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Yearly Archives: 2015
Are health gurus trustworthy?
Over the last 50 or 60 years there have been many dietary recommendations. Some of these recommendations have become so popular that the originator of the plan or lead spokesperson has risen to the level of a Diet “Guru”. The world is full of all sorts of gurus; before we examine a recent list of so called diet gurus, lets examine the definition of guru.
Oxford dictionary defines it thus: (in Hinduism) a spiritual teacher, (in Sikhism) any of the first ten leaders of the Sikh religion, an influential teacher, a revered mentor.
Now could be a good time to pause and reflect on why is a Hindu and Sikh term “guru”, being applied to “dietary” advice supposedly targeting and being advocated to the majority of the population? Also, who decides or decided that these people were “gurus” after all. Are they revered mentors, a Hindu spiritual teacher or one of the original leaders of the Sikh religion?
Before we digress further lets examine the list of Diet Gurus Who Died of Poor Health:
- “James Fixx: author of ‘The Complete Book of Running’, ran 10 miles per day, advocated running as being great for the heart and cardiovascular health. Dropped dead of a heart attack at 52 while running.
- Michael Montignac: developed a weight loss program that layed the foundation for the anti-carbohydrate movement, focused on ‘good versus bad carbs’ and the glycemic index. Died of prostate cancer at 66, his book ‘Eat Yourself Slim’ sold millions of copies around the world.
- Nathan Pritikin: recognized a connection between diet and heart disease, and had many media appearances. Battled with Leukemia and committed suicide at 69.
- Robert Atkins: creator of The Atkins Diet, advocated avoiding carbs (similar to Michael Montignac) and eating a diet high in fat and animal protein. Died at 72, and it was later revealed that he suffered from a history of serious heart problems, including congestive heart failure and hypertension.
- Robert Kowalski: His book ‘The New 8 Week Cholesterol Cure’ spent 115 weeks on the New York Times best sellers list, as well as several other ‘8 week cure’ books, died at 65 from a pulmonary embolism.”
The original article which appeared in “Mother Nature Network”, listed a few more “gurus” and also calculated that the average age of these gurus was far below the national average. These five had an average age of 64.8, compared to the national average in the US which is generally around 80 years old, if you average out men and women.
Often times, people will ask “What do you think of the advice given on the TV, radio etc…, regarding diet:? Your National Taoism Examiners answer is usually: “stick with what is tried and tested and does not waver, pick something that has been proven time and time again to be accurate and is not interested in becoming a fad or best selling information.” Then they are reminded of the Taoist Dietary principles and philosophy which have been around for over 5,000 years. Principles such as: eating less meat, drinking less, balancing the 5 tastes and colors, making sure you balance the acid/alkaline nature of the food etc…
We must learn to distrust or at least be wary of the latest fads, which more often than not, are just slick marketing ploys designed to get us to buy something, that we really do not need.
Another tip or principle, is to examine the source of the information. For instance, if you are reading or hearing health related news, ask yourself “what is the health of the person that is telling me this or advocating that”. If the person is not healthy then why listen to them? If a person who is overweight, sells a book about weight loss, why would we listen to them? If a person advocating a particular diet dies from cardiovascular disease, then perhaps, they did not know what they were talking about.
Remember the 100 year principle, which basically states, that if something has been around for at least 100 years, with no negative side effects, and it actually produces the result advocated, then perhaps, that is worth listening to. Everything else just has to wait, and either become time tested, or drift away with the rest of the slick advertising disguised as beneficial advice.
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2015 Year of the Wood Goat
This year most of the world in one way or another either celebrated , or was at least aware of, Chinese New Year on February 19th.
The celebration usually lasts several days, and in some areas can last an entire week.
There is some discrepancy, especially in the west, whether, this is the year of the Goat, Sheep or Ram. You will hear different names used in conversation, and most likely in advertisements, trying to entice you into their stores.
Yang, is the Chinese word, and its closest western translation would be Goat. On the mainland of China, people will say this is the year of the Goat, and historically the character meant “Goat”.
What can we expect for this year?
Master Zhongxian Wu states:
“Goats give you gentle and peaceful feelings when they chew grass with a slow, grinding motion. Yet they move with great speed and agility when navigating their way through rough, rocky, mountainous areas. They have strong horns and are always ready to defeat their enemies.
