HK3's Journal, 23 November 2021

Congratulations and good for you. 

Thanks. Sorry to hear about Crum. Although I can’t say I’m too surprised based on your original post which included the opening line. I am racing along in my nutrition textbook…page 8🤣. I’m usually not a proponent of bigger government or the intrusion of government into our lives, but there is a strong argument to be made for some nutritional intervention. In 2010 an organization called “Healthy People 2020”, an organization composed of a team of experts from a variety of federal agencies under the direction of the Dept of Health and Human Services, set some overarching goals and objectives. Some of the numbers are truly sad. As it is, in 1994 no state had an obese population over 20%. By 2010 no state had an obese population under 20% and much of the south has obese populations over 30% now. One of their goals was to reduce the number of obese Americans (total population) from 34% to 30.6%. Now I have to go see how they did… 

I remember during the early 2010s a lot of pushback from certain segments of the population against Michelle Obama’s health initiatives. Now I’m no fan of her husbands politics, but the healthy eating initiatives just seem like common sense, right? Maybe they came on too strong? 🤷🏻‍♂️ I don’t want someone to tell me what to eat…but I do feel quite empowered being in the process of furthering my education about the subject of nutrition. Having learned what I have thus far on my own time and through my own research I feel a deeper commitment to the cause. And I’m on page 8…there’s like 1000 to go.😂 

The situation happened with the introduction of processed foods - like breakfast cereals and I remember a time when people did not eat that kind of food. The restaurant situation was once so different and the work force - closed up shop on Saturday - so everyone could go home for dinner. I believe that the so called "convenience" foods became the starting point. Then again - if you look at the images of the so called "Great Depression" when there was no food anywhere - and then to turn that completely around and become on of the largest populations of obese people --- when you think about it - it is a bit of a miracle. Lets face it - they can suggest a diet that is health orientated "for your own good" --- but --- unless they want to provide the bags of food for every person - they cannot change the public and market moment. Personal freedom also comes with personal choice. 

They forced the market producers/manufacturers to include the fortification of minerals and vitamins - and to include a label that declared the information. Those food additives or fortification and the information was not always available. When they talk about "health reforms" - they are not talking about personal people - they are talking about corporate reconstruction. It is a bit like ... First you make a big problem - then you require a big solution - and the big solution holds the promise of financial enrichment for many businesses and corporations...that is when people begin to form an interest. There is no way to stop that - not any more than the slow slide down into a higher proportion of obese - so at the end --- it all comes back to "personal choices" and it is best to be as personally educated as possible - for your own health and good. Lets face it - millions of people have tried to change it - it is not probable and not likely that will ever change. 

You have to admit and actually give them some credit - providing such a quantity and variety of foods to such a large population - all of North America is no small feat. Most all of the foods do so have a nutritional value even if it is not fulfilling all of the requirements for a healthy human being. Most populations are over 80 percent reliant on imported foods and goods since - we do not live there any more in the time and place where we grew our own foods and made our own products. There is food - but - if you have no funds you cannot gain the food. 

Just statements from personal observation - I have no interest in picking up any flags since there millions of other people already there and ... it makes no difference - they have managed to ban some items and keep a pretty good system in place to withdraw market goods that cause damage or death - they are pretty quick on "recalls" - I am only interested in such matters as it pertains to me - I am totally self absorbed. 

Crum was one of the "dirtest" books that I have ever begun to read in forever - even the girlie magazines have nicer and cleaner stories than that book - I threw it in the trash and then dumped garbage on top of that filth. There are still a couple of chapters that made it into my mind. I am trusting that - I will forget. 

So what is on page 9?  

I have text books on Chemistry, Biology, Sociology, Contemporary Business Mathematics, and Business Management along with the New York Public Library Science Desk Reference. I know many things about nutrition since I raised and fed children and it has been a topic of discussion for decades - as long as I can remember but I have never really studied the body systems or their processes too much - since I have always been a fairly healthy and strong individual. Nothing short of breaking out in ... the Pox - would gain my attention. 

Are you still there ... Mr. O'Brien??? 

The problem that is occurring is that the fortification by supplements does not allow the body processes to uptake the requirements by the usual route. There is a difference in the cells up taking the nutritional requirements by natural foods and by powders or pills. I am a firm believer in completely eradicating all forms of artificial sweeteners. The health related human body damage created by the inclusion of artificial sweeteners involves a wide range of symptoms and disease - one of which is obesity. 

The other huge difficult problem is the market demand and shipping requirements has excluded the foods "ripened" on the vine. If the foods are not ripen on the vine then food never develops the necessary enzymes required by the human body. The food never ripens off of the vine - the enzymes never develop - once picked - it just begins a process of rot. You may eat the food forever but never obtain the required enzymes or nutritional values that should be in that food - the body keeps consuming and even with inclusion of fresh foods - always seems to be in a state of hunger. It is much like --- starving to death with a belly full of food. Then that leads to over consumption and constant feelings of hunger. 

I think that only if a person has actually eaten "fresh" foods including meats and meat products would they be able to discern the difference and there is a huge difference - even between a plum picked ripe from the tree and a plum available in the market stores. Only if you have eaten fresh made products - like applesauce made from your own trees - can you always see and taste the difference from those offered in jars or plastic containers in the markets. 

You wrote a novel while I slept…if you have 100 minutes there is a great video on YouTube “Is a calorie a calorie? Processed food, experiment gone wrong”. It features Robert Lustig, a doctor and professor of pediatrics who is a voice in the wilderness, so it seems, against the big food industry and their practices. It’s hard not to draw the following conclusions: Big food companies make shelf stable highly processed foods and profit greatly from it. These foods cause or exacerbate the health problems we experience in America. The food companies make huge profits by cheaply producing and selling these foods. The pharmaceutical companies make MORE profit by treating the health conditions caused by these foods. Why should I doubt this is a scenario of mutually beneficial business practices? You go out there and cause a disease and I’ll make a product to treat that disease. We don’t make money if the disease is gone. Handshakes and pats on the back all around. 

You’ve no doubt read 1984, right? I do wonder, how long until the telescreen is in every home? The tech exists. When I first saw the “Mirror home gym” I couldn’t believe it. Hook it up to Google and never turn it off and you have your telescreen. 🤔