Posted on February 19, 2009 by drsteve

Just wanted to share this spectacular view with you from the top of the Peralta trail in the Superstition Mountains just east of Mesa, AZ.

Top of Peralta Trail in Superstition Mntns. east of Mesa

arizona-cactus-variety1

Had a short but fantastic trip to visit my snowbirding parents in Scottsdale. What amazing energy that climate has! It was about 10-15 degrees cooler than it usually is but I wasn’t complaining about a solid 65.

Gila River Valley...once the pima home, now a resort and casino

Also got to see the area I always talk about when I do my seminars on insulin resistance, sugar handling and diabetes. The Gila River Valley, home of the Pima Indians who did just fine and dandy when they were active and growing crops with extensive irrigation systems but after white man come and they got ousted from their natural environment they are all overweight and dyinng of heart disease and diabetes in their 50′s.

Strong and vital Pimas

Modern Pima Woman

The “thrifty genotype” like the Pima’s is good at storing energy for famine. But when food is available everywhere and can even be delivered to your door the population suffers.

So the question is…do the Pima’s suffer from poor genetics?…or a poor environment? Seems to me that it’s a good solid answer to the age old “nature vs. nurture” issue.

Another question. Is it possible to change your environment and therefore change your health status?

Let me know what you think by leaving a comment on this post!

drh