The Weekly Watch
Postponing Our Own Memorial Day
It isn't that I fear death, I would just like to postpone it as long as possible (provided I remain in good health). I thought it would be interesting to explore ways to maximize our health in today's column. Much of our health is a result of our diet. Lifestyle also plays an important role. The cast of our genetic dice provides the base of our health through our lives. The nature of our work and work place can stress us out or might be a supportive. The homes and communities where we live also shape our health. The nature of our environment and pollutants we encounter can promote or retard our health as well. Personal health is a multifaceted issue, and a moving target as we age. Our genetics dictate much of our health but we can control our diet, develop healthy habits, and avoid many of the toxins common in today's society.
Water is Life
Our greatest need is water. Flint shines a light on the importance of pure water. Clean water is a global issue.
- Worldwide – Some 80 percent of the world’s wastewater is dumped—largely untreated—back into the environment, polluting rivers, lakes, and oceans. (NRDC.org)
- In Developing Countries – 70 percent of industrial wastes are dumped untreated into waters, polluting the usable water supply (nationalgeographic.com).
- In the US – … potentially harmful contaminants—from arsenic to copper to lead—have been found in the tap water of every single state (NRDC.org)
- In the US – Surface water from freshwater sources … accounts for more than 60 percent of the water delivered to American homes. … nearly half of rivers and streams and more than one-third of lakes are polluted and unfit for swimming, fishing, and drinking (NRDC.org)
https://www.bettermeetsreality.com/countries-cities-with-the-most-water-...
This link also highlights specific locations in the US and around the world where drinking water pollutants are a problem.
To understand the nature of the pollution problem this article is helpful.
https://www.nrdc.org/stories/water-pollution-everything-you-need-know
There are several filters which can be used in the developing world like:
http://www.gabrielediamanti.com/projects/eliodomestico---how-does-it-work/
see more here...
https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/5-innovative-ways-people-in-the...
The only way to know about your water is to test it.
https://www.thealternativedaily.com/how-to-test-your-tap-water/
https://mytapscore.com/
Bottled water is sold everywhere and is a staple stock item. But bottled water has risks too...
The environmental impact of bottled water is high with over 60 million water bottles being thrown away each day in the United States alone. Only a small percentage of these (around one in six) get recycled.
Chemicals leaching out of discarded plastic water bottles finds its way into our soil, rivers, and lakes − contaminating our drinking water. There are 3 health-damaging types of chemicals commonly found in plastic water bottles:
- Bisphenol A (BPA)
- Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)
- Phthalates
Here are 4 Tips For Reducing Your Exposure to Toxins Released By Plastic:
- Exchange your plastic bottles for stainless steel or glass
- Invest in a good quality carbon water filter and filter your tap water and store it in glass or ceramic containers
- Avoid cooking and heating any food or water in plastic or Styrofoam
- If you must eat or drink from plastic be careful not to expose the food to the sun, high heat, microwave, or cut into the plastic while you are consuming the product.
https://thetruthaboutcancer.com/is-bottled-water-safe/
Filtered tap water is your best bet for safe drinking water. Look for a quality filter system that removes chlorine, fluoride, as well as bacteria.
If your water is contaminated, what is a practical filter in the US?
Here's a simple design you can make yourself:
https://www.cdc.gov/safewater/sand-filtration.html
Here's more information on biological slow-sand filters:
https://www.enlight-inc.com/blog/?p=1359
Using a charcoal filter after the biological sand filter would improve chemical removal. There are some effective but pricey systems if you have more money than time.
How about eating for health? What is a Healthy Diet?
What if I told you healthy grains are a scam? Ever noticed the obesity epidemic hit at the same time as the new food pyramid built on "healthy" grains? The evidence that grains are healthy is almost nonexistent. This is a nerdy review of the research over the last couple of centuries presented at SHN Grand Rounds to a group of doctors by Jason Fung entitled: The Roots of the Obesity Epidemic. If you have time, it is well worth the 53 minute listen or watch.
OPOL wrote a couple of pieces on diet and fasting that introduced me to Jason Fung.
The big lesson is the role of insulin. If you eat carbohydrates (including cereals and grains) you generate insulin. When insulin is present, fat digestion stops and fat deposit begins. The technique is to fast intermittently with occasional long term fasting in combination with a low-carb "keto" diet..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIuj-oMN-Fk (36 min)
Dr Eric Berg is another keto and fasting advocate. Here he is in a conversation with Dr Mercola.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsRBYKsdshQ (45 min conversation)
They recommend a 4-6 hour eating window and fasting the remainder of the day (and night).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7RuGvMJndg (5 min)
So what do you eat to avoid carbohydrates...Here's Dr Berg's guide.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0duUYXn1UoI (4 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBqpaAKtnXE (9 min)
Using this technique has amazing health benefits. In addition to weight loss, it reverses type II diabetes, lowers blood pressure, improves metabolism, heightens brain function, increases disease resistance and more.
Thomas DeLauer is another proponent...
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC70SrI3VkT1MXALRtf0pcHg
This site has lots of recipes https://www.youtube.com/user/IRuledMe
These folks are pretty innovative with their recipes too
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzRYivTpUQ0r2qPPjfLoQiA
So what can you eat?
https://www.ruled.me/top-10-foods-ketogenic-diet/
- Eggs
- High-fat (grassfed) dairy
- Meat, poultry, and seafood
- Dark chocolate
- Olives and olive oil
- Coconut oil
- Nuts and seeds
- Berries
- Cruciferous vegetables
- Allium vegetables
- Avocados
- Shirataki noodles
Organic, grass fed, free range (or wild), and locally sourced are best but are not always available or affordable.
