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NEVERENDING ♾️ The Neverending Health Thread

michaelskis

michaelskis

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Health is a broad topic but it seems that there are two major umbrella concepts, preventative health and treatment. Many of you know that I am a bigger fan of preventative health programs but from time to time, I agree things need to be treated.

This thread is intended to open up discussions about all things health related. Some of these topics might have been discussed previously, but this is a good way to congregate the information.

To start, I am wondering if the annual January gym crowd is still as significant as it once was. I found that the little weightroom at my neighborhood amenity center is no more crowded than other times of the year. I also noted that Planet Fitness is trying to pull out all the stops to get people to join, including giving away free android cell phones if you meet particular conditions. I think it is great that people want to focus on preventative health care, but I wonder if the focus has shifted to a different aspect? Are health food stores more crowded?

What are your thoughts?
 
It's no secret that many gyms' annual profit/loss statements pretty much hinge on the contracts they sign during the month of January and that usually by the end of February the vast majority of 'New Year Resolutions' have largely stopped frequenting the gym. I can't comment on this year's trend at the gym, as I cancelled our Y membership last year and haven't seen what it's like this month.

The idea of people adopting healthier lifestyles is more appealing and sustainable than a dysfunctional 'feast and famine' mentality where folks eat to their heart's content during the holidays and after the New Year are penitential for a few weeks/months afterwards only to repeat the cycle annually.

Concerning 'health food' stores, I remain deeply skeptical - you know, the places that promote buying/consuming this or that superfood (e.g. wheat germ, acai berries, organically grown blueberries harvested by blind Tibetan monks, etc.) or dietary supplement. Or ones that host seminars where bright-eyed practitioners promote various kinds of woo.
 
For a long time, there have been people who have claimed that it is possible to be obese but fit. I personally have never bought into that view point. But now the European Society of Cardiologist have come out with a study that explains that it is not possible.

Study said:
“One cannot be ‘fat but healthy’,” said study author Dr. Alejandro Lucia of the European University, Madrid, Spain. “This was the first nationwide analysis to show that being regularly active is not likely to eliminate the detrimental health effects of excess body fat. Our findings refute the notion that a physically active lifestyle can completely negate the deleterious effects of overweight and obesity.”
Click to expand...

I think that this puts further support on the idea that exercise is not enough and that what we eat (or don't eat) really matters.
 
In reviewing timelines for COVID vaccine distribution, it is going to be a while before I am eligible. However in researching how to prevent the effects of it, it appears to be more and more correlation between metabolic health and the effects of COVID. I know that I could stand use loose a few pounds, but I think that this needs to be more of a wakeup call for society and even governmental regulation regarding food distribution as the food that we eat has national health implications. More so, bad health also has effects on global economy and national security.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Metabolic health and COVID-19: a call for greater medical nutrition education - PubMed

Metabolic health and COVID-19: a call for greater medical nutrition education
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

What are your thoughts?
 
As always happens at this time of year, there is a renewed focus for many to start paying attention to their heath. Gyms are full for the next week or so, people are claiming they are watching what they eat, and there is even a tend for some to go sober for a few months.

Personally, there was a situation a year ago that was really concerning to me, and it REALLY changed the way I did things and how I thought about my health and the health of my family. While I didn't expect it, those changes have really made a significant difference in my health. I have an appointment next week and it sounds like I will be able to start the progress to come off all of my blood pressure and allergy medications.

I have also started getting into understanding why particular health conditions effect me, what causes them, and what can be done to prevent them, at least when it comes to me. As I posted in another thread, this as also lead me into the wild world of understanding the current research around longevity, especially the work of Harvard's Dr. David Sinclair, and the correlations (and in many cases the causations) of aging on all these other diseases. I did a 23 and me DNA test to better understand what issues I might have genetic dispositions for and what I can do now to prevent those from becoming an problem in the future.


However the three biggest things that I did last year to improve my health were probably the simplest things possible:
  • I started getting a minimum if 7 hours of sleep at night, (often times 8, by going to bed earlier. Most nights I am in bed and asleep by 9. This alone was the biggest game changer for me. Sure, I don't get to watch nearly as much hockey or TV, but as good as a good hockey game is, feeling awake and alert the next day is so much better.
  • I really paid attention to what I was eating and drinking. I cut out alcohol for quite a while and starting drinking a lot more water. I bought a soda stream device and drink unflavored carbonated water frequently. I also changed the way I eat. I cut back on the amount of processed foods I was eating, eliminated pasta, breads, and other simple carbs almost entirely, and really focused all my meals on quality meats (beef, fish, seafood, chicken, and occasional pork).
  • I went deep into consistent physical activity and meditation EVERY DAY. I started with alternating full body workouts on one day and then cardio on the next day and progressed into a 5-day split workout with cardio on the non-weight days. One of my cardio days is an "Off Day" and I will still do something like a 30 minute recovery ride on the Peloton Bike or take the dog out for a fast walk for an hour as the sun is coming up. I discovered that I needed to actually schedule and plan this out and started getting up every morning (including weekends) at 4:45 AM to make this happen. But I also realized that I needed a mental reset after these workouts, so I started doing 5, 10, or 15 minute meditations from You-Tube or a hand full of free apps.

