I think so. I have visited various impovrished islands in the carribbean and BBQ is what they do best! When your options are all healthy you lose weight, and all the fruit I ate made my skin and hair seem to glow! Its works the same in your kitchen! Only stock healthy foods and watch the weight fall off. I am trying to get into the "hunter / gatherer" way of thinking. . our bodies are meant to have seasonal things, and not meat with every  meal....

Good tip... look through the ingredients in your food and see how many items have high fructose corn syrup, refined sugar and MSG.... FIG NEWTONS have high fructose corn syrup! WHAT THE HELL???? Its fig!

high furctose corn syrup is in absolutly everything!. commercials say it's fine in moderation but no one can have it in moderation because it is in everything. we have completely changed what we eat over the last 2 years and i have lost 40 lbs. we no longer eat ANYTHING with high fructose corn syrup. that meant we had to stop eating out but hey, it's well worth it. we are much healthier now.

A simple life, in many senses of the word. Simple, but hard. I think in a way it might be easier as the demands put on each individual seems less rigorous and more attainable.

Fructose corn syrup..i wish I could stop eating that, but it's so good. I don't need to lose any weight, but keep the weight off that I've already lost and avoid diabetes. I'm scared to death of diabetes. 

Wow. I loved this article!  It is so true.  More choice equals more problems.  I find that our society forces us to constantly adapt and re-adapt and all this stress and pressure causes us to try to comfort ourselves with food.  We have to get back to living with less and in that process learning how to make as few decisions as possible.  My life is very complicated compared to my parents and grandparents.  I want to get back to their simplistic life.

 I also agree with the previous post.  High Fructose Corn Syrup is absolutely in almost every prepared food, drink and baked goods, specifically packaged bread from the big bread companies.  I would say that we should not eat any of it.  The problem with HFCS is that it seems to block the receptor that tells your brain that your stomach is full.  So you keep eating to try to satisfy your hunger.  Also, HFCS seems to be addictive.  It causes you to crave sweets and produces what I call a "mouth hunger".  Your mouth makes you feel like you are still hungry and you continue to eat.

I have really started looking at every ingredient in prepared foods.  But I guess what I have learned is it is much better to prepare my own foods.  I am learning how to make organic, home-cooked versions of all my favorite types of food (and I was never a cook!).  I bought a juicer and a blender and have been figuring out how to make the same kind of smoothies and coffee drinks one finds at Starbucks and other places for a fraction of the cost

that sounds wonderful. i'm a big believer of not taking certain things away though. i get where you're going with it though.

i mean, let's just say the govt started regulated foods we were allowed to eat for some reason...well we are an obese country. it wouldn't stop there, and before you know it, no more donut shops...sweet shops out of business...etc. i think we are in a culture of no culture, but at the same time, we eat what we want. as a population, we regulate the venue of supermarkets. when the "fad" to eat healthy hits, it makes a difference. you know how hard it's been for me to find yogurt made with whole milk. i loved stoneyfields whole milk yogurts. i saw nothing wrong with it because you just can't nit-pick everything. yogurt isn't that bad for you. high in sugar, yes, but still, i don't think it's something to worry about unless you are eating terrible in the first place.

anyhow, the more people were getting on the fad train, the less i saw of it stored in supermarkets.

on the other hand, we put so much sodium and sugars in EVERYTHING. why do i have to go to a special store just to eat healthy, or spend my very last dime to get something with less crap in it? why? what would be nice if it was regulated that we don't need over 1000g's of sodium in stuff. when you eat out, it's really bad, but they have to mass produce stuff and store it, so what do you expect?

the end result is though, if they start regulating things, we, who are responsible pay for it too. i eat very healthy, but i want my donut once in a great while...and i want to eat out and not worry so much about it because i know i am healthy and can afford to do it once in a while. i don't know, it's just we live in a culture that it's one extreme to the next and i don't think we can simplify anything.

i would love to eat in a foreign culture and learn about how they live, incorporate it into my life in some way.

i like your question though, to simplify things. to do things like people once did, from scratch. that is the way to live...it feels nice too when you are creating it, doing something good for you and your loved ones in that matter.

