An Aid To Memory

A friend of mine at work asked me to come to our school’s open gyms. Basically, an open gym is when the kids, coaches, and others (like teachers), gather a few times a week to play basketball. I haven’t played basketball regularly since 1995, when some friends and I would play almost everyday after school in the spring. I haven’t played formally since about 1989, the last year I went to basketball camp and played pee-wee ball. So, when my friend at work asked me, I was hesitant. Nonetheless, I agreed (when he and the 4 other teachers who were going to play said “come on” for about the 5th time, I was convinced ;).

Long story short: I went, and now I am going twice a week. It is great exercise, running up and down the court continuously; guarding teens who are in great shape forces me to step it up. I have always been pretty competitive, and even if I am near dead, I am not going to give up easily. At the end of the night on Thursday, probably the best player on our high school team was guarding me (not sure if he wanted to take it easy that game or what, lol), but at any rate, at one point he said, “you don’t stop running do you!” Well, it at least shows that I am in good shape, which is nice to know since I turn 30 next month. I am getting back some of my old basketball skills, which is nice. But most of all, I just enjoy hanging out with friends, and varying up my exercise routine!

Is there a 12-Step program for vitamin addicts? Well, if so, I think I need start working the first step.

I admit I have been fascinated by supplements and nutrition, and after theology, I read more about health than any other topic. I think I took an interest in health because in junior high I was a bit pudgy, which was caused in part by genetics. Eating too much and playing too much Nintendo may have played a part…but other than these minor factors, it was definitely genetics. I also had fairly thin hair growing up, and was convinced that I was going to go bald when I was older. Incidentally, at 29, I still have about as much hair as I did when I was 15, which is a full head. I was, and am, proactive, preferring action to b*tching, so knowing that bald fat teens don’t usually get a lot of hot dates, I started taking my health seriously. Jonathan checked out Lendon Smith’s Diet Plan for Teenagers from the library, which I read, and my interest in health, nutrition, and supplements was born. I tried to change my diet, started exercising, and bought some vitamins at the local health food store. I think I bought Folic Acid, Iodine, and maybe vitamin C. It’s written in an old high school planner somewhere. It snow-balled from there. I even remember checking out health magazines from the library and contacting advertisers and seeing how many free supplements I could get. I have always liked to read, and after a night of football practice, going out on a date, or whatever, I would usually retire to my room, put on some Bob Dylan songs, and read a little, often from health books. I eventually found the mail order supplement company Lee Nutrition (and its sister company, Nutrition Headquarters), with its testimonies from people from quaint sounding towns that I suspected didn’t actually exist: “Thank you for your vitamin C. It really helped me feel better. Sincerely Jennifer G., Santa’s Village, IL.” So I ordered some of the supplements that I had read so much about: Chromium, Vitamin E, Alfalfa, and others.

Even though I was “into” health in high school, I went through a fairly unhealthy stage during my undergraduate days, and I stopped taking supplements, started eating too much, and quit working out regularly. I remember eating three large meals a day, topped off with two small bags of salsa verde Dorritos and a pint of whole milk. I got out of breath climbing the dorm stairs, and did not feel very well.

When I got to grad school, I knew I had to get with it. Not only did I start eating well again and exercising, I started ordering supplements online from Puritan’s Pride, and I began to use the internet to find studies about supplements and conditions. Over the years, I have started taking different supplements based on the newest research (for example, vitamin D, which at one time I wondered why supplement companies even bothered making since it seemed to have little therapeutic benefit…boy was I wrong!). I also stopped taking a few after research showed no benefit or perhaps harm (Beta-Carotene, for example).

I still take quite a few supplements, including herbs (Garlic), enzymes (Bromelain), lipids (Fish Oil), miscellaneous (Co-enzyme Q10), and minerals (Magnesium and Selenium…on days my dietary intake is low, which is rare thanks to regular consumption of nuts). I have even added some new supplements to the mix (Acetyl L-Carnitine and Alpha-Lipoic Acid) rather recently. I enjoy laying out my supplements the night before I take them, and organizing them; this kind of orders my day, and if anything, allows me to feel in control of at least one aspect of my health.