Given that we live in an COVID world, what things are you doing to maintain or improve your health? Is there anything new that you are adding for 2022? Was there any significant changes that you put in place in 2021 to improve your health?
 
Whose Yur Planner said:
Glad you are addressing this. It's a tough battle to get to the point where you realize you need to address it. Good luck and hang in there.
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Stress and anxiety manifest themselves in the physical part as well. In my case hypertension, but its all around really.
 
michaelskis said:
  • I started getting a minimum if 7 hours of sleep at night, (often times 8, by going to bed earlier. Most nights I am in bed and asleep by 9. This alone was the biggest game changer for me. Sure, I don't get to watch nearly as much hockey or TV, but as good as a good hockey game is, feeling awake and alert the next day is so much better.
Click to expand...
Wow, I can't imagine someone getting 7 hours of sleep at night, let alone that being a minimum. I haven't had 7 hours of sleep in more than three months and it has been years and years since I've got an 8. If I am lucky, I might get six hours sleep a few times a month but that is with taking extra meds. Last month I got less than 5 hours sleep on 11 nights, and four of those were less than 4. In September, I got less than 5 hours sleep 19 out of 30 days.
 
Super Amputee Cat said:
Last month I got less than 5 hours sleep on 11 nights, and four of those were less than 4. In September, I got less than 5 hours sleep 19 out of 30 days.
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You and me both.:`) I inadvertently killed a thread when I wrote about my insomnia 1½ years ago. The topic is a thread killer!

www.cyburbia.org

The sleep deprivation thread

Sleep frequently escapes me. When I get to the point that I'm trying hard to sleep it's too late. I wish sleeping wouldn't require an effort. Do others here have difficulty with sleep frequently?
www.cyburbia.org www.cyburbia.org
My whole life I have been a "terrible sleeper": I sleep lightly and can only stay asleep for 1-2 hours in a row. On an especially lucky night, it's 3 hours. I wake up peppy/cheerful and have the inability to fall back asleep.

It's as if my sleep cycle consists of short, infrequent "cat naps".

MDs have ruled out psychological reasons and have pretty much diagnosed this sleeping problem as physiological.
The docs have also ruled out pretty much all of "the usual" physiological reasons.

In the future, MDs will be checking "the unusual" physiological reasons for my sleep situation.

I've been told to lead my life as if modern medical science will never find a good solution-- because there might not be one in my lifetime. Which would sort of suck, but what can you do?:`)
Click to expand...

Update: There's possibility that I'm getting even less sleep per night now than I was back then.
 
Shellac And Vinyl VelocitY said:
You and me both.:`) I inadvertently killed a thread when I wrote about my insomnia 1½ years ago. The topic is a thread killer!

www.cyburbia.org

The sleep deprivation thread

Sleep frequently escapes me. When I get to the point that I'm trying hard to sleep it's too late. I wish sleeping wouldn't require an effort. Do others here have difficulty with sleep frequently?
www.cyburbia.org www.cyburbia.org


Update: There's possibility that I'm getting even less sleep per night now than I was back then.
Click to expand...

Why do you think that is?

For quite a while I was getting terrible sleep, but once I realized the importance of it, I shifted gears and started breaking down the good things that I wasn't doing and the bad things that I was doing.

I discovered the following bad things:
  • Alcohol - If I drink, it has a negative impact on my sleep. I am not talking getting drunk, but even a beer or two would disrupt my sleep.
  • Late Dinner or snack - I discovered that my sweet spot is to not eat anything about 3 hours before going to bed. Only problem is middle son has therapy until 7, so we eat at 7. 30 minutes for dinner only gives me 90 minutes between end of meal and sleep.
  • Eating too much - If I eat too much food, my body is in hard digestion mode and it causes sleep disruption.
  • Eating the wrong foods - If I have very spicy or fatty foods it causes some disruption.
  • Caffeine too late - If I have coffee or other caffeine after noon, it disrupts my sleep.
  • Blue lights - If I too much blue light exposure after 3 or 4 PM, it disrupts my sleep. I have an app on my phone that turns off blue light about an hour before sunset.
  • Too much activity - Running around or a hard workout after dinner disrupts my sleep.
  • Stress - Too much stress or completion of a long meeting that has me worked up prevents me from falling asleep too soon.
  • Sick - If I have a cold, flu, or something else, I find my sleep is shallow, disrupted, and full of weird dreams.

