Blog – Page 9 – Chew Digest

What is Cancer and How Do We End Up There?

What is Cancer?

According to most sources, cancer is defined as a disease. A disease in which some of the body’s cells grow in an uncontrolled manner often times spreading to other parts of the body.

I would like to offer a different perspective.

I would like to suggest that it is not a disease in and of itself but one of many stages of a logical process that takes time to develop. It is not something that simply happens to an individual by chance, but an end-stage of a long process that has a growth that is organic and measurable in nature.

If someone finds themselves in a situation where they are what we call being diagnosed with cancer it’s not by chance. It is a logical process that can be observed, usually over many years, if one knows what evidence to look for that leads to that diagnosis.

All that to say, that cancer is not the problem, but a sign of a body that has been in a state of disease for quite some time.

How do we end up there?

That depends on a number of factors in the overall equation of a life form. It primarily depends on the state of the soil in which the seed is planted by the farmer. The soil in this case would be the mother’s womb. And the seed would be the germ(sperm) placed by the farmer(biological father) within that soil.

One might ask, what does the mother’s body have to do with someone being diagnosed with cancer?

I am not sure that most would have a good answer for this, but I believe after almost 5 years of research on the subjects of human physiology and disease pathology that I have gained some unique insights that might very well shed some light on this question. Insights that I might have otherwise missed had I not looked at the human body as a microcosm, within a comparative framework of Earth as a whole eco-system. A smaller version of Earth. A microscopic version of the Earth as a whole considering we are quite literally made from the dust of the Earth and to that dust we will again return.

I chose this framework by which to examine the human condition because of our self-imposed limitations on observing how the human body works at scale. We cannot simply cut open a finely tuned human body to observe how a heart beats or how a brain thinks. We can only observe it from the outside looking in and rather blindly at that.

So what can the earth(land) tell us about how the human body works?

It has been said for millennia that a good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. This I would suggest is the basis by which we can better understand how someone can end up with a diagnosis of cancer at any point within the framework of life from birth to death at the ripe old age of 120.

I imagine some of you are beginning to see the point that I am trying to make. That cancer does not simply befall us, but that it is something that is cultured over a long period of time. If this is what you were thinking, I would have to agree with you. No matter what stage of life we find ourselves in a diagnosis of cancer should come as no surprise. It, in my opinion, is something that we should by now be able to see coming from a distance and that we’ve had the answers for quite some time. We just didn’t realize it.

A better way to understand this might be to look at this is in reverse. As in, what would life look like for someone that would never end up in a place where they were said to have cancer. A life of ease, rather than a life marked with evidence of disease or DIS-ease.

One example of this can be found in the efforts of Dr. Francis Marion Pottenger, Jr., an early twentieth century physician from Monrovia, California. In his research, he discovered that when an animal(cat) consumes an uncooked diet according to their species specific requirements, that they don’t end up in a state of disease. On the other hand, an animal(cat) fed a diet that consists of processed foods ended up with all manner of disease much like we human’s do.

To Be Continued…

A Beneficial Addiction?

It is truly an awful thing to admit, salt shaker in hand, that we have warped our minds into such an obsession for this flavor crystal that only an act of providence can remove it from us. Or is it possible that it is simply so much of a necessary part of our existence that our body ensures its consumption by rewarding us greatly for fulfilling its desire?

No other kind of bankruptcy or depth of depravity has no man known like this one. Salt…now become our rapacious creditor, phone in hand, bleeding us, extracting all of our self-sufficient precious hydration and will to resist its demands, leading us that we should follow. Or is it precisely a key component that our body needs to properly move hydration about the body as our body in its infinite wisdom sees fit? Most likely yes and yes.

