Nathan H. Hoffner

I think of UPB as actions or behaviors that can be universally preferred without contradition.

I was going to post a video by Steven Summerstone, but looks like the man himself beat me to it. Here's another.

I recommend trying out local goodwills / thriftshops, especially in "richer" areas. You can make some great finds from time to time on nice name brand stuff, like Banana Republic, etc. Something I wish I would have starting doing many years ago; I could have saved tons of money. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK8mJJJvaes This guy agrees ^

He's also mentioned these two.... Healing the Child Within: Discovery and Recovery for Adult Children of Dysfunctional Families (Recovery Classics... by Charles Whitfield and Nuckols, Ph.D., Cardwell (Jan 1, 2010) A Gift to Myself: A Personal Workbook and Guide to "Healing the Child Within" by Charles L. Whitfield (Jan 1, 1990) and I can recommend.... Self-Therapy: A Step-By-Step Guide to Creating Wholeness and Healing Your Inner Child Using IFS, A New, Cutting-Edge... by Jay Earley (Jan 27, 2012) Freedom from Your Inner Critic: A Self-Therapy Approach by Jay Earley PhD and Bonnie Weiss LCSW (Sep 1, 2013) and Nathaniel Branden in this order.... The Psychology of Self-Esteem Breaking Free The Disowned Self Honoring the Self

How can grazing heal land? by Wilma Keppel Conventional wisdom says grazing damages land -- yet the same land a few cattle or sheep damage today often supported thousands or millions of wild grazers less than 200 years ago. John Mix Stanley, circa 1855 Working as nature's seeders, mulchers, and composters, bison helped build North America's deep prairie soils. They were aided by tens of millions of elk, deer, pronghorn antelope, and other grazers. Explorers' accounts tell of lush grass, flowing springs and rivers, and abundant game in areas that today are damaged or turning to desert. If grazing damaged land, nature could never have built those landscapes in the first place. What's going on? http://managingwholes.com/grazing-heals-land.htm Cows Save the Planet, and Other Improbable Ways of Restoring Soil to Heal the Earth by Judith D. Schwartz http://www.westonaprice.org/book-reviews/cows-save-the-planet-by-judith-d-schwartz/ Many of you have seen Allan Savory’s TED talk, in which he explains the principles of managed intensive grazing as a method of reversingdesertification (http://www.ted.com/talks/allan_savory_how_to_green_the_world_s_deserts_and_reverse_climate_change.html). As many of our members know, managed intensive grazing (also known as cell grazing, mob grazing, and holistic managed planned grazing), involves moving a herd of animals (usually cows, but also sheep, pigs, goats and poultry) regularly and systematically to fresh rested areas with the intent of maximizing the quality and quantity of forage growth. Properly managed herds can bring renewed fertility to pastures in any area of the world, but the system is especially beneficial to marginal or “brittle” lands that go many months without rainfall. Herds trampling the soil, fertilizing with urine and manure, and then moving on, can reverse the process of desertification that occurs when when there are too many animals on the land, or not enough of them.

For me it was cannabis. It literally saved my life and got me here today. I was a depressed, blind, abusive (mainly to myself) alcoholic before. It woke me up and forced me to face my demons. My subconscious mind came to the surface when I would smoke and I would seek answers to all the questions that I began having. In short, I became aware of my inner-world and I became curious. Do you have experience being dead inside and using cannabis to come back to life? Well, I do.

