Thursday, February 7, 2019
Wednesday, February 6, 2019
Are Negative Ions Good For You?
I have been critical of salt lamps that are touted to create negative ions which some people claim have health benefits. There is a problem with this idea, which is that free ions aren't necessarily a good thing. They are inherently reactive, like putting bleach into the air. In the body these are called free radicals, which can cause cell damage.
This video does a really good job of looking at the health benefits of negative ions from a scientific perspective.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQ--scjcAZ4
This video does a really good job of looking at the health benefits of negative ions from a scientific perspective.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQ--scjcAZ4
Tuesday, January 29, 2019
Cure for cancer? Israeli scientists claim to be on brink of development
"We believe we will offer in a year's time a complete cure for cancer," Dan Aridor, of AEBi, told the Jerusalem Post.
https://www.foxnews.com/health/cure-for-cancer-israeli-scientists-claim-to-be-on-brink-of-development
https://www.foxnews.com/health/cure-for-cancer-israeli-scientists-claim-to-be-on-brink-of-development
Tuesday, January 15, 2019
Copy of my Facebook post from 2 years ago today.
Events in recent years have impressed upon me the fragility of human life. I have lost friends, family, and associates. This happens with greater frequency as we get older, because most everyone we know is getting older too. However, I have also seen young people die from accidents. For example, a young couple I worked with were hiking in the mountains during a storm and were killed by lightning.
Cancer has claimed the lives of a few people I know.
What can we do about? I think that the first rule of living should be, "Don't do stupid stuff." Stupid stuff can get you killed. Don't take unnecessary risks. Obey the law. Don't do drugs. Drive defensively. Obey the speed limit. Keep your vehicle, especially your tires, properly maintained.
Keep fire extinguishers and working smoke detectors in your home. Get at least two carbon monoxide detectors, because if both alarms go off at the same time then you know it is not just a defective detector. This happened to me, but I also know a whole family that got carbon monoxide poisoning and had to be treated at the hospital.
I think that the second rule of living should be, "Take reasonable steps to protect your health." Don't smoke. Drink in moderation or not at all. Eat as healthy as you can. Consume more plant based foods and less red meat. Eat fewer processed foods and more fresh foods. Exercise.
By the way, there is much research to indicate that sugar is very bad for you and addictive. For this reason, I don't keep any sweets in my home, otherwise I know I would eat them.
This is all common sense, but humans in general have a tendency to ignore common sense. We think that nothing bad will happen to us, but I have seen bad things happen to too many people. There is potential disaster around every corner. This is the reality we live in.
--
Best wishes,
John Coffey
http://www.entertainmentjourney.com
Cancer has claimed the lives of a few people I know.
What can we do about? I think that the first rule of living should be, "Don't do stupid stuff." Stupid stuff can get you killed. Don't take unnecessary risks. Obey the law. Don't do drugs. Drive defensively. Obey the speed limit. Keep your vehicle, especially your tires, properly maintained.
Keep fire extinguishers and working smoke detectors in your home. Get at least two carbon monoxide detectors, because if both alarms go off at the same time then you know it is not just a defective detector. This happened to me, but I also know a whole family that got carbon monoxide poisoning and had to be treated at the hospital.
I think that the second rule of living should be, "Take reasonable steps to protect your health." Don't smoke. Drink in moderation or not at all. Eat as healthy as you can. Consume more plant based foods and less red meat. Eat fewer processed foods and more fresh foods. Exercise.
By the way, there is much research to indicate that sugar is very bad for you and addictive. For this reason, I don't keep any sweets in my home, otherwise I know I would eat them.
This is all common sense, but humans in general have a tendency to ignore common sense. We think that nothing bad will happen to us, but I have seen bad things happen to too many people. There is potential disaster around every corner. This is the reality we live in.
--
Best wishes,
John Coffey
http://www.entertainmentjourney.com
Sunday, December 23, 2018
Sunday, November 4, 2018
How do psychopaths behave as children, especially around other children their age?
I find it interesting that 1% of the population are psychopathic, which is an innate condition, whereas another 3 to 4% are sociopaths, which is acquired through environment. Either way, these people completely or mostly lack empathy for other people. Psychopaths also don't feel anxiety the way other people do. Bad things don't stress them as much.
It is sad that people are this way, but I am a bit curious about the fact that we have all these people running around in society. They claim that most corporate CEO's are psychopaths, which sounds plausible, and many claim that Steve Jobs was a psychopath, which also sounds possible.
