Fasting -
On March 3rd I started a 96 hour fast. I started weighing 179.4 and after 96 hours I weighed 168.9.
I only drank Snake Juice during my feeding window 5-6pm - Snake Juice is Evian water with one tsp of sodium chloride (Pink Himalayan Salt) and 1 tsp of potassium chloride (No-Salt).
I quit all caffeine so I experience some withdrawals, mainly in the form of slight headache. On Tuesday I was feeling some kindly pain as I was going through detox, but it went away. I was pretty active during the first two days, the last two days I basically relaxed and read and took naps.
The experience was amazing. I was testing my urine with keto strips and I reach a deep level of ketosis around 40 hours into the fast. I dry fasted during the day, until my feeding window I then drank the Snake Juice to get in the electrolytes and minerals.
This started my journey. My re-feeds are once per day, I fast 23 hours and feed for 1 hour. I keep my diet very low on carbohydrates, taken primarily through vegetables, I eat meat or fish, eggs, butter, some cheese and nuts, and pickles. I introduced berries as a treat. My body weight continued to drop during my feedings. Initially after my fast I gained about 4 pounds, then it quickly stabilized around 169.
I do a 48 hour fast from Sunday evening through Tuesday evening, then go to one feeding a day.
I feel great, my strength is sold and the fat has melted off.
This is the leanest I have been since high school. It's crazy.
Fasting Focused Lifestyle is my new norm. Get lean as possible through FASTING, then adjust based upon your goals. I am looking for performance, energy and clarity.
Fasting also cleared up my skin issues and makes me sleep like a champ.
Fasting is FREE and you get results.
Check out YouTube channel called the SNAKE Diet, Dr Jason Fung or Dr Berg.
Cole Robinson on the Snake Diet is very motivating and really knows his stuff through self experimentation, the two Doctors are very knowledgable and milder in their approach. Different styles but same results.
23 days after I started this journey I am leaner and stronger and my current weight is 168.
Since last spring when I started intermittent fasting and eating clean ketogenic one meal a day routine I have reduced my body weight and composition from 196 to 168, jean size from 36 to 32. I feel great.
Tuesday, March 26, 2019
Saturday, February 16, 2019
Alcohol 2.0 is the same
High priced bourbon, craft beer and wine - ah the elixir of the elite. ALCOHOL 2.0
Stan is starting to feel a pain in his upper right side, he is a bit over weight due to his "great" holiday season - Christmas and New Years. He makes a New Years resolution to finally lose some weight (again) and to slow down his drinking. He vows to do a "sober" January. He wakes up on January 1 with a nice hangover, after all since he is going to stop drinking in January he decided to have a few extra's on New Years Eve, what could it hurt.
The first few days are a bit rough, by 5 o'clock on January 1st, his brain is screaming for a drink of alcohol since that is about when the anesthetic effect of the previous nights drinks are starting to wear off, on top of that he feels that dull ache in his right side. He fights through the urge to drink and even pours the last two craft beers he hid away in the back of the fridge down the kitchen sink as a testament to his resolve.
The next two days are rough and he seems on edge at work. The pain is still there and he is having a bit of trouble sleeping, he wakes up exhausted each morning but soldiers on, he dusts off the treadmill he bought many New Years ago and decides he is going to start walking daily along with a new calorie restricted diet. He drags himself to walk for 10 minutes the first two days. Damn, 10 minutes never felt so long before and 500 calories a day sucks.
The pain in his side is still there. He decides to go in for a yearly physical with his general doctor and gets on the schedule for mid next week. The weekend comes and there are some football games to watch. He struggles through the first game, drink free, since it was a habit of his to always have a "few" while enjoying the game on his 55 inch HD TV. His favorite beer commercial comes on and his brain screams "Son of a Bitch - I need a drink." He remembers his doctors appointment is coming up so he abstains from drinking and turns off the TV and decides to go to bed early.
The next few days are foggy, his mind is racing and he can't seem to concentrate. He still is struggling with sleep and his treadmill is collecting dust again. Tomorrow is the doctor visit.
He visits the doctor, and they also schedule him for blood work at the local lab. The doctor warns him about his weight gain over the past year and asks him all the standard questions, he doesn't mention the dull ache in his right side since it seems to have settled down a bit. He goes to the lab and they draw his blood and inform him they will send the results over to his doctor for review.
He is on day 7 of his "sober" January and he seems "out of sorts." The good news is he is starting to sleep better but still feels exhausted, the daily walks on the treadmill are now an after thought as he finds them too boring. He sticks to the calorie restricted diet to help him lose some weight, and checking the scale daily he is already down 5 pounds! Around noon time he receives a phone call from his doctors office and they want to schedule a follow up from his recent blood work. He is scheduled for tomorrow evening.
Doctor - "I reviewed the results of your blood work and have some concerns about your liver enzyme count, it is out of the normal range, actually it's a bit on the high side, how many drinks are you having a week?"
Stan - "well Doc, you know the normal amount on the weekend"
Doctor - "what's the normal amount?"
Stan - "well I drink the good stuff Doc, high priced Bourbon and craft IPA's, you know a few, maybe 3-4 drinks, but I have decided to quit drinking for the month of January, and I started a new diet and I've already lost 5 pounds"
Doctor - "That's great. I was really concerned you were drinking the rot gut whiskey and light beer, you know that cheap stuff that will damage your liver and kill you, are you experiencing any discomfort on your upper right side?"
