If your body were a car…

Imagine that your body is a car, with a powerful V8 engine. It is fully optimised to run on diesel fuel and has a large capacity tank, however, for diesel only. But, unlike a car, it can adapt to run on different fuels, for some time. For example, most people eat carbohydrates that the body converts them to glucose in order to utilise as fuel. Glucose is a very explosive fuel and can be likened to nitrous oxide in our car analogy. The body can also run on alcohol, or ethanol, which will behave similarly to glucose.

Because both, glucose and alcohol, provide a lot of energy quickly, and let’s face it, most people have no need for that during their daily lives, the excess energy is stored. It’s like injecting nitrous oxide (N₂O) into your engine but driving to work in a heavy traffic. The clever engine management system will convert the excess nitrous oxide into diesel. Technically speaking, N₂O is not a fuel but greatly increases power. Running on it, however, has some ramifications like decreasing the life of the engine.

The first issue is that we have one tank – for diesel only. In case of a human body, the energy is stored as fat. You will never see mashed potatoes or pizza dough around people’s waists 🙂

The second issue, is that our engine management system will detect that there is no need to expend so much energy and will actually shut down some cylinders. The same power output can be achieved with running on 4 cylinders instead of 8. In our bodies, it is the mitochondria that are shut down inside our cells. This is also done to protect the cells from damage.

The problem with this kind of set up is that glucose needs to be endlessly supplied – usually by eating 5 times a day. This creates a vicious circle as more mitochondria are getting shut down with more intake of glucose. Towards the old age, you may find that your car runs only on 1 or 2 cylinders. This process can also be described as an addiction.

To recognise the symptoms of this happening, you just need to observe your daily energy levels and food intake together with cravings. If you just had pasta for lunch but an hour or two later you feel like having a donut with your afternoon coffee, chances are that glucose supply has run out and you need a refill.

If your weight and waist circumference are slowly (or quickly) creeping up and no amount of exercise is reducing it, then it is another sign of running on wrong fuel.

How hard is it to reverse the situation? It depends on the level of addiction and how many cylinders are actually still functioning. It will be easier to recover from 6 cylinders than from 2. Your car is designed to run on diesel, as shown by the tank type, therefore diesel is the only fuel to be used long term. In the absence of carbohydrates, the clever engine management system will start firing up the unused mitochondria. The process usually starts after about 3 days, but can take much longer.

It took a few days for me to convert to no carb diet. However, the memory of eating them stayed with me for a long time. Even 2 years later, I still experienced slight cravings when walking past a bakery in the morning. Some of my friends on the other hand, tortured themselves for 2 weeks without carbs, only to give up and proclaim that it is impossible to live without them.

In my opinion, it is easiest to go cold-turkey and have 0 carbs even though most keto diets allow 20 to 40 grams of carbs per day. This is totally unnecessary and only serves to prolong the pain. Will you be ever able to eat carbs again? The answer is that once in a while it won’t hurt. Occasionally, once per few months, I allow myself some bread or cake but make sure that I don’t do it for more than 2 days in a row as not to get the body into this habit and start shutting down the mitochondria.

However, when your body is totally used to ketones (fats), the carbs just don’t taste the same. Actually, it’s not taste, but you just don’t derive the same pleasure from eating them as before. Most likely, it must have something to do with cascading hormonal rush that follows carb ingestion. Carbs will also cause a hormonal imbalance that will have a much more long-term effect.

In summary, next time you drive to the service station to fill up your car, have a look at what it says on the fuel tank cover. If it says diesel only, please do not put in any unleaded, super, or E10. It may not end well for the engine.

You can’t detox by adding more toxins

The popular saying “fight fire with fire” does not apply here.

All ailments are caused by toxicity. Toxins are everywhere and as they accumulate, the body is trying to get rid of them. Unfortunately, the process of cleansing is not pleasant and we usually call them some disease. For example, body expels some toxins through the mucous tissue and doing so creates mucus. To speed up the process, the heart rate and temperature goes up, and now we have flu symptoms. We are feeling down since cleansing is an energy-intensive process, so we spend a day or two in bed.

