In 2021, Don’t Deprive Yourself
In the Before Times, I wrote a column called Optimize Me, about the most bizarre things people did to their bodies in the name of health. Occasionally, these “wellness hacks” were scientifically backed, but more often they were misguided and even concerning at times. Some of them were efficiency tricks to get more time out of the day — using electric shocks to fast-track a workout or accelerated listening settings to consume more content. Others involved injecting substances into people’s bloodstreams and, ahem, backdoors.
Looking back on these articles now, after a year of hardship and suffering, some of these optimization trends, particularly the ones focused on deprivation, seem downright perverse.
Why would you ever intentionally deny yourself of the fleeting moments of joy life offers you? (And by the way, that’s not how dopamine works.)
Why would you commit to an all-meat diet and starve yourself of fruit and vegetables, the source of so many essential vitamins and minerals needed to maintain optimal immune health?
