Dear Cia Column

Dear A4,

My answer is: Bifidobacterium bifidum


--Cia

EDIT: removed everything... (F***)

Dear Super,

I think you answered your own question.  
*whacks you upside the head*

Repeat after me: BEING STAFF IS A RESPONSIBILITY, NOT A REWARD!


--Cia

Dear cia,
What language do I have to translate Bifidobacterium bifidum to english from.

Dear A4,

Try Wikipediaese.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bifidobacterium


--Cia

Dear cia,
Google translate doesn't have Wikipediaese as a registered language. Should I sue them?

Dear Cia,
I've recently been studying things like chemistry and other sciences. My question to you is:
What types of science do you like? (Besides food science. I already know you like that X3)
~Cykrion

Ciabatta wrote:Dear Super,

I think you answered your own question.  
*whacks you upside the head*

Repeat after me: :L


--Cia

Dear Cia,

:L And also... I'VE BEEN NICE THE WHOLE TIME! When I'm mean, it's most likely that I have bad things happening :L

Dear Cia

What is Celiac disease and how does it affect people?

(The reason i ask is because my family is starting to believe my little brother has it and im worried for him)

-Tex

Dear A4,

Nah, just go sue Microsoft or Apple instead, it's always their fault.
Thanks


--Cia

Dear Cykrion,

I don't normally love science, but when I do... I prefer NUTRITIONAL SCIENCE!!!

[not quite the same as food science, believe it or not]


--Cia

Dear Super,

Yes, because "nice" people grief people's houses, throw their alleged friends (and criminal accomplices) under the bus, type out farts, make fun of other player's, criticize the building of teleporters like an ingrate, don't watch educational videos even if it means escaping a temp ban, annoy players as a matter of habit, brag about super shoes or power weapons, and then go on DEMANDING a promotion.

Yep, SO NICE THE WHOLE TIME... imma promote you right now to Super Novice.  


--CIa

Dear Cia,

When you were a kid (oh jeez, I'd say about elementary school-aged), what did you do in your free time?

Dear Tex,

I am truly very sorry to hear this is happening to your little brother.  I remember some months ago you two were saying he was sick somehow, but if the doctors have already discovered coeliac markers in him, then this puts the severity at a whole new level.

Even if I'm just a server owner, and to top it off not a doctor or even a nutritionist, I really want you to listen to what I have to say because it may lead you down a road where we can help your little brother (and even yourselves) lead happy healthy lives.  This is especially true now while he's young and probably not developed any of the complications that affect coeliac patients later in life.

Coeliac Disease is, to put it mildly, the most severe manifestation of wheat allergy in the body, as it occurs precisely where wheat is digested and absorbed in the body, so in essence the frontline of your body that is first to be breached by this harmful grain.  It is specifically caused by a prolamin in wheat called "gliadin", which is adept at traversing the intestinal lining and wrecking havoc throughout the rest of your body, including the grain -- and because the body rightfully treats this as an invasive substance, it will develop antigliadin antibodies to try and stop them.  When the intestine is completely overrun (through constant and non-stop consumption of wheat products) and wrecked with chronic inflammation that begins to harm other parts of your body, then the antibodies will begin attacking the intestine itself when it so much as detects a hint of gliadin permeation.  This therefore becomes an autoimmune disease (a condition where your own immune system turns on your own body), and the more the intestine is damaged from this autoimmunity, the more severe the response and health manifestations.

