Dentists
Debunk 15 More Teeth Myths
Science Insider | Date
added: 12-April-22
My response...
This video came up in my
feed with a thumbnail
referring to the supposed
myth that a tooth cavity
can't heal itself. This is
something I have heard of so
I was curious to know if
this was only a myth.
Essentially, the two
dentists promote the use of
fluoride which you may be
aware is generally included
in toothpaste but may also
be present in the water you
drink.
Basically, if a cavity is
only as deep as the enamel
then the body can repair
this through a process of
remineralisation. Fluoride
assists in this process. (I
do wonder if the body can
produce this, or has other
mechanisms for repair since
some people who I deemed to
believers in this
self-healing tooth myth were
also likely to be
anti-fluoride - some would
even talk about 'willing the
tooth to heal' as in using
the powers of "Intention" or
mind-over-matter.)
Doing a quick bit of
Googling reveals that there
is a fine balance between an
amount of Fluoride that will
help, and strangely, an
amount that will damage the
teeth. FYI, the pictures of
the latter aren't pretty.
There are so-called
conspiracy theories
surrounding the use of
fluoride, especially in area
where it is actively added
to drinking water. Does
fluoride then have negative
health effects?
It became obvious to me that
generally these dentists
(and surely others) were
focused mostly on the health
of a persons teeth and not
so much on the body as a
whole (although they did
talk of a child's mental
health with regards to their
teeth). The drinking of
fruit juice, or the
consumption of fruit itself,
they contested, was acidic
and therefore damaging to
the teeth. Milk, they said,
would be the better option
in this regard, or ideally
water.
These two points, fruit and
milk, discount the benefits
and harms (respectively)
these things have/cause.
Fruit provides valuable
Vitamin C and other health
benefits for example, while
milk, some would argue,
should not be consumed
beyond breast-feeding age
("which other mammals do
this?") and is loaded with
the hormones (oestrogen)
pumped into the cows the
stuff is pumped out from
(which has an effect on men
and women alike - turning
male frogs gay, some say).
Conversely, children are
more susceptible to
Fluorosis (too much
Fluoride), so even if levels
in water, and in toothpaste,
are deemed "safe" or "within
guidelines" individually by
the FDA, for example, for
adults at least, in
children, and when combined,
and over the course of
adolescence or a lifetime,
could become significant.
What are the side effects of
too much Fluoride? Anxiety
is said to be one.
One thing I had already
heard, but realistically
didn't know if it was just
an old wives tale, was if
you get your tooth knocked
out or broken off, to put it
in milk. This is a big take
away; if you have this
happen, or witness it, to do
this promptly and for the
victim to get to a
dentist/hospital quickly, as
a point of emergency,
because the tooth can be
saved (the milk helps to
keep it alive). Fascinating.
Returning to what we should
or shouldn't drink; the
dentists point out that it
is not so much the sugar
that damages teeth (as we
are lead to believe), but
the PH level; and in
sugar-free varieties the PH
level is no better.
Someone who has a health
diet packed with vitamins
and minerals surely has a
body that is better
protected against decay
(such as of the teeth), but
is also in a better position
to heal itself. Compare this
to someone who avoids fruit
and fruit juices and only
drinks milk instead of
consuming these things.
Which will result in the
healthier body and teeth?
My own arguments are that
sugar-free varieties are at
best, no better, and at
worst, worse than their
sugared counterparts due to
either the toxic nature of
the sweeteners used, or the
the impact any sweetener has
on the blood-sugar levels.
You'd be better off watering
down your soft drinks, if
not cutting them out all
together.
My drinks of choice are
coffee and tea (I've
struggled to drink water
since the pipes in my area
were replaced). The former
features more favourably on
the PH-scale, and better
still when it has milk in.
Having said that, my dentist
often remarks that my teeth
are stained and I can only
put it down to this.
"Cow's Milk — pasteurized,
canned, or dry — is an
acid-forming food. Its pH
level is below neutral at
about 6.7 to 6.9. This is
because it contains lactic
acid. Remember, though,
that the exact pH level is
less important than
whether it’s acid-forming
or alkaline-forming."
