I was thinking a lot about violence this week after the depressing incident at the school in Florida. 

No matter what you think of guns, gun control, and that particular issue, there is obviously something else going on besides guns.  Perhaps guns should be more tightly regulated, but there is so much more to this story, because this kind of thing never used to happen.  

One of the more insightful takes on mass shootings comes from a book called "Tribe: On Homecoming & Belonging" by Ernst Junger.  His thesis is that the breakdown in community and purposeful living in America, particularly for males, is what is driving the increase.  I think there is a lot to that, as well as other factors.   I did not know until I read his book that the Northern European myths about werewolves, were the same type of story, where a lone male removes himself from the group and its values and then proceeds to kill members of the community.  Normally these males have a productive role in society and are valued for something but when things go haywire and these males are not channeled properly, things get evil.  He also shows some stats in the book about how violence as a whole, as well as depression and mental illness as a whole, often actually decreases during time of war because war brings people together and gives men something to do.    

I did some brainstorming just to see what had changed in the last 50 or so years to drive the mass shootings.  I do find it strange and anti-intellectual that no one is talking about these things:

• Multi-cultural societies experience a decrease in social cohesion and an increase in social isolation and the US has become much more multi-cultural.
• We live in a contradicting time, relativistic on one hand and ideological on the other, which creates a type of mass psychosis and mass irrationality:
  • Relativism- one value or belief is as good as another, emotions make things "right", there is no such thing as good or evil, every individual can determine what is right or wrong.
  • Ideology- One group says if you don't believe what I believe, you are wrong, evil, or a bad person who needs to be jailed, fired, or socially ostracized, therefore contradicting the relativistic stance.  In other words, "our" values and "our" ideology are right, and yours are wrong.
• Another way this mass psychosis and mass irrationality will play out will be total war and mass narcissism, which is what is happening and what the philosopher Nietzsche predicted.  Nietzche describes it this way:
• "If you don't believe in truth, you must believe in power"
• We now have legal insta-porn at the tip of a finger where every form of debauched violent and dehumanizing act with people, animals, and implements is available for small children and anyone else to watch.  How is this legal?
• 50 years ago, abortion, which somewhere around half of America including myself view as murder, was illegal.  Considering unborn babies can recognize their mothers voices and feel pain, this is really amazing and sad.
• You could only “identify” as what you actually were.  
• Masculinity itself was not treated as an evil pathology and chivalry as a disease to be cured and re-educated.
• ​Men had roles to play, had purpose, and were valued members of society, even men on the lower end of the socioeconomic scale.  The same could be said for women.  
• People, whether religious or not, generally respected their elders, their parents, and the common sense of our inherited 10 commandments of cultural morality.  This "natural law" as John Locke would call it, was ingrained into the psyche of the average person.
• People went outside to play and knew their neighbors.
• Marriage actually meant something, and was an unbreakable religious covenant difficult to get out of.  Divorce was much more rare.  
• People didn’t stare at screens in an addictive rush of narcissistic rages, indignation, and autistic spasm all day.
• TV movies and games did not show the graphic details of mass bloodshed and violence. It's actually kind of funny now if you watch a show like "The A-Team" which was popular in the 1980s how little violence was shown.  
• The bestselling book in the history of the country was not a tacky nonstory about sexual violence and a man who humiliates and controls his “lover.”
• People didn’t sit on their butt watching mindless soul crushing technology from various screens all day.
• If someone hurt your feelings or school was hard it wasn’t cause for immediately taking psychotropic drugs, but rather an opportunity to grow up.

The truth is never easy to hear.  Perhaps the philosophers are right. Maybe the government will have to continue to get bigger and bigger to deal with growing social dysfunction until it finally collapses.  I hope not.

There are dark spiritual energies and forces, which unless confronted and dealt with, and converted into something good and positive will plunge our world further into chaos.  Perhaps we need to change our laws, but I know for certain that we need to get real.  If you want to talk, then everything is on the table.  

Does America even have a conscience?  I think so but I'm not sure. 

