WE ARE WHAT WE EAT 🐈 🐈

(circa. 20 August 2024)

 

 

"WE" ARE WHAT WE EAT

  

I finally found a Subject to write about which is NOT a Modern Human Quality nor a Characteristic, yet is an example of a "Resource" that All Species' Survival depends on. Modern Humans have developed "Systems" to "Classify" Resources to be able to (2) Use it as a Mechanism for Trade between Countries; and (2) Define a Country's Development based the Influence of "Resources" on a Country's Economy. Every Country and every Society had Agriculture as the Main "driver" for the Country's Economy at some point in time, then other Resources started to influence Economies, like Oil, Gold, Diamonds and so on. Some Countries' Development and Economies are still mainly dependant on Agriculture, while Developed Countries are more driven by Industrial and Technological Development. The point is that Every Living Species on Earth, Fauna and flora, depends on the Supply of Food Resources and it can either allow a Species to thrive or go extinct. The MOST Important aspect regarding "Food" is that as a "Resource", it Automatically implies that there is a "Relationship" between the "Demand and Supply" of this Resource and Humans sometimes forget that there are Other Species on Earth, relying on similar Resources for their Survival. The Development of Technologies to increase the Supply of Food, often at the peril of Other Species, drove certain Species to extinction. 

 

I looked for a way to explain the different aspects of Food, NOT only from a Human context, but for all Living Organisms. Keeping in mind that Food is not related to the Intelligence of Living Organisms. I eventually developed my own Model:

  

    

Figure 1: My Food Cycle

 

The Model Explained:

To "Produce" Food, Space is required. Previous Human Species were at first "Hunter -Gatherers" that Hunted Animals or "used" Plants from their Environment as a Resource to Survive. Humans then started to Migrate to different parts of the World, with different Animals and Plants until the started to Develop "Farms". Farms allowed Humans to grow their own Food, Animals and plants, and they stopped being "Hunter-Gatherers" and Migration came to a halt. Survival of the Species was, as it has always been, paramount and Humans' Development relied their ability to adapt to a different Environment with a different Fauna and Flora. Over the years, Humans Developed Technologies to enable them to Produce more Food than required and (a story on its own) eventually enabling to use Food as a Trading Commodity to benefit Society. What about Other Species, you might ask?

  

My "Model" can actually be applied to any Living Species, Plants or Animals: 

1. Both require space;
2. Both relies on Other Fauna and flora, e.g. Some Plants need animals to ingest their seeds, carrying it miles away, allowing a plant to grow in another environment or a simpler example is the dependence on Pollination by Bees, for instance, for Plants to reproduce;
3. Survival is utterly important for both Fauna and Flora, but not always within their control. Other Species' impact on their Environment can either be beneficial or lead to extinction.
4. Plants and  Animals have been able to adapt to Survive, even though it took Centurions and the Extinction of some Species. Some species just haven't adapted, e.g. The California Redwood Trees being the only living species of their Genus for almost 2 000 years.
5. Plants and Animals don't only use Resources, but are Resources for Other Species, especially Humans who see themselves as being at the "Top of the Food chain".
6. Technology might seem to be irrelevant to Other Species and it is easy to assume that Plants and Animals are not capable of Developing Technology. Technology is not a Modern Concept and not limited to Humans either. Science just use another "word" to describe the Development of Technology in Plants and Animals, Evolution.

 

At the core, the Main Aspect that Influences Food is "Supply and Demand". Every Food related aspect is impacted by a "Supply and Demand":