"Raw goat milk is
alkaline-forming in the
body. However, most goat
milk available in stores
is pasteurized and
acidic-forming." -
www.healthline.com/health/ph-of-milk
Health nuts often
preach about the benefits
of Apple Cider Vinegar,
but this is up there near
vinegar, so would surely
be bad for the teeth when
consumed regularly and
without brushing after.
Overall, given a healthy
diet, the body will
regulate the PH level
throughout the body (blood
and digestive system).
Weirdly, regarding that PH
chart (from Wikipedia), it
refers to the scale as
being Acid, Neutral, and
Base. When I was at school
we were taught it as Acid,
Neutral, and Alkali.
Wikipedia states: "A
soluble base is called an
alkali if it contains and
releases OH− ions
quantitatively" -
therefore, not all bases
are alkali.
Coincidentally, as I write
this, an
AwakenWithJP video I
watched today was 'sponsored
by' a toothbrush
manufacturer. That
toothbrush was of the
expensive and 'cleaver
science' variety. Clearly JP
must be considered to have
nice teeth otherwise the
company wouldn't have chosen
him as his poster-boy. As
was said in the tooth myth
video, genetics plays a
large part in how nice your
teeth are and how resilient
they are to decay, likewise,
no expensive toothbrush is
going to fix that, or your
poor dietary choices. In
fact, you'd probably be
better off spending your
money on better food than
eating junk and buying that
kind of toothbrush. The
other factor, as I read more
into it, was the fancy
toothbrush encouraged more
and focused brushing, which
you could achieve with a
bulk-standard toothbrush.
The dentists debunk the
myth, as I can, that it's
not possible to keep your
teeth into old age; my
grandad, I think he was 90s
when he died, as the nurses
remarked, still had some of
his teeth.
The
Russian / Ukraine Conflict
Various | Date added:
02-April-22
My response...
This is my general response
and position on the matter,
not that it matters, because
in the grand scheme of
things I'm no one of any
significance.
During the 'Covid Pandemic'
I came to realise that most
people are morons and follow
and believe what they are
told by the general media
and their dictatorship
governments. Actually, I
have been largely more
sympathetic than this
because I like to think that
it's not necessarily
someone's fault that they
believe what they are told,
and do so with a belief that
the are doing the good and
right thing. It is, after
all, a multi-billion-dollar
machine that controls them,
and I'm not immune from this.
It can therefore be of
little surprise that I see
similar issues with how the
portrayal of the Russian /
Ukraine conflict is dealt
with, namely that people
believe the narrative they
are told, and more often
than not in a naive and
simplistic fashion. This of
course can, and does, happen
on both sides.
Most people simply saw 'the
Russians invading Ukraine'
on TV or whatever media
portal they are subjected to.
Indeed, even the term
'invasion' is a loaded one.
They fail to see a bigger
picture or appreciate that
this 'conflict' has been
going on for longer - the
same was true of the
Afghanistan/Iraq wars.
Indeed, in drawing some
comparisons between all of
these conflicts, we can
reveal some hypocrisy.
Most people will agree that
war is bad - I despise war. Violence is bad.
Innocent people getting
injured or dying is bad.
When a situation has reached
these points it has
obviously escalated from
something more benign; NATO,
with Ukraine, from my
limited understanding, has been
posing a threat to Russia
for years; Putin gave
warnings regarding this and
these were not heeded.
It therefore bothers me when
I see the masses siding with
Ukraine, as this is how it
appears to me when I see
people with their Ukrainian
flags and colours, and
parroting such phrases as "I
stand with Ukraine". I had
(and still have) such an
awkward feeling when people
tell me to "Stay Safe"
(which was a popular
'slogan' that started being
banded about during the
pandemic, and still people
come out with today. If
you "stand with Ukraine"
does that mean you stand
against Russia? If so, then
you are part of the
conflict in my opinion;
because if you are part of
a conflict that is born out
of taking sides then
likewise you are part of the
war that develops.
