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How much are you prepared to suffer in the name of health?

ONLY NICE THINGS

19:36 / 06.03.03

So, right now, I haven't smoked or drunk for a week, and have just checked the CD-ROM of the Alan whatsisname course that everyone recommends out of the library. I have bought several veggetable soups for no better reason than that they pronise to give me three of my five recommended etc (motherfuckers don't count potatoes - did you know that). I opted against dried fruit muesli, choosing instead fruit and nut musli for the extra trace elements, and, on top of all that, I am drinking a thick green substance the USP of which appears to be spirulina algae.

How much is health ruining your life?

20:20 / 06.03.03

I don't know, why are you drinking algae? People have been fine for centuries without drinking algae. It sounds like a great big have to me.

Health is not ruining my life at the moment, but lack of health probably will do soon... had it not been for Flowers coming to see me this weekend, I wouldn't have had a drink until tonight (post-seminar glass of nasty wine and only had one pint at the w/e); I haven't had a cigarette for a week, so I should be fine: but diet consists of filthbread and honey and filthcoffee so I have a nasty feeling that the tickle in my throat will develop into a cold very soon.

I must say, if you don't like it, why bother? If it's not fun, why do it? Unless you are secretly enjoying your ascetic lifestyle, of course. Just don't try to do the scourge thing...

ONLY NICE THINGS

20:32 / 06.03.03

Actually, the algae is delish, although I think this is probably the apple, white grape and pineapple juice that provides the base rather than the algae itself. In fact, now that I've seen the ingredients list I can just get my algae wholesale and make smoothies.

I was rather surprised by the algae part myself, truth to tell - I assumed it was wheatgrass. As for enjoyment - lack of booze has strangely little effect on my life, but the not smoking is occasioning the odd twinge of frustrated desire....

Besides which, I'm not actually doing much exercise, so I am only really consuming the bits of health that take up money rather than time...

20:36 / 06.03.03

I don't mind not smoking if I'm not drinking, you see... ask me this time next week and you will get a very different picture. Your stuff sound rather like the health equivalent of expensive interior decoration items for those who feel bad because they never spend any time at home (you know what I mean, don't you? - Guardian Weekend stuff)

What is this spirulina algae meant to do for you, then?

21:22 / 06.03.03

Eating good food, staying off the booze and fags, and getting a bit of exercise... and this you call "suffering in the name of health"?

No, my son. Suffering in the name of health is the uncontrollable vomiting of chemotherapy, all the while shaking because your core temperature is lowered what with the drugs being dripped into your veins ice-cold, these potent toxins that are killing cells both cancerous and healthy—subjecting yourself to the shock of poison because it's possibly your only shot at getting your carcinoma into remission. That's suffering in the name of health.

It sounds to me like you've got your health, and you're just doing a little light lifting to help maintain what you've got. Which is a drag, and I sympathize: but "suffering" it ain't. A little perspective, please.

21:52 / 06.03.03

Is there any scientific reason why potatoes are not included in the five daily rations? Or is it like that old thing where potatoes are "bad" because they are "starchy"?

Come to think of it, what is the deal with the algae? Has there ever been an experiment that proves it's good for you? Or did they just look at whales and say, "hey, they live a long time, what do they eat?"

I mean, sure, there are some things that aren't good for you (says he, sucking on a rollie), but it's all just to get you to buy stuff, isn't it?

Less searchable M0rd4nt

21:58 / 06.03.03

Is it the algae in and of itself that bothers you, or what the algae represents?

Y'know, you can make nicer (and cheaper) muesli if you do it yourself. Get the biggest Tupperware box you can find. Buy bulk-packs of oats and trail-mix and nuts and all the bits you like, then throw them in the Tupperware box and give it a good shake. If you can be arsed, soaking the stuff in milk overnight makes the chewing easier.

22:08 / 06.03.03

What does algae represent?

