These Certain Musings

If there's one thing feeling sorry for myself is good for, it's for spurring me into action.  I hate feeling down (which I'm sure Pastor Bob would relate back to the fact I "don't do process" well).  So I dove into the final edits, checking of references and source materials, and basic formatting of my first wellness book.

It still needs so fixing and some polish, but it's close enough now I feel confident putting the final pieces in motion.

Between prepping the new dojo for its grand opening next week, and keeping up with all of life's other responsibilities, I've been working on Living With Bears--the wellness book focusing on stress and nutrition.  (I mention the standard stress advice in the book, but it instead focuses on the nutritional aspects that make that other stress advice feasible rather than unattainable.)

One of the nutrients I discuss is the mineral magnesium--a mineral the body uses for a multitude of processes that make a healthy life possible.  Magnesium levels influence cardiac health, muscular health, bone health, and mood.  I thought I'd share a bit of what I'm putting in the book.

The USDA estimates nearly 70% of Americans don't get enough magnesium from their diet.  It's increasingly hard to do.  Research in the US and the UK show a decline in the magnesium levels in foods considered "high" in the mineral.  Much of the decline is attributed to industrial farming methods.  Additional declines are attributed to refining processes, which separate the magnesium-rich portions of a plant from the "preferred" elements.

Increasing magnesium intake has been shown to have the following benefits.  Usually, magnesium citrate and magnesium oxide work much better than magnesium sulfate:

• Reduction of frequency and severity of migraines, especially in women who have migraines connected with their monthly cycles.
• Coincidentally, adequate magnesium intake also decreases the severity of PMS symptoms.
• Reduction of health palpitations and blood pressure.  Excessive amounts of magnesium may cause arrhythmia, but proper amounts support and strengthen cardiac health.
• Reduction of sleep disturbances, especially difficulties falling asleep and frequent awakenings.  I've worked with a bunch of clients who have found relief from sleeplessness by taking a magnesium-calcium supplement before bedtime.
• Reduction of osteoporosis and osteopenia.  Magnesium is necessary for the body to use calcium and other bone-building minerals properly.
• Reduction of depression, especially among people who aren't getting adequate relief from prescription anti-depressants, because it raises serotonin levels.  In fact, some research shows magnesium is as effective as tricyclic antidepressants among people who also have diabetes.
• Reduction of muscles cramps and aches.  Magnesium is often used in the prevention of certain seizures, and in the prevention of irregular heartbeat.  (The heart is a muscle, after all!)
• Reduction of insulin resistance.  While there is disagreement in the research as to how much magnesium impacts blood sugar levels, there isn't a bit of research that indicates it reduces insulin responses.
• Reduction of chronic constipation.  Magnesium draws water into the intestinal system and soothes the intestinal muscles.

If anyone needs the sources for the above, for their own information or to open discussions with one's doctor, let me know and I'll be happy to provide them.

What amazes me is the number of conditions that are common doctor-visit complaints compared to the number of times a mineral supplement is recommended in place of a prescription.  Much of this is due to the structure of the US medical system, which will permit insurance payments for expensive drugs but restricts payment for key nutrients.  Even Health Savings Accounts are now limited in their use to those supplements prescribed by a physician.  If your doctor doesn't believe in supplementing key nutrients as part of preventative medicine, you're stuck with an out-of-pocket expense.  Fortunately, magnesium is pretty cheap.  (Mine costs me about six bucks a month.)

Usually, folks who take magnesium are advised to take B6 as well (as part of a multivitamin) since B6 impacts how well the body can use magnesium.

The side effects of too much magnesium include stomach cramps, headache, nausea, low blood pressure and heart rate, and confusion.  You have to work really, really hard to ingest excessive magnesium intake from food.  In supplements, laxative effects are found at about 350 mg daily (I take 400 mg daily). Magnesium can alter the absorption and metabolizing of certain drugs, so as always it's important to do a little research before taking anything.

As always, I must state I provide the above accurate information for educational purposes only, and that you should discuss any health decisions with your physician.

First, a really cool article about structural changes in the brain, brought about by long-term karate training.  Researchers found that, yes, the power behind a karateka's punch isn't determined by muscular strength.  It's the synchronization of movement from trunk to fist.  The cerebellum of what researchers called "karate experts" was structurally different from novice karateka--because of that fine motor control.