I totally agree that having so many choices has made our lives more complicated and much more stressful! Just think about how much time we spend trying to decide what gift to give, what food to buy, what clothes to wear, etc.; not to mention what not to eat! There is no way to stop it, of course, as this is how we judge "progress", but I keep wishing for the day the whirling dervish will slow down and we allow ourselves to go back to simpler times. Does anyone else find themselves debilitated by all the choices we have???

They say "the more you have, the more you need" which is so true.  If you have a car, you need gas and you'll need to perform maintenance on it.  If you have a bigger home, you need more furniture to fill it, or more gas/oil/electricity to heat it/cool it. 

I do wish for a simpler life sometimes.  I know the transition would be difficult since I'm very spoiled now with all the freedoms, choices and luxuries I have now (I would go through serious internet withdrawals!) but after a while, I think I'd learn to adjust.  Hard work and less temptation (and fewer choices) keeps you healthy and focused on what you truly love. It seems to clear the clutter from your mind - the clutter that holds so many of us back.

awesome article.. i definitely agree with you.. if we lived the way the "cavemen" did, i think we'd be much better off, socially, politically and physically!!

If you haven't yet, run and get Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. She tackles all these issues head on as only she can, with humor and valuable information. It's an eye-opening read. You'll never eat the "old" way again.

I have spent time in Vietnam and West Africa and in both cases, even though the diets were radically different, I lost weight without any effort at all.  Simple, fresh (usually picked, caught or slaughtered that day) produce, fish and meats.  Oils were healthy.  VERY little sugar.  No High Fructose Corn syrup of any kind. 

It was amazing to experience such healthy and delicious foods!

Amazing how what the creator and creation have given us is all we really need to survive and be healthy.  But yet we destroy the very thing that gives us most of our medicinals for illness, the rain forest.  We pay a heavy price for our luxuries and our children and grandchildren are born with hundreds of toxins already in their bloodstream.  In previous generations, good homegrown foods nourished their bodies for health.  Yes, some people died of disease, but death is a natural process of life. Today pharmaceuticals keep us alive longer that nutrition.  Maybe the natives of Guatamala have something spiriutally fundamental to teach us all.  Well, no maybe about it.

It seems to me that there is adequate variety in the foods and their textiles.
A limited choice does seem to make for a happier lifestyle. Who can be unhappy when you are not constantly wanting the next best thing?
I lived in Venezuela for two years and it was the same there with the poorer people. They seemed happy to me.

This is a good question. When my husband and I grow up in the 60's and 70's we were never asked what did we want to eat, or where did you want to eat. We had to eat what was cooked for us. And both our parents worked in factories, so we didn't have much growing up.  But we do remember having a happy childhood and spent a lot of time with family.

Now our children have many things and eat many different foods. And can eat all the time. They eat lunch at school and eat fast food on their way home.  I was trying to give them options that I didn't have. However, (after a few years) I realize they were fat. Just like me. We ate anything we wanted to and sat around watching TV. I was feeling very down and responsible for doing this to my kids. I found myself wishing for the "Good Old Days" when we didn't have much and were happy.

Then I stop buying frozen pizza, dinners, chicken nuggets, and started to read lables. The childrens gravings have just about disapprend they still grave chacolate, but they eat healthier. My son lost over 40lbs. and my daughter lost 30lbs. in lest then a year. They still don't do much excerssie. I'm working on that now.

As for me, every day is hard but I am hanging in there. I am losing slowly and feeling happy.

So yes our lives are complacated and full of tempations. But we can work around it and enjoy life.

It's so true.  Those commercials saying that high fructose corn syrup is "natural" and even "good for you" is totally WRONG.  The high fructose corn syrup industry must have paid the FDA a lot of $ for approval.  Not only is the stuff genetically altered, but it is genetically altered multiple times to become high fructose corn syrup.  They do this b/c it is cheaper than using regular sugar.  And it is in EVERYTHINGGGGGGG!!!!! EVERYTHING!!!!!! EVRYTHINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!&nbs p; I switched to organic/minimally processed food 2.5 yrs ago and have never been sick since.  I used to get bronchitiis twice a year and colds all the time!