Little did I know almost 5 years ago when I walked into that room(A.A.) and admitted that I was an alcoholic that it would be just the beginning of my journey to find better answers to how I could have ended up in that room with a bunch of other salty alcoholics would end where it did. In the salt mines.[EDITING]

I believe I have found the mother of all addictions, the true foundation, the pillar of all things impulsive, compulsive and reactionary. The way that I feel today after almost 3 months with no added salt is free; like a genie from a bottle after a few thousand years. Truly free to live and thrive; lacking no potential.

I am under the impression that for the maximum amount of joy and potential that this body has to offer us as its lucky conscious passenger, that we should only ever put anything in it that it has evolved with for all of its existence.

Anything man has added to that equation over the last few hundred years has done nothing but hinder our progress and turn us into human jerky, preserved in sodium chloride, twice embalmed, ready for the undertaker well in advance, whose job will be easy in light of our love affair with salt and all things convenient.

Welcome to the club, I’m Mike and I’ve been salted…8)

Who Is the Richer?

It’s not often that I take a minute to ponder the most valuable things in life. But, as I sit here with a bottle of Single Malt Aquafina by my side, I can’t help but consider what really matters. Like most people, I suppose, family, friends, fitness, and finances come to mind. But here’s the kicker, my dear readers: those who are considered successful and truly living the American Dream rank the same thing at number one: time.

Yes, time. That slippery, elusive, ever-fleeting commodity that we all seem to lack. And why is that, you might ask? Well, it’s simple really. Time is the one thing we can never get back. Once it’s gone, it’s gone forever. And that’s why it’s so damn valuable.

But here’s the thing, folks. Time is useless without health. You can have all the time in the world, but if your body is in an advanced state of disease and decay, what good is it? Health is the foundation of wealth, the bedrock upon which everything else is built. Without it, time as a currency enters into a state of devaluation. And believe you me, that’s a state you don’t want to be found in.

Now, when it comes to wealth, there’s a big difference between the modern and ancient worlds. Back in the day, wealth – anything substantially above mere subsistence – was incredibly rare. And I’m not sure people today realize just how dire the situation was. In those days, you were lucky to have a roof over your head and a crust of bread to eat. But nowadays, we’ve got it all. We’ve got fancy cars, big houses, and all the gadgets and gizmos we could ever want.

But here’s the catch, my friends. All those things are just distractions. They might make us feel good for a little while, but they don’t bring true happiness. They don’t bring fulfillment. And that’s because true wealth isn’t measured in material possessions. No, true wealth is measured in experiences, in memories, in moments. And all those things require one thing: time.

So, as I sit here with my bottle of Aquafina, I implore you, dear readers, to take a step back and consider what really matters in life. Is it the big house or the fancy car? Is it the fat bank account or the latest iPhone? No, my friends, it’s none of those things. It’s the time we have with the people we love, the experiences we share, and the memories we create.

In the end, that’s all that really matters. So don’t waste your time chasing after things that don’t matter. Instead, focus on what’s truly important. Cherish your health, cherish your time, and cherish the people who matter most. That, my dear readers, is the key to a truly fulfilling life.

Why Niacin?

It is not that nutritional supplements cure anything; it is that specific nutritional deficiencies result in all manner of diseases that can be reversed if sufficient nutrition is achieved through required nutrient assimilation. Our body has needs that don’t always align with our desires. Desires that should always take the back seat in light of our body’s requirements.

My research leads me to believe that supplementary Niacin(nicotinic acid) may promote growth and tissue repair by depressing the growth of microbes or parasites that are toxic or steal nutrients from the host, leading to increased nutrient utilization and reduced energy investment in maintaining immune responses within the GI tract.

KATA SARX(According to the Flesh)

I like to think of our body as the agency or consciousness that has been evolving for tens of thousands of years before my consciousness was ever aware of its existence. That my body or any of our bodies are temporary manifestations of the foundational, colonial pool of genetic life, we call homo sapien.

Our genetics and our immediate environment direct our biological differences regarding visible characteristics, physiology, disease susceptibility, mental abilities, body size, and life span. Though individual bodies vary in many ways, two humans no matter how different they appear are more than 99% alike. The greatest degree of genetic variation exists between males and females. Any married human can point out every single damn difference.

