Five unconventional food criteria

✅ 1. Young Food
The “young diet” is simple: choose younger plants (sprouts, buds, young leaves), fish, and meat. Research on yeast, flies, and mice shows that food age impacts lifespan; a “young” diet extends life, while an “old” one shortens it. Additionally, younger products contain fewer toxins. For instance, small, young fish have significantly lower mercury levels than large, mature ones.

✅ 2. Hard Food
Hard texture is about more than satiety. Intensive chewing is a vital “workout” for the brain: it improves cerebral blood flow and lowers stress markers like norepinephrine, ACTH, and cortisol. Conversely, a soft diet is linked to reduced working memory, lower hippocampal neurogenesis, and an increased risk of neurodegenerative disorders.

✅ 3. Small Food
Choosing smaller items (berries, small apples, lentils) provides more beneficial compounds like fiber and phytonutrients (e.g., quercetin), which are concentrated in the peel. For example, if lentils are 1.5 times smaller, they contain 47% more peel by weight—meaning 47% more antioxidants and fiber. Smaller berries, nuts, and grains offer maximum health benefits per kilogram. Plus, small fish are usually younger (see Rule 1).

✅ 4. Complex Food
“Complex” foods require effort to eat (shelling nuts, picking pomegranate seeds, deboning fish). This effort increases focus, enhances pleasure, and slows down the meal, promoting mindfulness. To engage children and develop their motor skills, try giving them whole nuts in the shell to crack

✅ 5. Wild Food
Foods grown in natural conditions are more nutrient-dense. Wild salmon, which eats plankton, is a “concentrate” of marine Omega-3s, unlike farmed salmon raised on compound feed. The healthiest choices are wild-caught fish like mackerel, herring, and Baltic herring. Similarly, high-phenolic olive oil from highland trees or wild mountain ginseng contains far more active components than their farmed counterparts.

📖Antioxidant activity of apple peels J Agric Food Chem 2003 Jan 29;51(3):609-14. doi: 10.1021/jf020782a.
📖Hard-diet feeding recovers neurogenesis in the subventricular zone and olfactory functions of mice impaired by soft-diet feeding. PLoS One. 2014; 9(5):e97309.)
📖Age-associated molecular changes are deleterious and may modulate life span through diet // Science Advances.2017 Lee et al.,

What will your action do to you? Modern thinking is rigidly focused on the external results of our actions. And this seems logical—why do anything at all if there is no obvious effect or clear benefit? But this pseudo-rational approach is fundamentally flawed and destructive. For many philosophical teachings, the key aspect is precisely the opposite effect. What matters more is how your action changes you, rather than how it changes the world.

What will your action do to you?—this is the truly important question.

🟥1. We are both sculptor and marble.

Every action we take, regardless of its external results (whether anyone notices it or whether it changes anything in the world), changes us. Various mechanisms are involved: Self-identity—our actions shape how we perceive ourselves and what we believe we are. (For example, by performing kind acts, you truly become kinder.). Our actions do not just reflect our character—they shape it. “We become just by performing just acts, brave by performing brave acts, temperate by performing temperate acts.”

🟥2. The trap of inaction.

You are what you do—almost nothing else matters. A person shapes themselves through their actions. If they do nothing, they lose their sense of self and their desires, leading to emptiness, apathy, and a crisis of meaning. Self-respect is not given for free.
“He who does nothing has nothing to be proud of.”

🟥3. Behavioral activation.

We can fall into a downward spiral of depression precisely due to inaction (or meaningless actions). Energy is born from action. The more you do, the more energy you have. As soon as you lower your standards, you lose strength, procrastinate more, do even less, and the cycle continues. The same applies to happiness—our emotions and inner state are shaped by actions, not the other way around.
“We do not sing because we are happy, but we are happy because we sing.”

🟥4. Failing to do what you must is a betrayal of your values.