1. Space: There is a growing Demand for "Space", but the Supply is limited;
2. There is a constant Demand for, and by, Plants and Animals co-existing with each other, leading to Competition between Species because of limited Supply;
3. When a Specie's Demands starts escalating at a Higher Rate than Supply, the Results can be devastating. The Opposite is also true. When Supply Increases and Demand stays relatively constant, it can create a "Favourable Environment" leading to an Increased Growth Rate for a Species. "Everything that goes up, must come down", so when there is a sudden change in the Supply, a Species can end up in an unhealthy situation with "Over Population" being the Major issue.
4. To Adapt implies Change. Changes in Supply and Demand FORCES Species to change as well. Humans seldom pay attention to changes in Other Species, especially plants, but in recent years ONE thing became a Major topic leading to a lot of Scientific research: Bees. Bees are dying out, actually under threat, due to Human Behaviour and Plants rely on Bees for "Procreation". Plants are unable to adapt to this change (evolve) quickly enough and this threatens FOOD Resources, not only for Humans, but Other Species as well;
5. In General, all Living Species have Demands and Supply is Limited. The decline in the Bee Species (as an example again), threatens the Supply of Food Resources for Other Species. One of the First Modern Human's "Achievements" - Farming - has already started to experience the ripple-effect of the decline in the Bee "Population". Farms allowed Humans to Cultivate Land (Space) and grow Crops (plants that can be harvested), amongst other things, to Supply Food. These Plants provide a Food Resource for Other "Animal" Species and people. Some Plants are being labled as "Staple foods", which means it is the Dominant Portion of a Population's Diet, e.g. Rice, Corn (Maize), Wheat or even Potatoes. Other Species are also affected by this decline in the Bee population, because it affects their Food Resources, but they cannot adapt at the same rate, leading to a decline in the Species' Growth and this will eventually impact the Supply of Food Resources Humans require;
6. Scientific Discoveries leads to the Development of New Technology and it is safe to state that only Modern Humans have the Ability to do this, although some Animal Species have the Ability to USE Technology. Keep in mind that Technology, at its Core, is Tools, whether it's a Fork or a Super-Computer. 

  

My Model needs to be relevant and has to include every living Species, whether it's Plants, Animals or Humans. Starting with the facts seems to be logical:

1. All living Species co-exist within a Limited Space - Earth;
2. Each Species' Demands are different, in order to Survive;
3. Nature Supplies certain similar (Limited) Resources to all Living Species, e.g. Rain;
4. Humans regard themselves as being at the Top of the Food Chain with no Other Living Species being a threat to their Survival; and
5. With Intelligence comes Power.

  

A strange Phenomenon occurred when the Increase in the Demand for Technological Development, affected Plants and Other Living Species. To increase the Supply, one Species started to get directly involved in the Development of Other Living Species, by using Technology. Yes - Humans. At the dawn of the 20th Century, some People realized that since there was a limit on certain Resources, like Land to Farm, Technology had to be Developed to "Add Value" to a "Product" and one of these Developments became very popular: Genetically Modified Food (GMF). By Introducing new DNA into certain Plants and Animals, People were able to "enrich" these Living Species by Altering their Nutrient Profile. In Laymen's terms it meant that People were able to get the same Nutritional value, consuming Lower Quantities of a Food Resource. Using limited Resources, like Available Farm Land and Water, Science improved the Quality of Products which affected the Demand. Plants and Animals were Technologically altered to the benefit of People, because of the Rise in Demand and Limited Resources. You will be amazed to find out how many Plants and Animals have been Genetically Modified over the years, here are a few:

• Canola;
• Corn;
• Apples;
• Cotton;
• Papaya;
• Pineapples;
• Soy;
• Potatoes;
• cows;
• Sugar beets;
• Chickens;
• Pigs;
• Mosquitoes;
• Salmon;
• Yellow squash;
• Zucchini;
• and more...

Science also stepped in to "benefit" People on other areas, like adding Fluoride to Drinking Water to prevent Tooth decay. There were also some Political agenda's behind this practice and most People only found out it years later. In 2024 it was estimated that it costs about U.S.$ 1.30 per year to add Fluoride to drinking water, compared to almost U.S.$ 120 on Average for a Dentist to repair Cavities. GMF and Fluoride started to become Political Issues at the dawn of the 21st Century, when People started Questioning its Benefits. As with most things in Economy, New Technology is expensive when it's first introduced on the Market with a Rise in Popularity, it becomes more affordable. This Principle applies to GMF as well. With People questioning the benefits of GMF, a Gap opened up in the Market for "Organic Food". It was a huge Risk, because GMF's were affordable and aimed at the "Working Class". Producing "Organic Food" (OF) was expensive and had to conform to International Regulations, meaning that only a small part of the Local Economy could actually afford O.F.'s and Producers have to rely on Exports. Even though its Popularity started Rising, it is still a niche market with O.F. being sold in only certain Shops to the "Above Average" Middle- and Upper Class.

