Blog – Page 8 – Chew Digest

Human Bio-remediation and Homeostasis

Bio-remediation is a process that uses microorganisms to restore a toxic or contaminated environment to its natural state of homeostasis. This type of environmental remediation relies on the use of living organisms, such as bacteria, yeast, and fungi, to break down and remove pollutants from a biological environment. Bioremediation offers an effective, low-energy-cost solution to some of the most difficult environmental problems inside the human body as well as the external environment we call home. Earth.

Within and without, humans are subject to the same processes as the world around us we live in. Nature is simple and conservative in the way it functions, and we can learn a lot about our internal environment by studying the external environment we interact with daily.

Homeostasis is the maintenance of a stable internal environment of an organism, micro or macro, regardless of changes to the external environment and across different habitat conditions. Homeostasis refers to maintaining the physiological equilibrium of an organic environment, such as regulating temperature, pH balance, nutrient levels, and oxygen supply for optimal functioning of cells. Homeostasis plays an important role in bioremediation, as it helps keep the environment stable and conducive to microbial activity in the bio-remediation process.

Bioremediation continually takes place throughout the human body, especially within the G.I. tract. It is also a method by which nature cleans up polluted sites in our external environment, such as groundwater aquifers, industrial wastewater lagoons, contaminated soils, and landfills. The process begins with the selection of appropriate microorganisms that are capable of breaking down specific contaminants in the environment.

The human body, like our external environment, also creates/generates the appropriate microorganisms that build and serve the body as necessary for its own bio-remedial processes. Next, these organisms are introduced into the area that needs treatment, and their growth is encouraged. In the external world, microorganisms feed on pollutants such as petroleum hydrocarbons, pesticides, solvents, and heavy metals, breaking them down into harmless substances that can be naturally absorbed into the environment.

These microorganisms are not out to harm us but are here to help us. To kill them off would be akin to killing the firemen at a structure fire. Bacteria, yeast, fungi, etc., are not the cause of disease in the same manner that firemen are not the cause of structure fires, but the response and solution.

Homeostasis is essential for the successful bioremediation of contaminated sites. The environment needs to remain stable for the microorganisms to survive and do their job effectively. Changes in environmental conditions, such as temperature, oxygen levels, and pH balance, can have a dramatic effect on the microbial populations’ ability to function properly. To ensure successful bioremediation, it is important to monitor these factors and make necessary adjustments to maintain a stable environment for the microorganisms.

Together bioremediation and homeostasis are important concepts to understand, essential for a successful reversal to a healthier overall environmental state. The use of microorganisms to break down pollutants offers an effective solution to some of the most difficult environmental problems. Maintaining homeostasis is the goal and an important part of the circle of life, and bioremediation is the process that ensures a stable environment for the optimal functioning of the macro-organism. By understanding how these concepts work together, we can continue to progress in preserving and restoring the fragile human ecosystem as a microorganism, as well as the external ecosystems we call home, the Earth acting respectively as a macro-organism in which we live.

-Michael J. Loomis

Don’t Fight Cancer. Work With It.

Cancer is not our enemy, we should not be fighting it. On the contrary, it is our friend that has been with us for quite some time. It is a normal part of our body, a standard operating procedure that is a result of our body maintaining homeostasis for our overall good and well-being. It is a positive response to a negative impact on our body’s immediate environment.

It is a friend that has been with us, sometimes for decades, and will leave when we eliminate the environmental impact that required the cancerous response.

Cancer is not a cause of disease but a result of a diseased state that a body has been fostering and nurturing.

Separate from the body, the thing that results in a state of disease and cancer will never have to be the body’s response.

-Michael J. Loomis

It Takes Time to Turn Life Around

Try to wrap your head around the following statement.

𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘶 𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭, 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘴, 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘴. 𝘕𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘢 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘤 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘶 𝘢 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘵, 𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘵.

“𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘸, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦.” -Arnold Ehret

There is no quick fix to a lifetime of egregious error. If one lives for decades filled with toxic environmental exposures, e.g., sugar, candy, junk food, fast food, processed food, alcohol, tobacco, and drugs(prescription or not), one cannot expect to turn their ship around in a short period of time.

I used to be that guy, and I’ve been living a life of recovery for some 6.5 years and counting. I finally, after all this time, feel like I am somewhat headed in the right direction. Not 30, 60, or 90 days of change, but a consistent, long-term, steady leaning in the right direction away from a lifetime of bad decisions. Almost 7 years now. I guess it’s true what they say. Slow and steady wins the race.

