Our civilization must slow down so that we can learn to use progress responsibly. In other words, the entire world must agree to a one-child policy for two or three generations — that is, we must agree to limit our family size to one child only — resulting in a smaller world population. This reduced […]
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]]>I have always thought that if British Columbia really had it on the ball, it would make itself over as a fisheries, forestry, and wildlife management park. In other words, British Columbia would get itself designated as a special provincial or national park, a park in which planners, ethicists, scientists, and economists would test ecological […]
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]]>In essence, British Columbia would flower; it would become a research park supported by funds from all over the world and by international tourism.
That reality really would put British Columbia on the map.
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]]>We hear about how plastic bottles are filling our landfills and oceans, but bottled water manufacturers and consumers can solve this problem. We do have biodegradable choices, and biodegradable plastic may cost us a little more in the short term, but I’m sure the costs will fall in the future, as our health and our […]
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]]>See www.biogreenbottles.com and BioGreen Biodegradable BPA-Free Sport Bottle with Wide Mouth DuoFlow Lid (26-Ounce). These bottles are BPA, DEHA and DEHP Free, and they are made in the USA.
Tell the bottled water industry that we insist on safe biodegradable plastic.
Also see the post Avoiding BPA in Plastic.
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]]>Quit spending money sitting down. Everybody wants your dollars and cents, and they want you to spend it in a chair–at concerts, movies, restaurants, ballets, musicals, coffee shops, meditation groups . . . Stay on your feet. Go for a walk or a hike. Lift weights while you watch the news. Find a good deal […]
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]]>Stay on your feet. Go for a walk or a hike. Lift weights while you watch the news. Find a good deal at a gym (the best deals usually appear when a gym first opens for business and offers a contract that stipulates that they can only raise your fees by, lets say, 1 percent every 3 years).
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]]>Shoshone Point is a great spot for watching clouds and the way their shadows move across the canyon like wild beasts of prey. For more photos, see our Gallery Talked to a ranger in the Shoshone Point parking lot. He said that he had met his wife at Indian Gardens (she was hiking through), that […]
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Looking across the Grand Canyon from Shoshone Point
For more photos, see our Gallery
Talked to a ranger in the Shoshone Point parking lot. He said that he had met his wife at Indian Gardens (she was hiking through), that Indian Gardens was home (though he no longer lived and worked there).
I’m hiking in the Grand Canyon again this year, the third year in a row. The first time, I stayed in a motel in Williams, Arizona, and drove into the Grand Canyon National Park every morning for day hikes. Last year I stayed in the lodges on the South Rim, hiked to Phantom Ranch (which is located at the bottom of the Canyon), and then spent another three days hiking up and down primitive trails. This year I am hiking from the South Rim to the North Rim and then back to the South Rim.
The food is good at Phantom Ranch, but up above on the South Rim, I prefer to buy items from the general store, rather than from the restaurants.
Also see:
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]]>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 read that after 50, we […]
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]]>Grains tend to cause weight-gain problems, and grains can irritate your intestinal walls, resulting in inflammation and irritable bowels. (I have read that after 50, we all have abnormal bowels.) But fruits and vegetables contain more antioxidants than grains, and a diet rich in fruits and vegetables will provide enough fiber. If your digestive system is particularly irritable, then switch to frozen fruits and vegetables. Freezing kills some germs and partially breaks down abrasive fiber (and I have an easier time eating vegetables and fruits that I have thawed in the microwave or cooked from the frozen state). According to The National Center for Home Food Preservation, “Freezing does not kill all bacteria, yeasts and molds present in food, but it does prevent their multiplication if the food is held at 0°F or less. When thawed, the surviving organisms can multiply again.”
Fish is good for your brain, heart, skin, and digestive tract. But choose wisely. According to Toronto Public Health, children, teenage girls, and women of childbearing age may eat one serving of pollock or wild Pacific chum, coho, or pink salmon a day (and men, teenage boys, and women over 50 can eat more than one serving a day).