Ironically, this is not treated the same as "wheat allergy", but that's due to an overwhelming [and possibly willful] ignorance of the effects of wheat particles, proteins and lectins that consistently harm our bodies through everyday consumption.  In fact, Coeliac Disease is attributed simply to "gluten", which is the buzzword seeming to say that the only thing bad with wheat is an allergy to gluten, which is simply its oldest-identified harmful protein complex -- this is also why many wheat allergy or coeliac marker tests may fail, because doctors may have a very narrow or outdated view of what in wheat can be harmful to your body.  With all the anti-nutrients that wheat contains, I firmly believe we're all intrinsically allergic or at least harmed to it, and hence why so many diseases have sprung up in the last couple of decades when wheat consumption has skyrocketed (especially the genetically-manipulated modern semi-dwarf wheat which is especially harmful). It is in fact a miracle that we have gotten the medical establishment to point at wheat as the culprit for Coeliac Disease, probably because it's impossible to deny the direct and immediate impact that it has on intestinal health -- even then, our wheat-addicted society woefully and willingly underestimate the severity of this illness.

Regarding symptoms,... bear in mind how important the intestine is to us in keeping us alive and healthy (and in being our "2nd brain"), so anything that affects that cannot be good.  That being said, symptoms will vary depending on the severity of the condition... if the intestine is just going through the initial phases of intestinal distress, it may simply manifest itself as:

- abdominal pain and bloating
- gas
- diarrhea
- pale stools
- severe weight loss or fatigue through malabsorption
- cognitive disorders like attention deficit, mental flog or depression
- skin rashes
- muscle cramps

as the disease progresses, it will start to impact other parts of the body both through the combined action of malabsorption (owing to the intestine's inability to properly digest food in its inflamed state) and the chronic inflammation itself, at which point we start seeing more severe things like:

- iron deficiency anemia
- severe musculoskeletal problems
- crippling diarrhea and IBS
- colitis and crohn's disease
- growth problems (for kids)
- seizures or tingling sensations in the legs and arms
- mouth ulcers
- osteoporosis
- lupus
- rheumatoid arthritis
- thyroid diseases
- diabetes

Completely ruptured intestines have even more severe conditions I won't list here out of respect, they are terrible.  It's at this point where people living with the disease fear going out, because even a small hint of flour in a food item can send them to the emergency room. This extremity was common back when this condition was poorly understood and the wheat link improperly defined.  There is also no going back as nothing can "cure" this autoimmune condition so a person can eat wheat products again, just like nothing can truly "cure" diabetes so a person can stuff his face full of junk carbs again.  These are conditions where the body flat out tells you: STOP FEEDING ME THIS STUFF THAT DOESNT BELONG IN ME!  And in order to live with these conditions, we have to learn to obey our own bodies.

Thankfully, I think there is no greater moment in time where you, your brother and your parents can effectively learn about the problems of wheat, about coeliac disease, about methods to treat this condition, and about ways to live happy, healthy and possibly better than you ever did before through a complete dietary shift.  Wheat, like sugar, is in almost every processed food, and the fact that we inherently know to be suspicious of processed foods should give us some indication that wheat is not all that it's cracked up to be.  And we always say that fresh, whole, unprocessed, single-ingredient foods are good for us, and now more than ever this will be put to the test.

The most effective treatment for Coeliac Disease that you and your family can use is knowledge.  Knowledge is power, and the more you know, the more prepared and confident you will be to make decisions that can help your little brother.  Read as much as you can about the disease, but I personally recommend starting off with the work of Dr. William Davis as he is a strong detractor of wheat and has some serious clinical experience to back his claims.  While he focuses on the non-coeliac issues of wheat, most of what he talks about applies to coeliac disease and wheat allergy...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeyKvCkxp2o

He also wrote my favorite book, "Wheat Belly", which helped open the door for me; I highly recommend it for all of you, as it's written as much for you and your parents as it for your little brother:

http://www.amazon.com/Wheat-Belly-Lose-Weight-Health/dp/1609614798
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1623364086

You can also explore the works of Gary Taubes, David Perlmutter, Jonny Bowden, Jeff Volek, Paul Jaminet, Michael and Mary Eades, Mark Sisson, Malcom Kendrick, Robert Su, and the Weston A. Price Foundation.  If you need exact books or videos, I can provide a few I know to you here or via PM.

