Western vs Eastern Medicine

I think this post is long overdo but I definitely need to share my perception of both sides and how I became so passionate about Eastern Medicine in the first place. For a little background and context the sole reason I am in this field of study and so very passionate about it is because years ago my lifestyle was so unhealthy and imbalanced. I was a complete wreck, but from that state I became open to anything. Anything that could help me. I saw a few different psychiatrist's and one woman diagnosed me with some wacky mental disorders like depersonalization and major depression, then wrote me a script for some antidepressants and an anti-psychotic drug called risperdal without hesitation. Thank goodness I never took the risperdal. I tried a few different antidepressants over the months and they just made me numb and zombie-like, so I stopped taking them entirely. I saw another psychiatrist named Michael Dorsey who I saw numerous times and I'll never forget the man. He really helped me understand my own behavior better. At the same time this was happening I began reading up firstly on the brain. I just wanted to feel better and learn more about what I could do to help myself. Eventually I had a drawer full of supplements. Everything from fish oil and vitamin C to nootropics (cognitive enhancers) like piracetam, oxiracetam, aniracetam, and choline bitartrate. Some of it helped a little bit, but it was a painfully slow process. My research into the brain soon spilled over into the rest of the body and I kept on learning and trying new things, desperate to try and heal myself.

That process went on for months and months and finally I stumbled on some Eastern literature. Specifically on Taoism which is a Chinese philosophy and science of living in harmony with the natural flow, or cosmic structural order of the Universe. I clicked instantly with it and fell in love. On every level it was so clear to me. Maybe I was a Taoist master in a previous life because seriously it felt so very natural and intuitive to me. It just made sense. I kept on reading and discovered the oldest herbal system in the world. Chinese Tonic Herbalism. Otherwise known as "Superior Herbalism." These Superior Herbs are not considered to be "medicinal" in the usual sense of the word. They are not used to treat or even prevent specific diseases or disorders.  The tonics are used to promote over-all well being, to enhance the body's energy, and to regulate the bodily and psychic functioning, to protect the body and mind so as to create what the Chinese call "radiant health." I read about the number one herb (out of countless) in their system, duanwood reishi mushroom (which grows on a special type of tree), and was absolutely fascinated. "The most revered herbal substance in Asia" "The herb of spiritual potency" I thank the heavens for my openness because not many things have had such a profoundly positive impact on my life. I tried reishi first and within a few weeks noticed a very deep sense of calm. Slowly over time it did all that it's purported to do. It helped out my inner life immensely by giving me pure clarity to accept the things I couldn't change and shed damaging beliefs I had about myself and the world. 

To get back to the point, the way I personally define Western medicine is the idea of treatment rather than prevention. The focus on disease and how to treat those diseases, rather than focusing on prevention and life enhancing strategies. Does that make sense? I know some people can take my passionate feelings as being harsh and disrespectful but that's never my intention. I just write about what I'm passionate about. I think where Western medicine truly thrives is in surgery and the ability to stitch anyone up, and provide life saving procedures. It really is incredible, and it makes me proud to live in America.

I like to make a distinction from that side of Western medicine versus the treatment of chronic health problems, where I believe the system is incredibly flawed and one-sided, and that's the part that usually comes out in my writing. Does it make sense that the whole of the medical system is based on disease? Let me paint a picture. Someone falls off a cliff and surgeons go in and put you back together, or say "hey man you fell off a cliff and it looks like you have cancer now, we have to blast your body with radiation and you gotta take all these pills or you are gonna die." That part of Western medicine frustrates me beyond description. What if instead of focusing on stitching someone back together after they fell off a cliff (cancer, any kind of disease, etc), we instead focused on giving people the practical, effective, and sustainable tools (diet, lifestyle, exercises, stress reduction techniques, etc) so that they would have the awareness and strength to never be in that position.

What if? That what if is already happening all over Asia and India. I forgot to mention about the Ayurvedic system originating in India which in a lot of ways is very similar to Taoism in that it understands everything in a human being, the body, mind, and soul, are intimately connected, so therefore seeing symptoms as a problem with one organ system or one part of the body is simply out of alignment. For example, treating depression with antidepressants, anxiety with anti anxiety meds, high cholesterol with statins, etc. That's not to say medications (just a fancy name for drugs) don't have their place, because they do, but they should NEVER be the first option and NEVER given out for any chronic health problem without first taking a well rounded comprehensive look into the person's life. You feel me? I honestly don't believe anyone could argue against that point, but if you could please post in the comments. I find it very inspiring that in most parts of Asia when someone has cancer they believe it is unethical to provide such a strong harsh treatment like radiation and chemotherapy without tonic herbs like medicinal mushrooms that balance out the side effects and enhance the effectiveness of the treatment. 

