Staying healthy- and misleading

POSTED BY: SignyM
UPDATED: Thursday, January 9, 2025 00:23
VIEWED: 2179
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SIGNYM

Sunday, June 17, 2007 5:36 PM

Not exactly a hot news item, but under "Vegetarians Are Stupid" there was some speculation as to what it takes to stay healthy. Along those lines, I find a lot of the "experts" are wrong about many things quite often.

Here are some of my pet peeves:

"You have to eat grain." Sure. Aside from the fact that many more people are allergic to gluten than originally thought (more like 3 in 100, including myself) I see no compelling evidence that grain is a preferred food. Recent studies on the Atkins Diet indicate that glucose, insulin, and cholesterol levels are normalized by avoiding starch.

"Avoid salt" . Considering that we prolly evolved on the seashore, I think our bodies are well-equipped to handle salt. Salt aerosol is THE preferred treatment for cystic fibrosis (a disease of chloride transport, for which there is no corresponding terrestial mammal model). We also need the iodine that comes from sea salt. What our bodies can't handle is salt (sodium chloride) along with a corresponding deficiency of potassium, calcium, and magnesium.

"Avoid the sun". We require vitamin D, which is activated in our skin on exposure to sunshine. Aches and pains; osteoporosis; depression; MS, Type 1 diabetes and a host of other autoimmune diseases; and fibromyalgia are mitigated by vitamin D. That doesn't mean get a sunburn. It means at least 15 minutes of whole-body exposure every week, more if you have dark skin. Sunshine exposure also normalizes daily circadian rhythm.

"Avoid fish" Despite pervasive mercury contamination, children born to mothers who ate more than 14 oz of fish per week were healthier than children born to mothers who ate less than 14 oz. There is something in fish... more likely a combination of somethings... that offsets even the effects of mercury. Just avoid tilefish, shark, orange roughy and other long-lived carnivores.

I DO think that we need more exercise in general. And watching more than 2 hours of TV a day is just... stupid. (I make an exception for FF marathons! ) More sleep, more water, and more love would be good too.

So... what do YOU think?

Where have "the experts" got it wrong?

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Always look upstream.

CHRISISALL

Sunday, June 17, 2007 5:44 PM

"If it hurts, don't do it."
Yeah, you can calcify with 50% less pain, eh?
Keep moving, as much as you can. Life is pain, after all. Move through it!

PhDuh Chrisisall

SIGNYM

Sunday, June 17, 2007 5:49 PM

Oh yeah, here's another one:

"Drink plenty of milk for strong bones". I'm not anti-milk, anti-cheese, or anti-dairy product in general. It's just that in my 50+ years, I doubt I ever drank more than one glass of milk a day. I was worried about osteoporosis and got a DEXA, and it turns out my bones are off the chart in the positive direction. I have bones like stones, apparently. So much for needing milk! I DO take in plenty of magnesium, potassium, and protein, so maybe that has something to do with it.

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Always look upstream.

SIGNYM

Sunday, June 17, 2007 5:54 PM

Move thru pain

Grasshopper: Master, does that mean I have to play tennis today even though I have plantar fasciitis?

Master *gives a stern look*

Grasshopper: Yes master! *hobbles away to chow down some salmon*

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Always look upstream.

CHRISISALL

Sunday, June 17, 2007 5:56 PM

"You can't live on pizza'"

How often have I heard THAT one, yet here I am- living proof.

Extra cheese Chrisisall

RUE

Sunday, June 17, 2007 5:57 PM

A few years ago I also came to the conclusion that too much sodium 'salt' wasn't a problem, it was too much sodium 'salt' in the absense of potassium. So I experimented on myself and my slowly rising blood pressure and found it to be the case - at least for me.

I think cholesterol is a candidate for your list. I suspect that high cholesterol in the absense of omega-3 is a problem, but not otherwise. I'm working on that experiment on myself.

CHRISISALL

Sunday, June 17, 2007 6:01 PM

Grasshopper: "Master, does that mean I have to play tennis today even though I have plantar fasciitis?"

Master *gives a stern look*

Master: "Get kung-Fu shoes with a more padded interior to absorb shock, and do your ankle stretches- remember, time for rest in the grave, Grasshopper!"

Poisall

SIGNYM

Sunday, June 17, 2007 6:02 PM

CHRIS: Gawd, I LOVE pizza! If it wasn't made with wheat, I could eat it. And I could drink beer, too. :crieseyesout:

RUE: I tried the omega-3 experiment. It did nothing to bring down my "bad" cholesterol despite that I was taking 6 grams a day plus a couple of krill oil for good measure. (My doc kinda goggled when I told her how much I was taking.) But let me know how it works for you.

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Always look upstream.

SIGNYM

Sunday, June 17, 2007 6:05 PM

Master: "Get kung-Fu shoes with a more padded interior to absorb shock, and do your ankle stretches- remember, time for rest in the grave, Grasshopper!"

Grasshopper: Does this mean shoe-shopping? Yes Master! *scampers away*

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Always look upstream.

CHRISISALL

Sunday, June 17, 2007 6:05 PM

3 beers a night will help disolve bad cholesteral in your arteries...a twenty year experiment of mine. I'll publish the results soon *hic*

No tea-totaler Chrisisall

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