  

If you were wondering about Viruses by now, as a Living Species, feel free to ignore them, because they lack the basic characteristics required to be defined as a Living Species. Through Science, Taxonomy defined "Viral Species" as "A group of viruses sharing the same genetic information and structure", making it very clear that it's a GROUP, and by using "SHARING" it means the Group consists of Different Individual Viruses, e.g. Herpesviruses (Google it). A Virus binds itself to a Host's DNA, becoming part of the Host's Genetic Structure which is passed on to other generations. It can not exist individually and in some cases it can not exist with other Viruses within the same "Viral Species".

  

OMNIVORES, HERBIVORS AND CARNIVORES

  

It is safe to state that Plants are the biggest Resource for Food for the Other Living Species: Animals and Humans. The Non-Human Living Species' (Animals from now on) survival depends on the Availability and Accessibility of Food Resources. This is important to take note of, because as Humans Developed, they started impacting the Environments of, what People would refer to, "The Animal Kingdom". Humans, being the Predominant Species, Developed things like Hunting, again, affecting the Food Resource of some Animal Species. Not just that, Scientist ESTIMATE that almost 500 Species became Extinct since the start of the 19th Century and by the End of 2024, it is Estimated, another 200 to 2 000 Species will be Extinct, ANUALLY, because of Human actions. Note that it was not stated as being a Direct impact of Human actions, even though some Animal Species have been Hunted to Extinction by People. The Development of Civilization had a Direct impact on Nature, as Cities started forming, requiring more Space. Plant life were destroyed and replaced by "Living and Working Space" for People and, luckily, Governments demarcated zones and implemented Laws for Animals to Survive in a Natural Habitat, e.g. The Kruger National Park. Some areas are still being Ravaged by People, because People are GREEDY and the International Community's calls for "Moderation, Consideration and Protection" means nothing - I'm referring to the Amazon. A piece of useless information, but did you know? There REALLY are more Chickens in the World than Humans, I just didn't know by how far - 8.1 Billion People vs 33 Billion Chickens!

  

Animals are defined by different characteristics and one of those characteristics is based on their Food Resource: Carnivores - Meat Eaters (Hunters); Herbivores - Plant Eaters (Hunted) and Omnivores - A Combination (Hunters and Hunted). This applies to Animals on Land and Water. I asked my 2 besties (Google and Wikipedia) to tell me why Humans should care about the Extinction of Plants and Animals, weird I know, because when someone mentions "Extinction", everyone associates it with something bad and People should "Help" to prevent a Species from becoming Extinct - WHY? I had to ask a few times, in a few different ways, until I got a satisfactory response: "Animals keep plant populations in check to maintain the dynamic and organization of the ecosystem. If animals become extinct, the populations of some plant species will be uncontrolled,, thus compete with and drive other species to extinction. The extinction of these species will in turn allow others to thrive (Reference)." Extinction became more than just a "Bad thing" and "Ecosystem" wasn't something that only existed in a Forest, it includes Cities as well. Referring to my notes, I realized that I forgot to mention another Characteristics associated with animals: Cannibalism. It wasn't on purpose, because Cannibalism refers to an Individual, consuming (eating) another Individual of the Same Species, whether its an Animal, Plant or a Human Species. The description for Extinction started to become more apt. If People do nothing to influence the Ecosystem, no Hunting, no Developing Cities, just NOTHING, Extinction will happen, maybe at a slower Rate, but it will. Some Scientists even argue that an Individual Animal's Loss of Life, will have an impact on the Environment, that's HIS argument. According to the description, Plant Life is kept under control by the Species relying on them for Food or cohabitation, therefore it can be argued that when Animal Species "loose control" over Plant Species, the Plant Species will eventually drive each other to extinction. Ecosystems existed long before the "arrival" of Modern Humans and Animals were being hunted by Other Human and Animal Species as well, therefore it is unfair to blame Modern Humans for the extinction of Species. It is however Modern Humans' Responsibility to prevent a Species from becoming extinct, BUT...