Stan - "now that you mention it I was feeling a bit of pain high up under my right rib cage but it seems to be OK now"
Doctor - "that's probably just some local inflammation in your liver based upon your blood work, I'll give you a 'script - use it for the next week and if the pain doesn't go away call me and well send you in for some further tests"
Stan - "thanks Doc"
Doctor - "keep up the diet and we'll see you next year"
Stan gets the 'script filled, take the pills for 5 days then another weekend of football comes, and he goes back to drinking the "good stuff" and the pain in his side goes away and he feels good again.
The vicious cycle goes on - Stan can't imagine living life without Alcohol 2.0, it's his reward for being alive.
Stan is starting to feel a pain in his upper right side, he is a bit over weight due to his "great" holiday season - Christmas and New Years. He makes a New Years resolution to finally lose some weight (again) and to slow down his drinking. He vows to do a "sober" January. He wakes up on January 1 with a nice hangover, after all since he is going to stop drinking in January he decided to have a few extra's on New Years Eve, what could it hurt.
The first few days are a bit rough, by 5 o'clock on January 1st, his brain is screaming for a drink of alcohol since that is about when the anesthetic effect of the previous nights drinks are starting to wear off, on top of that he feels that dull ache in his right side. He fights through the urge to drink and even pours the last two craft beers he hid away in the back of the fridge down the kitchen sink as a testament to his resolve.
The next two days are rough and he seems on edge at work. The pain is still there and he is having a bit of trouble sleeping, he wakes up exhausted each morning but soldiers on, he dusts off the treadmill he bought many New Years ago and decides he is going to start walking daily along with a new calorie restricted diet. He drags himself to walk for 10 minutes the first two days. Damn, 10 minutes never felt so long before and 500 calories a day sucks.
The pain in his side is still there. He decides to go in for a yearly physical with his general doctor and gets on the schedule for mid next week. The weekend comes and there are some football games to watch. He struggles through the first game, drink free, since it was a habit of his to always have a "few" while enjoying the game on his 55 inch HD TV. His favorite beer commercial comes on and his brain screams "Son of a Bitch - I need a drink." He remembers his doctors appointment is coming up so he abstains from drinking and turns off the TV and decides to go to bed early.
The next few days are foggy, his mind is racing and he can't seem to concentrate. He still is struggling with sleep and his treadmill is collecting dust again. Tomorrow is the doctor visit.
He visits the doctor, and they also schedule him for blood work at the local lab. The doctor warns him about his weight gain over the past year and asks him all the standard questions, he doesn't mention the dull ache in his right side since it seems to have settled down a bit. He goes to the lab and they draw his blood and inform him they will send the results over to his doctor for review.
He is on day 7 of his "sober" January and he seems "out of sorts." The good news is he is starting to sleep better but still feels exhausted, the daily walks on the treadmill are now an after thought as he finds them too boring. He sticks to the calorie restricted diet to help him lose some weight, and checking the scale daily he is already down 5 pounds! Around noon time he receives a phone call from his doctors office and they want to schedule a follow up from his recent blood work. He is scheduled for tomorrow evening.
Doctor - "I reviewed the results of your blood work and have some concerns about your liver enzyme count, it is out of the normal range, actually it's a bit on the high side, how many drinks are you having a week?"
Stan - "well Doc, you know the normal amount on the weekend"
Doctor - "what's the normal amount?"
Stan - "well I drink the good stuff Doc, high priced Bourbon and craft IPA's, you know a few, maybe 3-4 drinks, but I have decided to quit drinking for the month of January, and I started a new diet and I've already lost 5 pounds"
Doctor - "That's great. I was really concerned you were drinking the rot gut whiskey and light beer, you know that cheap stuff that will damage your liver and kill you, are you experiencing any discomfort on your upper right side?"
Stan - "now that you mention it I was feeling a bit of pain high up under my right rib cage but it seems to be OK now"
Doctor - "that's probably just some local inflammation in your liver based upon your blood work, I'll give you a 'script - use it for the next week and if the pain doesn't go away call me and well send you in for some further tests"
Stan - "thanks Doc"
Doctor - "keep up the diet and we'll see you next year"
Stan gets the 'script filled, take the pills for 5 days then another weekend of football comes, and he goes back to drinking the "good stuff" and the pain in his side goes away and he feels good again.
The vicious cycle goes on - Stan can't imagine living life without Alcohol 2.0, it's his reward for being alive.
Friday, February 15, 2019
my new product would never get through Shark Tank
I developed a new product - here are the product claims (the perceived benefits):
Using my new consumable product
Using my new consumable product
- makes you happy
- makes you fun to be around
- makes you feel brave and confident
- makes you sexy
- makes you outgoing in social situations
- relieves stress
- relieves boredom
- helps you celebrate good times
- helps you forget bad times
- enhances a meal
- enhances your social status
This is great product and 80% of the population will use it - most will claim to use it socially, primarily on weekends, some on special occasions, and some will eventually become daily users.
To produce the product is low cost, it's basically decaying vegetable matter, or cooked and distilled cheap grain products and carries a very high profit margin per volume.
THE SHARKS - "wow, that product sounds fantastic surely there has to be some downside, we need to know the risks before we decide"
Well now that you mentioned it there are a few things but we don't talk about them much because the claims (the perceived benefits) are socially accepted as the truth, and if you do not use the product you will be in the minority and be judged as having a problem, not using the product carries a social stigma.