The other dark side of Western medicine is the big pharmaceutical companies that seem to have little empathy for people in that they keep creating all these expensive medicines that are simply not needed. Ads today are loaded with new drugs fueled by potentially huge profits and equally huge side effects! The epidemic of pain killer abuse (as well as plenty of other pharmaceutical pills like benzos) is a huge problem, as well as misdiagnosis and surgeons taking out organs before trying other profoundly more sustainable options. Also, the government and the FDA's nutritional and dietary recommendations leading people to sickness and disease. Imagine if all those billions of dollars used to produce and advertise all sorts of different drugs, all the billions of dollars used for cancer research, all the billions of dollars used to focus on disease rather than prevention, went into spreading awareness about the bountiful supply of perfectly safe and life enhancing herbs, foods, clean water, exercises, healthy activities, lifestyles, etc. Imagine that. How profound that would be. For the collective human consciousness to expand exponentially and yet simplify. To get back to our roots and our true nature of joy, peace, and balance.

Even though it may seem like I'm against Western medicine in every way, i'm really not, but I definitely vibe infinitely more with Eastern medicine such as Taoism and Ayurveda, and it feels great to be clear on what I want to do with my life, and what I believe is my mission here. To genuinely help and heal people using all the truly practical, effective, and sustainable tools and healing strategies that are available to me.   

Iodine : The Most Misunderstood Mineral

Before I start, let me preface this post with a little story. I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism (supposedly) when I was in high school and shortly after I was put on Synthroid, which is a synthetic man-made thyroid hormone called thyroxine. Of course at the time, I didn't have the awareness that I do now so I didn't question anything.

When I was in Europe in 2014 I decided to ween myself off of Synthroid slowly without anyone's consent. I literally felt no different. And this is a medication that people are "supposed" to be on for life. What?

Fast forward to a few months ago when I was living in Washington, and my mom brought up a good idea that I should get my thyroid levels tested because it's free. I didn't have any desire to at first because even if my levels were off there was no way I was going back on the medication, but I'm glad I did, because that is what brought me to the understanding I have today. My tests came back and my TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) was abnormally elevated. Knowing that information I dove headfirst into reading up on the thyroid gland itself. What does it do? How does it work? What is a TSH test? For one, I found out that the TSH test, which is the main test that is done to diagnose thyroid problems, is not very accurate at all. Someone could have an elevated TSH but that doesn't necessarily mean they have a thyroid problem. Also, sometimes people actually do have thyroid problems but the TSH test doesn't confirm it. The main problem with basing the status of the thyroid gland with a TSH test is that it does not give you the full picture of what is happening. It doesn't get to the root of the problem, and oh am I not surprised I'm saying that at all. Why can't Western medicine come to the blatantly obvious realization that the body, mind, and spirit are one? How can you treat someone so close-mindedly? Does it make any sense that when treating a person for anything you wouldn't seek to get a better idea of what is really going on by getting a clear picture of the person's lifestyle, past, habits, relationships, diet, etc? But sadly that's not how the system in the West is setup.

Iodine : The Most Misunderstood Mineral

In my research of the thyroid gland I kept coming across iodine. At the time I had the knowledge that I'm sure most of the general population has about iodine. Iodized salt and the orange goo that hospitals use as a disinfectant. Wow is it so much more than that. Not only is iodine absolutely vital for proper thyroid functioning, but every cell and organ in the body needs iodine. On top of that, iodine cannot be made by the body, so it has to come from an external source. Iodine deficiency is the leading cause of mental retardation worldwide. 

I was fascinated by just doing basic research on iodine and I knew that this was potentially life altering information so I ended up buying three different books on amazon and continued researching online. The internet is such a powerful tool. My method for researching goes like this. I hear or read about something, and I do some basic searches on google to give me a basic understanding. Depending on what it is I'll buy a few books, read published research articles/studies, look through several different awesome message boards/forums where real people talk about their experiences. And then comes the most important part, trying it out for myself. I believe this is the best way I can gain a well rounded knowledge of anything, because I'm looking at several different sources (not buying into the one sided mainstream bull shit) including research articles/studies, how long it's been used from a historical perspective, anecdotal experiences, and then funneling all of that through the lens of my own experience. All this talk about knowledge is power in the education/school world. Knowledge is power. What a load of crap. Knowledge means nothing unless it is applied and in my opinion, shared. 

