A Week of Inspiration, Health, and Personal Growth
Man, there are so many different things to go through this week; it was a week of fun and inspirational conversations. Since the new year, I’ve had this sense of wanting to do something more, and yet I haven’t been able to put my finger on exactly what that meant for me. And so, week after week, I have found an internal return to this question: what else can I do? Though I can’t say I have landed on the definitive final answer, I feel I at least have some form of direction toward which I can begin to move. One of these changes is more just personal, and that is that I decided to do a modified “Carnivore Diet.” I have been working out for multiple years now and have not seen the results I wanted, so I finally decided I would try this. I was inspired by my brother and his wife, who decided to do the “Lion Diet” for the next 90 days, a diet that is far more restrictive than the Carnivore Diet, and so we will see what the results are by the end of my journey on this diet. As someone who has always been blessed with a relatively healthy metabolism, I wanted to step it up, take my health to the next level, and challenge myself in a way I’ve never attempted before, and since I had decided to step up my workout game as well, it seemed logical to me to partner these two efforts for the best results.
As mentioned in previous posts, I am generally someone who lands in extremes. When I find a new obsession, I will usually seek to dive into the deep end, seeking to understand this new discovery to the best of my ability. This usually means that my friends and family end up being subjected to listening to me verbally vomit all this exciting new stuff I’ve learned. This is also why I have this Substack page to spare them at least a little of this verbal vomit. So here you are instead, my friends, my willing victims of this verbal vomit!
I have long been aware of the story of Mikala Peterson. I knew a little bit about her story of health issues that were finally resolved when she went to the “Lion Diet,” a diet that she developed specifically because of the extensive allergies that had tormented her from early adolescence. These health struggles threatened her life multiple times and ended up causing her to have to get both a hip and ankle replacement at a very young age. She would later convince her father, Dr Jordan B Peterson, to join her on this diet as he, too, was suffering severely from a litany of health issues. As mentioned, I had long been aware of this story, though I had never listened to it in detail, but when my brother and sister-in-law decided they were going to do it, I decided I would check it out for myself. As I began learning about the potential health benefits and the logical reasoning behind them, I was blown away by the various results that have been reported by hundreds of different people with various health struggles. To be clear, my intention in pursuing this was not that I was experiencing health issues (Praise God), but rather that I just had a growing awareness that as I am getting older, the odds of my body beginning to suffer aging pains and so my aim in this effort became simple me wanting to maximize and maintain my health and minimize the risk of things like cancer and Alzheimer’s disease it would be best if I got ahead of it now rather than wait for them. But as I began learning about the various potential health benefits of this diet, which for many had gone beyond a diet and instead simply became a lifestyle they chose.
One of these individuals who chose to make this a lifestyle decision is Dr. Shawn Baker, who has authored a book on the subject called “The Carnivore Diet,” a book that has now been added to my reading list as I continue to delve into this subject. I had long dismissed the idea of dieting because I had often thought of it as something only people who were actively obese needed to do, but fortunately, I have been dispelled of this illusion. Dieting is the process of developing a skill of self-control, specifically in the realm of controlling what foods enter the body, and this, in my view, is an admirable skill to learn. A skill that is increasingly absent in Western and specifically American culture. According to the CDC, in America, 42.2% of adults are classified as obese, 9.2% are considered morbidly obese, and as of 2022, 19.3% of children and adolescents fall in the category of obese. There are many factors that contribute to someone’s health, but chief among these is their diet, nutrition, and exercise. So, as I begin this journey, I look forward to seeing the 30-day results!
One more piece of information I am currently digging through that I will plug is a book I learned about called “Brain Energy” by Christopher Palmer. A book that is currently free with an audible subscription. I am only a couple hours into this book, but the evidence presented within this book suggests that the food we eat can also cause all forms of mental issues such as anxiety, depression, OCD, and PTSD and that rather than medicating, many can to a large degree resolve many of these mental issues by changing what they put in their gut. These are fascinating ideas and something I want to learn more about; current estimates suggest that something around 55% of all American adults are on some form of pharmaceutical medication. Many of these medications are focused on either physical or mental health concerns. As someone who saw firsthand the potential negative effects of these medications on my dad, I have always been very hesitant in the administration of them.
The scary fact, in my view, is that there is a growing number of adults and even adolescents who are being exposed to Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) for prolonged periods of time, and the potential negative effects of these drugs are terrifying. These drugs have the ability to alter someone's emotions and can, in turn, affect someone’s personality. The increasing distribution of these drugs with seemingly little limitation is something that I find very concerning. With a little digging, here is a list of some potential effects that may occur.
