Friday, March 8, 2013

Empty Calories and Empty Days

photo credit: Javier Aroche via photopin cc
Junk food.  Admit it... You know you have it in the house, just like I do.  The stash of leftover candy you hide from the kids, to be enjoyed in the seclusion of your locked bedroom.  The greasy onion rings that call to you with their siren song, begging you to indulge.  You and I both know they are BAD FOR YOUR BODY!  We call them empty calories.  They are devoid of nutrition, health benefits and general goodness.    But we indulge nonetheless.  I can even go a whole morning (mid-day and sometimes even all day) without putting one healthy thing in my mouth!

I've been thinking my daily habits are a little like junk food munchingI can be busy all day long and not put one really GOOD thing in my mind.  I feed my family, but not my soul.  I escape from my hectic world and retreat into my favorite tv or novel worlds.  And I still feel empty...  I have not given my mind and spirit what they need.  Real Nourishment!

Just food for thought today...  What do you do to nourish your mind and spirit?

4 comments:

  1. I like to feed my mind with tidbits of wisdom. And new ideas...

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  2. Most of you isn't you.

    At our most basic level, our bodies are defined by our DNA> Most of your genes are transposons though - viruses without a coat protein that replicate independent of the rest of your DNA. Probably introduced as viruses and now compete with each other for ecological niches within your chromosomes. Some are adapted to gene rich areas and target active genes for transcription and translation, but risk targeted inactivation and deletion from the host genome. Others are more conservative and thrive in the slower to evolve centromeres. All of your energy comes from mitochondria - bacteria that replicated independently of the host genome, but are dependent on nuclear genes for key components and cellular machinery for food. They have their own DNA and compete with each other for dominance of the cell biosphere. But without them every cell in your body would starve. They translate chemical energy into ATP, the currency of the cell. They depend on us, but they control the purse strings. You carry ten times more bacteria cells than human ones. The majority are benign. Some are essential to keep you alive, and the smallest minority are pathogenic. The number of viruses in your body that infect only bacteria are exponentially even higher.

    Not to mention cells that move across the placental barrier. It isn't as solid as we used to think. Stem cells from each of your children and your mother lodge throughout your body and integrate with existing tissues. So when you hear your mother's voice in your head, remember some of your brain cells may come from her. And from each of your children.

    So much of you isn't you.

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  3. Not new ideas, but something I think is cool.

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