Dear Cia Column

Although i don't typically add addendums to my posts, for Rad's question yesterday, i totally forgot to talk about the importance of beer In promoting the human consumption of grain. Leveraging the longevity and sweetness of grains, beer would have been an easy, valuable and desirable drink to make that would have also lasted much longer than wine or mead (before the days of clay pots or glass). Add to that its addictive qualities and its good use as a replacement for water when it wasn't available or sanitary, and we can easily see how out of control grain consumption may also have been brought about by humans getting roaring drunk, and then making offshoots from their beer (such as bread). XD

Dear cia,
what is the most embarrassing thing you have ever done?

Dear A4,

*slaps you upside the head* XD

There, I think you needed one of those. XD

But in fairness, I've done some fairly stupid things in my life that have left me beet red, including one that made me lose my license for a while. All this happened pre-diet, though, so maybe I can attribute some of that to Grain Brainitis as I haven't done something that gawd-awfully stupid in a while. ^^;

But my most embarrassing moments... are private. >v<


--Cia

Dear Cia,

Do you know any good tips for improving memory? (I'll try my best not to forget these. Bahahaha.)

Dear Haas,

Yeah right, you're going to forget, aren't you? XD

Well, at the risk of repeating myself yet again, I would say before you attempt "mechanical" methods for memory improvement, try to fix biological precursors to bad memory. And you can do that two-fold...

1) Reduce or eliminate consumption of grains and sugar... aside from direct messing around with your brain, the effects of high blood sugar they produce not only cause things like obesity and diabetes, but they also cause a deterioration condition called "glycation" which permanently messes up proteins in your body. This can lead over time to arthritis, arterial damage, cataracts, and yes even brain cell damage through conditions such as Alzheimer's, or just general poor memory ("Sometimer's" as I like to call it). It's no wonder some scientists are advocating that Alzheimer's be renamed to "Type III Diabetes", since there appears to be a strong link between high blood sugar and chronic brain damage.

2) Increase your intake of fat, especially saturated fat. Our brains are composed of anywhere between 60-80% fat and cholesterol, which is why low-fat diets can lead to people feeling miserable, irritable and even forgetful. Increase what your body needs, and you'll not only improve your brain pathways, but you'll see improvements in other areas where fat is also needed in your body, such as the creation of "good" HDL cholesterol, increased production of hormones, increased satiety and a stronger immune system. And lest you continue to listen to mainstream advice, understand that "dietary fat does NOT make you fat".

Granted even if you were to follow the above steps, it's going to take a while before you start noticing changes in memory, cognition and focus... it can take anywhere between 2-3 weeks to 5-6 months. But it can happen, and it can certainly come accompanied with other benefits unrelated to memory.

Once your memory improves, then you can pretty much figure out on your own what memory aids you feel work best for you. Maybe a notepad, quick emails to yourself, or the use of your phone's calendar function.


--Cia

Dear Cia,

What is the best way to minimize stress levels? (I have exams this week)

Dear Ice,

Hahaha, sure, put me on the spot when you have less than a week to do these exams.  XD

Well as the famous sign on my cubicle says:



In any case, under NORMAL circumstances, you'll want to explore long-term options for stress reduction; my favourite, of course is diet, but at the risk of repeating myself for the 76th time, I will some up the backbone of my health advice in two neat acronyms:

ROEGASC and IYIOF

If you're not sure what those mean, look at my response to Haas' question above.  Controlling your blood sugar rollercoaster will be especially effective at reducing overall cortisol levels, cortisol being the specific hormone designed to make you feel "stressed"  

On top of that, you'll want to also reduce inflammatory agents in your body, such as those processed seed sludge oils, and you'll want to maintain a balance between acidic and alkaline foods (grains and sugar, btw, are highly acidic). The less physical strain on your body, the less of a constant fight-n-flight response you'll feel, the more naturally calm and focused you'll end up.  That sets a great and stable base for a stress-free demeanor.

But that's long-term, requiring lots of time and effort you don't have.  In fact, eliminating grains and sugar now, though great, would probably not be a good idea this week given you have exams, since the inevitable withdrawal symptoms would make you feel more miserable and stressed than not.  Like alcoholism, this is something you have to eliminate when you're relatively free and have few obligations, such as during a holiday or vacation.  >v>

But of course diet is just one component, and you still have other options available to you, although some not as effective as others if you're a particularly skittish, serious, overlydramatic and insecure person (*cough*).  