Let's talk about iodized salt. Actually, first let's talk about the recommended daily allowance for iodine. A measly 150 micrograms. One thing that I know to be absolutely true is the government/FDA's food/nutrition/vitamin/mineral recommendations are fucking terrible. Terrible. The RDA (recommended daily allowance) was put in place to prevent certain diseases. For example, iodide to prevent goiter (swelling of the thyroid), vitamin C to prevent scurvy, vitamin b-12 to prevent anemia, etc. The key take away from all of this is the recommendations do not take into account what is needed for the body to be in an optimal state. We're talking bare minimums here. When you see 100% RDA on your multivitamins or cereal or yogurt all that means is you're getting just enough, just barely enough to prevent certain things like scurvy and anemia. A very interesting note about iodine is on average the Japanese consume about 13.8 milligrams per day. Milligrams. That would be 13,8000 micrograms (compared to the RDA of 150 micrograms). And they have remarkably lower levels of breast, endometrial, and ovarian cancers. Obviously there are other lifestyle factors to take into account but it's an interesting find nonetheless. So how do they consume so much more than Americans? Their diet is loaded with foods like seafood and sea vegetables, which have the highest concentrations of iodine on the planet.

Back to iodized salt. One important distinction about iodized salt is it's lacking in iodine. The two are very different and iodine nourishes different parts of the body much more effectively than iodide alone.  And no, iodized salt is not giving you even close to enough. Not only does the amount of iodide diminish drastically with time (let's be real how long have you had that table salt on your counter?) but table salt is a highly refined and bleached product so what you're left with is a salt that is sodium chloride (just one teeny tiny part of salt) and a bunch of anti-caking ingredients and toxic preservatives like aluminum. It drives me up a wall when people still buy into the idea that salt is bad. SALT IS NOT BAD! And while I'm at it NEITHER IS FAT OR CHOLESTEROL. Salt is only bad when it is consumed as sodium chloride (table salt/morton's salt) because it is completely stripped of all the other minerals that balance it out. Real unrefined salt does not elevate blood pressure. Just as real fat does not make you fat. These two ideas have been totally debunked. Of course fat is bad when you're consuming manipulated fat like margarine (yuck) and hydrogenated vegetable oils. Anyways, back to the matter at hand, iodine/iodide must be supplemented every day unless you eat seafood and sea vegetables all day. 

The pioneers of iodine research, Dr. Abraham, Dr. Flechas, and David Brownstein, have used what is called an iodine loading test on over 30,000 patients and over 95% percent of those people were deficient. 95 fu**ing percent! An iodine loading test measures the amount of iodine in your urine in a 24 hour time period after ingesting a 50 milligram tablet of iodine/iodide. The idea, which has proven to be the most effective way of determining iodine levels in the body, is that when you are sufficiently saturated your body will excrete over 90% of the ingested iodine.

How did we get so deficient in the first place? Well, let's take a look at some chemistry first. Iodine is part of a class of elements known as halogens. The halogens are bromine, chlorine, fluorine, iodine, and astatine. Some of those might sound familiar. The monumental problem here is all the halogens are toxic except iodine. What happens is when any of the toxic halogens such as bromine, chlorine, fluorine, and astatine enter the blood stream they compete with iodine for receptor sites all over the body, especially in the thyroid gland. That's just one of the negative aspects of the toxic halogens. And as it is today, we all have way too much of the bad guys circulating around and not enough of the valiant good guys like mister iodine. Where do the bad guys come from? The one we all probably get the most of is bromine. All commercial flours since the early 1960's used iodine as a dough conditioner, and for some strange reason there was a misplaced erroneous concern of getting too much iodine, so all iodine was replaced with the toxic flame retardant known as bromine (to be used as a cheap bread conditioner). Yes, bromine is used as a flame retardant in electronics, couches, mattresses and much more. It's also used as a pesticide, antibacterial agent in pools and hot tubs, preservative in sodas & medications, and a fumigant for pests. Next time you munch on that piece of bread just remember that. Mmmm yummy flame retardant. The freaky thing is it doesn't even need to be labeled. The only way you can be sure is if the flour or bread or whatever else the globally massive wheat business creates is free of bromine, is if you see "non-bromated flour" or talk to the wheat producer directly. If that's not freaky enough, we also have fluoride, which for the past fifty years the American Dental Association has advocated as a preventative measure against dental caries, even adding it to tap water! The fluoridation of the water supply has been based on terrible science and why on earth would something toxic be added to the water supply when there are no studies that show ingesting fluoride has any benefits at all. Hence why many countries around the world have banned the fluoridation of the water supply, and also banned adding bromine to all flours. What is America waiting for?

