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I was walking through the woods this weekend with DH, thinking about how my brain has changed.
What, you don't do that? I do tend towards the uh ... "introspective" side. ;)
Anyway, I was remembering how I used to have trouble figuring out how to do stuff that wasn't intuitive - like the crazy lock on the cover for the truck bed, starting up the boat, tightening the wench straps to keep it on the trailer, backing up the trailer ... (Hmmm, seems like most of my life's confusion revolved around the boat!) - and also remembering how to do those things once I figured them out. I was so frustrated for a few years, thinking that Mommy Brain must have kicked in and I was doomed to be perplexed and constantly requiring re-instruction in difficult things for the rest of my life.
But last summer was different.
- mood:
dorky
AMDG
I just have a second to post this one. The Washington Post reports a major study finding that when a pharmaceutical company funds a study, over 90% of the time, the study comes out in their favor. When drugs go head-to-head, the winner is nearly always whoever funded the study.
A former editor of the New England Journal of Medicine explains ( How to skew ... )
A former editor of the New England Journal of Medicine explains ( How to skew ... )
- mood: dorky
AMDG
Okay, I've been pondering the water thing for a while. Can it really be necessary to drink 8 cups or more of water every day? To do this, our ancestors would have done almost nothing but cart water for their large families & villages. Maybe we're really supposed to have more water-rich veggies, fruits, soups, & fresh milk, with less water-sucking sweets & ill-prepared grains?
( Science + LYM's own experience ... )
( Science + LYM's own experience ... )
- mood:
thirsty
AMDG
Years ago, a teacher in Wisconsin conducted an experiment with her class (p. 31). They took 6 normal mice, put half in each of two cages, and fed them different diets for 3 months. One set ate whole, natural food - you know, stuff you can imagine growing, like fruits, vegetables, meat, eggs, whole rice or oats - and the other ate the stuff from the cafeteria. The article doesn't specify, but I can imagine they mean pizza, American "cheese", Coke, hot dogs, candy, cookies, fries, mac & "cheese", white rice/noodles/buns, "riblets," waffles, canned fruit in heavy syrup, chicken patties, tater tots ...
Those mice went berserk. While the "real food" mice continued to sleep & play normally,
( Well, what did the school do? ... )
We know what we have to do.
Those mice went berserk. While the "real food" mice continued to sleep & play normally,
"[The junk food mice] destroyed their cardboard tube, were no longer nocturnal, stopped playing with each other, fought often, and two mice eventually killed the third and ate it."
( Well, what did the school do? ... )
"After the change in school meals, the students were calm, focused, and orderly. There were no more weapons violations, and no suicides, expulsions, dropouts, or drug violations."
( We've known for years that real food is best ... )We know what we have to do.
- mood:
drained
AMDG
"The antidepressant Prozac and related drugs are no better than placebo in treating all but the most severely depressed patients" reports a science news service. Says the UK's The Guardian, "When all the data was pulled together, [including studies suppressed by the manufacturer,] it appeared that patients had improved - but those on placebo improved just as much as those on the drugs."
- mood:
discontent
AMDG
Good riddance.
Six years ago, the first blow was dealt: A New York Times piece dared to ask, What if it's all been a big Fat lie? It came after more than a decade of banning all fat, including those now recognized as "heart-healthy," like almonds, avocados, & olives. Gradually, we began to realize that *some* fats were okay: namely, unsaturated ones. Then, they started to tell us that butter was better than margarine. Now, the truth is coming out that it's trans fats & partially hydrogenated oils that are killing us. We're even realizing that saturated fats are not the devil - Crisco & margarine are. After decades of trial, most fats - the natural ones (butter, lard, coconut oil...) - are finally exonerated.
Did I just say lard? You bet I did!
Six years ago, the first blow was dealt: A New York Times piece dared to ask, What if it's all been a big Fat lie? It came after more than a decade of banning all fat, including those now recognized as "heart-healthy," like almonds, avocados, & olives. Gradually, we began to realize that *some* fats were okay: namely, unsaturated ones. Then, they started to tell us that butter was better than margarine. Now, the truth is coming out that it's trans fats & partially hydrogenated oils that are killing us. We're even realizing that saturated fats are not the devil - Crisco & margarine are. After decades of trial, most fats - the natural ones (butter, lard, coconut oil...) - are finally exonerated.
Did I just say lard? You bet I did!
