There are many physical aspects of early AA members’ lives that were quite different from those of current 12 step program members. These physical factors are now recognised as improving brain health: the ability to make good decisions, like sobriety and recovery. Effects of each of these factors are very individual due to many factors including genetics/epigenetics.
Nutrition
- Much less sugar
- Less refined carbohydrates
- More healthy fats, less unhealthy fats
- More vegetables
- More dietary fibre
- More diverse diet
- Food largely organic – just the way it was done until about the 40s
- Fewer preservatives, chemicals and pesticides in food, air and water
- Mostly home-cooked meals
- More fermented food
- Less processed food
- Ate more seasonally
Other
- Slept an average over an hour more daily
- More time outdoors
- More active lifestyle, less time sitting
- Less blue light from the devices
- Less plastic
- Children born with way fewer chemicals in the system
- Less chronic conditions (eg diabetes, obesity, Alzheimers, autism) )
- Less obesity
- High quality, world-leading medical intervention prior to program involvement