I have never been in better health.

The raging health care debate concerns me because I have seen the rubble of other countries’ health care systems that were created with utter socialism, and saw the underbelly (and saving grace!) of black market medicine.  Government medical care was/is so rationed in these countries, the facilities falling apart, and the prices controlled causing greater scarcity, it literally is a saving grace when the doctors moonlight by coming to your home for a house call.  They can earn an extra buck from their meager government salaries, you get the care you need when you need it.  All very dangerous for both parties involved, in the same way it was dangerous to sell watermelons above the government set price in the Soviet Union.

Life and death medical care paid for underneath the table.  Life sustaining food paid for underneath the table as the shelves in all the stores were bare.  In both cases, it was illegal, in both cases you were an enemy of the State.

I am not a schill for the doctors or the insurance companies nor lacking compassion for the poor amongst us that don’t have access to good medical care, but it concerns me to see such a large sector of the economy, like health care, becoming owned by the government.   I’ve seen this phenomenon in other countries which criminalizes/criminalized private medical care, and that’s why I’m concerned.

Banks and car companies… owned by the government.   More and more Health Care planned, controlled, owned by the government.  We may be on opposite ends of the political spectrum here, to whom it may concern, but we’re on the same side of the barricades when it will come to the rationing of medicine.   Will it come to food, too?

The piece of the pie of the economy that is falling into the hands of the government grows larger, and the remaining pieces under “private sector” control are a result of favors paid to the government by these companies to have tariffs, regulations, and subsidies put in place that benefit these said companies/corporations and squash their competition.  I am not anti-capitalism.  No, far from it.  I’m against corporatism.  I’m against the government giving special uncompetitive measures for certain companies.  There’s a big difference.

So, yes, I’m in the best health of my life.

Though we’re heading toward a collision course of rationed medical care, and drug prices are set to soar despite what may be promised, I’m comforted by the fact that I have my health.  I understand the toast so much more profoundly now, “Here’s to your health.”  Indeed.  I at this point in time don’t require any prescription drugs, and I believe I have reduced the likelihood of the need for prescription drugs in the future.

In addition to eating mostly an evolutionary diet, I provide my children Vitamin D supplementation between 400-1000 IU daily depending on the weather, depending on the level of their snotty noses, depending on whether I remember to and whether it’s in the house.

-With the healthy portions of meat, vegetables and fruit (and dairy products in a few dishes)

-the rare treats

-the near lack of wheat, corn, rice and potatoes

-and total lack of foods with High Fructose Corn Syrup

my kids are some of the strongest and healthiest on the block, and I’m not talking genetics here regarding height, etc.

They hiss and whine and moan, sure, but they’re less of the hissing monkey from Dr. Dan’s post on the lil’ monkey suffering from sugar withdrawals.  They are strong and healthy in the inside.  When I see an obese 6-year-old in the store with her/his mother with a shopping cart full of manufactured foods high in carbohydrates, high in inflammation causing sugar, I understand that both the kid and the mom will likely have a lifetime of prescription drugs to look forward to.

These drugs will be paid for by you and me, the need for these drugs will be caused by the officially approved American diet (with/without junk thrown in to top it off).  The officially approved American diet has seriously been influenced by lobbying from both the ag and drug cartels.  Many of the crops like corn, wheat and sugar (including HFCS) gained their government subsidies thanks to powerful agricultural lobbies.   The subsidies and tariffs that corn, wheat, and sugar enjoy really amount to a tax on non-sugar and non-grain foods, it really should be looked at in that manner.

So, in life, I know there may be some traumatic events, some expensive health care needs, some skinned knees that may require stitching best not done by me, and not cured by extra Vitamin D, but I feel safer as the health care debate rages around me…. until I read that:

MCCAIN WANTS FEDS TO REGULATE VITAMINS, SUPPLEMENTS…

h/t Drudge

In this perverted overly-regulated country, food is now toxic, and drugs and chemicals are safe for ingestion, no matter the harm that results. This inversion should remind us that those who best have the consumers health and safety interests at heart are the consumers themselves. It is big government that has a proven track record of not protecting the public.  And it is big government that is seeking to take away yet another individual freedom, the right to choose one’s own treatment.