So maybe I am addicted to supplements. Or maybe I just want to be healthy. It sure beats taking drugs I guess.

Jennifer and I have been eating more dark chocolate lately because of the antioxidant benefits of cocoa. We look for bars with the highest percentage of cocoa possible. However, chocolate bars are high in sugar and fat. So, I finally realized a better solution: put pure (100%) cocoa powder in my coffee, which I make without sugar. I usually mix the coffee, stevia (a calorie-free, herbal sweetener), and creamer together, and it tastes like liquid chocolate. I have both dark cocoa and regular. The dark that I found is alkalized, meaning it has been treated to be less acidic, and I like the taste of it better than the regular. However, because it is alkalized, it has fewer antioxidants, which is why I often mix it with the regular cocoa. This has also made me love my coffee even more.

Whole Foods Market has instituted a revolutionary insurance policy for their employees, involving a health savings account, with a high deductible for certain preventable conditions. However, the company contributes money to the Health Savings Accounts of their employees, which can be used for medical expenses that are not covered until the deductible is paid off. This means that (gasp) employees actually have the ability (and the responsibility, if they want to keep some of their money) to shop for better - and cheaper - medical care. In fact, it also means that an employee might think twice before going to the emergency room for a sore throat, when seeing the doctor the next day would save him a couple hundred dollars. It also might make an employee ask a doctor why he is prescribing antibiotics for a viral infection, when they do no good and just add to the cost of the visit. In other words, such a plan may actually help consumers and companies save money.

One problem with health insurance in America is that most Americans forget what health insurance actually is. It is designed as a way to spread out risk from serious illness or injury among many people. In other words, you pay a small(!) amount each month in the event that you get seriously ill or injured, you will be covered. It is not meant to be an all-access pass to free health care. However, I can’t help but think most Americans view it this latter way. One perfect example is the way over-protecting and hysterical parents freak-out over any minor illness in a child. If little Johnny has a slight fever, the reasoning is that it is better to get him to a doctor and be safe than sorry (costing the employee about $30 in co-pay, and the insurance company about $100-150). While I can sympathize with such concern for a child, how did most of us ever manage to grow up without such over-protection?? Now, in times past, common sense, a little rest, chicken soup, and time, likely would have easily healed Johnny, yet if his fever got around 103 or 104, then the doctor would have been called, and insurance used. Now, imagine my figure of $130 per event like this, and multiply it by the number of Americans that actually take this overusing attitude about health care, and you can see why health care costs are out of control.

This day and age, it seems many people go to the doctor for just about anything, whether serious or not, and insurance allows them to get away with it. Also, there is no incentive to shop around for cheaper and better quality care when everything is deemed “free” because of insurance. So you may very well be overpaying an incompetent doctor, but because of insurance, nobody knows it, and nobody cares. I guarantee that if I had to pay out-of-pocket for a doctor’s visit, and if my employer gave me a couple hundred dollars a year towards this, I would shop around for the best deal (price coupled with quality), just like I would whenever I use my hard-earned money in the real world.

One thing we should all remember, and teach our kids, is that insurance isn’t “free” by any means. When I was a single male paying for my own insurance, I was paying 120 dollars a month (up from 85 the year before), which translates to $1440 per year. This amount went up every year. Now, I pay about 1000 dollars a year, and my job pays about 3,000 per year. “Free” care indeed!