As far as general nutritional guidelines that you and your family can do to support your little brother, here are a few that you might hear me talk about a lot over the thread:

- Eliminate modern sources of wheat/gluten (which includes bread, pasta, flour, etc)
- Reduce consumption of sugar
- Reduce consumption of other grains (corn, oats, barley, rice, etc)
- Reduce consumption of non-fermented soybean
- Reduce consumption of processed or hydrogenated seed oils (corn, safflower, sunflower, soybean, cottonseed, canola, etc)
- Reduce comsumption of processed foods (which can include all of the above, plus some other nasty chemical additives)
- Increase consumption of good quality dietary fats (such as butter, ghee, coconut oil, olive oil, avocado or macademia nut oil, and even lard and tallow)
- Increase consumption of good quality organic fruits, vegetables, nuts, eggs, dairy, meat, fish, poultry and viscera.

In other words, minus the bread, eat similar to how your grandparents or great grandparents or ancient ancestors did before modern processed junk (which includes bread, one of Earth's oldest junk foods), back when despite huge consumption of saturated fat and cholesterol, and low availability of sugar or refined flours, people were still strong, healthy, and free of a lot of the chronic health conditions we have today such as Coelaic Disease, Diabetes, Heart Disease and Cancer.  Prior to the advent of agriculture, common causes of mortality in the past were childhood diseases, exposure, and environmental hazards such as war and animal maulings. 

If nothing else, at least eliminate wheat, and that should definitely improve your brother's condition and general quality of life for all, even if a bit.  But please please please do not underestimate wheat -- wheat elimination, despite being a very effective diet, is quite possibly THE HARDEST DIET to follow of all, precisely because of how widespread it is, and how far it's wrapped itself into our minds.  It is really and truly an addiction, with its very own opiate that ensures some withdrawal symptoms.  Just to put things into perspective, below are a list of foods I've compiled that may very well contain this poison:

Anything containing "Gelatinized Starch"
Anything containing "Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein"
Anything containing "Modified Food Starch"
Anything containing "Natural Flavoring"
Anything containing "Vegetable Starch"
Bagels
Beer
Biscuit
Bouillon Cubes
Bread
Bread Crumbs
Breaded Chicken or Meats
Breadsticks
Brownies
Communion Wafers
Couscous
Crackers
Crepes
Croissants
Croutons
Doughnuts
Flatbread
Flour
Flour Tortillas
French Toast
Gyros
Imitation Bacon
Malted Milk
Most Baked Corn Products
Most Cereals
Most Cheesecakes
Most Granola
Most Gravies
MSG
Muffins
Naan
Onion Rings
Pancakes
Panko
Pasta
Pie Fillings
Pies
Pita
Pizza Crust
Potato Bread
Powdered Chocolate Beverage
Powdered Malt Beverage
Pretzels
Puddings
Rye
Seitan
Semolina
Some Baking Mixes
Some Baking Powder
Some Candy
Some Canned Soups
Some Condiments
Some Deli Meats
Some Energy Bars
Some Flavored Coffees/Teas
Some French Fries
Some Hot Dogs
Some Ice Creams
Some Imitation Seafood
Some Meatballs/Meat Loaves
Some Milk Chocolate
Some Multigrain Products
Some Non-Dairy Powdered Creamers
Some Noodles
Some Potato Chips
Some Salad Dressings
Some Sauces
Some Sausages
Some Scrambled Restaurant Eggs
Some Soups
Some Soy Sauce
Some TV Dinners
Some Vegetarian Meat Substitutes
Some Yogurts
Stuffing
Tabbouleh
Tempura
Waffles
Wheat berries
Wheat bran
Wheat germ
Wheat malt
Wheatgrass

You may notice some "health foods" in there, but as of today that word can be thrown out the world.  Common health advice on TV is not only ineffective at stopping the so-called "obesity epidemic", it is dangerous too as it still asks you to overfeed on junk carbohydrates and hazardous grains, and fear fat as well as your body's natural antioxidant (cholesterol).  This is advice designed to make you sick and keep you sick, so money can be made off the medications and treatments needed to cure you.