When you neglect your duties out of fear or laziness, the consequences of inaction are destructive to your personality. The mind must justify why the important task was not done, leading to fabricated rationalizations or excuses for wrongdoing. A person convinces themselves that their inaction was justified—thus betraying themselves and what truly matters to them. The price of inaction is moral decay.

🟥5. Fear and passivity.

Avoiding difficult situations leads to fear of them. If a person constantly retreats in the face of challenges, they eventually stop believing they can overcome them. “He who avoids battle has already lost". Every action reshapes our perception, our assessment of risk and pain, and thus encourages further action. The price of inaction is missed opportunities. “If you do not control your life, someone else will.” Inaction robs a person of initiative, allowing others to make decisions for them.

What does this mean?

✅Instead of obsessing over “Will this change anything? Where’s the guarantee?”—focus on your moral duty, on action as an extension of your character, and ask yourself: “How will this action (or inaction) change me?” This is the far more important question.

It does not matter whether your action brings tangible results. It does not matter whether anyone notices or comments on it. What matters is that you will know.

✅The practice of any act can be a path to enlightenment and mastery. Even sweeping the street can lead to insight. And most importantly—never wait for compensation. Immediately forget all the good you have done for others—but never forget the good done for you.

✅The joy of simply having the opportunity to do the right thing is already a reward. The very ability to perform a good deed is already a benefit and a blessing to yourself. The chance to fulfill your duty and embody your values is already an incredible opportunity for personal growth. Instead of asking “What do I want to do?”, ask yourself: “Who do I want to become?”

✅And let’s conclude with these verses from the Dhammapada:

"Think not lightly of evil, saying, 'It will not come to me.'
Even a water-pot is filled by the falling of drops.
Likewise, the fool, gathering little by little,
fills himself with evil."

"Think not lightly of good, saying, 'It will not come to me.'
Even a water-pot is filled by the falling of drops.
Likewise, the wise man, gathering little by little,
fills himself with good."

Photo - Man Carving His Own Destiny is a sculpture by Albin Polasek. It shows how we must all carve ourselves out from the rock which we are born within. That this sculpting of one’s life and one’s being into a work of art is the purpose of life.

​After the autumn blues and winter hibernation, we transition into "spring fever." By spring fever, we mean mood fluctuations ranging from depression to agitation. Indeed, spring sees an increase in manic episodes in bipolar disorder, and the suicide rate rises by 20–60%. It seems strange—why does increased sunlight have such an effect? Interestingly, a small subgroup of people also faces an increased risk during the first weeks of taking antidepressants; this is because the activating effect appears slightly sooner than the improvement in mood.
​🧠 Common subtypes with a seasonal pattern exist in 10–20% of depression cases and 15–22% of bipolar disorder cases. In the former, mania intensifies in the spring, while in the latter, mood improves. However, people are unlikely to complain about hypomania, making its frequency difficult to estimate.
​😜 Why does spring fever occur? The amount of sunlight increases, but the internal clock cannot keep up, resulting in a mismatch. There are several theories regarding this: the photoperiodic hypothesis (less light in winter causes depression, while more light in spring activates) and the more complex phase-shift hypothesis (insufficient light in winter is inadequate to synchronize circadian rhythms). The phase response curve (PRC) to light is the relationship between light exposure and the phase shift of the circadian rhythm. The curve determines the time of day at which light exposure will shift the circadian phase.
​😭 The best way to avoid spring fever is to combat the blues during winter (morning light, morning activity). Morning light helps overcome depression, while reducing evening and night light helps manage mania. For instance, bipolar disorder patients hospitalized with depression in rooms with east-facing windows are discharged 3.7 days faster than those in rooms with west-facing windows. Dark therapy can also help reduce the severity of mania and stabilize mood. In its classical form, this involves staying in the dark from 6 PM to 8 AM, but it can be replaced by "virtual darkness"—using blue-blocker glasses in the evening and ensuring absolute darkness at night. Even 3 lux at night significantly worsens sleep quality and increases the risk of depression.
​👌 Thus, simple approaches can stabilize mood. Pay close attention to your emotional state. How does your mood depend on the season? How do you stabilize its fluctuations?
​Sources
​Why Do Mania and Suicide Occur Most Often in the Spring? Psychiatry Investig. 2018 Mar; 15(3): 232–234.
​Is seasonal affective disorder a bipolar variant? Curr Psychiatr. 2010 Feb; 9(2): 42–54.
​Mood disorders: The dark night Nature volume 497, pages S14–S15 (2013)
​Therapy for bipolar disorder using amber lenses for blue light blockade Med Hypotheses 2008; 70(2):224-9.
​Light exposure at night and sleep quality in bipolar disorder: The APPLE cohort study Journal of Affective Disorders Volume 257, 1 October 2019, Pages 314-320
​Blue-blocking glasses as additive treatment for mania: a randomized placebo-controlled trial. Bipolar Disord. 2016; 18:221-232.
​Morning sunlight reduces length of hospitalization in bipolar depression Journal of Affective Disorders 62(3):221-3