Neurotransmitter Levels: SSRIs work by increasing the levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter, in the brain. Serotonin plays a key role in regulating mood, emotions, and behavior. By altering serotonin levels, SSRIs can influence how the brain processes information and regulates mood, potentially leading to changes in personality traits such as mood stability, impulsivity, and emotional reactivity.
Side Effects: Like all medications, SSRIs can have side effects, which can affect a person's well-being and behavior. Common side effects of SSRIs may include nausea, insomnia, drowsiness, sexual dysfunction, and changes in appetite or weight. These side effects can impact a person's daily functioning and overall mood, potentially influencing their personality.
Individual Variability: Different people may respond differently to SSRIs due to variations in brain chemistry, genetics, and other factors. Some individuals may experience significant changes in mood, behavior, or personality while taking SSRIs, while others may have minimal or no noticeable effects.
Indirect Effects: SSRIs can indirectly affect personality by alleviating symptoms of depression or anxiety. For example, someone who experiences chronic depression may exhibit personality changes such as increased irritability, social withdrawal, or pessimism. By reducing depressive symptoms, SSRIs may help restore a person's baseline personality traits.
Long-Term Effects: The long-term effects of SSRIs on personality are still a topic of ongoing research and debate. Some studies suggest that SSRIs may have a modest impact on personality traits over time, while others indicate that any changes are likely subtle and may be attributed to improvements in mental health rather than direct effects on personality.
I am no doctor, nor will I pretend to be, but logically, as I read through this list of potential side effects, I find it alarming to realize how liberally these drugs are administered. And the unfortunate reality is there are financial incentives linked to prescribing these drugs. We see here yet another story of “follow the money,” and the reality is that there are hundreds of billions of dollars to be made in the administration of these drugs. In the end, these are corporations that focus on their bottom line, and their bottom line is affected by whether or not you are independently healthy. They don’t want you to be self-sufficient; they want to make you and your health dependent on them. I do believe there are limited legitimate reasons for the temporary administration of some of these drugs. But the administration of them is not limited; it is instead constantly being researched to find new applications. If you don’t have a problem, don’t worry; they will invent one for you. They will then tell you it’s “not your fault” and give you a solution in the form of a pill. Even if it is your fault, don’t worry; they will give you a quick solution again in pill form.
I write about this often, but it is a constant negation of personal accountability. There are, without a doubt, things beyond our control, but that does not change the simple fact that we can and must ultimately take responsibility for them. This is not the easy answer, but it is the answer that will, in the end, provide us with the greatest fulfillment in life. We were given autonomy by our creator, and that means that here in America especially, where we end up, it is ultimately our fault based on the choices we make. We can approach the world with either an Internalized Locus of Control or an Externalized Locus of Control. Let me define this quickly, as I think it really matters.
Internalized locus of control refers to the belief that one's own actions and decisions primarily determine the outcomes in one's life. Individuals with an internal locus of control tend to attribute their successes and failures to their own abilities, efforts, and choices.
Characteristics:
They feel a sense of control over their life circumstances.
They are more likely to take responsibility for their actions and their consequences.
They tend to exhibit higher levels of self-efficacy and confidence.
They may be more proactive in seeking solutions to challenges.
Example: Someone with an internal locus of control might attribute getting a promotion at work to their hard work, skills, and dedication to their job.
Externalized locus of control, on the other hand, refers to the belief that external factors, such as luck, fate, or powerful others, primarily determine one's life outcomes. Individuals with an external locus of control often feel that they have little control over their circumstances and that external forces dictate their successes and failures.
Characteristics:
They may feel helpless or powerless in the face of challenges.
They tend to attribute outcomes to luck, chance, or the actions of others.
They may exhibit lower levels of self-efficacy and confidence.
They may be more passive in dealing with challenges, waiting for external factors to change.
Example: Someone with an external locus of control might attribute not getting a promotion to office politics or favoritism rather than considering their own performance and efforts.
The simplest way I’ve heard it explained is that either the world happens to you, or you happen to the world; one is a victim mindset, and the other is a victor mindset. In the end, you decide under which perspective you will live. As for me, I believe that God created me to have agency in life!
P.S I forgot to cover Karl Marx this week, I’ll return to this subject at a latter date!
