A Prophetic Warning and Global Depopulation

In her article "A Voice of Warning," Charolette Winder argues that the "calamities" mentioned in the Family Proclamation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are not just natural disasters but the measurable social decay resulting from family disintegration. One of the most significant "macro" calamities is the current global crisis of population degrowth.

Key Principles and Social Calamities

The article argues that the "calamities" warned of in the Proclamation are manifesting through the disintegration of the family unit, which has measurable, generational impacts on society:

• The Weight of Divorce: Social data indicates that divorce diminishes a child's future competence in areas such as education, earning power, and emotional well-being.

• Irreparable Social Decay: The American College of Pediatrics and other studies suggest that the negative long-term consequences of family breakdown are harder to rebuild than physical homes lost to natural disasters.

• The Duty to Warn: Leaders emphasize that teaching unpopular truths about family and gender is an act of love and a fulfillment of their "stewardship" as watchmen.

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The Crisis of Depopulation 

A central focus of the article is the "macro" level threat of depopulation, which it links to the "disintegration of the family" mentioned in the Proclamation:

• Falling Fertility Rates: To sustain population replacement, a rate of 2.1 children per woman is required; however, most developed nations are now well below this threshold.

• Global Predictions: A 2024 study in The Lancet warns that by the year 2100, over 97% of countries will have fertility rates below the necessary replacement level.

• Failed Incentives: Nations like Russia, Hungary, and Denmark have attempted to "bribe" or incentivize citizens to have children through cash bonuses and tax breaks, but these efforts have yielded few results due to high "opportunity costs" and shifting social priorities.

• Economic Consequences: Shrinking populations lead to a smaller workforce, increased tax burdens, and potential societal upheaval as deaths begin to outnumber live births.

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Conclusion

Winder concludes that while the Proclamation's warnings are stark, they are intended to persuade individuals toward choices that lead to stability and happiness. Despite the "messiness" of modern family life, the article offers a message of hope, stating that through Jesus Christ, families can find healing and restoration even when they fall short of the ideal.

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Reference:

 Winder, C. (2025, May 27). A voice of warning: Prophets and proclamations. Public Square Magazine. https://publicsquaremag.org/faith/proclamation-on-the-family/the-family-proclamation-what-it-warned/

Healthy Snacks

Practical guidance for choosing afternoon snacks that stabilize blood sugar, reduce cravings, and support long-term health

By John Fisher (assisted by AI)

Afternoon snacking often gets a bad reputation, but according to Jessie Inchauspé, the problem isn’t snacking—it’s what and how we snack. When blood glucose rises sharply and then crashes, we experience fatigue, brain fog, cravings, and overeating later in the day. Inchauspé’s work focuses on keeping glucose curves flat through simple, practical food choices. A well-chosen afternoon snack can support steady energy, focus, and appetite control rather than undermine them.

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What Makes a Good Afternoon Snack?

In Inchauspé’s framework, a glucose-friendly snack is:

• Low in added sugar

• High in protein, fiber, and/or healthy fats

• Preferably savory rather than sweet

The goal is to slow digestion and prevent rapid glucose and insulin spikes.

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The perfect midday snack—two hard-boiled eggs with salt & pepper

Glucose-Friendly Snack Ideas

These options consistently align with Inchauspé’s principles:

• Plain, full-fat Greek yogurt with nuts or seeds

• Cheese with a small handful of nuts

• Apple slices paired with almond or peanut butter

• Hummus with raw vegetables (carrots, cucumbers, peppers)

• Hard-boiled eggs

• A few squares of 85%+ dark chocolate paired with nuts

Why These Work

These snacks:

• Slow digestion

• Reduce insulin spikes

• Support sustained energy and concentration

• Prevent late-afternoon crashes and overeating at dinner

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Snacks to Avoid

Inchauspe advises limiting snacks that spike glucose quickly, including:

• Cookies, pastries, and granola bars

• Fruit eaten alone (without fat or protein)

• Sweetened yogurt

• Crackers or pretzels by themselves

Rule of thumb: never eat carbohydrates alone—always pair them with protein or fat.

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What About Protein Bars?

Protein bars are not automatically “bad,” but Inchauspé would urge caution.

