A Great Guide for Staying Healthy

[MerShellly]

I hope I'm posting this in the appropriate category. It doesn't pertain to mermaiding but pertains to everyone's overall health.
Since it's a brand new book, I have no idea how many of y'all have heard of it or not. If you haven't, I can give you my experience so far in reading it. I'm not very good at reviewing books, so bare with me.

I started reading the book Tox-Sick by Suzanne Somers, and it all makes sense now. Ways to benefit yourself and keep you away from illness are woven throughout the book. There are even objects we use everyday that are detrimental to our health that I didn't even realize were bad for us!

I'm a little over half-way through the book, possibly 3/4, but I've already learned so much! Only a few times in the book did I believe she was over-exaggerating about how bad the dangers of something was. However, it explains well, really going in-depth on why certain pills and foods are bad for us. Plus, in the book she does interviews with six environmental doctors.

The point of this thread is- I highly recommend this book to everyone.

[-Annwyn-]

But I started reading the book Tox-Sick by Suzanne Somers....


Stop.

Suzanne Somers is a scam artist peddling woo like there's no tomorrow.

http://www.livescience.com/40677-suzanne-somers-health-advice-wrong.html

I suggest talking to an actual medical doctor instead of reaching for this ficticious bullshit.

[AniaR]

There is legit science behind environmental illness though!

[PhaylennMurúch]

while there is legit science behind environmental illness, Suzanne is the last person you should be getting your advice from. Not 10 years ago she was the poster girl for artificial hormone replacement therapy. She pimps the latest hyped medical/health things to sell books.
I'd give Ms Somers the same consideration about medicine that I give Jenny McCarthy and her opinions on vaccines

[AniaR]

ohh mcarthy... *shutters*

[SeaGlass Siren]

well this escalated quickly.

[MerShellly]

Well I'm only 15 so I didn't know any of that. I still feel like I've learned a lot about toxins and have taken the basics from it like eating organic and the dangers of using laxatives and antacids to an extreme level. Going into the packed oncology waiting rooms with my mom and seeing all these poor sick people, it's boggled my mind how many there are, and I don't want to feel helpless (although I am only still a teen). If there are any books that you all recommend, especially environmentally based, I'm all for it! Maybe this thread can grow into recommended books pertaining to health. I hope there is a thread already dedicated to that but at the same time I don't because then I'd feel like I've wasted "forum space." haha

[PhaylennMurúch]

honestly, eat as clean as you can. No boxed or canned crap, no ingredients with 6 syllables that you can't pronounce. Drink water mostly, cut out soda (aspartame is poison, seriously it's horrific)

Go look at a myriad of books, but also look into the authors to see if they habitually change their tunes with the latest fad or if they have no background in the field they're talking about (like if I, a pasty Scots Irish cis woman from San Francisco, wrote about being a trans woman of color living in New York)

And always do what's true for you, don't follow something that doesn't feel right.

[Mermaid Kelda]

I thought the whole "aspartame causes cancer" thing was a hoax?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspartame#Safety_and_approval_controversies
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspartame_controversy
http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/aspartame.asp
http://theconversation.com/sweet-news-no-evidence-that-artificial-sweetener-aspartames-bad-for-you-12608

But yeah, really, be careful reading alternative healing/natural remedy stuff. Sometimes it's on point and scientifically thorough, many times it's just bogus (see: Belle Gibson, Aussie health-food icon and liar extraordinaire) and might actually do you more harm than good if you opt for these remedies instead of legitimate healthcare.

[SeaGlass Siren]

Regardless if it doesn't cause cancer or not I'm just gonna avoid it at all costs. If it ain't sugar then what is it :| fishy that's what it is.

[PhaylennMurúch]

I thought the whole "aspartame causes cancer" thing was a hoax?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspartame#Safety_and_approval_controversies
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspartame_controversy
http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/aspartame.asp
http://theconversation.com/sweet-news-no-evidence-that-artificial-sweetener-aspartames-bad-for-you-12608

But yeah, really, be careful reading alternative healing/natural remedy stuff. Sometimes it's on point and scientifically thorough, many times it's just bogus (see: Belle Gibson, Aussie health-food icon and liar extraordinaire) and might actually do you more harm than good if you opt for these remedies instead of legitimate healthcare.

Cancer wasn't the top of my list of concerns when I cut aspartame from my diet, it was the migraines that aspartame caused. Well that and I don't want to eat something that was created by running it through genetically modified (in a lab) bacterea

[Yulia]

Aspartame is really a very sweet nerve poison.
"Let's use it diluted in food!"

[Mermaid Freyja]

Aspartame is really a very sweet nerve poison.
"Let's use it diluted in food!"

Ugh, that stuff is horrid! I hate the taste of "diet" anything (sort of a sickening sweet/fake flavor), and in turn I'll avoid all kinds of health problems by not ingesting it.
Aspartame was a migraine trigger for my fiance. he wasn't a big diet soda/juice drinker, but whenever he'd happen to have any *bam*; migraine from hell.

