The world in which our ancestors evolved is very different from the one we know today. For hundreds of thousands of years, short bursts of environmental stress — such as harsh fluctuations in temperature and limited food availability — were the norm.

Homo sapiens evolved in response to these survival setbacks. Not only did they encourage us to develop creative solutions, they also instilled us with resistance – right down to our cells.

Fast forward to the 21st century, and our species faces an entirely new set of challenges to which we are not adapted. Air pollution, poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle cause low-grade inflammation of the immune system — a state that is linked to diabetes, depression, and other chronic illnesses.

We’ve built our modern environment around our wants, not our needs. Ironically, it’s these hyper-comforts that can make us the most sick.