Common Problems

• Hidden sugars (syrups, honey, dates)

• Refined carbohydrates (rice syrup, tapioca starch, maltodextrin)

• Ultra-processing that worsens metabolic response

• Marketing that overemphasizes protein while ignoring glucose impact

When a Protein Bar Is Acceptable

Occasionally, a bar may work if it has:

• ≤ 5 g added sugar

• ≥ 10 g protein

• ≥ 8 g fiber

• Healthy fats from nuts or seeds

• A short ingredient list you recognize

Even then, whole foods are preferred.

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Snack Strategies by Goal

1. Diabetes Management

Goal: flat glucose curves and minimal insulin spikes
Best options:

• Full-fat Greek yogurt with nuts

• Cheese and nuts

• Hard-boiled eggs

• Vegetables with hummus or guacamole

Avoid fruit alone and highly processed “health” snacks.

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2. Weight Loss

Goal: satiety and fewer cravings later
Best options:

• Greek yogurt with cinnamon and nuts

• Apple slices with nut butter

• Eggs with vegetables

• Cheese with olives

• Chia pudding made with unsweetened milk

Stable glucose reduces rebound hunger and evening overeating.

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3. High-Energy Teaching Days

Goal: focus, endurance, no 3–4 p.m. crash
Best options:

• Yogurt with nuts

• Eggs with a pinch of salt

• Hummus with crunchy vegetables

• Dark chocolate with nuts (small portion)

• Cheese with apple slices

If drinking afternoon coffee or tea, pair it with food.

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Simple Weekly Prep (10 Minutes)

• Boil a half-dozen eggs

• Portion nuts into small containers

• Wash and cut vegetables

• Keep plain yogurt and cheese readily available

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The Bottom Line on Snacking

The bottom line is simple: snack to stabilize blood sugar, not to chase quick energy.

A good snack should prevent glucose spikes and crashes by combining protein, healthy fats, and fiber. When blood glucose stays steady, energy lasts longer, focus improves, cravings decrease, and overeating later in the day becomes less likely. Highly processed, sugary, or carb-only snacks do the opposite—even when they’re marketed as “healthy.”

If you remember one rule, make it this: never eat carbohydrates alone. Pair them with protein or fat, favor whole foods over bars and packaged snacks, and treat convenience foods as occasional tools—not daily staples. Stable glucose leads to stable energy, better appetite control, and better health overall.

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Reference

Inchauspé, J. (2022). Glucose Revolution. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.

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AI in research and writing

Using AI in research and writing is like flying a plane on autopilot: The pilot must always be in control.

 

Image created by chatGPT

By John Fisher (assisted by AI)

I recently shared the following message with my students, comparing the use of artificial intelligence in research and writing to a pilot operating a plane on autopilot.

Using artificial intelligence for research and writing is like flying a modern aircraft on autopilot during a long flight. The autopilot can hold altitude, maintain course, and manage routine adjustments with remarkable precision, reducing workload and fatigue. In the same way, AI can handle repetitive cognitive tasks—summarizing sources, generating drafts, organizing ideas, or checking grammar—allowing the researcher or writer to focus on higher-order thinking.

However, no responsible pilot abandons the cockpit. Autopilot does not replace judgment, situational awareness, or accountability. The pilot must continuously monitor instruments, verify assumptions, and be prepared to intervene when conditions change or when the system behaves unexpectedly. Likewise, AI does not understand truth, ethics, or context in the way a human scholar does. It can produce plausible text that is incomplete, biased, or incorrect unless carefully supervised.

People remain responsible for defining the destination, selecting credible sources, interpreting evidence, and making final decisions about tone, argument, and accuracy. When turbulence appears—conflicting data, ethical concerns, or messy analysis—the pilot disengages autopilot and flies manually. Used well, AI is a powerful flight system that enhances performance. Used carelessly, it creates risk. Effective scholarship, like safe aviation, depends on human oversight, expertise, and command.

I expect my students to use AI in their studies—for research, summarizing sources, brainstorming, organizing ideas, analyzing and evaluating, and editing and formatting their work. Throughout this process, students must remain in control by providing appropriate prompts and using their own creativity to generate initial ideas and to write the final work. Students need to learn how to use AI responsibly because these tools will be part of their professional practice in their future careers.

