Big Fat Lies

Today I want to feature three one hour long movies to watch during the week. The first, Cereal Killers, is about a young Irishman going to South Africa to work with Dr. Tim Noakes on a low carb, high fat (LCHF) diet for a month. The film follows what he eats, and his results. The next movie is Cereal Killers 2. It looks at endurance athletes improving performance on a LCHF, and features a couple rowing from California to Hawaii. The last film is The Big Fat Fix which focuses on Dr Aseem Malhotra's health journey in Italy. My idea is to provide food for thought... as Aseem suggests, the foods we eat are killing us. We'll also look at some other big fat lies in addition to diet misinformation.

You may notice the SE US is the fattest. The second verse of Dixie may explain...
Hoe wheat cakes and injun batter, will make you fat or a little fatter,
Look away, look away, look away dixieland.

It isn't just the US that is getting fat (but we're number one!).

Nationally and globally we are getting fatter. As a result our health outcomes are getting worse. Obesity leads to, or is an indicator, of many of today's chronic diseases.

If you watch the films I recommend in the introduction, you will see for yourself that eating fats help you lose weight. The first and last are the best, and worth your time IMO. (The subtitles are a little aggravating but these films are normally behind a paywall, and they are in English so the subtitles aren't needed.)

The shame of the matter is that the current dietary guidelines have created this big fat mess of obesity and poor health. The dietary guidelines introduced in the 1980's pushed the idea of healthy grains as the base of our diet. They also recommend vegetable oils rather than healthy fats like olive oil, butter, and coconut oil. Notice the rise in obesity and disease with the introduction of the guidelines recommending a high carb low fat diet.

Here's a good explanation by Nina Teicholz, a New York Times bestselling investigative science journalist. She has played a pivotal role in challenging the conventional wisdom on dietary fat. Her groundbreaking work, 'The Big Fat Surprise', which The Economist named as the #1 science book of 2014, has led to a profound rethinking on whether we have been wrong to think that fat, including saturated fat, causes disease.

And one more from Nina about the harm of vegetable oils...they are killing us.

So why are seed oils recommended if they are bad for us? It has to do with the myth of cholesterol. From 1984....

But cholesterol is another big lie...elderly people with the highest cholesterol levels have the highest survival rates irrespective of where they live in the world.
https://medium.com/the-mission/higher-cholesterol-is-associated-with-lon...
Here's the data of mortality versus cholesterol levels in Japan

...and another from Finland

The higher the bar the more deaths. Cholesterol is on the bottom axis. Note the lowest cholesterol levels result in higher mortality.

Based on reviews on 19 studies with more than 68,000 people aged 60 and over, researchers said none of them found that high LDL was associated with heart disease or the risk of people dying earlier.

The study, published in BMJ Open, added that 92% of those with high cholesterol level lived longer than those with low LDL. As for the rest, no difference on longevity was found.

https://www.theactuary.com/news/2016/06/bad-cholesterol-levels-do-not-af...

Here's a fellow that lost 145 lbs in 14 months, cured his acid reflux, lost joint pain, and lowered triglycerides, by eating butter and other healthy fats. He claims butter made his pants fall off. http://www.buttermakesyourpantsfalloff.com/butter-makes-your-pants-fall-...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6aMN6NLOTQ (29 min)

He's back with "lard makes you lean". Lose your fear of fat, learn to love the fat and add fat generously. Lard and other healthy animal fats will make your low carb diet a smashing success, get you lean and restore your health. For rich, creamy, quality Lard, he highly recommend US Wellness Meats’ Pork Lard. It is not bleached, deodorized, hydrogenated, or altered
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE1kiaT2CBU (16 min)
He has had good personal results, however his understanding of insulin is a little shaky. Jason Fung is the man for that if you have an interest.

In fact it is a low fat diet, rich in sugar (the real culprit) that makes you gain weight...(and develop chronic diseases). Dr Robert Lustig has been trying to educate doctors and health professionals. If you doubt sugar is harmful (perhaps toxic) you might want to watch this - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pD9JjglkoPA

height="300" alt="low fat.jpg" />

It is counter-intuitive.

Well let's move on to some political lies....

I think the big lie is that the US is a democracy, and we support democracy around the world. I asked el earlier this week, "If we live in a democracy why do most people (at least 80%) want to remain on one time rather than switch twice a year?" the answer of course is we don't live in a democracy. That has been proven over a decade ago.

Using data drawn from over 1,800 different policy initiatives from 1981 to 2002, the two conclude that rich, well-connected individuals on the political scene now steer the direction of the country, regardless of or even against the will of the majority of voters...
As the data stretching back to the 1980s suggests, this has been a long term trend, and is therefore harder for most people to perceive, let alone reverse.

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/princeton-experts-say-us-no-longe...