The historical use of iodine goes way back over 15,000 years ago. Back then, it was used in the form of all different kinds of seaweeds. Just 150 years ago supplemental iodine in the form of Lugol's solution (iodide/iodine formulation) was considered a "universal medicine." How did this knowledge disappear? One reason iodine has been thrown out the window is because of a research duo in 1948. Their opinion was contradicted by all the previous years when iodine was used liberally for everything from syphilis to breast cancer. Somehow iodine's historic benefits were suddenly snatched from the medical text books (for med school not to teach about iodine is just wrong) and largely banned from human research. Another reason is because when antibiotics such as penicillin came into use after World War 2, iodine was considered "old fashioned," a cardinal sin in the medical community.

"It is important for women to detoxify toxic halogens before becoming pregnant. Similarly, it is important for women of child-bearing age to correct iodine deficiency before pregnancy." 

 A pregnant woman who has optimal iodine levels can increase their child's IQ by 20-30 points. 

I read quotes like this from David Brownstein who's treated thousands and thousands of patients using the iodine protocol and holistic treatment plans and it's so profound to me. I'm so grateful that I'm learning about all of this now. The body cannot thrive without sufficient iodine, and neither can the growing baby. Iodine plays such a crucial role in brain development that if you are not sufficiently saturated as a pregnant mother your baby has a much greater chance of having health problems like ADHD, depression, dwarfism, autism, and mental retardation.

Being the scientist and the patient, I ordered an iodine loading test for myself and the results were surprising. In 24 hours I excreted 19.2 milligrams out of 50 milligrams which puts me at a measly 38% saturation (above 90% is the optimal level). What? How? My diet has been impeccably clean for the majority of the past four years! But that proof has given me clarity because now I know why my thyroid was messed up in the first place. After thinking about all the bromine laced wheat I consumed growing up (french toast for breakfast, sandwich for lunch, pasta for dinner, that's a lot of bromine over the years!), all the fluoride in my system from tap water, toothpaste, medications, soaking up all the chlorine from showers and baths and pools, it's clear as day to me. My thyroid wasn't deficient in Synthroid, it was deficient in iodine. But then I think deeper. Why has sushi always been my favorite food? Is it just because it tastes amazing, or is there something else going on? Well lets think, what is sushi made of? Raw fish and nori (seaweed). Among the highest sources of iodine on the planet. All those random cravings I had, was it just because I missed the tantalizing taste of sushi? Or was that my body trying to tell me that I'm more than moderately deficient in iodine?

Learning about iodine and the brain it makes me wonder if the depression I've experienced, the brain fog, the sometimes strange emotional states, if it was caused in part due to not having enough iodine in my diet. I think so, and I'm so excited to see what level of health I can achieve through optimizing my iodine levels. You can see now that the recommendation of 150 micrograms will do virtually nothing to give you the life changing benefits that iodine has the potential to give. The optimal maintenance dose is around what the Japanese consume. Anywhere from 13.8 to 25 milligrams. But that's only if you are already saturated enough, and the majority of people aren't. So, for a therapeutic dose it's wise to work up to 50 milligrams (and stay at that dose for at least six months to a year, then take the iodine loading test again) and even more if you are battling cancer or a serious condition, but hey I'm no holistic practitioner (yet). Oh, did I mention that an iodine deficient state predisposes you to basically every cancer known to man?

Is it any wonder that thyroid and breast disease have skyrocketed since 1970? When just years before iodine was taken out of the food system and replaced with its toxic cousin bromine. Also, lower iodine levels means IQ levels dropping and obesity rates rising.

This has been an ongoing research project that was fueled by my desire to learn more about my own health condition and question the norms that society and the medical community have put in place. I think I've come to a solid understanding of iodine as it is, and it's truly an invaluable (and cheap) resource today in the toxic world we live in. For anyone wondering I'm now at 36 milligrams of iodine a day, slowly increasing up to 50 milligrams a day and I already feel the cobwebs in my brain clearing up, day by day. Iodine helps build all the hormones, all the feel good neurotransmitters, it concentrates in the thyroid so that when the blood circulates through the gland it will help clean the blood, it increases metabolism helping you naturally lose weight, it clears the mind. it's vitally important if you are thinking about having a kid (for men too), pregnant or nursing, and it strengthens every cell in the body and keeps the massive amounts of toxic halogens in modern day life out of the body. If that ain't reason enough to look into this I don't know what is.

