Thoughts on the prevalence of addiction

From an offering to a loved one suffering with high blood pressure (hypertension), the most common form of post-industrial disease, and the most deadly:

--------------------------

May I gently suggest there are mountains, yes mountains, of evidence of every type that matters (studies and experiences of real people) that demonstrate a (salt oil sugar) "SOS free" plant based diet reverses hypertension with relative ease and speed.

A lot of people are swayed by the "dietary cholesterol isn't bad" idea, but IMHO it is critical to come to terms with the fact it's misinformation propagated by industry groups facing a collapse in profit, using "science" with deliberately flawed "models under test", and welcomed by good folks who don't want to have to forgo familiar foods and diets.

This actually falls into the category of addiction, which I know a little something about. And food is a particularly pernicious form of addiction because it's, well, food. But all addictions have certain things in common. And the term is misused frequently: "I'm addicted to walking 5 miles a day". That is not addiction, that is healthy practice.

Addiction: patterns of self destructive behaviors that fall into the category of "repetition compulsion" (one can't stop doing it easily). "Healthy addiction" is a misnomer, a contradiction in terms...there is no such thing.

Using the word addiction to denote healthy patterns robs it of its power. Why do we do that? To make ourselves feel better?

The key thing I learned about addiction came from quitting smoking, which I did several times, but once while I was in analysis, and could begin to "see" the mechanism that makes it so pernicious: we associate addictions with survival on an unconscious level. Read that again.

It gets a bit more complex. Everyone knows certain things are "bad for you" but are so addictive we cannot easily stop doing them. Smoking is an example, alcoholism and drug use is another. We "know" they are bad for us but we unconsciously associate them with survival. They are "food".  These unconscious "maladaptations" are formed primarily by family of origin, peer, and broad cultural influences, which we, again, unconsciously associate with survival. Individuals do this, entire cultures do this.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maladaptation

When we "know" something intellectually, but "believe" the opposite on an unconscious level, it sets up "unresolved inner conflict". We all have these, but too much of it is a disaster for emotional health. This is the reason we do "therapy" activities: when we "get ourselves on the same page", so to speak, life gets easier, and better.

Unresolved inner conflict resulting in addictive eating patterns are also a disaster for physical health.

When we have these unresolved inner conflicts on both the emotional health and physical health levels, which is not uncommon, we are in a tough situation and need help. I speak from personal experience. Be aware most forms of "therapy" deal with one of these two aspects, but give short shrift the other. We may need to avail ourselves of both modalities separately...they will "blend" internally, automagically.

Another important characteristic of addictive behaviors is "numbing of the senses". Heavy meals are numbing. This is "the fix" aspect of addictions. Other addictions involve stimulants that give quick bursts of energy, but longer term are a net reduction in energy. Any repetitive activities that alter consciousness but result in net reductions in health and vitality are addictions.

There are counter productive forms of physical activity, but they are relatively rare. An example might be "runners high", not an addiction for the majority of runners, but it can be. Is it a net gain or a net loss?

So addiction is complex, you have to discern the behavioral scale of it, a broad range, and where you are on it. This is a process that can take some time, but time very well spent. What is more important than your own well being?

Smokers can no longer "tell" smoking is bad for them, the signaling systems have been overwhelmed. Stop smoking for a year or two and then have a single cigarette. If you've never had this experience believe me it's a shock to think "I was doing this?" The good news is signaling systems are self repairing.

So in a way, it's all about repairing the signaling systems, and that is a process. It has stages, or can have, generally it's more efficient to take the bandage off quickly instead of one hair at a time. Cold turkey. But if gradual works better, do it that way.

The best way to change maladaptive behaviors is to change cultural groups to take advantage of a more functional set of conscious AND unconscious "survival messages". Intervention retreats introduce and reinforce the positive and are effective. They are the rough equivalent of "rehab" for addictions that are not broadly recognized as such.

These are the addictions that are even more difficult because they are not generally recognized as "bad for you". So then you are dealing with maladaptive survival associations on BOTH the conscious and unconscious level, a double whammy.

"Animal products are the highest quality source of protein" is a very stubborn one. This came from early but incorrect nutrition science, and it falls into the maladaptive unconscious pattern "if a little bit is good a lot is better", which is not true.

There is both too much and too little "nutrition", both are malnutrition, and then there is the correct amount. Broadly speaking science is still pretty clumsy with "correct amount", and there is way too much misinformation about something that is basically quite simple.

So how do we know how much is the correct amount? Eat a variety of whole plant foods until you are completely satisfied...do not worry about overeating. Done. Well it also includes stop consuming addiction "foods".