If you, like me, decide you want to make some meaningful changes toward a better, longer, and healthier life, remember that the long game is where your focus should be, and a transition will likely be the healthiest way to achieve your life-long change.

In my opinion, the one thing you can do to start that will make the biggest overall difference is to remove sugar, candy, junk food, fast food, and processed food. These are likely the worst offenders that, when removed, will allow your body to start repairing and rejuvenating itself the fastest. Of course, alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, and any other drugs related to addiction will need to be addressed as they are also a hindrance to recovery, repair, and rejuvenation.

To be fair, alcohol is right up there with these top 5 that I mentioned quitting first and, in some cases, might need to be addressed first. Especially if you were anything like me. I started off by removing alcohol first, and then I removed sugar, candy, junk food, fast food, and processed food a little over a year later. All these things have helped me recover my life. Alcohol is the only one that I quit cold turkey.

Eventually, I even when on to remove all animal-based food sources. But even that didn’t happen overnight. I started off by removing all things dairy. Milk, cheese, and butter in the spring of 2019 followed by beef and pork products later that year. Over the following year in 2020, I ended up removing chicken, turkey, fish, and eggs. But even those were staggered over that full year. First chicken, then turkey. The last form of meat to go was fish, which, frankly, I didn’t eat much of anyways and then toward the end of 2020, I decided to take a break from eggs to see what it would be like to be completely whole-food/plant-based for a month. I never looked back. I have not had any reason to.

At this point, I’ve had no animal-based foods in almost 2 years, and all is well. To my delight, I found out that our body doesn’t need cow, pig, fish, or fowl proteins to live a long healthy life. We need human proteins, and it is our liver that creates these for us if we provide it with all of the building blocks(amino acids) it needs. All of which we can get from plant-based sources along with our body’s own catabolic or recycling processes by which it recovers old cell parts that have completed their normal life cycle, returning previously used amino acids back into our body’s amino acid pool. Our body is totally into recycling…8)

All this to say that any meaningful, long last change is going to take some time and investment, but the reward is well worth the effort as the payoff is more quality and quantity time for our future selves to spend however we best see fit.

And time is our most valuable asset.

Reflections on Life Today and Tomorrow

I’m done disagreeing with people about what they put in their mouths. Human beings, in general, don’t/won’t change their dietary course in life until their body, as a greater authority, on life, instructs them otherwise. And most of the time, a tragedy must befall someone before they make meaningful changes in a more positive direction. Whether it be loss of function, loss of body parts due to amputation or removal, deafness, blindness, cancer, kidney failure, or cardiovascular disease, eventually, the body will speak(protest) loud enough that a change will take place.

Unfortunately, that change is sometimes death. Often at an early age.

I want people to realize that they have the potential to live a long healthy life, even up to the age of 120 years in some cases. Yet, here we are in a world where people are willing to settle for somewhere in their mid-seventies with a body that is no longer productive above the age of 65(retirement).

What if you could live your life in such a manner that your body wouldn’t even begin to feel the need to retire until you reached 110 productive years?

What if your body could repair and maintain itself in a manner that led most people to believe that you were no older than a healthy, athletic 34-year-old according to today’s standards?

As far as I am concerned, it can be done, and I will continue working toward that end. I will continue to observe nature and what it means to be a human within the greater structure of the lifeform we call Earth. It is a macro-organism, and we are all micro-organisms dependent on it as our host.

Our existence is no accident. We are here at the pleasure of our host. We are a guest at the table of life. And I plan on taking full advantage of every opportunity afforded me to maximize the wealth of time that has been granted to me as a human.

If you can read this, you are a very fortunate soul and rich beyond the measure of many. And I hope that many of you reading this today will still be walking beside me in another 70 years on my 120th birthday.

-Michael J. Loomis

What Is Terrain Theory?

Terrain Theory postulates that there is only one single disease: acidosis. This theory is based on the belief that all disease is caused by cellular malfunction due to an imbalance of acids and alkalis in the body. Terrain Theory provides a framework for understanding how different factors can lead to disease and how to maintain health through proper diet and lifestyle choices.

Terrain Theory is not only a theory of disease progression but also a way to avoid the progression of disease that detracts from the quality of life and longevity. Terrain Theory recognizes that many factors contribute to our overall health and lifespan and that we must take care of our bodies if we want to maintain good health. Terrain Theory provides a practical approach or framework to achieving and maintaining health through proper diet and hygienic and healthy lifestyle choices.

