Todays Thought

Anyone who wishes to become a good writer should endeavour, before he allows himself to be tempted by the more showy qualities, to be direct, simple, brief, vigorous, and lucid. 

-H.W. Fowler, lexicographer (10 Mar 1858-1933)

Homework

 "Give me a call when u aren't busy. Just want to hear your voice."

That was the text I saw pop up from my mom on Saturday. It wasn't an unusual text - if I had gotten busy and hadn't called in a while Id get something along that theme. I called and we chatted about a whole lot of nothing but in the mundane she slipped in "Im going in for a CAT scan tomorrow" Still not unusual since mom once fell in the bathtub she was using as a makeshift platform to paint the bathroom walls. She had tweaked her neck and as the years marched on she found it necessary to get 3x's yearly epidural shots to help quiet the pain. This was different though and of course I had to tease out the details otherwise they wouldn't be forthcoming. 

"Well, Ive been having tummy trouble" 

"Like, are you seeing blood?"

"Ya, I've been seeing more blood lately"

"Did they give you any idea how long you have to wait to hear any results?"

"No, but they did set up another appointment for a couple of weeks out"

"OK, well let me know how it goes cus you me and Kimbra all have the same screwed up gut so whatever you experience is something we both are gonna have happen."

So ya, we'll see how this turns out. I gotta be honest and say Im worried. She just had a birthday a few weeks ago and turned 84. I mean, its not what I would call 'at deaths door' but its not 'spring chicken' either. Health is a precious commodity along with time and we guard both jealously.

Todays Thought

Many ideas grow better when transplanted into another mind than in the one where they sprang up. 

-Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., US Supreme Court Justice (8 Mar 1841-1935)

Homework

My jog path is about 3 1/2 miles from my door and back again. After work it was cool and breezy with the sun about to set - perfect. I headed out as I usually do with the first mile trying to suppress thoughts of turning around and plopping down on the couch. After leaving the sidewalks of my block I moved on to the bike path that follows the canal here in Phoenix. It was a little uncomfortable with the wind blowing head on into my face - I swear it was at least strong enough to add resistance I wasn't expecting. Be that as it may I kept on at my regular pace which was somewhere slightly faster than old man in Pixar's 'Up'. I often see wild life out here even with this being smack dab in the middle of Phoenix. This is not a new development - my house was built in 1969. But I have seen coyotes beebopping down the road looking for their missing ACME package and Owls and other fowl and the random house pet. Today we had a goose chilling by the canal - not cool enough cus as soon as I started to get close he (or she) started to make a path from the canals edge to the bike path and intercept me. I didn't pay too much attention since I was enjoying my 80s mix and I lost sight of it was it was behind me. That's when I felt wing on the top of my head as it decided to make a short flight above me and just as quick landing in front of me. 

Homework

 2nd grade was in Pueblo Colorado, just maybe a year from Clare Michigan and getting thru kindergarten there. Im struggling to remember the name of the teacher but I will tell you we had already moved once from our landing in Pueblo so the schools changed from 1st grade at Thatcher close to the Mineral Palace park and to Bradford Elementary which was what Im guessing with hindsight was a newer building. 2nd grade was in an out-building for overflow to handle the influx of population. And what I remember about 2nd grade was a poem that as I remember was James Whitcomb Riley going on about witches in colored garb and a magical little control panel table with a built in chair to sit and flip the metal switches and twist the knobs with dozens of scale readouts to tell you within fine precision just how much you were adding to absolutely no results. 

Todays Thought

Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not. 

-Dr. Seuss, author and illustrator (2 Mar 1904-1991)

Food Intelligence - Notes from AI

Here’s a clear, concise breakdown of the key points and findings of the book Food Intelligence: The Science of How Food Both Nourishes and Harms Us by Julia Belluz and Kevin Hall, PhD — based on multiple reviews and descriptions of the book’s content: 

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📘 Overview

Food Intelligence is a science-based critique of diet culture, popular nutrition myths, and the modern food environment. It aims to clarify how food actually affects our bodies and behavior, taking lessons from metabolic science, controlled research, and real-world food systems. 

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🧠 1. Modern Nutrition Is Confusing — and Often Misunderstood

• Nutrition isn’t simple and definitively telling people “eat this” or “don’t eat that” often isn’t supported by strong science. 

• Many trends (e.g., extreme low-fat vs. low-carb, wearables, glucose monitors) get more hype than evidence. 

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🔬 2. Metabolism Is Not a Moral Failing — It’s Chemistry

• “Fast” vs. “slow” metabolism is oversimplified. Metabolism changes with dieting, but it doesn’t “break.” 

• Research — including the famous Biggest Loser study — shows that metabolic adaptation is a natural response to weight loss, not evidence of failure or permanent damage. 

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🍔 3. Ultra-Processed Foods Drive Overeating

• The book emphasizes how ultra-processed foods (UPFs) — especially calorie-dense, hyperpalatable ones — tend to make people eat more calories than they need. 

• Controlled studies have shown that people consume significantly more calories when living in a UPF-rich environment, even when macronutrients are matched. 

• The issue isn’t processing itself but how these foods interact with our biology to override natural appetite cues. 

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🍽 4. Hunger and Hormones Are Biological, Not Character Flaws

• Hunger, craving, and weight regulation are driven by hormones (like leptin, ghrelin, insulin) and brain circuits — not willpower. 

• Fat is a normal, functional part of the body — but when storage capacity is exceeded, metabolic issues can arise. 

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🧬 5. Obesity & Dieting Are System, Not Individual Failures

• The authors argue that obesity isn’t simply a result of individual choices or willpower; it’s a predictable outcome of a food system designed for profit. 

• The environment — including availability, pricing, marketing, and policy — heavily influences what we eat. 

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🧪 6. Many Popular Nutrition Ideas Don’t Hold Up

The book critically evaluates several widespread beliefs, including:

• The supposed superiority of popular diet trends (e.g., keto, paleo, extreme plans). 

• High-tech solutions like precision nutrition based on genetics or microbiome — often not yet backed by strong evidence. 

• Simplistic “calories in vs. calories out” explanations — without considering food quality, environment, and physiology. (Implicit across reviews)

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🧩 7. What Can Be Done?

Individual Level

• Focus on whole foods, protein, fiber, and structured meals that work with biology. 

• Design personal environments — home food, routines, defaults — to support eating goals. 

System Level

• Better public policies — such as advertising limits, taxes, subsidies for healthful foods, stricter research integrity — could improve population health. 

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📌 Bottom Line

Food Intelligence reframes nutrition science away from blame and gimmicks toward biology + environment. It argues that:

• Our struggle with food is rooted in how foods are designed and marketed, not personal weakness. 

• Understanding metabolism, appetite, and food environments can empower better choices individually and collectively.