Maybe it is an evolutionary survival strategy. In the event that "the shit hits the fan", maybe the psychopaths will be more likely to survive. I am certain of it.
Sunday, October 21, 2018
Sunday, September 30, 2018
Still Not Convinced You Need a Flu Shot? First, It’s Not All About You - The New York Times
In a good year, we might see as few as 114,000 people hospitalized with flu-associated illnesses. In a bad year, that number rises to more than 700,000.
In 2014, more than 57,000 people died of influenza/pneumonia. It was the eighth-most common cause of death, behind diabetes (just under 80,000 deaths). It's also the only cause of death in the top 10 that could be significantly reduced by a vaccine. Lowering risks of heart disease, cancer or Alzheimer's are much, much harder to do.
In 1995, the worst year of the AIDS epidemic in the United States, fewer than 51,000 people died of it. In 2014, just over 6,700 deaths were attributable directly to H.I.V. Yet it is H.I.V., not the flu, that people dread far more.
Because the flu is so common, we tend to minimize its importance. Consider the contrast with how the United States responded to Ebola a few years ago. We had a handful of infections, almost none of them contracted here. One person died. Yet some states considered travel bans, and others started quarantining people.
Worldwide, just over 10,000 people died in the 2014-15 West African outbreak of Ebola: a relatively new, frighteningly contagious illness that people feared could become a global pandemic. It's not surprising that it got a lot of attention. Yet the tens of thousands who died of influenza in the United States the same year barely made the news.
In 2014, more than 57,000 people died of influenza/pneumonia. It was the eighth-most common cause of death, behind diabetes (just under 80,000 deaths). It's also the only cause of death in the top 10 that could be significantly reduced by a vaccine. Lowering risks of heart disease, cancer or Alzheimer's are much, much harder to do.
In 1995, the worst year of the AIDS epidemic in the United States, fewer than 51,000 people died of it. In 2014, just over 6,700 deaths were attributable directly to H.I.V. Yet it is H.I.V., not the flu, that people dread far more.
Because the flu is so common, we tend to minimize its importance. Consider the contrast with how the United States responded to Ebola a few years ago. We had a handful of infections, almost none of them contracted here. One person died. Yet some states considered travel bans, and others started quarantining people.
Worldwide, just over 10,000 people died in the 2014-15 West African outbreak of Ebola: a relatively new, frighteningly contagious illness that people feared could become a global pandemic. It's not surprising that it got a lot of attention. Yet the tens of thousands who died of influenza in the United States the same year barely made the news.
Wednesday, September 12, 2018
Association of dairy intake with cardiovascular disease and mortality in 21 countries from five continents (PURE): a prospective cohort study - The Lancet
Higher intake of total dairy (>2 servings per day compared with no intake) was associated with a lower risk of the composite outcome, total mortality , non-cardiovascular mortality, cardiovascular mortality, major cardiovascular disease, and stroke. No significant association with myocardial infarction was observed. Higher intake (>1 serving vs no intake) of milk and yogurt was associated with lower risk of the composite outcome, whereas cheese intake was not significantly associated with the composite outcome. Butter intake was low and was not significantly associated with clinical outcomes.
Thursday, August 23, 2018
Friday, July 20, 2018
Fwd: Liver disease deaths spike among young Americans
the study -- published Wednesday in the BMJ -- found that deaths in the United States due to cirrhosis rose 65% and deaths from liver cancer doubled from 1999 to 2016. In that period, cirrhosis-related deaths increased for every ethnic group and for both men and women.
From 2009 to 2016, the greatest increase in death rate from cirrhosis was among people 25 to 34
Tapper cited a rise in binge-drinking among young people to account for the increase in cirrhosis-related mortality
Sunday, July 15, 2018
Eat this, don’t eat that — wait, never mind
I get tired of all the contradictory information out there.
Sunday, May 20, 2018
Saturday, May 12, 2018
Saturday, February 24, 2018
11 Reasons Chocolate Is Good for You
https://www.thedailybeast.com/11-reasons-chocolates-good-for-you
I am eating 4 to 5 pieces of 85% dark chocolate per day for the supposed health benefits. It is not too high in sugar, with only one gram of sugar per piece. I might get the same benefit from just 2 to 3 pieces.
