Work, Not Worry

Sometime in the early or mid '80's, I painted a sign with red paint and hung it above my desk in my room that said,

"WORK, NOT WORRY
"-cuts stress by 85%"

It hung there for years, and now having moved 7 times since, I still have it around here somewhere. I was a mechanical engineering student at the University of Utah. I had learned the feelings of hope and confidence, and the relaxation that come when you just get to work and bypass the mental review of the hopelessness of your situation.

We all know the feeling that comes when we finally get started on a dreaded and procrastinated task.

In later years, a friend was being married (sealed) in the Washington D.C. temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, of which I am also a member. He had asked me to serve as a witness to the sealing. We had some kind of trouble to slow us down, I do not remember what, that typically plague a trip to the temple. I remember thinking I should not worry, simply do all I could to get there and keep my mind on him whose name is on the church I mentioned, and everything would work out fine. - Because after all, it was his house, his program and we were needed there, so they would probably wait for us. Well, we got there in good time and I never forgot the experience or the principle it taught me as applied to trips to the temple and the obstacles encountered with that.

Not too long ago, I began to think perhaps the principles behind the laws stated in the scriptures such as that of tithing that have no ambiguity about when and whether they should be followed, nor question about whether their blessings will come, might extend beyond just the law as stated. In other words, one might be blessed that much more if one gave beyond 10% of one's increase to bless others. Or in the case of thinking of the Savior while in a tight spot, trusting that through him everything will work out fine might be just as reliable when applied to things other than trips to the temple or other church activities.

All this learning not to worry is built on the foundation my own mother laid for me. She met every day on her knees, lingering there with the hesitation to get up that made me impatient and of the sort teenagers in love have when they are on the phone. Then to every threat to her or her family members' peace, she would say, "Everything will be alright." This is the faith spoken of in regard to the mothers of the Stripling Warriors in the Book of Mormon (see Book of Mormon, Book of Alma, Chs. 56 & 57).

And President Henry B. Eyring said about one of his own worrisome experiences, "As I prayed in these last few nights, those and other memories flooded back with an assurance something like this: “Haven’t I always looked after you? Think of the times I have led you beside the still waters. Remember the times I have set a table before you in the presence of your enemies. Remember, and fear no evil.” (See Psalm 23).

"Fear no evil." I liked that because sometimes I get a little paranoid.

So I have learned not to worry, generally. But I caught myself this morning doing it a little and had the lesson reinforced that even a little is not necessary or useful. In fact, it decimates our blocks of faith - that which brings winning power into our lives. I had a situation over the last several days that has occupied my mind as the priority concern. All in regard to it has seemed to go well and have the Lord's hand in it. Still, I am somewhat anxious about it and its outcome will determine the direction of my subsequent magnitude.

So I have been prayerful, calm and patient, but this morning, I began to consider a negative possibility in connection with it that I had not thought of before. The natural response to such a thought is to mull over it as if one owed it to oneself to so do. But being on my game, I blocked it all out just like I can block the dog from coming in by shutting the door. Because I was remembering the things of which I write. I knew that by blocking it off, and leaving such possibilities to the Lord, knowing that the considerations would have no possible actions available, I would preserve the power of my faith.

After holding the door shut for about a minute, it faded off into the forgotten bin.

There is no need even for nervousness in these situations, much less fear. We can rejoice before the votes are tallied, we can sigh in relief before the contest starts. We can perform with a flair. We can relax and enjoy the show even when we are the show. But only if we remember Jesus, pray, focus and act.

Wow. Without even being aware, I just wrote on the ever-popular subject of faith and works.

Key

Nothing new here, just a little status update. We recently took an income cut-back and had eaten all the food. Well, not all the food. But it is interesting how good the food starts to taste when that happens. First, they finish the cookies and stuff. Then the fruit. Then the dairy. Then one by one, the next-most attractive food disappears, till you are finally down to the potatoes and beans. And with each new stage, it is amazing how the next best available temptation tastes as good as the last one to disappear. For example, when I have peanuts, I don't often crave sunflower seeds. But with the peanuts and other nuts AND the dairy gone, sunflower seeds are the bomb!

And as it progresses, I feel better and better. I LOVE a bowl of beans with nothing added.

I am trying to think of a way to artificially create this environment for myself when we can afford groceries, without moving out and separating myself from my family. Even for someone like me, it is impossible to maximize my taste for the simple and wholesome amid a flurry of pizza, cakes, fancy recipes, etc.

