500 words – 500 Words A Day

500 Words – Day 032 – A Boulder Lifted -1428-

Could my body create a problem big enough that it couldn’t fix it? I am going to suggest the answer is no. Our body doesn’t have the ability to kill itself. Its imperatives are too divine. That would be against its own will and nature.

Or better yet can I even know enough about reality to make the above statement with any surety other than my own self-inflated sense of authority? Maybe not in so much as my knowledge is subject to my own limitations. Yikes. Here we go

The creation that I exist in is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in its being, wisdom, and power. It is all-sufficient, incomprehensible in its fullness, everywhere in its presence and it is a recording of all things.

The creation that I know exists in and of itself and from itself and is in no way dependent on us for its existence. My creation is not served by me, on the contrary, I am served by it.

The creation that I find in my existence is not unique to me but a stream that is constantly flowing in only one direction without variance. Death is the past, the finite time we call life spent whether productive or not, our most valuable asset, time that cannot be recovered because it is past. That is the realm of death. Now, this present existence, is what is flowing through the river of life, the space-time continuum, what we call our experience is one reason why we are here. To observe and to write it down for future generations to look upon to better understand their present life. Our future is hope. Hope is all we have to look forward to because we cannot do anything about it any more than we can change the past. Of course, we can make plans and even try and execute them, but there is no way of knowing if we will succeed. And hope, if well exercised, allows us the benefits of a sort of salve for the bruises we currently receive and experience as we feel our way, with limited vision, around in this world as we move onward and upward.

As far as I can tell it is futile to even imagine a beginning or an end. I don’t have a light bright enough to shine that far back in time to see what a beginning would look like anyways. My history does not begin and end with me, that is the realm of my creator and its creation. It is the beginning and end; I am just along for the ride and the water is nice in this river of water of life.

If I want to know what is the purpose of this creation of mine I need to look no further than the creation around me. Its purpose and function are everywhere; it knows no different. Our creation, its purpose is life, and life more abundant as each opportunity presents itself. If there is any lack of goodness or purpose in the creation around me it is because I or one like me has interfered in the course of nature; the stream of life(all things).

Purpose, symmetry, and asymmetry…Balance.

Apparently, my creator is also very merciful; compassionate in every way imaginable knowing the unusual amount of distress I once embodied as a creation; even to the ignoring of the continual and even willful missing of the mark. That mark and standard being life, in and of itself.

In its infinite wisdom, my creator placed within its creation provision for the inevitability that marks would be missed and messes well made would need to be cleaned up. Not only is my creator compassionate enough to fix my problems but had enough forethought to plan on them.

The creation I enjoy supplies all of my needs even if I don’t understand that some of what I think I need is not as much of a need, but a desire, or something that possesses me; a possession, which is most likely a liability. It is only when I strip away that which possesses me, that I, with sober-minded clarity, see that my needs are very small and always met, it’s just that I have become gluttonous in my creator’s abundance rather than my own understanding.

This creation is one that does not, by nature, cause distress, but that does not mean that I or one like me within creation cannot, or does not, foment that which is distressing. I know…I am a drama-sapien. It is how, in my own head, I add meaning to my existence. If by chance that added meaning, narrative, or for better lack of a term, drama spills out into the creation around me, somehow mercy was there waiting for me too, with a smile; mop in hand.

This garden I know(my body); is planted within creation, crafted by my creator who is clearly slow to anger. Forgiving of inequity and iniquity alike to maintain a creation free from hindrance always working all things back to the center. Ultimately ready to forgive me for both and more.

The lusts and overindulgences I exhibit in this creation are independent of the creator’s explicit creative act and are inconsistent with my creator’s will(direction/flow). My indiscretions are only eggs on my face and in no way a reflection of my creator.

The creator is not difficult to understand, separated from its creation standing by with disinterest; far from it. And if I ever for a moment begin to think that the river of water of life I find myself in is going to stop, reverse, and flow the other way I should just slap myself. That’s just silly. My creator seems to only know ONE WAY—>

My creation does not and cannot suffer. It only knows life and conservation thereof even through death. My creator is without body, parts, or passions. Without emotion, whether grief, pain, or sorrow; knowing only stability and steadiness of course through its action.

I imagine my creator is nothing I could or should even begin to wrap an image around. So far every god I’ve seen fashioned seems to look an awful lot like the creature rather than the creation. That and I might not like what I see if I actually were able to observe it.

And even if I were able to observe such a creator I imagine it would simply invoke more questions than answers in that the answers were likely never intended to be found, much less searched out.

There is no limit to creation, my creator, or its creative powers. Yet I am limited by what I call time. Limited to such a small sliver of my creators existence that it appears immovable; like a rock. Like a statue frozen in time. Like a man with a swatter, chasing after a fly, wrenching out one grand gesture after another while that fly, from its perspective, is making an epic voyage, like Christopher Columbus, across the vast Sea of Kitchen. I imagine we look much like the Statue of Liberty to that annoying imp of a buzzard.

The power and wisdom of our creator are everywhere all at once in balance whether we see all that is being held in balance; homeostasis.

The power of our creator and creation is a life-giving force that flows from one source; our innermost being and it is simpler than we can imagine because it is precisely the fruit and excesses of our imagination that obscures our access to this creative life-giving force within.