These are just minor problems (side effects) of using the product:
- it has no nutritional value and could make you obese
- it is a registered poison in it's pure chemical form
- it is highly addictive
- it causes dehydration even though it is in liquid form
- it cause cancer
- it is an anesthetic and can make you comatose if too much is consumed
- it is a depressant
- it causes birth defects in the unborn if used while pregnant
- it destroys internal organs and destroys brain cells
- it causes premature aging
- it will reduce your life expectancy
- it tastes terrible in it's native chemical form
- it effects your judgement and motor skills
- it can cause immediate illness, including violent vomiting
- it can cause immediate death if too much is consumed too quickly
Please note: The highly addictive and dehydration problems are great benefits to the product if you are selling it to the consumer. The poison and bad taste are easily overcome by diluting the product to low percentages by volume and adding in other taste enhancers to mask the terrible taste. In fact we have a whole line of products called mixers that we sell to go along with our new consumable, and we opened up a school to teach people how to mix up the product so that the consumer will pay extra for the opportunity to get the perceived benefits.
This is a no lose product. While we can't substantiate any of the claims or perceived benefits we can advertise and use social proof as our marketing strategy. Also the government doesn't require any warning labels on the product or packaging so we do not need to inform the consumer of the side effects of using the product.
THE SHARKS - "well what is the product"
ALCOHOL 2.0
Thursday, February 14, 2019
drinking the poison Alcohol is an expensive addiction
Want a shock - track the cost of your social drinking, regular drinking, habitual drinking and occasional drinking for one month. I did this. Killing yourself slowly with an alcohol addiction is very expensive.
I am going to take some averages, then add in some extra's.
On average I consumed 6-8 craft beers a day. A 6 pack of craft beer cost $12.00 or $2 a bottle at the beer store. So I'll say I was drinking on average 210 beers a month. $420 a month, cha-ching.
I would occasionally go out for a "few" with a friend during the month, say about two times. A "few" was usually 5, I know drunk math. Craft beer at the place we would go was $7 a pint, so a "few" cost me $40 including tip. $80 a month, cha-ching.
So on average I was spending $500 a month pouring a taxi poison down my throat seeking illusional benefits. $6000 a year......but wait there is more....vacations.
I usually go on vacation 3-4 times a year. This entails eating out at fancy restaurants and going to bars, playing golf and various other activities, that some how always included alcohol. I'm going to be conservative and say each of these vacations cost me an additional $400 in alcohol, or $1600 per year. Don't believe me, we proudly spent $225 for the "large" bottle of silver oak red wine (twice) while on vacation because after all we only drink the good stuff with our meal, aren't we special.
My yearly drinking total is now at $7600! or over $625 per month! Yikes.
This doesn't count the times I would "buy" and my alcohol tab would include others doses of the poison. Or sporting event, were the price of a container of alcohol is 5-6x what you can buy at the store. So this total might be a bit understated.
Now grant it, in the end I was a very high tolerance addict - it took me a very high dose of the drug alcohol to "feel" it. The problem with that is.....keeping on the blog theme.........once I felt "it" I shot right through to being passed out or extremely tired and I want to go to bed to sleep. What fun!
I noticed the cost of alcohol addiction has been increasing every year, not only are the stores raising the price, taxes are also being raised on the "elixir" of life in most counties and cities. Alcohol is a serious source of tax revenue, no wonder they promote drinking alcohol as part of the fabric of the city. "we proudly proclaim that we have 30 craft breweries within our metro area" - states one local city. My personal cost of alcohol increased every year as I got deeper and deeper into the addiction.
I'll make it easy for myself - I spent about $10,000 per year drinking alcohol.
So I will say - I just hit the lottery. I figure I have about 25 years left on this planet. $250,000!
paid out in an annuity of $10,000 per year over the next 25 years!
Time to celebrate - I think I'll have a drink. Just kidding.
I am going to take some averages, then add in some extra's.
On average I consumed 6-8 craft beers a day. A 6 pack of craft beer cost $12.00 or $2 a bottle at the beer store. So I'll say I was drinking on average 210 beers a month. $420 a month, cha-ching.
I would occasionally go out for a "few" with a friend during the month, say about two times. A "few" was usually 5, I know drunk math. Craft beer at the place we would go was $7 a pint, so a "few" cost me $40 including tip. $80 a month, cha-ching.
So on average I was spending $500 a month pouring a taxi poison down my throat seeking illusional benefits. $6000 a year......but wait there is more....vacations.
I usually go on vacation 3-4 times a year. This entails eating out at fancy restaurants and going to bars, playing golf and various other activities, that some how always included alcohol. I'm going to be conservative and say each of these vacations cost me an additional $400 in alcohol, or $1600 per year. Don't believe me, we proudly spent $225 for the "large" bottle of silver oak red wine (twice) while on vacation because after all we only drink the good stuff with our meal, aren't we special.
My yearly drinking total is now at $7600! or over $625 per month! Yikes.
This doesn't count the times I would "buy" and my alcohol tab would include others doses of the poison. Or sporting event, were the price of a container of alcohol is 5-6x what you can buy at the store. So this total might be a bit understated.
Now grant it, in the end I was a very high tolerance addict - it took me a very high dose of the drug alcohol to "feel" it. The problem with that is.....keeping on the blog theme.........once I felt "it" I shot right through to being passed out or extremely tired and I want to go to bed to sleep. What fun!
