{"id":210483,"date":"2020-02-14T05:14:39","date_gmt":"2020-02-14T13:14:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/?p=210483"},"modified":"2020-02-14T06:48:04","modified_gmt":"2020-02-14T14:48:04","slug":"why-i-eat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2020\/02\/14\/why-i-eat\/","title":{"rendered":"Why I Eat"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A funny essay I wanted to write\u00e2\u20ac\u201d detailing my philosophy behind why I eat what I eat, and towards what ends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

I eat to strengthen my body to the maximum<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Selfie<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

My basic thing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I see food as a tool to maximally empower my bodily physiology to the maximum. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

I see food as the source of power. Thus, I will eat only foods which give me power and strength. I shall not eat food which will weaken me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The stomach as the source of wisdom <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Stomach<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I consider my stomach the source of my wisdom, insights, ideas, and strength. Thus, why would I eat anything which would take that away from me?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"King
King Leonidas and the 300<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What foods do I eat, and how do I eat?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"My
My meat pantry and freezer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I do the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Intermittent fasting<\/strong>: No breakfast or lunch. No eating food before working out. After working out, a massive feast (dinner) that is heavy on fatty meats (beef, pork, chicken, eggs) and with some bitter green or herb (kale, collard greens), and ideally something fermented (kimchi). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meat-forward approach.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Fatty steak ready for dinner <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I eat meat: To me, the best use of money is meat. Even in Ancient Greek times, they used Oxen as a currency. Even the notion of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153capital\u00e2\u20ac\u009d in today\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s world is little based on \u00e2\u20ac\u0153caput\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (heads of cattle). There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a reason why sacrifice to the gods ain\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t cheap \u00e2\u20ac\u201d a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153hectacomb\u00e2\u20ac\u009d sacrifice to the gods was 100 oxen! Consider how much (delicious) meat that is!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Top
Top sirloin, Picanha\u00e2\u20ac\u201d my favorite cut.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Why meat?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Top<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For now, I will set ethics aside. The problem is when we talk about food and our personal bodily physiology, there is too much morality and ethics which meddles with us. Which means:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m not going to debate whether meat is bad for the planet, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m not gonna talk about \u00e2\u20ac\u0153sustainability\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, nor will I talk about \u00e2\u20ac\u0153animal rights\u00e2\u20ac\u009d.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

To me, these discussions are for someone else. What I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m purely interested in is what foods are optimal for my personal physical thriving, flourishing, and maximal thriving. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is meat really the optimal food?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Cooking curry pork belly in the oven<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let me start with the philosophical, then perhaps go to the practical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First of all, if you didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have any morals and ethics, and you wanted the most delicious, empowering, nutritious food item \u00e2\u20ac\u201d what would you choose? For me, it would be a nice fatty ribeye steak, top sirloin, tomahawk steak \u00e2\u20ac\u201d something like that. For me, preferably beef, preferably fatty and nicely marbled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Meat<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For maximal macular gains <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Another
Another beautiful cut of meat. I think this is bottom sirloin steak. Fogo de chau<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I consider the body the source of all wisdom. Thus if I desire to augment my bodily wisdom to the maximum, my first goal is maximal muscular strength, maximal muscular mass, and maximal muscular physique. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"back<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In order to feed my \u00e2\u20ac\u0153gains\u00e2\u20ac\u009d to the optimal level, of course meat is optimal. No sane bodybuilder or powerlifter would abstain from eating meat, if their goal was to maximize physical gains and power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t there that vegan powerlifter \u00e2\u20ac\u201d Patrik Baboumian from Germany? Yes. He is very strong. But the thing is this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If he ate a meat-forward diet, he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d probably be stronger. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Patrik has proved you can<\/em> become very strong on a vegan (no meat) diet. But maximally strong, and optimally strong? I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t believe so. And once again, I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t think anyone becomes a vegan powerlifter or vegan bodybuilder to maximize their potential epigenetics for strength \u00e2\u20ac\u201d it is generally for moral, ethical, ecological, or virtue-signaling purposes. A good discussion I found was with Joe Rogan and Robert O<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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