Walter Willett: Do 2 Wrongs Make a Right?

Do 2 wrongs make a right?

Toast to the Scumbags
Kanye feat. Pusha T
Courtesy Youtube.com

It is often funny all the things that so-called brilliant Harvard chairpeople say... Dr. Willett MD **like me** studied 'conventional' food science as an undergrad (him, Michigan State; me, UC Berkeley). I would guess that both our studies taught us nothing except he didn't get the low-fat agenda because that was prior to 1977. At least I believe I learned how to read nutritional studies... or in other words learned how to read between the lines. Mmmhh... Willett?? I'm not certain he would recognize 'bad science' since he is a premier epidemiologist... Is epidemiology a lost field?

That Paleo Guy aka Jamie Scott at his (newer) blog recently talked about Dr. Willett's apparent reversal on carbs when he was quoted in the LA Times HERE. I like Jamie's points of contention.

On one hand Dr. Willett defends tropical (fruit) saturated fats like coconut oil recognizing that 'coconut oil has a powerful HDL-boosting effect' (see HERE Harvard letter response #3) yet in half of an instant later he proposes that we 'fatten up our diets' to 40% with [HDL-lowering] PUFAs and monounsaturated oils like soybean, corn and canola and VEHEMENTLY eschews saturated fats to no more than a threshold level of maximum 8% daily. He's a strong proponent of replacing 5% of carbs with more PUFAs like corn, sun, soy, safflower oils and trans-fat free M-A-R-G-A-R-I-N-E. Yes. Lowering carbs will raise HDL. PUFAs on the other hand raise inflammatory and blood thickening markers and LOWER HDL-cholesterol levels. Omega-6 veggie oils are associated with death, all-cause mortality, cancer, infertility, obesity and chronic disease in epidemiology studies (if you are into those).


Eh? OMG Margarine isn't food!!! Even my children can tell you that.

COG DISSONANCE?

Let's blow up his pyramid which he describes in both Harvard literature and in his book 'Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy.' The pyramid on the L-side is from GILLIAN, a paleo blogger; the R-side, Dr. Willett, his book and Harvard propaganda. See below.

[Edit: credits, fixed grudgepudge -- Thank you gilliebean and Sean]


What do you notice?

Things I did enjoy, admittedly, about the Willett The Healthy Eating Pyramid:
--inclusion of alcohol (yes, and not for everyone)
--inclusion of micronutrients and vitamin D supplementation
--daily play and exercise as the base and foundation of good health
--sparing use of sweets, candy, sugar
--mod to heavy use of fish, poultry, eggs (for CHOLESTEROL, CHOLESTEROL, CHOLESTEROL, taurine, omega-3, choline, B-vits, iodine, selenium, minerals, other vital nutrients)



What I vehemently disagree with and that the scientific evidence backs up:
--lack of saturated fats and the brain building block, cholesterol
--lack of saturated fat sources which contain CLA, vitamin A, carotenoids, vitamin D, stigmasterol, and vitamin K2 (e.g. organ meats, red meat, fermented dairy, palm oil, etc)
--lack of saturated fats which raise HDLs and support the nervous and immune systems
--lack of red meat which our carnivore-like hunter-gatherer forebears thrived on
--excessive use of industrial mono- and polyunsaturated fats ('X' WRONG) which are industrial, overheated, over-solvented, pesticide-ridden crop byproducts
--reliance on whole-disease-inducing, gut-dysbiosing, phytate-, lectin-toxic grains ('X' WRONG)



In an article titled Time to Fatten Up Our Diet (Sept 2007), Dr. Willett advocates a higher fat diet of 40% with a maximum 8% saturated, leaving the rest monoun- and poly- (therefore I'd guestimate ~16% and ~16% respectively). WTF 16% OMEGA-6 POLYUNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS?? I'd consider max 4-6%/day and mostly omega-3s ALA EPA DHA.



Other resources:

o Epidemiological studies (which I don't like but hey here they are here):

--Higher omega-6 associated with insulin resistance in ACS, omega-3 better HOMA (insulin resistance)

--Higher omega-6 associated with more mental retardation

--Rural Okayama women: in city girls higher omega-6 (lower omega-3) associated with lower HDLs compared with rural women



o Prospective human clinical trials (good studies -- macronutrients carbs and protein held generally constant unless noted):

--n=41 healthy men and women: higher dietary omega-6 oils lower HDLs dramatically, saturated fat raises HDLs (see table 3)

--n=10 septic shock patients in the ICU: n-6 lipid infusion impaired and worsened neutrophil function compared with n-3 lipid infusions. Not good in non-septic individuals either...

--n=26 healthy men: increasing omega-6 (linoleic acid, LA) increases CRP and IL-6 (inflammatory markers) though not statistically significant this time. Raising dietary omega-6 also lowers omega-3 RBC EPA levels (e.g. this is a BAD thing). The high n-6 diet produces the lowest protective HDL2 subfractions compared with n-3 and saturated fat. See table 3, 2nd column is I believe n-6 diet. HDL2 are the large, fluffy HDLs and most disease-protective 'good cholesterol' subfraction. Raising HDL2 is always good (unless it's a drug like the lethal torcetrapib and its cousins). The high saturated fat diet produced the lowest Lp(a) and von Willebrand factor (pro-inflammatory) levels. Omega-3 specifically raises HDL2.

--n=11 healthy men: @constant calories, low fat diet v. high fat raised VLDL and Triglycerides HERE. Low fat however did lowered omega-6 (LA) blood levels which may be the only perceived benefit if you discount the negative consequences (higher sdLDL and Trigs).

--n=58 healthy men and women: high n-6 diet (12.7% sunflower oil) produces the lowest HDL2 subfraction (p < 0.05). Wheras, baseline high saturated fat (19.3%) diet produces the best, highest HDLs. Isn't that a surprise. Authors conclusions [LOVE THIS] 'Both diets [15.1% mono-/rapeseed and 12.7% polyunsaturated/sunflower] lowered the level of HDL cholesterol in men but not in women.' *haa aha!* Sunflower oil will kill men faster than women! These authors are advanced. They also measured stigmasterol dietary content (see Table 2). Yes rapeseed contains stigmasterol. However. I'd prefer to obtain my stigmasterol pre-digested from grass-fed, pastured bovine, porcine and poultry sources (ghee, meat, egg yolks, etc), thankyouverymuchyoudietaryMORONS. See WAPF about stigmasterol=Wulzen Factor: the skinny on fats.

--n=15 Free living, college female students: both mutant soybean and commercial soybean oil diets significantly diminished HDLs compared with coconut oil in 3wk staggered feedings. 35% fat diet; did carbs go down? I dunno can't tell from the abstract. Trigs did so I suspect so. High fat usually translates to lower carbs (which should RAISE HDLs unless you are pounding soybean oil at 10% of dietary energy wtf).


o Good Calories, Bad Calories by G. Taubes -- description of Harvard, a playing field for the stalwarts of the low saturated fat dogma-drama that began with Ancel Keys (and his falsification/omission of critical data) and continuing with Harv-tard Dr. Frederick J. Stare MD, whose bed partners included all the big, refined, processed food industry leaders and lobbyists (Nabisco, Kellogg, etc).

o Interview by Taubes of Walter Willett for ScienceWatch

o Prior animal pharm in support of saturated fats from animals and tropical oils (hey our HDLs increased >> 100 mg/dl -- pharmaceuticals cannot compare) : Benefits of Sat Fats series

Advantages Going Paleo (No Grains): Improved Stool Quality (less wiping), Odorless Flatulence, More 'Spurty' and More SUPER S*X

Xavier Naidoo:
Dieser Weg
[The Way...stony and hard]

Love love LOVE Paleohacks.com, Patrik's site and all the stunning and ridiculously incredible friends and threads there...