That which is called god for better lack of language is always making provision, continually creating for our future, providing for us everything we need even in our ignorance; gross, slight, or acute. Nature doesn’t just rain on individuals but upon us all, even though it might occasionally seem so as it can appear as though the sun doth smile upon us uniquely at times. That is the joy of creation always working towards the center towards balance and homeostasis.

My creator is always right and good and just; factors of which I have no bearing. A unity in the simplicity of its parts that begins with one that becomes everything else fulfilling all creation as intended from a grand illusion we see as a beginning. We couldn’t create a god if we tried because everything that already exists is god in essence and it is I, the hearty fool to think he can improve on perfection.

It was in me all along…

-Michael J. Loomis

500 Words – Day 031 – Illustration: Circulatory and Lymphatic System

Every once in a while I find a medical illustration that does a really good job visually explaining how something works. This is one of them. Occasionally they inspire me; motivating me to study far beyond my original search for answers.

With this one there are a lot of potential learning and teaching points whether the author or artist intended any additional meaning or potential in their efforts.

I like this one…8). I’ve been intimately aware of my circulatory system as long as I’ve heard my heartbeat. But I didn’t really understand the significance of that extra green part. The lymphatic system. Of course, I had heard of it, but I didn’t fully understand the significance of it and its proper functionality for my well-being. That is until my body decided to teach me a more excellent way of taking care of business. Handling cellular life…8). More on that later.

An adult circulatory system, arteries, and veins, transport about 6,000-7,500 liters or 1,500-2,000 gallons of plasma and its companions, red and white blood cells around the body daily.

The lymphatic system helps maintain fluid balance. It returns excess tissue fluid or blood plasma(same thing; different place) along with proteins from our soft tissues that cannot be returned through the blood vessels.

Blood Plasma = Tissue Fluid = Lymphatic Fluid

The tissue fluid is found in the tissue spaces and cavities, in the tiny spaces surrounding cells, known as the interstitial spaces, which are reached by the smallest blood and lymph capillaries.

Around 90 percent of the plasma that reaches our soft tissues from the arteries and arterial capillaries spills out into our soft tissues. The rest is passed through the veinous side of the capillary beds which then makes its way back to the veins to continue its journey back to the heart. The remaining 10 percent remains in the soft tissues in our interstitium and eventually makes its way back into general circulation through the lymphatic system along with any cellular debris.

Each day, around 2-3 liters find their way back into general circulation via the lymphatic system when it is functioning optimally. This fluid includes waste proteins that are too large to be transported via the blood vessels. As that process is taking place these proteins are continually denatured along the way until they reenter general circulation at the end of their journey just above our heart where it begins the journey all over again.

If this system were to completely fail to function properly the toxic burden on our bodies would be too great and we would die within a day. Without this third leg of our circulatory system draining its fluids excess waste or cellular debris, our soft tissues would swell. Blood volume would also decrease because that fluid is our blood plasma, just outside the arteries and veins and blood pressure would increase until the skin, kidneys, liver, and lungs become overburdened resulting in eventual and possibly acute failure.

500 Words – Day 027 – Leukocytic Lifesavers & Endocytosis, Phagocytosis, and Pinocytosis -720-

What is a leukocyte? A Leukocyte is a colorless cell that circulates throughout our vascular system and other bodily fluids that are custom built by the human body uniquely for each human to act against invaders, both foreign and domestic. We oftentimes simply refer to them as white blood cells. They are all amoeboid cells with a nucleus.

There are many players in this immune system of cells. Eosinophils, Basophils, Neutrophils, Lymphocytes, and Monocytes.

They do things like break down bacteria through a process called endocytosis, or cell eating. These are devouring cells. That is their job.

Some create antibodies to deactivate viruses, bacteria, and other things that could do harm. Some digest pathogenic fungi and bacteria through the process of phagocytosis(cell eating). Some of these are there to sound the sirens when there is something that needs to be addressed. Some help with allergic responses. And some kill cancer cells.

There are many players in this human army of white blood cells that help keep us healthy and well. And they are made in the marrow of our blood and once fully grown they are energetic little suckers ready to do the job they were created to do. These players ingest nutrients via that funny-sounding word, phagocytosis.

And they can drink too. That is called pinocytosis, sometimes called fluid-endocytosis. A means by which our cells ingest things like nutrients and hydration from around the cell. Also, a process that is used for cleansing and clearing extracellular fluids which are part of our immune system’s surveillance function.

We are not simply feeding ourselves when we put food in our mouths. It is our cells that we are ultimately feeding which is what makes the act of living a possibility. And the pleasures we experience when eating are by no means the primary value of the act, though it is a bonus for sure. And with all these things considered, we should be much more mindful about the things we are putting in our mouths.

This brings me to probably the most important point in mentioning all of this. The capturing of pathogenic and unknown substances that endanger the human organism. When these immune cells encounter something that is not a beneficial part of the overall function of the creature, they go to work eating them. Breaking down harmful things into less toxic substances for reuse or clearance including our own bodily structures that have gone beyond their useful utilitarian functions.