Furthermore, if you agree
with your country supplying
weapons for a conflict then
you are pro-war, because
certainly in this case you
do not facilitate the ending
of the war, but the
prolonging of it. By all
means support the innocent
people that have fled
conflict.*
*Although it also irritates
me that every shop/store,
online and offline, pushes
their position, that they
"support Ukraine", which,
like being confronted about
a lack of mask, makes me
want to not deal with those
people or places (and
indeed, some I have
ultimately avoided).
Most people in the West
don't have any friends or
family in either Russia or
Ukraine, and given the size
of each region and the
populations that reside
there, it's actually more
likely that you'd know
someone in Russia rather
than Ukraine. But people
seem to like siding with an
under-dog, especially when
it actually has no bearing
on their own lies - the
global media system brings
the whole world to our
attention and presents it as
if it's meaningful, when
centuries ago, before
newspapers were a thing,
such things would matter
little. As I was piecing
this topic together in my
mind I couldn't help but
recall when I was a child
changing schools; at my
first school football wasn't
a thing (although I liked
kicking a ball around), but
when I went to a new school
I was immediately surrounded
by the fellow boys in my
class. "Which team do you
support?" they pleaded. They
gave me two choices,
seemingly the two at the top
of the league at the time,
but teams and names that
meant nothing to me, they
weren't even of our area, so
I was baffled as to why
"those" were the choices. On
the spot I had to pick a
side, and after a brief
moment I picked one, and the
kids all then dispersed,
some perhaps giving me a pat
on the back about my "good
choice", while others sighed
with disagreement.
We're all human, it doesn't
matter which side, or which
country we were born in or
reside in. At least, it
shouldn't.
I wonder if "war" would have
even developed if Ukraine
hadn't responded in a
militarily-defensive manner
against a super-power. This
is Playground 101; if the
big kid threatens you for
your lunch money you'd be
wise to just hand it over if
you foresee things kicking
off. Why didn't people there
just go about their peaceful
day-to-day business? Even if
military vehicles decided to
drive down their street? It
was a disagreement between
"countries" and "leaders"
and little, I think, at that
point, to do with
individuals.
I came to learn (see video
above) that such
things as the Western banks
and big corporations (like
McDonalds) pulling out of
Russia was likely not what
it seemed; I came to learn
that in the month or so
prior to the so-called
invasion, Russia and China
had formed a pact in a
widely publicised document,
but largely ignored. It
spoke of how they had
decided now was the time for
them to turn away from the
Western system of things,
and that banking system (I
didn't even know there were
different ones). There was
also a strange part
referring to China's stance
on the Covid outbreak, as if
they were still uncertain of
its origins (strange that it
mostly points to a facility
on their soil, albeit with
funding from the West); if
they're genuinely that
baffled then the finger
points back at the West, and
if this is so, then such
facilities being in Ukraine
seem not to be
insignificant.
How this conflict is said to
impact the West, or more
specifically myself in the
UK is through fuel prices.
However, this is something
else that doesn't add up (it
has been pointed out that
prices were already rising
prior to the "invasion").
Whatever the case may be,
someone, somewhere is
profiteering (in addition to
those manufacturing the
weapons); either the usual
fuel and energy suppliers
are now making more money,
or if these things are
having to be sourced from
somewhere else, then those
other places are making
money instead. Ultimately it
is the individual like you
and me that pays the price -
is is us that fund these
wars - I've attempted to
relinquish portion of my
enforced involvement by now
generating my own energy
through solar. Every time I
see someone driving a new,
over-sized, gas-guzzling
car, I see someone that's
funding a war.
Alchemy
Damien Echols | Date added:
15-February-22
My response...
I recently read in The Book
of Ceremonial Magic, which
Damien's own teachings have
me to start to read, that
“Alchemy... is of more
danger to the purse than it
will ever be to the soul of
man.” Therefore it seems
either a contradiction or
ironic, that Damien gives a
brief introduction into
"alchemy" using the
distillation of herbs as an
example; I imaged a bunch of
his followers going out and
buying that same equipment.
