Change Won't Come Easy

Lot's of folks are making resolutions this time of year.  All of them require change.  It's the rare individual who actually follows through on those changes and usually it's because they've structured in "outs."  Making a resolution with an easy exit ramp is actually exciting because it sets a new course that one really doesn't have to follow for this reason or that.  In other words, the resolution is a short-term feel good deviation that's made to fail.

Recently I had a real world letter come it with the easy exit ramp built in.  Here's his letter and it is followed by my reply.

Hello, my name is XX.
I am a fellow Texan from XX, Texas. I am also (according to my doctor) a heart attack or stroke waiting to happen. lol.  I am a workaholic that has let his health go completely to crap (60 lbs excess weight, high blood pressure, lipids off the charts etc.).  I have resolved to change that beginning NOW.  I am in the beginning stage of changing everything diet wise.  You guys are my first step!  I was searching the net for REAL food sources including meat, fruit, vegetables, etc., to restock my freezer and refrigerator when I throw away every last thing in my current pantry/fridge inventory!!  lol.  I came across your site and was impressed and wanted to let you know.  I am in a community that does not have a "Whole Foods" market or the like.  We can't even get a tomato that tastes like a tomato at our stores.  I also wanted to let you know to someone like me you are more than an online merchant.  Your operation is a source of better and healthier life for the people you serve if what I read on your site is fact and not simply "marketing".
I put in my first trial order online this evening and look forward to receiving it soon.  I may should have called but it was after hours.
After I get my first order and it's as good as I expect it will be I may call for my next order and get your suggestions.
Keep up the mission.
Sincerely;
XX
P.S.  I don't suppose you know of any great fruit/veggie suppliers?


Welcome aboard XX:

Sure our info is designed with marketing in mind.  But that doesn't mean I don't place honesty and scientific truths first.  In 1970 I was selling gold stocks and gold coins to investors.  The sophisticated investors of that era thought my marketing claims were dangerous and unenlightened.  But I pounded the table of fundamental truths (cold calling, newsletters, research reports, newspaper articles, speaking at conferences, giving lectures, getting on television, etc.) and after many years some people caught on to what I was talking about.  The mob still doesn't have a good grasp of what the gold market is all about yet, but at least gold is no longer $35 an ounce with a worldwide central bank guarantee to buy gold off the free market if it's price dropped below $35.  Yep, I was selling a "guaranteed" zero downside investment that had unlimited upside potential.  For that I was called unpatriotic, unethical, and my suggestions that widows and orphans should buy it was called imprudent.  Yes, all my statements then were for marketing.  That's how I made my living and paid for my ranching addiction.  I bought a horse in 1969 and shortly thereafter some cattle.  I've been in that game ever since.

I have always been a stickler for learning fundamental truths.  I did it in the money and markets game, the cattle ranching game, and in nutrition.  What I've been writing about on my website comes from research.  Some of it is my own research, but 99% of it is from the research of scientists whom I respect for the quality of their work.  I believe that one can build a good business on unvarnished basic truths.  I do not need to compromise my integrity for a dollar and I won't.  I'm also capable of changing my mind if I discover things aren't right.  If customers and potential customers don't like what I say, what I do, and how I do it -- so be it.  I want to do business with people who can accept the limitations of our business and who are not afraid to stand aside from the stampeding herd.

That's about me.

Now let me address some of your comments.  You say that you'll continue if "it's as good as I expect."  Well I don't know what you mean by that.  If you are referring to positive nutrition, then you'll be a customer for life.  If you are expecting something special, the most tender, a flavor you think is good, no change in your lifestyle, cooking and eating habits, etc., you will be disappointed.  Grass-fed meats are not the norm because the mob prefers grain-fed meats for a wide variety of reasons -- none of which includes positive nutrition.  I'm focused on perfect nutrition.  The mob and I are poles apart.  Consequently our lifestyles are poles apart.  That requires tremendous discipline on my part.  I've had to change and stay a course my friends consider extreme.  Today's social norm is to eat and talk.  I can talk, but no one wants to hear about nutrition and there is a whole lot of eating establishments where I can't find anything on the menu fit to eat.   lol

That brings me around to what to eat.  You will need to really understand the info on this Food Analysis page.  To summarize, to cure yourself and totally reverse the "heart attack" waiting to happen you need to eat the following:

Lot's of grass-fed meats and the fat.