If you are interested in doing the 24 hour loading test here's the link. $70 well spent.

Two incredible books on iodine can be found here and here.

Lugol's solution is the liquid form that I personally take. About $20 which will last months and months and enhance your life in every way.

Or if you prefer a tablet form this is the same exact formulation.

Also, it's very important when supplementing with iodine to follow the iodine protocol which includes other nutrients and unrefined salt and plenty of clean water (good place to start is to take your body weight in pounds, divide that by two, and drink that much per day in ounces) that help iodine enter the cells more effectively and help the detoxification pathways in the body. One company has put all the companion nutrients in one formula (minus the salt) which makes it easy. Personally, especially my first several days of taking iodine, I experienced some detox reactions such as feeling achy all over and fatigued, but that's a good sign. Taking the companion nutrients and around one and a half teaspoons of pure unrefined salt throughout the day did the trick.

If you are currently on Synthroid or experiencing any thyroid problems, it's pretty much guaranteed you are iodine deficient. Also, it would definitely be smart to look into more natural ways of dealing with thyroid issues like taking a product made from desiccated porcine thyroid glands because it contains all the thyroid hormones like T1, T2, T3, and T4, unlike Synthroid which is just T4. 

Iodine is a pure medicine used safely for thousands and thousands of years.

A different perspective on Food

I think one of the most important pieces of advice I could give to anyone that is interested in up-leveling their diet is diversity. Diversity. If you stop for a moment and really think, what does my diet consist of? How much variety am I really getting? The answer could surprise you.

Spin the clock back over ten thousand years ago, in the days when humans had to forage and hunt simply to survive, and you find that the majority of our ancestors had an incredibly diverse diet. Wild plants, herbs, nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables, animals of all sorts (and eating all of the animal I might add, instead of the least nutritious flesh meat), birds, and depending on the location lots of fish, reptiles, insects, different roots, leaves, and the list goes on. Of course, all of this diversity may have been spread out over the weeks and months but nonetheless, the diet of humanity before agriculture began was so very different than it is now.

First I want to say, what a beautiful gift agriculture is. Agriculture gave humans the ability to settle down for months at a time or even all year, and that led to freeing up incredible amounts of time to other creative and lifestyle pursuits. Thanks to agriculture we can enjoy the life that we have, where we have incredible freedom and ample time to do as we please.

On the other hand, due to agriculture humans have effectively crippled the food system (nutritionally) over thousands of years. How so? The ability to selectively seed any crop. Instead of an incredibly varied and wild diet, which didn't always please the senses (bitter herbs, sour fruits, etc), we could now look at nature's most delicious tasting gems and say, "well imma grow a thousand fig trees." I can understand how that kind of thinking would be experienced at that time. Hell, I guarantee I would have done it too. Why grow some bitter herbs and sour fruits when you could grow acres of fig and date trees? I believe that blindness to the outcome of those choices has contributed to the worlds declining health. Declining health you say? Well Andrew! Look at how our life expectancy has increased. Well, I have a counter to that statement, how about look around. People are sicker then ever. And what boggles my mind is that sick has become the new norm! Obesity has become an epidemic, cancer and mental disorders run rampant, and people are dealing with all sorts of chronic health issues that didn't even exist a hundred years ago! Let me clear the air, it is not normal to have cancer. It is not normal to be overweight, it is not normal to have any chronic health challenges. It is not normal for men to have faulty prostates after the age of fifty. It is not normal to experience chronic fatigue. These things are not normal!

Fast forward to our modern day world, not even taking into the consideration the fact that most of the food at any particular store is highly processed, the reality is most of the average diet consists of just a handful of different foods. How crazy is that?! Any processed or fast food (which accounts for way too much of the average diet) is basically just a combination of genetically modified corn, wheat, and soy. The wheat, corn, and soy fed to countless factory farmed animals, and then the clever reintroduction of those three crops into everything from cereals and candy to condiments and dressings.

Just like with anything in life, diversity is vital. Diversity is vital to the person who wants to be truly physically fit. Diversity is vital to someone who wants a sharp and intelligent mind. Diversity is vital to anyone that wants to enhance their life. The body was not designed to just process a handful of selectively grown crops, it was designed to process the true abundance that is nature. The leaves, roots, barks, mushrooms, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, fish, meat, insects, birds, and plants of every kind.

