Re: Gas/WD/ and the Defense of Smoking

[Guest guest]

On Wed, 7 Jan 2004 08:59:16 EST

ChrisMasterjohn@... wrote:

>In a message dated 1/7/04 1:47:21 AM Eastern Standard Time,

>slethnobotanist@... writes:

>

>> I don't remember having much gas when I was a vegetarian. But that was

>> quite some time ago so I could have easily forgotten. But I remember

>> giving up vegetarianism because I thought it had no physical or

>> theological basis, and was more about ideology than any real health

>> concerns. If gas was a problem I think I would have remembered that.

>

>Did you eat soy? I ate lots of tofu, veggie burgers, soy flour muffins,

>Tofurkey, etc. My girlfriend-at-the-time, who ate much like I did, and I,

would

>go to bed together and then just fart for a half hour. It was actually comical

>it was so absurd.

No I didn't. What you describe above doesn't even sound remotely

appealing. Back in my brief vegetarian days I don't even remember soy

being talked about all that much.

Were those farts the smelly or non-smelly kind? <g>

<snip>

>

>Yes. But the 5000-cal/day (actually a range from about 4800 to 5300) diet

>was producing net weight *gain*, so I think I should be ok for a while without

>actually *losing* weight. I'm basically eating whatever I can find to eat,

>but milk made it so much easier, because all I had to do was drink it, and one

>container was 2,000 calories. Potatoes soak up a lot of fat, so they help-- I

>can fry two potatoes in at least 4 if not 6 tbsp coconut oil, which would

>provide probably over 1000 calories. I'm going to start eating a lot of

(soaked)

>oatmeal too, since I found an unopened bag in my pantry, which is a good

>carrier for butter.

I love oats (and millet too). I keep meaning to buy some so I can have oats

with butter, honey and cream for my warrior dessert.

<snip>

>> On the Pleasures of Smoking - a title I stole from an article by the

>> 19th century Southern Presbyterian Theologian Henry Thornwell. I

>> have never actually read the article, but I imagine the very erudite Mr.

>> Thornwell (by the way, I'm simply tipping my hat to his obvious gifts

>> and ability - I do not agree with his theology) was dealing with a

>> problem that vexes Christianity from time to time (especially in the

>> West); that is the influence of Christians who think other Christians

>> shouldn't smoke, drink, dance, or chew or go with girls who do.

>

>Wait a second. Are you saying that God did not make pleasure and the

>material world for the sake of entrapping man in evil?

Oh my fault! I forgot that God was just a big ogre in the sky totally

intent on robbing man of all pleasure. How could I be so morally obtuse!!!!

>

>> I will post it as soon as I'm done. If the magazine I am submitting it

>> too buys it I will be smoking a few Cubans in celebration. I will have

>> to find someway to spend that very large check I will receive as a

>> result <wg>.

>

>I look forward to reading it. In the meantime, is there any reading you

>would suggest as a relatively objective view of the science behind the smoking

>issue? There is a book or two recommended by junkscience.com that I thought of

>reading.

>

>I haven't smoked in about six years, but I've always thought the anti-tobacco

>position was overblown, especially since most cigarettes consist of all kinds

>of toxic additives. Now that I've read (from Sugar Blues) that different

>types of curing can be responsible for different health values (something I

>haven't looked into beyond that book), it appears there may be even *less* a

reason

>to say tobacco per se is a health negative, or at least as bad as it's made

>out to be.

You might want to read the online book, In Defense of Smokers. I can't

vouch for it personally (having only read bits and pieces of it) but

what I have read I do like *very* much. If he is correct then the junk

science behind the smoking mantra rivals anything the cholesterol folks

ever put out.

The book is recommended by someone whose viewpoint I highly respect

(http://www.zetetics.com/mac/)

although it doesn't mean she endorses the entirety of the book either.

It is fully online here: http://www.lcolby.com/

>

>I'd also like to hear your opinion, if you have one, on how smoking, and in

>what quantities, would interact with an athletic lifestyle. On the one hand,

>I'd expect the athleticism to protect the body from smoking damage; on the

>other, I'd think that inhaling anything with CO in it would reduce the

efficiency

>of the cardiovascular system.