If you have ever heard the words autophagy or senescence you may already be familiar with this process by which our cells simply digest themselves. All of these processes work together for the overall good and homeostasis of the larger overall lifeform. Us.

So what are these lovely white blood cells being created for you ask? Like I said at the beginning of this essay. They act against invaders, both foreign and domestic. But they also work against injury caused by the foods we eat.

Ever heard of autoimmune disorders? Two different forms are abnormally low activity and then there is overactivity. Both are bad. One decreases the ability of the body to fight invaders(low), and the other attacks the body as though it is the foreign invader.

Would it be so strange to imagine your body fighting back against you if you are the one causing harm by the kind of lifestyle you are living? And it could be something you consider beneficial, like exercising a lot. Or something a little more obvious like eating fast food every day, eating carcinogenic foods, drinking, smoking, drugs, etc.

“processed meat causes cancer. Classified as a Group 1 carcinogen, it is connected specifically to colorectal and stomach cancer. Examples of processed meats that have carcinogenic properties include: Frankfurter hotdogs, ham, sausages, corned beef, beef jerky and canned or lunch meat.”

“Only marginally better for us than processed meat, red meat is classified as a Group 2A carcinogen, “probably carcinogenic to humans”. The strongest link between eating red meat and cancer is colorectal cancer, however, there is also evidence of links to both pancreatic and prostate cancer.”

https://www.aetnainternational.com/en/about-us/explore/fit-for-duty-corporate-wellness/cancer-causing-foods-cancer-fighting-foods.html

Should we really be shocked that our body would look out for its own best interest even when we don’t in ignorance?

Our body has one goal. Getting itself as far down the road as possible.

500 Words – Day 025 – My Big T.O.E.

Welcome to “My Big Theory of Everything.”

I am an Autodidact and Systems Engineer. An autodidact is someone who is self-taught and a systems engineer is someone that stands back and examines the engineering and management of complex systems, ensuring that all parts are working together towards the common core of the whole system function.

Being the person that I am, as defined above, I by nature began studying the human body and its functionality when my body presented itself as a complex system that was not functioning properly roughly 5 years ago. When I knew that there was something wrong I took my built-in abilities and applied them to my(human) body. And so naturally, I began studying human physiology and disease pathology.

I wanted to understand how the human body functioned from head to toe, or nose to tail. Beyond that, I also wanted to understand what disease is and how I had landed myself in a state of disease.

I was not ignorant to the fact that my lifestyle choices, for many years were at the core of why my body was no longer functioning properly. I, like most people, was living in denial of what my body inherently knew was a more excellent way. I, like most people, simply liked my junk foods, alcohol, and tobacco products. But the time came when I needed to start making more sober-minded decisions with my body or my body was going to kick me to the curb. My body was in pain and no amount of pain relief was working anymore.

The first thing I did was get sober in 2016. A little over a year later, in 2017, I removed refined sugar, candy, junk food, fast food, and pretty much anything that wasn’t made fresh. And in 2018, I finally, once and for all, walked away from all things nicotine.

This was a good start towards working on, “My Big T.O.E.”

In the midst of that process, I began studying human physiology and disease pathology on a daily basis. That was a tough row to hoe considering I had no formal training on the topics prior to my body crying out for help. But being an autodidact and systems engineer made that doable. All I had to do was learn what all of the strange words in the texts I was reading meant. That took quite a while, and I am still learning every day, but it has all been worth the work. Worth its weight in gold.

All the while I kept a working journal of my progress and a log of all the different sources that I had been researching to form my understanding. I even created a website to keep it all in a chronological listing of my studies and thought processes from 2018 through 2020, located at https://fuqna.com.

In September of 2018 also started the website, https://chewdigest.com, as a place to journal my thoughts for an upcoming publication by the same name. Chew Digest. As of 2022, I have already published one volume and will continue publishing subsequent volumes as I continue to develop, “My Big T.O.E.”

Want to read more about “My Big T.O.E.?” Go Here to read more.

500 Words -Day 024- Devotion to Life -1508-

Postulate – noun: A thing suggested or assumed as true as the basis for reasoning, discussion, or belief. -Mirriam-Webster

I would like to postulate that we humans, in the form of homo sapien that we can see in the mirror today, have been around for 50,000+ years. Anatomically speaking though that number could go back as far as 300,000 years. And for most of that history, we were hunter-gatherers. And then somewhere between 10,000-13,000 agriculture, herding, and permanent human settlements began to develop.

Based on these postulates and my studies on human physiology and disease pathology, I would like to suggest that there are likely a fundamental set of rules that are deeply engrained in our physical being. That if properly observed, we would find ourselves more in tune with nature and the nature of reality as we know it. That there is a natural rhythm to life here on Earth that we should be able to observe. An existence that would allow us to appreciate a fuller expression of our greatest asset, time. A life completely free of any kind of resistance, mental or physical.

That in a sense, there is a human frequency by which we would best be served to find ourselves aligned with or in tune with that would allow us to simply be in a state of flow at all times. A cruise control if you will, that allows our physical being to enjoy a full lifespan, healthspan, and life expectancy that all run abreast of each other until we draw in our final breath and exhale one last time. Maybe 120 years, maybe more, whatever that number may be. A natural, singular, universal practice that is around us at all times being practiced by all mankind to one degree or another, whether we are aware of it or not.

