Monday, August 31, 2026
Sunday, August 30, 2026
How long does natural immunity last with COVID-19?
This came up in a recent conversation. Back in 2020, at least one person was saying 6 months. I'm at an age where I can get a booster every 6 months.
At the moment, just a simple cold has made me feel very bad.
It seems to me that natural immunity would last longer with repeated exposure. Doctors and hospital workers seem to be immune for long periods of time.
Natural immunity to COVID-19 typically lasts about 3 to 6 months against reinfection, though protection drops faster against newer variants.
UCLA Health
Duration of Protection
Against reinfection: Measurable antibody levels and protection against catching a mild or moderate infection start to fade after 3 to 6 months. Newer variants can bypass natural defenses more easily.
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance
Against severe disease: Protection against severe illness, hospitalization, and death lasts much longer—often remaining strong for 10 months or more.
National Institutes of Health (NIH) | (.gov)
Factors That Affect Immunity
Variant changes: Mutations in the virus make it easier for reinfection to happen over time.
Severity of illness: People who had a severe COVID-19 infection sometimes build higher initial antibody levels than those with mild or asymptomatic cases.
BASS Medical Group
Hybrid Immunity
Getting vaccinated after recovering from a COVID-19 infection creates hybrid immunity. This combination provides a stronger, broader, and longer-lasting defense against current and future variants than natural infection alone. Health experts often suggest waiting 3 to 4 months after a natural infection before getting a booster shot.
Variant changes: Mutations in the virus make it easier for reinfection to happen over time.
Severity of illness: People who had a severe COVID-19 infection sometimes build higher initial antibody levels than those with mild or asymptomatic cases.
BASS Medical Group
Hybrid Immunity
Getting vaccinated after recovering from a COVID-19 infection creates hybrid immunity. This combination provides a stronger, broader, and longer-lasting defense against current and future variants than natural infection alone. Health experts often suggest waiting 3 to 4 months after a natural infection before getting a booster shot.
Saturday, August 29, 2026
Is Cottage Cheese Good for You? - Consumer Reports
https://www.consumerreports.org/health/nutrition-healthy-eating/is-cottage-cheese-good-for-you-a1956443640/
I've eaten cottage cheese since childhood. I don't even think of it as cheese because the texture is so different. However, large-curd cottage cheese has a texture I don't like, so I stick with small curd.
Cottage cheese is not one of my favorite foods because it is bland. Salt improves the flavor, and it becomes more interesting when you add fruit. I rarely buy it, though.
Most cheeses have flavors that don't appeal to me. However, I do like cheddar cheese. American cheese is essentially cheddar that has been highly diluted with other ingredients, such as oil. I think American cheese is only suitable for sandwiches.
I saw that one pizzeria said they put cheddar on their pizza. That's unusual, since mozzarella is the normal choice. I would like to try that.
Some pizzas are better without cheese. The cheese can hide the flavors of the other toppings. I've noticed that some places put the cheese over the toppings, while a few put the toppings over the cheese. I think the latter makes the pizza more flavorful.
I've eaten cottage cheese since childhood. I don't even think of it as cheese because the texture is so different. However, large-curd cottage cheese has a texture I don't like, so I stick with small curd.
Cottage cheese is not one of my favorite foods because it is bland. Salt improves the flavor, and it becomes more interesting when you add fruit. I rarely buy it, though.
Most cheeses have flavors that don't appeal to me. However, I do like cheddar cheese. American cheese is essentially cheddar that has been highly diluted with other ingredients, such as oil. I think American cheese is only suitable for sandwiches.
I saw that one pizzeria said they put cheddar on their pizza. That's unusual, since mozzarella is the normal choice. I would like to try that.
Some pizzas are better without cheese. The cheese can hide the flavors of the other toppings. I've noticed that some places put the cheese over the toppings, while a few put the toppings over the cheese. I think the latter makes the pizza more flavorful.
Friday, August 28, 2026
Lindsay Clancy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_the_Clancy_children
Conservative talk radio thinks that she should be found guilty.
One lady called into the Clay and Buck show and said that they don't understand psychosis. She said that she had wanted to kill her children, but got medical help and now takes antipsychotic medication. The lady said that she is afraid to stop taking her medication.
I find it easy to believe that people can go crazy. I already have that opinion about a few people. It appears that mental illness is fairly common.