Some veggies -- limited to those that offer 100% of the nutrients you require, a balanced fat profile, and are low glycemic.

That's basically it.  No milk, no nuts, no grain, and fruit sparingly.

You must avoid high glycemic food like the plague.

Whether the veggies and fruit are organic or not is not all that important.  Fresh is best.  Most local grocery stores have the veggies you need.

To do all this you'll have to struggle against the generally accepted truths that cause all the misery.  Even your doctor will think you are crazy.  But if you go to this page you can download my blood lipid profile test.  Note the heart health.  Yes, doctors tell me that my cholesterol is too high.  But it's too high because the good component is "too high."  Most health care folks don't understand that is good.  It's best for my brain function and heart health.  But they are lost in the smog of common knowledge.

So there you have it.  There are truths in this world.  And if you don't want to end up like all the other old people who are living only because of drugs and operations, then you have to be different.  You have to march to a different drummer.  You must have discipline to change your tastes and even the way you live.  And you must be willing to change so much that others will call you weird.  Most of my friends and relatives refuse to do anything calling for change.  They suffer the consequences and their health issues are their number one topic of conversation.  If I happen to suggest nutrition as a cure, some of them will actually get up and leave the room.

So, you say you are up for change.  But as they say, actions speak louder than words.  So from here on, it's up to you, not on whether or not this first sampling of meat hits a home run based on your preconceived expectations.

Thanks for your comments.  And once again, welcome aboard.  As you can see, you got my suggestions without calling.  No charge.  lol

Ted Slanker

ACTION ALERT: The Monsanto rider is back

A couple days ago I got an urgent email message from a respected nutrition site.  Below the "alert" is my analysis of their message.

ACTION ALERT: The Monsanto rider is back – tell Congress to reject it!

Congress is considering a continuing resolution spending bill that includes the controversial Monsanto rider.

This rider effectively destroys judicial review and gives the biotech industry the power to decide which genetically modified (GMO) crops should be planted even when a court has found that there could be environmental damage or economic damage to farmers.

In recent years, courts have repeatedly found that the USDA has improperly approved a GMO crop and they have required further analysis of the impacts before commercial plantings could happen. The Monsanto rider would override that. The rider would force  the USDA to allow GMOs to be planted even if a federal court rules that USDA hadn’t adequately considered the potential problems.

The proponents claim that the provision is needed to protect farmers, but that’s not true.  No farmer has ever had his or her crops destroyed because of a court decision on GMOs. Every court to rule on these issues has carefully weighed the interests of farmers, as is
already required by law.

This rider was part of last spring’s continuing resolution, which was in effect for six months; the continuing resolution that is now being considered would extend it another three months.  

Tell your Representative and Senators to reject this provision in the upcoming spending bill.  Please take action today!

TAKE ACTION #1
Contact both of your U.S. Senators, and urge them to oppose the Monsanto rider.

If you don't know who represents you, you can find out online at www.senate.gov or by calling the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121.

Below is a sample letter you can use for email, or as a script for a telephone call.

TAKE ACTION #2
Contact your U.S. Representative and urge him/her to oppose the Monsanto rider.  If you don't know who represents you, you can find out online at www.house.gov or by calling the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121.

SAMPLE LETTER:
I urge [Senator ____ or Representative _______] to oppose the inclusion of the Monsanto rider in the upcoming short-term FY 2014 Continuing Resolution (CR) spending bill.  Please speak up for constituents by voicing your opposition to the rider to the Chair and Ranking Member of the Appropriations Committee.

Though wrapped in a “farmer-friendly” package, this corporate welfare provision – section 735 in last year’s continuing resolution (H.R. 933) – is simply a biotech industry ploy to continue to sell GMO seeds even when a court of law has found they were approved by the USDA illegally. It is unnecessary and an unprecedented attack on the judicial review process, yet it was quietly slipped into last spring’s continuing resolution without congressional debate, hearings, or input from any of the relevant committees.

Continuing this provision in the new FY 2014 Continuing Resolution is the wrong thing to do. 
This provision effectively guts judicial review, allowing companies to continue selling biotech seeds even if a court finds that the USDA should not have approved the seeds for planting.  The provision forces USDA to immediately approve any request by the industry for continued planting.  The USDA has a duty to protect the interests of all farmers and the environment, not just the biotech industry–the Monsanto rider undermines that responsibility.