Some might call this perfect practice a state of flow or being, “in the zone”, while others may refer to it as zen where one’s actions are not a result of conscious effort, but of intuition and calm attentiveness.

I do believe this to be the case and find that the more time I spend devotionally dedicated to understanding this quality of nature, the more at ease my whole person becomes. Does nature have some kind of divine expectation of us? I do not think so, but there does seem to be benefits to aligning oneself in a devotional manner towards life in all of its ways. I am one with nature because I am a part of nature. The elements that make up the whole of my body have been here on Earth since it was formed and they will remain here long after my body ceases to function. When death actually catches me. When it is no longer behind me.

As such, it has been my observation over the last handful of years that death is not something in front of us, but something that is behind us. Every day, every hour, every minute and moment we live and breath, the life we have continues to be spent and it is death that swallows that life we leave behind. We have nothing to fear about death because it is patently clear that we will all run out of life, ultimately being swallowed up in death; a life fully spent. The question is, how much richer will death be once my life is fully spent?

Death is not to be feared because it is not in front of us, but the time behind us. We do not have to be mournful of death lest we spend our time looking back to a time already spent.

And so I choose to live a life looking only upon life, that which lay before me where fear cannot conquer. Our future is hope, and today is life. This very moment is life and we are as rich as we will ever be in every breath we take.

But in the meantime, I want to see this problem solved. I cannot imagine any good reason our healthspan cannot be on par with our lifespan other than our simple ignorance of what we need to be doing differently. But of course what does that look like. What is it that we are doing that is affecting our healthspan so greatly as to limit it to only a little over half of our lifespan?

Aside from the obvious implications of diet, I am beginning to suspect that sufficient levels of electrolytes in balance could be the greatest factor overall. Could part of this longevity paradox be solved by simple and continual monitoring total systemic electrolyte balance and sufficiency? Wouldn’t that be wild? I imagine a day when we will someday be able to swallow something the size of a piece of rice that would be able to move its way through our gastrointestinal tract once or twice per week that would interact with an application on our smartphones that would tell us what we need to adjust the following week.

I bring this electrolyte issue up because of my own recent journey into raw veganism that was marked by a predominance of fruit intake. As a diet, it made me feel good. But it never felt fully sufficient. Something always felt like it was missing. And when I began adding Dead Sea salts into my diet, that feeling that I was missing something went away. It was a test that spoke volumes to me.

Clearly, sufficient electrolyte intake is important, but just as important is the balance of the electrolytes within our body. Too much of any one kind will mean that our body then needs to remove the excess to maintain balance. Fortunately, our kidneys are built just for this purpose. The way this manifests itself is in us needing to urinate more frequently as this is the path by which our body removes specific excess electrolytes to maintain balance.

If we consume foods that contain too much potassium and not enough sodium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and chloride, then our body will balance itself by shedding the excess potassium in a urine solution along with the excesses of plasma from our body’s vascular and tissue fluids which amount to about 16oz. or 1/2 liter per day. And this is why too many electrolytes in our diet result in excess urinary production and dehydration. If the body is constantly having to remove an excess of any of its required electrolytes our body will be constantly drawing from our proverbial hydration storage tanks. This is why drinks like Gatorade are so hydrating even though they contain electrolytes.

Clearly, the foods we are eating are important, but maybe we are misunderstanding what it is about the specific nutrients that determine our overall health and wellness. Maybe the answer is found in maintaining sufficient and balanced electrolytes within the overall creature(human) as in some sense a pre-requisite to all things consumed.

On a side note, I really don’t want to overcomplicate my understanding by separating out the balancing of electrolytes as something separate to do from eating. I just can’t imagine that someone living before the 1900’s even asking a question like this or even trying to formulate a formal understanding of one in light of but separate from the other. They were still in such a place that they were just worried about not starving. Not what color salt would be best for them or their fancy dietary regime. What I am having is an internal narrative of someone living in a virtual lap of luxury that most did not share the pleasure of just some 120 years ago. The problem of privilege is a great place to start when exploring the frontier of future generations and the knowledge powered by modern technological advancement.

And so we need to find that state of flow in that river of life which will lead us to life’s fullest end, whatever amount of years that might be. There is no good reason for us to be failing so miserably, making it only to a miserable 78.5 years.

P.S. I don’t believe we have ever truly lived in an Edenic state where everything was perfect and in harmony followed by a fall and a loss of orthodox practice. My research leads me to believe that we are mere infants in our progress and understanding of how the human creature functions and that state we call Eden lay ever before us. That we will continue getting closer to that state as we continue to simply live life simply. Yes, it is fun for someone like me to explore these deeper questions, to find better answers for the following generations. Answers for my kids, grandkids, and great-grandchildren. I would love to see my generation be the one to overcome all of the health problems that I see plaguing the human race, but I am not so naive as to actually have any expectation that it will happen. But the least I can do is continue preparing the way for those who come after me.

500 Words – Day 023 – Conversation With a 12 Year Old Me -655-

I was doing some Uber driving the other day and someone asked me what I would tell a teenage me if I could go back. I kept it simple and told them that I would say 3 simple things that would be easy for any teenager to remember.