Goat is the eighth animal symbol in the 12 Chinese Animals System.
We use Wei 未 to represent the Goat symbol in the 12 Earthly Branches.
Wei is a symbol for the 13:00–14:59 time of day, and for the sixth month in the Chinese Lunar-Solar calendar (which is approximately July 7 to August 8 in the Gregorian solar calendar).
Wei represents the napping time of day and the third summer month when nature is in its ripest season. It is a time or a place where Yang energy (life energy) continues its decline and when the life cycle becomes more mellow. We use the tidal hexagram Dun 遁 ䷠ to symbolize the Goat.”
He cautions those who are prone to lung and digestive trouble, to be extra vigilant and disciplined with their internal exercises.
Lets look at two prior Wood Goat years.
Sometimes, the best way to get an understanding of current conditions is to examine the past and make note of any correlations.
Major events of 1955 (www.historycentral.com):
- Germany becomes a member of NATO
- Vienna Treaty restores Austrian independence
- Geneva summit
- First McDonald’s restaurant opens
- Military coup ousts Peron
- Mirage unveiled
- U-2 tested
- Rosa Parks refuses to give up seat
- Mary McLeod Bethune Dies
- Fidel Castro starts the 26th of July Movement
- US military intervention in Iran
- Great Britain declares State of Emergency due to National Rail Strike
- The Soviet Union and its Eastern Bloc allies sign the Warsaw Pact
- The United States begins its involvement in the Vietnam conflict.
Major events of 1895 (www.worldhistoryproject.org):
- Winston Churchill visits Cuba
- Frederick Douglas dies
- Oscar Wilde Brings Libel Charges Against the Marquess of Queensberry
- Oscar Wilde is Sentenced to Two Years Hard Labor
- Booker T. Washington Delivers His “Atlanta Compromise” Speech
Looking at the last two Wood Goat years we see the potential for peaceful negotiations, however, these were also years either leading up to or the beginnings of revolution and political turmoil. Economically, Goat years tend to be lean, and it is a good time to focus on minimizing ones budget, and increasing savings as much as possible. 1895 was the middle of the 1893-1898 depression, and 1955 saw the rise of “consumerism”, massive increase in personal debt and deflation.
Regardless of what happens in the world this year, make sure you focus on your internal cultivation, remaining calm and balanced, as well as, strengthening your body, mind and spirit.
Don’t miss another National Taoism Examiner article. Receive e-mail alerts when new articles are available. Just click on the “Subscribe” button below; also make sure you click all of those social network buttons and share the article with your friends and family as well. You can also follow the Qi Institutes Taoism blog.
Do you have a story, photo or video from your area that would be of interest to Taoists? Feel free to email (TJ@theQiInstitute.com) and they may be included or featured in a National Taoism Examiner article.
Reasons why this Taoism examiner gave up watching football
For a long time, your National Taoism Examiner enjoyed watching and even playing sports. As a child it was a frequent pastime; gathering together with friends for a pickup game of: basketball, football, soccer, tennis, baseball etc…
All across America and most of the world the story is the same, children and young adults love to play sports. Some could argue that there are valuable life lessons being learned: teamwork, discipline, thinking of others more than self, perseverance, value of exercise etc… Recently, the NFL created a program (NFL Play 60) attempting to entice kids to take a break from the computer/video games and go outside to play and exercise. The program even has the full support of the White House.
Every February in the United States, and apparently many countries around the world, millions of people will sit around the TV and partake in the annual Super Bowl tradition, including feast and festivities. Advertisers will spend millions of dollars per 30 second commercial, all hoping to gain our attention as the most memorable product placement of the day.
Children will root for their heroes, and adults will cheer, fight and argue over each play, as if they are in the game themselves. Bookies and gamblers will delight in the odds of winning or losing.
Contradiction?
Is the NFL in particular and professional sports in general (even collegiate) a huge contradiction? How can the NFL create programs to benefit children, while at the same time covering up for some of the most heinous crimes man can commit? The focus is really no longer on the NFL alone, look at the amount of problems facing college athletes, as they are beginning to mirror their professional peers.