  

Modern Humans Inherited an Ecosystem that was "Controlled" by Other Human and Intelligent Species, with some Scientists arguing that as much as 95% of Living Species were extinct when Modern Humans "Appeared". It's true that Modern Humans can be held Responsible for the extinction of a lot of Living Species, but which Species should be Protected or NOT Protected in the 21st century? If the description is correct, then it is Possible that People's Intervention in an Ecosystem could lead to a Living Species "driving out" another Living Species, allowing them to thrive. I can't recall exactly when and where it happened, but there was an Island that was infected by an Over-population of Rats. The People decided upon a "Natural Solution" and "Imported" Cats to "Hunt" the Rats, by hopefully reducing the Rat-population. Instead, the Cat-population started thriving, because there was ample Food Resources - Rats. The Island ended up with 2 "Natural Disasters": An over-population of Rats AND an over-population of Cats. Just as an example of when People interfere with the Natural Ecosystem. When People or a Person become part of a Problem, Challenge or issue, you can rely on the fact that the situation will become Unpredictable, Groups will form by "taking the same side" and the Outcome or Solution will be based on what "The Majority" says or thinks, that is how Democracy works. Extinction is a Challenge that needs to be dealt with (by Humans?). Is Extinction a Human Responsibility, Activity, Behavior, Culture or Development? If People don't get involved, the Carnivores (and some Omnivores) will keep on hunting the Herbivores and Omnivores, who in turn will consume Plants, some Herbivores are even Directly Responsible for Destroying an entire Ecosystem in their pursuit for Food. Another bit of useless information, but did you know? My rich ex treated me to a few days at a Very Upper Class Game Reserve, which included Game Drives and a "Walk in the Wild" accompanied by a Game Ranger, one afternoon. We came across an area with a lot of dead trees and every tree's bark was stripped off completely. He told us to Stop and stay Quiet. A few minutes later, this huge Mother-Elephant appeared out of the bush, right in front of us, where we would've been if we didn't Stop. Game Ranger then told us that Elephants don't just eat Leaves, but they strip the Outer bark, Inner bark and another layer of a tree for Nutrition. That layer "Transports" Nutrition from the Roots to the tip of a branch, allowing a Tree to grow, and by stripping off the Layers of a Tree, an Elephant basically "kills it" because there is no way that a Tree can grow it back.

 

Now for the SHOCKER. Human Development "Elevated" some Living Species based on Human Culture, e.g. The African Big Five: Elephants; Rhinos (Black and White); Lions; Leopards and the African Buffalo. I learned something that day which I would never forget, because I grew up with knowledge that Mr Game Ranger totally contradicted. My Cousin works for the Kruger National Park Police, tracking and catching Poachers but he also assists with the Transportation of Animals from The Park to other areas, which I thought was inhumane and cruel at that point. Mr Game Ranger told us that it is the Responsibility of People to keep Animals "In Check" to prevent Over-Population of a Species, like Elephants. Even though The Park provides a Natural Habitat, it still has its limits and the Over-Population of one Species will have a Negative Impact on the entire Ecosystem, therefore People are Responsible for Maintaining balance in the Animal Population Numbers and Take the Necessary Action. Relocating some Specious is the ideal solution, but sometimes, stronger measures are necessary, like Culling. It sounds absolutely CRUEL but it is necessary to ensure that one Species' Population stays under control and won't drive another Species to extinction. It turns out that WHAT you eat is less important than HOW MUCH you eat, and I found out how much Elephants eat per day - almost 160kg per day. That is a lot of trees!

  

TRYING TO FIT IN

  

I think Modern Humans are just lazy and the Development of the Species proves it. People Developed farms to grow Crop and breed Animals for Food, instead of going hunting and gathering. People keep on Developing: Tools, to "make life easier"; Skills, to do things better; Medicine, to let us live longer; Psychology, to understand (and predict) our behavior, Physics, to understand the World around us, and so much more. People are also a Resource Intensive Species, relying on Natural Resources for their Daily Lives: Coal, for Electricity; Oil, for Petrol to DRIVE (not walk) around in cars; Cotton, Wool, Silk etc., for Clothes, and FOOD. People eat a lot and with 8.1 Billion to feed, the Demand will always be Higher than the Supply. Some Countries are litereally unable to feed its Population and relies on the International Community for Aid. It's a fact that almost 10% of Countries in the World, will experience a complete breakdown of Society and their Economy will collapse if it wasn't for International Aid. I have totally distanced myself from International Events by not watching The News on T.V. nor reading anything on the World Wide Web. Another bit of useless information, but did you know? People use the wrong Terminology when they refer to the "Internet", e.g. "I've seen this on the Internet" - NO you haven't! What you see and what you read (like now) is called the "World Wide Web", consisting of Webpages and other resources (the Software) linked by Hyperlinks or URL's. The "Internet" is a Global INTERCONNECTED Computer Network (the Hardware) that provides the "Backbone" for things like the W.W.W., Email, Video Conferencing even A.T.M.'s. So, think twice before you use the word "Internet" again!