1. Eat only when the sun can shine on it. 6 am to 6 pm.
2. If you eat something one day, do not eat it the next.
3. Eat 100% whole-food/plant-based. No animal.

Of course, if I could do that and had thoroughly convinced that younger version of me to do these three things, I wouldn’t be here writing this today. I wouldn’t have had to suffer through the last 4.5 years of recovery from bad decisions that led me to an advanced state of disease.

If I could go back and convince that younger me to live life the way I do now I would have never learned the things that I have given me the life experience and subsequent knowledge that has the potential to help a world full of people do the same as I have. Recover their health just as I have mine.

“I could have missed the pain, but I’d have had to miss the dance.” A line from the 1990 song, The Dance by Garth Brooks. Never have any more true words been spoken as I write this short essay. I could have missed out on this pain, but then I would have never had the opportunity to become the person I am today, nor would I have the future that lay before me as a result of that experience.

So in that sense, I am in some way grateful for all of those decisions that ultimately led me to be the person I am today. And that brings me joy knowing that I can now speak from a place of experience that can help many more people than just a younger version of me. And who knows what kind of impact that will have.

Maybe it will be one of my children, grandchildren, or great-grandchildren that I am able to help in the same way because of my experience. Maybe it will be a whole host of people from all around the world for many generations to come long after I have breathed my last breath. Maybe it will be you; whoever you are that is reading this.

I do believe that I am here for a purpose. I imagine that my existence alone is that purpose and that I am currently serving out that purpose even now as I am typing this short essay. Maybe that purpose is to scavenge the excess oxygen produced by organic plant life on Earth in contrast to the organic life on Earth that sequesters the carbon we exhale with every breath we take.

Of course, my self-esteem or sense of self-importance would like to think I am still just warming up for something greater that is yet to come. There’s just something about my personal identity that wants to believe I’m still yet to arrive at the plate to hit my grand slam out of the park. Until then I am just going to keep writing every day. I will keep banging away at this keyboard until I have mastered this form of communication. If it takes 10,000 hours then so be it. Maybe it will take less.

My goal at this point is to author a whole series of books on how to avoid diseases of any kind. A series of books that will be understandable by young and old alike. A series that will keep people from having to suffer the same fate that I did. Words that will move people to action. To a life of more sober-minded decisions that will ultimately change our future generations of life here on Earth without having to depend on pills or technology.

A simple life. A life of ease, rather than disease.

500 Words – Day 019 – Stress. Are you getting enough? -1299-

Stress. Our life depends on it. The quality of life and the amount of years we will live on Earth is a direct result of the quality and kind of stress we apply to the systems of the human body. We are like a tree. Apply too much stress at one fine point and it will fall over and die. Add just the right amount, applied at random intervals and the tree will grow strong, both above and below the ground.

I imagine most people would not see stress as something beneficial to their life. But it is. Quite beneficial in fact. In reality, most of us living in the Western World have become quite soft if you will simply because we have come to a place in history where we have plenty. We don’t have the right kinds of stress that would provide our bodies with the right kind of stress that would lead to an overall improvement in the human condition.

Yes, we can age more gracefully with the right amount and kind of stress in our life.

We are very rich compared to our great-grandparents that were born just a little over 100 years ago. We not only have plenty, but we also have a variety that they couldn’t have imagined. But along with the variety of nutrient sources we have today, most sources are foods that are processed and lacking in the actual things our bodies need to help us achieve our fullest potential.

And then there are the right kinds of foods that our body needs much more of. Plant-based/whole-foods. In some places, like Los Angeles for example, we have plenty of access to these natural food sources, but the sad reality is that most don’t have access to the variety that mother nature has created for us. And as such we just keep eating the same few things over and over again. Of bananas, apples, oranges, grapes, strawberries, and a handful of leafy greens we have plenty, but we tend to lack diversity. And because of international trade and refrigerated shipping containers, it is dirt cheap to get a narrow selection of produce in plenty all year round. So we are missing out on the benefits of seasonal variety that would be beneficial for our body.

More than 100 years ago there was a lack of not only quantity, but also a variety that led to disorders like scurvy, beriberi, kwashiorkor, pellagra, and goiter. The wrong kind of stress. Today we no longer have the problems like these that were a result of deficiency of nutrients. Today we have too much but not enough diversity of the right stuff and now we suffer from metabolic disease from overconsumption and lack of variety. And then the icing on that cake is that even if we are getting a sufficient amount of calories from the right kind of foods, the lack of variety is oftentimes resulting in food allergies and behavioral disorders related to food and dietary fads. Again, the wrong kind of stress

Our American(Western) lifestyles would benefit greatly from a little adversity and high-quality stress that would produce beneficial results leading to a better overall picture of health and wellness.

Hormesis, Health, Homeostasis, and Aging.

You’ve heard it said, “What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.” A phrase coined by Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900). This is a principle called hormesis. It is what happens when we go to the gym and work out. We stress our body and it responds positively. But that is not the only kind of hormesis. Toxins, or poisons, can also result in a hormetic effect that offers protection and extended longevity of lifespan.