My favorite threads:
o Some Small and Quirky Changes Noticed Since Going Paleo
o Hemachromatosis (see Melissa's notes)
o Known Neolithic Adaptations to Food
o Paleo Sex Questions (naturally)



Is paleo easy? Well. Sometimes the way may be stony and hard but you may see the advantages are often worthwhile trying to pursue... *ha aha* Or. It's. Stony. And. Hard.
ALSO, yes. Night vision is cool.

Food P*rn: Hamburg, Germany

Food P*orn in Hamburg

Staying off the harbor in Hamburg, Germany (with the big Disney cruise within sight from the restaurant) we had one of the best breakfast buffets I've ever had. Steak tartare appeared only once the 4 days we were there but it was F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S. I have to limit eating raw meat in front of my husband too frequently (it grosses him out (and I don't get laid)) ...but risking happiness is sometimes worth other joys in life! Generous lox and cream became a superb morning ritual. A bright chopped beet cream sauce and relish were awesome accompaniments. The coffee and espresso in Europe was like extra strong CRACK, I dunno why. Dig the yogurt (yeah with muesli -- yes it's grain -- kick me off paleo-island?). German yogurt ROCKS and about 8 varieties were available. It appeared full fat to me. No where could I translate 'low fat' at the buffet bar. Look at the deep, carotenoid-rich-pumpkin-orange egg yolks!

On Thanksgiving eve of all places at the hotel restaurant, we had a traditionally roasted German duck which is only available seasonally during the fall/winter. WOW. Succulent, rich and earthy. Duck is one of the birds of I love because it is ALL LOVELY DARK MEAT. Wish I had pictures but the ducky didn't make the cut *haa* (my kids deleted).

P.S.
BTW Very rare did I see anyone IN EUROPE APPEAR OVERWEIGHT, OBESE, OR MORBIDLY OBESE COMPARED TO THE UNITED STATES. Just an empirical, clinical observation.

Transcendance: Practicing Evolution (Bruce Lipton PhD)

Agri-Dynamics: Jerry Brunetti

I have no idea who this is but I've researched topics lately and his name popped up numerous times. Melissa discussed briefly in her Wise Traditions Recap: HERE. Brunetti is doing some kind of wonderful work regarding meat sourcing and good pastured livestock.

Two excellent slide presentions I happened to flip across by Brunetti are below, which scintillate down why good gut flora maintenance is of the utmost importance and how DIET DIET DIET and nutraceuticals can cure/reverse/improve gut imbalances caused by drugs, antibiotics, bad-nonpastured-meat, modern living, S.A.D. high carb/high grain diets. The value of digestive, pancreatic enzymes are also discussed.

• Health From The Gut Up, Jerry Brunetti
• The Link Between Nutrition, Jerry Brunetti

What I Liked About Brunetti's Slides

In the first slide these are the points I enjoyed the most below and in the second, the list of resources and books is fantastic.

--slide 22 and 23 are EXCELLENT
--slide 42 explains indicanuria -- intestinal toxemia on sophisticated diagnostic lab testing (neurologic, GI, skin, and every organ system with chronic conditions described)
--slide 61 treatment strategies incl pre- probiotics, betaine, digestive enzymes (previously I discussed the value and role enzymes under NEOLITHIC CHEATING)
--slide 63 Brent's relative Dr. Pottenger mentioned -- adding gelatin for glycine which is gut healing/improves glutathione/anti-inflammatory, etc




Role of Politics: Food Business

WAP-Pottenger are great -- I wish I had known about the value of traditional eating before I had my children and given them the epigenetic benefits of our Hakka and asian genes. Though I know it is not too late, what we all fight against as parents is indeed the government. This is a common theme to paleo parents I've had the opportunity to talk in depth with. We fight sanctioned USDA food choices in the school cafeteria and the all pervasive USDA grain-based-6-to-11-servings-daily food pyramid of TOXIC POISON which are then perverted and pimped by food processing companies and television commercials. Even well-intentioned family and friends try to push their CRACK on my children. Yes. Expected but yet annoying.

As a parent, hard to be challenged against all that... not to mention the frequent cake, pizza and juice/soda parties and social events. Yes my kids will say 'no' to illegal drugs but legalized P I Z Z A, which is more addictive than CRACK ??!


Government Solutions? Not Holding Breath

The permanence of the current food policies are cracking but will it happen soon enough? Even Andrew Weil is pushing a more grain-free diet approach that is lower in dangerous refined carbohydrates. Yes. See his July HuffPo post: "The saturated fat lauded in this menu [of an establishment in Arizona known as the *chuckle* Heart Attack Grill] won't kill you. It may even be the safest element of the meal... If you visit, I implore you to steer clear of the white-flour buns, the sugary sodas and the piles of "flatliner fries..."

Yes. Additionally in the HuffPo, Weil promotes and advocates Gary Taubes and the body of evidence in GCBC.

This is exciting because as far as I am aware Dr. Weil is involved with the only integrative medicine program in the medical academic training program. R U Considering med school and being indoctrinated in prescribing gluten CRACK?? Even Weil's program is mutating to reason and SANITY. *haa ah!*



Bruce Lipton and Steve Bhaerman: Transcendent Solutions, Practicing Evolution

In one of the last chapters in Bruce Lipton's recent seminal work, co-authored with Steve Bhaerman, called 'Spontaneous Evolution,' negotiations and problem solving become the core focus. He puts it succinctly 'A primary function of politics is to develop policies that preempt conflict. Conflict is a natural part of human lfe and social interactions and should not be confused with violence, which is the most dysfunctional way to handle conflict. Conflict derives from incompatabilities between two or mroe opinions, principoles or interests. Because conflict usually involves contradictory goals, resuoltuion can occur when something -- the goals or expectations regarding those goals -- is changed.' Obviously he states 'careful and respectful listening by all participants is required...' and how to arrive at ideal problem solving he consults negotiation experts like Norwegian Johan Galtung who seek 'the fifth way' or 'fivers'. Galtun was the mediator in the Peru-Ecuador border negotiations (solution: no borders). Galtung pushes that each conflict has 5 potential remedies:

1. I win. You lose
2. You win. I lose.
3. Negative Transcendence in which the problem is solved by avoiding it entirely
4. Compromise in which each wins by agreeing to lose a little
5. Transcendence, which produces a resolution above and beyond the problem.




Indiana Farmer and His Sheep

Lipton and Bhaerman tell wonderful, clever stories. They recount how an Indiana farmer found the neighbor's dogs killing all his herds of sheep. 'Too often the way of solving such problems involved confrontation, threats, lawsuits, barbed wire fences, and, potentially, shotguns. This particular farmer had a better idea. He gave his neighbor's children lambs as pets. This out-of-the-box solution established a win-win proposition: for the sake of the children's adorable pets, the neighbors voluntarily tied up their dogs, and the families became friends.'



Collectively We Face Exciting Times

Paleo people want change. Fat people want change (because they (and previously ME) eternally keep buying 'diet books'). Unhealthy people want change. Right? Maybe...

Something is changing (*haa ah* Dr.Oz with polyps is useless and Oprah has gained weight again) and hopefully we won't have to wait forever.

I've found paleo people to be extremely transcendant and clever... Thoughts... solutions?

Shawn Mullins and The Thorns:
No Blue Sky

Blog-asm II: More Bloggers Disrupting 'the Fabric of Society'

Shawn Mullins
Can't Remember Summer

Yes.

YESSS...

YYYYYEEEES...!! [emphatically slam table moan] *haaa aha*



More BLOGGERS... including the masterful GARY TAUBES!

Please ck out new additions to the blogroll and booklist on R-side column...







Evolutionary Biologist Michael Rose and His Secret of Non-Aging/Immortality

Do you follow Ray Kurzweil? He's a G-E-N-I-U-S. Had a chronic condition and beat it.

A writer at Kurzweil's site recently posted on evolutionary biologist Michael Rose from UC Irvine (picture courtesy of KurzweilAI.net). Prof Rose believes aging is a byproduct of evolution however can be halted or plateaued.

