Anchors Away or Laughing Gas Musings
Yesterday I went to the dentist for a little procedure, and I was given nitrous oxide- otherwise known as laughing gas.
Now I won't bore you with the inner psychedelic details of what happens in the brain when you're given laughing gas as an anesthesia- suffice it to say that it has nothing whatsoever to do with laughing.
But it has a lot to do with losing your anchors- which, depending on the circumstances, can be very relaxing or very frightening.
Which got me thinking.
We all have "anchors"-- unexamined truths by which we live, "fixed principles" that allow us to go through the business of life without having to stop and think about each little detail. Many of these are socially agreed upon customs that live in the background of our lives:
But in light of recent events, this is a great time to look at some of our unexamined anchors, and consider what might happen if they were not as true as we think.
For example:
Beginning to get my drift?
How about these:
I've been thinking a lot about these "anchors" because I'm currently working on the new, revised edition of "Living the Low Carb Life", my 2004 book which will be re-released in 2009, possibly with a new title (I'm lobbying for "Low Carb 3.0- what we've learned since Atkins, or "Low Carb 3.0- It's not your father's low-carb!")
There are a ton of anchors in the health field, many of which I'm exploring in the book:
You get the drift.
But this whole thing about anchors really intrigues me. I've met more than a few male friends who, now divorced, told me they had no idea that their wives were unhappy. The divorce action took them completely by surprise (most divorces are initiated by women) because one of their anchors- "everything's fine"- became unmoored.
So I propose an exercise:
When you have time, write down 10 of the "anchors" that you live by. Things that you take for granted. Things that you think are absolutely true about you and your life. They can be in the area of health, relationships, spirituality, work, or any other area.
Then spend a moment and examine them.
Ask yourself- is this really true? How do I know? And if it weren't true- or was less true than I thought (i.e. maybe my kids don't think I pay much attention to what's important to them)- then ask yourself this:
What could I do- right now- to make it better?
Remember what Socrates said: "The unexamined life is not worth living".
Maybe this is a good time to do a little examining.
Now I won't bore you with the inner psychedelic details of what happens in the brain when you're given laughing gas as an anesthesia- suffice it to say that it has nothing whatsoever to do with laughing.
But it has a lot to do with losing your anchors- which, depending on the circumstances, can be very relaxing or very frightening.
Which got me thinking.
We all have "anchors"-- unexamined truths by which we live, "fixed principles" that allow us to go through the business of life without having to stop and think about each little detail. Many of these are socially agreed upon customs that live in the background of our lives:
- people stop at red lights
- the mailman delivers the mail
- and so on.
But in light of recent events, this is a great time to look at some of our unexamined anchors, and consider what might happen if they were not as true as we think.
For example:
- My money is safe in the bank.
- My investments will be there when I need them.
- The value of my house is going up.
Beginning to get my drift?
How about these:
- My wife (husband) is basically happy with our relationship.
- I spend "a lot" of time with my kids.
- I'm a good listener.
I've been thinking a lot about these "anchors" because I'm currently working on the new, revised edition of "Living the Low Carb Life", my 2004 book which will be re-released in 2009, possibly with a new title (I'm lobbying for "Low Carb 3.0- what we've learned since Atkins, or "Low Carb 3.0- It's not your father's low-carb!")
There are a ton of anchors in the health field, many of which I'm exploring in the book:
- "Saturated fat is bad for you"
- "Cholesterol predicts heart disease"
- "Low carb diets are unhealthy"
You get the drift.
But this whole thing about anchors really intrigues me. I've met more than a few male friends who, now divorced, told me they had no idea that their wives were unhappy. The divorce action took them completely by surprise (most divorces are initiated by women) because one of their anchors- "everything's fine"- became unmoored.
So I propose an exercise:
When you have time, write down 10 of the "anchors" that you live by. Things that you take for granted. Things that you think are absolutely true about you and your life. They can be in the area of health, relationships, spirituality, work, or any other area.
Then spend a moment and examine them.
Ask yourself- is this really true? How do I know? And if it weren't true- or was less true than I thought (i.e. maybe my kids don't think I pay much attention to what's important to them)- then ask yourself this:
What could I do- right now- to make it better?