I admit I don’t care for big medicine very much. I have great respect for doctors, but I don’t like the idea of taking prescription drugs. Part of this is because they have so many side effects. It is estimated that adverse reactions to prescriptions killed 106,000 people in 1998 alone! In fact, there are 783,936 annual deaths due to conventional medicine mistakes! Compare that to dietary supplements, which while not free of side effects, have claimed only 230 lives from 1983-2004, averaging out to about 11 dying per year. For some reason, politicians jump all over the supplement regulation bandwagon when one person dies from using an herb or vitamin, but why don’t we see more regulation of prescription drugs? I am not arguing for more regulation of drugs, but what is good for the inexpensive goose (supplements) should be good for the pricey gander (prescription drugs). So yes, I am suspicious of prescription drugs, and thus less willing to seek them out, let alone pay for them. However, when I absolutely need them, I will use them. Perhaps this attitude of only taking drugs when necessary would help lessen the health care crisis, leading to a better situation for most Americans (disappointing only those working for or investing in pharmaceutical companies).

As an example of my lack of use of prescription drugs, I have had only two antibiotic prescriptions in the last 7 years, one because of a misdiagnosis (the problem wasn’t related to an infection). I took steroids for 2 weeks a few years ago for a bad case of poison ivy on my arms. That is the extent of my recent prescription drug use. When I have the flu or a cold, I rest a lot, up my intake of garlic, vitamin C, and cayenne, and start taking Olive Leaf extract and Oregano Oil. I monitor my temperature and symptoms, keeping alert for more serious symptoms. I almost always get some type of 2-3 day “bug” a year, and with the exception of a period in 2002 when I had a chest infection that didn’t go away for 2 weeks, I usually get over them without aid of modern medicine. I also get my flu shot every October too. I try to get regular physicals, keep my weight at a normal level, exercise regularly, eat right, take my vitamins, and use hand sanitizer. I am not saying I am immune from all illness because of my lifestyle, or that I am perfect and to be imitated, but I am saying that I am taking commonsense steps so that when I do get sick (whether very serious or not), it is an occasional, essentially non-preventable occurrence, the exact scenario for which insurance exists. In other words, I am trying to live a safe, healthy, and commonsense lifestyle, which means I am taking reasonable steps to prevent illness. Obviously, genetics, random occurrences, and other factors outside of my control will affect my health, and I understand this. This is what insurance is for, a safety net for the unpredictable, not a crutch for an unhealthy and unsafe life.

Maybe I learned this from my grandmother. She does not have a particular philosophy against prescription drugs, but at 84 takes one, count it, one prescription, a drug she has taken since she was in her twenties, after she had her thyroid removed. Through living moderately, eating right, and walking 2 miles almost every night, she has managed to stay healthy enough to avoid overuse of prescription drugs. While you may not find this too impressive, consider that the elderly spend an average of $2,322 per year on prescription drugs! My grandma spends about 120 dollars a year. If even 30 percent of the elderly were this healthy, I guarantee your and my health care costs would go down. Not to mention, remember that you, through Medicare, are paying for the health care of many elderly persons.

While my interest in health has allowed me to take these attitudes about health care and health, I know many people who would never view insurance and health this way, unless there was a financial benefit to being healthy, or some financial penalty for being unhealthy. It seems to me that what Whole Foods is doing is providing this sort of incentive and punishment system, and not surprisingly, it is saving both the company and employees money in the end. Also, such a high-deductible plan would be far more affordable for your average uninsured person to afford. Maybe the “answer” to our health care crisis is not throwing more tax-payer money at a ridiculously broken system, but setting people up with health savings accounts in which there is incentive to save money and seek better, and less frivolous, care. Perhaps some government money could even make its way into our accounts in the form of tax rebates, and so forth. Of course, then again, the same government known for buying 500 dollar nails and 200 dollar toilet seats isn’t probably going to take the lead on this one, so maybe it is up to us consumers and small businesses.

The summer is coming to an end, well, at least for those of us in education (teachers, students, and so forth). I must say I have had a great summer. I did a lot of fun and meaningful things, and also got a lot done for my upcoming wedding (although Jennifer has done a lot more than I). My main emphases now are finishing wedding preparations, starting school, and losing some weight for the wedding. I joined the YMCA where I work (I am now a member in two places), and have been out running the hills a lot at the local state park and my old high school (represented by the photos).