- mood:
chipper
AMDG
"A popular operation for arthritis of the knee worked no better than a sham procedure in which patients were sedated while surgeons pretended to operate," reported the New York Times a few years ago. The procedure in question is arthroscopic surgery performed with the intent to benefit osteoarthritis.
- mood:
awake
AMDG
Last fall, the FDA came out saying that cough medicine usually doesn't work for kids, and when it does, its risks do not outweigh its benefits (covering up annoying symptoms of a respiratory illness). In the articles above, we find out that Benedryl, cough suppressants, cold meds, don't work any better than placebos.
We're blessed to have very few colds, one ear infection (the only child ever in group care - "Mother's Morning Out"), and no strep throat in our 11 years of family life. Hardly anyone gets sick. I attribute it to years of nursing each child, no group care (including school) exposure, avoiding junk, and a LOT of luck.
More recently, doctors are saying that cough & cold medicines don't do any more than placebos for adults, either.
We're blessed to have very few colds, one ear infection (the only child ever in group care - "Mother's Morning Out"), and no strep throat in our 11 years of family life. Hardly anyone gets sick. I attribute it to years of nursing each child, no group care (including school) exposure, avoiding junk, and a LOT of luck.
More recently, doctors are saying that cough & cold medicines don't do any more than placebos for adults, either.
- mood:
cold
AMDG
Long thought to be a vestigial organ b/c they couldn't figure it out, the appendix is being rehabilitated. It appears likely to be a tiny safe harbor of beneficial bacteria waiting to spring into action to repopulate our guts should they be wiped out through infection.
80% of our immune system is the bacteria in our gut. They can get out of balance by being wiped out by antibiotics or severe diarrhea, normally good ones (like e. coli) overpopulating b/c of a current weakness letting in an excess of them (e.g., via contaminated water or food), and certain other ways. It's amazing to know that God working through nature has provided a way for us to replenish our guts in times of hardship.
Sadly, the researchers have decided it's not worth it to study whether the hypothesis is true. They claim it can "cure no disease" - really? Our gut flora don't get unbalanced or wiped out anymore?
How wise are we really, when we assume that if we don't understand it, it must not be?
80% of our immune system is the bacteria in our gut. They can get out of balance by being wiped out by antibiotics or severe diarrhea, normally good ones (like e. coli) overpopulating b/c of a current weakness letting in an excess of them (e.g., via contaminated water or food), and certain other ways. It's amazing to know that God working through nature has provided a way for us to replenish our guts in times of hardship.
Sadly, the researchers have decided it's not worth it to study whether the hypothesis is true. They claim it can "cure no disease" - really? Our gut flora don't get unbalanced or wiped out anymore?
How wise are we really, when we assume that if we don't understand it, it must not be?
- mood:
impressed
AMDG
Yahoo recently put up an article on sunscreen and how it increases skin cancer. It confirms several points I've found in digging around the online medical journal studies:
Concludes the Yahoo article (from LiveScience.com): "We merely think we are protected; few really are."
ETA: Link has gone; here's the original from LiveScience.com.
- sunscreen does not protect against melanoma
- relying on sunscreen instead of covering up or managing sun exposure increases skin cancer risk
- our bizarre habits of semi-nudity at beaches are the cause of most of our skin damage
- many sunscreens break down in the sun, some begin in just 15 minutes
- most people use nowhere close to enough sunscreen to provide the claimed SPF level, anyway
- chemicals in sunscreen cause DNA damage and may contribute to cancer, including skin cancer
Concludes the Yahoo article (from LiveScience.com): "We merely think we are protected; few really are."
ETA: Link has gone; here's the original from LiveScience.com.
- mood:
accomplished
AMDG
Right now, I'm finding so much information that I can't figure out what to leave out and everything's getting too long! But you'll love this one!
I happened across The Skin Cancer Foundation's website. They have a stern warning that babies should always be kept out of the sun, and a section on common myths about sunscreen. Their first myth is ...
"Wearing sunscreen can cause vitamin D deficiency."
There's even a link to a page on this "controversy." There, they say that some physicians believe that "the simple solution to the deficiency is 5-10 minutes of unprotected UV exposure ... two or three times a week." They go on to state that most dermatologists and cancer groups "have argued strongly against this 'solution,' since all unprotected [sic] UV exposure contributes to cumulative skin damage[.]"
Sooooo, I called them. And I mentioned the reports coming out in USA Today, the New York Times, the AJC, all over the place, that we're in a epidemic of vitamin D deficiency, specifically b/c we use too much sunscreen, and that even babies are being found deficient in huge numbers. I asked if they were updating their website to reflect the latest recommendations: "Experts suggest at least 15 minutes of direct sun a day before slathering on sunscreen."