I agree.

The paleo diet is a cornerstone to his evidence-based strategies.


How To Achieve 'Biolgical Immortality' Naturally: Michael Rose

He believes also Euroasians have a special buffer capacity to aging however still need to adhere to a hunter-gather diet and lifestyle for optimal non-aging after age 35 to 40. I thinks explains partly why some people do neoLETHAL diets and are still fine physiologically but others big failures. Our ancestral past determines much...




Rose’s Natural Recipe for Immortality: 4 Keys

“With this recipe, I feel, many of you could be alive, basically, indefinitely,” Rose said.

o Adopt a hunter-gatherer lifestyle after 35 to 40 if Eurasian, earlier if ancestry is less Eurasian. If younger than 30 and Eurasian, continue on a post-agricultural revolution diet (or Andrew Weil-style diet).

o Use the best modern medicine

o Use autologous (from your own cells) tissue repair as it becomes available in five or more years

o Use next-generation pharmaceuticals in the next 10 or more years






See prior animal pharm:

** MAGIC OF MELATONIN: Melatonin increases stem cells in Bone Marrow (stem cells are your own autologous repair machines)... now... not 5 yrs from now...
** Bone Marrow


Thank you to SWEET SWEET SWEENEY for the initial inspirations and understanding of melatonin...

'Candy Cigarettes' and Turkey Awesomeness

Candy Cigarettes: Thanksgiving 2009

Had no idea last year 2009 was/maybe our last Thanksgiving feast but actually I don't miss this holiday when we were abroad (Hamburg, Amsterdam and Paris -- no we didn't bump into Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt or the brood).

What is Thanksgiving?? Were we celebrating the lost civilization of Native Americans in essence to some degree? Anyway. Ck out our candy cigarettes from last Thanksgiving -- my beautiful lil' sis 'M' and her ginger, cinnamon, raisin YUMMMICOUS GFCF cakelettes. The pharmacotemptress is holding the cakelettes, CANDY CIGARETTES. *ha*






Ming Tsai's Asian Spiced Turkey Recipe

Like every year, the turkey on the side was roasted by moi... Diesel, free range, fresh from WholeFoods and brined to a perfection with asian spices with Ming Tsai's recipe of PERFECT TURKEY AWESOMENESS. (Did add some cut orange/lemon slices to the cavity to maintain moisture and added strategically placed double folded foil according to Alton Brown to prevent charred, burning).

See recipe upper left.

New Paradigms

Nouvelle Vague:
In a Manner of Speaking

Bruce Lipton PhD: SPONTANEOUS EVOLUTION

Been reading a lot of books lately... I'll share later but first and foremost is Dr. Bruce Lipton, PhD that friends and readers Brent, Todd and Nima linked to earlier or recommended. Sincere and kind thanks!

I was lucky enough to meet Dr. Lipton recently at a talk near his local town near Santa Cruz. Amazingly humble, brilliant and down to earth, Dr. Lipton connected the dots for me regarding linking biological sciences, environmental sciences and how the universe may just be a FRACTAL AMPLIFICATION of our trillions of cells (not including the other trillions of our symbiotic bacteria and biofilms), from his new book Spontaneous Evolution released last year with comedian Steve Bhaerman. Life is quantum, not strictly Newtonian. Darwin was mildly off, spontaneous and egalitarian evolution trumps survival of the fittest. Lipton energetically explains the new brave world.


New Paradigms

Principle One: Wealth is well-being
Principle Two: Ecology and economy are the same
Principle Three: Efficiency is the key to thrival
Principle Four: Currency must represent real wealth (ATP=wealth!! *haa ahaaa!*)


In Principle Two, wealth is actually explained in agricultural terms by weighing chloroplasts/photosynthesis (e.g. Calvin Cycle biochemistry) as the measurable metric. Yes. This makes sense. 'In the words of scientist-turned-economist Frederick Soddy, "Chlorophyll was the original capitalist." Chlorophyll molecules are responsible for photosynthesis, the process through which the sun's energy transforms water and carbon dioxide [e.g. AIR!!! see prior animal pharm posts] into nutritional sugar molecules. Plant cells harvest their solar-powered sugar molecules and use them for both metabolic building blocks and life-sustaining energy. The growth of a cornstalk, from a sprout to the eight of an elephant's eye is made possible by the accumlated nutritional wealth manufactured by the plant's chlorophyll. Almost all life on this planet, including our own, is dependent upon photosynthesis-create sugar molecules.'




True Farmers Almost Extinct?

A book I've ordered and can't wait to dig into is about a sassy, New York gal transformed into a small town, sustainable, HAWWWWWWWT, farmgrrrrrl named Kristin Kimball A Dirty Life. Where are the true farmers are are tied to the deep, moist, fertile soil, growing plants of diverse genetic variety and biodiversity and raising pastured, sun-drenched farm animals? Kimball and her husband are first generation farmers who raise produce and animals for 100 members ($2800 per member per year). They milk their own cows by hand and till the fields by horse-drawn equipment, no machinery. The milk and cream are 'taxicab yellow'. Kimball's writing is so fun to read (in the excerpt) and carries warm alacrity and urban sharpness. It's about as dirty as her herbicide-free, pesticide-free, compost rich soil on their rich, wealth-providing, nutrient-dense acreage.

Lipton discusses Charles Walters who has a book Unforgiven and a magazine called Acres which serves the almost extinct population of small farmers. Walters 'has seen in his lifetime, the virtual disappearance of family farms. In their place, more and more factory farms operate monoculturally outside the rhythms of Nature, producing de-natured food and toxic waste. Meanwhile, science and technology have given civilization the opportunity to wantonly mine Gaia's wealth in order to support the excesses of monetary economy.'




Ecosphere Wealth = Reflection of Our Collective Health

Lipton's argument is that 'our ignorance of the planet's fragile web of life has blinded us to the profound damage and havoc we wreak by pillaging the environment's resources and then, adding insult to injury, contaminating that environment with discarded waste.'

'The wealth of the ecosphere, like that of any living organism, is a direct reflection if its health. Decimated rain forests, festering open-pit mines, species harvested to exctinction, toxic smog, pharmaceutically poisoned waterways, discarded radioactive waste, and many other man-made catastrophes have compromised the environment's well-being and devalued its ability to produce health and wealth. Our misperceived efforts to dominate and control Nature have unwittingly disturbed the ecosphere's natural balance and exacerbated environmental crises that now threaten our survival.'

Jenni Vartiainen:
Missä muruseni on
(Toinen HERE)

Human Zoo and How to Cheat... Nudeln and Teigwaren sind Gift* für unsere Tiere

Translation

'Pasta and pastries are poisonous to our animals.'

Feeding the animals are forbidden...
Human-animals...??!

* Gift [German] = toxin, venom, poison = LECTINS, PHYTATES, GLUTEN




Hagenbeck Zoo
We just finished visiting the aquarium and zoo at Hagenbeck in Hamburg, Germany, one of the few progressive, privately owned zoos in the world. Each cageless biotope enclosure displayed harmonious groups of animals, surrounded by watery moats. Curious combinations included orangatuans + sea otters; hairy cheeked rabbits, guinea pigs, sparrows; etc. Images, Chinese muntjacs which wandered around freely on the zoo campus, along with one peacock, many Australian cavies and free-ranging chickens. Muntjacs are extremely friendly allowing my daughters and I to pet them on their heads and neck like a dog. My daughter named a pair Otis and Otissa!



Hagenbeck, One of First Conservationists
Mr. Hagenbeck was one of the world's first naturalist and conservationist.

Interestingly, his zoo in 1897 was on of the first to hybridize a male lion and female tigress... LIGER cubs. In South Carolina earlier this month, a liger cub was again born at a wild animal preserve, see HERE. Ligers are gigantic, larger than both lion fathers and tigress mothers. Nutso!! Reminds of other hybrid births (e.g. Twilight... and Neanderthal+H.s.s.)