I think high fructose corn syrup gives you cellulite!  One more reason not to consume it!

I do believe we have too much and too many choices in our daily lives. I try to keep things simple, but am still overwhelmed at times. I like to go tent camping in the woods with bare minimums and being "unplugged" from all the choices is a big stress relief.

In a word - YES!!!

Thanks for the fabulous article

Oh gosh, yes.  Unfortunately... 

I love your thoughts on this issue.  I often express this opinion to people, and it's hard for people to wrap their minds around this.  People assume I crave a simpler life because I'm lazy.  But obviously, "the simple life" is such a misnomer.  Our society has detached our labor from the end-product, and it leaves me, as a part of this society, feeling empty at the end of my work day.  What if I could use my hands to make clothes, beautiful things, or to grow a bountiful garden of delicious and healthful foods?  I think my life would feel more meaningful -- but in America, there are very few acceptable options for people who don't want to partake in the capitalist system.  And if you're one of those people, you'll probably spend more time fighting ostricization than anything else.

Well, I dont know. Its true that the life these Guatemalans lead seems idyllically simple and maybe they are happier for it. But while I might sometimes crave to have limited choices as they do, I also really enjoy being able to cook different kinds of food, try grains from around the world, and eat pretty much what I feel like. I love my local Whole Foods and the Farmers Market. I eat cereal for breakfast, or whole wheat bread; for lunch something that has a lot of fresh veggies like a veggie wrap or sald; and for dinner something that has sprouted beans or a little meat and a grain like bulgur, cream of wheat and quinoa. Back in India where I am from, you dont get all these things. You do get a huge variety of spinaches and vegetables and fruits you dont get here, though.

My husband and I completely avoid anything with high fructose corn syrup, and we almost never eat junk food. But I am glad that we have the variety of choices we do. I enjoy experimenting with cooking different things, and I like it that way.

This vacation sounds very educational; I love traveling to various countries to see how are neighbors live. As for the people having the same "look" i'm sure there is very limited variety in courtship choices I do believe they all looked the same.  As for market choices our society provides they same style of foods, along with quick fixes that we have become hypnotised too. it's easier to purchase a pre made frozen dinner or drive thru McDonalds rather than take the time to make a healthy meal. Our fast paced society has this generation believing that 5 min ago is yesterday. How many of us can honestly live without Cell phones, lap top computers, quick internet connections and oh my goodness electronic games?  I carry both a my lap top and cell phone and have become a slave to both.  the syndrom of obesiety is growing because we have become an instant society fast food on just about every corner, commericals that make the audience drowl for food, and all the propaganda to loose wieght.  I don't have an answer to our ever changing world but I do know this, I am not going to pack up and live a primitive society with no variety. I just have to use the education I know of and make healthier choices, along with using a bit of self control.

It's just you.

I spent a summer working at an orphanage in Guatemala and lost so much weight that my mother walked right by me in the airport because she didn't "see" her daughter.  So yes, the diet available is excellent for weight loss also the considerable amount of physical labor had a hand in my changed shape.  :)

I too have been 3 times to El Salvador (the next country south of Guatamala) and have lived amoung the poor as we are part of a mission group that helps there. Where we are it is full of fried everything and way too much that is made out of their corn flour and rice but where we are sea food is available readily, but again fried.

There is fruit everywhere, and it is fresh so it tastes amazing. We had a papya that was the size of a watermelon and tasted better than anything I have ever had here. They have access to amazing foods at markets like you said but it is usually too expensive and they fill up on the unhealthy carbs because they are cheaper and more filling. Their diet is unhealthy that way. They do have access to fruit right off the tree but I found to my surprise that they didn't eat it all the time like us foreigners because it is always there.