I am eating 4 to 5 pieces of 85% dark chocolate per day for the supposed health benefits. It is not too high in sugar, with only one gram of sugar per piece. I might get the same benefit from just 2 to 3 pieces.
BTW, I have noticed that eating dark chocolate before playing chess helps. This is probably due to the 15mg of caffeine per piece, but there may be other nutritional benefits for the brain.
Friday, February 23, 2018
Thursday, February 22, 2018
Study: For those over 90, alcohol better than exercise for longevity
I'm very skeptical. Winston Churchill was an immense drinker, and lived to age 90, but he also suffered a series of strokes.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/health/ct-drinking-alcohol-living-past-90-20180220-story.html
Alcohol is very bad for the liver, and your liver is very important for your health.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/health/ct-drinking-alcohol-living-past-90-20180220-story.html
Friday, November 3, 2017
Fwd: UK no surgery for you
No surgery for smokers or the obese: Policy in UK stirs debate
For an indefinite amount of time, it plans to ban access to routine, or non-urgent, surgery under the National Health Service until patients "improve their health," the policy states, claiming that "exceptional clinical circumstances (will) be taken into account on a case-by-case basis."
The decision comes from the clinical commissioning group (known as a CCG) for the county of Hertfordshire, which has population of more than 1.1. million.
The target for smokers is eight weeks or more without a cigarette -- with a breath test to prove it.
Intermittent fasting
A friend introduced me to an idea called "Intermittent Fasting." There are different kinds of intermittent fasting, but the easiest is one where all your meals are contained within an 8 hour window. Actually I am using a 9 hour window which is fine. Even a 10 hour window is okay, but maybe not as effective.
To do this, I skip breakfast, eat a good lunch somewhere between noon and one, and the last thing I eat is around 9 PM. That's later than most people, but I keep a pretty late schedule.
I still count calories to the best that I am able. I figured out a long time ago roughly how many calories I need to maintain my body weight, and if I eat slightly less than that then I lose weight slowly without going hungry.
Anyhow, using the 9 hour window seems to be more effective, and I am losing weight, although somewhat slowly.
To do this, I skip breakfast, eat a good lunch somewhere between noon and one, and the last thing I eat is around 9 PM. That's later than most people, but I keep a pretty late schedule.
I still count calories to the best that I am able. I figured out a long time ago roughly how many calories I need to maintain my body weight, and if I eat slightly less than that then I lose weight slowly without going hungry.
Anyhow, using the 9 hour window seems to be more effective, and I am losing weight, although somewhat slowly.
The point of intermittent fasting is to have more time in the day when your body is not producing insulin. Insulin is the fat storage hormone, and gets secreted pretty much after you eat anything, but especially carbohydrates. When your body is not producing insulin, that signals your body to use up your fat storage.
P.S. Also see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llwwKkuy5gI
Wednesday, September 27, 2017
Tuesday, September 12, 2017
The Hacking of the American Mind
P.S. Irma has degraded to a light breeze: https://earth.nullschool.net/#current/wind/surface/level/orthographic=-92.45,35.91,990/loc=-89.158,35.251
Sunday, September 10, 2017
Fwd: Google Alert - telomeres
The link might interest you. :-)
 | ||
| telomeres | ||
| NEWS | ||
| This is the secret to a longer life The researchers focused on telomeres, which are proteins found in the cell's nucleus that stabilize the ends of chromosomes. Confused? Let me ... |
Tuesday, September 5, 2017
Fwd: Reducing many age related diseases
The drugs being tested are called senolytic agents, because they target senescent cells. These are cells that have stopped dividing and secrete toxic chemicals that damage adjacent cells. Accumulation of senescent cells, which increases with age, is associated with chronic conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, most cancers, dementia, arthritis, osteopetrosis, and frailty.
Researchers at Mayo Clinic's Robert and Arlene Kogod Center on Aging developed the first senolytic drugs to target these harmful cells. In a recent study led by The Scripps Research Institute, Mayo Clinic researchers and others confirmed that the senolytic drugs discovered at Mayo effectively clear senescent cells while leaving normal cells unaffected. The study, which was published in Nature Communications, also describes a new screening platform for finding additional senolytic drugs that will more optimally target senescent cells. The platform, together with additional human cell assays, identified and confirmed a new category of senolytic drugs, which are called HSP90 inhibitors.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/
Tuesday, August 29, 2017
Friday, August 25, 2017
Friday, August 11, 2017
Wednesday, August 2, 2017
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