    

Through Science, People Discovered and Developed a "Framework" for the Average Person's Daily Nutritional Requirements to MAINTAIN a Healthy, Balanced, Lifestyle, calling it the "Food Pyramid". The food pyramid represents the balance, variety and moderation with which it is necessary to consume food, focussing on Nutrition (Quality) instead of Quota's (Quantity). The Pyramid comprises 5 Food Groups with Recommended Servings per day:

  

  

Figure 2: The Food Pyramid

  

• Grains: One serving is defined as 1 slice of bread, 1 small roll or muffin, 1/2 of a croissant, or 1/2 cup of cooked cereal, rice, or pasta (6-11 servings per day);
• Vegetables: One serving is defined as 1 cup of raw leafy vegetables, 1/2 cup of cooked or chopped raw vegetables, or 3/4 cup of vegetable juice and vegetables (3-5 servings per day);
• Fruits: One serving is defined as a whole fruit such as a medium apple, banana, or orange, a grapefruit half, 1/2 cup of berries, melon, or chopped raw fruit, 1/2 cup of cooked or canned fruit, 1/4 cup of dried fruit, or 3/4 cup of fruit juice (2-4 servings per day);
• Dairy: One serving is defined as 1 cup of milk or yogurt, around 35g of natural cheese, or 55g of processed cheese (2-3 servings per day);
• Meat: The total amount of these servings should be the equivalent of about 170g of cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish, fish, eggs (2-3 servings per day).

  

As a Human, your body (or system) needs a source of Energy to Sustain itself and to Survive. In General, People eat when they are Hungry and only enough food that is required. The Human body is an Amazing Complex System so it's able to use Carbohydrates (Carbs) that can quickly be converted to Energy and Converts excess Carbs into Fat. It goes without saying, but when you consume more Carbs than what your body requires, you will gain Fat. Grains, Vegetables and Fruits are the main sources for Carbs; Dairy contains mainly Fat and Meat provides Protein. Some People live with the Misperception that their Bodies can function properly by only consuming Protein, which is Completely Stupid! Protein is responsible for Growth and Repair, not Energy. Your Body's Energy comes from its Fat Reserves.

Hopefully you have heard about the following concepts, sometime during your life: Hunger, Starvation and Malnutrition or Malnourishment. These concepts or definitions are often associated with a Social Group or a Population, in General, whenever the People are not able to consume the required servings as set out in The Pyramid. There is a Huge Difference between these three and they are often misunderstood and used out of context. Hunger occurs when a Person is unable to consume the Minimum required Daily Nutrition; Malnutrition occurs when a Person is unable or unwilling to consume enough Nutrition. They almost sound the same, but the difference between these two is that Hunger is related to Quantity and Malnutrition is related to Quality, where a Person can consume a lot of food with no Nutritional value. Starvation is a STATE where a Person didn't have food for a Prolonged Period, leaving the Body with NO Reserves to Sustain itself or to Survive, leading to Death. When People are Starving, the first thing other People want to do to help, is to send Food, which can be detrimental instead of helpful. People who are Starving, need to start with Small servings of Food with High Nutritional Value - Carbs / Fat AND Time. People who are Malnourished presents the biggest challenge, because they don't show any signs of Starvation and often convinces other People that nothing is wrong, by eating. Malnourishment can also have a Psychological aspect to it, when a Person WILLINGLY consumes food with little or no Nutritional Value, intentionally "Harming" themselves. People who go on a "Hunger Strike" to Protest against Society, are actually mistaken, because in Reality they are willfully Starving themselves. Then there is an aspect to Human Behavior Based on Culture and/or Religion, which is called "Lent". Lent is the Intentional Religious Practice of Fasting, or Religious Observance, for a specific period, generally around Easter OR for a certain period after someone Died. The Behavior of People Observing Lent depends on their Tradition, Habits and Culture, where Some Groups wil abstain from Food and Drink during certain hours of a day, and other Groups abstaining from something specific (like Coffee) for a certain period.