I have eaten everything imaginable made from beans, maise (a corn flour) and rice, and usually fried over a fire. I have also become very sick because of a bean soup made from unhealthy water and not boiled long enough to be safe for our spoiled bodys, and had to go on antibiotic to get better. (how they don't loose pounds from situations like that I don't know. I'm know I lost a few pounds for the few days I was sick) No scale around to check.

You are right in saying that they are happy and don't worry about weight or many material things. We definately could learn from them. When I come back I am always very surprised how superfishial we are here.

Thank you for your article.

hey maraid

I think this article suffers a certain degree from the Beautiful People Myth.

I read an article once that said that thin people tend to have less variety in their diets. That surprised me but I think what you've said in this article is key, if it's the same things all the time you're less likely to overeat. I know I don't tend to want a second bowl of oatmeal in the morning! lol.

Actually, on April 13 2009 I started a very similiar lifestyle, patterned after the TV series - LOST. Ihave lost 25 pounds since then by eating only native island food. I feel great, lots of energy, no fuzzy headedness and I love it.

A few years back I visisted northern Thailand. I stayed in a village. And we ate nothing but natural food. On the way home, we stopped by a Pizza Hut in Bangkok. After that pizza I was sicker than a dog!

Check my progress at www.YouTube.com/TheLostDiet

id live there :D

No, thanks. I'll take choice and individuality.

Also, saying "No one is .... fretting about her looks" and "no one seemed to care about the lack of choice" is a pretty big leap. These are the kinds of things that have to be studied by sociologists and anthropologists before conclusions can be made about them. The way a group appears to a cultural outsider does not necessary indicate what is really going on psychologically.

I'm on vacation with my notebook computer and camera, riding an Amtrak Acela right now, 120v plug, headed to New York from our stop in Boston.  So far, really fun, fully of complications, new views, people and things.  But I hear what you are saying; I'll probably need a vacation to recover from this one.  

laralives- How on earth have you managed to lose 25 pounds in 2.5 weeks?  That is amazing!  Are you working out 6 hours a day like The Biggest Loser cast too?

I agree with the comment regarding not having meat at every meal.  I have started cutting back on my calories and one of the things that I have found out is that I don't need to eat meat at every meal.  I think it's a healthier diet to include vegetables and stay away from so much meat and animal products. 

AWESOME, AWESOME, AWESOME!!  So very true!!  I'm absolutely delighted by your sharing this.  We live in a world of more, more, more and we are constantly unsatisfied.  No matter how big the excitement, the desire is for more.  It's like watching greedy children on a spoiled Christmas morning where they are simply tearing and tossing and tearing into something else.

What you saw was the other extreme.  I'd like to live in the middle.  I like to have some choices but I'm diligent in investigating the choice only once and making a decision and keeping it so I'm a very brand loyal consumer.  I eat primarily from raw and I never discard the skins.  I use lots of stevia and can't remember the last time I ate something with HFCS in it.  I even eat very low quantities of sugar and rarely anything white or refined sneaks into our food.

I do make all of our food from scratch but I always cook for three meals and freeze two.  It works best to freeze the ingredients separately and then just combine and cook, like I brown all the month's hamburger at one time and wash it (carefully remove as much fat as possible) and then freeze in small portions.  If you are planned ahead you don't need to be in the kitchen long and you can still eat from scratch.  I also make all of our salad dressings as we eat lots of types of salads.

I don't think I'd like to have my choice quite that limited but I used to overwhelm in giant grocery stores until I started to shop only the outside edge - so much healthier and easier.  I rarely dip into the middle of Winco and I do most things from bulk bins much cheaper and they have tons of whole grains.  I am actively working to simplify my own life.  I'm purging out as much as I can and organizing what's left.  I'm in my third cycle of going simple (the American version which is pretty materialistically "simple" - meaning I still have more than one computer and DVD and TV and... but I've gotten rid of all the extras and we rarely turn on those TVs or use the DVD's because I've simplified what I'm willing to listen to and watch too).