If I was single, I could live on $20 a week for food. And I would.

I guess the best way is just decide to be strong and do it - maximize, I mean.

New Scientific Muscle-Building Secrets

I think to be overmuscled is to be overweight. I think I would want to be overmuscled no more than I would want to be arthritic, diabetic or obese. To me, it would be a handicap. I could not be swift, enduring, "rubberbandman," or rope-climbing champion. Not to mention all the work involved that does not go toward helping anyone, much less unnatural drugs and supplements. I value the fitness and physique of the American Male of 25 years ago and prior, sans the smoking.

(In high school, they called me "Rubberbandman," after the song that was new and popular at the time. It was for the way I wriggled out of wrestling holds. I also held the rope-climbing record for distance at the time the ropes were taken down and the school closed. This ability to climb and wriggle has served me very well working on cars and machinery and up inside lowered ceilings, truss-work and other tight places, etc., as well as in mountaineering and such.)

And while I'm at it, I think tattoos are unsightly. And that's coming from a guy who spent much of his adult leisure dressed in weathered biker leathers astride a 1970 Triumph and still has stock in some scruffy styles that some think are reproachable.

Just to get a little off the subject, one thing that really felt good used to be to come home in the wee hours from a long motorcycle ride, dog-tired and just crash without removing any leather. Awesome.

And once, I did it on a park bench in snow somewhere in Oregon. But that was more out of necessity and didn't actually feel as luxurious. Was there really snow? Or is that just the story getting older and better? Anyway, it was cold.

Just thinking about bikes, I have ridden bicycles just as much if not more than motorcycles, and it's kinda funny to find out that my grandfather, who died when I was just a toddler, used to ride a bicycle on the railroad ties for business trips from Ogden, Utah to who-knows-where in Wyoming. I guess it was back in the day when it was still dirt highway. I don't think I would have taken the rr. But maybe it was shorter and flatter that way. I'd like to know more about it. Anyway, it's almost as if there was something to do with kin and heredity, this penchant for rolling on two wheels to an eccentric range of application, because since I was in college, I have preferred the bicycle in almost every situation - dates, commutes, cruising, shopping, you name it.

This Is Good

Squash Season!

Normally, to bake Winter Squash, it should be halved with as straight (planar) a cut as possible and placed with the cut faces down in a pan along with just enough water to last during baking, to cover the gaps between cut face and pan. If you just throw it into the oven dry, it will lose all its flavor.

Not having an oven, last night I did it on the gas stove top with my big domed-lid chicken fryer to one of those roundish orange inside and out squashes.

I did not gut the vegetable prior to cooking.

I cut up and smashed the result, mixing it with fresh hot ryse and butter, plump moist seeds and all. You can bite the seed hulls and the seeds come popping out whole so you can chomp the hull once or twice and spit it out and eat the seed, or you can keep on chomping and eat the hull too. I did a little bit of either or. And of course, the stringy stuff and the peeling I ate also. It would be completely puzzling to not include them in the hash.

Had it again for breakfast. Squash, ryse and collards have each opened up whole new worlds for me. I can eat food that satisfies, is more enjoyable and all without any worry about my sugar going up like a rocket.

Why

You may or may not have heard of Dr. Bates and his methods for mind relaxation and proper thinking that people use to improve their vision without corrective lenses decades after his death.

I ask you, why would someone go to all that trouble when they can just put on glasses?

I submit that they would not adopt such a lifestyle if better vision without glasses were their main end.

They adopt the lifestyle because the relaxation and the proper thinking are the main importance, and the better vision without lenses is a side benefit. Otherwise, a person will stick to it for a while and then give it up.

So it is with eating good food. It takes initiative. One must prepare the food, so it is easy to give it up and just order a pizza if one is only doing it to lose weight, avoid cancer, control sugar or care for the heart.

To be long term, it must be a lifestyle as I am sure you have heard. Lifestyle requires a long-term motivation in addition to initiative and gumption. So why do I always tend to good eating?