I noticed the cost of alcohol addiction has been increasing every year, not only are the stores raising the price, taxes are also being raised on the "elixir" of life in most counties and cities. Alcohol is a serious source of tax revenue, no wonder they promote drinking alcohol as part of the fabric of the city. "we proudly proclaim that we have 30 craft breweries within our metro area" - states one local city. My personal cost of alcohol increased every year as I got deeper and deeper into the addiction.
I'll make it easy for myself - I spent about $10,000 per year drinking alcohol.
So I will say - I just hit the lottery. I figure I have about 25 years left on this planet. $250,000!
paid out in an annuity of $10,000 per year over the next 25 years!
Time to celebrate - I think I'll have a drink. Just kidding.
Monday, February 11, 2019
I finished 10,0000 kettlebell swings in 30 days what do I do next?
10,0000 kettlebell swings in 30 days
I started this challenge on January 14 and finished this morning February 11 so I really finished in 28 days - I took three days off - right in the middle of the challenge. So I actually did the 10,000 swings in 25 sessions.
All 10,000 swings were one arm kettlebell swings (1ASW) using a 16kg 'bell and a 20kg 'bell.
The max reps in one day was 500 and the minimum was 200 on the last day. Sets of 25, 50, 75 and 100 swings performed in the early AM hours in a completely fasted state was my routine.
I have done this challenge a few times and I always enjoy the journey. The break I took in the middle of the 30 days was needed and when I started back up I was refreshed and well rested.
I strived for a perfect one arm swing on each rep. I avoided sloppy reps at all cost so this took a bunch of concentration on my part as I did occasionally got to 100 reps in one set. 50 reps was my sweet spot as I could aggressively perform the set "hard style" with great form.
Now the question is what do I do next?
I was thinking about doing kettlebell snatches in high rep sets. I was also thinking about doing the Viking Warrior Conditioning routine, which I was able to complete back in my younger days. Kettlebell Muscle also makes me nervous as it is one of the hardest protocols I have ever completed, once with dual 20kg 'bells and once with dual 16kg 'bells.
I was thinking about getting back into deadlifting again in my life long quest to pull 405. I know I am running out of time and I would have to really change my routine to even sniff that goal. I was pulling singles with 295# pretty easily before I left for 3 weeks in the south. My bench press was also going up nicely 195# for singles was going up smoothly.
It's been one year since I started intermittent fasting and Ketogenic nutrition - my body weight has stabilized at 180#'s but I feel the best around 175# with lower body fat. Typically I was hovering in the 190-195# range over the past 5 years, and felt I needed a change - thus the IF/Keto plan.
Push ups, pull ups and body weight Bulgarian split squats were my go to movements over this past summer and I felt pretty strong.
I need something to get me motivated, a new goal, a new challenge -
As I return home - I will think about this over the next three weeks as I continue my swings and Turkish get up routine. I plan on getting back into the dead lift and bench press during this time also.
One thing for certain - I will never give up strength training.
I started this challenge on January 14 and finished this morning February 11 so I really finished in 28 days - I took three days off - right in the middle of the challenge. So I actually did the 10,000 swings in 25 sessions.
All 10,000 swings were one arm kettlebell swings (1ASW) using a 16kg 'bell and a 20kg 'bell.
The max reps in one day was 500 and the minimum was 200 on the last day. Sets of 25, 50, 75 and 100 swings performed in the early AM hours in a completely fasted state was my routine.
I have done this challenge a few times and I always enjoy the journey. The break I took in the middle of the 30 days was needed and when I started back up I was refreshed and well rested.
I strived for a perfect one arm swing on each rep. I avoided sloppy reps at all cost so this took a bunch of concentration on my part as I did occasionally got to 100 reps in one set. 50 reps was my sweet spot as I could aggressively perform the set "hard style" with great form.
Now the question is what do I do next?
I was thinking about doing kettlebell snatches in high rep sets. I was also thinking about doing the Viking Warrior Conditioning routine, which I was able to complete back in my younger days. Kettlebell Muscle also makes me nervous as it is one of the hardest protocols I have ever completed, once with dual 20kg 'bells and once with dual 16kg 'bells.
I was thinking about getting back into deadlifting again in my life long quest to pull 405. I know I am running out of time and I would have to really change my routine to even sniff that goal. I was pulling singles with 295# pretty easily before I left for 3 weeks in the south. My bench press was also going up nicely 195# for singles was going up smoothly.
It's been one year since I started intermittent fasting and Ketogenic nutrition - my body weight has stabilized at 180#'s but I feel the best around 175# with lower body fat. Typically I was hovering in the 190-195# range over the past 5 years, and felt I needed a change - thus the IF/Keto plan.
Push ups, pull ups and body weight Bulgarian split squats were my go to movements over this past summer and I felt pretty strong.
I need something to get me motivated, a new goal, a new challenge -
As I return home - I will think about this over the next three weeks as I continue my swings and Turkish get up routine. I plan on getting back into the dead lift and bench press during this time also.
One thing for certain - I will never give up strength training.
Wednesday, February 6, 2019
you chose to drink a highly addictive poison for fun
Alcohol - is a highly addictive poison. Our society drinks this poison for fun. Social proof leads you to believe that the drinking this poison in a diluted form has many benefits, that is until you flip from the "normal drinker" to the feared and stigmatized dreaded "alcoholic." You know, that other kind of drinker, the one you are never going to be, because you "can take it or leave it." You know, the drinker in control, the moderation drinker, not that genetic disease carrying freak that has the "addictive personality." Your not the bum laying on the sidewalk in Las Vegas with a bottle in a paper bag begging for money as tourists walk by with colorful alcohol drinks in their hands. In fact you may be the drinking tourist and smugly thinking - "what a drunken bum" get a job then you can party like me and enjoy the night life as a respectable drinker having "fun." All depends on how you look at it.