We eat lots of home grown salads fresh from the garden. Typically we have a pot of soup going as well. I must admit it took some adapting to take bread, pasta, potatoes, and cereals out of my diet, but once you develop the habits and recipes you like, it is easy. If you eat one (reasonably sized) keto meal a day, it won't be long before you are burning fat and feeling good. If you want to kickstart the process, fast for three days, then start eating one (or two) keto meals a day. A three day fast depletes your insulin so you can burn fat.
Disclaimer: I'm not a physician. I'm speaking from personal experience and results I've seen others experience.
As we regularly discuss in this weekly column, growing your own food has many rewards. Your own physical and mental health primary among them.
Growing food and using farmer's markets
https://www.onegreenplanet.org/environment/how-growing-your-own-food-can...
https://articles.mercola.com/gardening/grow-your-own-food.aspx
https://foodrevolution.org/blog/food-and-health/edible-gardens-how-to-ge...
http://verdant.net/food.htm
https://www.localharvest.org/farmers-markets/
https://www.ams.usda.gov/local-food-directories/farmersmarkets
Why use farmer's markets?
https://www.nutrition.gov/subject/shopping-cooking-meal-planning/farmers...
Organic and local produce is the most healthy.
https://www.consumerreports.org/fruits-vegetables/farmers-market-produce...
After good Water and Food...
Don't forget the importance of play. Find activities that you enjoy...walking, hiking, biking, swimming, playing music, even exercise routines....whatever you find fun.
Walking (preferably in beautiful natural settings)
Most of us sense that taking a walk in a forest is good for us. We take a break from the rush of our daily lives. We enjoy the beauty and peace of being in a natural setting. Now, research is showing that visiting a forest has real, quantifiable health benefits, both mental and physical. Even five minutes around trees or in green spaces may improve health. Think of it as a prescription with no negative side effects that's also free.
https://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/90720.html
https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/a-prescription-for-bet...
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/5-surprising-benefits-of-...
As a general goal, aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day. If you can't set aside that much time, try several short sessions of activity throughout the day. Any amount of activity is better than none at all. Even small amounts of physical activity are helpful, and accumulated activity throughout the day adds up to provide health benefit.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/walking/ar...
Study finds that walking in nature yields measurable mental benefits and may reduce risk of depression.
https://news.stanford.edu/2015/06/30/hiking-mental-health-063015/
Two benefits of walking are that it’s easy to do and has a low risk of injury. Walking also is free or low-cost because you don’t need special equipment, clothing, facilities, or training.
https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/weight-management/walking-s...
Take a long morning walk on a greenway near our home where there are plenty of trees, wildflowers and even a small waterfall. I sometimes take my children on these walks, or I encourage them to spend time outdoors in the morning as well. Gardening is another great way to get time outdoors, and spending time watering plants in the morning is a great way to get morning sunlight. Whatever works for you, find a way to spend some time outdoors each day and take your family with you....
https://wellnessmama.com/56086/nature-health-benefits/
Biking is another option...
- Cycling can help to protect you from serious diseases such as stroke, heart attack, some cancers, depression, diabetes, obesity and arthritis.
- Riding a bike is healthy, fun and a low-impact form of exercise for all ages.
- Cycling is easy to fit into your daily routine by riding to the shops, park, school or work.
It only takes two to four hours a week to achieve a general improvement to your health. Cycling is:
- Low impact – it causes less strain and injuries than most other forms of exercise.
- A good muscle workout – cycling uses all of the major muscle groups as you pedal.
- Easy – unlike some other sports, cycling does not require high levels of physical skill. Most people know how to ride a bike and, once you learn, you don’t forget.
- Good for strength and stamina – cycling increases stamina, strength and aerobic fitness.
- As intense as you want – cycling can be done at very low intensity to begin with, if recovering from injury or illness, but can be built up to a demanding physical workout.
- A fun way to get fit – the adventure and buzz you get from coasting down hills and being outdoors means you are more likely to continue to cycle regularly, compared to other physical activities that keep you indoors or require special times or places.
- Time-efficient – as a mode of transport, cycling replaces sedentary (sitting) time spent driving motor vehicles or using trams, trains or buses with healthy exercise.
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/cycling-health-...
Cycling also comes with significant benefits for mental health and well-being. A recent study found that putting older volunteers who don’t regularly cycle on both regular bikes and e-bikes and asking them to ride for at least 30 minutes three times a week for eight weeks provided significant boosts to cognitive function and overall well-being. Interestingly, the e-bike riders improved even more than regular cyclists on cognitive processing and well-being measures, perhaps because they spent more time outside riding.
https://www.consumerreports.org/exercise-fitness/the-health-benefits-of-...
Electric bike are fun. I've been thinking about getting one to extend my regular commute.
