Jim here with another Weird Wednesday.

Recently, at the store, I came across a little plastic tool, priced at $1.49. It was an orange peeler. I’d never heard of such a thing. As someone who eats about 20 oranges/week, I was intrigued. Do you mean to tell me, I thought, that my days of laboriously de-skinning oranges would disappear (those trips to the company bathroom to remove the orange pulp from my fingernails!)?

Well, my friends, I’m here to tell you that it’s true!  A buck-fifty is all that stands between frustration and enjoyment.  Don’t be lured into ridiculous contraptions for sale in the world. Here’s an example:

Puh-lease! Seriously, who’d buy something like that? It would take 20 minutes just to set the thing up in your kitchen. This is a good example of over-thinking a problem, right?

 I can’t find a picture of the one I bought. It looks sort of like a dental tool of some kind. It’s got a small plastic nib for scoring the skin, and then a long, curved plastic arm for sliding under the skin. Basically, you just slide the arm under the skin and rotate it around. Repeat for the bottom half and you’re done. Within about 30 seconds, you’ve got a perfectly peeled orange!

Here’s a similar device, from Amazon:

Mine doesn’t have the weird stuff at the bottom, but I suspect that is just that model’s way of initially scoring the skin.  Anyway, I bought two — a total investment of $3, and I’m covered for all of my citrus indulgences.

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Jim here with another exciting installment of Weird Wednesday. (What, you thought that just because Wendi is out of town this week, we’d have no Weird Wednesday?)

In any discipline, I think it’s important to consider the entire argument in taking a stance on a given issue. Examine each issue from both sides (pro and con) — and then make the best choice you can. That makes sense, right?

Take raw foodism, for example. I always knew it was radical. However, I never knew until today that medical doctors actually have a term for the “condition.”  They call it orthorexia, an unhealthyobsession with eating healthfully. According to the Wikipedia, the condition “can ultimately lead to early death.”

The funny thing is:  If eating healthy can lead to an early death, then isn’t that the same as saying that eating junk food prolongs life? And, if this is the case, should I gain back the 50 pounds I lost and go back on blood pressure medicine?  Should Wendi gain back the 90 pounds she lost and re-experience the joys of high cholesterol, high triglycerides, and the general pre-diabetic state she was flirting with?

Dr. Steven Bratman, coiner of the term, asserts that the condition renders you a pariah. But, is it really that difficult to go out to lunch with friends and order a salad instead of the cheesesteak? Personally, it hasn’t affected me much, aside from keeping my weight in check. Seriously, read those links and weigh in with your opinion, pro or con.

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Jim here with another exciting edition of Weird Wednesday.  You know, each time I say “weird,” I don’t always mean the same thing. Sometimes “weird” means odd or strange. Other times it means funny or ironic. It might also mean unusual or out-of-the-ordinary. Come to think of it, the definition of weird is also weird.

Today, I was thinking about an old friend, Jim Banholzer. He lived next door to Wendi and me when we first moved to the D.C. area in 1991. We all lived in a small “garden apartment” complex in Falls Church, Virginia. Our roommate at the time worked as a leasing agent there, which qualified us for a decent rental discount. I think we paid $800 or so for the place, an upscale 2-bedroom townhome close to the community pool.  Jim lived next door with one of the more unstable people I’ve ever met (and, trust me, that’s saying something).

Anyway, Jim was always into nature, philosophy, and the study of all things Idaho. I believe it was Mr. B. who first introduced me to Robert Bly and Robert Pirsig, the latter of which became a particularly long-lasting obsession of mine. Jim eventually left the hustle & bustle of D.C. to build a new life out West — fresh air, sunshine, amazing birds, and potatoes the size of regulation NFL footballs.

For a while, we kept in touch. I’m pretty sure I saw his apartment on the cover of the National Enquirer at one point in the mid-1990s, a story I’m wondering if he ever blogged about. But then we lost touch for a good decade or maybe more. And then, recently, we bumped into each other online and have begun exchanging emails as though no time had passed at all.  And that’s weird in a good way!

Jim recently sent me a link to a fascinating article entitled “Thunderbird and Trickster.”  Trickster refers to the Heyokas, or “sacred clowns” in Native American societies. These were rare individuals (yet also present in most tribes) who would, for example, ride into battle backwards, laugh during funerals, and behave in ways generally considered inappropriate or “contrary” to the accepted norms.

