Genghis Khan and the High Carb Revolution

Image of the day: Genghis Khan's Gravesite (Dzuunmod, Mongolia)

Was reading a dietography of Genghis Khan (Genghis and the High Carb Revolution) written by an overweight anthropologist who spent over 8 years in Mongolia amassing Khan-related recipes and food lore. I came across an interesting tidbit on the Mongolian diet that I thought I would share:

“The Mongols consumed a steady diet of meat, milk, yogurt, and other diary products, and they fought men who lived on pig droppings. The offal diet of the peasant warriors rotted their teeth and left them weak and prone to disease. Unlike the Chinese soldiers, who ate pig droppings, the Mongols were also dependent on a heavy carbohydrate diet and indulged in periodic feasting, and could easily go a day or two without food.”

I’ve always felt that you’ll find more nutritional wisdom in anthropological data than in the glut of medical papers currently flooding the market. This quote is the proof.

On that note, we organized a dress rehearsal for the first scene of Genghis early yesterday morning. After some initial stumbling blocks (obviously we’ll have to shoot the war elephant scenes outdoors and Gary won’t be able to do his scenes, or voiceovers, naked), I think we got it down. The first scene is a tricky one. After Gary reads the prologue, there’s a long shot of me on my war elephant stumbling, victorious, through the blood-splattered wastes of the Gobi. I stop to water my elephant (two shots with transition) and then march on to a distant mud hut enshrouded in mist and set it on fire, waiting patiently on my elephant for the peasant girls to run out and beg for their lives. The tricky part is capturing the emotional subtlety of Genghis’ response to this very drama-packed moment with a Sony DCR-PC350, which he conveys in typical Mongolian fashion by lifting an eyebrow and squinting (and possibly sighing). We ran through this one using the Siegal Cookie cart and it worked beautifully.

Otherwise, still waiting for my microlipids. And, since I’ve decided to use a method approach to this role, I’ve turned all my energies to pursuing an ultra high-carb diet so I can feel how Genghis felt prepping himself for battle with the hordes of Chinese rebels who only ate pig droppings.

It may also be of interest to know that Manuel believes chi may be edible. I’ve never given much thought to this possibility but Manuel claims that when he is sitting within three feet of my aura he is actually nourished by its presence, not spiritually as I’d assumed, but in a purely caloric sense. That is to say, Manuel believes he is feeding off my aura. I’ve asked Simpook and Chatto to keep on eye on him.

Today’s Meals:

Breakfast
Pig Breakfast from Park Tonks Ltd. (this a blend of dehydrated corn, sorghum, barley and herbs which stabilize gut flora and develop hind gut integrity . . . 15 points)

Mid-Morning Snack
Pig droppings (Gary has a pig farm outside Malibu and I thought I’d just try this once, to see how the Jurcheds felt prepping themselves for defeat. Manuel seasoned his with Cracker Jacks and wrapped the resultant mixture in a corn tortilla and said it tasted like a pungent tamale . . . 0 points)

Periodic Feast
Slaughtered Prize Hog for 20 (with Manuel . . . my points 80)

Lunch
ViraMatrix Feed Compound (difficult to figure out point values since a trough of ViraMatrix, as a grower feed, is supposed to feed ‘a modest pig population’. Managed to polish off half an 80-lb bag and still had room for a Philly Cheese Steak.)

Mid-Afternoon Snack
Alphamune (tastier than ViraMatrix but less feed per volume)

Dinner
Gruel (again, impossible to gauge points on this one.)

Periodic Feast
Outdoor Lamb Roast followed by Goat Dance (Chatto and Simpook) and Cart Races . . . (60 points – Calories burnt from cart races = 58 points)

My Weight: 518 lbs