The guy answering the phone said, "We now recommend spending 10-15 minutes in the direct sun two or three times a week."
Great! "So, will you be updating your website to reflect that immediately?"
"I'll put in a report that you requested that."
"Most people encounter your important organization through your website. Shouldn't that be updated immediately?"
"I'll note that you requested that."
? Why not do it now? ?
I don't know, surely it has nothing to do with being funded by sunscreen manufacturers.
I did *not* used to be a skeptic. I didn't!
I happened across The Skin Cancer Foundation's website. They have a stern warning that babies should always be kept out of the sun, and a section on common myths about sunscreen. Their first myth is ...
"Wearing sunscreen can cause vitamin D deficiency."
There's even a link to a page on this "controversy." There, they say that some physicians believe that "the simple solution to the deficiency is 5-10 minutes of unprotected UV exposure ... two or three times a week." They go on to state that most dermatologists and cancer groups "have argued strongly against this 'solution,' since all unprotected [sic] UV exposure contributes to cumulative skin damage[.]"
Sooooo, I called them. And I mentioned the reports coming out in USA Today, the New York Times, the AJC, all over the place, that we're in a epidemic of vitamin D deficiency, specifically b/c we use too much sunscreen, and that even babies are being found deficient in huge numbers. I asked if they were updating their website to reflect the latest recommendations: "Experts suggest at least 15 minutes of direct sun a day before slathering on sunscreen."
The guy answering the phone said, "We now recommend spending 10-15 minutes in the direct sun two or three times a week."
Great! "So, will you be updating your website to reflect that immediately?"
"I'll put in a report that you requested that."
"Most people encounter your important organization through your website. Shouldn't that be updated immediately?"
"I'll note that you requested that."
? Why not do it now? ?
I don't know, surely it has nothing to do with being funded by sunscreen manufacturers.
I did *not* used to be a skeptic. I didn't!
- mood:
cynical
AMDG
What does sunscreen protect us from?
What does it definitely protect us from?
What's the cost?
Many people say, "Go to the beach, play golf, swim all day, but don't forget your sunscreen!"
But when we put that sunscreen on, are we really protecting ourselves from anything at all? Or just removing our natural warning system that we've exceeded our personal ability to process the good from the sun, and continuing to stay out with no protection at all, only the appearance of it?
Get the details here.
- Not melanoma
- Not basal-cell carcinoma
What does it definitely protect us from?
- Sunburn
- Wrinkles
What's the cost?
- Vitamin D deficiency
- Depressed immune function.
- Skin cancer. Old, UVB-only, sunscreens never protected us against 2 of the 3 skin cancer types, including the most deadly form. Scientists are hoping that newer UVA/UVB ("broad-spectrum") sunscreens do, but so far it's only a guess. Even if we're right, the most UVA-shielding ingredients are also the ones that break down in the sun, and there is no guarantee that even SPF 70 is protecting you against UVA - SPF only refers to UVB. (There is rising evidence that melanoma is caused by sun *deficiency*.)
- Risks from the chemicals and nanoparticle physical ingredients themselves.
Many people say, "Go to the beach, play golf, swim all day, but don't forget your sunscreen!"
But when we put that sunscreen on, are we really protecting ourselves from anything at all? Or just removing our natural warning system that we've exceeded our personal ability to process the good from the sun, and continuing to stay out with no protection at all, only the appearance of it?
Get the details here.
- mood: blah
AMDG
Monday's USA Today tells of a 14 year old boy, a normal boy, whose bones were invisible on X-rays. They were so thin that they appeared clear - the doctor thought the machine was broken. More tests revealed serious vitamin D deficiency - and bones 50% less dense than they should be.
Rickets is a rising epidemic in the US & Canada, especially among darker skinned folks. Forty-two percent of US teens, & 40% of small children are D-deficient, which happens well before the rickets stage. We've known for a while that up to 90% of adults are deficient. Why? Sun phobia.
The body produces vitamin D upon exposure to the sun - but sunscreen prevents that. We are told by dermatologists and skin cancer experts & every makeup & lotion company that we need SPF products every single day of our lives, winter included. Sunscreens are mixed into everyday products from moisturizer to lipstick. Check out just one example: "Apply liberally on face, neck and other exposed areas every morning." Words like "dangerous" are nearly always attached to the word "sun." Some phrases from one of my favorite personal care companies: "It [reflects] dangerous UVA-UVB rays." "Whether it’s overcast, you’re in the car, just had a facial peel, walking the dog…you need a sunscreen!"