As such, I have come to understand that our body exists in and of itself and my consciousness of it and what I can do is completely at the will and pleasure of our body.

Consider our stem cells. Our body contains within itself the cause of itself, and it is precisely the foundation by which we can even have consciousness. And our individual consciousness is very fortunate to get to take a part of this continuum of humanity by which we get to but for a moment experience what we call Life.

That being said, I believe we of the upper order consciousness have strayed into a way of error that is costing us greatly.

Another thing about my body I have come to understand is that there are very likely certain immutable rules that we have lost track of in the bustle of modernization and we are really beginning to see the consequences of that. And no matter how much we wish ourselves into longevity and wellness I don’t see wavering in its ways just so we can do whatever we want with it.

I’ve found that my body is not my own and that it has constraints that really should be followed. I’ve learned to listen carefully and it quite plainly tells me what is good and what is right. And its messages are simple; pleasure and pain.

Our body already knows ahead of time all the possible steps each and every one of us will take at any given moment because it has seen it all before. And because of this deeply ingrained wisdom whatever happens, good or bad, its response is the correct one.

And if you bring into the temple of your body the things it desires it can even heal you spontaneously from all manner of things; including cancer.

My body has a way. It is unchanging, and I have learned to submit my ways to it as the authority of me as its mouth’s gatekeeper…😎

www.michaeljloomis.com

Our Heart is NOT A PUMP!

A prediction…Tuesday, May 17, 2022

I predict that eventually, our understanding of our cardiovascular and pulmonary functions will reveal that the heart is not a pump and that we do not necessarily get our oxygen at the cellular level from our lungs through the act of breathing.

That the O2 found in our blood is a result of cellular respiration and metabolism, that the role of the heart is a flow restrictor and momentum orchestrator that acts as a blood pressure regulator to protect the filter organs from excess pressures that could possibly result in damage.

That the purpose of our lungs is to bring oxygen into our bloodstream but to scrub the carbon from our blood which is a byproduct of cellular metabolism. During the process of cellular respiration, carbon dioxide is given off as a waste product that then enters back into the vein side of the capillary beds, which causes the pressure, propelling the blood forward towards the filtering organs that service our vascular system, leaving behind the O2 from the carbon scrubbing process of the lungs, enriching our blood with the O2 we need.

And that the atmosphere that we breathe into our lungs serves the purpose of removing the carbon from the blood via a pressure gradient by combining it with the O2 we inhale only to find itself back out into the atmosphere to complete its job in feeding mother nature’s plants its needed C02.

I acknowledge that I am not the first to suggest that the heart is not a pump. That is nothing new. However, I may be the first to suggest the role of CO2 re-entering the vein side of the capillary beds as the mechanism that begins the forward momentum of the carbon-rich veinous blood and the scrubbing action of the lungs.

It is common knowledge that there is an exchange in the lungs in which carbon is removed from the body into the atmosphere; what I am adding for clarification is that there is no need to suggest that O2 is also being brought back into general circulation in the alveoli.

This would be a really good reason to keep your B.M.I. at 18.5 and never above 24.9. The greater the body mass index, the greater level of resources the body will have to spend to ultimately clear the additional CO2 levels that result from the additional cellular mass. Increased CO2 levels result in a lower pH requiring the body to spend resources to remedy the pH imbalance.

The stuff I think of while hauling asses…😎

On To More Rewards

Many years ago I would say I lost my way. Or, perhaps the powers that be saw an opportunity in me to be a good example for others. So on I went about my merry way barely making two sober-minded decisions a day and few of them ever were when I was sober, because, who has time for that…LoL

Whether it was alcohol, a 1-pound bag of Skittles, a HUGE bowl of salty/buttery popcorn, or any other thing in life I could add to my equation to stimulate me was on the menu most of the time. Sober-minded decisions were not being made.

