Science Brain Good

I was born with a science brain. From an early age, I had a curiosity about things. Far away places, what was in my yard, what lived where and why, the construction and malfunction of the body...I wasn't much of a mechanically-inclined person. Frankly, I had no interest in how devices worked. I never took apart a clock or built complex devices with Tinker Toys, but I had an immense compositional curiosity about the world. What made up what. How did things come together to make a whole. The inventory fascinated me. I didn’t really care HOW things came together to function, I just cared about creating a mental library.

More chemist than physicist, I guess, although neither subject was my favorite in school. I liked life sciences, literature, art history, geography – all courses with a strong categorical basis. In biology, I liked whole animal zoology. I ran from genetics and physiology. Those are more mechanical courses – how do organisms function. I wanted to know what types of organisms were out there. What did they look like? How did they behave? Yes, the “why” behind the scenes was of interest, but it was what came second. The “what” always prevailed. Into science I went for a career and stay there still, albeit in the area of science education.

But, I find that this scientific curiosity about things comes in quite handy in other ways. For, along with my love of inventory, comes my love of combinations. “What would happen if?” is a question I ask myself many times per day. “A whole lot of nothing” might be the answer. Or “a bleeping disaster.” But, sometimes it is “hey, cool beans.” Regardless, I don’t hesitate to try my cauldron stirring. And that is what it really is…personal voodoo. Whether it be for something to eat or a body care potion, I often find myself staring at a series of items and wondering what would happen if I mixed them up.

In my head, I can see/smell/taste/feel what I think I would like to happen and just do what makes sense to achieve that vision. Not always is this sensical, though. I don’t often have a real reason for mixing A with B and expecting C, but it does sometimes work. I go by intuition. By thinking about other combinations in which these items find themselves. I could research these items, of course, in the fashion of a chemist, and fine-tune my experiments, but I never have the urge. I generally research things after the fact, often just to know more data about the items - their history, appearance in natural form, etc. I think if I really researched things beforehand, I might not do some of the crazy things I do and that would be a shame.

I go by experience, intuition and silliness. Today is a good example. I am moving into a raw diet plan and this allows all fruits and vegetables. Well, I have had problems in the past with lots of fruits and veggies disrupting my blood sugar profile. This is likely due to my rampant consumption of high glycemic index foods. So, how to return to more fruit and veggies without going crazy again? Hmmm…protein doesn’t make me crazy, neither does fat. Both are very low GI. Raw food has a far lower GI value than its cooked counterpart. So, mishmash a concoction to give me things with a higher glycemic index in a way that my blood sugar won’t dance the funky chicken. Today, I had a fresh, cold juicy, sugary pear. A whole one. I haven’t done that in years. I didn’t go chasing my neighbors with an axe either (not that I’d be much of a threat with the condition of my feet). Why? I mixed up a big bowl of pure protein “pudding” and chopped up the pear into the mash. Then, mixed in a big handful of pumpkin seeds. Very sweet, cool, crunchy, tasty and I savored every single bite.

My CAT scan showed that I am packed with poop. So, how to move the poop? The doctor said take magnesium citrate, but the solutions at the pharmacy are laden with pure sugar. This will not do. Ok. Need magnesium citrate (which is normally in powder form and which I happened to have in my pantry). Caffeine also makes for a successful poo. The secondary value of the morning cup of coffee. Ok, again. Magnesium citrate does not taste good on its own. Ok, a third time. Mix up magnesium citrate, stevia for sweetening and a load of Diet Coke with Splenda in a tall glass. Today has seen more successful bathroom vacations than in recent memory.

I concocted recently an apple cider vinegar cooler that I now keep by my side like a faithful dog. The only thing I knew about ACV was the propagandist ads you see for the pills in health food stores. So, I didn’t concoct it for any health reasons (although, subsequent research shows that it does have some very good health benefits for many individuals). I just wanted something that had a sweet-acid flavor like soda. I was trying to reduce my dependency on soda and thought about what was the specific flavor combination in soda that drew my alliegance. Then, what did I have in the house to replicate that. Few people would, on a lark, mix vinegar, stevia and water for any reason. I did and consumed the result with glee.

That is how I cook and how I bake. What would happen if……I don’t always meet with success, but even the failures have the benefit of giving me a laugh. I don’t even think about what would necessarily taste good together, I just wonder sometimes how this and this would taste if it were mixed. Note for potential houseguests – I am not so cavalier when I cook for other people. I would not subject anyone else to being the first tester of last night’s dinner, for example. What would happen if I crushed up an acidophilus tablet into a food-processored mass of cabbage, tomato, onion and cilantro. Salsa is sour due to vinegar, but fermenting things makes them sour, too. Ok. Whip that up. But, bacteria like heat. Ok, again. I have a heating pad. Put the mass in a glass, cover with a paper towel and wrap in a heating pad. Temperature never gets to the level that the food is no longer “living” or kill the bacteria. Worked. Would have been better if I had let it go longer, but I could tell it was on its way to fermented nirvana…

For better or for worse, my science brain dictates much of what I do. Likely, I would find more success if I followed tried and true recipes and methods for things, but where’s the fun in that? Far more interesting to embark on a project when there is the possibility of failure – makes you more committed to succeed…