We need to cut out the cant.

And have a real conversation.  

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What are proteins?

• Proteins are long chains of amino acids, linked by peptide bonds.

 
What function do proteins serve?

• They form the major structural components of muscle as well as that of the brain, nervous system, blood, skin, and hair. 

 
What are the amino acids?

• Amino acids combine to form proteins.  There are 9 essential Amino acids, which must be consumed in the diet, as well as 11 nonessential Amino acids, which can be produced by the body.

 
What affects the quality of a protein?

1. Essential Amino Acid Composition
2. Digestibility
3. Bioavailability- the amount of protein the body can absorb and use, which is an extension of digestibility

 
What are the best sources of protein?

• Foods which alone or in combination with another food contain all 9 essential amino acids
• Examples include
  • Incomplete plant or nut proteins in combination such as rice and beans, legumes, nuts, wheat, oats
  • Complete plant proteins like soy, quinoa, chia seeds, buckwheat, hemp, flax
  • Lean animal proteins such as beef, poultry, pork, or dairy products
  • Fish
  • Whey protein is a particularly good source of protein because of its high digestibility and because it is lactose free

 
How much protein should one consume?

• Endurance athletes- .5 -.6 grams / 1 pound of bodyweight (your weight x .5-.6)
• Strength athletes- .7 - .8 grams / 1 pound of bodyweight (your weight x .7-.8)
• Active lifestyle- .4 grams / 1 pound of bodyweight (your weight x .4)

 
What role does protein play in metabolism, weight control, and exercise?

• When protein is present in the diet, protein in the muscles is spared as an energy source which helps long-term with maintaining a higher metabolism.
• Protein can slow the glycemic index and insulin response of certain foods, and is best ingested with other foods like vegetables and carbohydrates.
• Protein causes fullness, which is helpful in weight control. 

 
Can you eat too much protein?

• Yes, too much of a good thing, including protein, is not good.
• Excessive protein intake is not good for your kidneys, and is stored as fat if not used for natural processes. 

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* This is part of a year-long series called "52 Weeks to Eating better than Ever". Click on the side bar for more information and to read the previous essays.
 
​
Even though we’re focusing on nutrition in this series, I want to come back to physical activity, and controlling your blood sugar.  Sitting too much really is devastating to health.  We need to find ways to increase what is called NEAT:
 
NEAT- Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis
 
NEAT, as defined by the National Institutes of Health:
 
Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) is the energy expended for everything we do that is not sleeping, eating or sports-like exercise. It ranges from the energy expended walking to work, typing, performing yard work, undertaking agricultural tasks and fidgeting. Even trivial physical activities increase metabolic rate substantially and it is the cumulative impact of a multitude of exothermic actions that culminate in an individual's daily NEAT. It is, therefore, not surprising that NEAT explains a vast majority of an individual's non-resting energy needs. Epidemiological studies highlight the importance of culture in promoting and quashing NEAT. Agricultural and manual workers have high NEAT, whereas wealth and industrialization appear to decrease NEAT. 
 
NEAT needs to go up, big time!
 
Both to:
 

1. Increase the amount of calories we are burning throughout the day and..
2. Decrease the likelihood of developing joint dysfunctions

 
Stretching and doing body maintenance with things like foam rollers and balls, and stretch straps plays into this as well.
 
Movement needs to become a paramount part of our whole discussion on health:
 

• The amount of movement we are doing
• The quality of our movement

 
Just going straight to exercise is going to cause problems for many people, particularly if they are coming into a program with years of inactivity.  The body is like a car engine to a significant degree.  It needs to be maintained and worked on and prepared for performance.  And, moving more will keep your blood sugar and insulin levels under control so the health benefits are numerous when it comes to getting the most out of eating well. 
 
Aristotle founded the famous Peripatetic School in Greece on the principle of maintaining a sound mind in a sound body, and preferred to teach while walking, as the famous painting illustrates.  I would never question Aristotle’ wisdom, considering he is THE philosopher. 
 