The provision is completely unnecessary. No farmer has ever had his or her crops destroyed. Every court to rule on these issues has carefully weighed the interests of farmers, as is already required by law.

I strongly oppose the “Monsanto protection act” and urge you to demand that it not be included in the upcoming short-term FY14 Continuing Resolution (CR) spending bill.

[Name]
[Address]

That message and others like it are total claptrap.  Why do people who promote themselves as health and well-being experts also assume they are experts in agriculture?  Nearly all of these do-gooders have only a cursory knowledge of agriculture.  The know next to nothing about animal science, soil science, plant science, agricultural economics, genetics, what it takes to be truly sustainable, livestock processing, and the laws impacting the agricultural and food processing industries.  Yet they lash out and demonize all the various agricultural factions with flaming rhetoric that promotes their agendas at the cost of the reputations of the highly credible entities that are feeding 330,000,000 Americans three meals a day.  That’s a billion meals a day without interruption!

Unfortunately these wild-eyed fanatics have a disproportionate influence on the few people who are actually striving to improve their health though a better diet.  The consequence are that way too many people focus on all the wrong issues and miss the single most important issue impacting body function which is the chemistry of food.  The actual chemistry of a potato, a seed, a nut, a green leaf, etc. are the most important factors impacting body function.  This is why if all the food in America was “organic” the incidences of chronic diseases would be exactly the same!  That’s because food choices trump everything.

For a relatively unbiased take on the so-called Monsanto rider look at this U.S. News & World Report article.  The article is well written and tells the real story.  As you can see by the comments from the mob below the article, many people refuse to believe the truth.

Furthermore, while I’m on this soapbox I’ll point out another fact.  The anti-Monsanto movement is a modern-day witch hunt by people who know nothing, and I mean nothing, about copyright law, the seed industry, genetics, and the chemistry of plants and soils.  This link tells us a few things about one of the leaders of the anti-Monsanto movement.

Many Paleo Recipes Are Nutritional Disasters

    The Paleo Diet, as its cofounder Loren Cordain defined it, is being debased by marketers.  It really disturbs me when I see so many people struggle to adapt to  The Real Diet of Man only to be led astray by the many marketers of Paleo recipes.  These recipes usually replicate traditional common dishes with different ingredients.  Yet when one analyzes the ingredients, the "new" dishes are still nutritional disasters.

    My first pet peeve is with the meat selections in all too many of these diets.  Many of the authors of these diets do not emphasize only 100% grass-fed meats.  That alone is ridiculous.  Many suggest "lean meats" in general.  That is wrong no matter what.  Lean grain-fed meats are nutritionally deficient and they still have high Omega-6 loads versus small quantifies of Omega-3.  They are the problem, not the solution.  On the other hand, when it comes to 100% grass-fed meats, we WANT fatty meats.  The fats have the most favorable Essential Fatty Acid (EFAs) ratios!

    This is why we sell so many knuckle and straight marrow bones.  People are focused on the fat inside these bones.  We also sell fat (external fat) and suet (internal body fat).  Many of our customers want these fats for soups and broths plus to render down for cooking fats.  If we want optimal nutrition, lean is not preferred.  The problem we have is that too often our 100% grass-fed meats are too lean.

    My exasperation with some of the Paleo diet suggestions does not end with the meat choices.  Look at these ingredients I found with a brief search of just a few recipes.

almond meal/flour - huge Omega-6 source, low in nutrition

eggs - no mention of the Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratios

honey - worse than sugar, high glycemic

coconut sugar - similar to sugar, high glycemic

tapioca flour/powder - huge Omega-6 source, low in nutrition

coconut flour - Omega-6 source very low in nutrition

pecans - huge Omega-6 source, low in nutrition

almond butter - huge Omega-6 source, low in nutrition

maple syrup - worse than sugar, high glycemic

skinless chicken breasts - no mention of the Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratios

coconut oil - Omega-6 source very low in nutrition

coconut milk - Omega-6 source very low in nutrition

avocado - not a good EFA source

sunflower seed butter - huge Omega-6 source, low in nutrition

shredded coconut - Omega-6 source very low in nutrition

mini chocolate chips - just more sugar

dried dates - very high glycemic and low in nutrition
lean meats - this term has no meaning in nutrition circles

    To avoid being deceived I encourage everyone to download the Food Analysis tables.  With that information you'll know the key points in proper food selection.  The foods required for optimizing body and brain function must cover all three of the critically important "a, b, c" parameters or else don't eat them.

    a)  Each food item consumed must provide 90% or more of the nutrients required for optimal body function.  100% is best.  (Why eat foods that are empty?)

    b)  Each food item consumed must not contribute to the Omega-3 deficit.  (This is critical for a strong immune system.)

    c)  Each food item consumed must be low glycemic.  (High glycemic foods are foreign to body function and cause fungal issues that negatively impact the body.)