If I come home tired and it's late, a pizza sitting there hot is hard to resist while what I really want to eat is going to take some work in a cold dark kitchen. But after I eat, if it was the pizza, I am not going to feel great. If it was what I wanted, I am going to feel great not only because I have no guilt and because I was such a stud and worked, I am going to feel great because good food....now get this -

Good food tastes great, it feels great. It makes you go, "Oh Man!" when you are chewing. It feels great going down. It costs less money - if you think about such things while you eat. It feels great down there. It feels great all the way out. And the next day, you feel great. After dinner, if it was a pizza, you just want to go sit down, hold your blanket (or your beer) and suck your thumb (or watch tv). If it was good food, you feel like going out to the garage and hoisting that motor out. Your muscles feel like lifting some weight, your legs feel the need for speed, and there is a bounce in your step. This is the main motivation for eating well. Maybe avoiding cancer or cataracts down the line are side benefits that dim in comparison, so much so that even if a person knew he was going to get both anyway, he would still want to eat good food.

If he is going to get cancer, but he eats well anyway, he will have the strength of a wrestler to deal with the pain when he does get it.

I would rather live to the age of 70 with the energy of a wrestler than live to 100 in the condition of the average American today. That is how my dad did it, but he made it to 85, not 70. Well, actually he did make it to 70, but YKWIM.

IMPORTANT NOTE:
I am not saying you are going to like the exact same types of food preparations as what I detail in this blog. The things I love, my wife cannot stomach. People vary. Learn to cook for yourself. You need not eat like me, but like me, you should reach a point where, using the most fresh, valuable and simple ingredients possible, you enjoy your own cooking far more than you could ever enjoy the fare from any world-class chef.

It is a huge advantage for me to have been raised in a good food environment but that is not sufficient. It is 82% more easy to be disciplined and indifferent toward "plastic food" if those you live with are with you in their diet. But that is not sufficient. (Plastic Food is a loose term I will use from now on to describe commercially prepared foods that in general come in a bag, box, can or plastic molded package and contain sugar (or worse), white flour and ingredients that you don't know how to pronounce, let alone identify, and that worse than for what harmful ingredients they may contain, lack hugely something fresh or with food value. I am concerned that my kid eats enough sugar to choke a horse and I am concerned about the preservatives and such; I am more concerned that the thing with the most nutritional value he eats is peanut butter on commercial bread.)

Another Note:
Pizza is by no means the epitome of plastic food, not at all in some cases. But some of it comes close enough to be worthy to be picked on here. It illustrates how even "okay" food can easily replace food containing what you need for your body tonight, or right now.

Saved After All We Can Do

I have a different way of putting it that works better for me:

Give all you got. God requires it. It will not be sufficient to save you. Christ's grace is.

You will fail to give all you have. So but try and want and His grace covers you for that also.

"Saved After All We Can Do" can sound like our focus is to save ourselves, which is fine, but really, if we only do things to save ourselves, it means we have no charity, and that's not going to work. When we serve, we mainly think about giving to improve someone else's station. That's one reason I like my way of putting it better.

Liberal

The people (you and I), not the government, should be liberal. That is the way of Christ.

Liberal government is forcing the people to be liberal. That is Satan's way.

Ryse

This is the easier to find definition of ryse. Ryse is what I call the grain medley I steam in a rice cooker that is a million times more nutritious and tasty and non-sugar-spikey than rice, yet is sticky and munchy of the same quality as rice:

soaked barley and spelt
amaranth
millet
flax

Parts decrease by some amount in the order of the ingredients listed.

13O11

Ate good today.

Have been steaming in rice cooker the following to be known hereafter as "ryse:" Soaked barley and spelt, amaranth, millet and flax.

For breakfast, I browned a sliced up onion and mushrooms in pure coconut oil. Didn't need to add any other kind of oil. Then I sliced in what may have been banana squash. Added a few leaves of mustard greens. 3 celery stalks cut in. What ryse I had laying around (had to add some more coconut oil). Sliced in fresh ginger root - plenty. A load of torn up collards from the backyard. They cooked down quick. I think that's all.

Sat down and ate the whole thing at once. It had smelled like I had discovered such a thing as too much ginger, but no, when I got to eating, I found there was no such thing, as I had previously believed.

Had some water with that. And then I had some brown brewer's yeast. And peanuts. Followed by cheese.

Then I was gone till evening and I was hungry when I got back. I discovered radishes go well with sunflower seeds (both raw) and mainly ate that for supper but followed it up with radishes and (pure) peanut butter (of course), brown brewer's yeast, a few walnuts, fresh prunes, raisens and baker's chocolate. Steamed some more ryse while I was eating, and would have eaten it too but it was not done in time.