“You could become heyoka,” according to the piece, “through a vision of the Thunderbird, or just of lightning or a formidable winged being of power.” The article notes that, “[h]owever insulting or sacrilegious heyoka actions might be, they were tolerated, since it was assumed they were acting on the higher and more inscrutable imperatives of the Great Mystery.”

Which brings me to the weirdness I’m considering today. I wonder if, speaking purely food-wise, there aren’t multiple extreme paths toward this elusive Great Mystery. One could certainly view the raw food movement as “contrary.” However, when banded together (as many raw foodists tend to do through social networking and various meet-ups), the “diet” becomes the norm — which, arguably, could render the opposite “diet” (i.e. carnivorous) the heyoka perspective.

Interestingly, Wendi’s brother is the closest person I know to embodying the highest number of contrary behaviors (diet and otherwise). A die-hard carnivore (and I mean pure carnivore, not “omnivore”) to the bitter end, who’s to say that my brother-in-law is not acting on the aforementioned “inscrutable imperatives of the Great Mystery”?

I’m not sure which one of them is the heyoka, come to think of it.

And then I got to wondering about what kind of tribe member I would be if I were Native American.  Frankly, I know relatively little about the culture. But, it’s pretty much common knowledge that there are chiefs, warriors, and medicine men.  I didn’t see myself as any of those. The heyoka didn’t seem very me-like, either, at first.  But then I looked them up on Wikipedia and noticed this snippet:

… they are the only ones who can ask “Why?” about sensitive topics and employ satire to question the specialists and carriers of sacred knowledge or those in positions of power and authority.

Wow, that IS me. That’s almost all I ever do — ask “why.” And, I know that’s extremely weird because few others ever seem to care “why.” But, caring “why” can lead you to great things — like making rational choices in your daily life when it comes to diet.

I suppose the weirdest aspect of this entre post is it’s lack of a solid point. But, then again, how contrary of me to ramble!

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Jim here with another installment of Weird Wednesday…

Throughout the year, I go through various phases of fruit preferences. Right now, it’s citrus. I eat probably four large grapefruits per day (dark reds). The darker the red the better, IMHO. I can get quite disappointed when the grapefruits are listed as “ruby red” but turn out to be just regular pink ones.  I’ve noticed that the ones I like the most have an orangish tint to them, as though they’ve been left to ripen on the bush a little too long.  Also, the best ones I’ve had this year have been from Texas.  So, find yourself some burnt-looking Texan grapefruits & enjoy the blood-red bitter-sweetness!

Now onto my topic… Also big on my citrus obsession of late are oranges.  The local supermarket has been getting ginormous shipments, for some reason.  Around Christmas time, they offered navel oranges (the best variety, IMHO) for $1.92/dozen!  Funny, the stores are practically giving away nutrition and no one’s buying it!!!  Lately, they’ve increased in price, but they’re still a bargain at three for 99 cents.

Of course, that’s for conventional oranges. Wendi won’t touch them, as she’s 100% organic. But me?  I like to get some pesticide action from time to time, just to keep my body used to the environment.  I think I read somewhere that there’s a danger in getting your system “too clean.” Like, Wendi’s going to bite into a conventional apple one day and … well, I shudder to think of the consequences.

 So, where was I?  Oh yes… oranges.  So, the following scenario happens about once per week:  I’m sitting in my office peeling a few oranges and someone walks by and remarks, “Oh, so YOU’re the one with the oranges.”  Sometimes it’s slightly accusatory (although I’m unsure why, considering the others’ wonderfully redolent contributions such as microwaved fish!). Other times it’s complimentary (as though they’d like one, too).  When it’s the latter, I say, “You want one?”

“No, but they smell good.”

I don’t know… Maybe there isn’t anything weird about it at all. But, if people think oranges smell so good (which they do!), then why don’t they eat more of them?

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Man must cease attributing his problems to his environment, and learn again to exercise his will – his personal responsibility. ~Albert Einstein. 

Jim here with another wonderful edition of Weird Wednesday. Here’s something I find a little weird about food (and, I apologize in advance if this comes off a little preachy).

See, I work in an office and sit rather close to the corporate kitchenette. Routinely, people bring in junk food to set out for everyone — cookies, donuts, cakes, pastries, pies, candy bars, nut rolls, cheesecakes, summer sausages, cheese cubes, fondues, etc. The thought seems to be that, in putting these things out for everyone, you’re showing you care for them. Offering large servings of concentrated fats and refined sugar is viewed as a favor, as an altruistic service for your fellow coworkers. But this odd fact isn’t even the weird aspect of my post (although, now that I think of it, that is pretty weird).