There are an awful lot of good reasons to choose bike riding as your newest pass time. Here are just a few…
https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/latest-news/benefits-of-cycling-334144
Yoga, an ancient practice and meditation, has become increasingly popular in today's busy society. For many people, yoga provides a retreat from their chaotic and busy lives. This is true whether you're practicing downward facing dog posture on a mat in your bedroom, in an ashram in India or even in New York City's Times Square. Yoga provides many other mental and physical benefits. Some of these extend to the kitchen table.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/yoga-benefits-beyond-the-mat
Yoga is a mind-body practice that combines physical poses, controlled breathing, and meditation or relaxation. Yoga may help reduce stress, lower blood pressure and lower your heart rate.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/...
https://nccih.nih.gov/health/yoga/introduction.htm
Tai Chi
Tai chi is often described as "meditation in motion," but it might well be called "medication in motion." There is growing evidence that this mind-body practice, which originated in China as a martial art, has value in treating or preventing many health problems. And you can get started even if you aren't in top shape or the best of health.
Tai chi can be easily adapted for anyone, from the most fit to people confined to wheelchairs or recovering from surgery.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-health-benefits-of-ta...
If you're looking for a way to reduce stress, consider tai chi (TIE-CHEE). Originally developed for self-defense, tai chi has evolved into a graceful form of exercise that's now used for stress reduction and a variety of other health conditions. Often described as meditation in motion, tai chi promotes serenity through gentle, flowing movements.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/...
https://www.consumerreports.org/alternative-medicine/benefits-of-learnin...
During the past 45 years more than 500 trials and 120 systematic reviews have been published on the health benefits of tai chi. Systematic reviews of tai chi for specific conditions indicate excellent evidence of benefit for preventing falls, osteoarthritis, Parkinson disease, rehabilitation for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and improving cognitive capacity in older adults. There is good evidence of benefit for depression, cardiac and stroke rehabilitation, and dementia. There is fair evidence of benefit for improving quality of life for cancer patients, fibromyalgia, hypertension, and osteoporosis. Current evidence indicates no direct benefit for diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, or chronic heart failure. Systematic reviews of general health and fitness benefits show excellent evidence of benefit for improving balance and aerobic capacity in those with poor fitness. There is good evidence for increased strength in the lower limbs. There is fair evidence for increased well-being and improved sleep. There were no studies that found tai chi worsened a condition.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28661865
Tai chi simply offers a tool to help you cope with busy, modern-day life by appreciating the tranquillity and the nature around you.
https://taichiforhealthinstitute.org/what-can-tai-chi-do-for-you-2/
Meditation
there are many types of meditation...
What is the TM technique? It's an effortless technique for "recharging your mind and body" — and creating a brighter, more positive state of mind. Hundreds of published research studies have found that TM is highly effective on stress and anxiety, brain function, and cardiovascular health.
https://www.tm.org/
https://www.youtube.com/user/meditationchannel
I would argue that playing music is a form of meditation. That being the case, I'm off meditating at the Florida Folk Festival in White Springs along the Suwanee River. I'll do my best not to over-do and become comatose...though I have found myself drooling late at night (or maybe early morning?) during a session. We have a pretty light schedule this year and I hope to have lots of fun (despite the 100 degree temps).
So you will have to continue to meditate on what it takes to be healthy for yourselves today. You may prefer to discuss the news which I neglected this week and I encourage you to do so . I saw many great pieces... I'll have catch up next week. Have a wonderful (healthy and happy) Sunday!
...and hope you avoid you own memorial day as long as you can!
Comments
Good Sunday morning, Lookout ~~
Thanks for another great WW. These topics are crucial to our survival. Another reason I value this site.
Intermittent fasting saved my life. H/T to OPOL for that essay in your link. Dr. Fung changed my life because I could change my thinking. I’m convinced. Cutting my carbs was another crucial step. I need to cut them further. I’ll be going on a two week vacation with friends so I’m concerned about maintaining my IF ~ although I keep it flexible. This will be an interesting challenge. I’m up for it.
Although the weather looks beautiful, we are under a wind advisory until 8pm. Up to 55mph gusts. Hope to be able to plant outside tomorrow.
Have a beautiful Sunday, everyone!
"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11
I messed up and put your reply down at the bottom...
...of the comment thread. Sorry.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Avoiding the toxins has become an increasing challenge
The FDA allow food packagers to avoid honest ingredient sources and content on their labelling. The toxins absorbed in most vocations over a lifetime add up to cancers, central nervous system disorders, and brain dysfunctions , to name a few. GMO, HFCS, MSG and a chemist's confusion of muti-syllable compounds. And this is just the commercially produced 'food'. Forget about the personal hygiene products, sun block, bug sprays, lawn care poisons, and noxious exhaust from the infernally combustion engines.
Oh well, live best you can, appreciate the health you've got. Avoid the bad shit as much as is possible.
truth is considered foreign influence, world peace is a threat to national security
That's it isn't it?
...
For some reason I see it as walking the path you chose. There is no one way to walk through the forest.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Memorial day
Thanks as usual for this timely topic. Bittersweet in that D.O. has had his memorial day and working to move on.
Really found the diet info very informative. Need to work on moving carbs out of my diet. We have always filtered our water even when traveling. Use a gravity charcoal filter but need to get rid of plastic storage.
Love my e-bike which is a pedal assist and does make longer rides easier. Visiting my sister in Michigan and we walk her dog in woods behind her house and it does give me peace.
Could go on but we are off on another outing. Have a good rest of this Memorial day weekend.
Life is what you make it, so make it something worthwhile.
This ain't no dress rehearsal!
Hope you enjoyed your outing...
I've been playing this festival for more than 30 years. So many of those who touched me...planted songs in my soul...have moved on. I wrote a piece about them a couple of years ago - https://caucus99percent.com/content/weekly-watch-23
However we can't forget about those that still speak to us. Glad to hear you can hang with your sister and have family support!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
I find cutting out refined sugar helps...