#1:  Get plenty of sleep.  Sleep is important at clearing your mind, making you feel fresh and focused, and reducing cortisol levels.  As a young adult, you NEED (not "should have", NEED) 8-9 hours of sleep per night for proper cognitive development.  If teachers assigns too much homework to be able to attain that, then they're probably bastards, but then in most cases I'd probably be repeating myself.  Do what you have to do, but get that sleep!

#2:  Talk about your problems with others, including your friends, family and teachers.  Face to face is especially important, don't rely on us virtual people for all your support. Take advantage of offers to help or delegate major tasks, don't try to take everything head-on if you don't have to, just to feel macho or martyred. Main thing here is to stay and feel connected rather than alone.  

#3:  Practice good time management and planning.  Don't procrastinate when studying... study well ahead in advance, so by the time you reach the night before the test you'll be comfortable sleeping rather than pulling an all-nighter doing cram-studying, which only increases stress and risks you not retaining anything you read.  

#4:  Keep things in perspective.  Recognize that a test is not the end of the world, despite parents or teachers saying it is. I mean by all accounts with my GPA of 2.3 in a good school, I should technically be a failure and should have hung myself long ago.  Thankfully I learned early on that school was indeed kinda BS, and it really wasn't worth killing yourself over it.  I focused on things that mattered that I deprived myself of for so long, such as a social life, relaxation, and a proper working job, and in the end I graduated college with adequate grades, paid-off student loans, and with a fairly happy and laid back demeanor.  Often times the stress isn't the problem, rather HOW YOU REACT to the stress that's the true killer.  

#5: Embrace humour.  Don't be afraid to joke around or belittle your problems, as it's a good way to see things positively.  If you ever watched the movie Monsters, Inc., take to hard the reality that Laughter IS far more powerful than Scream.   

Seems like a good time to post up this classic...



#6: Use mechanical relaxation techniques:
Stretching, walks, massages, yoga, certain martial arts, etc. Take these as relaxing hobbies to ease your brain and improve your health.  ^^


--Cia

Thanks Cia. Neat advice, I'll keep it in mind.

Dear Cia,

My family had a lemon merengue pie recently and we didn't want the crust to get soft so we left it out instead of putting it into the refrigerator. I noticed that the longer we left it our the more it seemed to "sweat". Why does merengue "sweat"?

Dear Ice,

Hmm, very odd question for me considering I probably don't eat lemon meringue pie; methinks someone is running out of ideas.

Well, based on 30 second Google research, it would seem the cause has to do with the egg components not properly integrating with the sugar or starch components, causing them to shrink and release the moisture they're trying to retain. It's apparently a very common problem wirh those pies, which is why I'm glad I don't eat them as they certainly sound like a PITA to make. XD

To prevent this from happening:

- Don't add any cold ingredients prior to baking
- Cook the meringue before adding it to the pie... you can do so over simmering water
- When spreading the meringue over the filling, be sure to leave no space exposed cover EVERYTHING.
- If you want golden peaks, then put it in--

...oh screw it, I'm not helping you add more sugar and flour into your system, I still have a conscience. Figure out the rest on your own. XD

--Cia

Ok, thanks Cia.

Dear Cia,

What are these "Rupees" that we see at DRC spawn?

Dear Avocado,

According to legend, Rupees were the currency of the old Dravics server... http://www.minecraftforum.net/forums/servers/pc-servers/survival-servers/706441-1-5-2-forge-gulliver-littleblocks-server-under

I imagine the inspiration came from Zelda Rupees rather than Indian Rupees, but that's just me.  XD

Fun fact!

Based on the price of Experience (1 EXP = 100 Rupees), that would imply a conversion rate of 25 Dravics Rupees for one Big Sister Cheese Bit.  We have such a strong currency, lol. ^^

Also, I think we need one of these...




--Cia

Dear Cia,

Do you believe in the theory of the multiverse or the block universe theory?

[Multiverse: I know its Wikipedia but: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiverse]

[Block Universe: http://www.ipod.org.uk/reality/reality_block_universe.asp]

Dear Ice,

Hmm, well I'm not fond of adhering to beliefs I can't prove Since it strikes me morr as blind faith or mythology. If that were the case, why should I adhere to any one of those theories if I have plenty of creative theories about the universe of my own.