Hashtags: #AIinEducation #AcademicChatter #ResponsibleAI #HigherEd #FutureOfWork #HumanInTheLoop #StudentAIuse

Nicotine health benefits

 

Re-examining the Therapeutic Potential of Nicotine Agents and the Venom-COVID-19 Connection

by John Fisher, PhD (assisted by AI)

Nicotine, often stigmatized as a highly addictive substance, is presented by Dr. Bryan Ardis as a powerful, non-addictive therapeutic agent that has been deliberately suppressed by health authorities. Citing published research, he posits that nicotine has the potential to treat a wide array of conditions, ranging from neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's to inflammatory conditions and symptoms of Long-Haul COVID-19. Notably, in the context of persistent post-viral symptoms, case studies demonstrated a complete disappearance of Long-Haul COVID-19 symptoms in participants using nicotine patches, with the rationale being that nicotine can successfully dislodge snake venom-like spike proteins from the body's nicotine receptors. 

Research from early in the COVID-19 pandemic suggested a "smoker's paradox," where active smokers appeared to be underrepresented among patients with COVID-19, leading to the idea that smoking or nicotine might be protective.

Specific studies and findings related to a potential protective effect:

• Infection Rates:

  • A French study found that among 480 patients who tested positive for the virus, only 4.4% of those admitted to the hospital were regular smokers, suggesting they were much less likely to develop a symptomatic or severe infection compared with the general population.

  • The French study authors claimed the protective effect for ambulatory patients divided the risk of getting infected by five, and for hospitalized patients, by four.

  • A study in China suggested that only 12.6% of 1,000 people infected with the virus were smokers, while the smoking rate in China's general population is around 28%.

  • A large-scale retrospective cohort study on a naval vessel found that current smoking status was associated with a lower risk of developing COVID-19 (Odds Ratio (OR) of 0.64 in multivariable analysis).

  • A meta-analysis of 233 studies found current smokers, compared with never smokers, were at a reduced risk of testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection (Relative Risk (RR) = 0.74).

• Mortality/Severity (Nicotine Replacement Therapy):

  • A large study of hospitalized COVID-19 patients found that prescriptions for nicotine patches, lozenges, or gum were associated with reduced mortality among current smokers. Specifically, smokers prescribed Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) had a significantly lower mortality rate (4.5%) compared to smokers who did not receive NRT (7.7%). The researchers hypothesized that nicotine may activate anti-inflammatory mechanisms.

Nicotine Research Summary and Potential Benefits

Dr. Bryan Ardis's research, as presented in chapter 13 of his book, centers on two main, interconnected arguments:

1. Nicotine is a powerful healing agent and is not the main addictive chemical in tobacco products. He contends that a "massive propaganda campaign" has been launched to demonize nicotine.

   • Addiction Misconception: Citing a Harvard study, he argues that nicotine has "poor reinforcing effects (addictive effects) when administered alone". He asserts that tobacco companies added a highly addictive, man-made chemical called Pyrazines to tobacco products starting in the early 1970s to increase sales, and that Pyrazines—not nicotine—are responsible for the intense addictive properties and high relapse rates.

   • Healing Power: Nicotine is presented as a miraculous compound found in the tobacco plant and common vegetables.

2. Nicotine is an effective antidote against "venomous COVID-19-spike proteins." This theory is based on the idea that COVID-19's spike proteins are nearly identical to neurotoxins found in King Cobra and krait snake venom.

   • Mechanism of Action: These venoms, and the "spike proteins," bind tightly and specifically to nicotine receptors in the body, particularly in the brain. Nicotine, when introduced, is proposed to release these venom/spike proteins, allowing normal signaling to resume. This mechanism is offered as the reason why smokers were an active group least infected and hospitalized for COVID-19.

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⚕️ Conditions Nicotine May Help (According to Dr. Ardis)

Dr. Ardis asserts that nicotine has the potential to prevent, reverse, or cure numerous conditions, often providing links to published studies that he believes confirm these benefits:

COVID-19 and Related Symptoms

• Lingering COVID-19 Symptoms (Long-Haul COVID-19): Complete disappearance of symptoms in days for 100% of participants in a case study using 7 mg patches.

• Loss of Taste and Smell: Nicotine releases the venom spike proteins blocking the olfactory nerve, restoring the ability to transmit signals for smells and tastes.

