It has been a year since I did my second version of Jack Kruse's leptin reset.
This week, I found and read through a little notebook with notes on the reset. At the time, I had planned several trips out of town, and so I wanted a compact format. This was also at the time when I started having lots of trouble with those [redacted]people, so I was reluctant to rely upon either them or any other computerized tracking system. After my trips, I abandoned the little notebook, so it was fun reading through it again.
I had started the leptin reset in the summer of 2011 when my lowish carb diet wasn't working well. In May, I started a couple of days of strict low carb, and then Drs. Eades free Metabosol came in the mail. I did the Metabosol throughout the first weeks in June, but after a few pizza meals, I was back to where I started, even up a couple of pounds, so I decided to abandon that plan and start the leptin reset in earnest in July.
By the beginning of that August, I had lost around 5 pounds on the leptin reset, was feeling much better and controlling carb cravings like never before. But, the success was short-lived, and I resumed my difficulty with carbs and gained all the weight and then some by fall.
In January 2012, I did the leptin reset again, this time for about 6 weeks before starting back in with the exercise. I lost more weight this time, and a total of around 15 pounds by the end of the "Paleo on 100 dollars a month challenge" in March. By this time, I had also started CT.
Throughout the summer, I added in a few more carbs, and quit monitoring my food and weight so regularly. The result was that I gained back the weight. By the beginning of 2013 I was exactly the same weight as I was the year before, but with some differences.
No chronic cardio, no regular strength training. I just live my regular active life, go on hikes here and there, and stretch if I feel un-stretchy.
Work like crazy to get wheat out of my diet. I realize now how delicate my improvements are, and how easy it is to get completely out of balance.
Eliminated the need for sleep medication. I started using progesterone, which has helped in so many ways. Even though it has contributed to my weight gain, it has made me much more accommodating to all types of stresses, like from heat and exercise. I also respond to carbohydrates differently, which can be alternatively a good thing and a dangerous thing. I think I am much more careful with carbohydrates while on progesterone because, while I can take a few more hits, when things go south, they go south much more rapidly.
Better body proportions. I weigh more but my clothing fits differently. People say I look better, younger and my skin is much better.
CT around once or twice a week. This usually involves going to the beach at least once a week and getting in the water for quite a long time, taking mostly cold showers and being in cold air some part of the day except for in the summer.
Moving back more towards a macrobiotic-but-grain-free diet consisting of more seafood, sea vegetables and seasonal food. I was never on strict epi-paleo. My carb and vegetable consumption is much higher. Not as high as what Dr. Wahls recommends, but much higher than what Jack recommends.
Lab-free. I haven't been sick, haven't been to the doctor for awhile, and I don't even know what my cholesterol levels are. I have my blood pressure measured when I give blood, and it is at high-school level (110/70).
I know how to get back on track. When the diet is hard to follow and I am craving carbs, I know I have moved from fat-burning territory back into carb-burning. The best way I have found to get back is to use Metabosol for a few days and also some CT.
Here are the conclusions I have made about the leptin reset:
1. The results are not permanent. I need to continue to be vigilant about diet. ANY higher-carb diet that I eat to satiety results in weight gain.
2. CT does not work for weight loss.
In the coming months, I'll be eating a basic whole foods low carb diet, with seasonal fruits and vegetables. I plan on a lifestyle of "deep seasonality". During the past months, while reading up on macrobiotics in prep for some blog posts, I really did see how much many similarities between where paleo is going and where macrobiotics already is.
During the past few weeks, I have also noticed that in the vegan, low carb, and Kruse-world communities, despite the advances in diet choices, lots of people are still mean and nasty. I found the Optimal Health Cave, but I immediately started having problems with some very difficult people on both sides of the current argument over the validity of some of Jack's EMF theories. So, I am trying to pull myself out of all that muck while I unfriend or "foe" certain people, and try my best not to be that way myself.