For thousands of years, it has been observed and practiced that low doses of poison could be beneficial to health in the long run. Studies have shown that small amounts of alcohol can double the lifespan of worms(nematodes) as well as enhance the memory of mice. However, high amounts of alcohol in humans result in cardiovascular disease, cirrhosis of the liver, cancer, and neurological disorders. However, there is an overall reduction in mortality, especially of the kinds resulting from coronary heart disease and stroke in those that have small amounts of alcohol.

And apparently, there is a similarly protective effect from cigarette smoking on Parkinson’s disease and may have similar effects on Alzheimer’s dementia. I imagine this has more to do with nicotine which is used as a pesticide in agricultural settings. Remember, low doses of poison can be beneficial. But alas, modern man tends to not practice temperance when it comes to smoking and drinking, which ultimately then makes them both toxic at the levels most will enjoy.

Unfortunately, these two specific hormetics tend to be well overused. But that is another topic for another essay. Nonetheless, hormesis can benefit overall homeostasis resulting in a better quality of aging.

Aging is the condition or process of deteriorating with age and death is the final manifestation of the body’s inability to maintain homeostasis. Homeostasis is the result of the body’s efforts to maintain a stable environment to the benefit of the overall creature(us). A state of ease in contrast to a state of dis-ease. Well, versus unwell. And this is all maintained through a number of different mechanisms, or physiological processes that for the most part go unnoticed as we make our way throughout the day. For the most part, it is an automatic process that takes place, which I imagine is a good thing for us. Especially since our body still needs us to keep breathing, whether we are awake and aware, or not. A feature I definitely appreciate being automated. Some other processes our body automates and regulates are pH, glucose, blood pressure, toxins, and temperature.

What most of us call aging is a shrinking back of the hemodynamic space that is often taken for granted when we are young. We take it for granted in our younger years because our body simply feels and works better. But eventually, sometime around our twenty-fifth year, we begin to feel aches and pains that we didn’t experience in our youth. One might even say it’s all downhill from there. Some make it into their thirties or forty’s before feeling this way, but not without some effort on their part through sober-minded thinking and decision-making processes or by pushing back a little at the gym. This pushing back is called hormesis.

As we get older we start to notice things changing, usually because of what we see in the mirror. An increase in skin blemishes. A thinning out of our hair. Maybe a few gray hairs start showing up. Fingernails and toenails not looking as healthy as they may have at a younger age. And these things are actually good visual indicators of our overall health. They can speak volumes without ever having to use a word as they allow for someone that studies aging to see not only the current state of the body but also what could have led us to that point in our life.

Good health is the result of a body’s ability to maintain homeostasis, but it comes at a cost. A cost that is factored into our current lifespan of 120 years which we are sorely lacking the ability to attain here in the twenty-first century. Likely from a lack of adversity. Maybe it’s time we start being a little harder on ourselves.

We’ve really gotta get this figured out. We are missing out on so much good life. We are literally throwing away the greatest asset of all. Time. And the time we do have really tends to be hindered in the way we age in our latter years.

This is a sad reality that I am going to fix. I’m done aging badly.

500 Words – Day 009 – Moving Away From a Raw Vegan Diet -1375 Words-

-1375 Words- -Reading Time: 6 Minutes-

I was asked this question on Facebook.

What has your experience been since moving away from a raw vegan “fruitarian” lifestyle/diet?

Two BIG changes that I feel are a move in the right direction are…

1. Better bowel movements
2. No more trips mid-night trips to the bathroom

I really had no expectations that these two things would take place. But frankly, both are tremendously beneficial results in my book. My bowels appear to be much happier and I’m getting a better quality of sleep. There are a couple of reasons for this that I will explain below. My gut just feels more at peace. It’s kind of hard to explain.

What foods I have changed.

1. Sweet Potatoes
2. Vegetable Soup
3. Daily Green Boost

What else I have changed.

I start my day with my largest caloric intake so that by the end of the day my body is better able to find rest before I go to sleep at night. I start heavier at breakfast(break fast) and then I go lighter as the day goes on. I am currently on a rotation where I have a large salad one day, a big bowl of vegetable soup the next day, and a big bowl of sweet potatoes on the third day. This makes the most amount of sense to me. It’s also easier.

On the days I eat my salads and soups, I supplement Daily Green Boost with bananas mashed up along with shelled hemp seeds and chia seeds. It’s like a deep dark green banana-flavored tapioca pudding. I know some will decry foul with my combining fruits with fats, but I would disagree on a physiological level. Our body in its infinite wisdom combines both lingual lipase and alpha-amylase in our salivary glands together precisely for the digestion of both starches and fats. And nature wouldn’t create a perfect fruit like an avocado which contains both fats and carbohydrates if they weren’t supposed to be consumed at the same time. But alas there will be some that suggest we shouldn’t be eating avocados. I disagree with them on this point as well. Just don’t eat too much avocado in one sitting. Go easy on this wonderful fruit.

On the days I eat sweet potatoes, I will have a large and hydrating banana and berry smoothie for lunch with coconut water and coconut milk combined with Daily Green Boost.

