2008 April | Medical Health

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Autoimmunity, KyoDophilus, Alfalfa, and Zinc

My general doctor says that patients suffering from autoimmune diseases should not take herbs and supplements that boost immunity (since autoimmunity results from overactive immune responses that attack and harm various parts of the patients' bodies). In other words, when your immune system is already overactive, you are foolish ...

Hikes

List of Hikes I am adding short descriptions of the hikes I take in Canada and the United States. You will find all the photos from the hikes on http://www.flixya.com/user/affiliatebin, and you fill find three of my previous posts on 1) Toronto Waterfront, Leslie Spit, Cherry Beach, 2) Hiking Photos from ...

Desert Venom

Although a number of medical professionals still recommend applying a tourniquet to rattlesnake bites (and then briefly releasing the tourniquet every 15 to 20 minutes), Tony Nester, the author of Desert Survival Tips, Tricks, & Skills (Flagstaff: Diamond Creek Press, 2003), writes that most of the doctors he spoke to ...

Top Brands: Hiking Boots

[August 2010 Update: Last fall I bought a pair of Vasque Mantra hiking shoes on clearance at REI for $20. The Vasque Mantras are now my favorites, and I'll keep on buying them (but if you have high arches the Vasque Breeze Low hiking shoes will probably fit you better). ...

They Say Vegetables Don't Stop Cancer. I Don't Believe It.

This week the media told us all that a new study shows that eating lots of vegetables does not "significantly" lower cancer risk. (The study indicates that vegetables might provide a very small reduction in cancer risk, but that statistic may have resulted from reporting error and bias -- see ...

Buying a House in Arizona: Home, Termite, and Mold Inspections

First I'll tell you about the information you can get from the Arizona State Government. Then I'll tell you about my conversations with house, termite, mold, and fungi inspection companies in Phoenix and Mesa, Arizona. You can phone the Office of Pest Management at 602-255-3664 (and 1-800-223-0618). Or go online ...

My Anti-Cancer Diet

Also see my post Cancer Prevention Foods and Spices. And search the United States government's National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine web site and Mayo Clinc. Daily anti-cancer foods and supplements: 1) I bought one pound of Organic Connections beet powder for $23.80. (That's the best price I found). -- I take ...

A Fish and Vegetable Diet

We have heard about low-fat diets, gluten-free diets, vegetarian diets, and other approaches to healthy eating. Perhaps the best low-fat diet is not only gluten free, it's grain free. Grains tend to cause weight-gain problems, and grains can irritate your intestinal walls, resulting in inflammation and irritable bowels. (I have ...

Living for Work

April 1st, 2008

I was told that Europeans do not “live to work,” they “work to live.” And I once read that European women prefer rather unambitious husbands — Europeans cherish time and European women feel that overachievers spend way too much psychological and physical time away from their wives and families.

What has ambition brought us? Early death and taxes and global warming.

Spinal Stenosis and Surgery

April 1st, 2008

One of my friends will soon find out if she needs surgery for spinal stenosis, a narrowing of her spine. Back surgery can be dangerous and often only partially alleviates the pain and immobility associated with spinal problems. I made an online search. The reputable sites recommend that patients obtain second opinions before proceeding with surgery. Here are links to valuable information:

Mayo Clinic’s spinal stenosis information: Mayo Clinic

Mayo’s section on spinal surgery: Back surgery: When is it a good idea?

New minimally invasive back surgery: Science Daily