90% of the adult population drinks alcohol. 90% of those people are addicted to the drug, 90% of those people will never admit they are addicted. It is a socially acceptable drug addiction. After all the government says it is legal - until you blow a .08 BAC while operating a vehicle - then your drug use is frowned upon as law breaking, and they court order you into the dreaded 12 step "program." Thank God for Uber, it is much more classy to take Uber, only drunks take a yellow taxi home after a night of drug indulgence.
Here is an experiment - write down your reasons for drinking alcohol -
I'll check in later to give you my list.
Beer, wine, spirits, a cocktail, adult beverages -
Don't be fooled by the name. It's a powerful poison and will shorten your life considerably. It is also highly addictive, will debilitate your immune system and impede your concentration. It is a known cacogenic chemical. It will systematically destroy your nervous system, your confidence, your courage and your ability to relax. By the way in it's native chemical form it tastes awful and if too much is ingested will kill you and will cost you about $400,000 over your drinking lifetime if you are a moderate to heavy drinker.
What does it do for you? Here are the perceived benefits.
Helps me relax when I'm stressed
Helps me socially fit in
It tastes good, quenches your thirst
Is part of the celebration of holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, and special occasions
Makes me loosen up and have better sex
Gives me confidence and courage
Helps me get over a unhappy event in my life
Makes me happy
Helps me fall asleep
Relieves my boredom
Rewards me for working hard at my job each day
Easy trade off - you drink an addictive drug and you get benefits. You become a drug addict because it is socially acceptable and provides pleasure and relieves pain.
People get upset when I call alcohol a drug - they really get a red ass when I tell them it is highly addictive - they get downright nasty when I compare the addiction to alcohol to the addiction of other hard drugs.
Here is the difference - alcohol addiction is a slow miserable death - opioid addiction is a fast usually painless death. Both are drug addictions.
Cheers.
90% of the adult population drinks alcohol. 90% of those people are addicted to the drug, 90% of those people will never admit they are addicted. It is a socially acceptable drug addiction. After all the government says it is legal - until you blow a .08 BAC while operating a vehicle - then your drug use is frowned upon as law breaking, and they court order you into the dreaded 12 step "program." Thank God for Uber, it is much more classy to take Uber, only drunks take a yellow taxi home after a night of drug indulgence.
Here is an experiment - write down your reasons for drinking alcohol -
I'll check in later to give you my list.
Beer, wine, spirits, a cocktail, adult beverages -
Don't be fooled by the name. It's a powerful poison and will shorten your life considerably. It is also highly addictive, will debilitate your immune system and impede your concentration. It is a known cacogenic chemical. It will systematically destroy your nervous system, your confidence, your courage and your ability to relax. By the way in it's native chemical form it tastes awful and if too much is ingested will kill you and will cost you about $400,000 over your drinking lifetime if you are a moderate to heavy drinker.
What does it do for you? Here are the perceived benefits.
Helps me relax when I'm stressed
Helps me socially fit in
It tastes good, quenches your thirst
Is part of the celebration of holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, and special occasions
Makes me loosen up and have better sex
Gives me confidence and courage
Helps me get over a unhappy event in my life
Makes me happy
Helps me fall asleep
Relieves my boredom
Rewards me for working hard at my job each day
Easy trade off - you drink an addictive drug and you get benefits. You become a drug addict because it is socially acceptable and provides pleasure and relieves pain.
People get upset when I call alcohol a drug - they really get a red ass when I tell them it is highly addictive - they get downright nasty when I compare the addiction to alcohol to the addiction of other hard drugs.
Here is the difference - alcohol addiction is a slow miserable death - opioid addiction is a fast usually painless death. Both are drug addictions.
Cheers.
Monday, January 21, 2019
Alcohol is a socially acceptable drug
Drinking alcohol (ethanol) is a socially acceptable drug in Western society, especially here in the good old USA. Yes, ethanol is a drug, highly addictive, highly toxic and taken in a large enough quantity to quickly it will cause death. People get pissed when you call it a drug.
Recent news story - fraternity hazing party - freshman pledge drinks 18 shots of alcohol and falls down stairwell, passes out - his drunk frat "brothers" put him to bed - next morning he is dead. Some brotherly love.
But I thought drinking alcohol was going to provide a "good" time? I know - he was stupid, he drank too much too quickly, became drunk and unable to walk, falls down stairs hits his head, passes out and dies - it was the "hitting his head" that killed him we are told. As unfortunate as this scenario is, it get's a bit of news worthy press and then is quickly forgotten. Our society is in love with alcohol and has "it only happens to someone else" syndrome.
Not once do we here a politician rant about our "alcohol" epidemic which kills way more people than todays modern "opioid" epidemic. We accept the deaths of alcohol as "one of them" as this doesn't happen to normal drinkers. You know the "normal" drinker.
One of the greatest things about being a non-drinker is the entertainment factor of being around "normal" drinkers. I recently attended a sporting event where normal drinkers were on exhibit. It's absolutely hilarious to see what goes on, some of the behavior is outright reality TV material, some of the behavior is scary.