Toronto Public Health also lists fish that children may eat twice a week (2 servings a week), teenage girls and women of childbearing age may eat 4 times a week, and men, teenage boys, and women over 50 can eat more often: Atlantic mackerel, wild Arctic char, herring, wild chinook, sockeye, and steelhead salmon, sardines, smelt, sole, Atlantic cod, flounder, and haddock. (I have not included their recommendations for shellfish and tuna. Plus I never eat freshwater or farmed fish. And for both medical and ecological reasons, I stay away from marlin, shark and swordfish.)
Frozen fish is usually fresher than “fresh” supermarket fish. Buy North American fish — not fish from China, which often contains preservatives or experiences suspect processing and delayed freezing.
Fish is low fat and anti-inflammatory (unlike red meat, which can bring on or exacerbate inflammation). If you want a more varied diet, eat skinless chicken and turkey breasts once in awhile.
Bake or steam your fish and poultry. And read about Dr. Sear’s Zone Diet: The Zone Diet
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]]>As I have said numerous times, I take supplements (see the disclaimers and warnings listed at the bottom of Spinach, Greens, and Eye Health). Rather than listing the supplements in my posts, I have listed them in the sidebar on the far right. I do not expect you to buy these items, but the Amazon […]
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]]>I have also mentioned that walking, running, and hiking are very good for the health (including respiratory, cardiac, and digestive health), so in this post I am going to list some of the gear I use on hikes. I am listing the Amazon links. You can follow the links to detailed descriptions, prices, and reviews. I own all of the following gear:
Julbo Race Sunglasses (w/ Zebra Photochromic Lenses)
Osprey Talon 44 Mountaineering Backpack (for overnight and multi-day hikes)
Osprey Stratos 24 Pack (for extra-long day hikes to remote wilderness areas where I need to bring along extra survival and emergency gear)
Deuter Packs AC Lite 16 Backpack (for day hikes of average length)
Mountainsmith Tour Lumbar Pack (for easy day hikes)
Men’s Merrell Phaser Peak Waterproof Boots (for rugged hikes)
Men’s Danner Expedition GORE-TEX Boots (for exceptionally rugged hikes)
I’m not sure if Columbia still makes the shoes I wear on easy hikes. Here is a link to their hiking shoes: Columbia Hiking Shoes
Danner Merino Wool Pronghorn Crew Socks
Royal Robbins Men’s Classic Billy Goat Shorts
Columbia Silver Ridge II Shirt – Long-Sleeve – Men’s
Outdoor Research Sun Runner Cap
Marmot Precip Rain Jacket for Men
Marmot Men’s PreCip Full Zip Pant
Sea to Summit SN240 Ultra-Light Siliconized Cordura Pack Cover
Of course I own various tents, whistles, signal mirrors, first aid kits, flashlights, cotton t-shirts, and I wear nylon hiking pants, silk undershirts, and polyester shirts and microfleeces during winter. I will probably write about those gear in a future post.
Also see my posts Cotton for the Grand Canyon and Desert Venom.
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]]>If you must have blood tests every 4 to 8 weeks while you are away from home, then compare what the lab provides with what your doctor requires. Your doctor might ask for a series of individual tests, but the lab might include all those tests in one package. The package of tests is often […]
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]]>Have your doctor give you a lab test requisition form. Then when you arrive at your vacation destination, ask the lab if they have a package of tests that includes the tests your doctor has ordered. If their package is cheaper, phone your doctor, tell him the name of the package of tests, and have him FAX a new requisition to the lab.
from Palm Treo
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]]>Most of us have our cholesterol and other lipids checked every year. You might also ask your doctor to order a test for c-reactive protein, a measure of inflammation. However, my family doctor says that the c-reactive protein test is no longer in vogue and that the results would not alter the way she goes […]
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]]>The post C-Reactive Protein first appeared on Medical Health.
]]>If concerned (aka intrusive) citizens continue to harass individuals who use disposable plastic water bottles, then those individuals might start hiding their empty bottles in the garbage, where they won’t be seen (in dark plastic garbage bags), rather than in recycle boxes out front of their homes.
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