Let Them Eat... Bugs?

The Vegetarian Insect Agenda [Morning Reckoning] October 26, 2023 [WEBSITE]( | [UNSUBSCRIBE]( Let Them Eat… Bugs? [Warning: Will “Bidenflation” Destroy Your Retirement?]( [Click here to learn more]( If you’re like most Americans, you’ve worked hard for decades to build your financial legacy. And now, as a result of Biden’s disastrous money printing policies, that’s all at risk. According to one top retirement expert, “Bidenflation” threatens to destroy your retirement and make your hard-earned savings worthless. That’s why you must take action right away to protect yourself… [Click here now to get the simple, step-by-step actions to survive “Bidenflation.”]( [LEARN MORE]( Asti, Northern Italy October 26, 2023 [Sean Ring] SEAN RING Hi Reader, I must disclose this immediately: I utterly loathe the World Economic Forum. To quote Obi-Wan Kenobi, “You’ll never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.” From Jacinda Ardern, the Woman Who Would Be Queen (of New Zealand), to Chrystia Freeland, granddaughter of one Nazi and chief cheerleader for another, to Justin Trudeau, the chip off the old block, all who associate with the World Economic Forum have proven themselves to be authoritarian nightmares. But the buck must stop somewhere, and that’s with Klaus Schwab, the co-founder and head of the WEF. A student of Kissinger (of course), Schwab has taken public-private partnerships to a new level. His goal has been to “infiltrate cabinets” to alter government policy. New Zealand and Canada are unrecognizable, thanks to his acolytes. I don’t mind the climate nuts so much. Due to our current economic woes and inevitable banking crisis, idiotic policies like net zero and ESG are being rolled back. Al Gore, John Kerry, and Mark Carney look like used car salesmen who’ve tried to stay relevant by shouting the loudest. But when it comes to my food intake, the “Eat Ze Bugs” crowd goes beyond the pale. And they must be stopped. I don’t usually write about health because, well, I’m a plump, beer- and wine-drinking, meat-eating machine. And while I try to take care of myself better these days, I won’t apologize for going for what Joe Rogan calls “mouth pleasure.” While I can regulate my booze and desserts, regarding meat, I simply won’t compromise. In Piedmont, the land of “Slow Food,” the meat is delectable. It’s so good; steak tartare is on every restaurant menu. Yup, we all eat raw meat here. No one gets sick. In fact, everyone is much healthier here than you’d find in other parts of the world. In this edition of the Morning Reckoning, I’ll explain why it’s a matter of life and death that we must eviscerate Schwab’s buggy plan. Meat and Health I’ve always associated meat with strength. As a high school football player, I needed to eat meat to keep up. Even when my mother made linguine, it’d be with a heaping portion of rock lobster and clams. When I moved to London and met vegetarians for the first time, they, to a person, were physically weak. Guys and girls, I never saw a strong vegetarian. I still never have. I’m not even sure I’ve ever met a vegan. Chalk that up to good networking skills. It was self-evident that meat was not only healthy, but also the best way to get protein into my muscles. I may have assumed this because none of the vegetarians I knew had any muscles. Even when claims came out about how vegetables had the same protein as meat, and that you could be healthy — no, healthier — if you cut out meat entirely, I never bought the arguments. But protein was protein, right? My logic circuit agreed, but my gut instinct didn’t. So, you can imagine my joy as I sat on the couch watching[a YouTube video]( that explained exactly why meat is so important for protein intake. Please note that the video wasn’t a rant against the WEF. It was an informative video about how the body can or can’t ingest protein. Protein is Not Protein Look, protein isn't just protein. Not all sources are created equal. Your body needs a variety of amino acids—both essential and non-essential—to function optimally. The so-called "essential" amino acids are those your body can't synthesize on its own. You have to get them from your diet. Now, certain sources of protein, like those found in animal products, offer a more balanced and bioavailable set of amino acids compared to plant-based sources. But how do you quantitatively measure this difference? That's where DIAAS comes in. DIAAS: They Kept This Quiet, Didn’t They? Let’s dig into something you probably haven't heard of but should absolutely know about: The Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score (DIAAS). In a world where junk science often trumps logic, and Big Pharma is ready to prescribe you the next “miracle cure” for all your ailments, understanding something as basic yet critical as the quality of protein you ingest can be a revolutionary act. Before DIAAS, the Protein Digestibility-Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS) was the darling of nutritionists. However, the PDCAAS has a glaring flaw: it truncates the scores at 1.0, meaning it fails to distinguish between high-quality protein sources that exceed the reference pattern for human needs. The DIAAS is a more accurate measure because it doesn't cap the score and considers the actual digestibility of amino acids in the small intestine. In layman's terms, DIAAS tells you not just what's entering your system, but also what your body is actually able to use. It's the free-market approach to assessing protein quality; it tells it like it is, with no governmental or Big Pharma interference. Here's a table of some of the highest-scoring DIAAS food sources. This is raw data without the cloak of governmental bias or corporate interest. It’s nutrition in numbers, plain and simple: [MR] [MR] And here are some of the lowest: [MR] Some Key Takeaways - Animal Kingdom Rules: It’s hard to ignore the facts. Animal-based proteins overwhelmingly score higher on the DIAAS metric. They offer a more balanced array of essential amino acids and are more readily digestible. For anyone still clinging to the outdated food pyramid model, it’s time to wake up. - Plant-Based Can't Keep Up: Although plant-based proteins like soy protein isolate and quinoa offer a valuable source of nutrients, especially for vegetarians or those who prefer a plant-based diet, they generally score lower. This isn’t a judgment; it’s a quantitative observation. - Versatility Matters: Foods like milk and eggs are not just high scorers on the DIAAS but also incredibly versatile in a culinary sense. Freedom of choice in how we prepare our food is another form of self-expression; these foods offer that in spades. - Whole Grains Aren't Whole Nutrition: Let's get real. Just because something is hailed as a "whole grain" doesn't mean it's a comprehensive source of essential amino acids. Wheat and corn protein are glaring examples of this. - The Plant-Based Paradox: Some plant-based sources like spirulina and hemp seeds are often touted as "superfoods," but when it comes to delivering all essential amino acids in a digestible form, they fall short. Again, it’s not a judgment, just facts. OK, What About Ze Bugs? Various insects, such as crickets, mealworms, and silkworms, have been proposed as sustainable protein sources. While the idea of eating bugs may churn some stomachs, particularly in Western societies, let's set cultural taboos aside for a moment and talk numbers. The DIAAS scores for insect proteins like cricket flour or mealworm powder can range from 0.77 to 0.89. To put it in context, these scores are higher than most plant-based protein sources like rice, peanuts, and even certain legumes, but still lower than top-tier animal proteins like eggs or milk. Here's the Rundown: - Good but Not Great: Insects as a protein source can't compete with the top-tier DIAAS champions like whey protein or whole eggs. But they do outperform many plant-based options. - Eco-Friendly but Not Wallet-Friendly: While the sustainability angle is a selling point, the cost of insect-based proteins is significantly higher than traditional sources. The free market, left to its own devices, may eventually bring this down, but we're not there yet. - Nutrient-Dense but Context Matters: Insects contain micronutrients like B vitamins and minerals. However, your overall diet and how these insect proteins fit into it should be part of the equation. Protein and Amino Acids Protein quality is not just about the quantity of protein consumed, but also about the presence of all nine essential amino acids, which play important roles in muscle growth and hormone production. Eating a variety of proteins on the same day is important because different foods have different amino acid profiles, and combining them can improve the overall protein quality of the diet. In the video I linked above, the creator used this example. He compared a meal of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with lentils and edamame beans to a meal of a 4.5-ounce skirt steak and three eggs. While each meal consisted of 54g of protein, the PB&J meal had 875 calories, compared to only 570 calories for the steak and eggs meal. Also of note was the low leucine content of the PB&J