So what’s the solution? Most people will reach for a bottle of some medication. Some will be against pharmaceuticals and attempt to treat it with natural substances like garlic. But just because garlic is natural, it does not mean that it is not toxic. Since it contains sulphides, phytochemicals and many other ingredients, it does have an effect on many microorganisms and people think it’s good. But if it kills bacteria and parasites, it means it has a toxic effect. Just like drugs – antibiotics – they’re both toxic. It’s just the dose here that matters, only enough to kill off tiny life forms.

The only remedy for toxic load is no toxins. Let the body cleanse and take care of itself as it was designed to. There’s a lot of talk on the internet about taking NAC or pine needle tea (or any other substance) to detox from something else recently. NAC is not natural as it was developed as a drug. Pine needle tea is in effect an extract of some water soluble substances from plants. Why do plants have toxins? The make them as a defense mechanism since they do not have teeth and claws like animals. Piling up more toxins into the body does not make sense. Only elimination of all toxin intake can help. Also, clean water with a pinch of sea salt to support body’s need for electrolytes.

Does dehydration cause headaches?

Yes, and, no. Or, should I say, indirectly it does. Let me explain.

The brain itself doe not feel the pain. It’s usually the sinuses, or meninges. When the meninges, which is the membrane around the brain, inflames or swells up, it presses on the nerves around and causes a pain sensation.

But why does it swell up? That’s a good question. Because of chronic dehydration. The body tries to undo the damage of dehydration by occasionally forcefully hydrating the dehydrating tissue with fluids.

So, while dehydrated, there is obviously no pain at all. This can be happening slowly over years or even decades without any symptoms. And then suddenly something will trigger the hydration and all hell’s breaking loose. It’s easy then to blame it on some innocent bystander like having too many beers the night before 🙂

Similarly, the pressure in the sinuses can have the same effect. This can be due to infection or allergies causing extra mucus which looks awfully like extra hydration in that area.

So, ultimately, it is the dehydration that is the culprit and ultimately it’s the healing that causes the pain. But what causes dehydration? That might be a topic for another article.

If humans had to eat 4 times a day…

… or even 3 times, we would not have survived as species.

Just imagine, you’re on a hunt, tracking a deer through a forest for the third day in a row without a single meal. Maybe you had some jerky with you, but that’s long gone. It’s winter, snow all around, at least you can melt some in your mouth when thirsty. But it’s freezing, and going is tough through the deep snow. You have family back in the village and they all rely on you getting that deer…

How far do you think you’d get if you had to stop every 3 hours for something to eat? Every minute of delay would give the prey an advantage and chance to lose the hunter. Back before the convenience of being able to grab food any time from a supermarket, people had to be able to survive for days without eating. Back before the “invention” of carbohydrates…

Hunters/gatherers did not have access to dietary glucose on daily basis and their bodies were mostly in ketosis. This means that they could easily rely on their own storage of energy for extended periods of time without too much loss of performance. Seasonal fruit usually only offered fructose and its glycemic index is very low.

My own experience is that 3 day fast has not affected my performance. At the end of the third day, I ate about 100g of cheese and went straight to the gym. I did my usual leg workout on that night. Sometimes at work there is no time or opportunity to eat for most of the day and these situations have absolutely no bad effect on me. This is the advantage of the keto diet. About 4 years now. Most of the days I have 2 meals and am working towards one meal a day (OMAD).

Big muscles are not just for the looks

Well, looks are important, especially if you’re over 50 and don’t want to look like a statistic 🙂 Also, you’re less likely to be picked on by bullies if you look muscular.

Of course, there are other benefits, like functional strength which can help with independence and mobility. Muscles can also be thought of as storage of energy. However, here’s a kicker – muscles have now been linked to a stronger immune system!

This recent study shows that skeletal muscles are acting as a safe haven for immune cells where they can “hide” and be protected from chronic inflammation. Mice with more muscle were shown to cope much better with chronic viral infections than the ones with less muscle.

Furthermore, this earlier review, shows skeletal muscle as a potential regulator of immune system function. However, immune cells also influence muscle mass and function. So, it looks like there is a two-way link between muscles and the immune system. Who would have thought that by going to the gym you can stave off colds and flues?

What I found extremely fascinating, is Dr Jerry Tennant’s electric theory of the body. Here, he postulates that in order to be stay healthy, cells require a certain level of voltage and if it drops, then chronic diseases ensure. Muscles, in this theory, act like batteries and are part of bigger electric circuits in the body. The bigger the muscle, the more energy it can store.