What will be regulated next?  Taxed directly and “taxed” by an expensive regulatory process.   The cost of these extra regulations will be borne by the consumer because it will be more expensive for the manufacturers to comply with these regulations.  Will Vitamin D become available only by prescription?

In addition to Vitamin D and fish oil daily, I intermittently take various antioxidants, Branch Chain Amino Acids, and some other stuff.  From great sites out there and mentors like Arthur De Vany, from Peter’s Hyperlipid, to Stephen’s Whole Health Source, from Sisson’s Mark’s Daily Apple to the Eades’ sites and books, I have crafted together a rather good diet, understanding of fat, and a weekly supplement schedule that factors in when I take certain supplements based on my work out schedule, sleep schedule, when I plan to fast (usually just once a week on Friday night, btw), when I plan to break the fast.

I can tell you that my mitochondrial mass is the largest it’s ever been.  How’s that for a pick up line!?  Hey baby, I’ve got big mitochondria, what’s your sign?  See, I’m a believer in the mitochondrial free radical theory of aging, which along with a lot of other issues out there, fuses rather well a lot of studies on aging and what I’ve read from Peter’s Hyperlipid about toxicity and the peroxidation of lipids.  1) paleo/evolutionary diet is enough, 2) paleo/evolutionary diet with workouts better, 3) diet, workouts, and supplements pretty darn good.

However, if you’re eating junk, your workouts won’t be as beneficial, and your supplements won’t be a panacea for all of your resulting metabolic woes.  There is no ultimate panacea other than living your life by the way.

Based on the biochemistry and physiology research of Dr. Feinstein, Dr. Volek, and many others, I get it.  I may not be able to regurgitate it yet as coherently as a 1-st year biology or chemistry major, but I get it.  The paleo diet has worked wonders, the weekly strength workout with a sprint session thrown in once every 2-3 weeks are improving my health daily.  The supplements though, well, that’s been the paleo icing on the cake.

The diet alone I could live with.  I’ve worked out all my life, but I’m working out more smartly, and my goals are for improving my immune system, not for mass for mass’ sake.  I don’t necessarily want to “get big.”  The supplements are just that, supplementing what I’m doing, the time outside in the sunshine and the shade, just living life.  Too much measuring, too much analyzing of all of this can drive you batty.  Again, live and be respectful toward others, even those people who haven’t quite come to terms with Sat Fat.

Except for the egregious SAD propagandists who are wed to their points of view because of their financial stakes, the laymen like you and I, the doctors, researchers, we’ll all likely be more receptive to changing our views with a kind word rather than a shout.  Just about every well known name in this paleo community used to be one of those SAD zombies, and I would assume they were converted by a voice of reason, not by smugness.

So, as I was saying.  I have never been in better health.  I’m thankful that I know better, which resulted in this better health.  I’m thankful I have the means to afford healthy real food, which really is about the same cost as a crappy carb-filled diet, if you know how to shop.  How long that will be the case, I don’t know.  I’m thankful that I’m working out to improve my immune system, not out of pure vanity’s sake.

When I see a person in the gym that’s fat, skinny, weak, or shy, I’m always very thoughtful in welcoming that person into a new world.  A new world of metabolic health with lean muscle mass (h/t De Vany) and not the world that may have mocked them previously.  A bodybuilding Hans and Frans world that probably prevented them from checking out lifting weights because they were embarrassed by their weakness, ignorance or looks.  I’m thankful that in the paleo community there are voices of reason that may teach me new ideas about nutrition and health, and I’m thankful that I’m receptive to these new ideas.

I’m thankful that I have the choice to supplement, to top off my chances in this life for maintained health.  Why?  To live life.

IF health care is controlled, IF supplements are controlled, IF non-sugar, non-grain foods are squeezed out and become more expensive in comparison to subsidized high-carbohydrate monocultural crops of annual grasses, will the things in my life that I’m thankful for be diminished?

I have never been in better health.  

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 25th, 2010 at 12:26 pm and is filed under EF-De Vany reference, Granary, Medicine. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.