    The most basic, most fundamental thing everyone must know is that the green plant must be at the bottom of their food chain.  Nuts, seeds, grain, fruit, and even some vegetables do not belong in The Real Diet of Man.

    If our goal is optimal health, we must not be lead astray by the traditions of the thundering herd.  The thundering herd is plagued with chronic diseases and nearly every chronic health problem they have is due to the foods they eat.  I do not want to join their plight.

    If you want more low down on the advantages of grass-fed meats read Grass-Fed Beef In A Nutshell.

Bush, 67, Has Had a Stent Placed in a Heart Artery

Back in June 2012 I wrote an article titled: “How Dangerous is Your Doctor?”  In it I quoted some mainstream sources, something I rarely do.  Usually I refer to scientists and their studies.  But in this case, the mainstream sources seemed even more relevant because they usually do not rock the boat when it comes to popular nutritional guidelines and health care procedures.  It’s especially true regarding the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP).  For instance here is a quote from that article.

I’ll quote the July/August 2011 issue of AARP Magazine, page 22.  “The following four operations are over performed for a variety of reasons: Some are moneymakers for hospitals and doctors, others are expedient, and still others seem to work, at least in the short term.  But evidence shows that all have questionable long-term outcomes for treating certain conditions, and some may even cause harm.”  Below are four operations and I have paraphrased and quoted from the same AARP Magazine article.
What was the first over-performed, questionable operation on the list?  It was: “Stents for Stable Angina.”

Also in that article, I brought up a little history with this statement:

As George Washington lay near death Martha, fearing that it might be harmful, demanded that the doctors stop bleeding him.  But hoping to cure him they continued with more bleeding.  Unable to accept Washington's impending death, the doctors ignored his orders to stop their treatments yet later in the evening, they applied blisters to his legs and feet and a wheat bran poultice to his throat.

That’s right, the finest medical doctors in the world slowly killed George Washington with their treatments!

Flash forward to today.  In a CNN news blurb I got this message:

Former President George W. Bush, 67, has had a stent placed in a heart artery to clear a blockage, his office said today.

The procedure was performed this morning without complication at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, his office added.

"President Bush is in high spirits, eager to return home tomorrow and resume his normal schedule on Thursday," the office said in a statement.

"He is grateful to the skilled medical professionals who have cared for him. He thanks his family, friends, and fellow citizens for their prayers and well wishes," the statement continued. "And he encourages us all to get our regular check-ups."

Follow coverage of breaking news on CNN TV, CNN.com and CNN's mobile apps.
Later that day on the radio the CNN news story had expanded to include discussions about Bush being a relatively healthy man who was careful about the foods he ate.  They said he exercised and followed the best nutritional guidelines.

In my opinion, this is just another example of bad leadership, bad reporting, bad medical practice, and nutritional ignorance.  If Bush ate healthy foods he would not require a stent.  If the doctors were more knowledgeable about nutrition, instead of putting in a stent which does solve the problem, they would make sure Bush changed to The Real Diet of Man.

So, just like in the June 2012 article, I’ll end this article this way.

Nothing changed . . .

How Dangerous is Your Doctor?
http://www.texasgrassfedbeef.com/how_dangerous_is_your_doctor.htm

Men Who Take Omega-3 Supplements at 71% Higher Risk of Prostate Cancer

Old Myths

When I was a youngster studying history in the 1950s I marveled at how ignorant people had been hundreds of years before.  For instance, the fear of hot air balloons incited riots and the destruction of the first prototypes.  The beliefs in witchery or sorcery incited mobs to convict and sentence men and women to be hanged or literally burned at the stake.  Doctors bled patients thinking that “germs” could be drained from the body – curing the illness.  (George Washington was bled in his final days.)  Revolutions were often followed by the killing off of the more productive/enterprising people in a nation.  In the 1930s and 1940s the German government promoted antisemitism and Jewish people were rounded up and put in concentration camps and systematically killed.