CHEATING... On GFCF Diets

Thank God for technology.

Biotechnology has matched our paleo, grain-free, dairy-free GFCF diets (gluten-free, casein-free).






GUT DYSBIOSIS: Passively Paleo, Neolithically Advanced

On this trip because we were eating out of the house daily, we relied on factory produced pancreatic enzymes to break down, degrade and render HARMLESS gluten from grains and casein from dairy. Enzymes are 'cutters' in biological systems. They 'cut' things into smaller pieces. DNA and RNA are broken down to nucleotides by DNAses and RNAses. Meat/protein degraded to amino acids by proteases, collagenases, elastases. Veggie fibers by cellulases... starches by amylases, glucoamylases, maltases, phytases, pectinases, beta glucanases, xylanases, etc. Lactose (milk), lactases, galactosidases. Gluten, DPP-IV. Fats to fatty acids, lipases. Etc.

Enzymes work the best under optimal situations which many of us damaged by the SAD and other environmental and epigenetic factors does not apply to: acidity/pH, temperature and cofactors. For every degree less than optimal 98.6F, approximately 20% less enzymatic activity occurs.

After food is broken down to constituent basic units, optimal digestion requires optimal ABSORPTION which requires acidity/pH, temperature, cofactors including good gut bacteria for conjugation of vitamins, nutrients and bile acids (cholesterol derived 'detergent' factors) from the gallbladder and enterohepatic circulation.

Who has these???! Few. Even children have suboptimal digestion these days.

Are you a hard-gainer?
Is your body temp less than 98.6 F?
Do you have a gallbladder?
What percent is your diet raw? 100% 75% 50% 25% None???!

Dr. Francis Pottenger (Brent's relative) in his Empire study with cats reported that in cats, apparently 50% of the diet as raw maintained fertility and health in the cats, obligate carnivores. In humans, marine carnivores (obligate?? I would argue, YES) require what percentage? For cats, 100% raw diet, thrived. Having a partially raw diet confers active, raw, and/or fermented components including enzymes which help nutrients to be digested. Pottenger cats: Price-Pottenger video.

Prior animal pharm: Marine-Based Carnivory in Early H.Sapiens





Cheating

My sister 'M' introduced us to the below products. SHE IS A GENIUS and constantly scans the spectrum/ASD boards, forums and networks.

Products we like to cheat with *wicked laugh!*: [ found at amazon.com, local health food store, iherb.com]
(1) Peptizyde = broad spectrum plus GLUTEN-enzymes and CASEIN-enzymes; available in chewables for children as well
(2) Trienza = GLUTEN-enzymes and CASEIN-enzymes
(3) Glutenease = GLUTEN-enzymes and CASEIN-enzymes
(4) Digest Gold = broad spectrum digestive enzymes, POWERFUL strength
(5) Now SUPER ENZYMES = broad spectrum digestive enzymes PLUS OX BILE for those without perfect gallbladders.


Shame? Hardly... we're passively paleo, neolithically sophisticated and advanced (because we have to be to SURVIVE)...



Our French Thanksgiving
Happy Turkey Day!

Menu:
Wine, wine, wine
Carpaccio
Salad with Gizzards and Pâté
Country Pâté
Lamb Chops with Herbs
Lemon Tart
Crème brûlée
Chocolate Mousse
Espresso with cream
PEPTIZYDE + GLUTENease

Alizee, French Pop Princess

SWEET, WICKED and hilarious
'I'M FED UP (!!)... with single-minded extremists...
Je me prelasse voici... relax... It's my aquatic state...
Content... everything's delicious...
mildly offensive...'
red HAAAWWT goldfish on her cute *ss...

Guys (and Gals) With B*lls: Deliberate Practice

From the Art of Manliness... (why bloggers and critical thinkers ROCK)

The Secret of Great Men: Deliberate Practice

What Is Deliberate Practice?

In the book Talent is Overrated, Fortune Magazine editor, Geoff Colvin highlights recent studies that show that greatness can be developed by any man, in any field, through the process of deliberate practice. How does one practice deliberately? Colvin proposes five elements that allow a man to practice deliberately and thus achieve greatness.

1. Deliberate practice is an activity designed specifically to improve performance, often with a teacher’s help... Stay humble and hungry.

2. The practice activity can be regularly repeated... The “ten-year rule” cuts across disciplines, too. Top musicians, athletes, scientists, and authors don’t reach the top until after they’ve put in around ten years of work and practice. There are no short cuts to success. If you want to be the best man you can be, you’ll have to commit yourself to years of repeated practice.

3. The practice activity provides feedback on a continual basis... For activities like these it’s a good idea to get a third party’s opinion or a mentor’s input.

4. Deliberate practice is highly demanding mentally, whether it’s purely physical or mental.

5. Deliberate practice isn’t much fun.

'Bloggers Have Destroyed the Fabric of Society'

Sean's acerbic, erected wit, hilarious comments at Free the Animal have always cr*cked me the f*ck up...


Here he goes again on his personal blog Prague Stepchild... 'Bloggers Have Destroyed the Fabric of Society'

Opus One -- Coprophagia (VeganAnimals Eat Poop For B12)

Industrial, Mass-Produced,
Round-Up (pesticide)-laden-corn-fed Beef, Anyone?
'Opus One' By Madison Park

Crossfit Helped Me Wean-Off Cheap Costco Meat

So this is the song that actually got me off grocery store and Costco (American warehouse) beef, chicken, eggs, pork and turkey.

Grassfed, local, organic beef and pastured pork ROCKKKKS.

My Crossfit gym (diablocrossfit.com) was the first place I got our grassfed beef. Collectively a couple families shared one or two steers. About ~2 yrs ago I bought reasonably inexpensively a 1/4 steer (about 60 to 80 lbs) at ~4.99 to $5.50 per lb which included ALL cuts but no organ meats. The osso bucco cuts go fast! Really it's a fantastic deal and beats Trader Joe's in freshness. But TJ's still is fine.

In addition, we get our grassfed beef, organs, pork, bacon, and leaf lard from:
--Berkeley Bowl which includes Eel River (3 varieties of 100% grassfed)
--local farmer's markets: 100% grassfed Holden Ranch and Prather Ranch (grainhead-finished) which gave us a tour last Dec which was AWESOME at their Mt. Shasta ranch


FYI LARD MAKES THE BEST CANDY CIGARETTES (e.g. almond flour cookies)!

See prior animal pharm:
Grassfed Happy Cows




Only Animal Foods Contain Vitamin B12

Nutritional Fact: Humans require vitamin B12 for neural tissue growth, regeneration and maintenance. Without B12 temporary and permanent brain and peripheral nerve damage occurs. This is known as Wernicke's in alcoholics (who lose B1 and B12 via rapid alcohol damage, degradation and malnutrition) and in vegans who do not consume adequately from diverse broad spectrum microbial food sources including brewer's yeast and other fermented foods. Poop? Yes that is apparently a source widely utilized in the animal kingdom and small children w/ access to their diapers. Gut dysbiosis also predisposes all ages to B12 deficiency. An unhappy gut leads to an unhappy gut flora which are unable to conjugate and preserve optimal absorption of B vitamins, including B12.

Many drugs deplete B12 by affecting the gut flora and/or causing gut dysbiosis: oral contraceptives, synthetic hormones, stomach acid-blockers (Prilosec, Pepcid, etc), metformin, ANTIBIOTICS ANTIBIOTICS ANTIBIOTICS including those in mass-produced industrial beef/pork/chicken/turkey, et cetera.

Foods deplete B12 by causing gut dysbiosis and include: the biggest offender -- GLUTEN which is found in barley rye WHEAT WHEAT and especially high-gluten(baking)-wheat and the Monsanto wheat being shipped to drought-ridden Russia. Good, less wheat for S.A.D. Americans.