But our society accepts this as part of the sports culture. Here's good news for you drinkers - they only charge $12 for a 24oz Miller Lite at this sporting event. And the local establishment only charged $7 for a pint of draft beer. Figuring light beer is 95-98% water, that is some expensive fuel.
Our society accepts these outrageous prices because - it wouldn't be American at a sporting event without alcohol disguised as beer in this case.
How did we get to this point as a society?
Recent news story - fraternity hazing party - freshman pledge drinks 18 shots of alcohol and falls down stairwell, passes out - his drunk frat "brothers" put him to bed - next morning he is dead. Some brotherly love.
But I thought drinking alcohol was going to provide a "good" time? I know - he was stupid, he drank too much too quickly, became drunk and unable to walk, falls down stairs hits his head, passes out and dies - it was the "hitting his head" that killed him we are told. As unfortunate as this scenario is, it get's a bit of news worthy press and then is quickly forgotten. Our society is in love with alcohol and has "it only happens to someone else" syndrome.
Not once do we here a politician rant about our "alcohol" epidemic which kills way more people than todays modern "opioid" epidemic. We accept the deaths of alcohol as "one of them" as this doesn't happen to normal drinkers. You know the "normal" drinker.
One of the greatest things about being a non-drinker is the entertainment factor of being around "normal" drinkers. I recently attended a sporting event where normal drinkers were on exhibit. It's absolutely hilarious to see what goes on, some of the behavior is outright reality TV material, some of the behavior is scary.
But our society accepts this as part of the sports culture. Here's good news for you drinkers - they only charge $12 for a 24oz Miller Lite at this sporting event. And the local establishment only charged $7 for a pint of draft beer. Figuring light beer is 95-98% water, that is some expensive fuel.
Our society accepts these outrageous prices because - it wouldn't be American at a sporting event without alcohol disguised as beer in this case.
How did we get to this point as a society?
Saturday, January 19, 2019
we are led to believe that alcohol is the "elixir of life"
I remember my first drink - I stole a stubby bottle of Iron City beer from my visiting aunt's stash in our fridge. I called up a friend of mine that I smoked cigarettes with and we took the bottle into the woods and split it - it tasted foul. I was in the 5th grade. I didn't understand the allure of beer, it tasted terrible.
I remember the first time I felt the effects of drinking alcohol - I was in 8th grade and I split a bottle of Boones Farm Apple Hill wine with 2 class mates, it tasted funny, like nasty juice but at that point "peer" pressure had already started to sink in, we passed the bottle back and for an took swigs, I was in the middle. I felt my first buzz, the effects of the alcohol on my young brain. That started my drinking career. That summer I drank an entire bottle of cheap wine and puked my guts out, passed out and woke up the next morning not remembering anything and feeling very ill. Drinking was supposed to be fun? I had my first major hangover.
I was told I just needed to learn how to drink - that's all I needed to hear.
As youngsters we learn to observe - we see adults drinking beer, wine, liquor and they go from being reserved to laughing, loud and having a good time. It looks like they are having a "good" time. We walk by the neighborhood bars in the summer, the door is open and it is crowded with music and laughter. What's the attraction, we wonder.
Alcohol is all around us, it is the most heavily marketed product in the world. It used to be cigarettes, but society has put the stigma on that addiction and banned TV ads. More money is spent on alcohol advertisement than any other product. Dilly-dilly.
What are they selling? well they are not selling the highly toxic, highly addictive and terrible tasting fuel ingredient ethanol. No they are selling - fun, happiness, friendship, romance, man hood, relaxation, reward, status, courage and a good time. They are selling the product's, product's, product.
Taste's great - Less filling! Let me clue you in - observe the average Miller Lite drinker - they are usually overweight, out of shape middle aged men, or fat women. Sort of like the diet soft drink people - they believe in the "calorie" theory. Let me clue you in - reduce the alcohol by volume (ABV) percentage from 5% to 4.2% and the caloric factor in the same 12oz bottle drops, but it still tastes like old dishwater. Miller Brewing hit on a genius product and marketed the hell out of it during the mid 70's eat less calories exercise more weight loss era, this produced generations of Lite drinkers. I know one fan of Lite that can drink 18 Lite's in a day, but he can't run 25 yards.
Alcohol is marketed as the "elixir of life" - everything will be better with a little alcohol, the day, the event, the occasion. Hell when you're feeling bad - alcohol, when you're celebrating - alcohol, when you're bored - alcohol.
It's a trap - and it doesn't change. We are unconsciously brainwashed that alcohol is a drink that will make us happy and will enhance any occasion. Consciously we may have experienced some of the side effects of over indulgence in an "adult beverage'' but unconsciously we only remember the good times allure or the good times we had when drinking alcohol. That is what I call selective memory and unconscious brainwashing.
Thus we continue drinking the "elixir of life" chasing the good times. This elixir is highly addictive, it's the nature of the nasty tasting chemical ethanol. As we "acquire a taste" for it our bodies miraculously build up a tolerance to the drug protecting us from the lethal effects. The fan of Miller Lite that can drink 18 cans of beer, built up to that volume over time. Now that is the standard for him, anything less he doesn't feel "right" anything more and he starts acting "strange", the I only smoke when I drink syndrome.