Hello William, I'm no expert, but I think you're on the right path in your thinking. I think natural, mind expanding substances can definitely be used for good by wise people, and if used for the right reasons. I don't see how natural substances that help one get more connected to their subconscious mind, instincts, and emotions (if done in a natural, safe, gentle way) can be inherently bad (probably the opposite, ie inherently good, but can be used for bad). I say, why not use the tools that nature has provided in order to help ourselves along in our quest for enlightenment? I see the amazing beauty in it. I know I would still be a State-loving (kind of), self-destructive, blind, depressed fool without cannabis in my life. When I consciously started the attempt to treat my anxiety and depression with it is exactly when I started the waking-up process (it was like a switch was turned on in my mind), and here I am now on FDR (took about 4 years of discoveries to finally make it here). So, based on my own personal experience / empirical evidence, I can attest to the usefulness of certain "drugs" if used, again, wisely and for the right reasons. I've also tried mushrooms a couple of times, and can see the potential benefit if utilized in the right circumstances. The trick is knowing what the "right circumstances" are, so maybe seek out advise in that area. I can say from personal experience that if you do mushrooms with other people around, the relationships need to be authentic, connected ones, or anxiety can take over and ruin the experience (although you'll then realize just how bad the relationship(s) is, so that's a win if you do something about it). I would also give the general warning against it becoming a crutch, or a way to pacify any pain or discomfort one is going through which could prevent one from taking the necessary actions to actually live their lives/virtues. It's no substitute for therapy, and/or for living a virtuous life of courage and action. I'm still working on all of these things and trying to put it all together. I think I will do some further experiments in the future to go along with my therapy and other self-work. I know I still have much to learn about myself and my existence. Oh, and congrats on finding so much truth and wisdom at such an early age. I didn't wise up until I was in my 30's. Sadly, many costly mistakes were made. So, good luck! Cheers, Nathan

Hi there... First, I understand the feeling. Can I ask what exactly do you feel so guilty about? Did you do any harm to anyone? What is your inner-critic saying that's making you hate yourself? What is it trying to accomplish? Is it trying to help you in some way? I'd say don't be too hard on yourself. Try to be calm and examine your inner-world without judgement from that calm, understanding, loving place. If you can understand that your inner-critic is trying to help you, if you can empathize with it, it will be able to calm down because it will know that it is being heard. Think of it as an opportunity to get to know yourself better and to learn from. Examine the decision you made, why you made it, and learn from how it made you feel afterwards... and do this from your true-self, which is calm and non-judgemental... and is instead very curious and empathetic.Maybe take a long walk. Meditate. Have a dialog with your inner-parts (the inner-critic, the hurt child, the true self, etc.). What is the conversation like? Maybe, eventually, listen to some of your favorite happy music and dance around and be in the moment! Also, try not to be a slave to philosophy. We are allowed to make minor mistakes, as long as we are conscious of them and learn from them. Anyway, these are some of the things I try to do and some thoughts I have. Hope it helps. Also, I recommend this book if you're having problems with feeling guilty and self-hatred. I'm halfway through with no plans of stopping. http://www.amazon.com/Freedom-Your-Inner-Critic-Self-Therapy/dp/1604079428 Cheers, Nathan

There's never been any scientific research that has actually linked cholesterol to heart disease. See Dr. Attia's presentation below regarding this fact. Dr. Peter Attia: The limits of scientific evidence and the ethics of dietary guidelines -- 60 years of ambiguity Also, this.... World Renown Heart Surgeon Speaks Out On What Really Causes Heart Disease http://preventdisease.com/news/12/030112_World-Renown-Heart-Surgeon-Speaks-Out-On-What-Really-Causes-Heart-Disease.shtml This is completely wrong. It's carbs that people crave and binge on. Fat controls leptin, which is the master hormone that controls hunger / metabolism. All other hormones respond accordingly. How much fat (energy) we are taking in will signal our bodies and determine hunger and metabolism. To lose weight, eat more fat, because you'll signal that you have plenty of new sources of energy coming in, so your body gets rid of stored energy, ie body fat. If you do this plus restrict overall calories, the weight will fall off with ease. This used to be well known and recommended by doctors for weight loss before society was so corrupted by special interest groups. 7 Reasons to Eat More Saturated Fat (from healthy sources) http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/09/22/7-reasons-to-eat-more-saturated-fat.aspx World Renown Heart Surgeon Speaks Out On What Really Causes Heart Disease http://preventdisease.com/news/12/030112_World-Renown-Heart-Surgeon-Speaks-Out-On-What-Really-Causes-Heart-Disease.shtml This doctor admitted he was wrong after performing over 5,000 open-heart surgeries, why can't you? And he's not the only one.

