Day thirtysix begins

I am now reading The Pleasure Trap in earnest. Another most interesting book.

The basic idea behind this book is that people attempt to optimize their lives by increasing pleasure and minimizing pain while also minimizing effort. In a natural context, this is a very reasonable approach to survival. Pleasure and pain are hardwired to cause us to seek a mate, nourish ourselves, get as much rest as possible, and avoid injury and disease. All of this programming results in an optimally healthy and robust life.

In a modern context it does not work. An excessive supply of highly caloric, high fat, animal-based food combined with a sedentary lifestyle wrecks havoc on the average American. In the process, the medical industry engages in the Reduce Pain strategy which prescribes symptomatic relieving medication for the resulting health problems. This is The Pleasure Trap. Following our instinctive survival pathways in the modern context is killing us.

The solution is to discipline the body, reducing or eliminating the consumption of animal products, refined fats and carbohydrates, and salt, and increase the consumption of natural, whole, plant based foods. This requires the exercise of denial. There is no doubt that processed Western foods are delicious. There is nothing more tasty than french fries, Snickers bars, ice cream and the like. Further, the sedentary lifestyle is definitely more comfortable and appealing than one with a lot of physical activity, which is simply not comfortable.

What is required is that we escape from the Pleasure Trap. I have not reached that point yet, but will update you more when I get there.

Today, I have had a blended salad smoothie consisting of blueberries, banana, kiwi, blackberries, frozen spinach, ground flaxseed and soymilk. My plan is to go down to the office and have a big salad for lunch. Jon and I are planning on working out tonight.

I will commence fasting at midnight Thursday night, a bit over 2 days from now.

More later.