Coprophagia -- The Eating of 'Poop' Vitamin B12 Source

Thank you to Peter at Hyperlipid for below link and conversation started by my FAVORITE ANIMAL and PALEOKING, Richard Nikoley:
Watch this... *GROSS* Gorilla coprophagia...

Nikoley breaks down the SCIENCE for nutritionally-challenged, fat-phobe, meat-phobe Dr. Seale 'any vitamin B12 present in any animal foods is only from bacterial contamination' HERE.

Secrets... 'We’re not really attracted to each other, we’re attracted to each other’s microbes' nsfw

OneRepublic Secrets
Courtesy Youtube.com

Great articles have recently come out on The Scientist regarding the gut microbiota and how we are really just hybrids of ~10% HUMAN + ~90% MICROBES/POOP. Ratio is probably dependent upon certain factors. I think some are more weighted toward the microbial content *ahaaa ah*.

Well you may or may not buy in but we are not only what we eat (poop, dirt, worm feces, probiotics, kim chee, sauerkraut), but we be attracted to others who eat WHAT WE EAT, research in fruit flies appears to suggest! Ergo, if we eat cr*p, we may also be attracted to those who eat cr*p. This may explain the contradictory patterns of hookups between the most unattractive elements with other unattractive peeps (AND YES I CAN SAY THIS [AND YOU CANNOT] BEING PREVIOUSLY IN THIS BOAT EMPIRICALLY SPEAKING). Do people settle? No, it may be the microbes talking and attracting!

wtf?


UBER COOL articles and links where animal s*xxx porn came from:

• Does Oral Sex Confer an Evolutionary Advantage? Evidence from bats (picture from this link)
• Holy Fell*tio Batman! Fruit bats use oral s*x to prolong actual s*x
• Gut S*x (our gut may determine our mating choice? we KNOW synthetic hormones, e.g. oral contraceptives RUIN IT, Thorne et al; I suspect estrogenic MOOBIES do as well -- beware the perils of pesticides and plastics)
• Same poop, different gut - The Scientist - Magazine of the Life Sciences
• Rat dad's diet affects pups - The Scientist - Magazine of the Life Sciences
• Gut bacteria are what we eat
• Humans are Human-Bacteria Hybrids - Wire 10/11/2004

My Tool: Meditative Yoga, Better Than S*XXX

OK... j/k... *haa*


David Lynch has a wonderful book called ‘Catching the Big Fish: Meditation, Consciousness, and Creativity.’ It’s an unexpected book from a genius of theatrical brilliance, who is known for masterpieces that challenge our perceptions like Eraserhead, Twin Peaks the movie and the TV series, and many others. Do you remember these??

The book is about meditation and how it changed his life and creativity.

One chapter is called ‘Identity’ and there is one line ‘The thing about meditation is: You become more and more you.’

Admittedly I don’t meditate but I do meditative kind of stuff like cleaning the house (which is admittedly rare, again, I trust professionals) and yoga practice while running/at home/at the gym. Yes, I’ve tried meditation and it is difficult to clear the mind. Lynch is very encouraging.



‘Fire’

Another chapter is called ‘Fire’ (which is 5 lines).

‘Sitting in front of a fire is mesmerizing. It’s magical. I feel the same way about electricity. And smoke. And flickering lights.'

Reminds me of Wrangtham's book 'Catching Fire' and how hominids may have captured fire for perhaps 1.4 - 1.9 million years. The exhibition of energy is attractive and mesmerizing, as well as useful.



‘Turn on the Light’

One of my favorite chapters is this one and it starts with a sutra ‘In the vicinity of Yoga -- unity -- hostile tendencies are eliminated.’

‘We’re like light bulbs. If bliss starts growing inside you, it’s like a light; it affects the environment.’

‘If you go into a room where someone’s been having a big argument, it’s not so pleasant. You can feel it. Even if the argument’s over, you can feel it. But if you go into a room where someone has just finished meditating, you can feel that bliss. It’s very nice to feel that.’

‘We all affect our environments. You enjoy that light inside, and if you ramp it up brighter and brighter, you enjoy more and more of it. And that light will extend out farther and farther.’



Science

There is science to all of this… It is energy fields.


‘A Tower Of Gold’ -- How Does Meditation Get Rid of Negativity?

Most ancient civilizations and modern civilizations treasure the inert metal, gold, no? From the Incas to Columbus to Indo-Asian royalty to Asia. Most of the jewelry I’ve received from my parents and relatives are 100% gold rings, necklaces and ear rings (though I let my holes grow in). Real gold is bendable so I never wear these trinkets. Gold is valued at record highs in this uncertain financial environment -- Because gold is timelessly invaluable. The Chinese character for our family name 'Zhong' is composed of 2 characters: 'heavy' and 'gold'. (Taiwanese, long hand)

Gold is discussed by Lynch….

‘How does meditation get rid of negativity?’

‘Picture it this way: You are the Empire State Building. You’ve got hundreds of rooms. And in those rooms, there’s a lot of JUNK [my emphasis]. And you put all that junk there. Now you take this elevator, which is going to be the dive within. And you go down below the building; you go to the Unified Field beneath the building [the Field will be mentioned in the next post on the science] -- pure consciousness. And it’s like electric gold. You experience that. And that electric gold activates these little cleaning robots. They start going, and they start cleaning the rooms. They put in GOLD where the dirt and junk and garbage were. These stresses that were in there like coils of barbed wire can unwind. They evaporate, they come out. You’re cleaning and infusing simultaneously. You’re on the road to a beautiful state of enlightenment…’


What's your mental tool?

Consciousness: The Great Leap Forward (Again?)

'Bigger Than The World'
Justin Timberlake

Collective Consciousness

There has been more discussions recently about collective consciousness just recently as we remembered global events that increased our awareness of our world, including 9/11. Actually part of the reason why I blog is because of 9/11. During the aftermath of the terror, heartbreak, and trauma that occurred in NYC, Pennsylvania and the Pentagon on that unforgettable day, there was a palpable change in country I felt. I don't know if it was collective but we all changed. I don't know if we were all connected at some point mentally, spiritually or noetically but somehow our consciousness appeared altered and irrevocably affected. For many months following the siege, the offices of the Wall Street Journal were displaced and journalists were spread out in outposts dispatching daily stories of immense hope, heroicism and triumphs of human spirit. It was difficult not to cry nearly everyday reading what ordinary people were doing endearing unimaginable pain and surviving extraordinary circumstances. Their unique, individual voices could not be missed or forgotten.



Conciousness Emerged 40,000 Years Ago

Intelligence, consciousness, and sentience. AWARENESS... Mmmh... the Matrix (nsfw) expanded my mind and awareness.

Scifi author Robert J. Sawyer wrote an essay in the anthology 'Taking the Red Pill: Science, Philosophy and Religion in The Matrix' entitled 'Artificial Intelligence, Science Fiction, and THE MATRIX'. Regarding humans, 'Intelligence is an emergent property of complex systems. We know that because that's exactly how it happened in us.'

'Anatomically modern humans -- Homo sapien sapiens -- emerged a hundred thousand years ago. Judging by their skulls, these guys had brains identical in size and shape to our own. And yet, for 60,000 years, those brains went along doing only the things nature needed them to do: enabling these early humans to survive.'

'And then, suddenly, 40,000 years ago, it happened: intelligence -- and consciouness itself -- emerged. Anthropologists call it "the Great Leap Forward."'

'Modern-looking human beings had been around for six hundred centuries by that point, but they had created no art, they didn't adorn their bodies with jewelry, and they didn't bury their dead with grave goods. But starting simultaneously 40,000 years ago, suddenly humans were painting beautiful pictures on cave walls, humans were wearing necklaces and bracelets, and humans were interring their loved ones with food and tools and other valuable objects that could only have been of use in a presumed afterlife.'

