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American Greed

I read a few very interesting books yesterday.  I read A Terrible Thing to Waste by 
  
and The Good Gut by  and .  

Both The Good Gut and A Terrible Thing to Waste are interesting, well researched books.  There is a lot of scientific jargon in the books, so despite clearly attempting to make the information available to the masses, I'm not sure that they succeed.  The books do a decent job of describing the problems, showing the research and then describing steps you can take to make things better.  In the end, I don't feel super excited about the steps to make things better.  The truth is that the issue described is systematic and rather terrifying.  The steps to make things better are small.  Though the resources appear great and helpful, I honestly have doubts about making things work in a real and lasting way.  That leads me to be a bit disappointed in the book. 

It could be the piece where reading these books together leaves a rather bleak view of the inner and outer world of a poor person in America. ( Particularly, black lives.) To look at the lasting impacts of environmental impacts on the mind and bodies of Americans is rather frightening.  That is what these books provide.  A look at decreasing IQs and decreasing microbial environments in the stomachs of the poor (black) Americans.  There is an issue with the "solutions"  described in the books. With A Terrible Thing to Waste, they describe ways to effect systematic damage.  However, they also describe how little these steps have impacted real change through out the book.  The Good Gut describes things you can do in your personal life,  if you have time and money to do so.  

Here I am, wanting to make healthy changes for myself and for others.  I feel as if I'm tilting at windmills.  Changing my own eating and exercise habits leaves me depleted.  I've spent the last 4 days with a migraine and spasms, presumably triggered by changing my sleep/wake schedule to what feels natural, increasing an antidepressant 3 weeks ago, and increasing my exercise.  These healthy changes made it so that I could hardly move without crying, couldn't hold a conversation and struggled to make sense of living.  

Despite it all, I shall continue with my tilting.  I have a neuro appointment this week with my movement disorder neuro to discuss test results and next steps.  I have an appointment with my PCP as well, to review my blood tests and talk about next steps.  Then, next week I have an at home EEG.  I'm also going to call this morning and get my IV hydration and/or toridol shot out in the valley or if I have to go downtown.  Either way, I'm going to get IV hydration and/or toridol this morning to break through this shit and try to set me up for not the worst week ever.  

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