Terrain Theory is based on the work of Dr. Antoine Bechamp, a French scientist who lived in the 19th century. Bechamp’s work was largely ignored during his lifetime but began to blossom in the early 20th century and been growing steadily ever since. Terrain Theory is a growing movement, and many resources are available to help you learn more about it. Terrain Theory is an exciting and innovative approach to understanding health and disease, and I believe it has the potential to transform the way we think about healthcare while providing us with a reasonable pathway to a much more productive quality of life, even beyond 100 years of age.

What Is Acidosis?

Acidosis is a term used to describe the state of having too much acid in the body. Acidosis can be caused by various things, including diet, lifestyle choices, and certain medical conditions. When the body has too much acid, it leads to cellular dysfunction and an overall imbalance in the body. This can manifest in various ways, including fatigue, headaches, and even disease.

Acidosis is a major contributor to disease, and terrain theory posits that all disease is caused by acidosis. Therefore, the goal of terrain theory is to create a healthy terrain or balance in the body so that diseases can be avoided altogether. This is done through diet and lifestyle choices that help to alkalize the body.

Acidosis is a serious condition that should not be ignored. If you think you may be suffering from acidosis, now is the time to start making better decisions that will lead to better health and greater longevity. Terrain Theory offers a promising approach to treating disease, but even more importantly, how to avoid disease progression in the first place.

What Is The Cause of Acidosis?

There is no single cause of acidosis. Rather, it results from a combination of things, including diet, lifestyle choices, and certain medical conditions. When the body has too much acid, it leads to cellular dysfunction and an overall imbalance in the body. This can manifest in various ways, including fatigue, headaches, and even advanced levels of metabolic disease, up to and including cancer.

Author – Michael J. Loomis – Founder of Chew Digest

Three Pillars of My Life

1. Sleep
2. Nutriment
3. Movement(Yoga & QiGong)

Our body is an energy storage unit. Just like a battery, we store energy that can be used to power our bodily functions. This energy comes from the food we eat, and it’s stored in our cells. When we need a boost of energy, our cells release this stored energy to help us out. And, just like a battery, if we don’t recharge ourselves properly and regularly, we’ll eventually run out of energy and juice.

Did you know that the average person spends one-third of their life sleeping? That means that if you live to be 90 years old, you will have spent 30 of those years asleep!

It’s no wonder, then, that getting a good night’s sleep is so important.

Not only does it help your body to recover from the day’s activities, but it also gives your brain a chance to rest and rejuvenate.

Without enough sleep, you’ll start to feel irritable and run down, and you won’t be able to think as clearly as you need to.

So next time you’re feeling tired, take a break and give yourself a chance to catch some Zs. Your body and mind will thank you for it!

As well, I cannot understate the importance of nutrient-dense foods. They are the foundation of good health and well-being. Nutritionists recommend them for a variety of important reasons: they help with weight management, reducing the risk of chronic diseases while providing essential nutrients for vital body functions.

That said, it’s not always easy to get enough nutrient-dense foods in our diets. Many of us lead busy lives and don’t have the time to cook healthy meals from scratch every day. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of easy and delicious recipes that are packed with nutrients.

Being active is essential for overall health and wellness. Regular exercise has been shown to improve mental health, increase health span and lifespan, protect against obesity, heart disease, stroke, cancer, and cognitive decline.

Flexibility and range of motion are two key factors that are important for greater longevity and healthspan, leading to a greater overall lifespan. The ability to move your body freely and without restrictions can have a profound impact on your overall health and well-being.

A lack of flexibility and range of motion can lead to joint pain, stiffness, and poor posture. It can also make it difficult to perform everyday tasks, such as reaching for a shelf, bending down to pick up a child, or even preventing a fall that could land you in the hospital or, if you’re lucky, just bruised in body and ego.

Increasing your flexibility and range of motion at any point in your life can help relieve pain, improve your posture, and make everyday activities easier throughout your life. There are a variety of stretching and exercise programs available that can help you achieve these goals. Two of my favorites are Yoga and Qigong.

Part of my daily practice includes self-massage over my whole body. More specifically, lymphatic massage, of which there are many benefits. This type of massage can help to reduce swelling, improve circulation, boost immunity by encouraging drainage of your lymph nodes, and even help reduce puffiness and swelling. It can also be incredibly relaxing, helping reduce stress while promoting overall well-being.

Regular strength training comes with a whole host of benefits, both physical and mental, and you don’t even need to use weights. Consider Yoga.

