500words – Page 8 – Chew Digest

Letter To a Future Me[editing]

I am currently writing a book called, “Chew Digest Chronicles.” And I am getting pretty close to being done with the first volume.

You’ll notice I emphasized, first volume because I plan on publishing books like this on a regular basis as a way to catalog my thought process as well as share my thoughts in the form of essays that are easy enough to digest one at a time. Digestible essays of at least 500 words containing my thoughts as I continue my journey of understanding from a lifetime of bad judgment and not so sober-minded decision making that almost led me to the brink of destruction. A life that was filled with a physical disease as well as mental disorder; a mind continually embroiled with chaos.

This book in one sense is me publishing a letter to and for my future self as well as my succeeding generations. A forever journal that I want to share with the rest of creation. A digest of my thought processes cataloging the fruit of my auto-didactic labors for a future me. I fully expect that there will come a time when Artificial Intelligence reaches such a point that, given enough information, a future me will be able to have a nice sit-down dinner with my future family ten, twenty, or even thirty generations into the future. That I will be able to speak to them from a catalog of my own specific thoughts and wisdom because of a publicly available written record of what is going on between my ears and behind my eyes.

I fully believe that a time will come when we will be able to, in some sense, upload a snapshot of our consciousness into a virtual space or even a cybernetic organism that will be able to inhabit the same space we humans currently do alongside our future family. But only if there is sufficient code based written data to draw from be it spoken word, or actual written text like what I am doing here. I imagine it would be smart to do both so that even our facial expressions and other dramatic gestures can accurately depict who I am now in a future space long after I have left this current physical form.

I am also writing this book and the rest to follow to help people better understand human physiology and disease pathology at a level that even a 14-year-old can understand. I would like people to be able to understand the things that I didn’t that landed me in a world of hurt so that they don’t have to end up suffering the same fate that I did. I can’t go back. I can’t send myself a letter to a 15-year-old me telling me what not to do, but I can pay that debt of regret forward as a future gift not only for all of future humanity but especially to the kids, grandkids, and future generations of those nearest and dearest to me that still think that they are invincible in their ways like I once did.

To Be Continued…

Illustration: Circulatory and Lymphatic System

Every once in a while I find a medical illustration that does a really good job visually explaining how something works. This is one of them. And occasionally they inspire me; motivating me to study far beyond my original search for answers. With this one there are a lot of potential learning and teaching points whether the author or artist intended any additional meaning or potential in their efforts.

I like this one…8). I’ve been intimately aware of my circulatory system as long as I’ve heard my heartbeat. But I didn’t really understand the significance of that extra green part. The lymphatic system. Of course, I had heard of it, but I didn’t fully understand the significance of it and its proper functionality for my well-being. That is until my body decided to teach me a more excellent way of taking care of business. Handling cellular life…8). More on that later.

An adult circulatory system, arteries, and veins, transport about 6,000-7,500 liters of plasma and its companions, red and white blood cells.

The lymphatic system helps maintain fluid balance. It returns excess tissue fluid or blood plasma(same thing; different place) along with proteins from our soft tissues that cannot be returned through the blood vessels.

Blood Plasma = Tissue Fluid = Lymphatic Fluid

The tissue fluid is found in the tissue spaces and cavities, in the tiny spaces surrounding cells, known as the interstitial spaces, which are reached by the smallest blood and lymph capillaries.

Around 90 percent of the plasma that reaches our soft tissues from the arterial blood capillaries is returned by the venous capillaries and back along veins. The remaining 10 percent remains in the soft tissues and is eventually drained back by the lymphatics.

Each day, around 2-3 liters are returned. This fluid includes waste proteins that are too large to be transported via the blood vessels. As that process is taking place these proteins are continually denatured along the way until they reenter general circulation at the end of their journey just above our heart where it begins the journey all over again.