 

If you are like me, way back when I was still interested in international News, you might have wondered why, when you see it, People who are Poor and Starving, or at the brink of Starvation, always seem to have so many Children. Animal and Plant Species have Evolved over time and only Procreate when Conditions are Favourable, including the Availability of Food Resources, and it is a fact. Modern Humans with their Superior intelligence just don't seem to take that into account, which lead me to do some research. Surprise, surprise. My friend Google was kind to me, giving me an answer in only a few words: "Some of the same feel-good hormones are released during sexual activity and while eating". I then remembered that sometime during my life, I read or heard about the color Red and its affect of People's appetite, seriously. I asked my friend and got my response: "Red increases the pulse and heart rate, and raises your blood pressure. It increases the appetite by increasing your metabolism, which is why Red is such a popular Color in Restaurants". Think about it for a while and "see" how many (Fast-Food) Restaurants you can list, that uses Red in their Logo's, in their Interior Design and even in their Menu's. With these two pieces of "Knowledge", Food has suddenly taken on another characteristic: Psychology. The most staggering aspect about this, is that Society allows it.

  

Society's role also needs to be taken into account when People are Starving or Malnourished, because it is possible that only certain Social Groups within Society are in a State of Starvation. Starvation implies a Group of People and if a Group is Starving while the rest of Society is not, it is the Responsibility of the International Community to Determine which factors lead to the Starvation of the Group, whether it is Cultural, Political or Related to Social Classes, and take Appropriate Action when necessary. History has shown us that Starvation has been used against Social Groups, within Society, as a form of "Punishment" for not aligning with "The Majority". Starvation can also be linked to Social classes within Society, where the "Upper Class" is thriving and the "Lower Class" is starving, leading to Civil Unrest or even War. A Starving People is a Desperate People and Food is not necessarily the solution.

  

Under "Normal Conditions", People have access to enough Food with High Nutritional Value to Sustain themselves and to Survive, but one of the Major Health Issues of the 21st Century is Obesity. The Scientific definition of Obesity describes it as a Condition that progresses over time when a Person consumes more "Energy" than required and is not physically active, leading to excess Fat. In other words, they eat too much and do too little. For decades a Measurement was used to determine whether a Person is Obese, Morbidly Obese or the Opposite - Anorexic. The Body Mass Index (BMI) used a Person's Height and Body Mass to calculate Units of kg/m(square), placing a Person in a certain Category. LUCKILY someone came up with alternative Measurements like, Waist-to-height Ratio, Waist-to-hip Ratio, Body Shape Index and more, because for years I have been "Classified" as having an Eating Disorder due to my Height (6'2") and Weight (62kg) with a BMI of 18. It is my Opinion that the definition for Obesity is ignoring a few aspects. 

In my Opinion, Obesity is:

1. A Social Condition within Society;
2. Driven by Society's Acceptance of Individual Behavior;
3. Individual Behavior is Influenced by the Developments within Society, especially Technology, aiming to "Make life easier" for Individuals;
4. People who are not required to be more physically active which can be proven by the changes in the types of Employment;
5. Not just a Physical Condition, but partially Psychological as well;
6. A "New Norm" for Behavior;
7. A Human Rights issue to Discriminate against Obese People;
8. A Disease, not a Condition, and should be treated as such.