meal. Leucine is one of the nine essential amino acids, meaning your body can’t make it; you must get it from your diet. It’s great for muscle building and repair, insulin sensitivity, optimal brain function, and longevity. The PB&J meal had only 3.7 grams of leucine. The steak and eggs meal had 5.3 grams. You'd have to eat much larger portions to get the same amount of leucine from the PB&J meal, which would come to 1,175 calories. If a light went off in your head, remembering that time “fat vegetarian” was no longer an oxymoron, this is why. Wrap Up I hope this will help you when some purple-haired vegan literature major tries to tell you how healthy they are and how they’re helping the planet, and you’re not. Ask them about amino acids. Ask them about protein intake. Ask them what leucine is. They won’t have a clue. They would have been fed garbage science all their lives and will start attacking you with ad hominems and strawmen. But no, they aren’t better than you are. And if they’re forcing their kids onto a vegetarian diet, they’re flat-out abusive. It’s about time Klaus Schwab and his bug-eaters retire. The science says so. And our lives depend on it. Enjoy that well-marbled ribeye with some bone marrow on the side and a glass of vino rosso. Buon appetito! Before I sign off, I have a special announcement for you! We’ve just debuted our brand new Paradigm Press YouTube channel… Every week, I'll be sitting down for exclusive interviews with some of the brightest minds in finance. Trust me, you don’t want to miss this. You can view the existing videos we have on our channel now by[clicking here](. Also,[don’t forget to subscribe]( so you can be notified each week when a new video goes live! Expect our newest video this coming Tuesday afternoon. Have a good weekend! All the best, [Sean Ring] Sean Ring Contributing Editor, The Morning Reckoning feedback@dailyreckoning.com X (formerly Twitter): [@seaniechaos]( [New LIVE Demo Video STUNS Crypto Investors]( In [this short 3:28 video…]( Crypto genius James Altucher reveals his most shocking crypto secret yet… A little-known secret that’s delivered over $1,170 in FREE crypto income per month. If you AREN’T using this affordable little device… You’re missing one of the best, easiest ways to earn real cash with cryptos. [Click here to watch this short 3:28 video NOW.]( [LEARN MORE]( In Case You Missed It… Watch Out: FOMO Trading Is Back Greg Guenthner, Editor [Greg Guenthner] GREG GUENTHNER Good Morning Reader, Good morning Reader, FOMO is finally back! Fear of missing out is one of the most powerful forces in the market. When conditions are just right, FOMO latches onto our lizard brains, leading to terrible investing decisions. We chase overbought stocks, fall for dubious stories and scoop up shares of some of the most risky, speculative garbage companies we can find. What could possibly go wrong? Well… everything, of course. To be fair, I’m not knocking stock market speculation. After all, I’m a trader. I have no trouble buying less-than-perfect stocks or flipping shares of fundamentally challenged companies. Different stocks and sectors fall in and out of favor all the time. And improving or deteriorating fundamentals have little to do with short-term performance. Market conditions and narratives are the main determinants of how a stock will perform over shorter time frames. Consider the broader market narratives and how they’ve evolved since late 2022… Many stocks — including mega-cap leaders Apple Inc. (AAPL) and Tesla Inc. (TSLA) — were in free-fall in December. Investors had endured a painful correction lasting the entire year. Not only were the averages in bear market territory — the popular Covid Bubble stocks had been decimated. Anyone heavily concentrated in these names was sitting on huge losses — far deeper than the 20% correction in the S&P and 30% drop in the Nasdaq Composite. It’s safe to say that most (if not all) investors were less than enthusiastic about stocks heading into 2023. Then, a funny thing happened. The market rallied. A few weeks later, stocks were still zooming off their lows. But no one believed it. We’ve talked about these early-stage bull moves before: the disbelief rallies. After a few failed relief rallies leave overeager buyers stuck in their trades, most folks simply give up. Then, when a rally does finally stick, the market’s cried wolf so many times that most investors simply don't trust the move. They sit on the sidelines and wait for the market to prove itself. This perfectly describes the market action during the first quarter. Most analysts, fund managers, and individual