If this system failed to function properly the toxic burden on our bodies would be too great and we would die within a day. Without this third leg of our circulatory system draining its fluids excess waste or cellular debris, our soft tissues would swell. Blood volume would decrease because that fluid is our blood plasma, just outside the arteries and veins and blood pressure would increase until the skin, kidneys, liver, and lungs become overburdened resulting in acute failure.

I Met Ray Bradbury On This Day

How often do we get to meet our superheroes?

On Saturday, April 05, 2008, the day Charlton Heston died, I met my literary superhero, Ray Bradbury. The wifeypoo(Susan) had convinced me to skip out on my work responsibilities. That we would have more fun visiting her favorite mortuary, Hollywood Forever, followed by a dinner at Palms Thai, a restaurant with a Thai Elvis impersonator. Little did I know I would also be meeting my literary hero Ray Bradbury.

At that time in my life, I had been working as a Longshoreman, Electrician, and Radio DJ. Had an expensive life at that time I guess. That and I’m pretty sure I’ve always been a work-a-holic. I still work way too much. Nonetheless, the wife cajoled me into taking the night off to drive up to Hollywood Forever for another one of our regular wanderings about the grounds of the old graveyard and mausoleum. Honestly, I wasn’t too thrilled to be going out that night and was somewhat of a petulant child about having gone. That is until I almost ran Ray Bradbury down with my olive green 2006 Toyota Camry.

Interestingly, Ray was a man who took it upon himself to never drive an automobile. He didn’t like them very much and felt the world would be a better place without them. Maybe he was right. At this point, we will never know. I imagine roads filled with driverless vehicles within my own lifetime. It could be a reality already if we really wanted it to be. It’s 2022 and the current level of testing that they are doing with fleets of driverless vehicles is proving positively that they are much safer than humans behind the wheel.

True to form, without a vehicle, Ray Bradbury was out with his caretaker for a night on the town. Or at least a cup of Starbucks coffee.

Wifeypoo and I had just left Hollywood Forever and were headed to dinner at Palms Thai when we got diverted in search of the apartment that Julia Roberts occupied in the movie Pretty Woman located just above Hollywood Boulevard, not more than a block from where I met Ray. We headed back down to Hollywood Boulevard and were met with quite a bit of traffic. After a few boatloads of traffic and just as many rivers of pedestrians pouring across Hollywood Boulevard I saw a momentary opportunity to squeeze my car through before the next raft of short-stepping pedestrians would subject me to another red light in frustration. So I made the leap of faith.

All of a sudden the next few moments morphed strangely into a 3-second slow-motion reel as I realized the man crossing the street right in front of me was none other than Ray Bradbury. The only thing I could utter was, “Oh my God, that’s Ray Bradbury.” I was so shocked I’m almost surprised I didn’t rear-end the car that was just before me as I made the turn.

Filled with emotion and amazement I started craning my head around to see where he was going next. As I look to my right I see him being assisted by his caretaker, both heading into the front door of Starbucks Coffee. I was now a man on a mission and I knew what my next move would be. Find something that was likely not going to exist that close to Hollywood Boulevard. An open parking space on a busy Saturday evening. But alas, my karmic bank must have been overfull that night because like a miracle of that same God I called out for in surprise made parted a Red Sea of cars, providing me with a parking spot just outside of Starbucks, and one with no parking meter hungrily begging for nutrient-rich coin. So I fulfilled my calling and parked the car.

Filled to the brim with emotion I jumped out of the car and headed into the Starbucks. Not sure why, but for some reason, the wifeypoo stayed in the car. Gathering my composure, I entered Starbucks to be greeted by none other than Ray Bradbury.

I imagine you can tell by the look on my face that I was in rather good spirits. Over the years I had intended on going to a book signing or attending a lecture of his but never did. This however was much better. After paying him a debt of gratitude for inspiring me to want to read more as a boy in Junior High, he asked me which of his books I liked the most. I told him that I’m not sure I could nail it down to just one, so I didn’t. I had two favorite books. The Martian Chronicles and Fahrenheit 451. Afterwhich he invited me to attend the opening night of a new rendering of Fahrenheit 451 taking place just two weeks later at the Fremont Centre Theatre in Pasadena. Of course, I took him up on the offer.