  

This presents another conflicting issue with regards to People and Food Resources: Did the Supply of Food Resources impact the Development of People or was there a Change in the Demand for different Food Resources by the People? this is a question that I can not answer or prove. Based on my own Knowledge and 1 Foreign Country I visited while on Holiday (Thailand), I can safely state that there is an Undisputed difference between People from "Western Countries" and "Eastern Countries". I can only make this statement because I made a point of it to dine at different Restaurants while in Thailand and getting lost one day, passing a Market selling "Fresh Produce" which turned out to be Crickets, Worms and "Other Live Creatures". Curries and Chillies made up most of every Menu, leaving someone like me, who don't like either, with only a few options. Luckily for them I am a typical Libra, finding it very challenging to choose something from a Menu with a wide variety of dishes. Getting served Goose eggs and Chicken Stir-fry for Breakfast was odd, at first and I couldn't find "Grilled Meat" anywhere, even the McDonalds served their Hamburgers "Steamed". The ONE thing I will NEVER forget is that when you order a Cup of Coffee anywhere, you have to order "A Cup of Coffee with cold Milk please". It became a habit so quickly and when I returned home, the first time I ordered a Cup of Coffee at a local Coffee Shop, I ordered "A Cup of Coffee with cold Milk please", getting a very strange look from the Waiter. It is unfair to use Thailand as a frame of reference, because they cater for International Visitors from "Western Countries". We were also deterred from traveling too far "Inland" at the time, because of safety concerns.

  

ARE YOU A VEGGIE?

  

One of my Professors at my old University, made a passing comment once, while we were having a casual chat about Eating Habits, which I will never forget. He reconned that People (Modern Humans) should "return" to their "Original Habits" which, according to him, meant that when you come across a stalk of bananas, you just eat bananas until you come across another Food source. That is Natural Human Eating Habits, according to him. We smiled and didn't dare to respond, because he detested People who questioned him or disagreed with him. Needless to say, after doing some research, I couldn't find any proof to support his statement, with the closest research suggesting that Modern Humans' Diet is very similar to our "Ancestors" and consists of mainly Plant Foods. This triggered a question in my mind: Why are some People Vegetarians?

  

I won't classify myself as a "Meat Lover", even though I must admit that it is in my Culture. Only South Africans know what "BRAAI" is, with the Americans calling it a "Barbeque". "Braai" is more than just a method of cooking meat, it's a Social Gathering of People with similar Behaviors, Interacting with each other, while grilling meat, over hot charcoal, in the open. It's an activity shared by Millions of other South Africans, with a few "Odd ones" who just want to get it over and done with. I was almost 30 years old when I met a lady, who I became friends with, who was a Vegetarian. I was under the impression that I knew everything there was to know about Vegetarians, until we went Grocery Shopping one day. She couldn't even look at the raw meat on the shelves, it repulsed her, made her nauseous even. I was curious and wanted to know why she behaved that way, because it didn't bother her to see People eat meat when we went out for dinner. According to her, it was almost an "Instinct", not a choice, not Nurture, not Cultural nor Psychological, it just "WAS". Other Vegetarians I met, during my life, adopted the Habit because of Health related issues, some People argued that eating "Animals" is barbaric and 1 Person used Religion as the reason. A friend of a friend even dared me to "Go Vegetarian" for a week, she shouldn't have, because I love being dared to do something. Every meal I prepared was Vegetarian, no meat, not even Chicken, and I sent her a photo of my meal, every time, as proof. I even took it a step further and invited her and her husband for a Vegetarian Sunday Lunch, which left her speechless and amazed. I won, that's all that mattered to me.

  

I have nothing personal against Vegetarians, in fact, I respect them and their behavior. There are those Vegetarians who feel that they should be treated "Differently", with more "Respect" even, as if their choice of Food put them in a "Class of their own" - NOT! A Person's Choice of Food does not define their Behavior, it's neither a Quality nor a Characteristic. It is a Result of various Unique aspects, combined, making a Person a Unique individual within Society.