Of course this alone would
be missing the point; that
by distilling some herbs
seven times - a process
which takes time and
concentration, and as Damien
says, isn't as easy as you
might think - you're playing
at being an alchemist or
magician. The missing point
though is that you're
[supposed to be] developing
yourself in the process
(kind of like the "wax on,
wax off" scene in Karate Kid. I
would therefore consider it
a form of meditation, but I
suppose with focusing on
that thing rather than as
meditation often says
(wrongly or rightly), to let
go of those thoughts, rather
than focussing on them.
And thankfully, this video
has some insight into
personal development, which
I've come to see, or I'm
starting to see as what
"magic" (or alchemy) is all
about (or at least partly).
Jump to the following points
in the video for the meat of
this topic.
43:26 - 50:14 Reincarnation
and
personal development
44:43 He contradicts but
then corrects himself;
seemingly he thinks that if
you die before achieving
what you came here to
achieve, you lose all of
your progress. If we take an
alcoholic who succeed in
being t-total for however
long, but then they 'slip
up' and have a drink and get
drunk, that they somehow
lost all of that progress
they made. This seems harsh
and an extremely harmful
belief to adhere to; if it
were true then you might as
well give up on trying, but
then you miss out on the
recovery your liver has
probably enjoyed. I believe
that you'll always carry
forward some essence of a
past/previous life, although
not all steps are forward
ones.
If/when you fall, pick
yourself up. If the
so-called "fall of man" as
portrayed in the Bible were
real (as I'm sure some
essence of it is), and as is claimed in
this video, "you've fallen,
the end" then man should not
being trying to achieve
"enlightenment" or improve
himself.
46:23 "Being interested in
pointless things that are a
waste of your time and
energy..." Yep, I tell
myself this almost every
day...
49:55 It is suggested that
the more progress you make,
the faster/harder the fall.
I sometimes feel this way if
I am trying to abstain from
something; like avoiding
chocolate for a while and
then completely binging on
the stuff when I think "I'll
just have one..."
Not complying with immoral
orders
DarkHorse Podcast Clips | Date added:
12-February-22
My response...
The podcast includes a video
of the Freedom Truckers in
Canada that has been
overlayed with the voice of
prime minister Trudeau; I
found it particularly moving
to blatantly observe the
contradiction between the
"voice of authority", the
propaganda and lies, and the
reality on the ground for
all to see.
Some call politicians mere
puppets, so if this is the
case then Trudeau is naively
telling "his people" how the
situation is being presented
to him by the people around
him, his advisors, with the
evidence put before him etc.
I don't get the impression
he is that naive though.
Obviously things can get
skewed on both sides; a
video can be pieced together
with all clips of Love and
Peace signs, and omitting
any scuffles. Either way, I
do like to see the former. I
do wonder not only how well
all the truckers are coping,
but all the services (and
people) they would normally
be supplying are. But I
guess it has to be done.
RECOVER from ADDICTION by
DOING THIS w/Anna Lembke MD
Doug Bopst - Adversity
Advantage Podcast | Date added:
01-February-22
My response...
There appears to be a lot of
addiction in the world. It’s
perhaps something we
recognise within ourselves
and see in others.
A great voice on this topic
that I have discovered in
recent months is that of
Anna Lembke (MD) and I have
listened to her talk at
length to a few different
people on Youtube. Here she
talks with Doug Bopst and I
list here some of the
numerous take-home points I
jotted down:
20:00 All of us use rewards
to frame time... i.e.
checking social media/our
smartphones first thing in
the morning or last thing
before bed, watching Netflix/Youtube
at the end of a busy day,
playing a video game before
doing chores or homework,
smoking a cigarette before
setting off for work, or
going for a drink at the end
of the week.
Something I have come to
learn is routine beats
motivation: “Don't question
if you feel like exercising
(or doing other healthy
habits), just develop a
routine of it and focus on
sticking to it.”