However, good things I discovered are:
  • Mediterranean Diet Style Meal for Dinner - I found that if we have dinner that is high in fish, greens, and vegetables provides the best sleep for me.
  • Early Morning Workouts - When I work out early in the day, I find I sleep much better that night.
  • Natural Sunlight - Following the progression of the sun from morning to night helps to set the circadian clock. Because I get up way before the sunrise, I supplement with a "Happy Light" as I get ready for work in the morning.
  • Schedule - Maintaining a constraint schedule of when you go to bed and when you get up to the best of your ability, even on weekends. I get up the same time every day of the week.
  • Mediation - Having time to wind down with meditation or mindfulness before bed can really help.
  • Unload your mind - I have a notebook and write down all the ideas, thoughts, or anything else that is going through my head before bed. Then I read for about 10 minutes something that would be beneficial. For me, it is the bible, but I realize that is not for everyone.
  • Supplements - I make sure I am taking medications and supplements at the proper times. I also take melatonin if I had a long or stressful day about 30 minutes before I get ready for bed.
 
Mine continues to be better and better. I am getting a solid 7-8 hours each night with dreaming. I work out in the evenings after work and I find exercising in general is a big help. Like was said above staying away from substances and a good diet make a big difference too.

I am almost 2 months sober now I feel better at 55 than I did at 45.
 
Hawkeye66 said:
Mine continues to be better and better. I am getting a solid 7-8 hours each night with dreaming. I work out in the evenings after work and I find exercising in general is a big help. Like was said above staying away from substances and a good diet make a big difference too.

I am almost 2 months sober now I feel better at 55 than I did at 45.
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Working out is a great way clear your mind and destress for a while.
 
I have been hearing a lot about this company from several different podcasts.

InsideTracker

www.insidetracker.com www.insidetracker.com


It is intriguing as a planner because I measure things and use real data to determine if things are working with development plans, revitalization efforts, as well as growth projections. Why shouldn't I have the same data driven focus with my health. On the flip side, the price tag is a bit steep. But is it cheaper than not doing something that I should, or doing something that isn't working.
 
About a month ago, I ordered a new fitness tracker. It is one that does not have a screen but it is to be worn 24/7 and comes with a battery pack that you put on it to wirelessly charge it so you never have to take it off. It tracks things like skin temperature, heart rate, movement, sleep, and O2 levels. It runs algorithms to calculate a bunch of data. However I noticed since my allergies have been acting up due to spring pollen, my sleep quality has taken a significant dive and it has caused a chain reaction. Last night I got a full 80 Hours of sleep, but because my resting heart rate stayed higher and my heart rate variability was not good, it is saying that my recovery rate was only 30%. Well, my morning workout this morning gave me a strain level that exceeded what it should have been for that recovery rate.

The question that I have for all of you is how do you deal with seasonal allergies? Have you ever measured how much they mess up your health and other aspects of health? More importantly, do you measure anything pertaining to your health?
 
michaelskis said:
About a month ago, I ordered a new fitness tracker. It is one that does not have a screen but it is to be worn 24/7 and comes with a battery pack that you put on it to wirelessly charge it so you never have to take it off. It tracks things like skin temperature, heart rate, movement, sleep, and O2 levels. It runs algorithms to calculate a bunch of data. However I noticed since my allergies have been acting up due to spring pollen, my sleep quality has taken a significant dive and it has caused a chain reaction. Last night I got a full 80 Hours of sleep, but because my resting heart rate stayed higher and my heart rate variability was not good, it is saying that my recovery rate was only 30%. Well, my morning workout this morning gave me a strain level that exceeded what it should have been for that recovery rate.

The question that I have for all of you is how do you deal with seasonal allergies? Have you ever measured how much they mess up your health and other aspects of health? More importantly, do you measure anything pertaining to your health?
Click to expand...
Zyrtec and Flonase are my friends during a heavy pollen season.

I am diabetic and wear a Dexcom G6 continuous glucose monitor and use an insulin pump 24/7 as well. My A1C has gone from a 13.0 at diagnosis to consistently in the 6.0-6.5 range. I can print out a variety of reports for either device.
 
Whose Yur Planner said:
I've dropped about 70 pounds the past year. This was after talking to the doctor.
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Congrats!

