Top Form Secrets

Why Thoreau Was Right

2009-12-03T12:26:00.002-05:00

The more I think about it, the more I agree with Henry David Thoreau, one of America's greatest thinkers. The woods is where we ought to go to collect our thoughts and rejoin Mother Nature. But when in the city, I certainly respect companies like American Standard sink, and all they are doing to bring nature into the bedroom and boardroom, so to speak.

Sound and Sense

2009-11-29T00:44:00.000-05:00

Three new avenues of research suggest that sound leads to sense and sense to sound. Maybe only an acoustics engineer could fathom the full meaning of this statement, but it stands to reason that sound leads to meaning and meaning itself may produce audio impulses that lead the brain to greater coherence. Dr. Joseph Knoll, a Hungarian doctor who discovered deprenyl, believed that greater coherence in thought patterns could be achieved by man in the coming decades through the use of several discoveries that he himself and his colleagues have made. His new book, The Brain and Its Self (2005), is a must read for those interested in anti-aging therapy and cognition improvement.

How to Boost Your Mood

2009-11-28T15:44:00.004-05:00

Mood swings are less severe in the South of the United States and mood is brighter the closer people live to the equator, according to epidemiological studies. This is one reason why florida vacations may be just what the doctor ordered. The psychiatrist, that is! Yes, you can improve your mood by going into a sunny environment, and all it takes to do that is a move to the South. The vitamin D produced by the sun is one reason scientists believe mood improves in the South. Sunlight itself is another reason.

Thoreau Was Right After All

2009-11-28T15:43:00.002-05:00

Thoreau lived on Walden Pond in a wood cabin that he constructed himself. Few, however, have the nerve to dare what Thoreau dared. Few could do what he did. How many of your friends and neighbors could build a cabin? Today metal buildings are the norm, and the values and ideals that Henry David Thoreau wrote about are all but lost. The construction industry has helped up live in tenements and apartment buildings that, like an ant colony, ensure a homogenization that is all but inhuman.

Pterostilbene

2009-11-27T21:37:00.000-05:00

New research indicates that blueberries contain a substance, along with celery, that can fight colon cancer. The chemical, pterostilbene, is being researched for its cancer fighting properties in conjunction with resveratrol.¹ The latest edition of Life Extension Magazine has an interesting article on the topic, and a new article will be forthcoming in the February 2010 issue, if I'm not mistaken. The chemical can be taken in its natural form by eating blueberries and celery, but a powder capsule is also available for a higher potency and a more effective cancer fighting regimen. References

The “Other” Resveratrol A Novel Method to Simulate the Genetic Effects of Caloric Restriction. Tiesha D. Johnson, RN, BSN. Life Extension Magazine. http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2009/ss2009_The-Other-Resveratrol_01.htm. (Accessed 11-28-09.)

The Very Near Future of Computing

2009-11-26T21:36:00.000-05:00

Except for the Orson Welles films, I have not seen many science fiction movies based on classics. The reason I have considered the future of netbooks so promising is precisely because they allow a user to travel to a distant location from wherever they are, whether that be a beach, a plane, or a classroom. The future of technology is here, as they say. I, for one, and glad (if that's the right word) that I am here to see it, too.

Off to the Shores of Havana - Again!

2009-11-21T10:27:00.003-05:00

Every holiday season. Yes, that's right. Every holiday season, without fail. I'm talking about how often I frown upon discount cigars and turn instead to a trip to Cuba. As often as I can I venture into the Cuban waters and paddle my kayak to the shores of Havana. There I look for a light in a cafe known as Smirkin's Cove. They wait for me at the table. Two of them. They are in black and they are suffused with an aroma of sawdust and old wood and, of course, the smoke of burning tobacco. That is where I get my holiday gear and then I import it back to Florida and the Miami traffickers that I know so well.

William S. Burroughs and Health

2009-11-20T01:21:00.000-05:00

It is not irrelevant to consider your birth order when looking at your health. Indeed, people like William S. Burroughs, who was the second of two sons, generally take more risks with their life, according to birth order researchers like Frank Sulloway. The novelist's health, of course, was not optimal since he devoted nearly fifty years of his life to consuming heroin and other pernicious substances that gave him a quick thrill but that wasted his physical and emotional stamina. Many love his writing, but they generally fail to realize that he would probably have given us even more profound books than Naked Lunch had he been more abstemious and perhaps more attentive to his own physical well being. He certainly would have lived longer and written more, and that would have been a blessing to all who like his rapidfire style of blitzkreig prose. He lived in New York, which is another way of saying he was a neighbor to us all.

William S. Burroughs and the Modern Car

2009-11-18T13:20:00.000-05:00

Parrots are my favorite bird. I think I know why. They are the only bird that can keep you company when you get an auto insurance quote. In fact, no other bird can sing a song or help you deal with the paperwork that can ordinarily stymie even the greatest thinkers of our time. William S. Burroughs was of like mind. He once remarked that all the autos he had driven in had made him sick. Not that he was one to seek vibrant health, but he didn't want to clog his lungs with carbon monoxide, and who can blame him. He had bigger and more serious worries.

