Thought Art

The important question here with relation to her mis characterization of the alkaline diet: Does the alkaline diet claim to change blood ph? ChatGPT: The alkaline diet itself, when correctly understood, does not claim to change blood pH directly. However, this is a common misconception surrounding the diet, partly because of the way it has been marketed or misunderstood by some proponents. Let’s clarify: What the Alkaline Diet Claims The alkaline diet suggests that eating more alkaline-forming foods (like fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds) and fewer acid-forming foods (like meat, dairy, and processed foods) helps the body maintain balance and supports overall health. The claim is not that it directly changes blood pH but that it: 1. Reduces the acid load on the body. 2. Supports natural buffering systems (like the bicarbonate buffer system). 3. Encourages an overall healthier internal environment (e.g., better hydration, nutrient absorption, reduced inflammation). Why Blood pH Doesn’t Change The body regulates blood pH very tightly between 7.35 and 7.45 because even slight deviations can be life-threatening. This regulation happens through: • Kidney function: Excreting excess acids or bases in urine. • Respiratory system: Regulating carbon dioxide levels through breathing. • Buffer systems: Neutralizing pH fluctuations, like the bicarbonate buffer. Dietary intake has minimal direct impact on blood pH because of these robust homeostatic systems. For example: • If you eat acidic foods, the kidneys excrete more acidic compounds in the urine. • If you eat alkaline foods, the kidneys excrete more alkaline compounds in the urine. Result: Urine pH can fluctuate, but blood pH remains stable. Common Misunderstandings Some people mistakenly interpret the diet as claiming to alkalize the blood, which is not accurate. This misunderstanding may arise from: 1. Over-simplified marketing that uses “alkalize your body” as a tagline. 2. Confusion between blood pH and localized changes in urine pH or cellular environment. What the Diet Does Impact While blood pH doesn’t change, the alkaline diet can: 1. Provide more alkaline-forming minerals (e.g., calcium, magnesium, potassium), which can: • Support bone health by reducing calcium leaching from bones. • Ease the burden on the kidneys in neutralizing dietary acids. 2. Influence urine pH, which reflects how the body is excreting excess acids or bases. 3. Reduce inflammation, improve digestion, and support overall health by emphasizing nutrient-dense, whole foods. Conclusion The alkaline diet, when understood correctly, does not claim to change blood pH. Instead, it aims to support the body’s natural regulatory systems and overall health by reducing dietary acid load and emphasizing nutrient-dense, alkaline-forming foods. The focus is more on creating an internal environment that promotes vitality and reduces the strain on the body’s buffering mechanisms.

here is a snippet of my current convo: My Input: Yes, but this is in contrast to a highly acidic and generally unhealthy diet. List the common American diet, and then list the type of foods suggested by alkaline diet. Then, compare them both more generally through the lens of holistic health and meta data ChatGPT; Here’s a detailed breakdown comparing the common American diet and the alkaline diet, followed by a holistic analysis of their impacts on health and supported by general meta-data on nutrition and wellness. The Common American Diet (Standard American Diet - SAD) This diet is often high in: 1. Processed and Packaged Foods: • Refined grains: White bread, pasta, and rice. • Sugary snacks: Candy, cookies, cakes. • Fast food: Burgers, fries, pizza. 2. Animal Products: • High-fat meats: Bacon, sausage, beef. • Dairy: Cheese, cream, ice cream. 3. Beverages: • Sugary drinks: Soda, energy drinks, and sweetened juices. • Coffee and alcohol in excess. 4. Added Sugars and Fats: • Artificial sweeteners, high-fructose corn syrup. • Trans fats and refined vegetable oils (e.g., corn oil, soybean oil). Nutritional Profile: • Low in fiber. • High in saturated fats, sodium, refined sugar, and calories. • Low in essential nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. The Alkaline Diet This diet emphasizes: 1. Fruits and Vegetables: • Leafy greens: Spinach, kale, broccoli. • Alkaline fruits: Avocado, citrus (despite acidity, they have alkaline effects post-digestion), berries. 2. Whole Foods and Legumes: • Quinoa, lentils, chickpeas. 3. Nuts and Seeds: • Almonds, chia seeds, flaxseeds. 4. Hydrating Beverages: • Herbal teas, alkaline water, green smoothies. 5. Minimized Animal Products: • Often excludes or limits meat, dairy, and processed foods. 6. Healthy Fats: • Coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil. Nutritional Profile: • High in fiber, vitamins, minerals (e.g., magnesium, potassium), and antioxidants. • Low in sodium, refined sugar, and saturated fats. • Promotes whole, nutrient-dense, and anti-inflammatory foods. Comparison Through Holistic Health Here’s a side-by-side analysis across various health dimensions: Meta-Data on Health Impacts 1. The American Diet: • Obesity and Chronic Diseases: • 42% of Americans are obese, linked to a high-calorie, nutrient-poor diet (CDC, 2023). • Increased rates of Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease. • Gut Microbiome: • Refined sugars and low fiber intake negatively affect gut health. • Life Expectancy: • Poor diet contributes to a rise in preventable, diet-related diseases. 2. The Alkaline Diet: • Bone Health: • Higher intake of fruits and vegetables is associated with better bone density (Journal of Nutrition, 2021). • Inflammation: • Anti-inflammatory foods like leafy greens and berries reduce markers of systemic inflammation (Frontiers in Nutrition, 2022). • Disease Prevention: • Plant-rich diets lower risks of cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, and some cancers (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2020). • Longevity: • Diets high in whole, plant-based foods are linked to longer life expectancy and better quality of life (Blue Zones study, 2020). Holistic Health Takeaways 1. Nutrient Density: The alkaline diet offers a higher density of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, whereas the American diet often leads to “hidden hunger” (calories without nutrients). 2. Inflammation and Stress: The SAD promotes inflammation and metabolic stress, while the alkaline diet provides tools to combat both through anti-inflammatory foods. 3. Prevention Over Cure: An alkaline-inspired diet aligns with preventative medicine, reducing the risks of chronic diseases. Conclusion The alkaline diet doesn’t just stand as an alternative to the Standard American Diet—it is a counterpoint that highlights how far the SAD has diverged from holistic and nutritional wellness. While some claims about the alkaline diet (like changing blood pH) are scientifically unsupported, its principles of emphasizing whole, plant-based foods provide tangible benefits for long-term health and vitality.

