Things That Get My Fires Going
Disclaimer: These are my thoughts on certain issues. Perhaps you may find my writing style somewhat preachy or forceful or aggressive, so take it with a pinch of salt if you so choose. I am not out to give any individuals a hard time or to make anyone angry- only to bring discussion and get people thinking, whether you agree with my viewpoints or not. And in the end, it's my journal and I can write what I want! Hehehe... ;) I love you all very much and I value your input, no matter what it is, so please go ahead.
An Inconvenient Truth
I'm no expert on Global Warming or environmental issues, but I have kept a layman's open eye and ears to the whole debacle over the years. Watching AIT (finally) a few weeks ago has given me plenty of food for thought, and really got my blood boiling about how we are treating our planet. It's really very simple to reduce waste and try to rectify some of what we've done, as well as prevent the situation worsening- each and every one of us CAN make a difference.
What really pisses me off is that people with obvious agendas get on their high horses and shout about how Global Warming was NOT contributed to by humans, and the accelerated rate is not because of the amount of greenhouse gases we emit etc. FARKING HELL. EVEN if that were true, what is the harm of doing things like recycling, using less energy, reducing CO2 emissions i.e. NOT WASTING what we have... these are all GOOD for us and the planet no matter whether they affect global temperatures etc. All the naysayers achieve is rednecks and idiots saying things like "Yeah it's all bullshit, I don't care, who needs to care about the planet" because people will miss the point.
I guess there are always going to be fors and againsts in any "battle" but the evidence is so obvious in this particular case. I usually do not have much regard for politicians, and am also acutely aware that I can be convinced of things and later change my mind, but Al Gore is awesome. He doesn't seem to have an agenda (although I have been told otherwise by several people). I still think what he's doing is extremely admirable, even though I may not always agree with HOW he does it.
This video should be shown at all schools throughout the world- schools in the UK and the rest of Europe are doing it but OH WOW what a surprise, a lot of schools in the US are BANNING it and there is a lot of resistance to having widespread dissemination of its information. Just like the whole stupid Creationism vs Evolution thing. ARGH.
The China Study
Read this book. I know I'm already Vegan (which had nothing to do with this book) so perhaps I am a little biased. However, health reasons were not my main concern, even though later on I came to realise its great benefits. There are lots of different kinds of vegetarians, who do it for a wide range of reasons. This book focuses on the health side of things...
I really don't think that T. Colin Campbell has an agenda, except to distribute the truth about nutrition and links to disease to the masses from his years of study. And also to expose how things occur behind the scenes and who might be influencing what we think is healthy. There are a few people who are very critical about both this book and the study which is mentioned in it, but I say read it yourself if you care about your health and that of your loved ones. It is interesting to note that the main critics of this book are a) the Weston A Price foundation who are funded by the milk industry and b) some non scientific dude who has never done real research in a controlled environment who has an entire internet site about how cholesterol is very good for you and having LOW cholesterol increases your chance of heart disease. Whatever, morons. *Shakes head*
Make your own conclusions; try to have a pure, clear mind about it and not be distracted by everything else you've heard and your personal desires. Something I always find difficult because I tend to read around these kind of books to get a more balanced view. In the end, this book doesn't change the way I eat because it works for me, but I think as a doctor it is something that is dear to my heart and needs to be offered to patients for long term health benefits.
Big Pharma/ Big Medicine + Big Tobacco + Big Food Industries
I've always thought the way that Drug Companies rule the medical system is disgusting. I've seen them peddling their wares by feeding hungry doctors and medical students, distributing pens, tissue boxes, cuddly toys, clocks etc etc to influence doctors to prescribe their brand of pill. When I did my elective in India, they had their own way of convincing poor, overworked doctors to prescribe- giving them masses of free samples, buying them cars, holidays, giving them all kinds of equipment that their poor clinics could not afford otherwise. It's kind of like the way that World Vision will not sponsor villages or children if they don't convert to Christianity. And the way American companies like Nestle taught new mothers in Africa that feeding their children powdered supplement milk was better than breastmilk, resulting in mass malnutrition and death. Preying on the poor and desparate to ensure their product is used, and the bottom line- THE MIGHTY DOLLAR.