What type of society will we create when children grow up following a sport or athletic hero, that encourages the most brutal and animalistic tendencies to not only surface but also flourish? What happens to a game when the object is no longer to win, but to win at all costs, when the organizing body covers up crimes because it will hurt their bottom line, when players and coaches will blatantly cheat even being caught on national TV, with no consequence but a slap on the wrist?
Violent Crime
Lets review some facts of what the NFL has really become. Note, these are only a few to highlight a much larger problem.
“NFL Stars Who’ve Been Charged With Horrible Crimes”:
- Leonard Little: DUI/Vehicular Manslaughter
- Rae Carruth: Conspiracy to Commit Murder
- Chris Terry: Domestic Battery
- Ray Lewis: Murder
- Alonzo Spellman: Terrorizing Passengers on Plane / Simple Assault
- Jim Dunaway: Murder
- Darell Russell: Drugs/ Videotaping a Rape
- Michael Vick: Dog Fighting
- Gene Atkins: Domestic Battery/ Assault on Law Enforcement
- OJ Simpson: Murder/ Robbery/ Kidnapping
- Aaron Hernandez: Murder
According to Reuben Fischer-Baum of deadspin.com:
“By my count, the three most common charges in the NFL database were DUI, assault/battery (including domestic violence), and drug possession, with 72 percent of all incidents including at least one of these charges.”
His research shows that the NFL is far above the national average for crime especially with regards to: weapons, DUI and assault/battery.
The following stats are from research published on besttickets.com and reflects the number of arrests from 2000-2013:
- DUI 185
- Assault 90
- Drugs 84
- Domestic Violence 76
- Alcohol Related 52
- Driving Violations 37
- Weapons Violations 37
- Other 26
- Disorderly Conduct 13
- Sexual Assault 12
- Theft 11
- Traffic Warrants 6
- Animal Abuse 5
- Manslaughter 5
- Hot Checks 4
- Obstruction of Justice 4
- False Info on License 3
- Probation Violation 3
- Burglary 2
- Failure to Appear 2
- Murder 2
- Soliciting a Prostitute 2
- Stalking 2
- Window Tint Violation 2
For a total of 665 arrests over a 13 year period. The research goes on to show that 66% of the crime is “victimless”, and 30% involved violent crime.
507 Arrests in one year
Uscollegeresearch.org has research that shows that the NFL leads all professional sports with violent crime arrests and weapons violations and is second in drug arrests. The NFL had 507 arrests in 2010 alone and Adam “Pacman” Jones led the way with six arrests.
Many of you have probably seen the video of the Baltimore Ravens player Ray Rice almost killing his wife, when he punched her in the face knocking her unconscious and then dragging her limp body out of the elevator. His punishment: no prison, no lifetime ban, the NFL decided to reinstate his ability to play and as many victims do, his fiancée has since become his wife, and came to his defense.
The question of whether art mirrors life or life mirrors art, is of no importance, if the outcome is the same decline in morals and values. At some point people need to have the courage to say enough is enough, and in a system where money talks, sometimes the best answer is to disengage and turn the channel.
So what are the morals that the new NFL is teaching your children and society in general: It does not matter who you are or what crimes you commit, if you can hit real hard, throw the ball real far, and run fast then we have a place for you. Killers, Rapists, Thieves, Stalkers, Drunks, Drug Addicts, Cheaters and Animal Abusers all are welcome, and contrary to their recent advertising campaigns, men who like to beat up women are definitely welcome in the NFL. Oh and if you want to make it to the NFL kids, just follow the above character traits.
Lao Tzu said it best in the Tao Teh Ching:
“The five colors blind the eye.
The five tones deafen the ear.
The five flavors dull the taste.
Racing and hunting madden the mind.
Precious things lead one astray.
Therefore the sage is guided by what he feels and not by what he sees.
He lets go of that and chooses this.”
And with that your National Taoism Examiner has let go of football and invites you to do the same. Turn off the game and pick up a book, spend time with your family or children in an environment conducive to becoming a better person.
Don’t miss another National Taoism Examiner article. Receive e-mail alerts when new articles are available. Just click on the “Subscribe” button below; also make sure you click all of those social network buttons and share the article with your friends and family as well. You can also follow the Qi Institutes Taoism blog.
Do you have a story, photo or video from your area that would be of interest to Taoists? Feel free to email (TJ@theQiInstitute.com) and they may be included or featured in a National Taoism Examiner article.
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