Simple and practical health hacks to try.

✅ 1. Neurogenic tremors

Trauma Releasing Exercises (TRE) are a body-oriented technique that uses simple movements to activate natural muscle tremors and vibrations that spread throughout the body. This process helps release deep tension and brings a sense of relief. The exercises are easy to perform and can be found online.

✅ 2. Earplugs for better sleep

We often believe we've adapted to nighttime noise and that it doesn’t disturb us — but that’s a dangerous misconception. Our body still reacts to sound, and this undermines the quality of our sleep even if we sleep long enough. Try using earplugs — they can make a real difference. Wax earplugs are especially recommended, as they don’t create pressure in the ear canal.

✅ 3. Stop rumination

Here’s a quick way to silence the inner dialogue. The stream of thoughts is closely linked with tiny movements of the tongue, hands, and eyes. To stop it:
Fix your gaze at one point — ideally, the bridge of your nose.
Press the tip of your tongue against the roof of your mouth.
Place the backs of your open hands (palms facing upward) against the front of your thighs.
Hold this posture for a few moments. Feel that? The thoughts stop.

✅ 4. Helicopter view

A sense of awe helps reduce stress. One powerful way to feel awe is through visual perspective. Close your eyes and imagine rising above yourself — higher and higher — as if from a helicopter. Watch yourself from above, then zoom out over the city, the region, the planet. Freeze at that vast distance. Notice how small your worries seem from there.

Centuries of the terrible practice of bloodletting—which often led to death or deteriorating health as a treatment for nearly all diseases—created a negative aura. However, in a number of cases, donation can be more than just charity; it can be an effective therapeutic and preventative procedure.

🤔 What is wrong with iron? Iron is a crucial element for health. But its excess has a negative impact and acts as "fuel" for pathological processes (inflammation, oxidation, tumor growth). The fact is that excess iron catalyzes oxidative reactions within cells, which intensifies oxidative stress, stimulates ferroptosis, etc.

🤔 Furthermore, we are adapted to iron deficiency—therefore, our bodies actively absorb it and lack excretion mechanisms (except for blood loss), unlike other minerals. Everything we absorb beyond the norm is deposited in the organs. This contributes significantly to the risk of disease in both men and women; women eat less meat and lose more blood (childbirth and menstruation), resulting in lower iron levels.

✅ Therefore, while the upper limit of the norm is considered to be 300–400 ng/mL, some biohackers recommend the upper female ferritin range as one of the cheapest and most effective longevity strategies for men. The easiest way to achieve this is through regular donation. How beneficial is it?

📖 Donation effectively removes excess iron stores and thereby: reduces systemic inflammation (C-reactive protein), improves insulin sensitivity, protects the liver (in people with fatty hepatosis), reduces the risk of developing several cancers (lung, liver, colon, stomach, and esophageal cancer—the effect was most pronounced in those who donated blood regularly and frequently), reduces oxidative stress, improves endothelial function, reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, and cleanses karma.
Of course, the "healthy donor effect" should be taken into account, but the results persist even when adjusted for this.