The Man Who Avoided Insurance

2009-11-17T13:21:00.005-05:00

Dr. Wilhelm Reich moved to Rangeley, Maine, in 1952 and set up a laboratory on the hill overlooking Dodge Pond. There he avoided all life insurance quotes and the other ephemera of modern society and focused, instead, on his life's work, namely, studying the atom and the constituents of cosmic orgone energy. When his research was complete he would go down to Main Street and get a haircut, then publish his findings in books like Character Analysis and Listen, Little Man! Wish I could have met him.

The Most Important Dietary Supplement

2009-11-15T02:02:00.000-05:00

No matter what you think of his politics, you know that George W. Bush had a group of highly qualified doctors taking care of his health while he was in office. But did you know that the only supplement they recommended he take was . . . fish oil. Studies in the 1970s revealed that the Eskimos had very low levels of heart disease, yet they ate large quantities of salmon and whale. Scientists discovered that the protective factor in their diet was DHA and EPA fish oil, also known as omega-3 fatty acids. These nutrients are largely deficient in the American diet, and so supplementation is just about the only way to get enough. Omega-3 fatty acids balance the excess omega-6 acids most of us consume too much of. Fish oil has been linked with lower incidence of heart disease, steadier heart rhythm, and even reduced depression and a boost in mood. If I had to advise someone to take one supplement, I would agree with the President’s doctors. “If you take nothing else,” I would advise, “take fish oil daily. Aim to consume 1 to 5 grams each day.”

The Wilhelm Reich Museum

2009-11-12T01:59:00.000-05:00

Last summer our friends went to Kansas and enjoyed their trip so much they told us that we should visit the state as well. Instead we visited myrtle beach vacation rentals. Next summer we will go to Kansas. The entire idea of a vacation pleases us and encourages us to try both Kansas and the Florida trip that we already tried. Next spring we may also go to Rangeley, Maine, where Wilhelm Reich had his home and where a museum now stands.

Japanese Seaweed

2009-11-09T14:30:00.002-05:00

Normally I do everything I can to avoid harmful chemicals or ingredients. Companies claim they have what are called the best diet pills but these are typically ineffective. However, I must admit that I have been impressed by the research on Japanese seaweed. It has a chemical in it that speeds up metabolism. Perhaps this could be used for a diet pill. In fact there are some who have made it into one.

Nitric Oxide and Health

2009-11-07T00:12:00.002-05:00

Nobel Prize winner Dr. Louis Ignarro, who received the prize for his work with nitric oxide, discusses the importance of nitric oxide for cardiac and other health. He is, not surprisingly, extremely lucid and clear in his speaking style. And he has an ability to make his work clear for a layman.

The J.D. Salinger Diet

2009-11-05T20:56:00.002-05:00

I do not believe in phentermine or other appetite suppressors. Maybe they work for some, but I feel the risks outweigh any advantages. The drug is an amphetamine-like jolt to your system and the side effects are numerous and dangerous. A better way to weight loss might be through a vegan diet, through the Atkins diet, through the alternate-day diet (which involves caloric restriction), or through the Salinger diet (named after J.D. Salinger because it involves eating little dairy and restricting the intake of junk foods).

Watch Your Way to Athletic Success

2009-11-03T16:53:00.002-05:00

Novice swimmers like to learn what they can from practice and from getting in the pool. But professionals know a secret. They know that they can use an LCD TV to learn more than their competitors. Coaches and Olympic athletes agree: training that is both physical and mental is better than training that is purely physical. The mind must be part of the athlete's complete training course. And watching your performance on video is the latest in this competitive world.

Fluoride-Free Toothpaste

2009-10-30T00:00:00.000-04:00

This video is a wonderful interview with former BBC journalist Christopher Bryson, authof of The Fluoride Deception. In 1993 he got a call from a British radio producer who wanted to know whether there was "an American angle" to the fluoride controversy. But Bryson had no idea. His subsequent investigations opened a Pandora's box of problems and secrets about how fluoride is harmful and damaging to health. There is enough fluoride in a tube of toothpaste to kill a two-year-old child . . . I'd like to point out that Tom's of Maine makes a few very good fluoride-free toothpastes.

How Caloric Restriction Works in the Real World

2009-10-27T23:58:00.003-04:00

I do not use a pill to lose weight. Like the great American writer J.D. Salinger, I have discovered something even better than a weight loss product, in fact so revolutionary that most people have never heard of it. It involves what is called the alternate day diet. This entails eating normally on alternate days and fasting on the other days. The objective is to reduce caloric consumption to 500 to 1,000 calories on the fasting days. This is almost impossible to do on a daily basis, but on an every other day basis it is much easier.