Anyway, I understand the simplicity you saw.  They also keep no clocks in many areas and never start a day with a "to do" list.  I don't want to go quite that far but I do want a real (original) American dream which is having enough to be able to really ENJOY what I have and not spend all my time taking care of my "things" and to get them all without incurring debts.  I'm anxious to pay off my mortgage as that's my only debt.  True happiness does not lie in having more but rather in wanting less.  I'm on my way to real happiness.

I must disagree about the idea of our many options and choices being bad, but rather our busy lifestyles. I think that the manychoices are a great thing, we just need to be wise and learn to make the right ones!!

heeey aunstin!, wowww,

Apparently someone researched decision making and discovered having to choose between 2 (or possibly multiple) desireable options is harder than choosing between 2 negative options or a negative and positive option. This is wonderfully illustrated by the story above. In a culture like ours where we are bombarded by advertisements telling us many things are desireable we are having to make the hardest type of decision when it comes to what clothes we wear, what food we eat, and who we want to look like many times a day. Tiring at worse and complicated at best.

Let's hope our collapse will be no worse than this.

I'm gad you painted a nice picture of indigenous life in your imagination, but from someone who lived in the Guatemalan highlands herself for half a year, I will tell you that it is the lucky few who have the fortune to enjoy any of the "healthy" and "simple" foods sold in those charming open air markets. Most buy corn and black beans. Food is grown to sell, the tiendas you see selling junk food, and the wrappers from that junk food that litter every town (unmentioned in the simple picture you described of a poverty beaten country) sell families cheep calories from soda and corn products. I watched infants daily drinking brown bubbly liquid from baby bottles, listened to women talk about being able to feed their families only tortilla, and saw kids spending the few spare quetzales they had on junk food. You spent a week with a family that is middle class by guatemalan standards--- that's why they had the food to pile your plate with every day.

Though it is probably true that many ladinos in Guatemala can afford the products grown and sold by the indiginous, the population you romanticized are a marginalized majority.

in social psych we recently learned that too much choice is paralyzing, and that after you make a decision, the more choices you had to leave behind the more uncertain and unhappy you feel.  There's a really good example my teacher used:  "When I was a kid there was one kind of jeans.  You bought them, and those were your jeans, you couldn't have done any better or worse, it was just the jeans and you had to be content.  Now, there are so many kinds that it's your fault if you don't get the perfect fit."

People are too different for just one type of jeans to do. Some people, including myself like the stretchiest, baggiest softest jeans possible, yet I know others who would hate it if they could not get those snugg heavy denim skinny jeans. Choice is a good thing. Immagine if there was not a choice between 'regular' and low fat/calorie type foods, I would not be happy if they banned all lighter version foods, just like others would be quite unhappy if they were forced to eat the low cal versions... It really should be up to the individual what they want to eat , wear, do, so long as it isn't harming anybody else!!

Many years ago when the Berlin Wall finally came down an interesting phenomena occurred. East Germans who had not had as much freedom of choice actually suffred from anxiety and depression when presented with the West German life style! I belive this had been shown much earlier in lab animals. No I am not equating animals and people but as a former animal behavorist I know that mammals have many traits in common.

wow. I loved this story. It's not just the food that is healthier and simpler. it's the whole lifestyle. It just sounds so serene. so peaceful. so uncomplicated. it sounds like a wonderful environment to raise a family in. maybe you are right. maybe too much choices are a burden. and guatemalan food is the best!! yum!!

i agree it makes life much harder and not only with food but everything.  I think we need to scale back alittle here in the US.

Studies have shown that more choice just causes more anxiety and I've seen this with my own eyes. I used to work at a Juice bar. It was cute to see people stressing over what choices to make. ( Juice or Shake, on a basis of milk, water or OJ, which combination of fruits to mix in, with or without sugar, upgrade to soymilk or yogurt for extra dollar?, small med or large, cash or credit, etc)

I watched as grown men and women turned into mini basket cases over a fruitshake!

This article has inspired me to get back to basic as far as food is concerned and also life in general. Usually, simplest is best and healthiest both nutritionally and phychologically.