the cellulose in grass. Humans cannot do this, which is why (for the most part) we don’t eat grass. But the grass also benefits from the cow’s grazing because the cow spreads the grass’ seeds, plants them by pounding them into the ground, and fertilizes the seed with its manure. This is a symbiotic relationship where the two species reap benefits from their interactions and co-evolution.
Now, what happens when the symbiotic relationship is severed? If cows are fed grain such as corn, which they have not evolved to eat, they are at high risk of becoming sick and they now have to be treated with antibiotics. If they no longer graze large pastures to eat grass, they will not help spread and nurture the grass seed, which might result in the degradation of the grasslands. If business-minded humans are also involved, these degradative processes might also be catalyzed by confining the cows in small pens, replacing the grasslands with corn fields, and purchasing the necessary inputs (feed, antibiotics, fertilizers, pesticides, oil) and paying (or not) to dispose of the unneeded outputs (animal waste, fertilizer run-off, antibiotics and pesticides that end up in the water supply). When the system is uncoupled, the processes are not only less efficient, but they also generate a lot of waste and they risk harming several species. It pays to pay attention to the evolutionary system in which an organism has evolved.
Now think about your own ecosystem that consists of your food, movement, and sleep. How well are these three components of your life truly integrated? For years, the movement of human beings was closely tied to procuring or producing food. For many people, this is no longer the case. We also now know that movement is related to sleep and that exercise can improve the quality and the quantity of our sleep. In addition, we know that adequate sleep is associated with making healthier food choices. So, in effect, these three critical components of our lives interact together in a sort of ecosystem not unlike the cows and the grasslands. As a result, the more that we can better understand and leverage these interactions in our own lives, the more that we can improve the overall fitness of the entire system.
So, in an effort to better links these activities in your own life, try making food choices based on your previous or planned physical activity for the day; if you’re struggling with movement (trying to find the energy or improve your training), think about sleep first; if you’re not sleeping well, think about working more movement into your day; if you find your movement or sleep suffering, think about how your diet might be affecting your performance; and if you find yourself making impulsive food choices, think about trying to improve your sleep.
Ultimately, food, movement, and sleep are interconnected just as the cows and the grasslands are naturally connected to each other. Understanding and fostering those connections not only improves efficiency, but it also improves our health.