Propaganda feeds the lies to the people who then rinse and repeat....
Max Blumenthal nails the media and foreign policy collusion in a talk this week in NYC. I think Mark from Queens was there. (12 min)

Aaron Mate' also spoke
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9ZzERen_U8 (9 min)

Lee Camp was there too. Sadly the sound quality is poor on his clip. This clip includes the Q&A as well as the talks above (1 hour)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_w5dX9f53OE

Chris Hedges discusses the state of media on RT news this week.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLE1J1l0GTs&t=13m42s (8 min or so)

Jimmy was on Aaron's show, Push Back, this week explaining the farce of our system...
the absurdity of the impeachment and media coverage...(27 min)

It isn't just the lack of domestic democracy, but our suppression of democracy around the world.

So we are not a democracy, nor do we support democracy. In fact, if anything we subvert it. Remember when Hamas won the Palestinian election ....and the US refused to recognize the results?

...the processes that enabled Hamas to win a landslide victory in the January 25 democratic elections...
Most importantly, perhaps, Hamas acquired much of its political credit from its charity and social service networks. It built kindergartens and schools (that offer free meals for children), education centers for women, and youth and sports clubs. Its medical clinics provide subsidized treatment to the sick and the organization extends financial and technical assistance to those whose homes had been demolished as well as to refugees living in sub-standard conditions.

https://www.counterpunch.org/2006/02/07/why-hamas-won/

The US is all about corporate and elite interests....not we the people.

Bolivia is strong in my thinking on this week. What Americans hear and see is a big lie. Just like the story in Brazil, Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba we are fed a line of corporate crap. Every country that works for its own people and not our corporate interest is an evil socialist entity that must be destroyed!!!

TPTB are scared of leaders which help their own people...
Consider Brazil

According to an old Brazilian joke, “Brazil is the country of the future—and always will be.” But the future may have finally arrived with the presidency of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (2003–10). Under Lula, Brazil seemed to have reached one of those moments in history when a society enters a new epoch. Lula oversaw robust economic growth, chipped away at the country’s massive social and economic inequality, and pushed forth Brazil’s emergence as a rising economic and geopolitical power. Lula’s presidency was also a personal triumph: He left office with approval ratings of more than 80% in public opinion polls, making him the most popular president in the country’s history.

https://nacla.org/article/introduction-lula%E2%80%99s-legacy-brazil
No wonder they are so frightened of him that they work to make sure he isn't re-elected.

In a speech to the crowd, Lula thanked party militants who had camped outside throughout his imprisonment, and attacked the “rotten side” of the police, prosecutors, tax office and justice system for jailing him.

“They did not imprison a man. They tried to kill an idea,” he said. “Brazil did not improve, Brazil got worse. The people are going hungry. The people are unemployed. The people do not have formal jobs. People are working for Uber – they’re riding bikes to deliver pizzas.”

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/nov/08/lula-brazil-released-priso...

And in Venezuela...

One of the main factors for the popularity of the Chávez Government and its landslide victory in this re-election results of October 2012, is the reduction of poverty, made possible because the government took back control of the national petroleum company PDVSA, and has used the abundant oil revenues, not for benefit of a small class of renters as previous governments had done, but to build needed infrastructure and invest in the social services that Venezuelans so sorely needed. During the last ten years, the government has increased social spending by 60.6%, a total of $772 billion.

https://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/7568
(I think it is too bad he relied so much on oil revenues and didn't invest in agricultural sustainability.)

What about Nicaragua another member of the troika of tyranny?

Well, let’s catalog some of Nica’s post-Revolution (since 1979) accomplishments: she’s a constitutional democracy; 56 percent of the national budget is devoted to healthcare and education; nearly 70 percent of the electricity is from renewables (wind, solar and geothermal) and 96 percent of rural Nicaragua is finally electrified. Illiteracy has fallen from 54 percent to 4. Labor unions are strong. Plus, the minimum wage is raised yearly, by law.

Fifty percent of government officials, mayors, for example, are women. Law enforcement utilizes community policing and restorative justice. Prison sentences are capped at 30 years and reviewed annually. 80 percent of the land is owned by small farmers and ranchers — an exact reversal of fortune for peasants, who now grow 90 percent of Nicaragua’s food. 100,000 land titles have been recently granted (more in progress), ‘extreme poverty’ has been halved, and a national credit union serves only the poorest. Thus, co-ops and small family businesses contribute over half of the GDP and create 70 percent of all jobs.

https://popularresistance.org/nicaraguas-joys-and-sorrow-the-coup-that-f...

Yeah, we need to stop that kind of progress! Over and over again my friends...

And now in Bolivia...

Bolivian coup leader Luis Fernando Camacho is a far-right multi-millionaire who arose from fascist movements in the Santa Cruz region, where the US has encouraged separatism. He has courted support from Colombia, Brazil, and the Venezuelan opposition.

https://thegrayzone.com/2019/11/11/bolivia-coup-fascist-foreign-support-...