22:17 / 06.03.03

I am willing to do nothing. But I don't smoke or drink heavily as it is, so my nothing isn't too terrible. However, since I found out yesterday that I don't have health insurance for a while, I'm treating the mortal coil a lot more gingerly. No more cavalier running with scissors in both hands for me.

Goodness Gracious Meme

22:18 / 06.03.03

In answer to yr last abstract question: because you like being able to ask people why you're drinking algae?

And what Mordant said about muesli also applies to soup, much healthier(and cheaper) to make a big vat of and fridge/freeze it, if you're that bothered about nutrition.

Mind you, are you actually asking how much one is prepard to change one's routine in the name of health? Or which aspects of life one leans towards using(eg, as you've identified, consuming more healthily is one method... is this of a pattern with your other priorities?) when one is thinking health-wise about one's life.

And I'm interested in yr inclusion of alcohol in here. As, unlike fags, *any* consumption of which is unhealthy, the odd beer/glass of wine *isn't* unhealthy per se.

Less searchable M0rd4nt

22:19 / 06.03.03

What does algae represent?

Health freakyness, maybe? I had an aquaintance who couldn't stop smoking because of Demolition Man.

Goodness Gracious Meme

22:32 / 06.03.03

Unusual/kooky/(expensive?), sci-fi/slightly fetished/futuristic healthfreakinessperhaps?

Eg healthyness is also represented by wholewheat bread, steamed vegetables and plenty of greens, but it's a substantially different sort of healthyness.

And I'm not getting on a high horse here, I take echinacea and I suspect it has much the same connotations.

22:37 / 06.03.03

Mordant: Oh, yeah. The day you start drinking algae—and liking it—is like
the day you find yourself carefully studying the literature on several different brands of lawnmower, preparing to purchase one of your own; there's that sense of Holy shit, this is me, this is what my life has become. I'm a guy with a lawnmower. Lawnmower Guy: Mr. Suburbia.

I imagine there was an element of that in your recent reiki attunement? I judged, from the way you described it in your blog, that you were excited and psyched, but at the same time felt a little defensive and weird about it—as if you feared, somehow, that by getting your reiki thing done, you had become That Sort Of Person.

Sounds like Haus is worried that he may be becoming The Sort Of Person Who Drinks Spirulina Algae. I'm here to say that there are worse fates.

Goodness Gracious Meme

22:39 / 06.03.03

or perhaps it has 'new age hippy' connoations that Haus is uncomfortable with?

Less searchable M0rd4nt

22:42 / 06.03.03

You mean, The Sort of Person who uncritically belives everything they read in The Celestine Prophesy? Yeah, there was a bit of that.

ONLY NICE THINGS

22:43 / 06.03.03

BiP - you may remember why this happy talk of perspective is probably a little inappropriate; Jack doesn't, and as such is only being portentous and somewhat gratuitous, rather than deliberately offensive, which is on the whole a good thing.

Meanwhile, back at the light-hearted thread about the eccentrities of the middle-class health guilter, the bottle is actually pretty unforthcoming on why it has put algae into the mix:

Blue green algae and other green foods have been nourishing the planet for thousands of years. Now Mega Green blends several delicious fruit juices with the power of these green foods - only the highest quality spirulina along with chorella, barley and wheat grasses are included.

From which we conclude that

a) algae on its own tastes like shit.
b) there is some way to distinguish low-quality algae from high-quality algae
c) some people, when you say "green food" think of algae, whereas I might go for broccoli or perhaps lime jelly. Actually, there's broccoli in there. And royal jelly. Is this what Batman drinks?
d) they actually did look at the whales and work backwards. Manure nourishes the earth, but I'm not sure I'd drink it.

And the company is based in Battersea. Quelle surprise.

The Return Of Rothkoid

23:43 / 06.03.03

I'm just waiting for Icke to link algae to the Lizards.

Less searchable M0rd4nt

23:52 / 06.03.03

In the UK, there's a bit of a Catch-22 situation as regards food supplements. If you want to claim that your pills and potions confer some kind of health benefit, you have to be able to back this up with medical evidence. However, if you get too beneficial then you might find that you're not selling a health supplement anymore-- you're selling a medicine. Manufacterers therefore choose to cut through this Gordian knot by putting complete and utter twaddle on their lables and hoping to hell that the punters will be able to guess which supplement goes with which ailment.