@integral Good points. This could be a fun contemplation exercise with AI. I want to go through her points with AI and find holes in her points. Another one is that she may over generalize that Sauna has no evidence of detoxification which is actually does with heavy metals. Again, this is a tricky area and studies can be flawed.

Tomorrow I’m going to make some posts exploring her critique on Alkaline water and mainly the alkaline diet. I want to question whether it is coming from a higher or lower perspective. - Explore her relative authority vs mine. If I am going to come at this from a higher perspective I have to be humble and recognize I am not an expert in this field. - Explore how I have access to AI and Google and can fact check not only her claims but her scope and depth of her claims, and any nuances or contested points she makes, and whether or not she is strawmanning some of the ideas. - I want to look at various studies conclusions and chat with ChatGPT regard her claims, contrasted with a steel man version of Alkaline diet and what it is actually claiming to do for the body. How do most of western world eat? Is it lots of processed acidic foods? Of course not all acidic foods and processed. Nuance is required here and I explored this earlier with the ai. I was just on a walk exploring this concept with Chagpt and I think she misses a lot of the points made by the alkaline diet, in its western inception historically than she gives credit for. She essentially straw man’s it for saying the goal is to change the ph of the body including the blood, which would be lethal. Which is true, but based on my inquiry with ChatGPT is not a truthful representation of the alkaline diets goal or health claim.

Nah

@ryandesreu In a physical war? I don't think ideologies/ perspective speaking up won that issue but economy and war.

Are you doing this to be like them or do you also have dietary issues?

🔜

@Leo Gura I’m right around there now but paused it

I want us to start taking note of how we approach what we share in the forum and how we use our minds. This forum is generally very casual…. However, it is at its core a personal development/ Spiritual Development forum. I think the forum has come a long way over the years in terms of how people treat one another but I think we can continue to grow. I’ve seen some rather disrespectful threads, and posts recently. Let’s do our best to be respectful to people who come here. It’s a small, generally anonymous community of people so how we treat each other goes a long way. Whether users are coming or going, align with our views or not we can always come from a place of general respect. I’ve seen posts recently of people judging and criticizing artists/ musicians who aren’t on the forum as well which I think isn’t fitting for this place. Ideally this forum would respect artists even if they come from a new age background, or whatever. Think about how backwards that is. Artists work hard to put their work out and people just crap all over them. This note on respect, as well as Maturity is a good reminder for users and mods alike. At the end of the day we have a choice of what we say, how we think and what we share here. We can either spread stuff that pulls this forum down, or lifts it up. I include myself in this reminder. This forum is a unique and rare opportunity. We live at a time when Leo is alive, and this forum exists. Each of us here brings something unique to this place. Take some time to reflect on what you are grateful for. Thank you all for being a part of this small community. Peace!

Yooooo, take some responsibility.

Or, be interested in making lots of new connections to feed your contemplations and insights…. I enjoy listening to Leo that is true. However, yes this video is touching upon and bringing together a lot of stuff that is spread over many episodes. It also provides new insights, nuances and distinctions. It should help me with a problem I’ve been dealing with as well lately is that I have an increased keen sense of lower vs higher quality perspectives but I am not always good at articulating why. Also, hopefully this episodes allows me to be more prudent with my own world view as well. I’d like to think more originally and with more sovereignty but I think that has to happen with an understanding of the social matrix and epistemology.

@LambdaDelta Next step for you is the impossible state 😄

I’m enjoying the episode .

@SQAAD Taking a shit job to get on your feet is fine. Your body is resilient enough for a short stint somewhere shitty. But, when I get that job I would keep searching for a better one.

When did this belief get adopted into Christianity?

@Flowerfaeiry Are they really though? "Gifts and blessings" sure feel good. Hmm, I mean. Perhaps they are pursuing truth. But, in this sort of way where they are moving from one belief system to a the next. It's definitely something worth contemplating and exploring what this means for you personally. A lot of people are pursuing truth. But, should I follow them? My own understanding is that Christianity is a deep construct in the mind of man. A construct that blocks ones ability to discover truth. Hmm, all this leads me to further self reflection. Not that I am considering Christianity but, how to better understand all this and myself.

My previous comments were emotional and immature.

Canada will not.

Is Trump seriously going to try to take over Canada? This has been on my mind recently. Wondering your thoughts.

I think like he said before… these people aren’t pursuing truth but good feelings. New Ager’s, healers, shamans, new age priests and priestess are not serious people when it comes to epistemics. They are like leaves in the wind. Group think is also at play here, there are trends and fads. A lot of new age is ungrounded and fantasy, and it seems they are moving as a group from one fantasy to another. It’s like a horizontal movement. Similar structure, different content. You sort of need to do what feels right for you I suppose. Seeking truth is one thing, and partaking in spiritual community is another. I personally take why I like from constructs. Leave the rest.

No. IQ Isn’t the isn’t the only factor here. IQ is a particular measurement of some facets of intelligence. It doesn’t account for things like emotional intelligence, spiritual intelligence, awakening, and self deception.