31:57 Social media,
smartphones, sex,
smoking, and screens in
general reinforce and
increase dopamine levels in
the brain, potentially
leading to anxiety and
depression when dealing
without those things – this
is a sign of addiction. Some
pleasures utilise numerous
avenues.
44:00 What do you need to
change to recover? Routines,
environment, and the people
we surround ourselves with
are some of the things we
might need to address.
Truth-telling can lead to
your true identity and the
person you want to be.
[Playing down the
seriousness of a problem is
perhaps second-worst to not
acknowledging it – binge
watching Netflix, endless
scrolling on Facebook,
consuming junk food, and
playing Fortnight until 3am,
might be considered social
norms, but do you honestly
like this?]
49:09 Unhappy/bored/poor
concentration? Your "drug",
while you think it helps you
manage your problems is
probably creating those
problem(s), or most
certainly making them worse.
30-day abstinence to reset
your brain [a month is good,
i think 40 days]. Make a
theme for a month:
Frolic-Free February.
Stoptober.
I used to think that being
online was my gateway to
socialising as I felt like I
lacked that
thing/ability/close friends
in the real world/offline.
For a number of years being
online seemed to work; the
internet was a happy place
for me and I met numerous
like-minded and relatable
people. But then unhappiness
crept in; friendships and
relationships ended and I
struggled to make new ones
(just like I had struggled
offline). Various online
spaces thus became unhappy
ones too. I then started to
see that I had used the
internet as an escape; it
had distracted me from
reality: the loneliness or
the things I lacked, and now
I sought (and struggled) to
escape that; where to turn?
56:38 When you stop that
thing you’re addicted to, at
first it can cause more
anxiety (potentially leading
you back to that thing)*,
but this is a withdrawal
symptom – work through it.
If you slip, this isn’t
“back to square one”, it is
perhaps just one step back;
pick yourself up and move
forward.
*I’ve also encountered the
topic of anxiety and
depression as being a
symptom of being in an
abusive relationship (abuse
which can be physical and/or
emotional). Perhaps,
therefore, when dealing with
anxiety as part of bad
habits we’re effectively in
an abusive relationship with
ourselves; we need to treat
ourselves (and others we
would like to see improve
themselves**) with love,
kindness and compassion –
develop supportive tactics.
**We can’t force others to
change; talking to others
about “their problems” (no
matter how well intentioned)
can be a form of
confrontation which neither
helps or at worst, makes
things worse – one has to
tread carefully or perhaps
just leave doors open.
58:20 Focus on things you
can do instead.
1:02:47 Avoid easy pleasures
and expectation of reward
(“likes” or compliments and
praises, or other dopamine
hits – do things for the
good that they are.)
Progress might appear slow,
or even appear non-existent,
but persistence along the
right path, and in the right
direction, will pay off.
This Is What's REALLY in
Plant Based Food
Awakening With Russell Brand | Date added:
20-January-22
My response...
Russell points out that he's
vegan, if not "flexitarian"; I'd not
heard the latter term
before, although I
immediately grasped its
meaning.
Russell then goes on to
express shock as he reads an
article revealing that
processed food, even when
it's sold as plant-based,
might not be all that
healthy. Sorry, but if it
comes in a packet and is
made of multiple
ingredients, then it
probably has "crap" in it -
is Russell really so naive
or is he playing down to
what he considers to be the
intelligence-level of his
viewer-ship?*
I'm suspecting both of those
points are the case; you
will notice in the video
that behind what I assume is
Russell's gong, in what I
assume to be Russell's room
(we don't normally see him
in here) is what appears to
be one of those plug-in "air
freshener" devices. I
consider anyone who uses
these to be a moron.