The theatre was cozy, to say the least. If I remember correctly, it only seated about 50 guests. And Ray Bradbury was one of them on that opening night.

After the show, Susan and I had a chance to talk with Ray for a moment while he was signing books for people. He signed a copy of Something Wicked This Way Comes for me. We even got to share a glass of wine with him. It was a nice evening and a great way to get to know someone that you look up to. And to boot, he was a genuinely nice person interested in those that invested their time reading his books. In some sense, it felt like he was as happy to see all of us as we were to see him.

It’s hard to say what the best thing was about the whole experience, but I will never forget what he said when I introduced him to my wife. He said, “Why didn’t you tell me your wife was so fu**ing beautiful?”

I write this almost 10 years after Ray Bradbury passed away. And I would like to imagine that he is able to in some way read this post along with all of the other kind words that people have written about him since he moved on. That being said…

Hey there friend. It has been a while since we spoke last. Since that time you looked upon my beautiful wife, we have gone our separate ways. She is still a beautiful and wonderful person, but we just couldn’t get along together in a healthy manner, so we decided to build a better life apart. I’m not sure if you remember, or if I even mentioned it to you, but she is a mortician and is often found working in various cemeteries around Southern California. And she occasionally ends up there at Westwood Memorial to visit Norma Jeane Mortenson(Marilyn Monroe) along with some of her other favorite actors. And on occasion, she makes her way past your little piece of eternal real estate. So keep your eyes open my friend. You may just get to see another side of her as she stops by to pay her respects.

I’ve got a lot more work to do catching up to the likes of you. You see, these days I am an author too, and it’s going to take me a while to catch up to you and your legacy, but I’m going to do it. I know the secret thanks to you. I’ll see you in a bit old friend. Then we can both enjoy the view from that generous and welcoming porch at your timeshare on Mars. We can sip a little dandelion wine late one October night while looking back on Earth from afar. By then Elon Musk will have those rockets you described so well running on a regular schedule and they can provide us with that gentle rumble off in the distance that will bring a smile to your face.

Until then, your friend.

Michael J. Loomis

Accelerate your stem cell production in three ways

In 2006, Nobel Prize winners, Kazutoshi Takahashi and Shinya Yamanak, turned the world upside down when they found that skin cells could be reprogrammed and become ‘induced’ pluripotent stem cells. Somatic stem cells are undifferentiated. They are cells found throughout the body that are ready to go at any time. If a name were needed you could call them, “Johnny on the Spot.” They are always ready to be called into service in whatever way the body needs. One purpose they serve is that they replenish any of our senescent(old) cells that have reached the end of their useful life.

Stem cells are located in various locations throughout the body but multiply more readily in the protected environment of our bones marrow, our brain, and our gut. Our three innermost parts. Research shows that stem cells thrive in certain environments and the loss of their power of division and growth occurs when the environment is not favorable. What follows is how stem cells grow and thrive due to several internal and external influences.

1. Caloric Restriction Increases Stem Cell Proliferation

Studies have shown that the number of circulating stem cells in the blood increases with caloric restriction. Additionally, the lifespan of the organs is lengthened. Intermittent fasting or a fasting-mimicking diet is a good way to induce stem cell production and increase the overall functionality of cells. It is these stem cells that are the building materials for our temple.

Chronic inflammation and metabolic problems occur when too many building materials end up in our systems. Studies show that reducing glucose input increases stem cell longevity.

Plain and simple reducing circulating glucose is precisely what the body needs to optimally produce quality stem cells. Foods that are processed or concentrated in any way outside of the body are the biggest culprit.

2. Reduce Triglycerides

The most common causes of high triglycerides are obesity and poorly controlled diabetes. People with high triglycerides are more likely to gain weight, resulting in metabolic syndrome. Additionally, stem cells don’t grow as well in bodies that have high triglycerides.