'Art, fashion, and religion all appeared simultaneously; truly, a great leap forward. intelligence, consciouness, sentience: it came into being, of its own accord, running on hardward that had evolved for other purposes. If it happened once, it might well happen again.'


Will A Different Conciousness Emerge Again?

Could we have another renaissance of culture, arts and technology? A neolithic intelligence, consciousness and sentience...?? I think we are on that path. The mind is the new frontier. Its barriers and miracles of its strength and potential power are being unlocked as we discover more (or learn from our ancestral warriors and healers)... Return to Matrix... energy begets energy. No energy is wasted. Life is sustained (Neo, kiss; Trinity, energetic voltage to the heart like an automated external defibrillator (AED).

Photo credit: themandus.com

Neanderthal Extinction

Neanderthals were far more advanced, culturally and technologically, and appreciative of consciouness more than earlier realized. An updated from Science Daily from today: Neanderthals More Advanced Than Previously Thought: They Innovated, Adapted Like Modern Humans, Research Shows. In terms of adaptation and evolution, the authors note 'Thousands of years ago, southern Italy experienced a shift in climate, becoming increasingly open and arid, said Riel-Salvatore. Neanderthals living there faced a stark choice of adapting or dying out. The evidence suggests they began using darts or arrows to hunt smaller game to supplement the increasingly scarce larger mammals they traditionally hunted. The fact that Neanderthals could adapt to new conditions and innovate shows they are culturally similar to us," he said.

The same speculation is discussed regarding recent information that grasslands were massively decreased as temperatures cooled at the end of the last Ice Age, approximately coinciding with the last days of the Neanderthals. Read Science Daily (August 18, 2010): Dwindling Green Pastures, Not Hunting, May Have Killed Off the Mammoth. As drier tundras replaced productive grasslands, large herbivorous mega-mammals like wooly mammoths, wooly rhinos and giant deer decreased in number. 'These habitat changes made grazing much more difficult for large mammals and dramatically reduced the amount of food available for them. The changes in grassland quality and availability coincided with increases in the distribution and abundance of modern man, Homo sapiens, ensuring a time of wide-scale upheaval for herbivorous mammals and other mammals that preyed on them.' (Photo courtesy, Science Daily)

Where did this leave the Neanderthals, the terrestrial carnivores (see post: Meat Made Us Smart, But Marine-based BAD*SSED)? Well. With considerably lower intakes of brain-nurturing omega-3 sources. Hunting smaller animals and increasing broad spectrum utilization of plant sources as the larger mammals migrated north away from Italian/Mediterranean and Euroasian shoresides toward Slavic and Siberian geographies.

Ancient man on the other hand continued to and perhaps were propelled toward marine-sourced carnivory and less plant based outsourcing as the mega-fauna dwindled in number and size. As brains improved synaptically, the bigger the brain, the bigger the hunt and the bigger the fish/seafood? It appears so from the evidence thus far.



Electrically, electrochemically, what is omega-3?

It fills in and controls our lipid double-layer cell membranes, and membranes are the master controllers in many emerging ways.

It behaves like high-speed internet. Long-chain Omega-3 fatty acids are the strongest, longest 'cables' in nature and behave like the cables of Comcast and DSL for our brain/heart/GI hardware and connections.




Bigger Omega-3 --> Bigger Brain --> Bigger Consciousness --> Bigger Display/Capture --> Bigger S*XXX --> Bigger Progeny/DNA-push-forward




References:

Explaining longevity of different animals: is membrane fatty acid composition the missing link?
Hulbert AJ.
Age (Dordr). 2008 Sep;30(2-3):89-97. Epub 2008 May 31.

Membrane fatty acids as pacemakers of animal metabolism.
Hulbert AJ.
Lipids. 2007 Sep;42(9):811-9. Epub 2007 Apr 27. Review.

Membrane phospholipid composition may contribute to exceptional longevity of the naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber): a comparative study using shotgun lipidomics.
Mitchell TW, Buffenstein R, Hulbert AJ.
Exp Gerontol. 2007 Nov;42(11):1053-62.

The exceptional longevity of an egg-laying mammal, the short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) is associated with peroxidation-resistant membrane composition.
Hulbert AJ, Beard LA, Grigg GC.
Exp Gerontol. 2008 Aug;43(8):729-33.

Pimping Robb: 'Keep Your POOP Where It Belongs'

ANIMAL (Far East Movement)

Pimping The Wicked Animal

I love Robb (and his beautiful wife Nicki V.) and I love pimping Robb and everything he endorses.

My favorite chapter of the new book 'The Paleo Solution: The Original Human DIET' is naturally 'Grains and Leaky Gut or Keep Your Poop Where it Belongs'. In typically Robb-fashion he breaks down gut dysbiosis and how it is the central dogma for our S.A.D. health in Western civilizations at this time. If there were other s*xy chapters, I'd love them too but this is unfortunately not too heavy in the s*x departments (unlike the other recent book reports I discussed). The health professional version hopefully will cover more hormones...


Personal Story

What drew me in first to the whole paleo story is his blog and the generous sharing of stories which were re-enforced when I attended the nutri cert (for Crossfit) in Chico in 2008 where he recounted again more stories of health recovery, autoimmune disease reversal and tremendous body fat recompositioning. I've met Sarah twice the screaming hawwwt chick with 3 children and painful swollen legs which reversed on paleo and functional xfit exercises. Two stories at the nutri cert were the tale of 2 pharmacists (!!!hey man) which Robb appeared too delighted in telling knowing I was the lone pharmacist in the audience. Both had liver disease and one was already on the liver transplant list. They had NAFLD, fatty liver, a Metabolic Syndrome condition related to gluten and the fatty infiltration and calcifications related to high carbohydrates and a grain-heavy Western diet.

Paleo cured them. In 1-2 months both had reversed the liver enzyme tests to normal. Robb affected their health where modern medicine failed and actually wanted to take out and replace the worthless liver, the ultimate solution, no?

Robb's book is filled with these type of stories and the most compelling is his and his mother's. He reports thathis mother's quiet diagnosis of celiac (and 3 other autoimmune diseases -- Sjogren's, Rheumatoid and Lupus) at the time she was nearly dying on a heart/lung machine, saved his own life when he was suffering from severe debilitating inflammatory intestinal issues.


'Academia: Abandon All Hope Ye Who Study Here'

Totally I would second this notion...


All About Digestion and Why Paleo Works

Robb's a wicked animal when it comes to coaching and cajoling performance and outcomes out people... it comes through in the writing. He's there explaining in simple, easy-to-understand terms and encouraging in the same way.

He has seen it work not just for himself but COUNTLESS Crossfiters and non-Crossfiters.

Explaining the digestion, nutrition and hormones (insulin, growth hormone, leptin, cortisol) take up 1/3 of the book. The parts I enjoyed the most were:

