It's ALL about the diet, folks!
The tummy and the brain are absolutely connected.
Let me jump right into this. I know this isn't about comics, but so what? I care about people and I especially care about those who read my work and who have shown me so much support over the years. I owe everybody SO much, and the truth of this whole life thing is that I find myself surrounded by TONS of people who quietly deal with anxiety, depression, delicate hair-trigger mental dispositions which can ruin their days and weeks; people who spend their whole lives pressed down upon by a general diaspora and malaise.
And we are offered all kinds of advice! -How to change our frame of mind, methods for dealing with all manner of challenges and difficult people, difficult jobs and other daily stresses. We are offered a multitude of ways to count sheep for better sleep, to break out of bad habits which drain our self-confidence and esteem. -And while there's plenty of valid stuff in this ocean of advice, none of it is of any use, (or of only very limited use), if we're working from a busted foundation.
Basic nutrition!
There are SO many things which can and have been offered, -another ocean of advice- layers of complexity and endless research rabbit holes one can fall down (and get lost in, because there's a ton of bullshit out there as well.) I meet people who are following strict advice which is back to front from the reality of what they really need. I've spent several years reading through and trying out this stuff. I've heard it all.
Now, I'm not going to quote studies or link to books or any of that. I'm not going to play "dueling papers". I can do so if people really want, but I don't think that's terribly useful anymore. You can find plenty of that on your own.
What I AM going to do is offer something I think is far more valuable. I'm going to offer the fruits of my own explorations. Tried and true. -I ought to add that I feel strong and healthy and sharp these days. I sleep well, have lots of energy and I generally look and feel ten years younger than my 45 years. I'm not perfect; I spend too much time sitting over a drafting board for one thing... But in general, I feel pretty great and my body is trim and strong, and my mind is clear and I deal with stress now much more easily. And more to the point, I feel better than I did a few years ago, before I started paying attention to this stuff.
Three things.
I'm going to keep this tight. If I could pick only three things to offer people suffering from anxiety... (And I'm going offer everybody the respect of NOT framing this as one of those "I was SHOCKED to learn how these three miracle foods can Change your life...!" click-baiters. Because.., grr that.)
1. Get off carbs. All body types can benefit from switching to a low-carb/high-fat diet. -And not that rancid vegetable fat stuff. Anybody telling you differently is either misinformed or flat-out lying for some reason. Sorry. I know that's a major problem for some people, but if you don't deal with it, you're going to stay sick and sickly and weak and crazy. How you gain that shore is up to you. But you can do it; you are strong and wise and kind enough. Look it up, order the book, read the forums, figure it out. Personally, I liked the book, "Life Without Bread" but there's plenty of info out there to dig into. Good luck!
2. Magnesium. Not just for fireworks! Without magnesium, you're friggin' insane. I just use capsules the fine folks down at my local health food store sold me by CanPrev -But similar products will do. Magnesium Citrate is also recommended, with slightly different qualities.
3. Iodine. 12 mg per day is the basic amount needed on average. (It varies from person to person). A couple of drops of Lugol's 5% in a glass of water. Without iodine, you're going to be foggy and sick and prone to anxiety and general insanity and unhappiness. Warning; the quack-watch goons will completely flip out on you over the iodine thing. Listen to them at your own peril. I've been using the stuff for half a year now and I have experienced a lot of good as a result. -With two caveats; first, you will experience a HUGE energy boost. This is generally a good thing, but it's a LOT of energy. You simply cannot take it at night because you'll be up for hours vibrating in bed. It's like caffeine squared.
Secondly, iodine liberates toxins and heavy metals which have been stored in your fat cells for later processing, (and by "later" I mean, "never", since our bodies never get much of a break or the necessary elements to deal with toxins, so they just get stored away). The presence of iodine (which is needed to process this crap) signals various release mechanisms. You need to be prepared for that garbage to come to the surface, and have some kind of protocol or system for getting that crap out of your body once it has been mobilized. Your pee is going to start to stink from it. I've read accounts where people overdo it with the iodine, taking as much as 300 mg a day, get whammied with sudden illness which is subsequently diagnosed as... mercury poisoning! The best advice is "slow and steady wins the race." One or two drops a day and stick with it. It might take a couple of years or more to clear everything, but years do slip by quickly.
After the first couple of months, the detox symptoms tapered off for me and I just get the benefits of high energy and clarity of mind.
Oh. There's another thing... (Iodine, man! The stuff is powerful). Your dreams and emotions also wake up. Especially early on you will find that you feel a heightened level of everything; love, anger, fear and joy. Old crap from long ago will resurface with intensity, and you'll have to process that along with all the other toxic goo in your system. It's like the brain pipes un-gum themselves; it takes a while to learn how to balance all the new energy moving through you.., until you do.
Bonus: Salt Water!
A glass of salted water first thing in the morning. 1/4 teaspoon pink rock salt in a glass of water. Yummy electrolytes and other elements your body will thank you for. This is one of the easiest and most gentle things you can do for yourself and it will take the edge off the detoxification process. Hydration and salts. -It's such a pleasant drink, I've found, that I look forward to it every morning now.
There's lots of other things people can do, but these basic three (plus salt water) address the most desperate deficiencies in nearly everybody, and have the most intensely positive impact.
Okay! That's all for now.
Have a great day/night wherever you may be!
-Mark Oakley
Wolfville, Nova Scotia,
March 31st, 2016