While I am not following the Leptin Reset to the letter anymore, I do think that while Dr. Kruse's understanding of physics and electronics seems atrocious, I think there is really something to the idea that EMF is polluting. I will continue my research and experimentation on this subject, but mostly off-line. I really agree with Jack, that there were some "askholes" on his site, and I am just not going to deal with their crap, so the best way to do that is to keep in touch with my IRL friends who know quite a bit about grounding and faraday cages. But, I was extremely disappointed in Jack's responses to many other participants, who had deep and real questions and concerns that I think need to be dealt with. Jack needs to understand that if his theories are so mind-blowing, groundbreaking, and life-changing, then why is he still a Jackhole? Slamming people on minor technicalities alternating with the posting of pithy motivational phrases lifted from others indicates he still has some balance work to do. It is true, people who insist that they have all the answers to the universe are held to a higher standard of behavior.
Recently, dealing with some of these people was like dealing with some of the Paleo/lc debates. I am not into debate, I am into inquiry, discussion and exploration, and finding things that work. Sooner or later, any fine discussion gets taken over by the high school debate teams, full of those pimply-faced nerds who couldn't even get on the "C" basketball team, which muck it up for every true seeker. I think nothing is ever settled by debate, only things torn down.
That means I'll be reconnecting with that neighborhood nerdy kid who became an astrophysicist, that radio guy who builds faraday cages as a hobby, and others who effing love science.
Showing posts with label grounding. Show all posts
Showing posts with label grounding. Show all posts
Friday, March 1, 2013
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Slouching towards Macrobiotics - Who thought of it first? - Part 1
It seems like there is this common pattern.
Passionate guru/longevity-expert bursts on the scene, after some serious revelation, filling the world with his ideas for getting healthy, staying lean, and living the (real) high life. Some aren't impressed, especially the food fascists like dietitians, who declare the recommended diet to be unhealthful because "it eliminates too many healthy foods", particularly fruits and vegetables and even dairy.
But soon, sick and forgotten groupies flock to the program, and they feel better for doing it, despite the sacrifices. It is said to cure or eliminate cancer.
It is not just a diet, but it is a lifestyle. In addition to the diet rules, which are based on a balance of cosmic and earth energies that science cannot seem to prove or disprove, participants are told that where they live matters in respect to their health, intelligence and reproductive fitness. They follow an organic whole-foods seasonal diet, make fermented foods, enjoy plenty of the fruits of the sea, cook on a gas or wood stove (no microwave here, ma'am!). They keep their homes simple, full of natural stone floors, simple furnishings, natural heating methods, natural lighting. There is no room for plastic shoes, plastic take-out containers, plastic clothing, plastic anything, really. Clocks, TV, other electrical appliances, well, not in the bedroom please, and no eating right before bed. There should be fresh air and time spent outdoors every day, and of course, no fluorescent lights when indoors, and TV and computer use is strictly limited, because electro-magnetic radiation is unhealthy, unless of course, you're playing at an ocean beach.
It is weird. The participants buy weird food, eat weird, dress weird, live weird. Their families can be supportive, or not. All the regular gurus are not supportive. It is a dangerous fad. This guy is nuts. It is fake. Don't do it. Yes, you can eventually get down to two meals a day, but who cares?
The guru was fond of admonishing his followers for not following local, seasonal activities, but then his proclamations were made based upon his own locale. Still, there was not alot of wiggle-room on the rules, no matter where participants lived. Of course, abut the worst thing one could do is eat a banana in winter in Canada. The second worst thing would be to eat a banana in the summer in Canada.
Some of the controversial conclusions of the guru involve the differences between men and women, and the differences (including intelligence) between people's living at different parts of the globe. This belief results in the intention of the participants to move to different parts of the globe and to look down on other cultures as less in intelligence and certainly health. Some lament, why can't it just be about a few diet rules? Why do I have to remodel my whole house, re-do my cooking equipment, or move altogether? And then there is all the accompanying woo-woo philosophy...Cosmic and earth energy raining down (and up?) on us, encouraged or discouraged by our food choices....syncretic adoption of Asian spirituality....dependence on mountaintop retreats and revelations...circles and spirals of improvement, just like the tides.....and that stupid idea that any participant/groupie had to run anything up the guru flagpole in order to find out if it was safe to eat, wear, whatever......it will all be revealed shortly.....