With just a little effort at historical recall I could write a book outlining thousands of events where mob action led normally sane people to complete insanity.

Back when I was a child I believed that since modern science was taught in our schools and such, the old fashioned examples of mass ignorance could never happen again.  Well, I was sadly mistaken.  People are just as gullible today it seems as they were in the worst of times of any bygone era.  The level of critical thinking exhibited by most folks today still seems almost nonexistent.  Sure, many people are highly sophisticated in particular fields.  But a one degree turn outside that field and their ability to think critically collapses.  I see this in the food business daily!  Yet food is something everyone is very familiar with.  Everyone eats food in some form or another more than once every day.  Yet they know less about it than virtually every other aspect of their lives.

Another New Myth?

The recent report about men being more at risk for prostate cancer by taking Omega-3 supplements is a prime example of absolute nonsense being readily accepted as a fact.  The “report” is being announced from upon high as authoritative gospel.  Even health oriented websites and publications are posting the message as if it is the truth.  The media (and this is not limited to the Huffington Post) has been running wild with it.  All major networks have covered the story without any caveats.  So it must be the absolute truth?

A Science-Based Rebuttal

The truth is -- the study is a farce.  It does not meet the peer-reviewed tests.  I asked Doug Bibus, a lead scientist in the field of fatty acid research for a brief response.  He sent me this quick abbreviated reply.

This is all a lot to do about nothing and sad that this publication got out there in this way.  A classic example of bad science making the press.  I think this statement by the authors really shows the true intent of their research: “There is really no evidence that taking dietary supplements is beneficial to health, and there is increasing evidence that taking high doses is harmful.”

We are talking about only a difference in blood levels of 0.02%.  Some bullet points we put out are below.

The authors are saying we will “die” from prostate cancer if our blood level of Omega-3s is 4.66% versus 4.48%.

They are basing their results on a 0.02% difference in Omega-3 levels.

Study reports a “significant” response with an insignificant difference.

If their findings are true, then prostate cancer should be rampant in just about any country with any seafood consumption.

They looked at blood from healthy and sick people.  Is it possible that sick people were taking fish oil supplements at a higher rate than the healthy individuals?

Plasma phospholipid fatty acids are not a good index of long term intake and are influenced dramatically by a single meal or even timing of a fish oil dose.

Harris just published a study on the weakness of plasma PL versus RBC.  It has also been shown that a single fish oil dose massively increases LC Omega-3s in about 4-12 hours that washes out around 48 hours.

The authors have not accounted for a major confounder - basal fish oil and fish consumption.

This study did an excellent job proving that sick people are eating slightly more Omega 3!

No documentation of fish oil or fish intake in the study group.  Sick people take Omega-3 at a higher rate than healthy folks!

The study was not designed to look at Omega-3s and confounded with selenium and vitamin E.

The people are already sick, how can this describe risk in an already afflicted population?

A recent meta-analysis of fish consumption and prostate cancer by Szymanski et al. (2010) reported a large reduction in late stage or fatal prostate cancer among cohort studies.

References1. Szymanski KM, Wheeler DC, Mucci LA. Fish consumption and prostate cancer risk: a review and meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutr. 2010;92(5):1223–1233.

For a more in-depth review of the report here is the response by the Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega-3.  This is a proactive association of manufacturers, marketers, and supporters of EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids, working to educate consumers and work with government groups, the healthcare community and the industry, while setting high ethical and quality standards for our business sector.  Yes, they have a dog in the hunt.  But they are presenting a response based on solid science, not puffery with an unannounced objective.

More Myths or Food for Thought?

While you are using your Critical Thinking skills to ponder this recent myth involving Omega-3 fatty acids, here's another brain teaser:  Are the more popular concerns voiced by Jeffery Smith and others about GMO plants valid?  Are the scientific and food industry communities using GMO to pull off another money making stunt at the expense of the ignorant consumer?  Or are the mob-action based myths condemning Monsanto and others in the field without scientific foundation?  How much do you know about the actual science of genetics and DNA?  Do you know even as much as one may find in a high school textbook?

You will find additional background in my Food Inc. movie review.

