Mindconnection eNL, 2005-02-13

Some of these inspire and energize you, some provide information in a visually attractive way, some are calming, and others are simply beautiful. For very little money, you can personalize your home or office in a meaningful way.

These also make excellent gifts to friends, spouses, customers, prospective customers, children, and institutions. Why not buy a poster, and then donate it to your local library, hospital, retirement home, hospice, or other place where such beauty can make a difference? In many cases, you can even take a tax deduction for your gift.

Mother's Pride
20 in. x 16 in.
Buy this Mini Poster
Framed | Mounted

Example 1. Brian wants to vote in an election. He quickly scans the instructions, but doesn't notice he needs to register first. On election day, he's incensed that he's not allowed to vote, due to failure to register. Brian may be smart, but he sure doesn't look like it at the polls.

Example 2. Mary discovers that Robby, her eight-year old, used a baseball bat to break the windows of her car. She bans baseball bats at her house. The bat was not the problem. Next week, Robby uses a brick.

Example 3. John's wife Nancy tells him to make sure he takes the blue bag, not the black bag, on his trip. She tells him why, but he's already tuned her out. At the airport, John is arrested for terrorism. Why? The black bag is one Nancy had been using to go to the shooting range. It was full of gunpowder residue.

You can see that all of these people ended up looking pretty stupid. And they did so all because they didn't take the time to apply the brainpower they have. Think about it.

Here's an update to our last issue, which discussed macular degeneration. On Wednesday, the 9th of last week, I got a phone call from one of our (repeat) customers who is a retired doctor specializing in this topic. He said to add this advice: Eat lots of colors. That is, eat a variety of fruits, berries, and vegetables based on the color. This gives you a complete arsenal of micronutrients. Eat raw, not cooked, as often as possible--this prevents destruction of the nutrients before you eat the food.

Now, let's move on to another topic. This one's of great interest this time of year (winter) in the northern hemisphere. As I don't get sick, I have to remind myself that other people do. And this is the season of sickness. One reason is the toxicity of indoor environments, another is lousy diets. Let's address the diet area and see if you can pick up something new and helpful.

When most of us think of building our immunity, we think of vitamin C and citrus sources of it. But you also get vitamin C from those dark green leafy vegetables I keep saying to eat.

Two other nutrients are vital for immunity. Calcium is the first one we'll discuss. This has made big news, lately, as an immune system nutrient. I don't understand why that should be news, but the medical community is all excited about it and now the diary industry is tooting their horn over it. Keep in mind that the calcium in milk is only 30% bioavailable.

A better source for calcium is dark green leafy vegetables! To ensure you get enough calcium, supplement with a calcium complex (taking oyster shell, elemental, or cheap crappy calcium supplements is a total waste of your money, because your body can't assimilate it in that form).

The third nutrient in this war on sickness is protein. This is what you build those warrior cells with--if you lack protein, you can't fight infection. Think of what our army would be like with a steel shortage, and you get an idea of what your immune system is like with a protein shortage

How much protein do you need? The official government guidelines are absurd. They say the average person needs 50 to 60 grams of protein per day. This is not nearly enough. They also say if you get more protein than that, the extra turns to fat. This isn't necessarily true.

First, let me address the fat issue. I eat about 180 to 240 grams of protein per day. My body fat is typically around 6% to 7%. If "excess" protein makes you fat, then obviously I am not getting excess protein--even though I am eating three times the government recommendations. Of course, this is the same government that buys $900 toilet seats. So, you choose which source you are going to trust.

There is no number that fits all individuals. How much you need depends on how active you are. If you are an average athlete, you probably need about 1 gram per pound of bodyweight. An elite athlete might need 1.5 or 2 grams per pound of bodyweight during training. Keep in mind, your body can absorb only so much protein at a time. One number that circulates in the bodybuilding world is 40 grams max per meal. That's a general guideline that comes from experience. But don't think you need 40 grams at every meal. Six times 40 is 240, so maxing out at every meal could prove to be a bit much. Note: if you are on the three meals a day plan, that's your first mistake--that just does not work.

So, where do you get this protein? Here are some sources:

• Two large eggs (free-range, only--all others are toxic): 14 grams.
• Large bowl of dark green leafy vegetables: 10 grams.
• Three ounces of lean meat (size of pack of cards): 20 grams
• Large bowl of beans and rice: 30 grams

You can see the problem, here. Let's say in one day you eat 6 eggs plus each of these other protein sources (by meat, I mean any animal flesh--not just beef). You're going to get about 100 grams of protein--far short of your real needs (unless you are a couch potato). How do you make up the shortfall?

Supplement! But, not all protein sources or all protein supplements are equally effective. The cheap ones give you gas and lack good bioavailability (milk falls into this category). You hear how wonderful whey protein powders are, but don't listen to that noise. Whey is a small molecule protein that gets quickly into your bloodstream. And excess of that will make you fatter. I have gotten away from protein supplements per se, except for John Scott's protein blends. I like MRPs--meal replacement powders. The doctor I mentioned earlier buys these from Mindconnection regularly.

Mindconnection has moved to a newer, faster server with a different Web host. If you've clicked on links before only to have to wait, you will find a different experience now. We've also done some serious speed tweaks in the e-commerce software.

You've heard the expression, "the whole wide world." We see the earth as an immense place. With a diameter of about 8,000 miles, it surely dwarfs a person (that may seem debatable, given how fat people are these days). If you don't think the earth is big, then just drive across Texas (and drive, and drive, and drive....).

The sun dwarfs the earth the way a large medicine ball dwarfs a marble. At 855,000 miles, the sun's diameter is more than 400 times that of the moon and 100 times that of the earth. In other words, it would take 100 earths side by side to reach across the sun.

And here's the sun, just a dot in the Milky Way galaxy--along with about 200 billion other stars (yes, that's the official count). The diameter of the Milky Way galaxy is so immense, it would take you over 100,000 years to travel across it at the speed of light. And light travels almost 6 trillion miles per year.

Are you getting a sense of our place in the universe? Doesn't this fill you with a sense of awe?

We are nothing more than tiny bits of matter (frozen energy) vibrating and interacting with other bits of matter. Every atom in your body has been around for millions of years, and parts of you have been parts of dinosaurs (maybe even dinosaur poop) and other living creatures. Nothing is permanent, and all is recycled.

What does this tell you about life? Does the idea that it's too short to waste come to mind? Just thinking about the scale of things can help you clear your mind of clutter.