Euro election 2014: handsome is as handsome does

On Thursday we voted in the EU election for MEPs.  After a long internet search, I discovered the candidates, but not how they'd appear on the ballot paper (more of that later).

I'm cynical about election manifestos and party commitments, having seen promises broken every year, including the pledge to hold a referendum on the revised EU constitution.

I'm more interested in how individual MEPs behave when in post.

There are 8 MEPs for the London region:  Charles Tannock (Conservative), Claude Moraes (Labour), Baroness Sarah Ludford (Liberal Democrat), Dr Syed Kamall (Conservative), Jean Lambert (Green), Gerard Batten (UK Independence Party), Mary Honeyball (Labour), Marina Yannakoudakis (Conservative).

I wrote to my MEPs for London on 21 January this year, expressing concerns about Georgia's interest in joining the EU.  In Georgia homosexuality is legal, yet the head of the church's followers advocate killing gays and a young gay man was recently murdered in the capital Tbilisi.

Syed Kamall (Con) responded asking if I'd like him to submit a Parliamentary question to the European Commission about this issue.  I agreed and he sent me a copy of the letter of to the Commission.

Marina Yannakoudakis (Con) twisted my question and answered about the right to gay marriage (which I did not even mention.)  She dismissed the idea that gays are threatened or murdered in Georgia.  I responded with a list of links to articles (gleaned from a cursory Google search), but answer came their none.

['The recognition of gay-marriages is not a pre-condition of EU Membership. If it were, then current EU Members may face problems since some do not recognise such marriages'.  'As for your words on "persecution and killings" of LGBT people in Georgia, I have found no similar reports of such incidents, so I would be grateful if you could provide me with further information so that I can investigate this alleged matter.'

'I'm sorry that you are unaware of the situation in Georgia for gays and lesbians and have been unable to find evidence for my claims.  As for examples of death threats an injury to gays in Georgia, here is a small selection via  cursory Google search:

Crowd led by Priests attacks gay rights marchers in Georgia

Antigay protesters disrupt Georgian rights rally

What was behind Georgia's anti-gay rally?

Terrifying video of rioters attacking gay pride participants in Tbilisi

In Georgia, a grisly murder highlights vulnerability of gay people

Georgia:  time for homsexuality to come out of the closet?

This is the oldest report:

Pride and Prejudice ]

Jean Lambert (Green) responded with a clear and concise account of her position and upcoming vote on the 'Lunacek report', a roadmap against homophobia and discrimination on ground of sexual orientationa nd gender identify for the EU.

Charles Tannock's (Con) response was brief, but asserted his position as a longstanding friend of Georgia who shares my concerns about human rights and civil liberties in Georgia.

Claude Moraes (Lab) sent a long reply, but confirmed his (and the Labour party's) position as committed defenders of human rights.

Mary Honeyball (Lab) acknowledged my email and said she'd get back to me.  Nothing more arrived from her.

Sarah Ludford (Lib Dem) sent a long reply with an extensive history of action in the EU on homophobia and human rights.  She concluded with a paragraph on Liberal Democrat policy on the issue.  This was the most detailed response of all.

 Gerard Batten (UKIP) has still not acknowledged my email or replied to it.

On Thursday I went to my polling station with preferred MEP candidates in this order of preference:  Sarah Ludford, Syed Kamall, Jean Lambert, Charles Tannock = Claude Moraes.

I discovered that I had ONE vote and could only pick a political party.  

I could not, in all conscience, vote Conservative with the views of Marina Yannakoudakis, however much I admire Syed Kamall.  Labour, with one non-response and one party political puff, could not get my vote.  Green, with a good response on this issue, could not be trusted on the economy.  UKIP keep the other parties on their toes, but Mr Batten is not doing his job.  Sarah Ludford sent the most comprehensive response, though I'm not too keen on other aspects of her party's work, particularly in relation to sexual abuse and harassment of staff and constituents.  I'd prefer to be able to vote for people I support and exclude those I don't.

I voted.

Update:  Here are the UK results for the European elections.

Lazy Mary Honeyball and Gerard Batten are still in, but hard working Sarah Ludford is out.