I found it first took a clean, sober body before my mind was able to make sober-minded decisions…😎.

I love how ultimately it is my body that goes before me and if I walk in its ways, following its paths of righteousness, I find myself missing the mark less and less. Oh…And I don’t miss my old life one bit.

It has taken me 50 years to become the person I’ve always wanted to be. I believe I finally understand what it means to truly love myself and I’m ready for another century to learn more, serve more, to live more. Because LIFE is the reward.

I could have missed the pain but then I would have missed the dance according to Garth Brooks. I couldn’t say it better.

I’ve spent the last five years recovering from a life of excess consumption of many things that were not beneficial for my overall life and wellbeing. I am grateful for every day that I have before me and I am very happy that I began listening to my body.

When I began this journey I thought I was just giving up drinking but it has been so much more than that. A return to a fullness of life and a life much more abundant.

Our body speaks to us continuously if we listen. It whispers but sometimes it floods. And it has two messages; pleasure and pain. One for when you do things the wrong way leading to death and the other pleasure(reward) for doing things the right way leading to life.

I have found that life is much easier living in a state of reward…😎

And I thank you all for letting me tell this story.

On to more rewards.

The Water of Life

Our bodily fluids. The fluid within our body is a miraculous thing that makes our life possible. It is the fluid that circulates the red and white blood cells throughout our vascular system. Our arteries and veins. That same fluid leaks out of our vascular system at the capillary beds into the interstitial spaces where our arteries and veins meet. It is also called tissue fluid. A solution that bathes and surrounds the cells of multicellular animals. As interstitial fluid begins to accumulate, it is gathered up and removed by minute lymphatic vessels and returned to the blood. As soon as the interstitial fluid enters the lymph capillaries, it is called lymph. Same thing, different space. Returning this fluid to the blood prevents edema and helps to maintain normal blood volume and pressure. During this three-part transitional phase, this fluid bathes our cells in oxygen and nutrients while also picking up cellular debris for clearance back into our general circulation where it can be filtered by our lymph nodes and filter organs like the liver, kidneys, and spleen.

What is the difference between our blood, interstitial fluid, and lymphatic fluid? Nothing but location, purpose, and small amounts of other minute contents.

It is also the yellow part of our urine, the fluid that bathes our brain, fills our eyes, and we swim around in it while developing from embryo to newborn child.

-Michael J. Loomis

Death and Hope

Time is our gift. It is our most valuable and precious asset, of which we receive only a fixed amount. Death is behind us, and hope is before us. Whether well-spent or wasted, the time we spend is dead to us, never to be revived or resurrected. The time that remains before us is ours; some are richer than others, but alas, it is the realm where hope is found.

Are you a good steward?

-Michael J Loomis

Pulling Teeth and Popping Pills…

…is not the answer for us or our children. We’ve got a problem that lay squarely on the shoulders of us parents that began when we were kids.

When I was a kid we were lucky to get to go through the Taco Bell drive-thru maybe 1-2 times per month. And that wasn’t getting all the fancy stuff they have on the menus these days. Fancy back then was the Burrito Supreme. I always wanted that, but always rolled away with a regular old burrito, and if mom was feeling spendy I was lucky enough to get sourcream on it for an extra 25 cents. And McDonald’s? That was for special occasions like your birthday and maybe a handful of other times throughout the year.

Growing up in the 1970’s and 80’s were fun for me. Lots of good times and not a lot to worry about. Mom was a stay-at-home mom that always had our meals prepared for us to find waiting for us on schedule. Of course, we would always bug mom and dad when we were out shopping, asking if we could stop at Taco Bell or McDonald’s, but the usual response was that we were eating at Mom’s Place. Of course, there were always some processed foods thrown in the mix but not at the level we see people eating today. The microwave oven was a new invention when I was a kid and the idea of being able to make a single hotdog in a bun wrapped in a paper towel nuked for 30 seconds was the greatest thing since sliced bread.