• 'Digestion: From our Pie Hole to Your HOO-HA in 453 Easy Steps' ch4 [why do we always ending up talking about butts and poop???]
• 'Digestion: Where The Rubber Hits the Road' ch5
• 'Cholesterol... The small, dense, reactive LDLs are born from the VLDL that is the product of high-carbohydrate intake. Although the types of dietary fats we consume do influence these LDLs to a small degree, the main influence is the amount and types of dietary carbohydrate. In case you missed that, a high-carbohydrate diet, like the one your doctor, the government, and the pharmaceutical companies endorse, is the type of diet that makes smal, dense reactive LDL particles. Good to know these people are fightin for your health! Image if they were really trying to kill you.'
• 'Osteoporosis Link to Cardiovascular Disease (CVD)... The solution we are given for CVD is a high-carb, low-fat diet that keeps insulin levels high. The solution for osteoporosis is to take a calcium supplement. Little dose our doctor know that that calcium supplement is known to be a precipitating factor in blood clots that lead to stroke and heart attack. Oops! hey, it's just your life folks!'
• 'Grains and Leaky Gut or Keep Your Poop Where It Belongs (ch6)' Here several cases from a 5 year old to diverse ages reviewed excellently.
• 'Fat Confusion' We know Robb endorses BACON BACON BACON SATFAT SATFAT SAT! This reviews W-H-Y. 'The government high-carb, low-fat fantasy is turning out to be amazingly profitable for sectors of our medical and pharmaceutical establishment. unfortunately, it's not been kind to our friends, family, and coworkers.'
• 'Cortisol ...'Without being the least bit cynical, I could boil life down to food, sleep, and sex. On the food side of the equation, we have all that goes into getting it (brains to plan, brawn to procure and defend). Once we have that food, we eat it and either burn it or store it. This is all related to our short and long term energy management, body-fatness, fertility, etc. In sulin and glucagon are there to help regulate our storage and utilization of energy. However, Cortisol is also a player in this game, as it also has effects on energy storage and a host of other functions...' Like both Robb and Andy Deas (podcast co-conspirator), I've had adrenal fatigue yet we have neolithic ways to overcome this (this is where paleo alone aint enough).
• 'Beat That Dead Horse White Boy!' Sleep sleep sleep yet again...
• 'Sex Type Thing... Charlie has two new, but very annoying things happening. Low sex drive and a need to pee at night. As Charlie's body fat increases, the has a tendency to convert his meager testosterone into estrogen because of an enzyme called aromatase that hangs out in fat tissue. If your body fat increases, whether male or female, you tend to convert testosterone to estrogen. For Charlie, this set inmotion prostate growth (benign prostate hyperplasia -- BPH) at the ripe old age of thirty-five. if thes was not bad enough, his testosterone levels are low for two reasons. Cortisol and testosterone must go down. Then add the conversion of testosterone to estrogen due to increased body fat and we have a bad situation brewing for Charlie. The effects for women are similarly powerful with a tendency to produce PMS, PCOS, fibroids and infertility. Fun, no?'
• 'Growth hormone...IGF...BDNF... Now that we have looked at being strong and hormonally sound, let's take a look at your pump and pipes before looking at our exercise prescriptions.'
• 'What About Fiber? Won't I Forget How To Poop Without Grains?' THIS STUFF KILLLLLLS ME!!!!!!
• 'Robb, You Are Big Meanie? I Have No Idea Where to Start!'
• 'But Raaawwwwbb, How Will I Get My Vitamins? And How Will I Poop Without My Fiber?' [chuckle chuckle]
• 'Quick Paleo Pancakes' My kids made this on their VERY own last wkend! The HOUSE DID NOT BURN DOWN and was filled with the lovely aroma of sweet sweet laughter and cinnamon. My paleo-as-it's-gonna-get-kids ROCK indeed.
• 'Supplements' The standard stuff -- Robb's fish oil calculator, vitamin D, probiotics, digestive enzymes, lipoic acid (reduces insulin resistance and host of other benefits), carnitine (recovery, energy, etc), magnesium, and iodine. Again, totally standard fare.

Tim Ferriss also provides a wonderful endorsement and an excerpt from the book: How to Keep Feces Out Of Your Bloodstream (or How To Lose 10Pounds in 14 Days)

Previous animal pharm: Robb and paleo cure vampirism (porphyria cutaneous tarda)

Go Team Robb!!!! *winky!*


P.S.
Robb knows I'm gonna quibble on the LDL (goal stated in book 40-70 mg/dl which is clearly questionable)... but he recties by discussing thoroughly the QUALITY of LDL is FIRST and FOREMOST (pattern 'A') over quantity. If that were the only concession to the publishers in order for this SEMINAL piece of RIDICULOUSLY S*XXXXY GENIUSNESS to *finally* published then I...will... forgive... But. Dude you'll owe me a St. Peters beer dude. Or two. FR*CK. That will be hard to dig out of...

Zoopharmacognosy: Chimps Eat Medicinal Plants

What do Aspilia, cocaine and kissing have in common?

Robert M. Sapolsky writes in his book of essays 'The Trouble With Testosterone and Other Essays on the Biology of the Human Predicament' (which I'd highly recommend -- Sapolsky is a FR**KIN genius) about the use of a leaf by chimps studied by Wrangham at Harvard at the Gombe National Park in Tanzania. He and the researchers observed the chimpanzees wadding up the leaves whole, then holding them under their tongue for a while, then swallowing without chewing. The leaves passed through the intestines undigested and intact in the stools. 'Off and on throughout the meal the chimpanzees would make faces: Aspilia apparently was no tasty treat' he wrote in the essay entitled Curious George's Pharmacy.

Sapolsky adds...'Intrigued, Wrangham sent samples of the plant for analysis to Eloy Rodriguez, a biochemist at the University of California in Irvine. Rodriquez discovered that the leaves contain thiarubrine-A, a reddish oil kown to be a potent toxin against fungi, bacteria, and parasite nematodes. Indeed, they noted that the youngest Aspilia leaves, much the preferred kind among the chimpanzees, are far richer in the oil than the older leaves are. And he thought it significant that the apes kept the drug under their tongues before gulping it down: the tongue is dense with minute blood vessels, and so a substance held there can bypass the digestive juices and head straight into the circulation.'


Mucosal Absorption of Biochemicals and Hormones

Philematology is the study and science of kissing... turns out many hormones are instantly generated and conveyed via... KISSING... (scientists found: oxytocin and testosterone go up... for bonding libido, but for grrrrls oxytocin goes down... to ?decrease protective defense modes). Hormones via mucosal absorption in the mouth can be transmitted much like the above chemicals in leaves of Aspilia, sublingually administrated cocaine or nitroglycerin. The lining of the mouth and under the tongue (buccal mucosa) are rich and full of a blood vessels which interface transparently almost with spit. Drugs and chemicals pass easily then enter the blood stream systemically with rapid speed.



Chimps Fix Gut Dysbiosis -- What About You?

'On the basis of his laboratory studies, plus Wrangham's observations, Rodriquez estimated that in each eccentric bout of Aspilia feeding, the chimpanzees consumed just enough thiarubrine-A to kill between 70 and 80 percent of the parasites in their digestive tracts, without harming other, useful intestinal bacteria. Wrangham and Rodriguez also noted that Tanzanian tribespeople have long chewed Aspilia leaves to health stomachaches and a variety of other ills. Hence the two coworkers speculated that the chimpanzee were using the plant as medicine.'

What is the surface area of our gut? Though smaller compared with primates, we traded a bigger, energy-guzzling brain for a smaller-gut, the surface area supported is still relatively SPACIOUS AND ENORMOUS.

The gut ecosystem (hat tip to Brent -- thank you for the term buddy!) is in delicate balance. Excessive negative factors can outweigh the positive factors thereby leading to chaos, entropy and dysbiosis... until re-balance is established. Broad spectrum antibiotics are extremely powerful in negatively throwing off this balance. Antibiotics are found in industrially mass produced beef, pork, chicken, seafood and dairy products and the stuff your physicians gives you for grain-induced acne, viral infections (which antibiotics don't work), and any sniffle/cough/bellyache. The main problem with antibiotics is that they wipe out the good bacteria, leaving behind armies of bad bacteria (Klebsiella, H. pylori, C. difficile, Group B Strep, etc), bad fungus (Candida, etc), and potentially bad microbes including parasites which thrive in the new imbalanced ecosystem. A great part of the immune system and neurologic system are centered in the gut. Below the belt?? Yes.

When the gut is j*cked up by grains, gluten, high carbs, nutritional depletion, antibiotics, metals, Candida overgrowth, liver flukes, parasites...et cetera, a HEEEEEYYYGE part of the human ecosystem, immunity and the brain can be seriously derailed.

Go antibiotic-free meat/dairy and G-R-A-S-S-F-E-D.


See prior posts: grassfed beef.


Medicinal leaves... aint no chimp change for belly dispositions.