All I can give you is my anecdotal experience.

There are lots of high level athletes who are doing a lot of smoking

(and not just tobacco either) and it doesn't seem to hamper their

endurance. Trust me, I know this from personal experience <g>

As for me personally, cigar smoking has never noticeably slowed me down,

even when I was smoking three a day and playing in the summer Pro-Am.

But premium cigars are different from your standard American cigarette.

They are air cured for one thing, often grown on very fertile soil for

another, and aren't sauced with the who knows what chemical cocktails

that are a feature of American cigarettes in order to make the tobacco

milder.

Now how it would affect the average weekend warrior in terms of athletic

performance, I have no idea.

Democrats, We Are Begging You

Return to the days of yesteryear

http://tinyurl.com/2ryhp

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 1/17/04 8:38:38 PM Eastern Standard Time,

slethnobotanist@... writes:

> As for me personally, cigar smoking has never noticeably slowed me down,

> even when I was smoking three a day and playing in the summer Pro-Am.

> But premium cigars are different from your standard American cigarette.

> They are air cured for one thing, often grown on very fertile soil for

> another, and aren't sauced with the who knows what chemical cocktails

> that are a feature of American cigarettes in order to make the tobacco

> milder.

When you smoke, you inhale, right? I was always told by people that you

can't inhale when you smoke cigars or you'll puke. The only time I ever smoked

a

cigar, I inhaled, and I didn't puke or experience any other discomfort so I

suspect these people were full of it. I don't see the point of smoking if you

don't inhale.

What about some of the more quality cigarettes like American Spirits? Do you

know if there are any air-cured tobaccos for cigarettes in the US market? Is

that info easily obtainable? Is there a database anywhere of what brands

cure in which ways?

Thanks,

Chris

[Guest guest]

From: ChrisMasterjohn@... << I don't see the point of smoking if you don't

inhale.>>

Ah... but all the 'benefits' from nicotine can be absorbed through the soft

tissue in your mouth... no need to inhale.

Dedy

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 1/18/04 4:12:27 PM Eastern Standard Time,

Dpdg@... writes:

> Ah... but all the 'benefits' from nicotine can be absorbed through the soft

> tissue in your mouth... no need to inhale.

I meant that it isn't pleasurable and feels incomplete.

Chris

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 1/18/04 6:33:10 PM Eastern Standard Time,

heidis@... writes:

> A byproduct

> of nicotine, cotinine, seems to be protective against Alzheimers,

> is an antipsycotic, is cognitive-enhancing, doesn't raise

> blood pressure, and is an analgesic. But cotinine isn't addictive

Interesting. I used to get major, major, major anxiety attacks from chair

lifts and found them somewhat terrifying. And after I quit smoking, for years I

always craved cigarettes while I was on a chair lift and felt like I would be

ok if I had one.

Now, chair lifts don't bother me at all, but I wonder if I craved the

cigarettes because of the antipsychotic effect of cotinine. *shrug*.

As a total tangent, does anyone have any idea if nicotine has any relation to

nicotinic acid? I think the following is a B vitamin or something, or

somehow related, but don't remember. According to Aldous Huxley, it can cause a

comedown from an acid or mescaline trip.

Chris

[Guest guest]

>> As for me personally, cigar smoking has never noticeably slowed me down,

>> even when I was smoking three a day and playing in the summer Pro-Am.

>> But premium cigars are different from your standard American cigarette.

>> They are air cured for one thing, often grown on very fertile soil for

>> another, and aren't sauced with the who knows what chemical cocktails

>> that are a feature of American cigarettes in order to make the tobacco

>> milder.

Discover Magazine ran an article this month about how nicotine

has some very good side effects (albeit addictive). A byproduct

of nicotine, cotinine, seems to be protective against Alzheimers,

is an antipsycotic, is cognitive-enhancing, doesn't raise

blood pressure, and is an analgesic. But cotinine isn't addictive.

Jerry Buccafusco of the Medical College of Georgia is doing

research on it. Cotinine gum, here we come!

-- Heidi