Currently, we live in uncertain times and all you have to do is turn on the TV to see images doom and gloom caused by a virus. But you don’t need to live in fear – you can take control, start lifting and know that you are not just improving your looks but more importantly, your health and immunity.

Sardines, sardines… why I like sardines

For me, sardines are keto food. They are full of protein and, if you like them in oil, full of fat. In other words, pure goodness 🙂

However, I want to point something entirely different in this article. Something more to do with the current pandemic and it’s side effects. No, not the fact that sardines are high in omega-3 fatty acids that are beneficial in fighting inflammation.

Also, not the fact that one can of sardines contains half your daily dose of vitamin D which is in the news lately. And not that they contain selenium, as well as, highly bioavailable calcium and phosphorus.

No. Right now, in my opinion, the most valuable attribute of canned sardines is the fact that they can last forever.

One fallout from the current pandemic is that price of oil is crashing. Not olive oil, though, but the oil that makes fuels like petroleum and diesel. Although, to be honest, this situation has been brewing up for a while and for other reasons. So, petrol should be cheaper, right? And that’s a good thing, right? Yes, but I think, only up to a point.

A week or so ago, oil went negative. If this continues then oil producers will not have money to pay workers and will shut down. This will result in fuel shortages. No fuel, no food production or delivery. Farming equipment runs on oil. Trucks delivering the produce also run on oil. The consequence of all of this will be food shortages.

And that’s where the humble can of sardines can save the day. As long, of course, as you have plenty of them in the pantry. To be fair, salmon, mackerels, herrings or tuna will also do. Any canned food will do as it is non-perishable and can provide the buffer for hard times. I just like sardines 🙂

And if I’m wrong, no harm done – the sardines can sit there, in the pantry, for another year…

Stay safe

I’ve been a bit slack lately and haven’t written anything in over a year. I have thought about writing and have had many ideas, however, I’ve re-discovered Sid Meiers Civilization and that’s been taking up most of my time. I’ve been going to the gym, though, just not gaming. Now, during the virus outbreak, and staying home, I’m playing even more. Gyms are closed but I have some basic equipment in the garage and can do about 90% of what I want to do. Virus, or Civ, there is no excuse for not exercising! 🙂

Having said that, I am following the news and trying to figure the way to stay safe in these unprecedented times. We all already know the basics, that are repeated to us every minute of every day, like, wash your hands and stay home. But is there anything else we can do to stay better protected? I think there is. Here’s a small collection of articles or studies that are not even being mentioned on the mainstream news channels. I thought they are interesting and wanted to share them here.

This study addresses influenza vaccine and respiratory virus interference. While providing protection against the flu and similar, the vaccine interference for coronavirus was significant. In other words, vaccinated subjects had a higher risk of coronavirus infections. The study is a couple of years old and performed by the Department of Defense.

In this most recent study from China, it was observed that COVID-19 patients had low serum cholesterol levels. It doesn’t, however, say whether low cholesterol was contributing to the infection, or the result of.

Now, this article raises a few questions. While everyone thinks that the virus started in Wuhan, China, there are some cases in South Korea and Italy that cannot be traced back to China. This could mean that the virus has been with us unnoticed for much longer and not necessarily what the article suggests… It also suggests that ibuprofen can increase the risk of the infection.

In the early stages of this pandemic, the mayor of Florence, Italy, has encouraged people to hug a Chinese in order to discourage racism. This opinion states that this virtue signalling has actually contributed to the large number of infections in Italy. Hugging is probably unthinkable at the moment, no matter what race…

And, I saved the best for last. Although, this experiment was not done on coronavirus but on influenza, it shows that keto diet is superior when it comes down to surviving the virus. Mice fed ketogenic diet had a higher survival rate than mice fed high-carb, or normal, diet. At least, by not catching the flu, the burden on hospitals can be  minimized in these times. And at best, although not specified, the triggering of the immune cells could also help against other viruses, like the one that is constantly in the news.