I remember when I was completely satisfied drinking 3 beers when I was in high school, if I drank more than that I either got sick or started speaking a weird version of Korean or acting strange. By the end of high school I graduated to a 6 pack, and on rare occasion I would go big and drink Colt 45 Malt liquor, which had a higher ABV than Stroh's. I usually got drunk or could not finish the 6 pack, but I had a good time, until I did something stupid or puked.
In the beginning we relate alcohol to pleasure, fun, having a good time. It's also a social status - in my town drinking was a way of life. It was considered a reward for working hard all day.
I know a drinker that flat out states "drinking is my reward" for busting my ass all day at my job. His job consists of driving around and visiting jobsites and working on a computer. In my work career drinking was a staple at every networking event, the pre dinner cocktail hour, the lunch time drinks, the out of town trade shows that became nothing more than a reason to drink.
Drinking was the "elixir of life". It made the cowards have courage, the homely into beautiful people and the shy person into a comedian.
Ah the good old days - normal drinking. Drinking to be happy.
You are not one of them - you are a normal drinker enjoying the "elixir of life."
I remember the first time I felt the effects of drinking alcohol - I was in 8th grade and I split a bottle of Boones Farm Apple Hill wine with 2 class mates, it tasted funny, like nasty juice but at that point "peer" pressure had already started to sink in, we passed the bottle back and for an took swigs, I was in the middle. I felt my first buzz, the effects of the alcohol on my young brain. That started my drinking career. That summer I drank an entire bottle of cheap wine and puked my guts out, passed out and woke up the next morning not remembering anything and feeling very ill. Drinking was supposed to be fun? I had my first major hangover.
I was told I just needed to learn how to drink - that's all I needed to hear.
As youngsters we learn to observe - we see adults drinking beer, wine, liquor and they go from being reserved to laughing, loud and having a good time. It looks like they are having a "good" time. We walk by the neighborhood bars in the summer, the door is open and it is crowded with music and laughter. What's the attraction, we wonder.
Alcohol is all around us, it is the most heavily marketed product in the world. It used to be cigarettes, but society has put the stigma on that addiction and banned TV ads. More money is spent on alcohol advertisement than any other product. Dilly-dilly.
What are they selling? well they are not selling the highly toxic, highly addictive and terrible tasting fuel ingredient ethanol. No they are selling - fun, happiness, friendship, romance, man hood, relaxation, reward, status, courage and a good time. They are selling the product's, product's, product.
Taste's great - Less filling! Let me clue you in - observe the average Miller Lite drinker - they are usually overweight, out of shape middle aged men, or fat women. Sort of like the diet soft drink people - they believe in the "calorie" theory. Let me clue you in - reduce the alcohol by volume (ABV) percentage from 5% to 4.2% and the caloric factor in the same 12oz bottle drops, but it still tastes like old dishwater. Miller Brewing hit on a genius product and marketed the hell out of it during the mid 70's eat less calories exercise more weight loss era, this produced generations of Lite drinkers. I know one fan of Lite that can drink 18 Lite's in a day, but he can't run 25 yards.
Alcohol is marketed as the "elixir of life" - everything will be better with a little alcohol, the day, the event, the occasion. Hell when you're feeling bad - alcohol, when you're celebrating - alcohol, when you're bored - alcohol.
It's a trap - and it doesn't change. We are unconsciously brainwashed that alcohol is a drink that will make us happy and will enhance any occasion. Consciously we may have experienced some of the side effects of over indulgence in an "adult beverage'' but unconsciously we only remember the good times allure or the good times we had when drinking alcohol. That is what I call selective memory and unconscious brainwashing.
Thus we continue drinking the "elixir of life" chasing the good times. This elixir is highly addictive, it's the nature of the nasty tasting chemical ethanol. As we "acquire a taste" for it our bodies miraculously build up a tolerance to the drug protecting us from the lethal effects. The fan of Miller Lite that can drink 18 cans of beer, built up to that volume over time. Now that is the standard for him, anything less he doesn't feel "right" anything more and he starts acting "strange", the I only smoke when I drink syndrome.
I remember when I was completely satisfied drinking 3 beers when I was in high school, if I drank more than that I either got sick or started speaking a weird version of Korean or acting strange. By the end of high school I graduated to a 6 pack, and on rare occasion I would go big and drink Colt 45 Malt liquor, which had a higher ABV than Stroh's. I usually got drunk or could not finish the 6 pack, but I had a good time, until I did something stupid or puked.
In the beginning we relate alcohol to pleasure, fun, having a good time. It's also a social status - in my town drinking was a way of life. It was considered a reward for working hard all day.
I know a drinker that flat out states "drinking is my reward" for busting my ass all day at my job. His job consists of driving around and visiting jobsites and working on a computer. In my work career drinking was a staple at every networking event, the pre dinner cocktail hour, the lunch time drinks, the out of town trade shows that became nothing more than a reason to drink.
Drinking was the "elixir of life". It made the cowards have courage, the homely into beautiful people and the shy person into a comedian.
Ah the good old days - normal drinking. Drinking to be happy.
You are not one of them - you are a normal drinker enjoying the "elixir of life."
e·lix·ir
[əˈliksər]
NOUN
elixirs (plural noun)
- a magical or medicinal potion."an elixir guaranteed to induce love"
- a preparation supposedly able to change metals into gold, sought by alchemists.
- a preparation supposedly able to prolong life indefinitely."at one point during the festivities, the river is said to turn into the elixir of life"
Friday, January 18, 2019
very few people want to talk about Alcohol
Let's talk about Alcohol.