If you are overweight you will come down to your correct weight. If you are sick with post-industrial conditions you will get well.

BTW, "post-industrial conditions" is not a term you are likely to hear coming from your doctor. You have to be a little bit brave here, set out on your own adventure of health. If the man in the lab coat could save you he would have done it by now.

If you have a broken arm, by all means go see the man in the lab coat. If you have post-industrial health conditions eat plants, don't eat garbage.

"Malnutrition" is a huge problem in the developed world. How do we know? Why is "health care" so expensive? Why can't it fix us quickly and easily? Or even fix us at all?

Malnutrition in the developed world is caused by maladaptive thinking about what we consume as food. A serious problem that seems so complex (the forest of misinformation) is actually quite simple.

Here's a Google search on "low fat whole food plant based diets for blood pressure". There are intervention modalities when you need to put the pedal to the metal. Hypertension certainly qualifies.

link:

low fat whole food plant based diet for blood pressure

Science and Anecdotals

We know the problem with anecdotals - placebo effect. Everyone knows that.

Not many however talk about the problem with science...there are broad scale unconscious psychological reasons for that.

Neither do many talk much about the good aspects of anecdotals. Anecdotal experience is an unconscious process for the most part, which means predominated on a broad scale by instinct, and instinct is essentially a biological process. It's the wisdom of the body, the wisdom of survival.

Post industrial humans have in some measure, unfortunately, lost touch with instinct. "Science" is partly responsible for that, as is wishful thinking. We've bought into myths that are less than helpful in terms of health, and post industrial diseases continue ramping exponentially as a result.

What are the problems with the science of biology? It's an iterative process, especially when it comes to human biology (we are the least objective about ourselves). Models under test have to be continually refined, a process that can take decades. "Stable" knowledge emerges gradually, meanwhile there can be, typically are, many blind alleys. Reversals and revisions of "hard science" are the norm (in biologic research), not the exception.

Big pharma is connected in some way to most biological research, frequently hidden from view, but we call it hard science anyway. There are studies on this: where there is profit bias going in the conclusion almost always favors profit generation. Imagine that.

Most biological research has been "tainted" by this for years, so how do we know what to trust and which to view askance? It's not easy unless one is highly trained, so we rely on certain experts to interpret for us...but they are human, they may have biases also.

Anecdotals can be brought to the level of statistical certainty, it has to do with time durability and distribution of phenomena (population).

Signal to noise ratios in biologic research would be raised exponentially if statistically significant anecdotals and epidemiological studies were blended (filters in series) with controlled studies. All three of these perspectives are relevant but different, none are perfect.

A useful perspective to acquire is that biological "science" is resistant to a broadening of scope, it's a turf battle kind of thing, sharing the glory that was previously exclusive domain...and protecting a heck of a good profit generation model.

Bottom line is biology is tremendously complex, there is a very reasonable argument by brilliant folks (Campbell et al) that we are likely to never understand it fully.

Some things in nature, many things probably, are more complex than humans are intelligent. This is an instinctual blind spot common to most animal species, a defense against overwhelm.

Resources are typically scarce in nature, when they are plentiful instead populations tend to expand at an exponential rate, whereupon all resources are consumed, and then population undergoes a rapid collapse.

As we humans developed technological leverage over resources, coinciding roughly with the onset of the Industrial Revolution, global human population began an exponential expansion that accelerated again with the advent of fossil fuels for energy.

We humans have the same "unlimited growth" blindspot of all species in the circumstances of seemingly unlimited resources. Collectively we unconsciously presume there is no limit to "infinite" expansion thru the agency of technological leverage...we presume a sort of "manifest destiny" over the principles of nature, essentially a hubristic delusion.

Science and technology have given us wondrous and amazing things, but there's a dark side - overconsumption of resources, destruction of the ecology, destruction of our health with toxic technological substances masquerading as foods that overstimulate our senses and overwhelm our instinctive sense of proportion.

Science and technology got us into this mess, and we assume more and greater science and technology will get us out of it. Meanwhile collective humanity does not see the approaching edge of the cliff.

I have no idea if we humans will be able to overcome "instinctual hubris" and develop instead the ability to be guided by "limit principles" of nature. A broad grassroots movement to adopt a whole food plant based diet is certainly a step in the right direction. Concurrent to that would be the collective realization concentrated substances concocted in test tubes is a step in the wrong direction.

Filters in series that leverage biological intelligence, if we ever manage it, would be a great step forward in research on health and biology. We are not there yet.

As always, question everything, remain skeptical.

Caveat emptor.