Even before I started med school, I had a niggling feeling that drugs, hospitals and all the crap that goes along with it is NOT the way to long term health. I've seen it first hand and if I relayed even half of the "abuse" that goes on in hospitals, you would all gasp in horror. Those of you reading this who have worked in big healthcare know exactly what I'm talking about. Medicine now is all about patching people up- which is well and good, we need some of that in dire circumstances, but what is MORE necessary is teaching people to prevent disease and to live life to the absolute fullest. Of course, 6 years' study later and one year of working in a big metropolitan hospital, I was thoroughly convinced that we create more problems than we fix. That's not to say there aren't admirable, hard working, honest people in the profession, there are plenty! But I think the entire medical field is being conned into certain ways of thinking and prescribing.
I know this might sound like total conspiracy theory/ hippie crap to some people, but maybe we're just all brainwashed to pshaw at issues such as these. We seem to live in a little coccoon of denial, in our comfort zones, and also physical comfort. Sometimes I wonder if I think this way because I'm lucky enough to have a house, healthy parents, food to eat, and I don't have to worry where the next dollar is coming from- preaching of the privileged I guess you could call it- but I don't think it's a bad thing to accept and be thankful for all I have whilst wanting to get out there and do something about those who don't have even a 1/16 of what I have. To ameliorate suffering in whatever way I can. I am blessed to have that opportunity, so I think it should be used.
All the above Bigs have conspired together to be detrimental to the world's health. They only want money. Large Groups are made up of individuals- unfortunately there are a lot of greedy, self serving, egotistical, mean minded, deceitful fucktards in the world, plenty of them. And they push everyone else around with their power and money. Sure, there are plenty of good hearted people trying to push in the other direction and they are getting there to an extent, but sometimes when you refuse to use backhanded games to get to a position to help the population, it is an uphill struggle for a while. Truth does prevail in the end (look at Gandhi, Mandela, Mother Teresa etc) but often a lot of hard work, suffering and sacrifice has to take place first. So.. the people in the Dairy and Meat industries will do anything to convince you that they are necessary for good living- they pay off committees of boards that have a big say in nutritional advice (see "Fast Food Nation"). Big Tobacco has been pulling shit for years (see "The Insider" and "Thank You For Smoking") and it is ONLY because of money and greed that they even still exist! It's total BULL.
All this stuff goes on that influences our everyday way of life, yet we are NOT taught about it in schools, we are not globally aware, we do not focus our energies on trying to rectify these problems (both on a personal and world basis), we CLOSE OUR EYES to what is going on around us.. or even if we are very aware and well read about it, we feel helpless. The "I am just one person" syndrome. It takes one person to start any movement. It takes lots of individuals to get things going.. but the fire has to start burning first. This leads me on to my next point...
The Young Generation
On the whole, we are a bunch of lazy, self interested, entitled whiners (harsh, I know). We have never experienced a real world war (except those who are now serving in Iraq because of BUSH being a fucktard and the oil issue of course- why do you think nothing was done about Rwanda? NO OIL, PEOPLE), we have never had to go through a recession, much more of the world population is now middle to upper class (even though technically that still makes up about 2% of the entire 5 billion), and we've never had to suffer as much as previous generations have. Ok, so suffering is relative. But overall, we've done pretty well being born in the past 20 or so years. We've had it fucking GOOD, dudes! Knowing that teenagers and tweens and heck, young adults, watch and idolise total rubbish like "The OC", "Laguna Beach" and all the other filth on TV makes me want to cry in despair. My friend who works at one of the most expensive schools in Australia tells me that all the kids seem to worry about are their ipods, which mobile phone is the most up to date, and how much money their parents spent on them- i.e. one upping each other. Then when they get to a certain age, it's all about sex, alcohol, opulence and feeding their pleasure centres. It really makes me feel hopeless about the planet when I see 9 year old girls at Dimmey's (like a poor man's Kmart) buying G strings.