LONDON

Labour: 806,959
Con: 495,639
UKIP: 371,133
Green: 196,419
Lib Dem: 148,013

MEPs: Claude Moraes (Lab), Sayed Kamall (Con), Mary Honeyball (Lab),Gerard Batten (UKIP), Lucy Anderson (Lab), Charles Tannock (Con), Seb Dance (Lab), Jean Lambert (Green).

N = 1 self experimentation

I've written about the late Seth Roberts, who was famous for self experimentation.  Jimmy Moore has also published results of his experiments to reduce and maintain weight and good health.  Paul and Shou Ching Jaminet also advocate self research in finding your way to optimum weight and good health.

The gold standard for scientific research is the randomised controlled trial.  A statistically significant number of people is divided randomly into two, one group is given the variable (drug, food, other intervention) and the other group is not.  The second or control group may be given a placebo pill, food or other intervention.  Those assigned to each group are numbered and recorded.  The aim is to ensure that neither the test subjects or those working with them know who has the intervention and who does not.  This prevents the researchers and test subjects from skewing the results.  It also eliminates confirmation bias, when humans seek and find results that seem to confirm what they believe.

Using yourself as a test subject is open to criticism, because an individual result cannot be generalised out to the whole population.  On the other hand, it can be useful for the tester to help find solutions to their own health problems not provided by health care professionals or over the counter drugs.  There is even greater risk of confirmation bias and other distortions creeping into n=1 experiments.  Humans are notoriously unreliable when remembering the past and liable to make post hoc rationalisations.

I was asked to participate in trials of a sleep device.  The questionnaire was detailed in asking for feedback on what happened AFTER I tried the device.  It was open to criticism, because it stopped there.

In my view, we need to be systematic in experimenting on ourselves.  Here's my list of things to include when trying out something to improve health, weight or fitness:

1  Keep a notebook or file on computer detailing what happened
2  Before starting the experiment, note down your history of this topic (weight loss, insomnia,  low mood or whatever) to get a baseline starting point.   Record previous attempts to improve the situation and interventions used as well as  your views about factors affecting your progress
3  Start the experiment
4  Identify ONE intervention and make every effort to keep the rest of your life as consistent as possible (eg add more fat to diet or wear orange safety goggles).  Avoid adding other NEW changes to diet or lifestyle.  If you make multiple changes, it's impossible to determine what has caused improvement/deterioration/no change in your state.
5  Note the results each day.  Record numbers wherever possible (eg weight loss/gain; amount of time it took to fall asleep, time slept - light/deep/dreaming sleep, amount and quality of dreams, times woke during the night, time taken to sleep again etc)
6  Record other factors that may have affected progress as well as other notable things (eg external events affecting sleep/stress).

I've run experiments on myself and kept note of food intake, body composition, blood glucose, blood pressure and sleep patterns.  I've noticed how difficult it is to draw definite cause effect conclusions, but have made tentative guesses, often with multiple potential contributory factors (particularly to insomnia).  This helps me to avoid over confident generalisations or assertions and focusses my attention on areas for further investigation.

I've encouraged clients to use self experimentation and notebooks, arguing that these are much more persuasive with their doctors than verbal reports, particularly when GPs dismiss weight loss problems as chronic overeating.  This gives them more confidence in dealing with their own health and communicating with their doctor.

You may not find a single solution, but will gain a clearer sense of your own metabolism and what helps and hinders progress.  I still have insomnia sometimes, but recognise the contributory factors and how I can limit them.

Postscript:  It's useful to identify your goal prior to self experimentation.  For example with insomnia you may want to fall asleep sooner or sleep longer, rather than waking up in the early hours of the morning.  You might want to have deeper sleep.  If you know where you want to go explicitly, it's easier to track progress and alter your experiment later on.

David and Goliath world cup football

In 1950 the world cup final was between Brazil and Uruguay in the Maracana stadium.  Brazil needed a draw to win and their victory was thought to be a foregone conclusion on home turf.