Ohhhh - a dirty subject. Yeah - beer, wine, hard liquor and the consumption of the beverage carrying the alcohol (ethanol).
Ethanol, also called alcohol, ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol, and drinking alcohol, is a chemical compound, a simple alcohol with the chemical formula C 2 H 5 OH. Its formula can be also written as CH 3 − CH 2 − OH or C 2 H 5 − OH (an ethyl group linked to a hydroxyl group), and is often abbreviated as EtOH. Ethanol is a volatile, flammable, colorless liquid with a slight characteristic odor.
Yeah - it's the same thing they add to the gasoline your put into your vehicle. Imagine that, you are actually drinking a fuel additive.
So why am I talking about this chemical - well I just quit drinking it. Stigma? nope.
Ethanol is a highly toxic, addictive substance. It is also deadly, drink too much of it in pure form and you will die, and it will not be a social and fun event.
We drink it as beer, wine and hard liquor and various other named cocktails. But regardless of the delivery name we are drinking ethanol. Without it you probably wouldn't drink the malt, grape or corn juice.
We are so brainwashed and delusional when it comes to ingesting this liquid that close to 85% of all adults drink alcohol laced beverages at some time. Hell - some actually believe the number one killing drug in Western society is "healthy" for you - drink two glasses of red wine it's good for your heart. So when you have a heart attack, the first thing they do is serve you a glass of Merlot?
Let me state fact - alcohol is addictive. Period end of story. You will build a tolerance to the drug like you will build a tolerance to any addictive drug (i.e. nicotine, cocaine, opioids etc.). What this means is over time you will need more of the drugs to achieve the same physical effect. The "buzz" you received from 2 alcohol laced drinks will now be achieved with 3 alcohol drinks. Addictive drugs and your body just work that way - it's your bodies defense mechanism against the toxic chemical and it's immediate effects.
My alcohol beverage of choice was beer - craft beer, although if needed I would pretty much drink any alcohol laced beverage (the "needed" will be explained later). I could pretty much consume 8-10 craft beers before I would just lay down and pass out - great fun, huh? Initially I would drink 2-3 very quickly (mini-binge drinking), then start "normal" drinking. Hahahaha - what is "normal drinking?" the pat answer is - it all depends. Normal drinking for me was 6-7 more beers over the drinking episode. Sick huh? Addicted - yes!
Quitting alcohol is believed to be "hard". And if you quit you may and probably will end up with the societal stigma of he's "one of them". You know, them - "the alcoholic." The modern day leper. Drink for a while then quit and people - your friends, family and acquaintances will look at you like you have a "disease" that could be contagious.
I love being a Non-Drinker.
Let's talk about Alcohol - the next series of blog posts will do just that and explain my current alcohol free journey.
Ohhhh - a dirty subject. Yeah - beer, wine, hard liquor and the consumption of the beverage carrying the alcohol (ethanol).
Ethanol, also called alcohol, ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol, and drinking alcohol, is a chemical compound, a simple alcohol with the chemical formula C 2 H 5 OH. Its formula can be also written as CH 3 − CH 2 − OH or C 2 H 5 − OH (an ethyl group linked to a hydroxyl group), and is often abbreviated as EtOH. Ethanol is a volatile, flammable, colorless liquid with a slight characteristic odor.
Yeah - it's the same thing they add to the gasoline your put into your vehicle. Imagine that, you are actually drinking a fuel additive.
So why am I talking about this chemical - well I just quit drinking it. Stigma? nope.
Ethanol is a highly toxic, addictive substance. It is also deadly, drink too much of it in pure form and you will die, and it will not be a social and fun event.
We drink it as beer, wine and hard liquor and various other named cocktails. But regardless of the delivery name we are drinking ethanol. Without it you probably wouldn't drink the malt, grape or corn juice.
We are so brainwashed and delusional when it comes to ingesting this liquid that close to 85% of all adults drink alcohol laced beverages at some time. Hell - some actually believe the number one killing drug in Western society is "healthy" for you - drink two glasses of red wine it's good for your heart. So when you have a heart attack, the first thing they do is serve you a glass of Merlot?
Let me state fact - alcohol is addictive. Period end of story. You will build a tolerance to the drug like you will build a tolerance to any addictive drug (i.e. nicotine, cocaine, opioids etc.). What this means is over time you will need more of the drugs to achieve the same physical effect. The "buzz" you received from 2 alcohol laced drinks will now be achieved with 3 alcohol drinks. Addictive drugs and your body just work that way - it's your bodies defense mechanism against the toxic chemical and it's immediate effects.
My alcohol beverage of choice was beer - craft beer, although if needed I would pretty much drink any alcohol laced beverage (the "needed" will be explained later). I could pretty much consume 8-10 craft beers before I would just lay down and pass out - great fun, huh? Initially I would drink 2-3 very quickly (mini-binge drinking), then start "normal" drinking. Hahahaha - what is "normal drinking?" the pat answer is - it all depends. Normal drinking for me was 6-7 more beers over the drinking episode. Sick huh? Addicted - yes!
Quitting alcohol is believed to be "hard". And if you quit you may and probably will end up with the societal stigma of he's "one of them". You know, them - "the alcoholic." The modern day leper. Drink for a while then quit and people - your friends, family and acquaintances will look at you like you have a "disease" that could be contagious.
I love being a Non-Drinker.
Let's talk about Alcohol - the next series of blog posts will do just that and explain my current alcohol free journey.
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