Physical activity I've been doing for the past year as well, so that helps a lot. (Lost about 70 lbs, but seem to have hit a plateau on weight. Not dropping any more, so I assume that means I'm actually getting some muscle back. 240 seems to be the magic number I can't crack.)
But helping with the cardio is great. Also got my family's teeth fixed recently, which is helping all of us with our mental health as well as physical.
Mental goals also help. I find I tend not to be physically well when I don't have something I'm working towards. (Right now, still the forge, but I've got some ideas I want to try which require a little more outlay than I have right now. Thinking about building the Forge like an old school fireplace at least as far as brick layout. Might trap more heat than the single layer construction I see online...)
Just ideas. Been a decent week, and got things done. One year in Judo. Seems shorter... but then I do a simple footwork Kata and remember that outside observers think it looks like riverdance or something...
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jJkdRaa04g]
I do not pretend I know what I do not know.
It has always amazed me...
That your eyes and your teeth are not part of your health (plan). How absurd! Most US citizens suffer gum and tooth disease as a result.
So glad you found Judo and metal work. Wishing you success in both activities and the best for you and the kids!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Thanks for that great compilation of info!
Pre-babies who were born in my 40s, I was pretty health conscious and fit. But little kids while working, commuting about 100 miles round trip, and housework took a toll. It took a while for it to unravel. Now sort of clawing my way back a little at a time. Some weight lifting, gardening, housework keep me active enough. I prefer the items on your keto list, but not the people I cook for! Garden veggies help. Drinking a tea in the morning instead of coffee = matcha green tea, turmeric (you recommended that for arthritis lookout), ginger, cinnamon, honey, and lemon. It makes me feel better. Lots of meditation, but mostly the kind you do with daily work. Appreciating everything and everyone the best I can. Eckhart Tolle says, "my secret is that I don't mind what happens." That's a hard one. In terms of worrying though, it helps. (Hard not to worry about teenagers!) Always ask myself the question, how do I know for sure this is not actually the best thing? Excluding extreme circumstances, just everyday stuff . . . fretting for no reason you know.
Wishing everyone a great holiday!
Marilyn
"Make dirt, not war." eyo
Life is a constantly moving and changing activity...
we roll with the flow. Eating from the garden feels like health no matter what, IMO.
Weaning your body off sugar on to fat burning is a metabolic transition that requires adaptation. Reminds me of building fertile soil...it is a process.
All the best to you and your family. Hope the Texas heat isn't like FL. Returned home this pm to the 80's after being in 100's seems like a fresh breeze. Reckon everything is relative?
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Hola! I won't butt in here too much except to remind all and
sundry to beware of "Post hoc ergo propter hoc". The obesity epidemic followed shortly on the heels of a vast number of things, but there are societies that eat plenty of grains and carbs that haven't suffered an obesity epidemic. Hmmmmm. I personally blame a combination of sedentary behavior, processed and refined food of all kinds, and portion size, which has crept prodigiously upward, especially in restaurants. (That steak house 12 ounce steak plus 1 pound baked potato, with some carrots and broccoli added could provide the nutrition and calories necessary for a family of four or five. Then you add the roll, not in and of itself the culprit, with mucho butter, ditto, and dessert and there ya go.) Of course there are always exceptions, deep fried and just plain fried - bad, carbs possibly bad, refined sugar bad, churros and chocolate for breakfast, in moderation, seemingly harmless for active Spaniards. Hmmmmm.
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Enter the Zone by Dr. Barry Sears
This book was written more than 30 years ago. It has all the information you need to understand the link between eating and hormones in your body. Many of the new "healthy" diet trends can be better understood after reading this book.
Here is an overview on this book...
That book sounds interesting...
I'll check it out. Sure like the excerpt. Thanks!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
One of my favorite books as a youth was The Soil and Health
Sir Albert Howard looked at the diets of the healthiest people who as memory serves were Aleuts (eating mainly blubber), contrasted with the Hunzas eating a vegetable based diet using glacial milk water,as well as others...there were two other societies as well... all with different diets but long lives and good health. Lots of factors go into almost any equation and that is certainly the case with health (a multi-variable situation that changes over time).
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Here's an example of what we're allowed to argue over
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPYPLoZEod4]
by the dictatorship of capital.
Modern education is little more than toeing the line for the capitalist pigs.
Guerrilla Liberalism won't liberate the US or the world from the iron fist of capital.
Tried going carb free once.
I dropped weight like a falling stone. I ate plenty of meat and eggs and non-sweet non-starchy vegetables. After two weeks I got more and more tired. One day at work I kept zoning in and out out consciousness. I got up and staggered into the break room where I bought a candy bar, Hershey's Special Dark. Chewing the first bite, I felt like I was awakening and gaining strength. Plus that good sugar high. Unfortunately, my weight came back just as fast as I lost it. There must be a balance point, but I agree that sugar is the key, not fat. I ate those fried burgers in the cafeteria (no bun) and eggs scrambled on the grill with plenty of grease and a touch of salsa, and I lost weight.
I hope the jury is out on fresh fruit. As you know, I love to grow fruit. But isn't it full of fructose? My doctor says fresh unprocessed fruit is okay, but what does she know? She is still telling me not to eat eggs because of cholesterol. My father's younger brother ate a minimum of two eggs every day religiously and always drank one or two (weekends) of red wine daily. He passed away a few years ago at age 96. His health was good all the way until the last few years when the doctors restricted his diet. He loved Italian sausage and meatballs and yeah, he ate plenty of salad with olive oil and vinegar. No, he wasn't over-weight. He only ate desserts at a party. No milk or ice cream. I think he was lactose intolerant like my father.