In any case, over the course of my life, I have thought of instance where both the concepts behind temporal multiverses and block growth could be equally true... and the closest analogy we have is the dreamscape. Just as there can be both structure and chaos in a dream where you seem to traverse multiple worlds and memories, so too could the dynamic of the universe function as well. Granted dreams could easily be your brain playing hanky panky with the memories it's accumulated, but I feel that at certain stages the brain acts as a radio or TV antenna, receiving input from an external factor. Who's to say that's not a moment where we're engaging in some low-cost inter-dimensional travel?

In any case, if I really had to choose only one, the block theory seems the most common sensical and the one most relevant to our existing physical universe. It's a good starting point, at least.


--Cia

Thanks for responding

Dear Cia,

I know you've done a lot of research into grains and how bad they are for us. I was wondering if you had a comparison scale of just how bad they are, with modern wheat obviously being the worst, and along that vein, what would be the "best" grain to eat? And potentially some reasons as to why.

Dear cia:
What are you thoughts on nuclear fusion being possible on earth? Do you think its possible and if so how? If you had the money how would you have it done?

Dear Lom, 

Wow, that question could take forever to answer since there are so many grains.  XD
Plus I've never actually bothered to properly put them on a scale of best to worst, in part because that would be a very subjective list, and in also part because I'd have to ask what is best... compared to what?  I mean some grains have awesome amount of nutrition, but horrible impact on blood sugar (e.g., sorghum), so for diabetics or people intersted in losting weight, it could be as bad or even worse than wheat in some cases.  

Are you interested in blood sugar impact? Nutrition? Lectin-count? Cost? Taste?  There's a lot of ground to cover, but I'll do a quick overview at least based on my own scant knowledge.  Bear in mind all grains are going to have phytates or lectins, are going to affect blood sugar (and thus glycation) significantly, are going to contribute to visceral fat (the so-called "beer" belly), are going to supply some degree of insoluble fiber, are going to damage teeth, are highly acidic foods, and can potentially damage the environment they're mass-produced in, so this won't be worth mentioning.  ^^

In order from Bad to Less Bad, with a brief explanation on the side, and of course totally unsourced since I rather you read the book, lol...  

[also, take my glycemic load guesstimates with a grain of salt, as the literation for GI/GL is VERY confusing and every source seems to quote something different. >.< ]

Wheat (modern Triticum variants) - induces extended insulin response, moderate to high glycemic load, disrupts bile and hormone production, causes carbohydrate addiction through opiate receptors in the brain, contains substantial gluten (gliadin) proteins, causes intestinal permeability issues which in turn can trigger autoimmune issues, can be lethal to people with gluten allergies or coeliacs. 

Bulgur - simply reprocessed version of wheat, may or may not be produced with modern or older trains of wheat, but assume it inherits all risks of modern wheat.

Triticale - hybrid of wheat and rye, moderate to high glycemic load, contains some gluten (gliadin) proteins, can cause intestinal permeability issues, can be lethal to people with gluten allergies or coeliacs.

Kamut - modern variant of heirloom khorosan wheat, moderate to high glycemic load, contains some gluten (gliadin) proteins, can cause intestinal permeability issues, can be lethal to people with gluten allergies or coeliacs. 

Corn/Maize - moderate to high glycemic load, has highest fructose content of all grains, uncertain consequences of consumption of genetically-modified corn, contains zein protein which is similar to gluten and thus potentially as dangerous, can potentially be harmful to people with gluten allergies or coeliacs.

Barley - relative of wheat, moderate glycemic load, contains its own gluten protein called "hordein", might cause intestinal permeability issues, can be lethal to people with gluten allergies or coeliacs.

Rye - relative of wheat, moderate glycemic load, contains its own gluten protein called "secalin", might cause intestinal permeability issues, can be lethal to people with gluten allergies or coeliacs.

Spelt - hybrid of emmer wheat and goat grass, moderate glycemic load, contains some gluten (gliadin) proteins, can cause intestinal permeability issues, can be lethal to people with gluten allergies or coeliacs.

Emmer/Farro: older variant of wheat, moderate glycemic load, contains some gluten (gliadin) proteins, can cause intestinal permeability issues, can be lethal to people with gluten allergies or coeliacs.

Oats - moderate glycemic load, contains its own gluten protein called "avenin", is often mislabeled as "gluten-free", might cause intestinal permeability issues, can potentially be harmful to people with gluten allergies or coeliacs.