If you think I am talkin' about Jack Kruse, here, you'd be wrong. It's about Michio Kushi, a popular choice for the founder of modern macrobiotics. Hey, but what about the others? Ever heard of Dr. Hufeland? I never heard of him either. Michio is the guy who wrote some books about it more recently and started the expensive seminars. I guess that is why he gets to be the guy who takes all the credit. Certainly not Don Matesz.
P.S. as for the shameless title theft, thank you Dr. Feinman. And, of course, This.
Passionate guru/longevity-expert bursts on the scene, after some serious revelation, filling the world with his ideas for getting healthy, staying lean, and living the (real) high life. Some aren't impressed, especially the food fascists like dietitians, who declare the recommended diet to be unhealthful because "it eliminates too many healthy foods", particularly fruits and vegetables and even dairy.
But soon, sick and forgotten groupies flock to the program, and they feel better for doing it, despite the sacrifices. It is said to cure or eliminate cancer.
It is not just a diet, but it is a lifestyle. In addition to the diet rules, which are based on a balance of cosmic and earth energies that science cannot seem to prove or disprove, participants are told that where they live matters in respect to their health, intelligence and reproductive fitness. They follow an organic whole-foods seasonal diet, make fermented foods, enjoy plenty of the fruits of the sea, cook on a gas or wood stove (no microwave here, ma'am!). They keep their homes simple, full of natural stone floors, simple furnishings, natural heating methods, natural lighting. There is no room for plastic shoes, plastic take-out containers, plastic clothing, plastic anything, really. Clocks, TV, other electrical appliances, well, not in the bedroom please, and no eating right before bed. There should be fresh air and time spent outdoors every day, and of course, no fluorescent lights when indoors, and TV and computer use is strictly limited, because electro-magnetic radiation is unhealthy, unless of course, you're playing at an ocean beach.
It is weird. The participants buy weird food, eat weird, dress weird, live weird. Their families can be supportive, or not. All the regular gurus are not supportive. It is a dangerous fad. This guy is nuts. It is fake. Don't do it. Yes, you can eventually get down to two meals a day, but who cares?
The guru was fond of admonishing his followers for not following local, seasonal activities, but then his proclamations were made based upon his own locale. Still, there was not alot of wiggle-room on the rules, no matter where participants lived. Of course, abut the worst thing one could do is eat a banana in winter in Canada. The second worst thing would be to eat a banana in the summer in Canada.
Some of the controversial conclusions of the guru involve the differences between men and women, and the differences (including intelligence) between people's living at different parts of the globe. This belief results in the intention of the participants to move to different parts of the globe and to look down on other cultures as less in intelligence and certainly health. Some lament, why can't it just be about a few diet rules? Why do I have to remodel my whole house, re-do my cooking equipment, or move altogether? And then there is all the accompanying woo-woo philosophy...Cosmic and earth energy raining down (and up?) on us, encouraged or discouraged by our food choices....syncretic adoption of Asian spirituality....dependence on mountaintop retreats and revelations...circles and spirals of improvement, just like the tides.....and that stupid idea that any participant/groupie had to run anything up the guru flagpole in order to find out if it was safe to eat, wear, whatever......it will all be revealed shortly.....
If you think I am talkin' about Jack Kruse, here, you'd be wrong. It's about Michio Kushi, a popular choice for the founder of modern macrobiotics. Hey, but what about the others? Ever heard of Dr. Hufeland? I never heard of him either. Michio is the guy who wrote some books about it more recently and started the expensive seminars. I guess that is why he gets to be the guy who takes all the credit. Certainly not Don Matesz.
P.S. as for the shameless title theft, thank you Dr. Feinman. And, of course, This.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Well, Gee....
I am still reading Dr. Kruse's latest blog post, but this one has been bugging me so I'll discuss it now.
Jack says that the 4G phones are so bad because of all that high frequency stuff.
The "G" in the phone is not gigaherz, or even grounding, gravity, goose liver. It's GENERATION.
A long long time ago, back when electronics was all analog, different folks were allocated various amounts of bandwidth to do all their fun radio and cosmic ray stuff. The voice radio we all know and love has a fairly wide band, to make sure that voice quality is adequate.