Thus, in general, the attitude we have about world issues and our ability to be players in it angers me even MORE. We have the ways and means to make a difference, to take interest in our world, to make it a better place than it was for our parents and their parents. And to make it a better place for our children etc etc.. (sap, yeah yeah). But instead we revel in TV, movies, complaining, demanding, idolising people like Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan who are good for nothing drug snorting idiots with no morals (all in the name of feminism eh? so much for all the work that women and suffragates have done), obsessing about American Idol etc etc.. Those who aren't in this group, who instead work hard to pay bills, live semi comfortable lives, enjoy culture and art, food etc.. are just as much culprits. Lack of action is almost as bad as perpetrating negative acts. It's a hard balance to get, I'll give you that.. the balance between having a comfortable life for yourself and your loved ones, and also giving some of it up to help the world.. but I guess that's people's personal choice. I can't say I fully understand as I have never been in that situation, and perhaps one day when I have children etc I MIGHT be able to see why both can't be done.
I know I spew all this stuff, and yeah, you can look at my life and ask me what I've done in 25 years that's so great. And I would say NOT BLOODY MUCH. I fall into the above categories as easily as anyone else. But as a generation we have to do something about it. We can't just sit back and let it all unfold into a hot mess. Or else, if any of the planet still exists for our grandchildren, they will wonder what the fuck we were doing. Food for thought, and Food for Action too. We can all do our bits, even if we are one tiny drop in the ocean.
Ego and the Mind
The Mind is both an amazing and fabulous device. We often deny the facts, as they come about, especially if they go against the norm, or we have already set our minds to disagree with them as they don't match our belief systems. When it comes to the Earth's situation, food, the medical system etc.. the same theory applies.
Perhaps the evidence points to the fact that a vegan or at least vegetarian diet is the best for human consumption, on many levels (individual bodies, environmental, spiritual etc), and this includes hard scientific fact which we seem to follow in all other areas of life (e.g. aspirin has been shown to reduce stroke by metaanalysis of gold standard trials, so we teach the public this and dispense it)- but because we have gone along for decades promoting high protein in diets and purporting the All American Diet is the best, we instead make excuses or start pointing fingers, accusing, shouting, getting angry. When really that anger is just a reflection of our self doubt.
Humans hate admitting we make huge mistakes in any part of our lives, we HATE being wrong. We will defend, fight and scream even if deep down we KNOW we are wrong. I know this because I do it myself, on a small scale and on a big scale. Studying medicine in a Western environment has led to little thoughts creeping into my head to try and disprove more "alternative" issues I might have gathered over time, my mind starts to battle these ideas so that the ones I've been brainwashed with will prevail. I will argue a point even when it is exhausted and I realise I don't know as much as I thought I did about it. Just for the sake of "being right". All spiritual practices teach us how to dispel these kind of thoughts and behaviours- but I haven't got that far. And neither has most of the world. Thus the current situation in healthcare, food and other industry.
I guess what this needs is AWARENESS, and daily CONSCIOUSNESS when we think, speak and do. We have to be aware of our negative thoughts, and try to take steps to rectify them so they don't rule our lives, consciously or subconsciously. We have to also check when we start to believe things because they are well presented by so -called "experts" (whether it be a Guru, an author, a scientist etc), and really investigate if we are undergoing mild brainwashing. I realise that sometimes I get carried away when I have new information and it goes against the grain- I will get excited and read up on the issues, try to get more perspective, and I often get caught up in it. Then I see that I too get entranced by the hoopla and need to take a step back.
In Conclusion
Let's be more aware. Let's do what we can and don't doubt our abilities to make a difference. It all starts with the Self, and LOVE, then this will branch out into the rest of the world. So Love Yourself thoroughly first, which includes seeing your flaws, accepting them and letting them go. This is what I try to do, but not with much success right now. But one keeps trying and trying until it works. Love yourself by eating right, doing right by the environment in your home, and being aware about world issues. Travel, if you can. Love those around you. Be generous, kind, and do everything with the roots based in Truth and Love. Then life will be so utterly beautiful and gorgeous you wont' even believe it yourself.