Some might suggest taking MORE high-quality omega-3 fatty acids to balance out triglycerides and help stem cell growth. I would suggest removing the offending source of the increase returning the body to balance and homeostasis rather than just putting in MORE. Both can be done, but one option is free and I have reservations with the other in that excess is not always better. That doesn’t mean though that there isn’t a place and time where some wisely administered supplements could result in a beneficial end towards whole-body homeostasis.

3. Exercise Boosts Stem Cell Activity

Using our body’s systems results in the proliferation of stem cells by simple means of use. One out, one in. Burn out one stem cell so that the newest one in line can brightly shine. Aerobic exercise in particular aids in this process especially when it comes to stem cells becoming bone instead of fat. When used our muscles activate stem cells as well. These are called mesenchymal stem cells and they are activated by exercise being made available to form new muscle and bone. I would always advise exercising caution in how you go about incorporating any new kind of exercise program. Especially if there are free weights and machines since they end up producing a bit more stress on the overall human creature.

Scribe(author) – Michael J. Loomis | Editor at Chew Digest

Magic Meat?

One of my favorite teachers, researchers, scientists, and authors, Valter Longo, author of the book, The Longevity Diet has observed that a vegan diet is the best way to get to a healthy 65 years of age. However, he has also observed that there are diminishing returns on that vegan diet and overall mortality beyond the age of 65. His answer is to incorporate a small piece of fish once a week for greater longevity and overall mortality.

Personally, I am not satisfied with this answer. I want to know why.

On the surface, this seems counterintuitive to me because there is nothing magic about eating meat. Nothing special is found in eating meat that cannot be obtained from plant-based sources. True, we cannot get animal-based collagen from plant sources, but animal-based collagen is not a necessary nutrient. Our body makes its own collagen when provided with sufficient amino acids and other nutrients, like copper, zinc, and vitamin C. All things found in plant-based foods.

So what is it that happens at age 65 that would make meat confer greater overall mortality to an aging population? I am thinking that it has more to do with the production of stem cells and an elevated white blood cell count associated with eating cooked foods referred to as digestive leukocytosis. This occurs when any foods, plant or animal-based enter the body that has been cooked. Eating cooked or overheated foods result in an increase in leukocyte production similar to what we see when the body has suffered an injury or some form of infection. Eating raw foods does not have this effect.

Some people, especially raw vegans, and fruitarians might feel that this justifies a completely uncooked diet, however, that is a conclusion that is not really justified in that the solution is to simply eat a diet of both cooked and raw. Dr. Paul Kouchakoff demonstrated all this in two papers he published back in the 1930s. However, most people only read his first paper on the topic published in 1930 that points out that digestive leukocytosis happens when foods are overcooked. It is his second paper published in 1937 that is only available in French that further explains that eating cooked foods isn’t a problem if one also eats even a small amount, some 10%, of the same foods uncooked. But alas, most people only read the first paper that had been published in English while ignoring the second one that was published later, available only in French.

This leads me to suspect that the answer can be found in a process called hormesis, whereby our body’s immune system is upregulated. That a diet that incorporates certain kinds of cooked foods into our diet to trigger an increased amount of neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, monocytes, and lymphocytes that then go out into the body resulting in a greater level of regeneration. A cleansing effect if you will. Maybe this is why soups have been loved by many as not only comfort food, but one that makes them feel better when they are suffering the effects of the common cold.

I figure I have another 15 years until I see age 65. I imagine that will be long enough to resolve these questions.

What Determines Our Days and What Can We Do About It?

As an Uber driver, I get the chance to speak to a lot of people of all stripes, flavors, and demographics. I get to see people in every possible condition of health from fabulous to people that look like they are on their last leg with crutches, canes, and walkers.

