Apr 21, 2022·edited Apr 21, 2022Liked by Really Tan Man
I applaud your emphasis on the false dichotomy of natural vs artificial. Nothing is truly artificial because everything comes from nature. This is why I prefer more accurate & precise terms such as refined, synthetic, altered etc. It also cannot be stressed enough that ‘natural’ (unrefined, naturally occurring) products are not inherently healthier or less toxic than ‘unnatural’ (synthetically altered - even a highly synthesised chemical that is far from anything naturally occurring) products. I prefer natural, traditional everything because we have far more evidence regarding their toxicity (the primary focus of my research) & overall safety. I also believe there is an important energetic/metaphysical component. Excluding the measurable physical damage done to food by refining & processing, we don’t know the full energetic effects. The same goes for GMO plants grown by huge corporations with destructive modern BigAg vs heirloom plants grown on a family homestead with biodynamic permaculture.
You are of course completely correct about treating symptoms vs root cause of disease, regardless of the type of easy fix that’s used. But I think that we have evolved with the use of natural sources of antioxidants & other therapeutic chemicals - not just those naturally occurring in good food, but specifically in certain plants/animals which don’t have significant nutritional value, such as tea & spices, which we know have been used for millennia if not longer. Though I agree with you that dose is hugely important, & it’s unlikely we’ve ever had the kinds of extremely concentrated extracts that exist now. That said, traditional peoples are less dysgenic, & at least some of them likely consumed therapeutic remedies continuously throughout life, unlike most people now. So taking more concentrated supplements, at least for a while, may be necessary in addition to thoroughly improving one’s entire lifestyle.
Re: black seed oil, I recently tried it, & it only seems to have one therapeutic benefit for me. I have had very painful menstrual cramps since age 16; my first 3yrs were painless, then I had my first hormonal migraine ever, & from then on every cycle except 2 has been painful. It’s worth noting that I attended boarding school for high school & was forced to eat the cafeteria food, which is when I definitely consumed the most seed oils. I also had to cut back on my animal product consumption & certain produce because I am extremely sensitive to pesticide residue & the junk in meat & dairy especially. If I drink a large full fat latte made with conventional US milk, I suffer from mild flu like symptoms shortly after. If I eat too much conventional food regularly, I become extremely sick & prone to severe infections like strep & bronchitis (this was discovered via traveling which my family frequently did). I grew up eating organic, local whole foods though not nearly enough meat.
My diet & lifestyle has been excellent - except for lack of sun, mother died of skin cancer - from age 19 on. But nothing helps my cramps except high dose ibuprofen & the very strongest opiates. My father was an OBGYN & my mother also worked women's health. I’ve had a thorough fertility work-up & everything is normal if not above average. There is no underlying cause that anyone can find or even think of. I am a genetic & medical anomaly in many ways, including possessing 3x the number of average nerves. I am also more sensitive to pain than most, extra nerves aside. And I’m a genetic hyperovulator (I frequently release 2 eggs) & very estrogen sensitive. The first month I took black seed oil every other day I had a nearly completely painless period. I haven’t tried to replicate it yet, & it could be a coincidence, as I have had 2 completely painless periods over almost 30yrs, though it seems unlikely. That cycle overall was the best cycle I’ve ever had too - I’ve always tracked my cycles in detail - not that my cycle is usually problematic/bad. Any thoughts?
I applaud your emphasis on the false dichotomy of natural vs artificial. Nothing is truly artificial because everything comes from nature. This is why I prefer more accurate & precise terms such as refined, synthetic, altered etc. It also cannot be stressed enough that ‘natural’ (unrefined, naturally occurring) products are not inherently healthier or less toxic than ‘unnatural’ (synthetically altered - even a highly synthesised chemical that is far from anything naturally occurring) products. I prefer natural, traditional everything because we have far more evidence regarding their toxicity (the primary focus of my research) & overall safety. I also believe there is an important energetic/metaphysical component. Excluding the measurable physical damage done to food by refining & processing, we don’t know the full energetic effects. The same goes for GMO plants grown by huge corporations with destructive modern BigAg vs heirloom plants grown on a family homestead with biodynamic permaculture.
You are of course completely correct about treating symptoms vs root cause of disease, regardless of the type of easy fix that’s used. But I think that we have evolved with the use of natural sources of antioxidants & other therapeutic chemicals - not just those naturally occurring in good food, but specifically in certain plants/animals which don’t have significant nutritional value, such as tea & spices, which we know have been used for millennia if not longer. Though I agree with you that dose is hugely important, & it’s unlikely we’ve ever had the kinds of extremely concentrated extracts that exist now. That said, traditional peoples are less dysgenic, & at least some of them likely consumed therapeutic remedies continuously throughout life, unlike most people now. So taking more concentrated supplements, at least for a while, may be necessary in addition to thoroughly improving one’s entire lifestyle.
Re: black seed oil, I recently tried it, & it only seems to have one therapeutic benefit for me. I have had very painful menstrual cramps since age 16; my first 3yrs were painless, then I had my first hormonal migraine ever, & from then on every cycle except 2 has been painful. It’s worth noting that I attended boarding school for high school & was forced to eat the cafeteria food, which is when I definitely consumed the most seed oils. I also had to cut back on my animal product consumption & certain produce because I am extremely sensitive to pesticide residue & the junk in meat & dairy especially. If I drink a large full fat latte made with conventional US milk, I suffer from mild flu like symptoms shortly after. If I eat too much conventional food regularly, I become extremely sick & prone to severe infections like strep & bronchitis (this was discovered via traveling which my family frequently did). I grew up eating organic, local whole foods though not nearly enough meat.
My diet & lifestyle has been excellent - except for lack of sun, mother died of skin cancer - from age 19 on. But nothing helps my cramps except high dose ibuprofen & the very strongest opiates. My father was an OBGYN & my mother also worked women's health. I’ve had a thorough fertility work-up & everything is normal if not above average. There is no underlying cause that anyone can find or even think of. I am a genetic & medical anomaly in many ways, including possessing 3x the number of average nerves. I am also more sensitive to pain than most, extra nerves aside. And I’m a genetic hyperovulator (I frequently release 2 eggs) & very estrogen sensitive. The first month I took black seed oil every other day I had a nearly completely painless period. I haven’t tried to replicate it yet, & it could be a coincidence, as I have had 2 completely painless periods over almost 30yrs, though it seems unlikely. That cycle overall was the best cycle I’ve ever had too - I’ve always tracked my cycles in detail - not that my cycle is usually problematic/bad. Any thoughts?