Eat Great Food While On Vacation

Vacation time is upon us.  So let the fun begin!  But does this mean we have to sacrifice our health for the good times?  When it comes to food, generally vacations mean some of our customers throw caution to the wind for the good times if they have not planned ahead.  So here is the plan.
The foods required for optimizing body and brain function must cover all three of the critically important “a, b, c” parameters or else don’t eat them.

    a)  Each food item consumed must provide 90% or more of the nutrients required for optimal body function.  100% is best.  (Why eat foods that are empty?)
    b)  Each food item consumed must not contribute to the Omega-3 deficit.  (This is critical for a strong immune system.)
    c)  Each food item consumed must be low glycemic.  (High glycemic foods are foreign to body function and cause fungal issues that negatively impact the body.)

Am I a Party Pooper?
We’re going on vacation.  Can’t we have a little fun?  That’s always the plea.  So let’s walk through an example of having some fun.  Let’s start the day with a big meal of hot cakes, bacon and eggs at the Waffle House.  Make sure you pour on a liberal helping of syrup.  For lunch lets have a burger, fries, and a soft drink at the local hangout.  Then let’s top off the day in style with a big steak dinner at Ruth’s Chris Steak House.  Order the big steak seared on a 500 degree platter.  Make sure the baked potato is heavily slathered with all the trimmings.  Skip the salad.  For desert get the pie ala mode.  Two scoops of ice cream please.

Maybe you can handle these meals no sweat.  If so, maybe it’s no big deal.  But what if you have fungal issues?  The syrup, hot cakes, soft drinks, fries, buns, baked potato complete with trimmings, pie and ice cream may give you enough of a sugar load to flare up your fungal issues big time.  And quick too.  That night and the next day you’re sick.  Is this the way to have a good time?

You’ve been eating properly for many months, but what happens if you over indulge in grain-based foods high in Omega-6 fatty acids versus Omega-3 fatty acids for a couple of weeks?  Could that cause autoimmune issues?  Maybe an asthma flare up?  Is that having a good time?

Going on vacation is not always stress free.  Often it opens up new challenges that we’re not used to.  How we address more stress can greatly impact our health.  Good food that builds immunity is critical.  Low glycemic foods that retard fungal issues is critical.  Exercise is critical.  Rest is critical.  Emotional peace is critical.

Staying healthy while on vacation is having a good time.  Getting sick is not.

How Do I Get Good Food?
There are multiple ways to get food that matches the important A, B, C requirements.  For starters, most good restaurants offer salads (use apple cider vinegar for dressings) and seafood dishes that can fit the bill for all three of the A, B, Cs.  Rarely will restaurants have grass-fed meats though.  But these days many high end grocery stores carry at least some grass-fed ground meat.  Although, in my biased opinion, their grass-fed meats usually don’t “taste right.”  That always concerns me.  Positively, grocery stores carry all the proper vegetables.

Another option is to ship meat on ahead.  It helps then if you rent rooms with kitchen facilities, stay with friends or relatives, or know of restaurants where the chefs can prepare your meat dishes for you.  When you order from us, we can time the delivery so the meat arrives when you need it.  This is rather simple for us.  We’re always focused on the delivery dates for obvious reasons.

The third option is to take your meat with you.  This is my preferred method.  To make this a lot easier I have a small electric freezer that runs on house current or the car battery.  It holds about 50 pounds of meat!  You can see it here.  It works great.  The main compartment holds the temperature at zero.  The small side compartment is maybe 35 degrees.

For those of us who have been eating The Real Diet of Man for some years now, we can tell pretty quick if we deviate from the goal.  Our bodies react quickly.  Of course, if you are only nibbling on the Diet of Man for reasons other than a total focus on health and well being, then deviations are no big deal.  You have health issues or are developing health issues therefore the symptoms you feel are “normal.”  You do not know what the real normal is.  Therefore you’ll have to excuse us for not following your lead.

Government Surveillance and Grass-Fed Meats

Should we be concerned about the government tracking and storing our every telephone call, email, and internet read?  Isn’t the war on terror more important than a little tracking of our innocent actions?  Isn’t the quantity of data so huge that even when a known threat exists the data is too voluminous to search for leads?  Or is it?

In my opinion, all societies must fear their governments and their governments must be held in check.  Sure, many of the people working for our various government agencies have the best of intentions.  But that’s not all of them.  Some of them become power freaks even at the lowest levels.  Beyond the subordinates, there are the leaders and here the danger increases exponentially because there are despots in all levels of the society.  A couple of the more famous despotic leaders in our country were J. Edgar Hoover and Richard M. Nixon.  They are just two of many that have risen to power in our country.