What I find weird is the universal reaction to these items. Rarely does anyone say, ”Oh, man, look at the awesome cinnamon rolls!” or “Hey, this bundt cake is outstanding!”  What they say (usually half-jokingly) is, “Awwww, now who’s to blame for this?!!!” or “Why’d someone have to bring in this pie?! Now I’m going to have to have a slice” or “I really shouldn’t be eating these carbs, but…”

Don’t get me wrong: They eagerly devour the junk food. But there’s a subtle vibe present in their chronic rationalizations — a certain resistance to accepting responsibility for their actions, an implied presumption that they have no volition at all, a careless surrendering to anything that crosses their path. 

Look, I’m certainly not the healthiest guy in the world (not yet, anyway) — and I understand that moderation is generally a time-honored approach to relative longevity as it relates to dietary best practices – so I’m hesitant to get overly preachy. But, IMHO, the question is not, “Who’s to blame for bringing in this cheesecake?” It’s: “Who’s to blame for eating the cheesecake?”

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And you thought Apple Cider Vinegar was tough to pin down?  Ever come across the whole fluoride controversy?

A Google search on “fluoride” returns 6,300,000 results.

A Google search on “fluoride toothpaste” returns 246,000 results.

A Google search on “fluoride water” returns 351,000 results.

A Google search on “fluoride benefits” returns 1,080,000 results.

A Google search on “fluoride dangers” returns 72,300 results.

A Google search on “fluoride good” returns 2,710,000 results.

A Google search on “fluoride bad” returns 1,210,000 results.

A Google search on “fluoride Hitler” returns 49,100 results. (Seriously… Isn’t that strange?  According to the Internet — on which everything is most assuredly true – Adolf Hitler used fluoride to control the masses.)

A Google search on “fluoride God” returns 295,000 results.

A Google search on “fluoride devil” returns 96,000 results.

Clearly, there’s a controversy lurking herein. What do you make of it?  Are you pro-fluoride or anti-fluoride? Come on… don’t tell us you don’t even have a philosophical position on this highly divisive issue! Do you gargle the stuff or filter it from your household water? Is it a miracle cure or harbinger of death?

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Jim here with another intriguing installment of Weird Wednesday. Look, I’m a hugefan of gigantic, mondo salads. If you (well, not raw foodists but most SAD-diet Americans) were to visit our house at lunch time, you’d likely think that the individual salads on our table are as big as the salads bowls put out for entire families (for those few families, relatively speaking, that serve any salad at all these days, that is).

Seriously, when I have enough prep time, I like to pile ‘em high with organic green leaf (though I’ll take red leaf or romaine frequently), tomatoes, carrots, onions, peppers, apple slices, pepitos, sunflower seeds, raisins — basically everything but the kitchen sink.

Then, when they’re ready to serve, there’s the whole “dressing” issue in our household. Wendi’s big on olive oil (first cold pressed, thank you very much) and lemon juice.  Historically, I’ve always been a Balsamic vinegar (hold the oil) kind of guy. The kid? She’s usually a vinegar & oil lover (not surprising, as she likes mixing what both of her parents eat).

A few months back, though, I started reading the ingredients on the Balsamic stuff.  It had a little caramelized sugar in it and, while it was a minor ingredient, I figured I’d take a look around to see what else is lingering in the marketplace.  That’s when I discovered Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar.  I bought a bottle on spec and never looked back.

Ostensibly, it seemed like a good choice. From a raw foods perspective, it is marketed as “alive” with beneficial enzymes and so forth. It also had no added sugar and was made from organic apples.  It was also super cheap (just $2/bottle, which lasts a long time). Plus, there were/are all sorts of claims going back to antiquity related to its general healing nature (esp. for weight loss/weight control).

Admittedly, there were a few issues I never got my head completely around — such as whether it’s (1) just acidic, or (2) acidic in nature yet somehow alkalizing to the body.  But, I came to love the stuff. And so did the kid… We drown our salads in it regularly. But maybe it’s not so great for you after all. And, be warned: The following observations are painfully unscientific – but still worth sharing since this is, after all, WEIRD WEDNESDAY.