"Meat" is animal flesh. You don't have to eat it. Dairy is not necessary, but can be extremely beneficial, especially if the only other foods available are plant based. Without saturated fat and cholesterol we die, and the sacred foods of traditional cultures were the fatty bits... and for good reason. They knew from experience what made them strong and fertile and gave them healthy babies. Also, things in nature like cholesterol aren't isolated. Cholesterol is found in the highly nutritious, fatty animal based foods. Cholesterol is a critical nutrient for babies, and for adults. If we don't need to eat it, why is it in mother's breast milk? http://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/fat-and-cholesterol-in-human-milk/ This type of food (high fat / vitamin rich) is critical for nutrient and mineral obsorbtion. Without the fat, we don't absord the vitamins like A, D, K, and minerals. If you eat tons of mineral rich foods, it's just passes through without fat that's needed. This is why skim milk is ridiculous. The vitamins are fat soluble. Research fat soluble vitamins A, D, and K. http://www.westonaprice.org/abcs-of-nutrition/fat-soluble-activators/ "Fat and cholesterol are very important components in human milk. In fact, the milk from a healthy mother has about 50 to 60 percent of its energy (kilocalories) as fat.1 The cholesterol in human milk supplies an infant with close to six times the amount most adults consume from their food1" When a woman has many children, the level of fat in her milk usually decreases with each succeeding child. This will not happen, however, if the mother maintains a high quality diet. In some parts of the world, such as China, the new mother is given a diet very high in animal fat that includes 6-10 eggs a day and almost 10 ounces of chicken and pork for at least a month after the birth of her infant. This diet ensures that the level of fat in her milk is as high as possible.2 Some women produce milk that has a fat level similar to the Guernsey or Jersey cow (high fat) and some produce milk that more closely resembles the Holstein cow (lower fat). The higher fat is more desirable, of course, for the developing infant. The higher fat milk will have more of the fat molecules that are needed for their many functional properties, and will also supply enough energy so that all of the protein can be used by the infant for development. Fat is spoken of as “protein sparing.” Without adequate fat, the protein in human milk cannot be used. d.1"

I agree, it is quite unnecessary to eat meat and dairy. I never said it was. Although, some dairy is great (grass fed raw milk, yogurt, cheeses, etc. and provide key nutrients like vitamin A, D, and K, calcium, omega 3's, fats, and others). And, what exaclty is wrong with dairy from farm raised animals? None have to die. What's wrong with egg yolks from pastured hens, or ducks? What's wrong with eating sea food? Can't we humanely breed and raise animals for our food (and for other uses) in order be healthy and to raise healthy babies? The problem with he current system is Statism. The current Statist / industrialized system is broken and is disgusting. It needs to be fixed, but don't throw out the baby..... So, I'd say that at least some animal based foods (from ethicially, naturally raised animals) is critical to health, especially to growing babies (saturated fats and cholesterol for example are essential to the growing body and brain, immune system, etc!). And heart disease is caused by low-fat diets and inflammation. "World Renown Heart Surgeon Speaks Out On What Really Causes Heart Disease" http://preventdisease.com/news/12/030112_World-Renown-Heart-Surgeon-Speaks-Out-On-What-Really-Causes-Heart-Disease.shtml. And diabetes is caused by modern day diets high in carbs, also known as sugar or blood glucose. If one is on a low-fat diet, they must necessarily substitute the fat with carbohydrates for energy. This is not good and causes all kinds of problems. We evolved eating high amounts of fats, and very few carbs. I'm not guessing about this (for example, modern day fruits are breed for their sweetness, not nutrional content... this is not natural). Look into the evolutionary health, or ancestrial health movements. Massive amounts of research is being done, and has been done. Weston A. Price is a good place to start. Nora Gedgaudas also has tons of good stuff out there. I highly recommend her book. There are many others.