‼️ This will not suit everyone. The greatest benefit will be gained by men, people with high ferritin, and gene carriers—even heterozygotes for hemochromatosis. It is quite common—practically one in ten in Europe and the USA.

The jaw muscle is one of the strongest and most sensitive to #stress. After all, the bite is primates' primary survival weapon. Our smile comes from the grins of primates who demonstrate their teeth and willingness to use them. When stressed, the jaw muscles tense in preparation for a bite. This tension can lead to pain and joint problems.

😬Sculptor Yoan Capote was inspired to create the piece (Stress) by his experience with stress-induced teeth-grinding. The work is also “a monument to the collective experience of contemporary urban life.” Teeth are also a symbol of aggression and our ability to defend ourselves. “You are how you fight and almost nothing else.” Indeed, sometimes people can be identified only by a cast of their teeth.

✅1. Tension in the #jaw muscles is a common symptom of stress. Stress may subconsciously contribute to us clenching more frequently than usual, which creates more pressure within the jaw. Over time, this can lead to poor control of the muscles responsible for opening and closing the mouth.

✅2. To check their condition, try moving your jaw slowly from side to side (there should be no resistance 🚩); three fingers of your hand should fit vertically between your teeth without pain. There should be no painful points 🚩 when palpating the lower jaw; in a relaxed state, the upper teeth should not touch the lower ones. Also, pay attention to your chewing muscles—tension indicates stress.

✅3. Eat more solid, hard food (not a soft diet), chew gum, and breathe with a long exhale. Avoid the soft smoothies of infants and infantile hippies. Avoid chewing repetitively on one side. Tension also manifests itself as #bruxism.

✅4. In addition to chewing, singing and reading aloud are helpful and very relaxing. Clenched jaws visually shorten the face and compress the lips. Exhale slowly through closed lips. When sitting, avoid resting your face or chin on the palm of your hand.

🧠However, in our brains, the centers of arousal and aggression are so close that we often experience "cute aggression" - the desire to bite what we like, such a funny bug.

The modern obsession of russian society with war, murder, and violence is not the peak right now, but merely the baseline — and the world is heading toward far bloodier violence and far more brutal wars.

📖Research conducted in Germany showed that the most powerful form of propaganda, the one that lasts a lifetime, is brainwashing during childhood and adolescence (school years), including early elementary grades. Germans who reached adulthood before 1933 or entered school after 1945 displayed two to three times less adherence to propaganda.

🚩Meanwhile, those who attended school between 1933 and 1945 remained steadfast supporters of fascist views throughout their entire lives. At the same time, the teachers who taught them showed significantly lower attachment to Nazism — yet they managed to cripple the children. They became far more committed Nazis and moral cripples than their teachers. Thus, the parental self-deception of "school doesn't matter that much" is an extremely dangerous underestimation.

🚩The exact same pattern occurred in the USSR — the civil war of 1919–1922 turned out to be far less bloody than the carnage unleashed by the schoolchildren with brainwashed minds by 1937, who, alongside their fascist ally Germany, ignited World War II. This is precisely why the wildest and bloodiest generation is yet to come — the ones currently studying in russian schools.

📖📖Nazi indoctrination and anti-Semitic beliefs in Germany Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015 Jun 30;112(26):7931-6.
Z Generation: Into the Heart of Russia's Fascist Youth Ian Garner

🤔I am often asked what vitamins to take to improve health, optimize dopamine, enhance stress resistance, and boost brain function. So, I’ll prescribe you high doses of two “vitamins” – vitamin C and vitamin A.