So, yesterday, Wendi ate the rest of Kerala’s lunchtime salad — which, for the first time, exposed her (Wendi’s) body to apple cider vinegar.  Everything seemed fine… But then this morning, Wendi woke up not feeling so great (including, notably, sore joints).

Now, normally, this would be just one of those things, but I’ve also noticed regularly sore joints over the past few months. My right elbow and knee in particular always seem a little painful. I’d been wondering, given the millions of reports of how diets rich in raw foods are especially good for inflammatory illnesses: How is it that I’m having joint pain?  If I should be “healed” from anything, you’d think joint pain would be the first to go, right?

So, I ask you:  Could this be related to apple cider vinegar?  Just out of curiosity, I looked up vinegar in Douglas Graham’s “80-10-10 Diet” book and was quite surprised to read his assertion that vinegar (any kind) is actually “a toxin.” Good lord… and I LOVE the stuff!!!

So, is it a panacea or a toxin?  Well, the jury’s out on this little controversy — even WebMD has no real position on the matter.  I’m going to do an experiment, though. I’m switching, for now, to lemon juice. I’ll let you know if I notice a difference.

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According to Mike Adams of NewsTarget.com:

“Many Florida oranges are actually dipped in an artificial orange dye in order to make them more visually appealing. It’s the same dye that’s been banned for use in foods because of cancer risk.”

Isn’t that weird? Are oranges not already beautiful enough? Do we really need to give them an artificial orange color to entice us to eat them?

I’m sure most people, if they stop to think about it, will realize how silly it is that a natural fruit has to be artificially colored for us to think it’s appealing enough to pick up and eat. Is this the way of the future? Is lettuce not green enough for you? Here, let’s give it a bath in some green dye so that it will jump out at you in the grocery store.

Of course, it all comes from the need to compete with all of the packaged foods most people have grown accustomed to eating. They are filled with artificial colors, flavors, and all kinds of chemicals. Our bodies get confused after seeing and eating such foods over extended periods of time.

I’m a bit into the oranges lately, can you tell? I’m super excited about the case of organic, freshly picked and perfectly ripe ones arriving any day! When they arrive, I’ll be sure to share a picture of them with all of you. Sure, they might not be bright orange like the Dyekist ones, but I’m sure they’ll have a natural sun-kissed beauty that can’t be beat!

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Just a few brief thoughts for you this Weird Wednesday…

Of all the species on this Earth, it’s weird that no other animals besides people cook their food. Similarly, of all the species on this Earth, it’s weird that no other animals besides people drink the milk of other animals.

Maybe we’re not “supposed” to cook our foods. Maybe we’re not “supposed” to ingest dairy products. What do you think?

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Jim here with a weird little story for today… I was at a business seminar early this morning and someone I know came up behind me at the buffet and said, “I’m getting in line behind you to see what you eat. You’ve lost weight and I want to lose weight, too.”

“Well, it’s no secret,” I replied. “Just chow down on all of this great fruit they have.” (I’d already piled my plate high with honeydew, cantaloupe, pineapple, and strawberries.)

“Oh,” he said, in a rather disappointed tone. “Nah, you can keep that stuff.”  He then proceeded to hit the muffins and pastries. 

I guess I consider it sad, but also a little weird, when people desperately want to know the answer to a burning question but then dislike the painfully obvious answer once it’s given.

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Just a quick post on what may or may not be considered “weird” for our inaugural “Weird Wednesday” post.  According to a few web sites I checked, around 3% of the population (and I’m assuming this means U.S. population) is vegetarian.  It looks like maybe 1% (possibly a little more) is vegan. Of every 100 vegans, how many do you suppose are raw foodists? (Actually, I’m asking; I didn’t find any solid answer to that.) Maybe 1 of every 100 vegans? What do you think?

Here’s a painfully unscientific, yet still slightly educated guess:

 300,000,000  (approx. U.S. population)
     9,000,000  vegetarians (3%)
     3,000,000  vegans (1/3 of all vegetarians)
           30,000  raw (1% of all vegans)

Again, please don’t cite this in any scholarly writing because it’s all guesswork. But, even if it’s in the ballpark, there could be 30,000 raw foodists running around the U.S. alone. That rounds out to around one hundredth of one percent of the population.

While this may seem quite minuscule (and, sure, it would be a major coincidence to meet another raw foodist simply by chance), on the world scale (with its 6.6 billion people), that would amount to 660,000 raw foodists.

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