• Tinnitus (Ringing in the Ears).

• POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome): His wife's symptoms disappeared after three days of chewing nicotine gum.

Neurological and Cognitive Conditions

• Parkinson's Disease (PD): Nicotine administration is said to improve memory impairment and dyskinesia (uncontrollable movements).

• Alzheimer's Disease (AD): Nicotine administration is said to improve cognitive impairment.

• Schizophrenia: Nicotine is known to prevent, improve, and reverse it.

• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): Nicotine patches have been found to improve the behavior of autistic children and adults, including aggression and irritability, with dramatic improvements in social scores.

• Memory Impairment: Nicotine improves memory impairment caused by sleep deprivation and hypothyroidism.

Inflammatory and Other Chronic Conditions

• Chronic Inflammatory Diseases: Nicotine is believed to be more anti-inflammatory than pro-inflammatory.

  • Arthritis: Improved or reversed inflammatory conditions.

  • Ulcerative Colitis.

  • Sepsis.

• Multiple Sclerosis (MS): Nicotine has a proven ability to prevent it, with a study showing a significantly lower risk for those who used both smoking and snuff.

• Cancer (Glial Blastoma): Nicotine alone dissolved brain "turbo cancers" by half the size in less than 72 hours in animal studies.

• Type 1 Diabetes: Nicotine can protect against and improve or even reverse Type 1 Diabetes in some cases in mouse models, reducing high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) and protecting pancreatic insulin content.

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👨‍⚕️ Dr. Ardis's Recommendations for Nicotine Use

Dr. Ardis suggests that people considering nicotine should consult their doctor and offers the following recommendations for those who choose to proceed:

• Consult Resources: He directs readers to a free document simply titled "NICOTINE" in the Patient Resources Section of his website, thedrardisshow.com, for information on how to begin using nicotine agents and personal brand recommendations.

• Starting Dose: For most people, he suggests starting with small doses like 1-3 mg daily for the first week before increasing to higher doses.

• Personal Use: He personally buys 21 mg patches and cuts them into six equal pieces (roughly 3-4 mg size), which he wears every single day and intends to continue for the rest of his life.

• Delivery Methods: He encourages exploring nicotine patches, nicotine gum, nicotine pouches, or even eating nicotine-rich vegetables.

• Nicotine-Rich Vegetables: Vegetables that contain nicotine include: eggplant, zucchini, green tomatoes, cauliflower, white potatoes, red tomatoes, bell peppers, and celery. Eggplants are noted as having the second highest amount of nicotine of any plant on earth.

Conclusion

Dr. Ardis encourages individuals to investigate the wealth of information confirming nicotine's healing qualities. He personally recommends starting with a small dose, such as a 7 mg patch, or by cutting a 21 mg patch into six pieces to achieve a daily dose of roughly 3-4 mg. While commercial products like Tolevita patches are primarily marketed for smoking cessation, their availability in multiple doses, including the smaller 7 mg size, provides a straightforward path for those who, like Dr. Ardis, believe in the non-addictive, therapeutic application of nicotine for conditions such as chronic inflammation, cognitive decline, or persistent post-COVID symptoms. As with any therapeutic intervention, individuals are strongly advised to consult their doctor to determine if nicotine patches, gum, pouches, or nicotine-rich vegetables are appropriate for their specific health needs.

For individuals seeking to explore this documented healing potential, commercially available products, such as Tolevita Anti-Smoke Herbal Patches, which are available in 7 mg, 14 mg, and 21 mg strengths, offer a practical, over-the-counter means to administer a controlled dose of nicotine.

Important Context:

It is crucial to note that the majority of public health organizations and later, larger meta-analyses concluded that smoking is a risk factor for severe COVID-19 and death, particularly for current and former smokers who contract the disease. The studies suggesting a protective effect often focus on the rate of infection or hospitalization and must be viewed with caution due to inconsistencies in the data and the known severe risks of tobacco use on overall health.

Reference:Ardis, Bryan. (2024). Moving beyond the Covid-19 lies: restoring Health & hope for humanity. Harvest Creek Publishing. Available at thedrardisshow.com

Hashtags: #NicotineAntidote #COVIDLies #NicotineReceptors #Pyrazines #DrBryanArdis