The Power of Coffee

A week ago, they concluded German commercial TV's "Jungle Camp".  It is mostly non-entertainment for me....but I ended up watching six to eight hours of this over the 15-day period.  They threw 11 Germans and 1 American into this Australian jungle atmosphere, and mostly put them on a 1,000 calorie per day diet.  If you accomplished the daily tests successfully, they'd give you some extra treats and you might acquire another 500 calories.

With this particular group, it was obvious from the 3rd day, that they just weren't going to accomplish much of the extra tests or get extra calories.

Back in my youth....mid-eighties....I went through a 30-day diet.  It was a 800-calorie a day deal....with a morning one-mile walk and a evening two-mile run.  By the 30th day, I'd burned off 30 pounds of weight.  But I kinda learned by day eight that your drive or enthusiasm really starts to dampen with less energy....unless you bump it up with coffee and tea, which I had to shift over and drink five or six cups a day to reach a certain energy level.  Straight black coffee.....does the job.

So, with this Jungle Camp crew.....it was obvious that 11 of them were reaching a low-energy level by the 8th day.  Nothing shocking.  12th guy?  The American?  Well....he was in absolute great physical shape (no fat on this guy at all).  And oddly, he had energy.

The camp?  Coffee was allowed for the participants.  No candy, no chocolate.  The only thing they would allow were smokes....you could bring in a pack of smokes per day.

So day 9, day 10, and day 11 went by.....and you could tell that the energy of the remaining folks was draining.  The American?  He still had drive.  He hadn't really slipped a notch like the rest.

For me....something wasn't right.

By the 15th day....they were finished....all voted out.  Even toward the end.....enthusiasm was still there.  The American won.

So yesterday, someone was doing an interview with the American, and he kinda admitted.....yeah, he had coffee.  Where?  He had the small packages hidden in his weights that he brought with him.....a cover on the side, and I'm guessing probably thirty-odd packets.  No checked that out, and he likely had a minimum of one cup a day....maybe two (my guess).

Cheating?  Well....I am a Captain Kirk fan, and I always believe that when the test is geared against you.....then you need to do like Captain Kirk and revamp the test with your own system.  I don't consider it cheating.

Is the subject finished now?  Unknown.  Maybe the 11 Germans will get all freaked out....or "trumped out", and say this was all faked up.  I don't know.