It could do me well to shed about 40 myself, but 20 would be a good start.

michaelskis said:
The question that I have for all of you is how do you deal with seasonal allergies? Have you ever measured how much they mess up your health and other aspects of health? More importantly, do you measure anything pertaining to your health?
Click to expand...
I don't have seasonal allergies or any chronic conditions, so I don't actively track my health conditions other then anecdotally by paying attention to my weight every morning, what/when I eat and how I feel during a given day and/or after I eat certain foods.
 
mendelman said:
Congrats!

It could do me well to shed about 40 myself, but 20 would be a good start.


I don't have seasonal allergies or any chronic conditions, so I don't actively track my health conditions other then anecdotally by paying attention to my weight every morning, what/when I eat and how I feel during a given day and/or after I eat certain foods.
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It's easier to do while it's still more or less voluntary. However, the chat with the doctor does add a kick in the pants element to it.
 
Oh, boy! I need a root canal and possibly two! Yay!
I wanna keep as many of my teeth as possible, so I'm not going to complain. Hopefully it won't be a big deal. (I've had root canal before and it wasn't anywhere as bad as I had been led to believe, so ...)
 
Gedunker said:
...it wasn't anywhere as bad as I had been led to believe, so ...
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b62883b4-d926-49f0-b810-0509440ef2fc_text.gif
 
I had a root canal about 5 years ago or so. It wasn't as bad as expected either. However right after that I developed a bad gag reflex. That's been as pain.
 
As if we all needed another reason to drink coffee. I think I might have an extra cup tomorrow morning.

www.cnn.com

If you drink these types of coffee, you could have a lower death risk | CNN

Depending on how you prefer your coffee, you could have a lower death risk compared to non-coffee drinkers.
www.cnn.com www.cnn.com

I am curious about the following though:
Results showed that for people who drank a moderate amount of coffee, defined as 1.5 to 3.5 cups a day, those who sweetened their coffee had about a 30% lower death risk compared with non-coffee drinkers, according to Dr. Christina Wee, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, who was not involved in the study. She is also deputy editor of the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Unsweetened coffee drinkers had between 16% and 29% lower death risk compared with non-coffee drinkers, she added.
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Is there something in the sweeteners that help or is it people drink more sweetened coffee?
 
michaelskis said:
As if we all needed another reason to drink coffee. I think I might have an extra cup tomorrow morning.

www.cnn.com

If you drink these types of coffee, you could have a lower death risk | CNN

Depending on how you prefer your coffee, you could have a lower death risk compared to non-coffee drinkers.
www.cnn.com www.cnn.com

I am curious about the following though:


Is there something in the sweeteners that help or is it people drink more sweetened coffee?
Click to expand...

The BBC happened to have one of the authors of the study on their daily news podcasts earlier this week. The presenter asked that same question about sweeteners and, from what I gathered, there were a few things:
  • Sweeteners (depending on the type) might not be as detrimental as previously thought, especially when just using a tiny bit of it
  • AND/OR the positive benefits of the phenolic compounds are greater than the negative benefits of the sweeteners
  • But once you add more than just a tiny bit of sweetener, you start to lose the positive benefits of the coffee pretty quickly
The author was also quick to point out that the study didn't really control for overall health and fitness of the coffee drinkers so they couldn't really answer whether healthier people were choosing to drink coffee or if it was that people were healthier BECAUSE they were drinking the coffee.

In the end, it sounded like one of those studies that focuses on one tiny little specialized thing that is of importance to the academic community and some journalist picked up on it somewhere and wrote some headlines that are barely supported by the evidence.
 
WSU MUP Student said:
The BBC happened to have one of the authors of the study on their daily news podcasts earlier this week. The presenter asked that same question about sweeteners and, from what I gathered, there were a few things:
  • Sweeteners (depending on the type) might not be as detrimental as previously thought, especially when just using a tiny bit of it
  • AND/OR the positive benefits of the phenolic compounds are greater than the negative benefits of the sweeteners
  • But once you add more than just a tiny bit of sweetener, you start to lose the positive benefits of the coffee pretty quickly
The author was also quick to point out that the study didn't really control for overall health and fitness of the coffee drinkers so they couldn't really answer whether healthier people were choosing to drink coffee or if it was that people were healthier BECAUSE they were drinking the coffee.

In the end, it sounded like one of those studies that focuses on one tiny little specialized thing that is of importance to the academic community and some journalist picked up on it somewhere and wrote some headlines that are barely supported by the evidence.
Click to expand...
I am still going to take it as "Drinking Coffee is Healthy"
 
Ever since I had COVID this January, my wife has commented on how much louder my breathing sounds. However over the past two months, I have been dealing with sinus infections. Last weekend was especially difficult. Dr. Appt this morning and they put me on an antibiotic and if that does not work, I go back to the ENT. I have already had two sinus surgeries, so I am not looking forward to this.
 
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