Einkorn - original ancestrial variant of wheat, mildly-moderate to moderate glycemic load, contains low gluten (gliadin) proteins albeit of different genetic composition, might cause intestinal permeability issues, can potentially be harmful to people with gluten allergies or coeliacs.

Sorghum - related to corn and sugar cane, high to very high glycemic load, high nutrient content, can grow in very arid soils, can be popped like popcorn, often used in processed "gluten-free foods", has some resistant starch

Millet - encompasses hundreds of species across the world, moderate to high glycemic load, moderate nutrient content, can grow in arid soils, contains high goitrogens which can impair iodine absorption and affect thyroid function

Teff - smallest grain in the world (and easy to cook), mildly-moderate to moderate glycemic load, moderate nutrient content, expensive, hard to find, require prep work (i.e., soaking or fermentation) to reduce phytates and be properly 

Quinoa - pseudo-grain, moderate to high glycemic load, high nutrient content, expensive, requires prep work (i.e., soaking or fermentation) to reduce phytates and be properly digestible, linked to prior ethical concerns from its sourcing(?).

Buckwheat/Kasha - not related to wheat (actually a pseudo-grain), moderate to high glycemic load, good and viable grain source of resistant starch, still requires significant processing to be edible.

Amaranth - pseudo-grain, moderate to high glycemic load, hard to find, offers comparable nutrition to quinoa at half the cost, requires prep work (i.e., soaking or fermentation) to reduce phytates and be properly digestible, leaves are better to consume than the grain.

Rice - encompasses hundreds of species across the world, mildly-moderate to high glycemic load based on preparation and whether it's polished or not, contains fewer anti-nutrients compared to other grains, white rice is worse for blood sugar impact but best for reduction of phytates and lectins compared to brown rice, may contain trace arsenic due to modern farming practices, is a minor but viable grain source of resistant starch.


--Cia

Dear cia, should I be sleeping right now?

Dear Builder,

Yay, your first question, woohoo!  

Well that's an odd question (more like QUESTIONS, lol)... doesn't a type of nuclear fusion already occur with hydrogen bombs, meaning that nuclear fusion has technically "been possible on Earth" for the last 60 years? ^^;

What I reckon you mean is civilian controlled nuclear fusion, and all I can say is that it's within the realm of possibility, but likely not going to be economically desirable to pursue as a technology (at least in the West) for the same reason that thorium reactors haven't come to be despite their feasibility and benefits... they don't offer weapons-grade nuclear by-products.  Without materials to create nuclear weapons, there is no way to doom us all with nuclear annihilation; and as any psychopath can tell you, that's very bad for the economy.  XD

And assuming I had the billions upon trillions of dollars supposedly needed to develop this odd technology, if I (a lowly Minecraft server admin) already knew how to create the technology, then that automatically makes that a huge waste of money.

It STILL would be a huge waste of money anyway, as we don't really have a power generation problem; like with food, we have a power DISTRIBUTION problem, and that's partially due to politics and economics more than technology.  We could invent fusion tomorrow and you can bet your Scootaloo bottom that people would STILL suffer from expensive electric bills, we would STILL have blackouts, and we would STILL have many areas of the world with no proper electrical grid.  

The BEELIONS upon TREELIONS of dollars would be better spent on much better things, such as promoting sustainable husbandry and agriculture, and preserving ground water, throughout the world.  Some investment in electrical generation technology might be necessary for that, but it's better to invest it in enhancing existing "portable" solutions that work, such as solar, biodiesel (through the use of cane sugar, sorghum or hemp), high-altitude wind turbines, or even just simple dynamo apparatuses for really remote villages that don't require anything overly fancy.  Or if you REALLY want to be ambitious, try to reverse engineer whatever Nikola Tesla did to get free energy....

http://www.free-energy.ws/nikola-tesla.html

Sometimes it pays to just forego the rat race altogether.  XD


--Cia

Dear A4, 

Yes. T_T


--Cia

Dear cia,
(since I think I technically posted that yesterday by my time zone)
what is the longest amount of time you have stayed awake for at a time?

Dear Cia,

Why are the forums randomly going to center justification instead of left justification?  It makes it so much harder to read and navigate in general like this.

Here's an example: (please zoom in)

Dear Cia,

What is the best way to learn to lucid dream?