We are not statistics.

 Diets: how scientists discovered that one size doesn’t fit all

Scientists and doctors have always known this. Their error has been to never sufficiently emphasize that. The consequence being the general public is left with the impression that the dietary advice they receive is based on science when it is based on statistics. That has been big lie of so much dietary advice and I am surprised they have persisted with it for so long. Even for participants in a study the results of that study may not be applicable to them. We have to treat ourselves as individuals and unfortunately that requires considerable work to determine what works best for our bodies. 

The best advice I ever received from a doctor is "listen to your body". I did, and it told me that no matter how hard I try will always carry some extra weight and the pay off is that I can quickly pile on muscle. 

It's obvious that we don't share a common physiology. Some people can eat high caloric foods and then there are people like me who can spend one day of indulgence and see the weight scale spike. I can also spend one week going to the gym and see the gains whereas I have known other people train for weeks with what I would consider pitiful gains. 

For any given food, some people’s glucose levels would spike dramatically, while others hardly seemed to react at all. This couldn’t be explained away as a random fluctuation because the same person responded similarly each time they ate that particular food. For one middle-aged woman, for example, her blood glucose level spiked every time she ate tomatoes. Another person spiked especially strongly after eating bananas.

That is very surprising. Even the macronutrient source independent of caloric content can cause changes in blood sugar. That is a very interesting finding. So we would choose our calories wisely. It might explain something that happens to me after I have been fasting. I will start feeling fatigued and by far the best pick me is eating an orange. The effect is immediate. Perhaps that explains why I have always loved oranges. 

 

The Gym Grey

 Recently a new gym opened near my home. I had just starting gym training again at another gym but because this new gym was closer to home and at my preferred shopping centre I decided changing gyms might boost my motivation. Well that was the excuse but the new gym had a special deal going which meant lower subscriptions and no sign up fee which certainly encouraged the change. Another big advantage of a new gym is low membership. It is working out well because I never have to wait to use a machine, there isn't a lot of talking within earshot, and having sub-clinical ADHD the lack of distraction keeps me focused. 

A Face for the Faces We Meet

 The Neurocognitive Basis of Bias Against People Who Look Different

Summary: Neuroimaging revealed when people saw an anomalous face, the fusiform gyri and amygdala showed significant neural responses. Activity in a region of the left amygdala, which correlated with less pro-social responses to the anomalous face, appeared to relate to the participant’s belief about justice in the world and their degree of empathetic concern.

The neuroimaging findings are consistent with a mountain of literature finding that facial disfigurement has many negative consequences. I've been sitting on this for weeks letting various ideas float through my mind during the interminable hours of insomnia. 

Red Ginseng and Cancer

 

A new effect of red ginseng: suppression of lung cancer metastasis

Consistent Sleep Patterns to Prevent Depression

 There Could Be a Dramatic Hidden Impact of Not Having a Regular Bedtime, Study Shows (sciencealert.com)

The result doesn't surprise me because much earlier studies made it obvious that maintaining regular sleep patterns is important for health. Our sleep cycle is regulated by our circadian rhythms. That is about much more than sleep because our circadian rhythms have body wide implications for metabolism. 

Interesting speech on the Genetics of Modern Europeans and Indians

 David Reich, "A Tale of Two Subcontinents: The Parallel Prehistories of Europe and South Asia"

Trickle Up Economics

 Coalition unlikely to lift unemployment benefits when jobkeeper scrapped in March

They will lift it but only marginally so, might not even reach my prediction of $50 per week. Frydenburg argues against an increase because a lift will be an ongoing structural increase in the deficit. Yet for the sake of protecting a coalition seat in South Australia there is the 50-60-70 ??? billion fiasco submarine build, the proposed 270 billion defense spend for missiles etc, and tax cuts that will decrease revenue by hundreds of billions of dollars over the next decade. All those are structural increases in the deficit and all those do not have a significant multiplier effect by promoting greater economic activity through infrastructure improvement.  

Alan Watts and George Carlin on Modern Society

 (1) The Sad Reality Of This World - You Have No Choice ft George Carlin - YouTube

Irrational Symbolism in Australia

 The proposed change to the national anthem from "young and free" to "one and free" is another example of how symbolism dominates proposed solutions to indigenous issues. It is ridiculous to think that removing the word "young" from the song will result in any improvement for indigenous people but obviously Scotty from Marketing thinks it is a great way to kick of 2021. 

2020 be gone!

 

This Epic Space Cloud Is Nicely Summing Up Our Farewell to 2020