Jimmy is so good at explaining the lies...(23 min)

Commanders of Bolivia’s military and police helped plot the coup and guaranteed its success. They were previously educated for insurrection in the US government’s notorious School of the Americas and FBI training programs.

https://thegrayzone.com/2019/11/13/bolivian-coup-plotters-school-of-the-...

We look into Jeanine Añez, a US-backed right-wing extremist whose fringe party got 4% of votes but now claims to be Bolivia's "president" after a military coup. She is trying to destroy the country's secular plurinational democracy, erasing the Indigenous majority.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2cHKyqaRo8 (2 min)

That's right...the US is promoting democracy around the world. In the earlier video above Max refers to Columbia as the Israel of South America. They are also joining NATO as is Brazil. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nato-brazil-latam-interview-idUSKCN1R...
Oh boy spreading more democracy.

What a lie!

Another big lie is the nature of our allies. Saudi Arabia and Israel are our primary middle east allies...and they are as bad an actor as the US. I guess that is why we are allies.

Saudi Arabia is characterised by a deeply conservative Islamic culture that governs virtually all facets of life. Sharia, a version of religious law that ordains the way Muslims should live their life and the path they should follow, is a force to be reckoned with and, beyond all else, respected. Its adaptations and interpretations extend to affect politics, economics, family life, business, sexuality and even hygiene. In Saudi Arabia, religious courts govern all aspects of jurisprudence and the Mutaween (religious police) are the keepers of social compliance.

Women still fall under the guardianship of their father or husband. This means that there are things women aren’t allowed to do without permission, like getting a job. There are also strict laws against women socialising in public with men they are not married to or directly related to by blood. Such rules are actively and aggressively enforced by the religious police, and expats are expected to comply.

Many aspects of life are controlled in Saudi Arabia, and it goes without saying that censorship is widespread. Theatres, once banned, are making a comeback. However, many movies and television shows are censored for immorality or causing political offence. Freedom of the press and free speech are also not recognised by the government.

https://www.expatarrivals.com/middle-east/saudi-arabia/culture-shock-sau...

Not my ally of choice. What about Israel? Not my favorite either...

The continuous outbreaks of violence are the inevitable byproduct of the nearly 13-year-long Israeli siege of Gaza--a massive act of collective punishment, banned under international law--that has turned the enclave into an open-air prison for its two million inhabitants. Most are deprived of the most basic essentials of everyday life, including clean water, sanitation and electricity, while more than half the population is unemployed and the majority live in poverty. Conditions have only worsened after Washington cut off all US aid to the Palestinians through its funding of the UN Relief and Rehabilitation Agency (UNRRA)
...
Last Friday, in another weekly protest of the so-called Great March of Return, another 31 Palestinians were wounded by live ammunition and rubber bullets fired by Israeli soldiers at the fence separating Gaza from Israel. Since the protests—demanding the right of Palestinians to return to the homes from which they were driven in 1948-49 and 1967 and the lifting of the illegal Israeli siege of Gaza—began in March of last year, more than 310 Palestinians have been killed and 18,500 others wounded by Israeli forces. Many of the wounded have been left permanently disabled.

https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/11/14/gaza-n14.html

This is happening every week without a word from corporate media.
(At least they are charging Nitwityahoo for corruption)

So our friends should be our rivals and we should ally with our enemies. Our foreign policy is a giant lie. It is designed to promote multinational corporations and force them down the throat of the world.

Well we haven't even touched on the lies of the extent of environmental degradation and what we can do about it.

Chris Hedges talks to author Amitav Ghosh about the natural world and sacred forces that sustain life and the conflict when treated by the human species as an inert commodity to exploit. In his novel Gun Island, Ghosh explores how these ecosystems have turned with a vengeance on the hubris and collective lunacy of modern industrialized society.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qI5OTx1Cz0 (27 min)

And to cycle back to where we started with diet...

I think there is a great misunderstanding about livestock production. While it is true the CAFO animals are bad for the environment and probably our health, there are ways to raise livestock which actually restore grassland ecosystems. See for yourself the results of regenerative agriculture from all over the world. https://www.youtube.com/user/HolisticGrazing/videos

Savory’s transformative methods in action in the bone-dry Karoo region of South Africa: The land on the left side of this fence line started out as bare ground and small desert bushes several decades ago. The neighboring land on the right remained under conventional management over the same period. https://www.agriculture.com/livestock/cattle/meet-allan-savory-the-pione...

Here's an example from Zimbabwe comparing management systems.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntzCnpYhM3I (1 min)

Here's how it works...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFAejg1PP8U (7 min)

So it isn't that cattle are bad for the environment, but that the way we raise them is harmful.

It would be easy to go on and on describing lies foisted upon us, but I want to read your thoughts on the lies I covered today and the ones I omitted. Once you get rolling it is hard to stop on this theme because the lies and propaganda are pervasive across our society and culture. Here's wishing you all good health and peace of mind!