989 On: Health

My wife and I have a long-standing... difference of opinion, shall we say, when it comes to the topic of stretching. Full disclosure: she feels stretching is important, and I do not. But which one of us is correct? And what better way for me to explore the topic than to do an episode about it?

Tendons are made of tiny fibers that are closely packed in a parallel structure, and aligned in a wavelike or crimped pattern. When you really start reading the details of how this all works, it gets very complicated very quickly.

It was probably some time in the 1980’s when I heard about these crazy people who would move out into the middle of nowhere, into a trailer or some sort of small cottage and intentionally cut themselves off from ‘the grid’ of electricity and running water, in an attempt to live a simpler life. Might be great... But are there health concerns to consider when going off the grid or living in a tiny house?

There was a recent Bloomberg article from September 14th that I want to spend a few minutes reviewing. The article is titled, “Canadian Burger Chain Sells Out of Plant-Based Patties” and it’s by Jen Skerritt.

Many medical professionals continue to rely on complex medical terminology when discussing medical conditions and solutions with their patients - and this should change to more plain talk when it comes to diagnosis and solutions.

Our final weekly episode will be number 100 - there is still some time if there is a question you’ve been meaning to ask us, but get those questions in while you can. Just check the show notes for for the ‘Contact Us’ link. Issues with swallowing have an official name - it’s called Dysphagia - the ‘Dys’ is from the Greek for difficulty or pain, and ‘Phagia’ which is Greek again, for ‘eating’. The microphages in our bodies are part of our immune system, and they eat invading cells.

“One single short vacation of four nights has positive effects on the well-being, recovery, strain, and perceived stress... independent of the mode of vacation. These effects are measurable even 30 days (recovery) and 45 days (well-being and strain) after the end of the short vacation.”

Ptosis - a drooping eyelid - can be the sign of serious conditions... Cancer, brain tumor, stroke, or neuromuscular disorders - but these are typically seen in adults. Congenital ptosis - that is, a droopy eyelid you’re born with - is typically a problem with the specific muscle that raises the eyelid rather than a more systemic problem, but deeper problems do occur, and are more rare.

We’ve done episodes on or discussed quite a few different diet plans or eating philosophies or... whatever you’d like to call them, from Eating Clean, to Eating Bugs, to Paleo, Gluten Free, and more. Now, anything and everything a person might dream up in the present day and think was a new idea was almost certainly invented in China or Persia or Ancient Greece, so I’m not even going to look for this idea I have, since I’ll discover that Socrates first suggested it in 390 BC and then I’ll feel like not doing this topic as an episode.

It might be hard to believe for some of you - how could anyone be addicted to listening to something? Especially just listening to people talking. Could you be addicted to listening to music? Is it a silly question? Really, all of our brains are different. You can become addicted to any behavior.

We mentioned toxoplasmosis in passing a few weeks back in episode 69, when we talked about the Lone Star Tick causing meat allergies in humans. I mentioned that the meat allergy was probably an odd, unintentional side-effect. Just like the lone star tick, toxoplasmosis does not want to be in a human.

The thyroid gland is a two-lobed endocrine gland - endocrine is another word for ‘hormone’ - and it’s found in the throat-region, below your adam’s apple. The thyroid gland weighs around 25-30 grams - it’s tiny, but it’s important! A few quick facts about the thyroid gland - the hormones produced by the thyroid - primarily triiodothyronine and thyroxine, help maintain metabolism, heart rate, and body temperature.

Negative Calorie Foods - the whole idea is that some foods actually take so much work for your body to break down, it actually burns more calories than the food can deliver. That sounds like a magical weight loss solution!

From CNN: “The price for many drugs, especially specialty drugs, has gone sky-high," said state Sen. Virginia Lyons, a Democrat who co-sponsored the bill. "We've found that drugs from Canada are very safe and the equivalent of FDA-approved, and we could keep our costs down by having our own wholesale importer and allow our people to buy at this reduced cost. It's about time that happened.”

Poppy Seeds! A typical serving contains 2 to 3 percent of your daily required zinc, which all of your organ systems, especially your immune system, need in varying degrees. That same serving also contains 4 percent of your daily required calcium and iron, which your body needs to make healthy blood cells and bones. These minerals are also vital for your nervous system’s ability to send messages back and forth. Poppy seeds are also rich in B vitamins, which are also important to your whole body.

I realized there were literally hundreds of unanswered questions that I had about ticks in general... And I knew I was gonna have to research the answers to these questions, for my own information - and it just makes sense - - if I’m gonna do the research, I might as well put it to use and turn it into an episode. I wish I could shed more light on the Lone Star Tick itself, but there’s still too many unknowns about it and the meat allergies to say much more about it specifically.

This article is talking about how the bite from a specific type of tick - the Lone Star Tick - can make its human victims allergic to meat. And I’m not just talking about a rash or itchy eyes - I’m talking about anaphylaxis, where you can have such a severe allergic reaction your throat closes up, and you can’t breathe.

The topic is ‘Surgical Smoke’ - and me being me, I chuckled a bit when I saw it, picturing an old-fashioned operating room in the 1950’s, where everyone in the room is smoking a cigarette - including the patient. Hey, maybe the patient is giving birth, and there’s a nurse ready with a cute little mini cigarette for the baby as soon as it’s born! But it turns out, that’s not what ‘Surgical Smoke’ is.

The average person goes to a dermatologist… Well, never. It’s difficult to prove a negative, but I’m willing to bet that unless your primary care physician notices a problem with your skin and refers you to a dermatologist, most people will never just think to book an appointment with a dermatologist. And get this - you should be getting checked out by a dermatologist once every year.

This week’s question is: ‘I always look at the used tissue after I blow my nose, but my sister says that’s gross. Are there any good reasons to look after you blow?”