5 Tips For Best Gut Health on a Vegan Diet

It's reassuring to see the upcoming generation of doctors increasingly aware of "the cause of health", the foundation of which is robust gut flora (microbiome). It's also interesting this is happening despite the fact medical doctors still get zero instruction on how to heal diet caused chronic conditions in medical school (big pharma still controls the curriculum). These docs are all about reversing chronic diseases and getting patients off prescription drugs that essentially insure disease for life.

In this brief 6 minute video Dr. Alan Desmond hits the high points of gut health.

Dr. Desmond has years of experience in diagnosing and treating patients with digestive problems; including celiac disease, diverticular disease, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

Dr. Alan really enjoys cooking and eating a varied, whole food, plant-based diet. He is a member of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland and a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, London. He is also a founding advisory board member for Plant-Based Health Professionals UK, a Charitable Organisation that works to improve education and awareness of the benefits of a healthy plant-based diet.

You can find Dr. Alan on Instagram @devongutdoctor and online at www.devongutdoctor.com

Sir David Attenborough's Moving Plea for Sanity in Humans

Is the collective suicide of our species "insanity"? By normal definitions of sanity it's a pretty easy case to make. But what if we're doing it "unconsciously"? Is that still "insanity"? Now we have a bigger and more complex question, which happens to be the one we're faced with at this particular time in our cultural evolution.

One thing becoming vegan has helped me to do is become more conscious about the scale and time critical aspect of this problem. This happens for many vegans as we begin to see what is good for our bodies and minds is equally good for our planet.

Most whole food planet based researchers and health practitioners agree that some modest amount of animal product consumption is not going to have negative impact on health. And some modest amount may actually be beneficial, most will agree the science is still a bit fuzzy on this point. What is not fuzzy however, is that this is a radically smaller amount than we have become used to consuming.

If the longest lived pre-industrial cultures are a guide it amounts to a few ounces of the stuff about once a week. Everything else is whole food plants. This has been established, among others, by National Geographic Explorer Dan Buettner's decade of work that resulted in the book The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest".

Although it is not yet commonly said among environmental activists, a global scale adoption of a plant based diet is the single most significant thing that could be done to reverse this critical predicament of "collective unconscious insanity" we find ourselves in. Many activists know this, but do not address it publicly because it is a "hot button" topic that may distract from the key point, which is to first realize the scale and criticality of the predicament. But, as I said, I did not see it myself until I became vegan.

Go for it, get healthy, and do your part to save our "mother" and our home...no kidding. True, it is not easy to change without good reliable sources of information, support, and even "intervention retreats" (which certainly helped me). These sources are becoming more common, which is helpful.

What we aren't eating is killing us, global study finds

A good friend sent this article over, and while it's kind of a chicken or egg argument (is it better to stop eating the bad stuff, or eat the good stuff?), I'm not going to nit pick because the overarching message is solid as a rock and so very important.

It's an interesting article (and study) from a number of angles. Here's the main problem, from the article:

"Getting back to whole grains is going to require a complete change in the economics of food production and distribution. Refining grains is highly profitable".

Link:

https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/03/health/diet-global-deaths-study/index.html

So let's see...which global force is the primary beneficiary of all that profit? Well lookie there, it's the good old US economy. The economy that sneezes and the rest of the world gets a cold (still). The one that remains in a critical crash prone state due primarily to very high levels of debt and "financial engineering" (leverage). The one that is highly resistant to any change that results in lower revenues flowing into the economy.

10x as many deaths from heart disease as cancer, but we're more afraid of, and concerned with, cancer - for good reason, it's a horrible way to go. At least heart disease is quick for many, first symptom is a fatal heart attack.

You wouldn't know listening to all the BS propaganda out there, but it's cold hard scientific fact that a diet with majority of calories coming from whole starch foods (whole grains and tubers), and fruits, with sufficient levels of other veggies (especially leafy greens), legumes, a few nuts and seeds, and completely devoid of the "three devils" sugar, oil, and salt, and a de minimis level of animal products, would collapse 80 % of the disease conditions we see in developed countries today.

We've "known" this since Hippocrates, but lately we've confused ourselves by conflating science with profit, bioengineering, and "body hacking".

We humans will never stop looking for the magic bullet. The one we shoot ourselves in the foot with over and over.

C'est la vie...this is a significant aspect of "the human condition". Intelligence is a double edged sword.

To end on a positive note, the seminal work on health for our time, The China Study, was published a short 15 years ago. Change will not be top down, the resistant economic forces are huge, and intractable. It will be bottom up. Keep spreading the word...