My grandmother (on my mother's side) had a Montmorency cherry tree on a 25 foot lot in Chicago. It did cover the whole backyard. But it gave shade and the neighbor boys and I loved climbing in it and throwing cherries at each other (Mother would have skinned me alive if she knew I was wasting the cherries.) For the last sixty years I've always had a dwarf peach tree. Cherries and peaches are easy to grow organically. Apples are easy to grow - for insects. Do you know if your organic fruit from China is really organic? You will if you grow it yourself.
I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.
My great-grandmother and then my great-aunt had
one of those trees. They canned the cherries for years, but as they got older the neighborhood kids would strip the trees before my family could get pick them. My mom took a cutting from that tree and planted it in our yard. Sadly, we had to sell the house before the tree bore fruit.
The new owners didn’t seem to know what to do with the cherries, but the next-door-neighbor got out her cherry pitter and helped can them. It must have been too much work, because next year the new owners had the tree cut down.
"The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. Now do you begin to understand me?" ~Orwell, "1984"
BTW, the conventional wisdom on fruit is that
naturally occurring, unrefined sugar in combination with fiber, as in fruit, will be metabolized slowly due to the presence of fiber. That’s why fruit is (currently) OK. For now.
"The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. Now do you begin to understand me?" ~Orwell, "1984"
Years ago, as a planned conscious test of one of the no-carb
diets lauded and touted by one of my friends who had lost significant wight - Adkins, I think - I severely restricted my carb intake even though I wasn't significantly overweight. In those days I bicycle commuted 2 legs each way, home to BART (1 mile) & BART to job (5 miles), reversed on the way home. About 3 or 4 days in I completely bonked on the homeward job to BART leg and had to get off and slowly walk the bike to a nearby supermarket where I got and ripped into a whole wheat baguette. That crash didn't surprise me at all, serious cyclists run on glycogen, but the severity was a complete shock. I figured that at some point I'd slow way down, but I pretty much just stopped dead in the water.
edited to fix typo
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
A diabetic co-worker told me the candy bar is best.
Said I did the right thing with the Hershey bar. He always kept one in his tool box just in case. It was amazing. Like the sugar was absorbed straight from my mouth as I chewed and didn't need to be digested at all in the stomach.
I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.
Moderation in all things...
...and apples make really really good brandy! Have you experimented. As a pomologist you might be interested.
I love apples and peanut butter or almond butter. Fructose metabolism differs from glucose. The liver is needed for fructose whereas glucose is absorbed directly through the stomach all the way through the tract. So if you are fat (have a fatty liver), it is best to lay off fruit until you are not fat, and then enjoy fruit with moderation - berries are most keto friendly and pretty easy to grow.
Good to "see" you!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
A friend of mine in Crystal Lake IL
Makes homemade apple butter and hard cider from his home-grown organic apples.
The butter was pretty good and the cider was FANTASTIC!
I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.
Good morning ...
For those who may not have seen it, this is the best thing Jimmy Dore has done in a while.
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOudBT4S4y0&t=139s width:500 height:300]
Here's CrossTalk on the non-specific Iranian "threat": RT/YouTube, 25 min.
Stephen Cohen with Chris Hedges: RT/YouTube, 28 min.
I'm doing one of my intermittent fasts today. I'll eat an omelette, three eggs, no carbs.
I'm trying to lose some weight and I have to make a French omelette every now and then anyway so I don't lose the technique.
We wanted decent healthcare, a living wage and free college.
The Democrats gave us Biden and war instead.
Thanks for the Dore clip...
No one at the festival mentioned Iran. But I did hear a group of young folks singing Stills song...
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQB68DBE3GQ]
Stop children whats that sound...said to one of the kids there, you know things are similar to when I was your age, but at that time they put the war on the TV every night and we could be drafted and have to go fight, but now we're in at least seven wars and you don't even hear about it. You better stop hey whats that sound everybody look whats going down.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Paranoia stricks deep...
Always loved that line. How true. How true. And now we are supposed to look for reds under the bed again.
Another oldie I love is Born in the USA Younger people don't know that
refers to then common practice of juvenile court judges dropping charges of a youth with an otherwise clean record on the condition that they enlist in the Army.
Idiot Bush and Cheney singing it with no concept of the words.
EDIT:
I always hear verse four as
I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.
my recent piece is....
Eve of Destruction. I've modified the verses a bit...
Middle East it is explodin', drones a swarmin', bombers loadin'
All these wars without votin'
So we can sell all those gun they're a totin'
It's death and destruction that we're promotin'
All these wars about more oil. It's the drug that's killin' us all
Climate collapsin' and our empire falls.
Can't you hear extinction's call
Cause the writin' is on the wall
Other modifications are minor...
People at the festival remembered and sang along....
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Beautiful!
I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.
About 10 years ago...
I decided to cut out processed sugar (including alcohol) along with red meat.
Lost 35 pounds in about six months. Then my weight stabilized at around 15% BMI and I have never had to worry about gaining weight ever since.
I don't think the human body is evolutionarily designed for the carbs that modern processed sugar provides. The body prioritizes the sugar, spending all its effort absorbing that energy while ignoring the energy from fat, so the fat in turn ends up stored instead of consumed.
