atw: Re: OT. Shameless self-promotion, or how to handle brain fatigue

  • From: Rebecca Caldwell <beckyakasha@xxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: tech writers group <austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Fri, 5 Aug 2011 13:50:19 +0800

Amazing how different foods work for different people, isn't it? I get huge 
benefits from goji berries, cranberries and any legumes - I actually think it 
helps my eyesight. (Just my observations, nothing checked by a Doc or 
anything.) I also need larger than 'usual' quantities of protein to get through 
the day, whereas my partner needs more carbs. Caffiene has absolutely no effect 
on me, I could drink 3 cups of tea or coffee before bed and sleep soundly all 
night. Just the very smell of sugar (in candy or milk form) makes me gag. I've 
never been on a restrictive diet, this is just trial and error with what worked 
for me.
 
Rebecca
 



From: Warren.Lewington@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To: austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Fri, 5 Aug 2011 15:35:24 +1000
Subject: atw: Re: OT. Shameless self-promotion, or how to handle brain fatigue



I can personally testify when I was a semi-professional rock climber and 
mountaineer that abundantly consumed fresh food, unprocessed, cooked sensibly 
with good flavour was the most effective way to help the energy replenishment 
part of recovery. Anything that was massively processed was always second best 
compared to real food. Boy could I tell. 
 
And I can still tell when MSG or its derivatives are in food too... It's still 
being used.
 
I can also say however, that some of the gels and power bar type foods used by 
cyclists and other athletes do work - I use one gel brand in particular myself 
(avoiding any of the caffeine based gels due to the effect caffeine has on me). 
I am less and less convinced about muesli bars these days, which a decade or 
more ago used to work quite well. Now they just make me sick while riding - 
turning my stomach inside out. I'm more inclined to take a big handful of 
cashews, dried fruits like sultanas and oat-filled biscuits (anyone have 
recipes for that kind of thing btw?).
 
Some of the electrolyte drinks also kind of work (staminade in particular, 
while powerade and gatorade are more like placebos), but when it comes to cramp 
prevention, NOTHING, and I mean NOTHING, works better than bananas... Not even 
salt tablets. As log as I am not dehydrated, if I am cramping, and can get a 
banana, I'll stop, eat it and drink some water with it. Within ten minutes I 
can feel it working if I am not too dehydrated. Replenishment with one or more 
bananas later in the ride keeps you going.
 
Warren



From: austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
[mailto:austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Bill Parker
Sent: Friday, 5 August 2011 15:21
To: austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: atw: Re: OT. Shameless self-promotion, or how to handle brain fatigue


Christine 
With a background in biochemistry and bacteriology ( and to a degree the public 
health) I tend to view books of this ilk with a degree of caution.  His data on 
the cancer/casein work with rats was compelling and I delved into his reviewed 
papers. Difficult and challenging conclusions for a society devoted to milk and 
milk products.


The China Study itself may be open to other interpretations an opinions - one 
thing to work on a bunch of lab. rats, quite another to get a diverse nation as 
China to get involved a study as major as his was.  Nevertheless, the evidence 
does support what we might all suspect - eating processed foods is not half as 
good as eating the raw materials.


I agree absolutely with the watchfulness on toxins - merely because it's 
"natural" does not mean safe.  Many of the Solanaceae plants are deadly ( the 
nightshade)  Campbell was of course involved in the aflatoxin work in the early 
days.


Off to get a junk of broccoli...


Bill





On 05/08/2011, at 12:10 PM, Christine Kent wrote:



Looks like good information Bill.

Not completely compatible with my book however, in that I have SOME recipes 
that use milk and cheese. The jury is still out as to whether the issues caused 
by milk are actually caused by the way it is processed rather than the milk 
itself. 

I have made the whole book gluten free though, as the only way to render wheat 
toxins inert is to ferment it for at least 24 hours, and none of my recipes is 
for 24 hour bread.

I do recommend in the book that people follow whatever diet they have decided 
to adopt and use my book to ADD value to that diet and perhaps get a little bit 
of the pleasure of food back. 

I have watched my mother and my sister die, trying to follow restrictive diets. 
 I watched my sister’s lip curl up as she tried to eat her sprouts – which it 
turns out really do contain a very harmful toxin – so the reaction of her face 
muscles was telling the truth.

This book is not like that.  It brings pleasure back into eating, and is for 
people who want to stay healthy as well as for people who want to get well.

Hey, Bill, we can look at this as being on-topic.  As technical writers our 
brains get very tired.  I have seen quite a few individuals, over my years in 
the business, “hit the wall” and not be able to work any more.  Consider a 
discussion of food as a necessary OH & S conversation for overworked brains. I 
list brain foods in the book.

Christine



From: austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
[mailto:austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Bill Parker
Sent: Friday, 5 August 2011 1:56 PM
To: austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: atw: Re: OT. Shameless self-promotion

Well, here I go OT indeed.  I might need banning as well. Before I bought any 
more cook books I recommend Tom Campbell's treatise "The China Study" and look 
at the casein data.   Nuttin' to do with words as they should be writ proper!



Bill


On 05/08/2011, at 11:42 AM, Christine Kent wrote:





In case Neil bans me, here is my totally unrelated and totally shameless 
self-promotion.



For those who expressed an interest previously, my superfoods cookbook is now 
available again, after all sorts of technical issues related to Lulu printers, 
not to my documents or Word.



http://www.christine-margaret.com/



Actually we can make it example of what can be achieved using Word as a desktop 
publishing tool. This book looks gorgeous printed.



We can also extol the virtues of the capacity now for Word to post direct to a 
blog. The posts on the blog are posted using Word’s blog posting feature, for 
any who are unaware of that possibility.



Is that TW related enough Neil, or are you going to ban me?



Regards, Christine

613 9017 0164

0407 604010



                                          

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