Another one that is very telling is the demographics of the people that I take and pick up from dialysis and the amount of melanin is the most obvious distinguishing factor. The more melanin, the greater the need of dialysis. Melanin is a pigment found in the skin that occurs in animals, human or otherwise and is what makes eyes, skin, and hair appear darker. Research has found that those with greater levels of melanin have a greater level of protection from exposure to UV light blocking the processes by which skin cancer is manifested. Conversely, melanin, blocks or absorbs the UV light that is necessary for the creation of vitamin D within the skin which is not a problem for people with less skin pigmentation.

Why Cancer? And What is it?

So why do we end up sitting in a doctor’s office with a cancer diagnosis?

First and foremost, we end up there because we know something is wrong. That message is simple and what is unfortunate is that most people don’t realize that our body has likely been telling us that there is something wrong for a long time, but we have missed those messages. Our body has spoken to us in such a manner that is so loud and clear that there is little chance that we cannot respond by any other means than approaching someone, a doctor, that can help us interpret what our body is trying to tell us.

How do we miss those messages?

We don’t know that our body is speaking to us much of the time. I can’t speak for anyone else, but I don’t ever remember being taught or reading about how to interpret so-called body talk if that term can be applied here. Yet, after my run-in with an advanced state of dis-ease, I can now look back and see how many red flags(messages) I either missed or ignored with the help of pain medications or simple will.

In my own life, I imagine the alcohol I regularly consumed day after day helped me miss the messages that my body would have been otherwise able to communicate to me with clarity. The fatigue, headaches, and hangover feelings I associated with the drinking itself were likely my body trying to share with me the reality of what was going on beneath the surface. And what about all of the bottles of over-the-counter remedies consumed over a lifetime? Those too are not to blame but complicit in the dulling of our ability to understand that our body is likely continually communicating with us that something is not correct.

And what exactly is cancer as an entity within the body of the person, or any animal that it inhabits?

As I understand cancer, it is the endpoint of a body running out of balance for some time. Cancer does not simply creep up on anyone. It is like a tree that finally comes to its place in life where it can begin bearing fully ripe fruit of its growth and labor. Disease can be understood as a process that has many distinct states or stages along the way before it is finally diagnosed as cancer. Some would suggest that cancer is still within the intelligent control of the individual’s body, but I am not so sure that this is the case. My opinion is that it is a process that had its origins with the control of the immune system, but at some point broke free from its intelligent control mechanisms and has become an independent process that our immune system fights against like a foreign invader.

Is it productive or destructive?

This is a great question and still debatable in my mind. In one sense, it can be productive if it has not gone so far afield that the body can no longer keep it in check. However, it is always destructive because if left unchecked, it will likely be the last immune battle that a body fights before the ghost leaves the machine.

Ultimately, suppose someone diagnosed with cancer will resist a shortened span of life resulting from cancer. In that case, they will have to make a lot of changes in their lives and work towards a possible resolution.

The Virtue of Thinking Virtually

Which came first, the physical computer or the virtual computer?

A holon (Greek: ὅλον, from ὅλος, holos, ‘whole’ and -ον, -on, ‘part’) is something that is simultaneously a whole in and of itself, as well as a part of a larger whole. In other words, holons can be understood as the constituent part–wholes of a hierarchy. -wikipedia

I look at the internet and all of the infrastructure that makes it all happen. And what I see is a virtual world that is based on the physical world that we live in. That is, we have virtualized much of our lives to free up time to do things we were too busy for before just to survive. This should mean that we should be able to look at something like Google in its totality and make predictions about certain unseen things in our natural/physical world.

Which led me to another question now that we have virtual computers. Did we ever need physical computers in the first place?

The simple answer is yes. And it seems reasonable to conclude that we needed the physical thing by which to model the virtual thing. And ultimately there does need to be a physical machine layer as a foundation beneath virtual machines. However, virtual machines are just software and a virtual computer can run within a virtual machine.

I know, I know…Couldn’t it be virtual machines all the way down?

A virtual computer is an emulation of a computer system. Virtual machines are based on computer architectures that provide the functionality of a physical computer. They provide a substitute for a real machine. They provide the functionality needed to execute entire operating systems without the need for additional hardware.