That's probably harsh and
arrogant of me and I say it
with a hint of comedy, but
these things contain
chemicals that to one degree
or another probably cause
health issues (especially
for those with a sensitive
disposition such as asthma
and allergy sufferers) and
are consumer-nonsense (I
can't help recall many a TV
advert promoting such
things, so this says it
all). One could hope that at
least the device will be
refilled once it has ejected
all of those chemicals, but
either way, that thing will
one day end up in the bin
and sent to land-fill. They
come in plastic packaging
and also consume
electricity. If you want
your room to "smell nice"
consider some natural
fragrance; simple potpourri
might be a better option, or
even a scented candle (lit
responsibly) (I've not done
my research on these, but
I'm confident these would be
a better option).
I stopped watching the video
beyond this (2 min) point as
I figured it wouldn't tell
me anything I didn't already
know; processed food
contains crap and just
because it's labelled as
"plant-based" doesn't change
this.
Furthermore, the thumbnail
for the video appeared to be
a picture of that
plant-based "minced meat"
stuff. I have tried that (Quorn)
when the supermarket has
reduced the price. My
experience is that if you
fry it in olive oil (or any
oil) as I think you are
expected to do, or would
typically, it sucks it up
compared to ordinary beef
mince which is what I would
normally have. Beef mince
leaves the fat behind in the
pan which you can reuse. I
also found the Quorn I had
to not be as filling/calorie
dense. All this means, even
when it was on offer, it
still wasn't a good deal
(although it was perhaps a
good deal for the cow I
didn't eat).
*Considering I have enjoyed
a lot of Russell Brand's
videos and sense of humour
for a while (years before
watching his videos on
Youtube in fact) the tone of
this commentary might be
somewhat surprising but I
have noticed a change in my
appreciation for what he
does. Namely; I've noticed
recently that while he has
talked at length about
addiction, including
internet and phone
addiction, he has been
releasing shorter videos, or
rather video clips. This
content I take to be
pointless and disappointing
since it plays to Youtube,
its algorithms, and preys on
viewers' addictive
tendencies to click and
watch anything and
everything from a
charismatic, comedic and
entertaining character such
as they take him to be. I
could say more, but I'll
leave it there.
Addiction: Why We Can't Fast
or Keep a Diet...
Video
by The Galen Foundation | Date added:
12-January-22
My response...
This video may bamboozle
many a viewer; there is a
lot to take in if you're not
already familiar with a lot
of what Dr Pradip Jamnadas
talks about.
The long-and-short of it is
to cut out processed foods.
Anything from "refined carbs"
such as "breakfast cereals"
(those things aren't
natural), things containing
sugar (unless in their
natural form as in fruit*)
and anything containing a
list of chemicals (this not
only includes "energy
drinks"* but products we put
on our skin***)
*Be aware that fruits have
been developed to be higher
in sugar than they were
originally. A case in point
is the popular banana. While
this maybe for a
transportation benefit
(since sugar is a
preservative), but also from
a "taste" perspective;
sweeter foods are generally
more attractive to the
consumer. One should
consider that artificial
sweeteners are no better
than sugar, or may come with
their own set of issues.
**It seems contradictory
that an "energy drink" can
be labelled as '0 calories'
- where does the provided
energy come from? Answer:
the stimulating effect of
the chemicals (these are
also addictive). Some of this
will be down to the
caffeine, but consider the
list of "ingredients" i.e.
chemicals and their effect
on the body. Safe in those
small doses? Then consider
the cumulative effect of a
drinking them often.
Consider this also: that for
every high there is an equal
and opposing low. Proper
food is what will provide
you with proper energy and
in a more balanced manner; your
craving for an energy drink
or soda is just that, a
craving and the sign of
addiction.
***Dr Pradip points out that
the products we put on our
skin are also harmful, from
shower gels, to sun cream -
one could also go as far as
questioning the clothes we
wear that are laced with
their plastic fibres.
Plastic packaging and food
containers are also an
issue. These contain
neurotoxins and hormone
disruptors, deemed safe only
because of the low levels.
Some will argue that sun
cream, not only blocking
"the sun's harmful rays"
also limit Vitamin D
absorption, which in turn
limits the body's own
abilities to protect against
skin and other cancers.