As radios became more sophisticated and bandwidth availability became tight, it became easier to design phones and other devices with faster less-error-prone data transfer while keeping the bandwidth as small as possible. Back in the old ham radio days, everyone knew that you could transer Morse code messages much farther distances with the same power than a full voice, because they were basically just clicks.
Later and later generations of cell phone data protocols went from a digital/analog combo to full digital, with increasing improvements in speed. The way this was done was to go from full voice to just a bunch of really fast clicks. Along with the explosion in the use of wireless devices, additional bandwidth at higher frequencies was allocated, but again, the overall power of the devices was minimized compared to the earlier models. Every time the changes were great enough, a new Generation was named.
Oh, heck, what do I know? I don't have a cell phone. I have a land-line with a handset with a real cord with power supplied from the phone company. Why you ask? OK, this home is a geekdom, we have all sorts of phones and wireless devices, and of course that wirefull phone we use during an earthquake when the regular power is down and we want to call mom and tell her we are still alive.
Jack says that the 4G phones are so bad because of all that high frequency stuff.
The "G" in the phone is not gigaherz, or even grounding, gravity, goose liver. It's GENERATION.
A long long time ago, back when electronics was all analog, different folks were allocated various amounts of bandwidth to do all their fun radio and cosmic ray stuff. The voice radio we all know and love has a fairly wide band, to make sure that voice quality is adequate.
As radios became more sophisticated and bandwidth availability became tight, it became easier to design phones and other devices with faster less-error-prone data transfer while keeping the bandwidth as small as possible. Back in the old ham radio days, everyone knew that you could transer Morse code messages much farther distances with the same power than a full voice, because they were basically just clicks.
Later and later generations of cell phone data protocols went from a digital/analog combo to full digital, with increasing improvements in speed. The way this was done was to go from full voice to just a bunch of really fast clicks. Along with the explosion in the use of wireless devices, additional bandwidth at higher frequencies was allocated, but again, the overall power of the devices was minimized compared to the earlier models. Every time the changes were great enough, a new Generation was named.
Oh, heck, what do I know? I don't have a cell phone. I have a land-line with a handset with a real cord with power supplied from the phone company. Why you ask? OK, this home is a geekdom, we have all sorts of phones and wireless devices, and of course that wirefull phone we use during an earthquake when the regular power is down and we want to call mom and tell her we are still alive.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
The Answer to the Universe - Why I am not a Webinarian
Jack Kruse posted his epic ("I promise") blog post today.
I'll admit that after scanning it I was unimpressed, but after sleeping on it, I decided to give it a good read-through before I blast it to pieces. What I can say about it now is, "Jack! Get an editor!!!" And gee, get a physicist.
OK, I have lots to say on this topic, and in case you were wondering, as a "Known Follower Of Jack Kruse" I do still read him and pay attention to lots of what he says. He always makes more sense when he is talking over when you are reading him.
This post is more of a place-holder than anything, but I will leave my careful readers with a little story. A buddy of mine used to have a high-powered job. Lots of money. Lots of deadlines. Lots of frequent flyer miles. You get the picture.
Eventually the stress and circadian disruption affected his sleep to the point he was unable to sleep at all. And I know you are thinking, this can't be good, and it wasn't.
Pressured by his friends and business associates to take a break, he planned a visit to an exciting, bustling mega-city. At the last minute, he cancelled his trip to go to some unnamed solitary place. When a friend suggested Arizona, he agreed that it might be a good choice.
Arizona is the home of many beautiful places, and after visiting a few places, he headed to Sedona. After a day at Sedona, he cancelled the rest of his trip. He had the most amazing night of sleep, and longed to go back to the place that allowed him to start to regain his health.
After the trip to Sedona, my friend changed his whole way of life in exchange for his health. It seemed like a good trade-off at the time. Later on, as opportunities to re-enter his former crazy life appeared, he resisted.
Since that time, I have followed my friend's lead. I have changed my whole way of life, too. Every once in awhile I think it wouldn't be so bad to have another crazy job and make a ton of money. But I have been able to rearrange my career so that I have the flexibility to wake up with the sun, go to bed with the sunset, visit the beach on a whim if the waves are right, and remove myself from "neo-lithic agents of disease" like cell-phones, TPS reports, high-heeled shoes, traffic jams, cube farms and fluorescent lighting. Is all the extra money worth it?