I am taking a few diet supplements. Do I believe they are going to help me lose weight? Probably not. However, I got some that normally retail for 29.95 at the dollar store for, well, a dollar. I can use the extra calcium and potassium, and the grape and green tea extracts are generally beneficial. One thing that got me thinking a little more about my health is Real Age. It’s a site that tells you your “real” age, based on your habits. It is based solidly in science, and even takes into account risky activities (like speeding and using a cell phone while driving). I ended up with a real age of 19.5, which makes me about 10 years younger than I really am, and frankly, I want to keep it that way. I do not think of myself as too materialistic, but I admit that I have seen too many older individuals lose their health, and in the process, the ability to enjoy life to its fullest.

As I mentioned above, one of my favorite forms of exercise is running outside. I can barely run inside (I don’t like treadmills, and can’t really get excited about indoor tracks, so I usually use an elliptical machine inside). I don’t know why, but I always tend to crave getting out and running under the hot sun (I do use sunblock). I think that part of it is that I get to enjoy nature and the changing seasons, and I like having some time by myself just to relax. I usually just take my time driving over, going about 40 mph on the back roads, listening to some music. The smells and sounds change with the seasons and each time period is special in its own way. Right now, the last flowers of the summer are blooming, and yellows and purples are starting to dominate, and soon the snakeroot’s white blooms will overwhelm the forest. I am seeing the last I read somewhere that simply exercising outside (even walking or hiking) is just as effective as depression meds for mild depression. I know that around January and February, I am intensely craving the sunshine, and sometimes I look up at the grey sky dome and get a little depressed. This may explain why city life is always depressing for me. Not that I didn’t manage to cope when I lived in big cities, but I missed the ability to drive for about 5 minutes and get away to a secluded rural area, to enjoy nature and the sunshine.

According to a new study, Vitamin D supplements in the amount of 1100 IU (the official recommended intake is 400 IU), reduce overall cancer incidence.

This part of the article was intriguing:

Figuring some women may have entered the study with undiagnosed cancer, the researchers excluded the results in the first year and assessed only the final three. The findings became even more powerful, with the women getting calcium and vitamin D3 experiencing a 77 percent lower cancer risk.

A few years ago on this blog I pointed to evidence that suggested sun exposure (and thus vitamin D blood levels) was tied to a lower risk of internal cancers. The evidence appears to be mounting that Vitamin D does in fact prevent cancer (and maybe even Multiple Sclerosis).

I hope everyone is having a great Easter! I have been on Easter Break for about a week now, and let me tell you, I have needed the break. Even though I love my job, a break is always nice! Of course, nature hasn’t been too cooperative, and the weather has been unseasonably cold. Last year at this time, Jennifer, Jonathan, and I were out taking photos on 60 degree days. This year I am cooped up inside with the flu. I had a fever of 100 for the last few days. I have been monitoring it carefully, but not treating it necessarily. Our cells can withstand temperatures this high, but pathogens and cancer cells have a hard time surviving in such high temperatures (one theory is that tumors have such complex blood vessel networks that they just can’t cool themselves off quickly enough).

Jennifer and I’s marriage plans are moving along, not as quickly as she would like I suspect.

On the Yahoo Music Engine, I am listening to a lot of Townes Van Zandt. He is a folk/country singer from the 1970s-1990s, who is probably most well-known for writing “Pancho and Lefty,” a country hit for Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard. The ones I have been listening to now include some of the lesser known ones, like “The Velvet Voices” and “Like a Summer Thursday.”

Here is a photo from last spring, certainly not from this cold spring. When I see photos like this, knowing the background behind the photo, I can almost “feel” the heat and sunshine.