In “Deskbound: Standing up to a Seated World” DPT Kelley Starrett recommends:
 

• Reducing all optional sitting in your life.
• For every 30 minutes that you are deskbound, move for at least 2 minutes.
• Prioritize position and mechanics whenever you can.
• Perform 10 to 15 minutes of daily maintenance on your body.

 
“But because sitting on the floor is better than sitting on a couch, consider watching TV on the ground or using your couch as a platform and not a chair. When you sit on the floor, you can spend time stretching, squatting, or working on your mobility. It’s how we watch TV in our household, and we highly recommend it. It’s an easy way to kill two birds with one stone.”
 
Another great way is to track your steps per day, using a pedometer, or fitness tracker or smartphone.  Recommendations vary, but don’t be too rigid about it.  Outside of your exercise, shoot for 5000-10000 per day.  Plus, when you’re moving or standing, you aren’t eating, and that is half the battle when it comes to controlling what and how much you eat.
Think about your NEAT.  How can you increase it?

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*The following is not intended as medical advice.  If you or someone you know suffers from depression, see a doctor as soon as possible and consider working with a licensed counselor.
 
It’s Ok to be Depressed
 
            “When I am weak, then I am strong.”  – St. Paul
 
One of the key things to remember with depression is that it is perfectly normal, but serious.  I’m not saying it’s good, but it is normal. One of the most fundamental things to know and to communicate to people who struggle with depression is that it’s ok to be depressed.  Not good, but ok.  Ironically, this can be a starting point for recovery. 
 
Depression is a normal reaction to stress, anxiety, or trauma and is characterized by negative thoughts, sadness, and / or despair.  It can take months, or even years for some people to recover. 
 
The social mask in America is so materialistic, so much focused on brands and hierarchy, and so competitive, that there is often a stigma attached to depression and mental illness because these things show weakness.  People hide their depression.  Because our suburban car culture and balkanized, multicultural demographics already tend to leave people isolated and anonymous, the social support system is often non-existent and depression tends to cause even more social isolation.
 
Depression and mental illness needs to be accepted as part of life and come out into the open. 
 
One of the best classes I took in college while getting my Master’s at GSU was “Stress Management” with Dr. Ken Matheny.  In the class, Dr. Matheny taught us that an underlying acceptance of depression can be a healthy thing.  In times of great cultural change, trauma, or confusion, people get depressed. It just happens.   In America right now, the modern project of unfettered liberalism is unraveling, turning in on itself, and it is leaving people confused, alone and isolated, disconnected from anything meaningful in life- family, community, citizenship, history, culture, and / or religion.  This is even worse for those with depression and mental illness because it depletes the anthropological and cultural resources needed for coping in times of stress. 
 
There’s even a case to be made that depression is partially an evolutionary process of physical downregulation of energy and resources, so that the person can survive stress.
 
And people often have physiological and biological problems that make them more likely to suffer from depression as well, like lower serotonin levels.  I know many people who have had depression, and you probably do as well.  I think I’ve been borderline a few times, but have luckily never had a clinically strong case of it.  All treatments should be considered- medication, counseling, exercise, but also, it’s important to just accept it for what it is, a perfectly normal reaction to stress. 
 
Start with this: it’s ok to be depressed. 
 
Then start considering treatments and options- especially exercise. 
 
Depression means you’re alive, and having a normal if difficult reaction to something stressful.  When St. Paul admits his humility in scripture, he’s at his strongest point and so are we.  Depression is not good, obviously, but it shows that deep down you are much more than what might be happening right now.  It can be a wake-up call to something better.  Reach out to people you know, or if you’re having a hard time and dealing with depression, remember that it’s ok and get help.  You’re ok and will get better.   
 
We must remove the stigma of depression.  We need to talk openly about it.  Depression is often heartbreaking, but it is part of life.  
 
When you’re weak, you’re strong.  You aren’t your possessions, your thoughts, or your depression.  It’s ok.  It happens, but this too will pass. 
 
For further reading: The Weariness of the Self: Diagnosing the History of Depression in the Contemporary Age
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