I don't believe it's possible to be in an optimal state of being living off of a standard diet, even if you do eat primarily organic or local foods. Due to years of mono cropping and spraying pesticides and herbicides, soil is depleted of vital life giving minerals. The number of environmental toxins that have been introduced just in the past fifty years is staggering which puts unseen stress on the body. And throw all of that together with an imbalanced overworked lifestyle and so many fear based organizations and institutions, and you have a perfect storm of destruction.  

One of my huge passions the past couple years has been reading, researching, and trying out different tonic herbs. When I say tonic herb I'm not referring to herbs like oregano and rosemary, I'm talking about herbs (otherwise known as superior herbs in Chinese Herbalism) that are absolutely non toxic, and promote a long, healthy, vibrant, happy life, without side effects, even when taken for an extended period of time. Herbs like ginseng, he shou wu, holy basil, ashwagandha, goji berries, schizandra berries, astragalus, rehmannia root, reishi mushroom, just to name a few. These herbs provide a tonifying effect that normal foods simply cannot accomplish. From teaching immune cells to know how to effectively defend against invaders , to balancing gut flora,  to obliterating tumors and cancer cells, to increasing the body's ability to handle stress, to enhancing mental and spiritual awareness. Tonic herbs are an incredible gift from the earth and are so very underutilized in the Western world of endless one-directional medications.

I hope this post has been informative and maybe kinda sorta inspired you to be more aware of how your diet impacts your life, and how valuable it is to reintroduce those forgotten foods (such as bitter, sour, or pungent herbs) into your diet. 

The subtle energy of your food becomes your mind. 

The Beauty Industry

I guess you could say I'm kind of a unique dude, sitting here at 12:38am thinking about yes, the beauty industry. According to the statistics the beauty industry will be reeling in over 265 billion in world wide revenue next year. That is insane, but what's even more insane is what the beauty industry is founded on.

This is purely my own theory, but from a psychological perspective the beauty industry is founded on peoples feelings of inadequacy and low self esteem. Think about it. If everyone in the entire world woke up every morning and looked in the mirror and felt completely satisfied with the way they looked the beauty industry would collapse. But no, the rows and rows of shelves at stores and warehouses all over the world continue to be stock piled with an endless array of lotions, shampoos, conditioners, makeup, toothpaste, deodorant, shaving creme, moisturizers, weight loss pills, facials, and the list goes on and on. If you take a step back and look at all this the question becomes, of all these products what do we actually need?  None of it. Absolutely none of it.

It really is incredible that the beauty industry is able to brainwash millions and millions of people through constant advertising that all of this stuff is absolutely needed. You need shampoo everyday to clean your hair and keep it shiny. You need toothpaste to keep your teeth clean. You need lotion to keep your skin moisturized. You need conditioner. You need sun tan lotion because the sun is so very dangerous. You need makeup to look beautiful. You need cologne and perfume to smell good. What a load of horse shit.

Society has us absolutely convinced that we need all this stuff. At this point I could write a whole page just praising the beauty industry for how intelligently they've constructed this whole idea of "beauty." It really is a work of psychological art. To be able to have people convinced you need to look a certain way and be free of external imperfections to be attractive & socially acceptable. For the men, they play on our powerful sex-drive. Adds for cologne and deodorant that make the scents seem irresistible to women. As if putting on a certain deodorant or cologne will have loads of hot chicks flocking to you. For women, it seems to be that if you don't have the flawless skin, the nails, the mascara, and the smooth legs then you aren't really attractive or acceptable at all. Oh, and you can't forget the shiny lustrous hair, and you gotta know if you have a few pimples on your face or your legs have some natural hair then you are one ugly woman. This incredibly over the top perfectionist idea of "beauty" is complete nonsense.

I do believe, however, there is a difference between "need" and "want." The point I'm trying to emphasize here is the idea of "needing" something external to feel beautiful and acceptable. I don't think there is anything wrong with wanting to dress up all fancy or put on makeup or cologne or whatever. But in the truest sense, it is not needed. You feel me?

From a nutritional stand point alone, none of these products are needed if you simply feed your body with vibrant whole foods free of chemicals, plenty of good quality fats, and clean water. Dr. Weston A. Price did some fascinating work decades ago where he traveled around the globe and studied cultures living on a traditional diet. What he found was those people had near perfect teeth, no cavities, and robust health. You think those people have lil plastic toothbrushes and bottles of chemically laced lotions and shampoos and toothpaste?