Fighting back against this tide of ill-health requires courage and dedication and a will to inform yourself -- but if you won't do it for yourself, find the strength to do it for your little brother, and turn this dreadful event into an opportunity for you both to grow stronger.

I wish you and your family the very best.


--Cia

Dear Haas,

I don't think I even had free time when I was a kid... I was always very slow at doing schoolwork, so I would spend hours upon hours on end doing homework, even sleeping at ungawdly hours.  When I did have time, usually I would go with my parents shopping or play on my NES (bearing in mind this is still during the 90's when the SNES and Playstation were already out).  

And that's pretty much it... all my early life was school, and maybe that's why I hate it so much.  I demand a refund.  :<


--Cia

Dear cia,
Can I answer the next nonserious dear cia question for you ?

Dear A4,

Well that's kind of breaking the rules, but sure, why not.  -.-


--Cia

well, i mean i guess its kind of breaking the rules, but only the next NON-SERIOUS question though. thanks

Dear Cia,

What do you think of the Dutch food, towns, language, people and more? And if you ever had the chance to visit the country would you visit it?

- Spook

Well, it seems that almost nobody has posted in dear cia for a while, so forget my last dear cia.

Dear Cia

( this needs to be answered today)

First off It's good to speak to you again

Second off I'm finally going to do it tomorrow I plan on asking that girl I said I liked from a couple of ask cias ago.
But I'm not sure how I'm going to stop my self from choking up and idk what to say.

I really need help, what should I do?

-Tex

Dear Spookie,

Eeek... well,... uh... I guess the honest answer is I don't?  XD
I mean besides you, the Netherlands is kind of outside the radar of most American mindsets... and even if I can spot Papua New Guinea on the map and list the countries that internationally-recognize the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, most of Western Europe is largely uninteresting to me. Perhaps if their governments weren't so keen on destroying their own economies, and agreeing to rubber-stamp and finance every geopolitical blunder in recent history at the cost of their own people, I might be more keen to visit them and eat their food as I would be to brave, proud, stalwart Iceland.  Go Iceland!  Áfram Ísland! XD

As far as food... well I had to look it up.  I kinda figured it would be a cross between French and German cuisine, and from what little I've seen I'm sort of right -- although since it's from a primarily affluent country, you guys seem to really LOVE your carbohydrates.  All the recommended dutch food websites list baked this, breadcrumb that, waffle up, deep fried dough down, pies up the wazoo, and of course "dutched" chocolate.  Only rarely will I see mention of something decent like Stamppot which actually looks very awesome, like a Europeanized mangu.  Yum. ^^

Town-wise, I imagine it's like Germany, an eclectic mix of modern facilities with classic architecture and a good deal of 21st century chic meets rustic, albeit with far less industry.  Its people are probably like you, nutty but friendly/fun, worldly, and liberal enough to support reasonably-lax recreational-drug laws; although as with most European countries, the government is probably the complete opposite of that, otherwise it wouldn't have signed on to the EU and NATO.  It's also a common conception that Dutch people are very tall, though not sure if that has changed -- it used to be that Dutch women were on average the tallest in all of Europe, but that was later superceded by Montenegro.

As for more... I really like your... mane?  ^^;

And as far as visiting it, er... well let's wait till after what could possibly be the worst winter in recent history is over, and then I'll think about it. Maybe after my trip to Iceland and it's awesome cuisine, super-yum!  XD


--Cia

Dear Tex,

Well I already lectured you enough via Steam, but never ever ask for things to be answered TODAY *Michael Bay explosion*.  I want this to be an outlet for fun and education, not angst and pressure... besides which I may not always be here anyway due to work and other obligations and such.  

I might kinda/sorta make an exception with a pseudo medical emergency like with the case of your little brother, but even then I was okay with that since it was important and mainly hypothetical; if this were a real emergency, I would trust you wouldn't wait around for an online busy baker to tell you how to solve it, you would seek out some IRL help.  