First and foremost, it can help to improve your overall musculoskeletal health. Stronger muscles and bones mean a lower risk of injuries while keeping you mobile and independent as you age. Strength training also boosts your metabolism and helps to regulate blood sugar levels, making it an essential tool in the fight against diabetes.

In addition to the physical benefits, strength training can also do wonders for your mental health. It helps to improve your mood and self-esteem and can even be used as a form of therapy for depression and anxiety. So if you’re looking for a way to feel happy and confident, strength training is a great place to start.

Taking care of our bodies is one of the most important things we can do for ourselves. It’s so important to make sure we’re getting the energy we need to live our fullest and richest life.

Though it may be challenging to make some of these changes, they are essential for our overall health and well-being. Making minor tweaks to our daily routine can have a significant impact on how we feel physically and mentally.

Have you made any changes in your life recently to improve your health? How do you make sure you’re getting the energy you need every day? Share your tips with me in the comments, and thanks for reading.

Can Our Skin Sin?

Apparently so. Ever heard of Hamartoma?

A little context. The term hamartia derives from the Greek ἁμαρτία(hamartia), which means “to miss the mark” or “to err.”

Hamartia is also used in Christian theology because of its use in the Septuagint and the New Testament. The Hebrew (chatá) and its Greek equivalent (àµaρtίa/hamartia) both mean “missing the mark” or “off the mark.” There are several nuanced theological meanings, but the one that strikes me the most is the idea of a weakness of the flesh. And this reminded me of a question in the Bible that the disciples asked Jesus.

John 9:1-2 “Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

Now I’m not here to discuss the validity of the Bible, but clearly, this idea was common in the first century. This idea wasn’t just pulled out of thin air.

This brings me to my current studies on skin disorders within the context of human physiology and disease pathology and the term ‘Hamartoma.’ An error in the normal physiology of human soft tissues or flesh.

Hamartomas, while generally benign, can cause problems due to their location. For example, when located on the skin, especially on the face or neck, they can be very disfiguring. Cases have been reported of hamartomas the size of a small orange. They may obstruct practically any organ in the body, such as the colon, EYE, etc. They are particularly likely to cause major health issues when located in the hypothalamus, kidneys, lips, or spleen.

So again, “Who sinned(missed the mark),” this man or his parents?”

Was this an ancient way of asking if a malady was genetic or hereditary? The main difference between these two terms lies in the fact that hereditary diseases have the potential to be carried from one generation to another, whereas a genetic disease can either be hereditary or not, but there will always be a mutational change in the genome.

This takes personal responsibility to a whole new level. Clearly, poor lifestyle and diet choices like smoking, drugs, and drinking can affect a child in the womb.

What about Twinkies, Coffee, and Taco Bell?

How Zen Found Me

While driving around the charming streets of Long Beach California, the second-largest city in Los Angeles County, zen found me in the front seat of my 2015 Toyota Prius. At least that’s how it seems to me. I imagine it is much like what a musician experiences with their instrument of choice after many years of practice and professional playing. It’s like a switch flipped one day and now for the most part I feel like I’m just along for the ride as I flow from one ride to the next.

As an Uber driver, I find myself spending most of my time behind the wheel in the city where I was born. One of the benefits is that I know where all the potholes and unruly bumps are to be found. Most of the time I miss them, but occasionally they do creep up on me when I look away from the road for a moment to check the navigation or a song title. Such is life.

After 12,500 rides I can look back and see that somewhere around 10,000 rides things changed. I would say that I went from being reactive to simply responsive. Things that would have bothered me previously stopped bothering me. At first, I would have described it as though I had simply grown numb to the whole driving experience. It’s more like I quit being surprised by the unexpected behaviors of others around me. Of course, the potholes still bother me because the only time I hit them is when I glance away from the road for a moment. I’m just not so sure I will ever be able to get used to them.

I consume, therefore I am

How old is the basis for my belief about my Creator?

My experience is like a lot of yours if you are Christian. I know about God because of the testimony of Felt Board Jesus brought to colorful life on Sunday mornings.

The historical Jesus lived about 2000 years ago. About 2000 years before our common understanding of the human microbiome that consists of countless species of microbes of all sorts in every nook and cranny of our body. Some 1600 years before Galileo Galilei perfected the first device known as a microscope.

2000 years ago people were living in a world where they could NOT see the microbial life all throughout their bodies but they could feel and sometimes see the effects. Like the wind, they could not see the wind but they could see and feel the effects of it.

To them this was part and parcel with what they called the supernatural or the unseen realm. However in the passage of time that which was supernatural or divine slowly began to be organized into kingdom, division, class, order, family, genus, and species of different microbial life. That which was once demonic and Legion is now better understood as disease process remedied by the removal of unclean things.