All that to say…I think that there is a lot more going on in the physical world than we are aware of. I think this way because of the model we have created that we call the internet and all of its physical and virtual infrastructure.

This brings me to another question…

Is there such thing as a ruling class? An elite society of people that might be metaphorically considered the owners of the farm we live on.

Though I cannot point my finger at one or name the names of what would functionally be a governing body of sorts, I do believe there is justification for believing in one. Here is my thinking.

Ever heard of Docker containers and Kubernetes?

Basically, cloud computing and container orchestration, at least in my opinion demonstrate to me that there is a governing body above all the nations on this thing we call Earth, even if it is not in the form of human creatures.

In my opinion, when we look at our computers/smartphones we are looking at the surface of that example. Kind of. At least it is representative of existence as we know it, even if it is only one visible factor of many; some unseen but just as real.

In this scenario, we are the programs that run on the hardware we call computers. To the programs running on that hardware computer, that physical box is its universe. Now let’s put a whole bunch of these hardware computers into the cloud.

Back in the day, this was called grid computing. It was rooms filled with physical servers that were all self-contained containers each filled with many resources that were being completely underutilized. Now if there were only some way to pool all of these resources into one large bucket or container. And the cloud was born.

And so now, based upon resources needed that grid or cloud of machines can virtually, like literally virtually become hundreds of virtual computers utilizing only the resources they need at any given time. The leftover resources remain usable in the cloud. And each of these virtual computers is now called a container. They serve our favorite applications.

But how is all of this controlled? Layers upon layers of ones and zeroes.

From the perspective of the containers(states/nations) that serve the programs/applications(people), there is an orchestration that takes place. An orchestration(Kubernetes) that the applications are completely oblivious to, yet completely necessary for the form and function of that application. Kubernetes(conductor) is the chief god that orchestrates and serves the lesser god Docker(container) who in turn serves the people(application).

Leukocytic Lifesavers & Endocytosis, Phagocytosis, and Pinocytosis

What is a leukocyte? A Leukocyte is a colorless cell that circulates throughout our vascular system and other bodily fluids that are custom built by the human body uniquely for each human to act against invaders, both foreign and domestic. We oftentimes simply refer to them as white blood cells. They are all amoeboid cells with a nucleus.

There are many players in this immune system of cells. Eosinophils, Basophils, Neutrophils, Lymphocytes, and Monocytes.

They do things like break down bacteria through a process called endocytosis, or cell eating. These are devouring cells. That is their job.

Some create antibodies to deactivate viruses, bacteria, and other things that could do harm. Some digest pathogenic fungi and bacteria through the process of phagocytosis(cell eating). Some of these are there to sound the sirens when there is something that needs to be addressed. Some help with allergic responses. And some kill cancer cells.

There are many players in this human army of white blood cells that help keep us healthy and well. And they are made in the marrow of our blood and once fully grown they are energetic little suckers ready to do the job they were created to do. These players ingest nutrients via that funny-sounding word, phagocytosis.

And they can drink too. That is called pinocytosis, sometimes called fluid-endocytosis. A means by which our cells ingest things like nutrients and hydration from around the cell. Also, a process that is used for cleansing and clearing extracellular fluids which are part of our immune system’s surveillance function.

We are not simply feeding ourselves when we put food in our mouths. It is our cells that we are ultimately feeding which is what makes the act of living a possibility. And the pleasures we experience when eating are by no means the primary value of the act, though it is a bonus for sure. And with all these things considered, we should be much more mindful about the things we are putting in our mouths.

This brings me to probably the most important point in mentioning all of this. The capturing of pathogenic and unknown substances that endanger the human organism. When these immune cells encounter something that is not a beneficial part of the overall function of the creature, they go to work eating them. Breaking down harmful things into less toxic substances for reuse or clearance including our own bodily structures that have gone beyond their useful utilitarian functions.