Repairing the Human Machine

2009-10-23T13:19:00.003-04:00

A number of persons interested in plasma mounts recently asked me to say a few words about them. Honestly I have a great deal of respect for the machines. The stability of a product depends, to a large extent, on the quality of the work that goes into its design and construction. Nothing could be more important. Sometimes it is the simple things that are the most useful and rewarding. That is the way the designers look at it, anyway. For my money, the simpler the machine the more reliable. A possible reason for this might be that the fewer moving parts the more reliable. The human machine, for example, is constantly being repaired.

Warning: Fried Food Linked with Cancer

2009-10-19T00:00:00.002-04:00

Researchers have found a strong link between fried food and cancer. One study found that those who ate fried meat had an increased risk of developing "female-hormone-related cancers, i.e., cancer of the breast, endometrium and ovary combined."^1,2 Cooking meat and fish causes heterocyclic amine(HA) carcinogens.³ "Recently, another amine carcinogen,acrylamide, was found at relatively high levels in cooked carbohydrate-richfoods, especially potatoes."⁴ But making the assessment of risk difficult is the fact that cooked meat also contains specific anti-carcinogenic constituents.⁵

References

"Intake of fried meat and risk of cancer: A follow-up study in finland." 2006. Paul Knekt, Gunnar Steineck, Ritva Järvinen, Timo Hakulinen, Arpo Aromaa. International Journal of Cancer. Vol. 59, No. 6, Pp. 756 - 760.
Some studies suggest that there may be a link between eating cooked meet (such as hamburgers) and cancer. "[A] significant fraction of human cancer could be ther result of consuming AIAs from cooked meat." 1986. "Identification of the mutagens in cooked beef." J S Felton, M G Knize, N H Shen, B D Andresen, L F Bjeldanes, and F T Hatch. Environ Health Perspect. August; 67: 17–24.
"A meat and potato war: implications for cancer etiology." 2006. James S. Felton and Mark G. Knize. Carcinogenesis. November 1. 27(12):2367-2370; doi:10.1093/carcin/bgl165.
Ibid.
Carcinogenesis. 1987. Dec; 8 (12):1881-7. "Anticarcinogens from fried ground beef: heat-altered derivatives of linoleic acid." Ha YL, Grimm NK, Pariza MW.

My Mom's Weight

2009-10-18T22:21:00.001-04:00

As my mom getting older and older I noticed her that she is also gaining weight. I'm not sure what is the reason behind. Maybe because of her age or her food intake. She is gaining weight perhaps because she definitely has a good appetite for sweets. I'm very worried about her now since she doesn't even do any exercise. I guess it's time for me to tell her about the best appetite suppressant. I hope she will listen to me and start to follow my advice.

My Beliefs and Health Philosophy

2009-10-11T00:20:00.000-04:00

Some things I know almost with 100 percent certainly:

Broccoli is very good, fights cancer.
Avoiding partially hydrogenated oil is very wise.
Exercise is good.
Fish oil supplementation is vital to good health.

Some things I believe (with somewhat less evidence):

Saturated fat is good for you.
The Atkins diet is good.
Carbohydrates are generally to be avoided, especially simple sugars.
Vitamin supplementation is essential for optimal health.

If you agree or disagree, please comment.

Why Soap is Now Called a "Bar"

2009-10-09T02:07:00.000-04:00

Some people use an acne treatment. Others realize that salicylic acid is one of the best treatments, an ingredient in Aveeno Clear Complexion Clensing Bar. By the way, did you ever notice how soap companies have begun calling their soaps "bars." I once worked as a spokesperson for a product which revealed to me that the word "soap" was not to be used because it had a low-class image. The word "bar" was preferred because it sounded more upscale.

Why You Should Not Get a Swine Flu Shot

2009-10-09T00:07:00.000-04:00

It is a myth that you need a swine flu shot. In fact, the shot is liable to do you more harm than good. It is a myth that the shot can prevent the flu. The shot contains mercury and other harmful chemicals. Most importantly, the swine flu - despite its horrid sounding name - is an innocuous (harmless) flu and will not cause you to die. If you catch it you'll probably just feel a bit rundown for a few days. More people die from the regular flu than from swine flu. The people you've heard about who died from swine flu were old or had compromised (weakened) immune systems. The bottom line: the swine flu is virtually harmless and you should not get the shots. As Dr. Joseph Mercola points out:

I suspect you have likely been alarmed by the media's coverage of the swine flu scare. It has a noticeable subplot - preparing you for draconian measures to combat a future pandemic as well as forcing you to accept the idea of mandatory vaccinations.¹

References

Critical Alert: The Swine Flu Pandemic – Fact or Fiction? by Dr. Joseph Mercola. April 29 2009. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/04/29/Swine-Flu.aspx (accessed 10/9/09).

Why the Future of Leisure is Unclear

2009-10-08T15:05:00.003-04:00

Every year more people are online. The problem is that they neglect real life situations and relationships. Yet this is certainly the wave of the future and it's not all bad. The popularity of games like playstation 3 is a clear indication that the world of leisure activities has changed radically in the past twenty years or so. That's why the future is so unclear.