  

This brings us to Cannibalism. After trying really hard and asking Google very nicely, I just couldn't get an appropriate definition for Cannibalism. The best way to describe it though is, a Phenomenon where an Individual consumes another Individual of the same Species, sometimes preferring the Opposite sex (Gender). This Phenomenon occurs randomly within any Animal Species. I immediately thought about a Praying Mantis as an example, but it turns out that the Female ONLY bites the Male's head off during mating, not eating it. After doing some more research, it became clear that Cannibalism is not influenced by Behavior and Animals, including Humans, don't consume other Animals from the same Species because they are a Food Resource in times when Food becomes scarce. It is Unpredictable, with no Pattern and more rare than what I assumed. I used my Modern Human Ability, Memory, to try and think about times when People consumed other People. My memory failed me, because I could only recall the events from the movie "Alive" when People were "forced" to consume other People to Survive. My friend Google gave me a few more examples, but they had one thing in common, Survival. I then suddenly remembered Jeffrey Dahmer, he didn't do it to Survive, or did he? My friend Wikipedia gave me a complete biography of him, which I read because I wanted to know if it was "Nature vs Nurture", only to be disappointed. Being diagnosed with borderline Personality Disorder, Schizotypal Personality Disorder and a Psychotic Disorder, was just Psychology's way to label him without justifying his actions. I dug around a bit and was surprised when I found out that there is no Law prohibiting Cannibalism in the U.S. which took me back to Jeffrey to reaffirm his conviction. He was only convicted of 15 Homicides, that's it. So in the U.S. it is not Illegal to consume another Person, as long as you didn't kill anyone. He could've been convicted of more actually, using the U.S. Constitution, based on a Person's Right to Life, Right of Freedom and a few others.

  

Another piece of useless information, but did you know? A Person who exclusively, or Mainly, eats ONLY meat, is called a "Meatatarian". It somehow didn't come as a surprise when I learned that, throughout History, People practiced Cannibalism according to Rituals that were quite strict and complicated, making it sound more Organized than what I expected. Google kept on giving me one fact that made me smile every time I saw it, and that was the fact that consuming a Human can make you sick and even kill you, IF not prepared properly - REALLY! There are also benefits to consuming parts of another Human, IF prepared properly, related to the Immune system amongst other things. It might seem that I'm in need of some serious Psychological Therapy, but I fail to see what is wrong with it. Is it wrong or does Society frown upon it because it is "Abnormal"? Killing another Person IS Wrong, Immoral and Unjustifiable, but what about when the Person is already dead? Like a Woman who was convicted after World War 2 for "Boiling" other Dead People to get Fat to make Soap and afterwards, consumed them. She was only caught because an unexploded bomb landed in her living room and needed someone to remove it, who then found out what she was doing. Leaving her neighbours, who bought the Soap she made, shocked! I decided to stop my research before it turned into an obsession, but I came to ONE conclusion: If it wasn't illegal and Socially Acceptable, Humans have High Nutritional values and would make a very good Food Resource - if prepared properly.

  

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT - REALLY?

  

The reason for writing about Food and People's eating habits, is because I heard the expression while watching an Episode of one of my favourite T.V. Series, which lead me to wonder what the actual meaning was, behind it. I knew it didn't mean that, to be Human, I must include Humans in my Diet, at least. It just reaffirmed that, to be healthy, a Person needs to have healthy eating habits. Read carefully, "Eating Habits". This means that not only should a Person eat Healthy Nutritional Food, but a Person should eat regularly as well - Breakfast, Lunch and Supper (I don't know why the English feel compelled to differentiate between Supper and Dinner), at least. During my life, I consulted a few Dieticians for "Assistance" to help me GAIN weight, I'm not bragging about it. Each and everyone of them gave me the same "Eating Plan" they gave to Diabetics, which drove me nuts. I had to eat 6 times per day and had to add Supplements to my Diet. One "Eating Plan" forced me to have a "Shake" at 2am, with disastrous results. I have been battling Insomnia my whole Adult Life and to wake up at 2am for a "Shake" meant that I lied awake from 2am until I had to get ready for work. I turned into a Zombie. I stopped looking for Dieticians when the last one I consulted, gave me an honest response: There isn't a Diet or Eating Plan for People like me, because Society is mainly concerned with People who are Overweight or Obese. I decided one day to calculate how much money I spent in my pursuit to gain weight and almost had a Panic Attack. I could've bought a semi-luxurious Sedan with all the money I have spent. I decided to stick to Healthy Eating Habits and made peace with my "Anorexic" BMI. I didn't even feel insulted when a Strange Woman at work asked me, in front of my colleagues, if I had AIDS, because I was so "skinny", according to her. Whenever People talked about the Shape of their bodies and looked at me, I would reply with: 

  

"I'm in shape, Oblong is a shape".

FIN