I know from my own experience that anything external is directly related to the internal world. For example, I haven't used anything on my face for months and months, not even cleaning it at night, and I haven't had any inflammation (zits) on my face whatsoever. So much of our health is diet related. People have to realize that anything you put on your skin or in your hair is being absorbed into your blood stream. From the aluminum in the average deodorant, which not only causes brain cells to shrink and die, but is also linked to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Dementia, to lotions and shampoos that contain petroleum bi products that are linked to cancer to the toxic fluoride in tap water and toothpaste and pharmaceuticals that deplete the body of vital minerals like magnesium & iodine. Whether you are aware of it or not, these products are slowly but surely adding to your toxic load. It's amusing to me to think of parents that are so quick to condemn things like cigarettes when they are feeding their kids processed junk, sodas, and then on top of all that slathering their bodies with chemically laced sun tan lotion (that prevents the life giving absorption of vitamin d3) before they go out. Oh the sweet irony.

Even if you would like to still use some of these products it doesn't mean you have to go to the store and buy a shiny bottle of Aveeno. It's so easy to make super cheap cleaning products, toothpastes, moisturizers, etc at home that are a fraction of the cost and don't add numerous toxins to your system.

As long as people buy into the mainstream idea of beauty and continue to feel dissatisfied with imperfection, the entire industry will continue to thrive on a thing called low self esteem.

The Journey Home

I wasn't sure if Bruce & Llan would be busy the day I was flying out so I purchased a super cheap greyhound ticket from Byron Bay (about 45 min away) to Brisbane. Man the time flew by!

I went on a walk with the dudes in the morning and all the sudden a bird swooped down and landed on a tree by us, "woah look at that! A black cockatoo. That's really rare to see here." Seems like wherever I go I bring those nature connected vibes.

I hid this note in their guest bedroom in between the pillows. 

After thinking about how I was gonna be in the heat of the St. George summer I decided I may as well cut my hair short, even though I like the look of long hair better. Bruce worked his magic, and gave me without question my most favoritest hair cut ever. 

From carrying my water bottle around the past two months some of the notes people wrote on it had faded away, so I told Bruce and Llan to write whatever they wanted on it. 

Llan told me Gabriela (Gabe's alterego) was coming over for dinner tonight and I said, "Damnit! I wish I could have met her. Tell her I said hi." 

Llan made his famous breakfast for me one last time and before he took me to the bus station in Byron Bay I helped him pick up several pieces of wood from the local home depot esque store. We were cutting it pretty close so when we got back I hurried and grabbed my bags and gave Bruce a big hug. He told me next time I come to Straya' I can start here then he can line me up with connections in some amazing cities north of here. As I was sitting in the passenger seat on the left side, with my bags in the back, I was checking out what they wrote on my bottle. 

Grab life by the horns and ride! Peace love light. -Bruce

Llan drew a worm on a skateboard followed by  -Love Llan xo

Then it hit me. My skateboard! Llan you are a genius! I totally forgot it in the house and there's no way I would have remembered had Llan not drawn that. Ahahah. I was soaking up my last bits in Straya', feeling a bit sad, but excited for a new time in my life. 

We made it to Bryon Bay, I gave Llan one last hug, and then I met a girl from France who was also waiting for the bus. 

The bus ride was just shy of two hours and had some awesome views. Goodness. Straya' is magic. 

Knowing that I wouldn't see any of these people ever again, as I was walking off the bus, I practically yelled at the top of my lungs, "PEACE OUT EVERYONE!" No responses...

I was somewhere around fourteen hours early. My flight didn't leave until the next morning. As I was checking in the flight wasn't coming up because it was for the next day. Perceiving what this dude was gonna say, I just acted like I was gonna find a hotel for the night instead of...

"You know you can't stay here overnight."

"Ummm actually I can, and you're not gonna stop me."

No less than a minute later I found my spot where I'd be hanging out for the next fourteen hours. Nice spot if you ask me. I started reading the only book I brought with me for the second time. Wild. One of my favorite stories. If I were to write an autobiography type book of my life one day, it'd be precisely in that style. The raw truth of my life. No fluff. No bullshit.

After a long day in the airport, brushing my teeth in the bathroom, they had one of those "men's essentials" small vending machines on the wall. Toothbrush/toothpaste/breath mints/condoms/cologne/glow in the dark condoms/and tylenol. That gave me a good laugh. So those are men's essentials huh?

Two burritos and a few naps later I made it to my boarding gate, after weaving through a ridiculously shiny, strategically placed, overpriced liquor store.