In the grocery yesterday I noticed notice a pint of lowfat ice cream and thought, 'what's the point?" So long as the sugar content remains high, there is no way you can lose weight with that stuff since the fat you already have isn't going anywhere.
Anyway, works for me.
The current working assumption appears to be that our Shroedinger's Cat system is still alive. But what if we all suspect it's not, and the real problem is we just can't bring ourselves to open the box?
it does work...
...but we have the food, medical, drug cartel keeping folks from understanding that food is the cure to our ailments. Wishing you the best of health and a happy life.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Lookout, my daughter in Calhoun County collects rainwater
And uses it for coffee and such (and the cats' bowls). She washes and does clothes in city water but won't drink it. Given the history of the Anniston Army depot that's probably a good idea, but is the rainwater safe? Up here I'm under an O'Hare airport glide path and when it rains it leaves brown crud on the cars which I think is congealed jet engine exhaust. We drink distilled water (don't know how safe that is either). The Lake Michigan water piped in is supposed to be safe, but has so much chlorine that it's like drinking from a swimming pool. We mostly drink coffee (from the distilled water), 2% milk, and fruit juice (no added sugar juice only).
I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.
We use our rain collection for the garden
we have 2 - 1000 gallon concrete tanks .as storage that feed the garden. the wind often blows our way from Anniston. They have been burning shit like our serin gas stores there so no telling what has come over head and fallen in our rain. We all have Strontium 90 in our bones. That will be the tracker of pre and post A-bomb bodies.
http://www.radioactivity.eu.com/site/pages/Strontium_90.htm
http://scarc.library.oregonstate.edu/coll/pauling/peace/narrative/page26...
Glad I'm at the end of my ride.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
The end is not yet, paisana/paisano
Don't rush it. The Millennials need our guidance. They have not suffered like us. That's good but it's also bad. it makes them vulnerable. They need us.
Besides, you have to wait until I move down so I can graft a few trees for you!
I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.
but that was the theme of the essay
No need to rush toward the end, and I would much appreciate a grafting lesson. It has been many years.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
What a generous post! Thank you for sharing all that info.
I agree with EL as to conclusions about causality based on one thing happening after another.
Our species does many things and tons of things have changed. Not very long ago, as a species goes, people food shopped at a butcher shop selling meat from animals raised on farms that were not factory farms and did not fatten their animals with hormones or excessive amounts of grain.
Canned goods and produce came from a nearby grocery store whose owners perhaps had grown the produce. And, perhaps there was a poultry store with a few cages of live poultry, killed once the customer had pointed to the chicken or duck of his choice. Supermarket shelves--such as existed--- were filled with canned fruits and vegetables, not processed snack foods.
With a freezer and/or a freezer compartment in every home, we no longer need to go to an "ice cream parlor" or soda fountain in order to enjoy a dish or ice cream or a cone. And, at home, we mostly likely fill our ice cream dishes well beyond what a proprietor of either of those establishments would have.
Television and computers cut hugely into physical activity. My father's job involved a lot of walking. At one point when I was a child, my father, who loved watching TV, worked a lot of overtime. Nothing else changed, except maybe he ate and boozed more. Nonetheless, his weight loss was dramatic. He became obese after retirement.
Even our idea of a "normal" amount of fat on a human has changed. Whenever I see a photo of crowded streets from, say, the 1940s, I am struck by, for the most part, the absence of chubby or fat people; and everyone looks almost emaciated.
When PBS did a series simulating the lives of frontier people or some such in the US, the wife of one of the men broke the rules. She made baked goods and went off "campus" to sell them to people in order to buy food to feed her husband, who had lost an enormous amount of weight doing things like building their home, plowing, etc. His ribs were sticking out and his clothes were hanging off him--and he had not by any means been a chubby person at the outset.
The series producers had a doctor check him out. His weight was very within the normal range for the 1800s.
Honestly, I don't have the discipline to change my diet radically. One thing I have become very faithful about about, though, is keeping added carcinogens and added irritating ingredients out of my body.
I make more things from scratch than I used to. I read the labels carefully as even organic cream often contains, for example, carrageenan. While that is a "natural" ingredient, it is not natural to isolate it and then add it to dairy products; and it is a carcinogen. Many of the natural "gums," like guar gum are also not great to ingest. And so on.
Even doing that alone requires constant checking. For example, Haagen Daz and Breyers both sell "clean" (but not organic) ice creams--but not every flavor. Even when you find a "clean" product, you have to keep checking. For example, Ben and Jerry's used to be a relatively "clean" ice cream--until Ben and Jerry's sold to a conglomerate. And some ice creams have become so screwed up that they don't even qualify as ice cream, but "frozen dessert."
i was extremely annoyed, when label-reading, to
discover that the hamburger buns i was about to buy, though relatively low in sugar (and no HFCS), contained sucralose! couldn't find a sucralose indicator anywhere else on the package, though i might've just been overlooking it.
we are so acclimated to hyper-sweet foods now that the people who design our hamburger buns think they need to sneak additional artificial sweeteners to supplement the sugar that they have conscientiously removed. WTF?
i had a conversation online with someone else once, might even have been at dPOS, about the gums in ice cream. unfortunately for those who cannot abide such ingredients, even Breyers adds them to most, if not all, of their products now. it's a really simple problem -- unless they can keep the ice cream really, really cold, starting with the process of making it and finishing the moment it reaches your dessert bowl, it will start to develop icy crystals. i don't mean the frost crystals that sometimes "grow" on the surface of the ice cream, especially after it's been opened; i mean crystals within the ice cream itself. Breyers made the choice to add the stabilizing gums, rather than deal with unhappy customers complaining about crunchy, crystally ice cream.