Animal Nutritional Therapy

Describing plant chemicals, Sapolsky continues '...in the endless wars between plants and animals, many plants have evolved leaves laced with secondary plant compounds among which substances are cardiac toxins, hallucinogens, antifertility drugs, and growth inhibitors. Such chemicals have no effect on the plants, but they can be deadly poisonous to any animal foolish enough to eat them. Not to be outdone, animals have evolved counteroffensive patterns of behavior that enable them to eat the plants: they may follow up a poisonous meal by eating something that can detoxify the poison. Rats, for instance, often consume clay after eating highly toxic plants; the clay absorbs the poisons.'

'Animals also appear to correct their own dietary deficiencies. In his famous "cafeteria" studies a half century ago the psychobiologist Curt P. Richter broke up a balanced rat diet into its constituent parts, serving up eleven small trays of proteins, oils, fats, sugars, salt, yeast, water, adn so forth. Remarkably, the rats picked out an efficient diet that, with few calories, made them grow at a rate faster than that of the rats fed normal chow.'



Natural Wormicidal Plants

There are a few medicinal plants that have been used by ancient pharmacopractitioners and temptresses... *haa* Worms, flukes, helminths and other parasites occurred routinely in our evolutionary history up until the recent advent of potent synthetic antibiotics and anti-parasite medications. Have you watched Survivor? On the TV show, many lose weight not only from the semi-intermittent fasting but also from nutritional losses and deficiencies from parasite overgrowth. I've read that several contestants required months of treatment upon returning to civilization.

*** Japanese Apricot, Plum: 'Ume' (Prunus mume -- see Wiki)


Side (unripe ume) and below pictures are courtesy of Dave's Garden and SergetheCongriege. Top picture wiki, dried and preserved umeboshi.


One such plant is a fruit known in Korea, Japan and China as the Asian plum or apricot (Ume, Prunus mume). It can be fermented, dried, pickled and also used as a liquor or vinegar. In Korea, unriped ume is known as maesil and used for over a thousand years for digestion and improve blood alkalinity (here and here).

Several trials (see Refs) have shown the anti-worm and antibacterial properties of Prunus mume. One trial showed no improvement in H. pylori urea breath test results (but 11% were noted as eradication (2 cases of responders)), a frequently implicated microaerophilic bacteria in ulcer and gastritis formation, however another trial showed distinct and significant improvement in H. pylori related chronic gastritis with lower H. pylori bacterial load via endoscopic tissue biopsy and reduced active mucosal inflammation and neutrophil infiltration. Endoscopic data is more accurate than breath testing. Both evaluations were human animal studies (e.g. pharmacognosy). In screening activity of 223 species of Chinese medicines (plant, animal, mineral materials), 31 showed anti-wormicidal properties including Prunus mume as effective against the human liver fluke, known as Clonorchis sinensis (see Wiki).





Applying Food Science (MEAT SCIENCE)
Food science was part of my experience from undergrad in nutritional science that I enjoyed. Other plums (Prunus domestica L.) have been pureed and studied in beef patties and pork sausages as an 'extender' for both flavor and shelf life. Yes. Plums appear to display potent biological antioxidant effects. Plum puree was shown to decrease TBARS (measure of oxidative capacity, especially associated with polyunsaturated fatty acids which become rancid easily) compared with controls (J Food Sci 2008 HERE and my fave Meat Science 2010 HERE). My parents grew up in Taiwan eating a lot of tiny dried SOUR plums and developed quite a habit eating them which my sisters I never adopted... who knew the nutritive value may be as a gut flora enhancer? (Picture below wiki, commerical pickled plum (ume) from China; side picture, what my parents eat, courtesy alibaba.com)



References and Further Reading:
1. Dietary Supplementation with Probiotic Fermented Tetra-Herbal Combination Enhances Immune Activity in Broiler Chicks and Increases Survivability against Salmonella Gallinarum in Experimentally Infected Broiler Chicks.
Jung BG, Ko JH, Lee BJ.
J Vet Med Sci. 2010 Jul 28. [Epub ahead of print]

2. Inhibitory effects of Japanese apricot (Prunus mume Siebold et Zucc.; Ume) on Helicobacter pylori-related chronic gastritis [IN HUMAN SUBJECTS].
Enomoto S, Yanaoka K, Utsunomiya H, Niwa T, Inada K, Deguchi H, Ueda K, Mukoubayashi C, Inoue I, Maekita T, Nakazawa K, Iguchi M, Arii K, Tamai H, Yoshimura N, Fujishiro M, Oka M, Ichinose M.
Eur J Clin Nutr. 2010 Jul;64(7):714-9.

3. Immune-Enhancing Effect of Fermented Maesil (Prunus mume Siebold & Zucc.) with probiotics against Bordetella bronchiseptica in Mice.
Jung BG, Ko JH, Cho SJ, Koh HB, Yoon SR, Han DU, Lee BJ.
J Vet Med Sci. 2010 Apr 28. [Epub ahead of print]

4. Fruit-juice concentrate of Asian plum inhibits growth signals of vascular smooth muscle cells induced by angiotensin II.
Utsunomiya H, Takekoshi S, Gato N, Utatsu H, Motley ED, Eguchi K, Fitzgerald TG, Mifune M, Frank GD, Eguchi S.
Life Sci. 2002 Dec 27;72(6):659-67.

5. Screening of the wormicidal Chinese raw drugs on Clonorchis sinensis.
Rhee JK, Woo KJ, Baek BK, Ahn BJ.
Am J Chin Med. 1981 Winter;9(4):277-84.

Track My (Inner) B*tch Or Fertility Or Whatever

Track My B*tch

Very cool gadgets out there! Found one for tracking my period for free (monthlyinfo.com) which provides text or email update alerts which can be set to x number days before/after a period or ovulation. Personally, I've had hormone issues after a terrible debacle with a Mirena IUD which released tons of artificial progestin into storage in my fat cells. They all apparently poured out when the IUD was extracted 2+ years ago and only recently abated for the most part. FYI Synthetic hormones S*CK. They are endocrine disruptors and scr*w the adrenals, cortisol, insulin, body fat, libido, bone density, gut/B12 absorption and thousands of other different pathways and biochemical cascades.

Programs like Track My B*tch and Code Red are discussed by Esquire's sex columnist, Ms. Stacey Grenrock Woods and her recent article in the August issue, How to Track Her Period. Digitally.

OMG HILARIOUS.

She is so goooood. I dig her archives.



MonthlyInfo.com

My friends know I'm awful with my calendar, and worse, knowing when I'm doing things... like ovulating... or about to have my period. Honestly 27-28 day cycles are hard to track.

Anyway. Ms. Woods reviewed the iPhone apps out there for the value of preventing a homicide from the consequences of PMS ('pack-my-suitcase') females syndromes and potential benefits. *haa* Men. Take note. $1.99 is little to pay to stay out of our way.




Track Fertility

For those trying to coordinate the fusion of a sperm and an egg... these are cool devices! I like the neat calendar, export features and data entry (I put in signs of high estrogen days, e.g. SKINNY days, and the estrogen withdrawal days, e.g. FAT-ATTEND-XFIT days).



Concealed Conception

I first read about this concept, concealed conception, in Sex at Dawn and The Red Queen, and realized, yes, humans are quite special. Other than certain bird species, we are one of the few animals with concealed conception where obvious signs of ovulation are hidden and extremely subtle. Yes. Grrrls don't even know. Vague scent and pheromones changes, hair/nail/skin slight luminosity, minuscule waist size declines, mood slightly chirpier, higher testosterone (better strength and performance) are insignificant indications of major hormone and mounting ovulatory action. Hormones. They can ROCK and RULE because they play an enormous role in human sexual evolution and survival. Female hormones vary daily. Or, some conjecture hourly *haa*. See top diagram. It's based on that egg-precursor. Men on the other hand hardly vary staying rock steady except when driving on the freeway and those rare moments of road rage.