I think that for a woman to kill her children is a crazy act by definition. There might be a few rare psychopaths who don't care and think that they can get away with the crime, but I doubt that they would try to kill themselves afterward. However, even psychopathy is a form of mental illness, although it is not the kind of crazy delusion where they don't know what they are doing.
Trying to kill oneself by simply jumping out of a second-story window is illogical, if not crazy, or it could be a carefully planned manipulation.
Tuesday, August 25, 2026
Monday, August 24, 2026
Is this trans thought experiment just wrong?
16 hours ago (edited)
A person's feelings about their body do not make a man a woman or a woman a man, nor is it possible to make the switch. A trans person will never be able to produce children. The changes are cosmetic only and don't change the fundamental reality of a person's biology. It seems to me that people are sold a lie about gender affirming care.
From what I read, some people do benefit psychologically from surgery. However, this is a serious operation that does irreversible damage to the body, with potential complications. Maybe psychological care would be more appropriate?
Some of us didn't exactly win the genetics lottery. We have to deal with the reality of our bodies instead of some fantasy. Surgery only becomes needed when it is medically necessary.
Sunday, August 23, 2026
Saturday, August 22, 2026
Monday, August 17, 2026
Sunday, August 16, 2026
YouTube Shorts are going to change
I don't really like YouTube shorts for a few reasons.
1. The videos repeat over and over.
2. I can't easily add shorts to a playlist. They used to allow this, but they stopped. It might still work on the iPhone YouTube app.
In a web browser, I found a workaround, by changing the address to look like this:
3. Shorts are designed to get people addicted by getting them to scroll all day long.
Monday, August 10, 2026
Watch This Before You Take Fish Oil (Protect Your Heart)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpzX3NQzmio
I don't have a vested interest in this. I found the video convincing enough to order the following...
The brand recommended in the video I could not easily find. It appears to be available in Europe.
I figure that trying this once isn't going to hurt anything.
Just as interesting is the following video about how to "easily" lose visceral fat.
Recently, I have taken an interest in "resistant starches" because he talks about them in multiple videos. Something as simple as chips and salsa has resistant starches in the chips and lycopene in the salsa. Also, refrigerating bread or rice for a day will make it more resistant.
I used to eat salads, but I have been more nervous about lettuce lately. I have substituted chips and salsa. I find it very filling, which would make sense because it is high in fiber.
P.S. Someone in my life is trying to convince me to go on a GLP-1. I'm looking into it. I want to wait till January. Medicare Part D will pay for it until the end of 2027.
Saturday, August 8, 2026
Tuesday, August 4, 2026
Saturday, August 1, 2026
Friday, July 31, 2026
Why Fauci's Pardon Won't Protect Him From This
Rand Paul is using Fauci as a punching bag, trying to implicate Fauci for the pandemic, implying that it was created in a lab, to which Fauci provided a modest amount of funding to catalog bat viruses. However, none of this is supported by evidence, so this is just a witch hunt.
Many conservative commentators that I like regularly make statements about the pandemic that aren't supported by research. The truth is that masks and the vaccines slowed the spread of the disease. I have read the studies. The truth is that the vaccines reduced overall mortality at all ages.
Fauci deserves at least some credit for dealing with a major crisis under difficult circumstances. Instead, people want to condemn him over actions they find questionable. It is easy to second-guess people when you are not the one facing tremendous responsibility.
Many conservative commentators that I like regularly make statements about the pandemic that aren't supported by research. The truth is that masks and the vaccines slowed the spread of the disease. I have read the studies. The truth is that the vaccines reduced overall mortality at all ages.
Fauci deserves at least some credit for dealing with a major crisis under difficult circumstances. Instead, people want to condemn him over actions they find questionable. It is easy to second-guess people when you are not the one facing tremendous responsibility.
Friday, July 24, 2026
Thursday, July 23, 2026
Monday, July 20, 2026
Caffeine and Adenosine Receptors
I quit caffeine a couple of different times by carefully measuring my intake and reducing it by a tiny amount every week. I was methodical about it, and my brain didn't notice the change from one week to the next.
That is currently my goal, but I'm in love with the boost I get in the morning from coffee. I quickly go from groggy to fully alert. Most Americans do the same thing.
When I wasn't consuming caffeine, just drinking liquid in the morning helped me get started.
Coffee is beneficial to health because of antioxidants, but we can get antioxidants from other sources.
Sunday, July 19, 2026
Re: Cyclospora
On Sat, Jul 18, 2026 at 5:12 PM Grant wrote:
Here in Utah, Taco Bell is highly suspect because they get their lettuce from Mexico.