Occasionally, we would have something processed like Tater-tot’s added into the mix with all of the other foods that mom was making from scratch, but it was the exception, not the rule. But then came the turn that changed everything. And it came when I was put in a position to choose on my own. It likely began in jr. high or what they now call middle school when I started going to school with money in my pocket and no oversight into what I was buying at break or lunchtime. And by the time I was in high school I was well on my way to paving the new road to a new age of culinary misgivings.

In high school, I was given $22.50 per week in allowance and lunch money which really gave me the freedom to start eating more the way that I wanted to eat. And frankly, I didn’t waste any time joining the workforce. I was making my own money beginning somewhere around age 14 which really didn’t help me in my own dietary decision-making process. I could now afford to eat whatever I wanted when mom and dad weren’t around. And then after I graduated from high school, all bets were off on my ever eating the way I had been raised to eat, at mom’s table.

When high school came to an end I was in no hurry to do anything quickly. I just wanted to take that first summer off and do a whole lot of nothing, which is exactly what I did. That fall I began working full time at Circuit City in Lakewood as a car stereo installer. Boy, that full-time income sure did bring a lot more freedom in life and that meant that I was expanding my eating window to include more good stuff from places like Jack in the Box, Little Caesars, McDonald’s, and the like, and I had no interest in looking back to what mom was making for dinner.

I met my first wife Tanya in the early months of 1992 and by that time we were literally bathing ourselves in junk food by the pound. We had almost no constraint. The following year we were married and out living on our own doing what we knew best, which was not cooking our dinners at home and what little foods we did stock our refrigerator and cabinets with were not health foods by any means. Just more flavorful junk. Clearly, we had little idea just how bad this was going to come back to haunt us. And then we became parents ourselves and our children began eating what we were eating. All junk, all the time.

We knew that this was not the way we were raised to eat. We had been told such, but there was a disconnect to the reality that I believe would ultimately pave the way for my having an advanced metabolic disease that would come to roost some 25 years later. It didn’t happen quickly but was a long slow process that was deceptively progressive separating the sewing of the seed from the fruit that was brought forth. It’s no wonder we don’t see the connection between ingested foods and the resulting ill-health. It doesn’t happen overnight. And one of the things that frighten me the most is what will be happening to our children and grandchildren as a result of this dietary shift that happened in my generation. Our children are now suffering from advanced metabolic diseases that were once known as adult-onset diseases like what we now call Type-2 Diabetes. It used to be called Adult-Onset Diabetes, but then when children started suffering from it we simply renamed it for better fit and finish.

I know for me it wasn’t a matter of not having the intellect to understand why I should have been eating a diet that contained much more if not solely plant-based whole foods, it just wasn’t spoken of broadly when I was growing up. There were no classes in any of the schooling that I took that would have in any way described my way of eating as unhealthy. There also wasn’t any learning that I participated in that explained how the human body works the way I understand it today. That doesn’t mean that it didn’t exist, I just wasn’t aware of it, nor was I specifically looking for those answers.

I suppose if there was someone I respected that would have described to me directly what would happen to me physically as a result of my eating habits, I would have chosen a different path. If someone had taken the time to sit down and describe in simple terms that a fourteen-year-old could understand that a body has certain specific needs to live a full and healthy life I might have chosen a different course. Instead, I chose Dr. Pepper and Funyuns or Munchos. Slurpee’s and Cool Ranch Doritos. Good times, good times. Or so I thought.

I wonder if I would have followed a different path had I met someone like me when I was 18 that would have shared with me what I share with those in my car every day. What if would have met someone like me, a teacher of human physiology and disease pathology that would have taken 15 minutes to share the information that I share. Would I have listened and actually taken action? I don’t know. It really does seem that something tragic needs to happen in someone’s life before they will choose to make a significant change for the better.

-Michael J. Loomis