I also have been taking oligo calcium because I just had No. 9 tooth implant replaced.

Real Good Sandwich

Had a real good sandwich, here's what went between to the best of my recollection:

Mayo
mustard
fresh ginger root slices
roasted Laver (sea vegetable)
fresh tomato
lettuce
not sure whether it had cheese or anything else

Tasted as good as any sandwich I ever had.

And Back Again

I took my last Metformin tab the other day. It was just making me too sick, even without doubling up the dose. And it wasn't helping much without tripling the dose, so I am back to Humalog shots.

I guess it (that I didn't see much results without an extremely high dose) indicates I am more Type I after all, Type II not so much. As originally thought. It seemed that way back in 2003 as well, when I was amazed at the response to Humalog after trying the oral stuff for a short while.

I asked my Nurse Practioner whether Metformin can enhance normal cell absorption as well as alieviate resistance in abnormal cells, and about what I describe in the above paragraph. She was not sure. I do not have enough interest to find out for sure, myself. Don't care about how and why, just what to do.

Reminder of Purpose

The purpose of this blog is soley to help even possibly just one diabetic out there that might see it and benefit. I did not intend for people who know me to see it (unless they fit that description or someone who does finds it through them) or use it as a means to keep family or friends updated on my health or opinions.

Ideally, all my family and descendants would see it and adopt the philosophy of eating real food in simple form and rely upon and respect their wonderful gift of appetite, but I do not realistically hold my breath for that. Nevertheless, for those who would, here is a record of it.

Unfortunately, most who read do it quickly and cursorily and come away with stereotypic false impressions lacking in understanding of the basics. But if you read the whole thing, it is pretty clear, I think.

The result of adopting it is a feeling of super well-being, strength and energy of youth.

Spring

I have gone on about how much more I enjoy Fall than any other season but the last few days, I have had Spring taking me back and doing things for me that although quite different, were every bit as powerful as the things Fall does.

I have been getting back onto the wagon. Getting used to eating real and wholesome food again, after a poverty-stricken, cold (us, not the weather particularly), hectic Winter. Meanwhile, as of January, I could no longer get Humalog from Canada without a prescription, so I put up $1,300 for a doctor visit and blood work, which I felt was pretty unnecessary since I already knew my A1C and could just tell them what they needed to know, and anyway, just give me some Humalog and then let's talk about it.

But the doctor said it made no sense to be taking one or two units per meal of Humalog and he put me on 500 mg Metformin twice daily and 8 units Lantus once daily.

This seemed to make a difference but it did not keep me from spiking above 400 from just an ordinary low-carb meal typical of an American (not typical of me though). I asked them to order Humalog to survive while we figured things out and they readily agreed. But I was unable to get some right away, and then I decided instead to try doubling my glucofage. In fact, I 1.5'd it, taking two tabs 3 times per day for a total daily dose of 3,000 mg. Tends to give me heartburn and feel strange, but it did prove effective. My sugars are running normal again, like around 100. I don't know how much the Lantus is helping because I upped it a little also, taking 10-12 units instead of 8. Kind of nice to deal less with needles so much after all these years. Not nice to have to regularly eat so I can regularly eat a pill however. I will probably cut back to 4 instead of 6, and eventually, none, as before. Hopefully, I can quit the Lantus and needles altogether, real soon. So anyway, I guess I am not totally Type I after all, or not anymore, whichever it is. God is good; I leave it to Him to take an interest in all the details and why's and wherefore's.

So that's my medical update, now back to food:

Sometimes you have perfect meals, abounding in flavor and satisfaction, perfect in amount and satisfaction and a feeling of super well-being afterward; other times, you have them wierd where you can't get what you feel like having so you sit there and eat a bunch of different things that don't go well together and are not what you wanted. It leaves you feeling average or worse and your sugar high, and most often, it tends to make the meal last too long, resulting in the ill effects that always does.

This morning, I didn't feel like eating, after all the glucofage and heartburn, etc. Just felt like having a rest. By and by, however, I had a perfect meal as described above. Started to realize what I wanted, and lo and behold we had it on hand.

I had baked to perfection (the other night), thin slices (not too thin) of Winter squash (of some sort), individually wrapped in foil. I had not enjoyed them the other night, but this morning, they hit the spot when I had them cold along with some toasted laver (sea vegetable). I discovered that this variety of squash and its preparation were far best enjoyed if eaten plain - no butter or oils. I also had some pecans after that. Then I had a tuna fish sandwich on toasted Ezekial bread with non-junk mayo and good ol' iceburg lettuce. Followed up with some dried mozerella.