Uruguay has a population of less than 5 million and this dwindled to less than 2.5 million after the military dictatorship.  Brazil has more than 200 million people and is one of the BRICs countries, predicted to surge ahead of traditional Western economic power houses.  In 1950 Uruguay's economy was dominated by meat exports.  Fray Bentos is a town that gave its name to a company famous for corned beef.  In a world recovering from World War 2, meat exports from Argentina and Uruguay had little competition and the European Union hadn't yet established itself nor had the United States of America consolidated its protectionist position, so imports were welcome.

The mayor of Rio de Janeiro spoke to the crowd before the match, saluting the Brazilian team as conquerors before the ball was in play.

Uruguay won 2-1 with a decisive goal by Ghiggia.

Denmark won the 1992 European cup final, having only joined the tournament when Yugoslavia could not play because of the war in Bosnia.

Never underestimate smaller nations in football.

Seth Roberts RIP

Sad news that Seth Roberts died on Saturday 26 April 2014.

Seth was a psychology lecturer in California and Beijing.  He pioneered work on self experimentation for improving health.  He wrote about his experiments in treating insomnia and depression.

He also wrote a book on weight loss based on the notion that we eat less if our appetite is not stimulated by strong smells and taste of food.  This was the 'Shangri-La Diet'.

I disagreed with lots of what Seth wrote.  I tried several ideas, some helped and others didn't.  I appreciated his view that people could take control of their own health and find solutions, where healthcare failed them.  Seth was also critical of academic bias, cheating and poor research findings.

One of my favourite Seth blog posts was the story of Morex and how he finally lost weight and regained health and confidence by drinking light olive oil, as recommended by Seth.

The best tribute to Seth Roberts would be if more people used themselves as test subjects and worked out ways to better health and fitness through self experimentation and observation.  Having more self confidence and openness to new ideas is the core of his legacy.

UPDATE:  Seth's mother posted a piece about his death on the blog.  There is no definitive cause identified to date (more information will arrive later this year).  However there is some suggestion that heart problems may have been triggered by mercury in fish and air pollution in Beijing.

I hadn't realised how much of a collaborator Seth was.  A number of people have written about his curiosity and generosity in discussing ideas and giving of his time and knowledge to help others.

Co-op Bank 'loses' Labour Party custom

Big news this week:  the Labour Party are in talks to move their loan from the Co-op Bank to the Unity Trust Bank (described as union-owned).  The Co-op Bank also has a large stake in Unity Trust Bank, so nothing much has changed, it seems.

When private equity funds took control of the Co-op Bank with its £1.5bn debt problem, attempts were made to bridge the gap by scalping investors and bondholders.  This was stopped and other means were negotiated through the best efforts of Euan Sutherland and Mark Taber.  There was talk of calling in the Labour Party loan and it was clear that Labour's funding was at risk.

The BBC and other news media make no mention of the Labour Party's links to the Co-operative Movement (funded by the Co-operative).

Ed Balls, the Shadow Chancellor, received a donation to his office of £50,000 arranged by Paul Flowers, disgraced Co-op Bank Chair.  He seems to have helped Flowers into post during his time in the Treasury.  Eds Milliband and Balls have spoken approvingly of the Co-op and maintained a resolute silence during the troubles, when hard working pensioners were about to lose their savings to fill the funding gap.

It was Tory MPs who took up the challenge and questioned those involved closely during Treasury Select Committee hearings.  I've written before about the courteous style of Jesse Norman and how he managed to obtain much more information than his bullying and sarcastic colleagues.  I've also written about the life and accomplishments of Norman and his father, who have done much for the poor and disadvantaged both here and abroad.  Eton educated Jesse Norman spoke up on behalf of pensioners who were about to be scalped by the Co-op Bank.

I wrote to Eds Balls and Millibands repeatedly when the Co-op Bank crisis was at its height (as did many others who supported Mark Taber's unpaid efforts).

AND ANSWER CAME THERE NONE

I wonder why?

Could it be that turkeys don't vote for Christmas and a Labour Party dependent on funding from the Co-operative Movement won't comment on their part in the £2.5bn loss just announced by the Co-op Group?

Here's a list of current Co-op funded Members of Parliament  and roles:

Without the Co-op funding we wouldn't have a shadow cabinet.

