Category Archives: Observation

Dr. Weil’s Anti-inflammation Pyramid

I was just looking at the anti-inflammation food pyramid on drweil.com and saw that Dr. Weil included beans, whole grains, and dairy products in his selection. However, I once read that if a food causes you indigestion most times you eat it, then you should cut it from your diet. Repeated bouts of indigestion (and flatulence) can bring on intestinal (and then general) inflammation and ill health. Beans, whole grains, and dairy products cause indigestion in many people, especially as they age.

As a remedy for indigestion and general inflammation, I find that Dr. Sear’s Zone Diet (minus the dairy and soy products) works the best. And since this diet is somewhat restrictive, I take calcium supplements (1000 mg per day, divided into 2 or 3 doses) and Vitamin D (1000 IU per day). I also drink one glass of lactose free skim milk at lunch.

Also see Cancer Prevention Foods and Spices

Cotton for The Grand Canyon

I recently returned from the Grand Canyon, where I hiked for a week and noticed that most of the otherwise well-equipped hikers were wearing synthetic clothing that wicked moisture away from their bodies–and that’s fine in humid climates and when it is cold, but in hot dry areas such as the Grand Canyon during spring, summer, and early fall, hikers should wear cotton clothing: the cotton absorbs sweat and keeps the moisture on your body, thereby cooling your body and slowing dehydration. All the desert survival books tell us to wear cotton during hot conditions in dry regions such as deserts.

But never wear cotton socks on hikes. Cotton socks hold on to the sweat from your feet, and wet feet lead to blisters and cracking. Wear merino wool socks, even in summer: the wool wicks the moisture away from your feet.

During cold weather (including cold days in the desert), wear synthetic or wool clothing that wicks your sweat away. Cold, wet clothing will rob you of body heat and lead to hypothermia.

Carry plenty of water and Nuun Hydration Tablets.

Also see my posts Desert Cotton, Hiking and Backpacking Gear and Desert Venom.

Living for Work

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.

Emu Oil

I have noticed that some stores offer to refill your small bottles of emu oil for a discount. They usually dispense the “new” oil from a large bottle they keep at room temperature under the counter. But the emu-oil manufacturers say, “For extended storage refrigerate unused portion.”

Emu oil is a fat, and fats go rancid at room temperature. If you use emu oil to treat inflammatory skin conditions, such as minor burns or psoriasis, you will find that your non-refrigerated oil quits helping.

Just keep your emu oil in the fridge, and then when you need some, let it warm on your kitchen counter for 15 minutes before you try to pour it from the bottle. That’s why the stores give you rancid refills: they want to dispense it on demand; they don’t wait while the refrigerated supply liquifies.

Inflammation: The Speed of Time

Yes, the anti-inflammatory drug prednisone makes it difficult to sleep–that’s one of the side effects–but not only that, it takes my sense of time back to a childhood level: time slows down (so to speak), days seem longer, not as rushed.

As we age, we say that the years just keep going by faster and faster, and perhaps it’s age-related inflammation of the brain that makes us think that way: we feel like time has shortened or accelerated.