I was reading the Columbus Dispatch today, and they have come out in favor of the smoking ban, Issue 5, and against Issue 4. Apparently Issue 4, sponsored by the Tobacco Industry, allows smoking in “any privately owned facility not open to the public.” In theory, this means smoking could be permitted in restaurant kitchens, fireworks factories, or around hazardous materials. And guess what? There is nothing the Ohio legislature can do about it if Issue 4 passes. And those anti-smoking regulations your town voted in? Issue 4 would nullify these. So much for freedom of choice. I am not much into heavy regulation, but taking a plant, rolling it in paper, lighting it on fire, and then smoking it in public isn’t exactly quite as “inalienable” a right as is freedom of speech in my book. I know, I know, thousands of college students will look less cool in public if this happens. Thousands of our most prized partiers will head to Kentucky, especially those who “only smoke when they drink.” Yes, I am heartless, but at least I will retain my lung function.

My suggestion is still vote no on 4, yes on 5.

Here is the scoop on the Ohio Anti-Smoking Issues.

Issue 4:

- Keeps Smoking in Restaurants and most public places
- Overturns local anti-smoking measures
- Would prevent any new anti-smoking measures from passing
- Backed by Big Tobacco
- Voting Yes on Issue 4 would cancel out Issue 5

My Take: Vote NO

Issue 5:

- Bans Smoking in most public places
- Smokers will have to step outside to smoke
- Supported by various health groups

My Take: Vote YES

Issue 4 pretends to be a “smoke less” initiative, but it will not have this effect, because, if passed, this issue (sponsored primarily by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco) would overturn local anti-smoking ordinances across the state and prevent new ones from being passed. Plus, since Issue 4 is a proposed constitutional amendment, if it passes, it will nullify Issue 5, which polls show will likely easily pass. So don’t be fooled into voting for both Issue 4 and 5, because if Issue 4 passes by a few votes, Issue 5 fails, even if it passes 80-20.

Issue 5 is not an outright “smoking ban” but rather a proposed state law that makes smokers smoke in a place that will not affect those who have chosen not to smoke. Smokers would still be allowed to smoke on restaurant patios or in tobacco stores (and a few other exempted places). I honestly believe Issue 5 is a positive step for those of us concerned about health care costs and who don’t like to leave a restaurant smelling like we just sat around a campfire!

I know, I know, “smokers have rights,” and “let’s not regulate” and so forth. We are not talking about blacks on the back of buses or censorship of ideas, i.e. serious matters. I am simply suggesting that a person who lights a plant rolled in paper should do so outside. I could say “it’s about the children” but I don’t like inhaling smoke either, and I suspect non-smoking restaurant workers don’t like it either. In fact, a study in Scotland showed that restaurant and bar workers’ health improved after just one month of being in a smoke-free environment.

For more information, check out Smoke Free Ohio

I am trying to take off a few pounds, and as everybody knows, laziness comes easy for most of us. I have been using Fitday Online for awhile now. However, I decided to pay 20.00 for their software I can use anytime. Plus the software has extra features. I can log my food, activity, mood, and so forth. Plus, since I paid 20 dollars for it, I will definitely use it. I have a tendency to use the things I pay for.

I am finding that my diet is interesting. It tends to be high in fiber, Vitamin E, Selenium, and Magnesium, which are all very good things. It is low in vitamin D, Calcium, and Vitamin C, and too high in calories and sodium. I am not much of a milk drinker, although I do get some Calcium from my daily lunch yogurt. I am going to try to work this out.

On a related note, I took the Real Age Test, and I came out at a real age of 23. That is five years younger than I am, which is kind of nice to know. I can still get it lower if I make a few changes, and I intend to. I am not obessed with looking young per se, but I am concerned with feeling young and having my body be young. I would love to avoid the troubles that come with old age if possible: heart disease, cancer, obesity, joint pain, etc. I honestly believe that diet, exercise, and moderation help prevent many of these problems, and I intend to prevent them as much as possible.