Rickets is a rising epidemic in the US & Canada, especially among darker skinned folks. Forty-two percent of US teens, & 40% of small children are D-deficient, which happens well before the rickets stage. We've known for a while that up to 90% of adults are deficient. Why? Sun phobia.
The body produces vitamin D upon exposure to the sun - but sunscreen prevents that. We are told by dermatologists and skin cancer experts & every makeup & lotion company that we need SPF products every single day of our lives, winter included. Sunscreens are mixed into everyday products from moisturizer to lipstick. Check out just one example: "Apply liberally on face, neck and other exposed areas every morning." Words like "dangerous" are nearly always attached to the word "sun." Some phrases from one of my favorite personal care companies: "It [reflects] dangerous UVA-UVB rays." "Whether it’s overcast, you’re in the car, just had a facial peel, walking the dog…you need a sunscreen!"
- mood:
quixotic
AMDG
Sunscreen doesn't prevent melanoma. A few years ago, that was an established fact.. Did you know that? I didn't. I asked my mother if she knew sunscreen doesn't prevent deadly skin cancer and she said, "No, of course it doesn't! But it prevents sunburn!"
If sunburn is the body's warning system that I've gotten more sun than my body can safely manage, then what happens when I remove that warning system, but continue to get the sun?
If sunburn is the body's warning system that I've gotten more sun than my body can safely manage, then what happens when I remove that warning system, but continue to get the sun?
- mood: sympathetic
AMDG
Okay fine. The quintessential example of bad reporting & bad science: 
The claim: Lemon wedges in restaurants are full of fecal bacteria from waitresses who have just left the loo, and if you've been using them, you're lucky to be alive.
The reality:
The claim: Lemon wedges in restaurants are full of fecal bacteria from waitresses who have just left the loo, and if you've been using them, you're lucky to be alive.
The reality:
- All produce has bacteria outside and inside it (the original study mentions this), and all hands will pass on what they have.
- "Fecal" bacteria (e. coli, referred to as "gram-negative" in the study) are everywhere, even inside us right now! & on our hands, and they don't hurt us unless our defenses are weakened (usually by poor diet) & the source is unnaturally high.
- Avoiding lemons won't solve anything - the waitresses in the restaurant I worked in made salad with their bare, unwashed hands.
- mood:
sick
AMDG
Today we have an example of how most science & health articles today are written, and further evidence that the number of people who understand & implement the scientific method is precipitously dropping. We have all heard that we're supposed to sleep more. Well, this particular scientist wondered how hours of sleep link up with death & morbidity rates. Sure enough, he found that those who sleep very little have shorter lives. He also found, however, that those with the *longest* nightly sleeps have shorter lives.
Here's where the reporting breaks down. Correlation does not imply causality. That means that the mere fact that two items occur together does *not* mean that one causes the other. For instance, lung cancer and wrinkled mouths often occur together. Does that mean lung cancer causes wrinkled mouths, or vice versa? Of course, we know the truth is that *both* are caused by smoking. Does obesity cause diabetes or vv? NO! Both are caused by excess sugar & refined carbohydrate intake.
So here is the question: could the need for excessive sleep be caused by the same thing that is causing the shorter lives & higher disease rates?
Here's where the reporting breaks down. Correlation does not imply causality. That means that the mere fact that two items occur together does *not* mean that one causes the other. For instance, lung cancer and wrinkled mouths often occur together. Does that mean lung cancer causes wrinkled mouths, or vice versa? Of course, we know the truth is that *both* are caused by smoking. Does obesity cause diabetes or vv? NO! Both are caused by excess sugar & refined carbohydrate intake.
So here is the question: could the need for excessive sleep be caused by the same thing that is causing the shorter lives & higher disease rates?
( Sugar... )
- mood:
sleepy
AMDG
Purpose
A collection of news that tells the truth about the world, in a world that holds News as an article of Faith, but rarely gets even half the picture.
Michaelangelo maria lactansThere are many kinds of success in life worth having. It's exceedingly interesting and attractive to be ...a President, or a ranchman, or the colonel of a fighting regiment, or kill grizzly bears and lions. But... a household of children... certainly makes all other forms of success and achievement lose their importance by comparison.
Theodore Roosevelt
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