investors simply did not believe that the rally would last. Instead of buying stocks, they waited for the market to roll over. But the averages weathered their first meaningful pullback in February. They also survived a banking crisis the very next month — and even rallied into the second quarter. In fact, every single time the so-called experts said the market would roll over, we saw another rally. Now we’re finally seeing investors come around to the idea that the market has turned a corner. But not everyone is happy about it. The Chase is On! “People will hate on a stock-market rally,” a recent Bloomberg Surveillance note begins, “They'll say it's fake, or just a handful of tech stocks making everything look better than it is. But the bottom line is, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq — and especially the Nasdaq 100 — are up significantly, despite all the naysayers, and that alone is enough to drag cash in.” There’s that FOMO talking again… It’s not only retail investors getting “dragged in” to this rally. The pros are also getting sucked back into stocks. Fund managers who missed the earlier stages of the rally that began in January are significantly lagging their benchmarks. If you’re managing money and you’ve been twiddling your thumbs worrying about elevated valuations in this group, you might be in a bit of trouble here. The runaway performance of the big tech names has created a hold your nose and buy situation that’s powering this rally higher into the summer months. As Citigroup’s Stuart Kaiser explains in that very same Bloomberg piece, “We are reluctantly staying in the tech trade.” In other words, get onboard — or your job might be in jeopardy. Now, we have the strongest stocks attracting even more attention. Mega-cap tech, semiconductors and artificial intelligence names are rolling as summer approaches. Can the good times keep rolling? Or will these trends run into some trouble as the summer heat approaches? Buying Into the Summer Doldrums Now that the herd is backing up the truck and pushing many market leading stocks to new 52-week highs, we should take a moment to see how the S&P fares during a typical pre-election year. Don’t get too hung up on the S&P’s performance perfectly mirroring the pre-election year composite. The trend is what counts. And so far this year, it’s closely followed a typical pre-election cycle. Next, take a look at how the composite behaves at the end of the second quarter. In a pre-election year, the S&P typically tops out at the end of June and remains in a range until an end-of-year push in November - December. Will the market follow the blueprint this year? I doubt it will match up perfectly. But the composite does give us a general idea of what we could expect as this rally matures. The market loves to get everyone bulled up at the wrong time. No one wanted anything to do with stocks when they were ripping in January. Now, they’re buying with both hands into a potential short-term top. Best, [Greg Guenthner] Greg Guenthner Contributing Editor, Morning Reckoning feedback@dailyreckoning.com Thank you for reading The Morning Reckoning! We greatly value your questions and comments. Please send all feedback to [feedback@dailyreckoning.com.](mailto:dr@dailyreckoning.com) [Sean Ring] [Sean Ring, CAIA, FRM and CMT]( is a former banker and financial educator and is the editor of the Rude Awakening. Sean has trained interns and graduates from Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Citi, Bank of America, Standard Chartered Bank, DBS (Singapore), the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), Bank Indonesia (the central bank), HSBC, Barclays, RBS, and BlackRock. He knows the global economy is being corrupted by forces that most people can't understand and has used his unique and worldly experiences to help people navigate the markets. [Paradigm]( ☰ ⊗ [ARCHIVE]( [ABOUT]( [Contact Us]( © 2023 Paradigm Press, LLC. 808 Saint Paul Street, Baltimore MD 21202. By submitting your email address, you consent to Paradigm Press, LLC. delivering daily email issues and advertisements. To end your The Daily Reckoning e-mail subscription and associated external offers sent from The Daily Reckoning, feel free to [click here.]( Please note: the mailbox associated with this email address is not monitored, so do not reply to this message. We welcome comments or suggestions at feedback@dailyreckoning.com. This address is for feedback only. For questions about your account or to speak with customer service, [contact us here]( or call (844)-731-0984. 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