How did all that righteous anger end up in an airy fairy paragraph about Love? Hehehehe...
An Inconvenient Truth
I'm no expert on Global Warming or environmental issues, but I have kept a layman's open eye and ears to the whole debacle over the years. Watching AIT (finally) a few weeks ago has given me plenty of food for thought, and really got my blood boiling about how we are treating our planet. It's really very simple to reduce waste and try to rectify some of what we've done, as well as prevent the situation worsening- each and every one of us CAN make a difference.
What really pisses me off is that people with obvious agendas get on their high horses and shout about how Global Warming was NOT contributed to by humans, and the accelerated rate is not because of the amount of greenhouse gases we emit etc. FARKING HELL. EVEN if that were true, what is the harm of doing things like recycling, using less energy, reducing CO2 emissions i.e. NOT WASTING what we have... these are all GOOD for us and the planet no matter whether they affect global temperatures etc. All the naysayers achieve is rednecks and idiots saying things like "Yeah it's all bullshit, I don't care, who needs to care about the planet" because people will miss the point.
I guess there are always going to be fors and againsts in any "battle" but the evidence is so obvious in this particular case. I usually do not have much regard for politicians, and am also acutely aware that I can be convinced of things and later change my mind, but Al Gore is awesome. He doesn't seem to have an agenda (although I have been told otherwise by several people). I still think what he's doing is extremely admirable, even though I may not always agree with HOW he does it.
This video should be shown at all schools throughout the world- schools in the UK and the rest of Europe are doing it but OH WOW what a surprise, a lot of schools in the US are BANNING it and there is a lot of resistance to having widespread dissemination of its information. Just like the whole stupid Creationism vs Evolution thing. ARGH.
The China Study
Read this book. I know I'm already Vegan (which had nothing to do with this book) so perhaps I am a little biased. However, health reasons were not my main concern, even though later on I came to realise its great benefits. There are lots of different kinds of vegetarians, who do it for a wide range of reasons. This book focuses on the health side of things...
I really don't think that T. Colin Campbell has an agenda, except to distribute the truth about nutrition and links to disease to the masses from his years of study. And also to expose how things occur behind the scenes and who might be influencing what we think is healthy. There are a few people who are very critical about both this book and the study which is mentioned in it, but I say read it yourself if you care about your health and that of your loved ones. It is interesting to note that the main critics of this book are a) the Weston A Price foundation who are funded by the milk industry and b) some non scientific dude who has never done real research in a controlled environment who has an entire internet site about how cholesterol is very good for you and having LOW cholesterol increases your chance of heart disease. Whatever, morons. *Shakes head*
Make your own conclusions; try to have a pure, clear mind about it and not be distracted by everything else you've heard and your personal desires. Something I always find difficult because I tend to read around these kind of books to get a more balanced view. In the end, this book doesn't change the way I eat because it works for me, but I think as a doctor it is something that is dear to my heart and needs to be offered to patients for long term health benefits.
Big Pharma/ Big Medicine + Big Tobacco + Big Food Industries
I've always thought the way that Drug Companies rule the medical system is disgusting. I've seen them peddling their wares by feeding hungry doctors and medical students, distributing pens, tissue boxes, cuddly toys, clocks etc etc to influence doctors to prescribe their brand of pill. When I did my elective in India, they had their own way of convincing poor, overworked doctors to prescribe- giving them masses of free samples, buying them cars, holidays, giving them all kinds of equipment that their poor clinics could not afford otherwise. It's kind of like the way that World Vision will not sponsor villages or children if they don't convert to Christianity. And the way American companies like Nestle taught new mothers in Africa that feeding their children powdered supplement milk was better than breastmilk, resulting in mass malnutrition and death. Preying on the poor and desparate to ensure their product is used, and the bottom line- THE MIGHTY DOLLAR.