I still eat fruit throughout the day, but just not as much. I also have changed my eating window to something called Time-Restricted Feeding. Some of you may call it Intermittent Fasting, but I believe the former is a better way of understanding what it is that is happening physiologically. Because until someone stops putting calories into their body, they are not fasting. And I believe that even the use of the word fasting implies some greater benefit or inflated sense of reality that in the long run will hinder its adherents down a path that is of limited success and possibly other systemic failures including gallstone formation, which I will address later.

Therefore, I suggest that we would best be served to use the most accurate terminology, not only in this endeavor but in all things we do, because it is our own internal dialogue that ultimately matters the most.
Intermittent Fasting as most are calling it has gained much popularity as a mode of beneficial lifestyle change, but I believe that there is still much confusion out there about how to properly execute it as a program.

Once again, I want to stress the importance of calling it what it really is. Time-Restricted feeding.
One teacher, Dr. David Sinclair of Harvard University, whom I highly respect for his hard work in helping people not only overcome disease but also live longer lives practices an extreme version of this by limiting their eating to one meal per day. Most, however, limit their eating window to somewhere between 6 and 8 hours. And it is reported that this method produces favorable results. I on the other hand tend to agree with Dr. Valter Longo of the University of Southern California(USC), that the optimal feeding window is something more along the lines of 12 hours per day, and that it be held to consistently for the greatest outcome.
Though I don’t remember the exact reasoning from his fabulous book, The Longevity Diet, I do remember that he had one especially good reason for 12 hours per day being the optimal feeding window. Preventing gallstone formation.

How does gallstone formation happen?

Our bodies are very conservative and seem to be rather fond of the fruits of their labor. Bile(gall) is one of them. Bile is a yellowish-brown to a dark-green solution that is continually produced in the liver that serves to digest fats in the small intestine. And it’s as if our body refuses to waste this product, bile, that is created by storing and concentrating it in our gallbladder until the next time we partake in a meal. While being stored in the gallbladder, the bile is further concentrated by the removal of water. Hence, the formation of gallstones if it is stored for too long before being used again.

The solution is simple and should be quite obvious. Eating even a small amount of food that contains fat sends a message to the gallbladder to release bile so that it can do the work it was created for. If you are not eating for 18 hours a day or eating a diet that consists of little or no fat, you are just asking for gallstones and a strong possibility of surgical intervention to have your gallbladder removed according to Dr. Longo. A course of action that further hinders our body’s ability to attain its fullest potential of 120 healthy years.

As well, though researchers haven’t figured out exactly why studies do indicate that there is a correlation between those that forego breakfast having a much greater incidence of disease and overall mortality.

So to wrap this up, there are clear problems related to shortened feeding windows of 6 to 8 hours that can lead to gallstone formation and a possible need for surgical intervention. And on the other end of the spectrum for those eating 15 hours a day or more, other metabolic problems begin to arise along with sleeping disorders related to the practice.

My advice is similar to Dr. Valter Longo’s. Simply follow the rhythm of the equatorial sun as the sweet spot is found in the middle. If it cannot be kissed by the sun before entering your mouth, don’t let it kiss your lips. Just remember 12 and 12.

As I promised above my thoughts on why my urinary and bowel movements have improved as I have implemented these changes.

As I mentioned in my prior two short essays, “Why Am I No Longer a Raw Vegan?” & “Fruit, Soups and Salads”, there is a proper balance of electrolytes that ultimately keep our body in a state of euhydration(sufficient hydration).

If you have ENOUGH of ALL of the electrolytes that the body requires, it will remain in a greater state of ease and homeostasis. Our bowels will move like they are supposed to and when they are supposed to because our hydration levels will be optimized. Our urinary frequency will be reduced because our kidneys will not be having to work overtime to constantly be reducing the amounts of some electrolytes to balance out ALL of them. No more insignificant visits to the bathroom and especially the ones in the middle of the night. Why? Because our body will be in a state of homeostasis where it can find rest and work on its healing and restorative processes.

Finally, Time-Restricted Feeding isn’t a quick fix as much as it is a long-term lifestyle that is part of why the Blue Zones even exist and why those in these demographics are living longer more robust lives. Not only are they eating more of the right things, but their eating patterns are inherently more aligned with what nature intended for a body with a potential to live an active 120 years.

And if you need to lose weight, don’t change the foods you eat or restrict the window by which you feed; simply eat less over the same 12-hour span.

500 Words – Day 008 – Do You Know Squat? -596-

I’ve been practicing it daily now for 3.5 years. I drop down and hold for a 30 count first thing in the morning upon greeting the morning sun.

This after peddling my legs while laying on my back 50 times. 50 leg extensions while holding my legs with my hands behind my knees and then 100 leg curls while on my belly. It’s my way to start the day and get the engines running full steam ahead.

I also do 15 squats at a time, sometimes multiple times per day, while holding on to the kitchen sink. I may do that many times a day, but at least once so that I can do a tremendous amount of squats a year. How can that not do something positive for the body?

At this point in my morning routine, I do a full-body lymphatic where I massage all of my limbs and torso towards the jugular veins in my neck. The purpose of this is to keep all of the intracellular and lymphatic fluids moving in a positive direction, back into general vascular circulation for better overall health. I’ve seen the benefits in my own life. Here is what I’ve noticed.

Overall improved skin/tissue quality which in turn improves color and appearance.