Remember what Socrates said: "The unexamined life is not worth living".
Maybe this is a good time to do a little examining.
Jonny Bowden, PhD, C.N.S. is a nationally known expert on weight loss, nutrition and health and is the author of several best-selling books.
"Low Carb 3.0- what we've learned since Atkins" is the better choice of the two possible titles you mentioned, in my opinion. Atkins was moving in the right direction, but I think an examination of new discoveries in relation to nutrition since the Atkin craze began is very important... sounds like a great project!
thank you! it's my favorite too- but believe it or not it only makes sense to people who have and use computers a lot. Many people across the country don't know what 3.0 might mean..
but we're pushing for it!
thanks for the support
warmly
jb
Very cool to hear about the revised edition. I love all your books, but that one is my favorite because it really shaped my diet philosophy and inspired me to pursue nutrition as a career. Not to mention your brilliant and meticulous research that manages to be both scholarly and extremely accessible at once (no easy feat). Not too long ago in my biochemistry class we studied the glycolysis pathway. What happens to acetyl CoA if there's no oxaloacetate (such as in a low-carb diet) and it can't enter the Kreb's cycle, I wondered. Couldn't find the answer anywhere, including my textbook. But there it was in LTLCL: our liver converts the acetyl CoA to ketones. For all your hard work and passion, thanks Jonny!
Looking forward to acquiring another one of your excellent books :-) I think that what you teach and how you propose that people take control of their own lives is truly an inspiration; daily, I try to render the same outlook and philosophy to the people around me.
I always wondered why the human body didn't come with its own "instruction manual"?!? Would probably make people realize just how much of a mess they are creating, for the majority anyways...
I would have to say that you do the best job of anyone out there in offering this "manual", and I think I've read just about every book on nutrition!!!
It's a pleasure and a blessing to be exposed to your knowledge; thank you!!!
By Dr. Douglas S. Graham... Don't necessarily like his idea of the optimal diet, but I do like this:
The One Car Theory
What if you only had one car? It would be issued to you by the government when you turned eighteen.
Any automobile of your choice. That auto would be your only auto and would have to last you for an entire lifetime. If it wore out, it could not be replaced. Once gone, you would be reduced to other methods of getting around, or borrowing rides from other people. One car and only one for your whole life.
Would you take care of your car, or would you abuse it?
Would you change the oil regularly, keep it clean, park it in a garage?
Of course you would take the best care you possibly could of your vehicle. No going out to the drag races on Friday night. Only premium fuel for your motor. Tune-ups, antifreeze, lubrications, maintenance, always you would choose nothing but the best for your automobile.
Would you let your auto sit idly for a year? Never.
Would you push it to the limits to find out how fast it could go, or what the roughest terrain is that it could possibly handle? Absolutely not.
If you were given only one car for a lifetime of use it is clear that you would never abuse it, you would always take the best care of it you possibly could. You would provide all the necessary maintenance and care your car needed and deserved. Right?
What if you only had one body?
thanks to both of you for your inspirational comments and for all your support.
warmly
jb
Amy Dungan linked to you from her Healthy Low Carb Living site and I found you! I don't know how I missed out on this great site all this time. I've linked to you permanently from my blog. :-)
Why thank you so much Jennifer!
warmly
jb
You're welcome. :-)
I'll admit I was curious about the "3.0", so asked my husband and also one of my sons - they are both techies - since I didn't have a clue. This is what Daniel, my eldest son (24)said:
"Maybe it's a reference to Web 2.0? I haven't heard Web 3.0 being
tossed around yet, but I guess it's better.
Web 2.0 is about rich client applications like Gmail, or my game. See
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2.0
It's a major internet buzzword."
Is he right? :-) I think you have a point - some people won't know what that means. Somewhere on the back cover or inside flap, you'll need to clarify the title a bit more perhaps - although the next bit of the title is pretty clear.
All the best with you new book - sounds super! I will want one copy for sure.
As a former (and still at-heart) techie, I like the Low-Carb 3.0...but agree some won't "get" it.
Have you considered "Low-Carb Redux: What We've Learned Since Atkins"...or for those who don't know their Latin, "Low-Carb Revisited: What We've Learned Since Atkins"
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