Even before I started med school, I had a niggling feeling that drugs, hospitals and all the crap that goes along with it is NOT the way to long term health. I've seen it first hand and if I relayed even half of the "abuse" that goes on in hospitals, you would all gasp in horror. Those of you reading this who have worked in big healthcare know exactly what I'm talking about. Medicine now is all about patching people up- which is well and good, we need some of that in dire circumstances, but what is MORE necessary is teaching people to prevent disease and to live life to the absolute fullest. Of course, 6 years' study later and one year of working in a big metropolitan hospital, I was thoroughly convinced that we create more problems than we fix. That's not to say there aren't admirable, hard working, honest people in the profession, there are plenty! But I think the entire medical field is being conned into certain ways of thinking and prescribing.
I know this might sound like total conspiracy theory/ hippie crap to some people, but maybe we're just all brainwashed to pshaw at issues such as these. We seem to live in a little coccoon of denial, in our comfort zones, and also physical comfort. Sometimes I wonder if I think this way because I'm lucky enough to have a house, healthy parents, food to eat, and I don't have to worry where the next dollar is coming from- preaching of the privileged I guess you could call it- but I don't think it's a bad thing to accept and be thankful for all I have whilst wanting to get out there and do something about those who don't have even a 1/16 of what I have. To ameliorate suffering in whatever way I can. I am blessed to have that opportunity, so I think it should be used.
All the above Bigs have conspired together to be detrimental to the world's health. They only want money. Large Groups are made up of individuals- unfortunately there are a lot of greedy, self serving, egotistical, mean minded, deceitful fucktards in the world, plenty of them. And they push everyone else around with their power and money. Sure, there are plenty of good hearted people trying to push in the other direction and they are getting there to an extent, but sometimes when you refuse to use backhanded games to get to a position to help the population, it is an uphill struggle for a while. Truth does prevail in the end (look at Gandhi, Mandela, Mother Teresa etc) but often a lot of hard work, suffering and sacrifice has to take place first. So.. the people in the Dairy and Meat industries will do anything to convince you that they are necessary for good living- they pay off committees of boards that have a big say in nutritional advice (see "Fast Food Nation"). Big Tobacco has been pulling shit for years (see "The Insider" and "Thank You For Smoking") and it is ONLY because of money and greed that they even still exist! It's total BULL.
All this stuff goes on that influences our everyday way of life, yet we are NOT taught about it in schools, we are not globally aware, we do not focus our energies on trying to rectify these problems (both on a personal and world basis), we CLOSE OUR EYES to what is going on around us.. or even if we are very aware and well read about it, we feel helpless. The "I am just one person" syndrome. It takes one person to start any movement. It takes lots of individuals to get things going.. but the fire has to start burning first. This leads me on to my next point...
The Young Generation
On the whole, we are a bunch of lazy, self interested, entitled whiners (harsh, I know). We have never experienced a real world war (except those who are now serving in Iraq because of BUSH being a fucktard and the oil issue of course- why do you think nothing was done about Rwanda? NO OIL, PEOPLE), we have never had to go through a recession, much more of the world population is now middle to upper class (even though technically that still makes up about 2% of the entire 5 billion), and we've never had to suffer as much as previous generations have. Ok, so suffering is relative. But overall, we've done pretty well being born in the past 20 or so years. We've had it fucking GOOD, dudes! Knowing that teenagers and tweens and heck, young adults, watch and idolise total rubbish like "The OC", "Laguna Beach" and all the other filth on TV makes me want to cry in despair. My friend who works at one of the most expensive schools in Australia tells me that all the kids seem to worry about are their ipods, which mobile phone is the most up to date, and how much money their parents spent on them- i.e. one upping each other. Then when they get to a certain age, it's all about sex, alcohol, opulence and feeding their pleasure centres. It really makes me feel hopeless about the planet when I see 9 year old girls at Dimmey's (like a poor man's Kmart) buying G strings.
