Harvard graduate John Durant was once upon a time a typical American. He woke up every day, worked a high stress job, ate poorly, and rarely exercised. After quitting his burn out job, he dove head first into the world of paleo eating and living; Durant eventually wrote a book about it called The Paleo Manifesto in which he describes why Paleo living is wiser than the American lifestyle he had once lived.

The world today has a very obvious obsession with the fast and easy lifestyle. An average American fridge contains a plethora of frozen meals, and lots of processed foods. Typically, though, most Americans are always wearing shoes. For John, a big part of Paleo life is running barefoot. Sophie Brickman, a writer for The New Yorker, describes John as a “modern caveman” in her piece Barefoot in the Park: Paleo Run. Since quitting his job, Durant grew out his hair, and began eating a diet based entirely of foods a caveman could eat. This includes things like fish, meat, vegetables, fruits, and seeds. He created a lifestyle similar to that of how we might expect the Native Americans had thrived: naturally.
Brickman presents John’s story in an almost comical manner; it is difficult to take a person’s views seriously when they have been referred to as a caveman by the reporter. Durant is displayed as a comical, yet very intelligent person who is genuinely passionate about the lifestyle he lives. Cynics often ask Durant why he runs barefoot when it can be so unhygienic and, in some cases, unsafe. He replies as with confidence: “Broken glass you scan for. Syringes were there maybe in the seventies? And dog s***—you’d look out for that anyway, plus it’s easier to clean off your foot than off your shoe.” Throughout the piece, Durant wards off the criticism he receives with a smile and continues on his way.

It is clear to me that most people would look at this man as a twenty first century hippie who lost his marbles after some workplace stress got the best of him. I, however, firmly believe John Durant’s seemingly radical ideas are a big step in the right direction. He, like many Americans, began to feel the physical and mental toll of a high stress life combined with a poor diet. Soon after starting his new diet “he noticed that his acne cleared up and he had more energy.” By simply changing his eating routine to the foods our human bodies are wired to consume and digest, he has probably extended his lifespan by a solid number of years. One simple change, like deciding not to drink soda every day, can drastically change a person’s overall health. Maybe someday we will all be eating as the cavemen did, and perhaps even running through the park barefoot.