i am far too fond of whisky, beer and homemade bread to ever eliminate them from my diet.
a couple of years ago, i shed about 15% of my body weight by fasting two days a week, with one day of normal eating sandwiched between them, and by incorporating an hour a day of vigorous walking (while working my arms and shoulders with free weights). other than the fasting, i made almost no change in my diet.
i don't know much about insulin, but the physical reality of it is that on the first day of fasting your body will burn whatever is left of what you ate the day before, while also starting in on your glycogen stores. on the subsequent day, your body will have very little glycogen left, so you'll mostly be running on pay-as-you-go, burning whatever carbs (or anything else) you're eating during the day. by the morning of your second fasting day, you'll have depleted your glycogen stores, and your body will have no choice but to burn fat (and protein), which it will do for the next 24 hours, until you eat breakfast the following morning.
thus, i find the "3-day fast" kickstarter curious -- as i say, i know little about insulin, but i do know that few people (if any) carry anywhere near a 58 hour (10PM of day 0 through 8AM of day 3) store of glycogen-based carb energy, so I don't know why you'd need that third day of fasting. in 2 straight days (plus 1 night) of fasting, your body will burn more calories than you had in your gut and your glycogen stores.
You'll also lose about 3 or 4 pounds of water-weight, because the glycogen is bound up with water -- but this is temporary, because AFAIK one way or another your body is going to try to replenish that glycogen supply. (Thus, you pee a lot when you're fasting, and then you drink a lot when you're recovering.) But I don't know, maybe keto people don't have any glycogen saved up. Seems risky ...
The earth is a multibillion-year-old sphere.
The Nazis killed millions of Jews.
On 9/11/01 a Boeing 757 (AA77) flew into the Pentagon.
AGCC is happening.
If you cannot accept these facts, I cannot fake an interest in any of your opinions.
The trick is to transition to fat metabolism
...instead of sugar based energy. There is an insulin intolerance which can make it difficult, but for most folk, if you fast for 3 days you are in fat digestion. You don't need glucose then ...you are using fats in the Krebs cycle instead of glucose in glycolysis.
You can teach your body to run on fats and a 3 day fast gets you there in three days. It isn't just burning your sugar stores it is getting to burning fat as your primary fuel.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
yeah, i get all that.
but what nobody has explained to me is this: As of 8AM on Day 3, assuming you last ate at 10PM on Day 0, your body has burned every freely available carbohydrate at its disposal. So what is it burning between, say, 8AM and 10AM on Day 3, so as to, you know, not die?
Realistically, it has probably burned through all the available carbs before you even went to bed, so it's been burning fat all night long (pretty easy to demonstrate, if every week you fast for a 58-hour period, while exercising to avoid muscle loss, you will lose 200 to 400 grams of fat -- and a kilo or more of water -- by the end of each week's 58 hours).
The earth is a multibillion-year-old sphere.
The Nazis killed millions of Jews.
On 9/11/01 a Boeing 757 (AA77) flew into the Pentagon.
AGCC is happening.
If you cannot accept these facts, I cannot fake an interest in any of your opinions.
it is all about your insulin and hormones...
...as the soil scientist interprets it.
There is a transition...especially at first ...which requires resetting the hormone levels.
Your body will adjust. My comment about a 3 day fast has to do with going off diet during vacation or holiday. Then come home, clean up with a 3 day water fast and you're back into ketosis.
You learn to feel it. When you don't have to fight hunger...you're there. Although the Japanese claim "hunger is health".
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
i'm reminded of my mother explaining that she smoked,
not because she was addicted, but because she loved smoking.
whisky, beer, bread and pasta are among the few things left in my life that give me any particular reason to enjoy having been dragooned into this existence. it's not all about hunger, and it's not all about the pursuit of longevity or even just healthful senescence.
The earth is a multibillion-year-old sphere.
The Nazis killed millions of Jews.
On 9/11/01 a Boeing 757 (AA77) flew into the Pentagon.
AGCC is happening.
If you cannot accept these facts, I cannot fake an interest in any of your opinions.
Reminds me of my line...
...about pot. Hell I've smoked every day for more than 40 years and I ain't addicted yet.
(Ironically it is true. When we travel overseas and I have no access, I go several weeks without any withdrawal or problems.)
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
It may seem difficult to change your diet...
...but a new habit only takes 30 days to develop
https://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/how-i-learned-5-habits-in...
of course some people holler BS... https://jamesclear.com/new-habit
I say there are no rules. You do what you what when you decide and that's just the way humans operate.
My partner was surprised at my fasting at first, but quickly became an adherent herself after seeing the results. Her joint and back pain were relieved as well as lowering her blood pressure.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Firm believer
in the Edgar Cayce dietary and health recs. 17 yrs now with success.
Mostly fruits and veggies, ok to add baked sea food and fowl or lamb. Avoid all pork. Greatly reduce red meat intake.
He was one of the first, perhaps the first, to rec we try to achieve an alkaline balance in the body. 80% alkaline-producing foods with 20% acid-producing makes for a result in the body which is slightly in the alkaline range. Creating an inner alkaline balance also wards off cold germs, which tend not to survive in an alkaline environment. I've had one cold in 17 yrs -- probably due to one particularly stressful period.