Anyway, that being said....
If you don't feel you know what to say yet, and you waited a whole 24-hours before this meeting to ask an opinion, that essentially means you procrastinated on love which is a surefire way of being very un-confident about what you're doing.  You seriously didn't think about what you were going to do and what you're going to say in ALL those weeks since that last Dear Cia?  If that's the case, are you SURE this girl is that important to you if you weren't preparing yourself in body and spirit to talk to her?  

*sigh* -v-

If you feel you're not ready, you have two choices: either crash course in readiness and hope for the best, or jettison the whole plan and try again later, although for the latter you can at least TALK to her and get some conversation going.  It's called buttering her up, and it'd be nice if you had some preliminary interaction with her first before popping the question, that way you could get a better idea of what interests her and such.  In this scenario confidence isn't overly necessary and in fact showing a little flaw in you can be helpful, plus if you DO find a common interest your natural nervousness may dispel, and you might find yourself talking to her naturally rather than forcibly.  So naturally, you might find yourself unwittingly setting up the perfect scenario to ask her out, bearing in mind, however, that this may not necessarily be tomorrow.  Only you'll be able to determine the perfect time in this scenario.

In what I call the Rocky V scenario of crash course dating, you're going ot have to improvise like hell.  XD
Watch various Youtube videos on dating, watch a good romance movie to set you in the mood if you have the time (I like You've Got Mail, though you'll probably want something younger >v<), ask trusted family or friends for help, and so forth.  There's little you can do nutritionally in such little time, but what the hey... tomorrow eat a big hearty breakfast and lunch high in good dietary fat, and moderate on protein and safe carbs like fruit, and avoid grain products like the plague such as wheat, corn or rice, as well as soy products.  This may help to avoid any bad mood-swinging or lack of focus from blood sugar spikes, but sadly it's too late to also gain any hormonal benefits from this kind of natural diet (which could have really helped with natural confidence), so you'll have to make due. ^^;

And lastly, very importantly, don't be a jerk.  True, there are some women who may misinterpret being a jackass with being very confident, but that has as much to do with the guy's natural charimsa as the woman's bad taste (unless you're Natalie Portman, in which case it's just bad taste ).  If you have no such charisma to turn a character flaw into a winning trump card, then it's no different than telling a joke if you're not normally the comedic type -- it comes off as dry and artificial, and in the case of being a jerk, like being a total jerk.

Being confident is as much to do on how you conduct yourself as it is what you say, and even someone who chokes up and stutters can still show confidence in some other way that works to his advantage (such as sharing a dance, offering a meal, holding the door, being a gentlemen, or showing bravery in the face of some tension).  Consider the term "Be Yourself" as not so much a carte blanche to just do what you always do and expect it to magically work, but rather to do what you CAN do within your means in order to EARN the results you're looking for.  Same basic principle, except one is lazy and the other is admirable and awesome.  

Anyway, that's about all I can do at this point, the rest is on you and your wits.  Good luck!  XD


--Cia

DEAR CIA,
I HAVE TO GET BRACES TOMORROW AND I AM FREAKING OUT! HALP PLZ! (P.S. To add on to the conversation we were having aboot my bad luck I was talking about before, I also got hit in the forehead with somebody's elbow and also, my "working" computer just turned off which means it isn't working. #prayfora4scomputer)

Dear A4,

Well sorry to hear about MORE misfortunes from you, but to add insult to injury that wasn't precisely a question, more like a statement, and thus inherently non-serious. By your own request, you're going to have to reply to your own "question".  

As for your braces, you'll just have to bear with it for a while.  I can only tell you how you maybe could have prevented them from being necessary in the first place (assuming I knew you at least 5 years ago, lol), but so long as you need them now, you'll just have to accept them and make the best of it.  You can ask me later how to take good care of your teeth to avoid other dental complications down the road.  ^^

Also, might I suggest a Chromebook or Mac as a good new backup computer? lol  XD


--Cia