Double Brain And Body Power

Recently someone sent an interesting message to my personal website. An individual claimed to be a relative from long ago that wanted to see me. The statement was seemingly true and yet led to bizarre events.

While speaking over the phone with a person I will call Miss Moody, it became apparent that things were amiss. A concern of hers was being 180 pounds at 5'4'' in height. Her beau weighed 260 pounds at about 5'10''. A keto diet book and exercise equipment remained unused in their closet. She claimed no social life existed and yet conveyed maladjusted events. Then came the pretense with her comment,"I know what I should be doing. I'm just not doing it."

Miss Moody would briefly be a happy bubbly type and soon regress into making biting comments. She invited me to visit. Chuck Norris once told of a similar situation with a relation who was really an impostor. Since her identity was reasonably verified, I went with reservations. It was a journey into a different world...

Upon arrival the house, or more aptly madhouse, appeared clean but disordered. It was physically tidy yet nutritionally, mentally, and behaviorally in disarray. Identifying the human performance affectors in the environment was easy. The aging Miss Moody and her grizzled boyfriend Stupefied Sam lived there. Like worshipers of an electronic god, they religiously sat in front of their televisions all day. An enormous telly deity was in the front room and a smaller one in the back room. Miss Moody declared that soap operas were idolized.

Stupefied Sam rarely spoke. He just vegetated in a recliner with the remote control and two tins of dipping tobacco nearby. The man was mesmerized by the idiot box. Brain expert Dr. Marian Diamond promoted positive enriched environments for needed development. She was against endless mind-numbing TV viewing that lowers IQ and abilities. How true!

The fridge was stocked with sugary foods, caffeinated sodas, ice creams, artificial frozen pop treats, and pizzas. The label on one drink prided itself as being extra sweet. Jack LaLanne spoke of paranoia and anger as a youth before having a life of eating better and exercising. He would refer to the couple as being sugarholics. May I add the term TV-holics as well?

Miss Moody had seen articles at my website and told me,"I can eat anything as long as it is not too much." It was too much. Way off the charts too much. Serious obesity was evident for both persons. I went on to explain the concept of nutritional density: packing as much healthy nutrition imaginable into as few calories as possible. Their high sugar intake turned risks into reality. She then claimed no interest in health or exercise as her multiple prescription drugs were used instead, and that fit people are likely to expire while working out. Regarding the latter, just the opposite is true. Those who neglect their brains and bodies are the ones who are in trouble. The fit are far more likely to live longer and be able to do things the unfit cannot provided a healthy environment is maintained. I was beginning to wonder why I was even there.

A person becomes what they put in their mind and body. They ultimately are their environment. The factors that are controllable can make a huge difference. We need to choose wisely. Let's proceed with our story.

Instead of pursuing mental and physical abilities, Miss Moody threw childish tantrums. It did not take much to set her off. She would be pleasant one minute and cursing the next. A simple household fan became something that will surely set the place on fire. She took painful time to describe how dangerous the units were and why using them was a horrible thing to do. Normally a quality clean fan functions well. Trying to rationally convey the reality only resulted in her magnifying the dangers. Fear and anger superseded any logic.

She told me that windows were never opened. The house had to be kept cold. Letting in fresh air would burn up her air conditioner and run up the electric bill. That did not make sense. It crossed my mind that in countries like Switzerland and Germany it is common to open the windows daily for wellness. The AC or heat is turned off when possible and natural air let in which can save money and health. The place was like a chilly crypt with the inhabitant's thinking having been entombed.

Finally, an innocent comment led to irrational outbursts with Miss Moody believing she was being accused of thievery. That level of paranoia and delusion is usually only encountered when studying cases in psychology. She yelled and cursed for others to get out. Stupefied Sam quietly left. Since no orderlies were there to help, I was already gladly heading for the door. That was the first and last visit to their self-made madhouse. Did I mention that if a person foregoes exercise and lives on junk food and trashy TV they may become a nut?

© Copyright 2021 Mark Cammack. All rights reserved.