On fasts, he frequently recommended his 3-day all-apple diet. Raw or baked, as many per day as you like. Water and black coffee ok. Very effective and safe inner cleanse (he rec'd seasonal inner baths). Finish on the evening of the 3d day with several tbs of olive oil.
Drinking diluted Concord grape juice before major meals and before bedtime works, over time, to greatly reduce your urgings for sweets and starchy foods.
Whatever works!!!
There is no one approach. Glad you found success. One of my Best buddies, Edgar, is named after Casey.
I see Casey much as I do Rudolf Steiner, who has many adherents today.
I'm kinda like Grocho...
"I don't want to belong to any club that would accept me as one of its members."
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Good Day, lookout, this one is a keeper for the archives!
Once upon the time I digged into drinking water toxicology. 43 years ago. So, memories creeping up .. not in a bad way though. Compared to later times these were the ones I hoped for a lot.
I love to have all the info you collected in one place. Many thanks. I will work with the sand filtering systems one day. Something to look forward to. Very helpful collection.
Cheers.
Have a good memorial weekend.
https://www.euronews.com/live
May I remind that there is a lot going on in Europe?
The German Social Democrats had their worst election results (under 20 percent) since in 20. Februar 1890. Might be a good idea to call it quits and go home.
The UK Brexit Party is winning bigly (early results 31.5 precent). The party is only six weeks old. Greece is calling for new elections, after defeat.
Thank God there is still a strong green awakening:
The right is winning all over Europe.
Le Pen is happy:
And the Kurz man from Austria faces a no confidence vote and will be toast pretty soon:
It's a day to be memorialized.
https://www.euronews.com/live
Sure was glad to see the Greens grow!
We were talking bout the populous (anti-immigration) vs Greens. Do you think it is an old folks vs young? That wants to be my take... like a Biden vs Bernie here in the states. In the UK Farage had a big win too....https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/may/27/nigel-farage-brexit-par...
Interesting world for sure. Thanks for coming by!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Green Wave: Europe
Green Wave: Europe Wakes Up to Climate Concerns After Vote
Best article I found about it.
https://www.euronews.com/live
A really interesting conversation
which I've much enjoyed.
Thank you to all who have thus far contributed.
It's easy to see one's self in all of these circumstances.
Glad you joined in!
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNh87PgHCWw]
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Lots of great info here
There is a lot of great info here, something we can all learn from.
My BIL and SIL went on the keto diet last year. BIL lost 17 lbs and looked the best he had in years. But SIL only lost 3 lbs and was depressed over her results. IMHO, the big difference was their activity levels. BIL has always been very active so it probably worked well for him whereas SIL is sedentary.
Since I cannot eat eggs, the keto diet is probably not a great one for me. It seems as though every keto diet I see relies heavily on eggs for one or more meals each day. Also, I do not believe that all carbs are bad. Refined carbs are worse than natural carbs such as potatoes. I have read that potatoes have the highest satiation value of any food. The problem is that most people load them up with fattening and high caloric toppings. Overall, the biggest problem facing most Americans is our reliance upon refined foods.
I walk every day. I have a walking partner which makes it easier to remain motivated. Actually, she is the motivated one. We walk every morning and I usually end up doing between 4.5 and 5 miles on our walks. Last year, I was averaging over 6 miles each morning and hope to get back up to that amount this summer.
Thanks for all the great info.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
Saw my buddy Richard from Brevard this weekend...
...he moved to your area last year from FL and has found a lot of music in your neighborhood. We had lots of good music at the festival.
Sounds like y'all have a really nice community. That is sure an important factor in our health. Hope you're still enjoying your walks with your friends. Eggs are not necessarily the base of a keto diet. Dr. Berg recommends 6 cups of leafy greens per day as the basis...then add healthy fats and protein...sardines, salmon, tuna, nuts, etc.
Thanks for dropping in!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Thanks for all the pointers
yoga, tai chi, running on the beach, salad makings from the farmers market, proteins, good oils
and last but not least, Mddendorf Breathwork...
[video:https://youtu.be/jmBKIxJPMbA?t=1014]
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7Ys151xqhg]
Stop Climate Change Silence - Start the Conversation
Hot Air Website, Twitter, Facebook
They won't live the good life for us, we have to do it...
So everyone has to answer... what is the good life that I want to live?
As an aside, no one I talked with at the festival had heard of Extinction Rebellion. Only a few were aware of Greta. The media control is very effective. I fear the effectiveness of the CIA/MIC/NSA/Corporate- banks, fossil fuel, Pharma, etc...messaging machines. The people are blind.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Wondering how to get tje word out
If folks don’t even know about Greta and XR. The ptb are trying to shut research down. The oil oligs are trying to pass a carbon tax that eliminates lawsuits against them among other things. The only thing I see left is us using the interwebz. Sooo... keep on... Enjoying a break myself now.
Stop Climate Change Silence - Start the Conversation
Hot Air Website, Twitter, Facebook
I highly recommend taking breaks and having fun!
Even Fung says he goes on cruises and eats for fun...then comes home and fast back to his comfortable state. That's sure what I did this weekend at the folk fest. Several beers a day and even a small desert or two. It was 100 degrees for 2 days. I kept on a two meal schedule.
This week I've got my well refit happening. The "Man" is showing up at 7 am to get started before the heat of the day. So the activity should help burn the diet excesses.
Hope you have a great week!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”