Hope it helps, but as always keep your distance and wash your hands. Hand washing is actually more effective at removing viruses than alcohol based sanitizer, according to this article. Again, study was not done on coronavirus but can be assumed that it if works on cold and flu viruses, it should also apply here. Oops, I slipped one more in even after saying the previous one was the last one – my bad 🙂

Make it count

Every time I’m in the gym I see dead people 🙂 Or, zombies 🙂

What I mean is people who come in for the sake of coming in. They sit there on the stationary bike moving their legs with with an enthusiasm of a fly covered in molasses while checking Facebook on the phone… It’s like they think that just turning up to the gym will make a difference. Maybe it just gives them a warm feeling in their pants. They can get the same effect just by peeing themselves 🙂

Others have a full on conversation during their set. Obviously, they are not exerting themselves if they can talk during lifting. Needless to say, they are not getting the results they want. I’m not saying you can’t socialize while there, but give the exercise your full attention.

So, if you have spent the money to join a gym, and making the effort to actually turn up, make it count! If you’re lifting, aim for 8-12 reps per set and adjust the weight so that after the last rep you couldn’t do even one more. Alternatively, you can slow down the descent of a lower weight (eccentric part) and control the number of reps this way.

The most important aspect of a workout is intensity. If you’re on a bike or treadmill, then put some effort in as well. Again, if you can talk, then speed it up a bit. What works even better, is interval training where you sprint for a short period, and then jog for a while to recover your breath. The aim here is to get puffed out during the sprint phase, so no talking! And if you’ve done it correctly, then talking during recovery phase will be difficult. How long should the sprint phase be? Again it depends on the intensity. I’ve done 15 second sprints on an elliptical machine and managed to get my heart rate to over 200 bpm, but 30 second sprints would be ok, too (with less intensity, of course).

So, put on some metal (or any other high energy music) on your headphones and hit the gym with all you’ve got! You’ll get through your workout faster and have more time for other things. Also, headphones on your ears will discourage others from making empty conversations and wasting your time.

How safe is fluoride?

A controversy about it has been raging even since fluoride’s been being added to the drinking water. And toothpaste, and other dental products.

For generations we have been told how good this poison is for our teeth. Well, not everyone agrees with this narrative.

And now we have the authorities (CDC) slowly backing out of what they were saying for such a long time. This article basically says that less toothpaste is better because of the contained fluoride. What is this article if not an admission that fluoride is a poison?

If your aim is fitness and health, any toxic material in the body will prevent it or slow it down. The body will be wasting precious resources on trying to eliminate it, rather than building muscle or fight any possible infections.

First (recorded) case of Vegan Rage?

Warning – this may upset some people!

Well, it can be thought of this way…
The story of Cain and Abel, as told in Genesis book of the Bible, tells us that Cain killed Abel out of jealousy due to Lord rejecting his offering of fruits of the land while accepting Abel’s offering of meat. So the Lord punished him by banishment.

The point I’m trying to make, is that if God preferred meat over plant matter, shouldn’t we also eat meat? After all, God made us in his image. If we take this story from the Bible literally, then we can conclude that animal diet is preferred to a vegetable based one.

Obviously, we have a few bits and pieces missing here, as the story further continues to say that Cain wandered to the land of Nod where he built a city and fathered a line of descendants. Whom with? – is the first question. After all, he was the first child of Adam and Eve and Abel was the second. Were there other humans around? Obviously he didn’t build a city by himself unless he and his sister (must have been the one that followed him) multiplied like rabbits and lived extremely long. You need a lot of manpower to build a city… There could be other details missing in this story prior to, or during, the incident. Was there an argument? One that maybe lead to a fight? A provocation?

Another thing to note, is that while Adam and Eve got evicted from Eden, God is still in contact with them. So much for being on their own…

Anyway, there are other interpretations of this story with some alluding to Cain’s father being Lord or even Satan instead of Adam. And from John 3:12:
“Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous.” So, this can also be interpreted that children of Satan eat plants while children of God eat meat.

According to this story at least, veganism seems to be inferior to meat eating. It could even make you evil 🙂 However, these days in our society it is actually frowned upon meat eating. It is being assaulted on many fronts: health, cruelty to animals, environmental, and the big one, climate change. And these assaults are getting more frequent now. It looks like the devil has infiltrated our society and wants us to become like him – even Hitler may have been vegetarian. So don’t be evil – eat meat 🙂