Less searchable M0rd4nt

00:38 / 07.03.03

Oh, and all you boiz ought to be eating your broccoli. Also cabbage, cauliflower, and other cruciferae. There's this whole prostate thing.

12:40 / 07.03.03

Jack ...is only being portentous and somewhat gratuitous, rather than deliberately offensive...

Your faith in me is touching.

ONLY NICE THINGS

12:45 / 07.03.03

Well, I have faith that, rather than being so singularly insensitive as to flag up "well, be thankful you don't have CANCER!" knowing, apart from anything else, nothing very much about what may or may not be going on in my life, purely to offend, you were just indulging in that singularly I've-read-Hemingway pastime of stomping around demanding that everyone pays attention to you and then, once you have the attention, spitting over them about how inauthentic their experiences of life are.

In general, I'd rather believe somebody was dim rather than malicious any day of the week.

13:06 / 07.03.03

Apologies.

Painful protracted death from cancer tends to be rather on my mind in early March, as we approach the anniversary of my father's death (fifteen years ago next week).

But that's my life, not yours—of which I don't know enough to comment with any authority.

Of course, I'm hardly alone in my ignorance of your particular circumstances; which rather begs the question of why you're asking us.

13:08 / 07.03.03

(But alas, I've never read Hemingway.)

ONLY NICE THINGS

13:12 / 07.03.03

Well, for fun. Because it was another attempt to balance out the spiky, scratchy threads, for which see also K-C C's "favourite chocolate bar" joint. Because, be honest, if you suddenly discovered you were drinking frickin' algae, you'd want a reality check.

I'm sorry for your loss, and for provoking unhappy thoughts.

13:19 / 07.03.03

I only want you to be happy, my brother. If you only opened your heart to the goodness and the beauty that surrounds you at all times, all would be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things will be well.

Of course, if we all did that, we'd have nothing to complain about.
And that would be no fun.

Never mind. Scratch that plan.

13:38 / 07.03.03

Besides which, I'm not actually doing much exercise, so I am only really consuming the bits of health that take up money rather than time...

LOL, oh dear... just the other day I was so sorely tempted to buy a little Office Spa book to match my little Office Yoga book, and only remembered at the last minute that I have never actually done any yoga at the office. Not even the easy stretches that you can do right in your chair.

13:46 / 07.03.03

all would be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things will be well.

And I am right, and you are right, and everything is quite all right.

Whisky Priestess

14:26 / 07.03.03

I bought the Stephen Appleby Secret Expressions of Cats book (£1.99). But to be fair
a) anything Stephen Appleby does is fantastic and
b) it wasn't for me.

And Haus, drinking algae, along with preferring herbal tea, doing T'ai-Chi and getting a personal trainer, is a sign that
a) you are beginning to realise that you might not be immortal and
b) you have too much time and money on your hands.
Just ask Nick.

14:31 / 07.03.03

Mm. There's a great line in the Pema Chödron book I'm reading: "Do not think for a moment that you are not going to die."

15:28 / 07.03.03

"And royal jelly. Is this what Batman drinks?"

It's part of what causes bee larve to differentiate into queen bees instead of worker bees. So, assuming that you live in a hexagonal cell made of beeswax, I urge you to get as much as you can.

16:06 / 07.03.03

I am drinking a huuuge banana and strawberry smoothie. That's as far as I intend ever to go on the health-inducing activities front.

I admire your inspiring alginate sleekness but I have more lovely sausages to fry for tea, so shall soon resemble a giant sea slug and will have to settle for dying suddenly with a smile on my face and grease on my chin. It's a marvel I've lived this long, frankly, so I intend to push my luck.

13:14 / 09.03.03

or perhaps it has 'new age hippy' connoations that Haus is uncomfortable with?

That's what I'd have said.