If you have ever heard the words autophagy or senescence you may already be familiar with this process by which our cells simply digest themselves. All of these processes work together for the overall good and homeostasis of the larger overall lifeform. Us.

So what are these lovely white blood cells being created for you ask? Like I said at the beginning of this essay. They act against invaders, both foreign and domestic. But they also work against injury caused by the foods we eat.

Ever heard of autoimmune disorders? Two different forms are abnormally low activity and then there is overactivity. Both are bad. One decreases the ability of the body to fight invaders(low), and the other attacks the body as though it is the foreign invader.

Would it be so strange to imagine your body fighting back against you if you are the one causing harm by the kind of lifestyle you are living? And it could be something you consider beneficial, like exercising a lot. Or something a little more obvious like eating fast food every day, eating carcinogenic foods, drinking, smoking, drugs, etc.

“processed meat causes cancer. Classified as a Group 1 carcinogen, it is connected specifically to colorectal and stomach cancer. Examples of processed meats that have carcinogenic properties include: Frankfurter hotdogs, ham, sausages, corned beef, beef jerky and canned or lunch meat.”

“Only marginally better for us than processed meat, red meat is classified as a Group 2A carcinogen, “probably carcinogenic to humans”. The strongest link between eating red meat and cancer is colorectal cancer, however, there is also evidence of links to both pancreatic and prostate cancer.”

https://www.aetnainternational.com/en/about-us/explore/fit-for-duty-corporate-wellness/cancer-causing-foods-cancer-fighting-foods.html

Should we really be shocked that our body would look out for its own best interest even when we don’t in ignorance?

Our body has one goal. Getting itself as far down the road as possible.

My Big T.O.E.

Welcome to “My Big Theory of Everything.”

I am an Autodidact and Systems Engineer. An autodidact is someone who is self-taught and a systems engineer is someone that stands back and examines the engineering and management of complex systems, ensuring that all parts are working together towards the common core of the whole system function.

Being the person that I am, as defined above, I by nature began studying the human body and its functionality when my body presented itself as a complex system that was not functioning properly roughly 5 years ago. When I knew that there was something wrong I took my built-in abilities and applied them to my(human) body. And so naturally, I began studying human physiology and disease pathology.

I wanted to understand how the human body functioned from head to toe, or nose to tail. Beyond that, I also wanted to understand what disease is and how I had landed myself in a state of disease.

I was not ignorant to the fact that my lifestyle choices, for many years were at the core of why my body was no longer functioning properly. I, like most people, was living in denial of what my body inherently knew was a more excellent way. I, like most people, simply liked my junk foods, alcohol, and tobacco products. But the time came when I needed to start making more sober-minded decisions with my body or my body was going to kick me to the curb. My body was in pain and no amount of pain relief was working anymore.

The first thing I did was get sober in 2016. A little over a year later, in 2017, I removed refined sugar, candy, junk food, fast food, and pretty much anything that wasn’t made fresh. And in 2018, I finally, once and for all, walked away from all things nicotine.

This was a good start towards working on, “My Big T.O.E.”

In the midst of that process, I began studying human physiology and disease pathology on a daily basis. That was a tough row to hoe considering I had no formal training on the topics prior to my body crying out for help. But being an autodidact and systems engineer made that doable. All I had to do was learn what all of the strange words in the texts I was reading meant. That took quite a while, and I am still learning every day, but it has all been worth the work. Worth its weight in gold.

All the while I kept a working journal of my progress and a log of all the different sources that I had been researching to form my understanding. I even created a website to keep it all in a chronological listing of my studies and thought processes from 2018 through 2020, located at https://fuqna.com.

In September of 2018 also started the website, https://chewdigest.com, as a place to journal my thoughts for an upcoming publication by the same name. Chew Digest. As of 2022, I have already published one volume and will continue publishing subsequent volumes as I continue to develop, “My Big T.O.E.”

Want to read more about “My Big T.O.E.?” Go Here to read more.