Everyone is also familiar with the McCarthy era.  That was mob action at it’s best.  Today, political correctness is beyond the pale.  Over time political correctness can morph into forms of McCarthyism that we cannot even imagine today.  It has happened time and time again around the world and the result has been the slaughter and persecution of literally millions of people because of their race, religion, political leanings, social stature, knowledge, investments, age, sex, sexual preferences, diseases, occupations, eating and drinking habits, and many more reasons than I can think of now.  But you get the point.

Think about it.  Pick any topic.  For instance how about income taxes?  Have you ever discussed income taxes with others over the phone or by email.  If you have, you are part of a connected community and that connection can be used against you when it is in the hands of overzealous, corrupt individuals in positions of power.  Corrupt prosecutors, regulators, police, and tax collectors can twist and turn your connections and intentions into hideous crimes that can cost you your freedom, your property, and your life.

Nearly all elected people (politicians) are susceptible to corruption.  In addition, corruption exists in the justice system amongst the police, attorneys, the judges – especially elected judges, and even clerks in the local county courthouse.  “Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”  Check out the Hoover link above.  What he did has to send a chill down your spine in light of what our government is doing today.  He (Hoover) used the FBI to harass political dissenters and activists, to amass secret files on political leaders, and to collect evidence using illegal methods.  Hoover consequently amassed a great deal of power and was in a position to intimidate and threaten sitting Presidents.

I wonder what it means to be part of the grass-fed meat community?  Grain producers and marketers, producers of bread products, and others associated with the grain industry have had some pretty harsh things to say about me over the years.  They are members of the vast majority and we do live in a society where majority rules.  So how long will the majority allow dissenters to exist?

Sure, this concern I’ve expressed for grass-fed meats is a little far fetched for this topic.  Or is it?

Where do you stand?  Do you stand with Biden or Obama?  See them debate the issue here.

Proper Pet Food is Going Mainstream

Proper food for pets is going mainstream and it's being driven by modern nutritional science for humans and all animals.  Check out this Dog Food advertisement from Tractor Supply.

The big bullet points are

• No Grain • No Wheat • No Corn • No Soy
• Beef is the #1 Ingredient.
• A Blend of Omega-6 & Omega-3 Fatty Acids for Skin and Coat
• Enriched with Vitamins and Minerals.
• Contains Glucosamine and Chondroitin.
• Antioxidant Formulation.

Yes, it sure is a step in the right direction.  But per normal with mainstream, it's only a step.  Therefore even with this improved food we must read the fine print.

Ingredients:
Beef, Beef Meal, Pea Protein, Whole Potato, Dried Peas, Tapioca, Sunflower Oil (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Whole Flaxseed, Natural Flavor, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Beef Tallow (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Zinc Proteinate, Vitamin E Supplement, Iron Proteinate, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), Choline Chloride, Manganese Proteinate, L-Carnitine, Copper Proteinate, Niacin, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Calcium Iodate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (source of Vitamin B6), Folic Acid

Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein (min) 28.0%, Crude Fat (min) 15.0%, Crude Fiber (max) 4.0%, Moisture (max) 10.0%, Zinc (min) 200 mg/kg, Selenium (min ) 0.4 mg/kg, Vitamin E (min) 300 IU/kg, *Omega-6 (min) 2.5%, *Omega-3 (min) 0.4%, *Glucosamine (Naturally occurring) (min) 300 mg/kg, *Chondroitin Sulfate (Naturally occurring) (min) 100 mg/kg
 


In the Analysis one can see the Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio is a 6.25 : 1 ratio.   Compared to most feeds this is pretty good.  The only draw back is chronic diseases are detectible when the ratio exceeds 4 : 1.  So this is still not the best choice.

Of course, the very best pet food is . . . . Grass-Fed Pet Food.




Obvisouly people are trying to feed their dogs better foods.  They see the buzz words and they are motivated to make sure their dog is fed properly.  But what do the pet owners insist on eating?

Grains, seeds, nuts.

What foods are killing (causing chronic diseases) people?

Grain, seeds, nuts.

To learn why those foods are killing people go to:
Keys to Nutrition Information

Will it Soon Be Stay Healthy or Die?