• 1997 - present

  
  
  Jon Ashworth, Leicester South, 2011-present Head of Party Relations
• Adrian Bailey, West Bromwich West, 2000–present Chairman of Business Innovation and Skills Committee
• Ed Balls, Normanton, 2005–2010; Morley and Outwood, 2010-present Shadow Chancellor
• Luciana Berger, Liverpool Wavertree, 2010–present Shadow Minister for Public Health
• Geraint Davies, Swansea West, 2010-present (previously sat as Labour MP 1997-2005)
• Jim Dobbin, Heywood and Middleton, 1997–present
• Stella Creasy, Walthamstow, 2010-present
• Stephen Doughty, Cardiff South and Penarth, 2012-present
• Gemma Doyle, West Dunbartonshire, 2010–present
• Louise Ellman, Liverpool Riverside, 1997–present Chair of Transport Select Committee
• Chris Evans, Islwyn, 2010-present
• Tom Greatrex, Rutherglen and Hamilton West, 2010–present Shadow Energy Minister
• Mark Hendrick, Preston, 2000–present
• Meg Hillier, Hackney South and Shoreditch, 2005–present 
• Cathy Jamieson, Kilmarnock and Loudon, 2010-present 
• Mark Lazarowicz, Edinburgh North and Leith, 2001–present Shadow Department for International Development Member
• Chris Leslie, Nottingham East, 2010-present (previously sat as Labour MP 1997-2005) Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury
• Andy Love, Edmonton, 1997–present 
• Seema Malhotra, Feltham and Heston, 2011-present
• Sarah McCarthy-Fry, Portsmouth North, 2005–2010
• Meg Munn, Sheffield Heeley, 2001–present
• Lucy Powell, Manchester Central, 2012-present
• Steve Reed, Croydon North, 2012-present
• Linda Riordan, Halifax, 2005–present
• Andy Sawford, Corby, 2012-present
• Gavin Shuker, Luton South, 2010–present
• Gareth Thomas, Harrow West, 1997–present (Labour Co-operative from 2003, previously just Labour) Shadow Department for International Development Member
• Stephen Twigg, Liverpool West Derby, 2010-present (previously sat as Labour MP 1997-2005) Shadow Foreign Office Minister
• John Woodcock, Barrow and Furness, 2010–present Shadow Minister for Transport

Working with Insomnia 5

I wrote in an earlier post about the negative effects of poor digestion on sleep.  In recent years people have become aware of the positive effects of probiotics on health.  Beneficial microorganisms improve digestion in the gut and bowel.

I'm NOT a fan of sugar based jollop in small plastic bottles, with questionable benefits to health and proven impact on waste pollution.

Paul Jaminet has written about the health improvements he experienced when adding fermented foods to his diet.  These are a significant component of his Perfect Health Diet along with 'Safe Starches'.

Our ancestors have eaten many foods that were available in different climates and terrains around the globe.  Tubers were one part of the diet, providing foods that could be stored and eaten in lean times.

I'm curious about how early humans preserved foods in the time before refrigeration.  Fermentation with air borne cultures has been developed for thousands of years.  Kefir grains were used to ferment milk.

Sourdough was developed as a way of fermenting grains to make bread.  Ancient Egypt and the North Caucasus mountains are both areas where this practice is claimed to have originated.  Milled grains and water are all that are needed to make very tasty bread (with a little salt).  This sounds authentic.  Resources would have been scarce and this phenomenon may easily have been discovered by accident.  I used to make sourdough bread, but now eat grains rarely.  I wanted another natural source of probiotics.

I experimented with kimchi years ago before I thought about health benefits.  I didn't enjoy it.  I've tasted sauerkraut, but found commercial varieties unappetising.  They may have been cooked or pasteurised, eliminating beneficial microbes.  Looking around the paleo and low carb community I was surprised to find such complicated recipes.  They included vinegar, water and other additions that didn't ring true to me.  When people described dealing with mould, I suspected that their recipes weren't authentic.

I found a couple of helpful videos including this one from a German guy, WoodlandGardener, living in Canada:

I used this informal approach with white cabbage successfully.  I adapted the recipe using kilner jars to store the sauerkraut.  I also used some of the outer leaves to cover the shreded cabbage and then covered them with non toxic cling film.  I've read about contamination by components of plastic in cling film and am not keen to have direct contact between the sauerkraut and the plastic.