That's different from muscle memory, which will permit your muscles to move without your conscious step-by-step instructions.  Developing synchronicity takes time.  Lots of time.  The average black belt participating in the research had about fourteen years of experience.

As writers, it's good to keep this in mind.  There aren't too many stories being put out today that show our protagonist becoming an way-cool-expert warrior in two weeks, thank goodness.  But there are ways to play with this knowledge.  Certainly a strong person playing Hack and Thud with a broadsword can pack a wallop.  But a weaker person with more training can deliver a blow with superior power because of the whole-body movement that has developed.  An untrained fighter has to work harder at being powerful, even if the limbs are moving in the same patterns as the trained fighter.

Alas, some martial arts instructors let their students believe he or she has achieved some magical, otherworldly power to hit harder.  We call that Sensei-Fu.  In truth, it's well-honed body mechanics.

Second, a disturbing article about the possible link between butter flavoring, commonly found in microwave popcorn and such, and Alzheimer's.  The flavoring causes proteins in the brain to form incorrectly and clump together, as they do in Alzheimer's.  As an added bonus, the flavoring crosses the blood-brain barrier and prevents the brain from ridding itself of those bad proteins.

This is one of those things I politely point out when folks tell me Substance X must be safe or it wouldn't be in our food.  In truth, short term studies are usually used to see if the substance causes cancers, hormonal disruptions, or acute poisonings.  If not, it goes on the Generally Recognized As Safe list.  There it shall stay, perfectly legal to add to all manner of products, until a large body of evidence--and the passage of many years--may demonstrate otherwise.  We are all test subjects, truly.

This substance is currently on the FDA's GRAS list with a "1" rating, meaningthe FDA determined there is no evidence to indicate it will pose a hazard.  Oh, and it's the same substance known to cause lung damage in folks who work in factories where it's used.

I'm much more understanding of the FDA's willingness to take risks with pharmaceuticals, because there is a risk-benefit analysis that should be undertaken when looking for the means of bettering and prolonging life.  But this flavoring isn't a vital nutrient or disease fighter.  It's a sales gimmick.

I have no doubt that, in the decades ahead, historians will be linking our rise in cognitive disease with the overwhelming amounts of chemicals we routinely consumed in meals and snacks.

So for heaven's sake, use real butter, and use it in moderation.  I'll take the health risks and benefits of real food over chemical make-believe any day.

The drought continues around here.  Officially, a corn crop loss of around 10% was being chatted up a week ago.  That's total bunk.  I'm hearing upwards of 50% from most farmers, with some concerned the entire crop will be lost.  Corn has a very small pollination window.  It's rapidly closing.  There may soon by acres and acres of earless stalks.

The commodities market has already seen a 30% price increase.  Food and fuel prices will soon follow.

Corn is a terribly inefficient crop.  Its water needs are high in proportion to the amount of grain it produces.  It sucks as a "renewable" energy source, because it needs a high amount of fossil fuels to grow and process.  It sucks worse as an "environmentally friendly" source, because of its need for chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and fungicides.  The amount of land given over to corn productions have impacted local weather patterns in much the same ways as cities.  So while it might sound cool to say we can make plastic from a "green" source, understand that fossil fuels are needed to perform all stages of agriculture, and are used to produce all the "-icides" that eventually end up in the water supply.

In our food system, corn dominates.  If you eat industrially raised meats, you eat corn.  If you eat premade foods, you eat corn.  If you eat eggs, you eat corn.  Sodas?  Corn.  Farm-raised salmon?  Corn.  Cottage cheese?  Corn.  Ice cream?  You get the idea.  Corn is, in my researched opinion, a primary cause behind the rise in Type II diabetes, neurological disorders, poor LDL levels, allergic reactions, and endocrine disorders.  Backing up that opinion would be a whole 'nother post that would likely bore everyone.

Many of these costs are hidden in other places, but farm subsidies are the most direct example.  Most years, we consumers pay less for corn than corn costs to grow.  That's why it's so pervasive, like He Who Walks Behind the Rows.

My point in relating all of that is this: If you've been looking for a good time and reason to change eating habits, now is a good time.  If you want corn, eat it when it still looks like corn.  Otherwise, find places to remove it from your diet.  If dry cornfields are going to be the new normal, it will make an increasing amount of financial sense to make the change.  If you're looking to have happy health, it's made sense for a long time.