We also have some pure licorice tea on hand (new to me), and I cannot say enough about how amaranth has shaken my world for good.

The Need to be Baptized

Some think we are merely phenomena, not actually real human beings, yet here we are with all of our powers and wonders and emotion.

We are souls. We have spirits not just chemicals.

Satan would destroy us. We must be baptized. Then we can be safe and happy.

Through baptism, we commit to our Heavenly Father, to trust and obey him always. When we make such a commitment through such an ordinance, he lets us know how it pleases him, which fills us with joy and peace.

By being baptized, we enter into a life filled with fresh morning sunshine and golden afternoon sunshine and glorious firey evening sunshine. We obey God, and always try to repent so we can always have this sunshine and happy, happy memories, and never have to worry or be afraid. Not afraid of life, not afraid of getting old, or death, and not afraid of people, pollution, crime, governance or hell.

Someone who listens to me with just ears will think this is all ideas but it is not. It is force and reaction experienced, it is observed law.

Health Insurance Companies and the Suitors to Fight Your Battles

Got my hand munched hard by a dog today. Never have I been bit so hard (been bit many times). I relived the sensation of it all day. Very discomfitting. Felt like (to a small degree) what it looked like the girl in JAWS opening scene experienced. Have two fairly deep fang punctures on each side (front and back) of my right hand. Lots of pain. Very tender and stiff for an hour, could not move it at first. He pinched some nerves and a tendon too. He is a rescued dog whose owner is a high school coach and a good man who doesn't need or deserve a lawyer on his case. Nor do I need a bloated government to protect me from such hazards, thank you. I am not afraid of dogs because I am not afraid of bites, not because I don't think they will bite. To have freedom (which is our primary condition on earth), you must allow there will be hazards and some bad people doing mean things. Socialists who want to make a utopia by force (ring a bell? Satan?) and legislation don't see this. They make laws in their effort that mainly end up punishing the innocent on a technicality and by sheer weight, fueled by hysteria and just plain folks with nothing better to do.

What are the dogs? Mr. Obama sees the health insurance companies, some see guns, some see school bullies.

I am a liberal. I don't need a government that is. downsize it. repeal. (repeal obamaCare)

Control vs. Freedom

It struck me last night, the similarity between Satan's plan to constrain each child of God back to His presence - not one soul lost, and current industry zero accident policies. Safety First - We hear a lot about it as engineers these days. The twisted idea is, if any accident occurs, it could have been prevented and we will make a new rule to make sure it doesn't happen again. So men are no longer allowed to work, bend over or lift or cut without intensive training, monitoring, paperwork and special equipment. Picture what I'm talking about: Only being allowed to use a box cutter if it has training wheels....using a hand truck or dolley that climbs stairs by its own power.....5 safety observers standing around an open (electrical!!-Oh!!) copy machine while a single Xerox repairman works.

Government and other big institutions are trying to take away pain, sweat, accidents, hate, violence with laws, rules and paperwork. They are in the business of making the world idiot-proof so that talents, common sense and skill will no longer be necessary. Hey- it creates jobs. Too bad they are not real jobs though.

And while they are making Americans into plump, soft gumptionless pets that are used to being taken care of, they are creating more jobs researching and inventing artificial ways to make the pets' healthy since they no longer strive, venture or endure.

The basic purpose of mortality is to live free. God never in the least controls a mortal individual - why do mortals feel such a need to so do? Simple: That's Satan's main game. He wants to control and the more people he can get hooked on this vice along with him, the better. That is why we have lawsuits, a surplus of laws, a big government, and a government that wants to expand into every business there is or could be. They ain't satisfied running the post office. Must control....must control everyone....must control everyone in all they do.

Now here's another parallel to let you understand what freedom requires. I am not afraid of dogs, not because I don't think they will bite me but because I know dogs, I know how to handle them and protect myself to an extent, and beyond that (and this is key), I DO NOT CARE IF THEY BITE ME. I am not afraid of dogs because I am not afraid of bites. Similarly, if you want freedom, you must accept that there will be bad people.

Now, which do you prefer? Absolute control, no freedom, and no bad guys to hurt you, or do you want freedom, and a life strewn with hazards for you to look out for?