Following my path has also meant a change in finances. I just had to laugh when Jack said that the original cost of his webinar was about the same as a theater ticket. Does he have any idea the size of my infotainment budget? (I do get to the theater from time to time through trade, barter, freebies and other generosities from random and assorted people.) My choice of lifestyle enables me to get to the beach and put my toes in the water, but I haven't a clue what my Pg/E2 ratio is. I am one of the unwashed masses who "did not take the initiative" to become a member of one of the precious metals klubz along with thousands of dollars of quarterly testing. I am afraid I can only afford the aluminum klub membership. My cholesterol report does not even include the fluffy kind.
Jack may know all about quantum biology and all that stuff, but he seems to have hit a snag on seeing the difference between not having any money and living in poverty. I think that while many in the paleo cesspool have re-thought that old idea that all fat people are lazy and stupid, I don't think all of us have extended that same line of thought to poor people. Are all people who don't buy the webinars lazy, stupid and unmotivated?
I was encouraged by Jack's recent decision to offer the leptin reset to all levels of membership. This is a wonderful start.
I'll admit that after scanning it I was unimpressed, but after sleeping on it, I decided to give it a good read-through before I blast it to pieces. What I can say about it now is, "Jack! Get an editor!!!" And gee, get a physicist.
OK, I have lots to say on this topic, and in case you were wondering, as a "Known Follower Of Jack Kruse" I do still read him and pay attention to lots of what he says. He always makes more sense when he is talking over when you are reading him.
This post is more of a place-holder than anything, but I will leave my careful readers with a little story. A buddy of mine used to have a high-powered job. Lots of money. Lots of deadlines. Lots of frequent flyer miles. You get the picture.
Eventually the stress and circadian disruption affected his sleep to the point he was unable to sleep at all. And I know you are thinking, this can't be good, and it wasn't.
Pressured by his friends and business associates to take a break, he planned a visit to an exciting, bustling mega-city. At the last minute, he cancelled his trip to go to some unnamed solitary place. When a friend suggested Arizona, he agreed that it might be a good choice.
Arizona is the home of many beautiful places, and after visiting a few places, he headed to Sedona. After a day at Sedona, he cancelled the rest of his trip. He had the most amazing night of sleep, and longed to go back to the place that allowed him to start to regain his health.
After the trip to Sedona, my friend changed his whole way of life in exchange for his health. It seemed like a good trade-off at the time. Later on, as opportunities to re-enter his former crazy life appeared, he resisted.
Since that time, I have followed my friend's lead. I have changed my whole way of life, too. Every once in awhile I think it wouldn't be so bad to have another crazy job and make a ton of money. But I have been able to rearrange my career so that I have the flexibility to wake up with the sun, go to bed with the sunset, visit the beach on a whim if the waves are right, and remove myself from "neo-lithic agents of disease" like cell-phones, TPS reports, high-heeled shoes, traffic jams, cube farms and fluorescent lighting. Is all the extra money worth it?
Following my path has also meant a change in finances. I just had to laugh when Jack said that the original cost of his webinar was about the same as a theater ticket. Does he have any idea the size of my infotainment budget? (I do get to the theater from time to time through trade, barter, freebies and other generosities from random and assorted people.) My choice of lifestyle enables me to get to the beach and put my toes in the water, but I haven't a clue what my Pg/E2 ratio is. I am one of the unwashed masses who "did not take the initiative" to become a member of one of the precious metals klubz along with thousands of dollars of quarterly testing. I am afraid I can only afford the aluminum klub membership. My cholesterol report does not even include the fluffy kind.
Jack may know all about quantum biology and all that stuff, but he seems to have hit a snag on seeing the difference between not having any money and living in poverty. I think that while many in the paleo cesspool have re-thought that old idea that all fat people are lazy and stupid, I don't think all of us have extended that same line of thought to poor people. Are all people who don't buy the webinars lazy, stupid and unmotivated?
I was encouraged by Jack's recent decision to offer the leptin reset to all levels of membership. This is a wonderful start.
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