It reduces fluid retention and swelling by moving excess water and metabolic waste from the tissues back into the lymphatic channels where our immune system can do its best work.

I’ve also noticed a better texture across my skin overall along with a reduction in scar tissues. My suspicion is that this makes our body more efficient at healing its injuries and illness related to direct trauma and surgeries.

And of course, possibly the greatest benefit of all, it is incredibly relaxing.

I have a very lofty goal of making it to 120 years of age with a body that looks and feels no more than a healthy, robust 34. But wouldn’t that be fascinating if I got to see my birthday in the year 2116? I would love nothing more than to celebrate my birthday at 144 with a body that looked and felt no more than 24.

I’m simply growing a fully refurbished body. And it is gonna last. This time I’m doing it the right way.

Death was once my master. Now it has become my greatest teacher. A wicked man that I once was, obeying the dictates bearing the fruits of ignorance in my daily life. I had no idea the path I was traveling and where it was going to lead me. But I have repented and now I will not relent. I have found joy in knowing that I am no longer a victim of circumstance or just bad luck because of genetics. That life is not a roll of some celestial dice. That it is not something that is in every way out of my control. But something more comforting, knowing that there is a will in this thing called life that wants us to not only be healthy and wise but also bear much good fruit unto life itself.

We are here for a reason. Life does not waste its force where there is no return on investment. We are here for a purpose and it is my pleasure to serve that greater good even if I don’t yet fully understand the goal. And that is why I am here to serve.

And it all begins with some squats at the beginning of each and every day with the first kiss of the merciful morning sun that brings me life and the motivation to rise to the occasion.

500 Words – Day 004 -A Facebook Answer. What I would do. What I did -796-

There is nothing…noooothing that can replace what chewing does physiologically.

Let me address this then I can share a few other things with you.

I personally believe that it is the biggest single factor under our control that can change the course of our body health overall.

I am a survivor of cancer and even before I was diagnosed my body started me headed in a healing direction for which I am very grateful. One of the first things I started doing was chewing my food 100X. I literally started liquefying everything like a juicer and then swallowing the worn out flavorless pulp. I wouldn’t try that overnight but you might want to work up to that as quickly as you can comfortably. This practice alone will began a long term change that improved many things in my life. Not only did my oral health improve but my jaw corrected to a better alignment and my sinuses are much healthier too.

It literally fixes a whole load of problems.

I don’t count anymore because I eventually learned to just chew everything until there is no liquid left. However long that took. It has been so revolutionary to me that I dedicated a whole site to it…LoL https://chewdigest.com

NO mouth breathing. It was little rough at first but over time my sinuses improved greatly because of these two physical practices that focused on my mouth and nose. My inputs.

My body has a natural cycle; a rhythm. Very much like clockwork. I found that my body performs its best when I do the following religiously.

This is one practice that has worked very well for me. You might try it on for size. My body likes this one as it follows a very simple schedule that has nothing to do with me but the day/night cycles.

During the Spring and Summer months of the year 2021 I followed this very specific way of feeding to improve my overall health and it did amazing things to move my health forward. A cleansing diet. And it ultimately led me to where I am at today that I call “Following the Equatorial Sun.” My long-term maintenance phase.

12 Noon to 8 PM: Feed
8 PM to 4 AM: Assimilate what you ate from 12-8.
4 AM to 12 Noon: Eliminate and cleanse.

I eat no solid foods outside the feeding window. I’m ready to fall asleep before 9 and laying down with something good to read or write ready to fall asleep. My body takes off during this 8-hour shift. So I go to bed. I usually wake up around midnight and have a glass of water or two then back to bed. But sometimes I’m inspired to write and will for a couple of hours. Then I sleep in till 6’ish.
I almost always wake up religiously at 4 AM. Strangely when our body’s assimilation shift is over. It’s like it hands me back the keys…LoL
When I first get up I juice 2 limes, 1 lemon, and 1 orange and top off in a pint glass with water. I will have a big cup of decaffeinated green tea usually after 9 am with some honey and lemon in it.

If I can’t make it till Noon I will have an orange. That usually gets me there.
I eat only fruit from Noon till 6 PM. I eat only one thing at a time but enough to fill me up. 2-3 times till dinner which is a huge leafy green salad with all the other good tomato, cucumber, carrot, etc., and then done by 8.

A few other factors I removed from my diet that made HUGE improvements in circulation and hydration levels were coffee, dark chocolate, and SALT. It’s all the same no matter the color, price, or origin…LoL. I know we love these things, but we don’t need them and they are not much of a help in wanting to achieve my fullest potential of 120 years with a body that looks and feels no more than 34.

This is basically a high-performance lifestyle/diet that optimally observes what my body needs to heal, recover and rebuild at the fastest rate. I intuited most of this on my own by trial and error over a 3.5 year period. I’ve written about that too…LoL.

It was more than just a dietary change but a tuning if you will of my will with the will of my body.

And it just keeps getting better for me every day. I’m almost 50 and people think I’m in around 30 when they meet me. And that is after cancer too.
I can’t tell you what your body wants, but I know what worked for me. And I don’t think I am anyone special. My body was wrecked and I was scared straight.

Read more about my current dietary practice called, “Following the Equatorial Sun.”