My guess is that we're simply overstimulating ourselves -- with food, caffeine, alcohol, drugs, sex, etc. In part to support our increased mental activity (work

My guess is that we're simply overstimulating ourselves -- with food, caffeine, alcohol, drugs, sex, etc. In part to support our increased mental activity (work, video games, social media, etc). This would explain weight gain, increased inflammation and tendency to form clots (sympathetic nervous system arousal increases blood clotting, presumably for 'fight or flight' purposes). Hence the benefits of periodic fasting, observing the Sabbath, etc, -- to truly relax and allow the parasympathetic nervous system to kick back in. Hitherto our ideas of what is relaxing have been faulty e.g. watching TV