You think we would have ever survived as a species eating 80-90% carbs? Carbs were VERY RARE back then. Dont' be a slave to your blood sugar. Switch that to 80 to 90% fats and you'll be great. Research ketogenic diet or nutritional ketosis. This type of eating is key in reversing all modern day "diseases" and it is very liberating. No cravings, no blood sugar dips, balances hormones, improved sleep, improved moods, steady energy all day long, increased muscle mass, lower body fat, etc. etc. (all the good things). It's true, i've done it and it was the best thing I've ever discovered (that and philosophy). Watch this for some real logical ideas on nutrition. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9A-30Twp1k I would say what about saturated fats, cholesterol, omega's 3 fatty acids, vitamins A, D, and K? These are the building blocks of the body. These are found in massive amounts in healthy animal based foods, especialy organ meats, sea food, cream, butter, egg yolks, etc. As wel've gone away from these foods disease has sky rocketed and our rulers have profited greatly. There's a reason these traditional foods are smeared. Beans, oats, nuts, and grains can't compete with nutrient dense foods that we evolved eating. In fact, grains are toxic. It's a built-in survival strategy that they have. Traditional cultures that ate grains ALWAYS when through lengthy preparation process to get rid of the toxins first. I recommend you do more research on these topics if you want to avoid health problems in the future, if you're not already having issues... I know I was when I was eating like you recommend. Also, it would be good to be able to spread the truth to more people. We need strong minds and bodies, and nutrition is critical to both, since they are in fact one in the same. Also, are you sure you aren't suffering from confirmation bias? I aks myself that question, so I thought I'd ask you as well. What emotionals come up when presented with facts that contradict your beliefs around nutrition? Did you watch this one at least? I highly recommend it as a starting point (there is tons more evidence out there ) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9A-30Twp1k... and this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-WKkCIpNxQ?

Rant: As I understand it, pre-humans started eating animals (especially organ meats, sea food, etc.) in increasing amounts and thus became humans. Humans wouldn't have evolved without the neccesary raw materials (mainly the essential fats and other key vitamins). Life seems to evolve as allowable by the resources it can obtain. There's a reason our human brain developed as it has and it has everything to due with the extreme nutrient density of animal based foods. You can look at the processes of the human body, the nutrients required in these processes, and then examine the foods have that have these key nutrients. You'll find animal based foods (from healthy animals) are critical to proper developement, especially brain developement. Veggies are good, but not even close to things like organ meats, bone broths, various sea foods, etc. in terms of critical nutrients that are the building blocks of humans (saturated fats, cholesterol, vitamins A, D, K, B6, B12, etc.). Sacred foods in traditional cultures were always animal based, fatty, and nutrient dense. Some cultures even hunted sharks for the shark livers at great risk to their safety. When asked why, they said "In order to have healthy babies". And now people want to feed their babies soy based vegan diets and think they are doing something good. It's child abuse to deny proper nutrition to your baby. Below is a pretty great interview about how to raise healthy babies. The book is called "Nourishing Traditions of Baby and Child Care" Nourishing Traditions of Baby and Child Care with Dr. Thomas Cowan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWygAbLu0OE A good short video..... Traditional Fats and Sacred Foods https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9A-30Twp1k

"Don't be cruel to your children!" Sally Fallon Blasts Vegan Children's Book short video... only 1:11 "Key Principals of Traditional Diet"

Ordering the vegetarian meal? There’s more animal blood on your hands So, what does a hungry human do? Our teeth and digestive system are adapted for omnivory. But we are now challenged to think about philosophical issues. We worry about the ethics involved in killing grazing animals and wonder if there are other more humane ways of obtaining adequate nutrients. Relying on grains and pulses brings destruction of native ecosystems, significant threats to native species and at least 25 times more deaths of sentient animals per kilogram of food. Most of these animals sing love songs to each other, until we inhumanely mass-slaughter them. http://theconversation.com/ordering-the-vegetarian-meal-theres-more-animal-blood-on-your-hands-4659