So what if that still small voice, that thing that motivates you towards good will and compassion were simply a result of the universe of things that call us home communicating? Every time we get a craving for something we are experiencing this very thing. If we are doing something that is expanding and promoting life we are sent pleasure messages. If we are behaving in a way that is subtracting from life we are sent pain messages.

So what other messages are there? Have you ever tried to record and categorize them? We all know our favorites. Drink that beer, eat that Snickers, drink that Pepsi, etc.
Kind of makes us look like deaf and blind cavemen when you consider how many billions of different species are able to communicate within us at any given time.

I don’t believe in a literal creation week less than 10,000 years ago by any means. I’m as much of an evolutionary biologist as can be when it comes to my understanding of how we got here.

I don’t know where the first act of creation started and I don’t know that creating will ever end, but I am pretty sure that we are here by the will of the things that fill our innermost being with their life; their essence. And the best part is when I run my life through this framework it just seems to fit.

I assume that my body is not my own. That I am the least of all my brethren. I make up only 1% of the DNA and only 10% of the cells are human. That my body is the Garden of Eatin for all those little microbial lives that find me the host with the most.

What if our body itself is their food and it is our job to keep serving up the banquet?

In 460 BC Hippocrates identified phtisis (the Greek word meaning “consumption”) as the most widespread disease of his day and observed that it was almost always fatal. YIKES!!!
Kind of ironic that a disease called consumption would be the result of a lack of proper nourishment hindered by faulty consumption.

All that to say I no longer eat for myself. I do put food in my body but it is food that I know my gut microbes want first and foremost. I don’t ever want them looking around for snacks.

Life is much easier when I am a good steward of the body(gift) I have been given.

Fasting, Longevity, and Workaholism.

Hi, my name is Michael and I’m a workaholic…LoL

I really do enjoy working 7 days a week, however, that can get exhausting; not just physically, but also emotionally. So I’ve been trying something a little different. Working 7 days a week, but then taking a 4-day break once a month. I may eventually try to focus my work attention a little more to get to the point where I can do that twice a month. Work 10 days on and then 4 days off.

This time around; on this 4-day break, I decided to fast. Just water for 72 hours. Woooooof. Knocked me the hell out. But now that I am 64 hours into it I am feeling much better and well cleansed. My skin looks wonderful and what little inflammation I had has reset back to what it should be.

I may even consider doing this once a month. Ironically if I did it would save me at least 10% on my monthly food bill. Not a bad savings in times like this. And as a benefit, it is well known in the scientific and medical community/literature that a 72-hour fast or prolonged fasting can lead to regeneration of the cells of your immune system. Imagine; resetting your immune system so that it can fight a better fight leading to better health and ultimately greater longevity.

I decided on 72 hours because I’ve gone much longer before. That and I had 4 days off to deal with the yucky feelings. My understanding is that those yucky feelings(keto flu) are a result of the body catabolizing its own, what we call stored fats. I imagine this is where the body stores a lot of the toxins that it can’t process now for processing later should we choose to do something beneficial like fasting. Which likely would have been a default thing that we have lost in time because of this world of plenty we have been enjoying for decades.

So I imagine the reason we begin feeling better after a few days is that our body has had a chance to clear out the toxins that were stored up for later processing which is accomplished through the act of fasting.

P.S. I’ve been doing a 12/12 feeding schedule for quite some time now. That seems to offer the best benefits overall. Metabolic and other health concerns arise when going above or below the 12-hour feeding window.

I know I’ve spoken to you guys a lot about eating certain ways and how important it is, but I really want you guys to know that longevity of years is and should be the ultimate goal. But even more with a body that looks and feels no more than 24.

We’ve been given by right of birth a gift of a potential 120 years of time that we are miserably failing to attain, and why anyone wouldn’t want to live to 120 years or more is beyond me. Especially if we could do it with a body that is functionally 24 years of age.

I do want to and plan to live to 120. I do realize that I am likely going to have to bury a lot of people I love that don’t want to live a lifestyle that lends towards that end, but I, at this point, cannot see it any other way. I want to fully appreciate the gift we have all been given. Why shouldn’t we?

I am going to try. Why not try it with me?

What Is Acidosis?

What Is The Cause of Acidosis?

1. Sleep 2. Nutriment 3. Movement(Yoga & QiGong)

1. Sleep
2. Nutriment
3. Movement(Yoga & QiGong)