✅Vitamin A – Vitamin Awe. Take it until your anger at the world disappears. Keep taking it until you feel goosebumps and a sense of reverence. (For example, to explore the topic further – Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life)

✅Vitamin C – Vitamin Curiosity. Take it until you develop a genuine interest in people, science, art, your own health, and the desire to investigate and find out why things are the way they are. (For example, to dive deeper – Curious: The Desire to Know and Why Your Future Depends On It)

May 1, 1941.
A joint parade of allied aggressors — Nazis and Communists in Moscow. Having signed the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, they have been dividing Europe together for a year and a half:

The Soviet Union occupied Poland, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Romania;

Nazi Germany occupied Poland, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Yugoslavia, Greece.

How plants reduce stress. Hana means flower in Japanese, and hanami is the Japanese national tradition of flower viewing. Interestingly, cherry blossoms originally symbolized warriors (like irises and peonies), and admiring flowers could prepare them for battle. The Hagakure instructs samurais to be like cherry blossoms even at death.

🌸The cherry blossom is an emblem of fearless warriors, which is why it adorned the buttons of kamikaze pilots. There is a legend that the cherry was chosen as a symbol because of its berries – soft and delicate on the outside but with a hard stone inside. Similarly, a samurai is kind and noble on the outside but tough and uncompromising on the inside.

🌷The Japanese are experts in health and longevity. They believed beauty can be appreciated because it is fleeting and disappears before becoming routine. Admiring live flowers helps to pause and increase mindfulness. The positive effect of viewing flowers is not only psychological but also physiological. Looking at live flowers relaxes, reduces stress levels, and enhances the tone of the anti-stress parasympathetic system.

🌸To increase the effect, you can also smell the flowers. Training your sense of smell improves your ability to distinguish scents and stimulates global neuroplasticity processes. Additionally, you will better remember these moments. Caring for flowers– anything, even a plant – reduces perceived stress levels. Studies show that even a small plant on your desk can lower physiological stress indicators. Therefore, plant flowers at home, decorate your dining table or living room with them, and keep a green friend in your office – it benefits your health.

📖The physiological and psychological relaxing effects of viewing rose flowers in office workers. J Physiol Anthropol. 2014; 33(1): 6..
📖Potential of a Small Indoor Plant on the Desk for Reducing Office Workers’ Stress Volume 30: Issue 1 2019 American Society for Horticultural Science
📖Recent researches on psychological effect of green amenity 2008 J. Sci. High Technol. Agr. 20 236 241

Read full text: https://open.substack.com/pub/belaveshkin/p/respect-for-reality-as-a-duty-of

What we perceive as “reality” is actually a combination of two streams of information. One comes from sensory input, the other from expectations, fears, hopes, and interpretations generated by the brain itself. When reality becomes too painful or hopeless, people often stop seeing facts and begin seeing what they desperately want to be true.

This phenomenon was described by survivors of Nazi/Soviet camps. Some prisoners gradually convinced themselves that the guards secretly sympathized with them and were “actually good people.” Neutral gestures became interpreted as hidden signs of compassion, while cruelty itself was rationalized as necessary camouflage. The brain prefers comforting illusion over unbearable uncertainty. But every layer of self-deception reduces contact with reality — and therefore reduces adaptive capacity.

Modern psychology describes many similar defense mechanisms: denial, dissociation, projection, depersonalization. They temporarily protect the psyche from overload, but they also distort perception. And distorted perception reduces the effectiveness of decisions and actions.

Stoicism proposed the opposite strategy: not escape from reality, but cooperation with it. The Stoics believed that suffering comes not only from pain itself, but from resistance to what already exists. Epictetus wrote: “Do not seek for events to happen as you wish, but wish them to happen as they do happen.”

One of the deepest Stoic concepts is amor fati — love of fate. Not passive resignation, but the ability to accept reality without psychological conflict. Marcus Aurelius wrote: “Love only what happens to you and is woven into your destiny.”

The nervous system constantly compares “what is” with “what should have been.” The larger this gap becomes, the more frustration, anxiety, resentment, and chronic stress emerge. Stoicism reduces this destructive internal conflict. Energy stops being wasted on denial and fantasy and can instead be directed toward action, discipline, resilience, and clear thinking.

Full text: blog/substack