The same method worked less well with red cabbage and mould developed quickly.  I increased the quantity of salt and found the results less palatable.

I talked to a Norwegian friend about Scandinavian versions of sauerkraut.  Kvalimad's video for surkål helped me in several areas.  First the guideline of 2% salt gave me a specific  guide to follow.  I was more fastidious about removing all mould or leaves with a little white dust on them (red cabbage).  I used a deeper bowl to crush the cabbage, using the end of a long rolling pin to pound the vegetable.  I pushed the cabbage down with my hands and noticed that all jars had a quantity of liquid.  I dispensed with the whole leaves and clingfilm and used the rubber sealed lid on each kilner jar to keep them airtight.

They sat in thick brown paper bags on the kitchen counter and the temperature was warm.  I checked them each day and opened the lids to release the gas from the fermenting cabbage.  After a few days the surkål was bubbling vigorously and I put the jars in the fridge.  Fermentation continues slowly, but the cold doesn't kill the microbes.  I noticed this effect when making sourdough starter years ago.  I could leave it for weeks and then revive it with some hot water and added flour.

I don't cut the cabbage very fine and some pieces can be large.  This doesn't affect fermentation or flavour.  The surkål is crunchy and nicely sour.

A dessert spoonful of red and white surkål with breakfast sets me up for the day.  I feel better and digestion works better with microbes and fibre.  The salt level is lower, so my blood pressure doesn't rise.  My sleep is improving.

Much has been written recently about Resistant Starches.  People in the low carb/paleo community have jumped on these as a better alternative to safe starches promoted by Paul Jaminet.  RS are said to resist digestion, but are processed in the colon to release beneficial nutrients for gut micro organisms.  Unfortunately the descriptions are enthusiastic, but don't provide much detail on the science and the foods involved.

Dr Robert Lustig talked about this process in January 2011.  He gave details of how it works in the last 5 minutes of a second interview with Jimmy Moore.  He also distinguishes between safe and unsafe starches, commenting that those that elevate blood sugars rapidly and do not activate leptin signals to the brain to help us recognise satiety, are not good for us.  Dr Lustig is not an advocate of long term low carb diets and does not refer to resistant starches.  He talks about the beneficial effects of FIBRE.

There is no magic bullet for treating insomnia, but gut health certainly contributes to better sleep.

"Don't go near doctors"

I have an allotment.  This brings me into contact with a wide range of people I wouldn't otherwise meet.

I've been talking about statins and what I understand about the science.

One woman told me her mum is on them, despite pleas from the family to stop.  Mum believes the medication gives her a 'get out of gaol free card' from health problems caused by smoking.  As far as I know, there is NO connection and statins don't work for women.

Another friend in his 80s is on statins.  He has started to feel low, keeps falling over and seems more tired and less able to cope than before.  Statins don't work for men over 65 and it sounds as if he is experiencing some of the familiar symptoms.  His doctor tells him to continue taking the meds.  The doctor receives financial incentives to prescribe statins, so he would say that, wouldn't he.

CORRECTION:  Research evidence strongly suggests that, in the elderly, a high cholesterol level is protective agains coronary heart disease (CHD).

Several people told me about another man on site.  He's a cheerful member of the community and always friendly.  He happens to be around 65 and suffers from diabetes.  He was prescribed statins and experienced a major change in personality, becoming very aggressive.  He stopped taking the medication and, last time I saw him,  was back to his cheerful self.

He concluded that you can't trust doctors.  After being on a large number of different drugs, he decided that he was better off avoiding doctors altogether.

I don't agree.  Doctors saved my life.  Experience teaches me that not all doctors are the same.  I make up my own mind about operations and medication offered to me, sometimes upsetting junior doctors from countries where patients are more respectful and compliant.

First find a GOOD doctor you can trust.  Avoid doctors who challenge your right to hold an opinion and act on it, especially if it differs from theirs.

Dr Briffa tells me that one cardiologist agrees with me.  Hallelujah!