Thus, in general, the attitude we have about world issues and our ability to be players in it angers me even MORE. We have the ways and means to make a difference, to take interest in our world, to make it a better place than it was for our parents and their parents. And to make it a better place for our children etc etc.. (sap, yeah yeah). But instead we revel in TV, movies, complaining, demanding, idolising people like Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan who are good for nothing drug snorting idiots with no morals (all in the name of feminism eh? so much for all the work that women and suffragates have done), obsessing about American Idol etc etc.. Those who aren't in this group, who instead work hard to pay bills, live semi comfortable lives, enjoy culture and art, food etc.. are just as much culprits. Lack of action is almost as bad as perpetrating negative acts. It's a hard balance to get, I'll give you that.. the balance between having a comfortable life for yourself and your loved ones, and also giving some of it up to help the world.. but I guess that's people's personal choice. I can't say I fully understand as I have never been in that situation, and perhaps one day when I have children etc I MIGHT be able to see why both can't be done.
I know I spew all this stuff, and yeah, you can look at my life and ask me what I've done in 25 years that's so great. And I would say NOT BLOODY MUCH. I fall into the above categories as easily as anyone else. But as a generation we have to do something about it. We can't just sit back and let it all unfold into a hot mess. Or else, if any of the planet still exists for our grandchildren, they will wonder what the fuck we were doing. Food for thought, and Food for Action too. We can all do our bits, even if we are one tiny drop in the ocean.
Ego and the Mind
The Mind is both an amazing and fabulous device. We often deny the facts, as they come about, especially if they go against the norm, or we have already set our minds to disagree with them as they don't match our belief systems. When it comes to the Earth's situation, food, the medical system etc.. the same theory applies.
Perhaps the evidence points to the fact that a vegan or at least vegetarian diet is the best for human consumption, on many levels (individual bodies, environmental, spiritual etc), and this includes hard scientific fact which we seem to follow in all other areas of life (e.g. aspirin has been shown to reduce stroke by metaanalysis of gold standard trials, so we teach the public this and dispense it)- but because we have gone along for decades promoting high protein in diets and purporting the All American Diet is the best, we instead make excuses or start pointing fingers, accusing, shouting, getting angry. When really that anger is just a reflection of our self doubt.
Humans hate admitting we make huge mistakes in any part of our lives, we HATE being wrong. We will defend, fight and scream even if deep down we KNOW we are wrong. I know this because I do it myself, on a small scale and on a big scale. Studying medicine in a Western environment has led to little thoughts creeping into my head to try and disprove more "alternative" issues I might have gathered over time, my mind starts to battle these ideas so that the ones I've been brainwashed with will prevail. I will argue a point even when it is exhausted and I realise I don't know as much as I thought I did about it. Just for the sake of "being right". All spiritual practices teach us how to dispel these kind of thoughts and behaviours- but I haven't got that far. And neither has most of the world. Thus the current situation in healthcare, food and other industry.
I guess what this needs is AWARENESS, and daily CONSCIOUSNESS when we think, speak and do. We have to be aware of our negative thoughts, and try to take steps to rectify them so they don't rule our lives, consciously or subconsciously. We have to also check when we start to believe things because they are well presented by so -called "experts" (whether it be a Guru, an author, a scientist etc), and really investigate if we are undergoing mild brainwashing. I realise that sometimes I get carried away when I have new information and it goes against the grain- I will get excited and read up on the issues, try to get more perspective, and I often get caught up in it. Then I see that I too get entranced by the hoopla and need to take a step back.
In Conclusion
Let's be more aware. Let's do what we can and don't doubt our abilities to make a difference. It all starts with the Self, and LOVE, then this will branch out into the rest of the world. So Love Yourself thoroughly first, which includes seeing your flaws, accepting them and letting them go. This is what I try to do, but not with much success right now. But one keeps trying and trying until it works. Love yourself by eating right, doing right by the environment in your home, and being aware about world issues. Travel, if you can. Love those around you. Be generous, kind, and do everything with the roots based in Truth and Love. Then life will be so utterly beautiful and gorgeous you wont' even believe it yourself.
How did all that righteous anger end up in an airy fairy paragraph about Love? Hehehehe...