For a long time I liked to eat salads. But lettuce doesn't keep very long and now I am highly suspicious of things like that.
I eat Roma tomatoes for the higher lycopene content.
I have concluded that a moderate amount of chips with salsa is healthy, and a good substitute for salads. The high fiber is filling and helps with appetite.
Tortilla chips are high in resistant starch, which is linked to some health benefits.
Google AI says...
Yes, lycopene is highly beneficial. It is a potent antioxidant found in red foods like tomatoes, watermelon, and pink grapefruit. It protects your cells from oxidative stress and is associated with a lower risk of heart disease, prostate cancer, and strokes. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
For maximum benefit, consider these key details:
- Better with fat: Lycopene is fat-soluble. Eating lycopene-rich foods with healthy fats (like cooking tomatoes in olive oil or eating them with avocado) boosts your body's absorption by up to 4.4 times. [1, 2, 3]
- Better when cooked: Heating and processing tomatoes (e.g., in tomato paste, sauce, or salsa) actually makes lycopene more bioavailable than eating them raw. [1]
Yes, salsa contains lycopene. Because tomatoes are the primary ingredient in traditional red salsa, the condiment is packed with this powerful antioxidant. Lycopene is linked to reduced inflammation, better heart health, and a lower risk of certain cancers. [1, 2, 3, 4]
The bioavailability of lycopene actually improves when tomatoes are cooked, processed, or mixed with a little fat (like avocado), making this flavorful condiment an excellent way to boost your daily nutrient intake. [1, 2, 3]
Yes, resistant starch is highly beneficial. It bypasses small intestine digestion, reaching the colon intact to feed beneficial gut bacteria. This produces short-chain fatty acids (like butyrate) that improve gut health, stabilize blood sugar, increase satiety, and support heart health. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Key benefits of resistant starch include:
- Blood Sugar Control: Because it resists digestion, it does not cause blood sugar spikes. Some research indicates it can also increase insulin sensitivity. [1, 2]
- Gut Health & Digestion: It acts as a prebiotic, nourishing your microbiome and protecting the lining of the colon, which may lower the risk of colorectal cancer. [1, 2]
- Weight Management: By fueling the production of satiety hormones like GLP-1, it helps you feel full longer. [1]
You can naturally incorporate resistant starch into your diet by eating legumes, seeds, unripe (green) bananas, and whole grains. Additionally, cooking and subsequently cooling starchy carbohydrates (like rice, pasta, and potatoes) turns them into resistant starches. [1, 2]
Yes, corn tortillas contain resistant starch. The traditional process of making them—called nixtamalization, where corn is soaked in an alkaline lime solution—alters the starch and naturally increases resistant starch. [1, 2, 3]
You can boost the resistant starch content even further by cooking and cooling them (e.g., storing them in the fridge), which causes the starches to crystallize and become more resistant to digestion. For example, fresh corn tortillas might contain roughly 2.6 g of resistant starch, but this can increase to over 3.5 g after being chilled in the refrigerator. [1, 2, 3]
Saturday, July 18, 2026
Cyclospora
“You can and should continue to eat fruits and vegetables, but you might want to take additional precautions depending on where you live,” says James E. Rogers, PhD, director of food safety at Consumer Reports, who notes that so far, the majority of infections have been reported in Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, Indiana, and Kentucky. “If you’re in one of those states, I recommend avoiding eating lettuce and salad greens until we know more, but currently, there is no data to support avoiding fruits and vegetables generally.”
Friday, July 17, 2026
Saturday, July 11, 2026
Reducing the Risk From Arsenic in Rice
Our team tested three cooking methods ...
...adding rice to boiling water, cooking 5 minutes, and then draining the rice and cooking it in fresh water—known as the parboiling and absorption method..
...the parboiling and absorption method reduced the inorganic arsenic content in short- and long-grain brown and white rice by 50 and 58 percent, respectively. This could be a very effective strategy for families looking to reduce arsenic exposure while still eating rice. “In some cultures, people already prepare rice this way, and it appears to have a protective effect,”
Akinleye says. There is also data from other studies indicating that cooking rice like pasta and discarding the excess water can remove between 40 and 60 percent of the arsenic in rice, according to the FDA.
https://www.consumerreports.
Based on this, I think that the boil-in-the-bag method might be the easiest and still helpful.
I haven't cooked rice for years. However, I order Chinese food 2 to 4 times per month.
I own a small rice cooker that I haven't used.
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