The importance of attaining good health is growing in importance.  The reason is no longer just for improving the quality of life because soon just being allowed to stay alive may be the issue.  The combination of increasing health care costs and the increasing number of people over 65 years of age is going to bankrupt the Government's Healthcare Safety Net.  A recent post by Eric Sprott of Sprott Global Resource Investments explains how this will happen in the years immediately ahead.

If you are not healthy and the healthcare system and your relatives do not have the money to take care of you, the only alternative is to let you die a slow agonizing death or quickly pull the plug.  Below is the heart of Sprott's analysis relating to healthcare costs.  The link above and below goes to his entire article and I highly recommend it.  It applies not only to your physical health but your financial health as well.

The following is an excerpt from Ignoring The Obvious by: Eric Sprott & Etienne Bordeleau.

A significant part of these deficits is caused by current and future health care spending. The Deloitte Center for Health Solutions recently published a report entitled “The hidden costs of U.S. health care: Consumer discretionary health care spending”, in which they analyze the many components of health care spending and how those expenses are underreported in official numbers. Figure 4 shows their estimates for total health care spending by age group for 2010.

FIGURE 4: TOTAL HEALTH CARE COSTS BY AGE - 2010, $ BN Source: The hidden costs of U.S. health care: Consumer discretionary health care spending, Deloitte

FIGURE 5: U.S. POPULATION 65+ YEARS
Source: US Census Bureau 2012 National Population Projections

 Source: US Census Bureau 2012 National Population Projections
 
What is striking - but not that surprising - is the very large increase in health care costs faced by seniors. The report cites that “Seniors and Baby Boomers account for 64 percent of health care costs, but comprise only 40 percent of the U.S. population.” For seniors, total health care costs represent, on average, approximately $30,000 per person per year. Other estimates by Carnegie Mellon University professor Paul Fischbeck (although a bit dated) show that these annual costs increase dramatically as people age, reaching as much as $45,000 for 80+ year olds.⁴ Considering that GDP per capita was about $46,800 in 2010 and the income inequality mentioned earlier, these are figures that would put most households in dire straits.

Also, structural trends will lead to an ever greater share of the nation’s income being dedicated to health care. Figure 5 above shows the evolution of the U.S. population for the 65+ age group, as forecasted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The U.S. will end up with a steadily increasing segment of its population (from 13% in 2010 to 20% in 2030) composed of persons aged 65 and over. This matters for two important reasons. First, this means a smaller workforce contributing to GDP growth and paying taxes to support government programs. Second, and this is related to the first point, this trend will put tremendous pressure on social security and health care spending in the country, thus leading to structurally higher deficits.

These facts are by themselves troubling, but coupled with the population trends described in Figure 5, they become alarming. To illustrate the impact of overall population aging on total health care costs, we use the per capita numbers implied by the Deloitte study and apply them to the U.S. Census Bureau projections for all age groups. While we believe that those numbers fundamentally underrepresent health care inflation, we inflate per capita costs for each age group using the average “medical care” component of the U.S. Department of Labor Consumer Price Index. Finally we assume a 4% nominal GDP growth, which some might argue is overly optimistic when taking into account the smaller workforce we discussed earlier. In any case, Figure 6 shows the results of our simulation.

Only with the change in the composition of the U.S. population, total health care costs are forecasted to go from 22% of GDP in 2010 to over 30% in 2040. These are huge numbers! To put them in perspective, in 2011 total U.S. GDP was $14,500 Billion, so an increase from 22% to 30% of GDP would represent a $1.2 Trillion increase in health care spending in that year. If we increase the health care inflation rate by only 100bps, we calculate that by 2040, the share of GDP attributed to health care will jump to 40%.

FIGURE 6: HEALTH CARE SPENDING AS A % OF GDP
 
Source: US Census Bureau 2012 National Population Projections,U.S. Department of Commerce: Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Department of Labor: Bureau of Labor Statistics & The hidden costs of U.S. health care: Consumer discretionary health care spending, Deloitte

According to the Deloitte study, about 60% of those costs are borne directly by households and the remaining 40% by the public sector (30% to Medicare and Medicaid). This means that households, of which the majority is either poor or in the declining middle class, will face an even larger squeeze in their discretionary spending.


From Ignoring The Obvious by: Eric Sprott & Etienne Bordeleau.