I met some awesome people as I was waiting to board my flight. A couple from Canada were absolutely amazed at how I traveled. 

Although the entertainment system I had on the plane was great, I kinda wished instead of that they had a dance room, or an option to switch the seats around and play board games and cards with complete strangers. That'd be much more fun rather than everyone zoning out into their own separate screen. But hey, I ain't complaining. I watched "Room" and was in tears multiple times. That movie is powerful. I also watched "The Danish Girl" which is a superb film about a man who undergoes one of the first sex-change operations. I loved it. I've said it before, but how long is it gonna take for everyone, including every institution, to just accept each other? Imagine you were born a boy but always felt like you were a girl. Would you rather live your entire life feeling uncomfortable and out of place in your own skin, or just make the switch? How is that so hard for some people to understand?

"Let's trade in all our judging for appreciating. Let's lay down our righteousness and just be together."

Touching down in Seattle I was feeling drained, and that feeling was exacerbated when I waited for around an hour for my skateboard and then saw it just sitting randomly on the ground a ways away from the baggage claim area. Whut the hell man! Riding my skateboard outside along with adrenaline pumping out of my adrenal glands had me feeling energized again. I just flew 17 hours into the past baby.  

Staring out the window of the train I thought how crazy it is that I can just hop on a plane and fly to literally the other side of the planet in under a day. What a gift modern day travel is. And what a treat for Seattle to actually be sunny!! 

Walking from downtown Seattle to the ferry I sparked a conversation and mentioned I just came from Brisbane. This guy was like "no way isn't Brisbane like 9 hours ahead?" I said, "nope it's 17!" And he said, "that shits crazy!" Getting close to the ferry terminal a low rider cruised past me with a pimped out tricycle strapped to the top. 

Made it to the good ol' ferry and was so ready to just get home and shower and nap for hours. 

Home sweet home. Bainbridge Island. 

My parents knew I was coming home but they had no idea what time I was arriving. After thinking about when I tried to surprise my family on my way home from Europe, I was keeping an eye out for my dad just in case he decided to play Sherlock Holmes again. No sight of him. Luckily our house isn't too far from the terminal so I just walked home, and by the time I arrived I was completely drained. I sat my bags down and collapsed onto the warm pavement for a while almost falling asleep, then opened the door.

Planet Straya'.

It was unforgettable. 

I'll be back soon enough. 

Bryon Bay Round 2

It was a Sunday... I think. Everyone had the day off, and I hadn't been to the famous light house of Bryon Bay so Bruce & Llan said I had to see it. I concurred.

The hike/walk is usually loaded with tourists but for the first part we took a secret way that most people don't know about. A beautiful walk weaving in and out, up and down, and all around. Scratch that cheesy line, it was just a beautiful walk, otherwise known as Jingi Wallah, with incredibly scenic look out spots along the way.  

Coming up to the first lookout spot. 

That's what I'm talking about my Straya' baby. 

The lighthouse up ahead.

What a beauty. 

Sublime views. 

When we got down to the main cove below the light house (where the most expensive real estate is in all of Australia) we took a detour and marveled at the houses. 

You know the thirty million dollar house I was talking about in an earlier post? Wellp, this is it. The one where they held a fifty thousand dollar housewarming party and Bruce was hired to do some hair and makeup. Pretty stunning. And Bruce said that they only stay at this house for a few weeks every year! Geeze Laweeze!

One of my favorite looking plants I've ever come across. Look at those colors! The work of a master. 

The house from a distance. What a spot. 

Contrary to what some cultures would have you believe....

 love has no sexual orientation.

We all had a good chat about traveling as we were walking. There really is nothing like it. And I don't think anyone could dispute the fact that traveling is so mind expanding and conductive to growth in so many ways. Bruce said something to me that rung true, like "don't ever stop traveling, cuz once you do it's so easy to just live a normal average life." Traveling with no itinerary, no plans, no expectations, is pure inspiration. 

Such cool architecture around Bryon Bay. 

The Lone Door! 

After about an hour and a half walking we made it back to our car, and then hopped in our suits, took a nice refreshing dip, then did what you have to do when at the beach, lay on the sand. 

After the chill sesh we were all starving so we went into the city and had an appetizer at a hip cafe, then went to a neighboring town and met up with a super sweet super nice lesbian couple. It was one of their birthdays. 

Later they made an epic chicken soup for Bruce because his mouth was still sore from the dental work he got done in Sydney. It t'was a great day with great people.