[Dancing Fish]

Biologist here. The following isn't meant to make me sound smart or make anyone feel bad, it's just my perspective as someone trained in the scientific method. I'm an avid reader of health and diet science, and I feel like things are WAY out of hand in the way science information is presented in the media. This book sounds like a prime example of someone who has an agenda and has cherry-picked doctors and articles that agree with her...which puts it into the realm of pseudoscience, not actual science.

A lot of the fear-mongering is based on correlations (links). The problem is that correlations do not always indicate causal relationships. A causal relationship must be tested for. There's a boatload of "X has been linked to Y" in the news, accompanied by suggestions of how to avoid X. Some examples:

Erythritol (fake sugar found in Truvia) is highly toxic to fruit flies and other insects. This has been used to promote the fear that it is also toxic in humans. By the same logic, chocolate and grapes are highly toxic to (at least some) dogs. And yet we know chocolate and grapes are not lethal to humans. Humans can metabolize/excrete erythritol in small quantities just fine. The same is true for the insecticide produced by Bt-modified GMO crops, and that toxin in RoundUp (glyphosate). Your body's well-equipped to handle the small exposures to these chemicals that you would get from non-organic or GMO foods. Avoid them? If you want to pay more and save the bees and stick it to Evil Monsanto, sure-- but you don't have to do it for health reasons.

Shivering, a reaction to cold, is linked to frostbite. Everyone who had frostbite also shivered. Should we prevent frostbite by suppressing the shivering (with a muscle relaxant, perhaps)? That seems ridiculous, but it's the same logic that lead doctors to try to prevent heart disease by lowering cholesterol levels before it became much more likely that cholesterol in hardened arteries is a byproduct of the underlying pathology that causes heart disease, not a causal factor.

Aluminum has been found in the plaques in Alzheimer brains. There is "a link" between aluminum and Alzheimers. Therefore it must be the aluminum causing the plaques, right? Therefore we must avoid all aluminum-containing deodorants to avoid getting Alzheimer's, right? It sounds logical. But it's not. It's entirely possible that the pathology that causes Alzheimer plaques also interferes with aluminum excretion or whatever in the brain, resulting in aluminum accumulation in plaques. But it could be causal. We just don't know enough at this point. Avoid the deodorant? Well, given how human physiology works, you're unlikely to absorb it through your pits anyway...but if you prefer to be au natural for other reasons too, knock yourself out.

There's so much scaremongering in our society, fueled by the underlying assumption that anyone with a chronic illness MUST have brought it on themselves with something they did that they could have avoided. Truth is, we don't know the underlying causes of a lot of these illnesses, and we can't explain the correlations. There's correlations between the increasing exposure of humans to industrial chemicals (ex: BPA) and various ailments (Alzheimer's, obesity, autism, etc). But, funnily enough, the rise in these ailments also correlates with the rise in the use of "natural" medicine and supplements, and the rise in the purchase of organic food. Though BPA is a bad example because it does look like it might have long-term effects, so yeah...that is starting to look like a causal contribution. And that's the problem: You have to wait years to know for sure. And nobody wants to wait for years. And people have a really hard time handling uncertainty. We want to know how to be the healthiest we can be right now! We don't want to be blamed for getting cancer down the road, because we chose the "wrong lifestyle."

And a good portion of it is genetic, and thus, out of our control. My best advice (and as a scientist, I hate to say it) is to ignore most of the "scientific breakthroughs" reported by the media, because mostly they report on single articles with novel new ideas. These aren't ending points, or truth-- they are unverified starting points. There's a lot of people out there now who promote an extreme diet or treatment or action (like GMO labeling) based on careful cherry-picking of articles that support their point; again, that's not how scientific knowledge works. Scientific knowledge is built carefully over years with multiple studies and multiple labs coming to a consensus after considering all data, including contradictory results, not one single paper. And even then, the consensus can still be incorrect and altered later when new evidence or interpretations come to light.

A lot of people would live much less stressful lives if we could just accept that there's a LOT that we don't know about illness and may never know, and would as a society stop blaming sick people for their choices.

If you're really concerned about something particular that you read and want to know more about a "link", I'd recommend going to Google scholar, or the PubMed search engine, and hunting for the latest reviews on the subject. It'll be tough reading, but a peer-reviewed review is as close as you can get to a fair and balanced snapshot of current knowledge in the field on any topic. You can also look up FDA/EPA guidelines and the evidence/reasoning behind them directly, and decide if you feel they have appropriately balanced the needs of industry with the health needs of citizens (like many of my students, you may strongly disagree). (FDA's stance on BPA (http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/PublicHealthFocus/ucm064437.htm#summary), for example, or the EPA's info page on glyphosate (http://www2.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/glyphosate))

TL;DR bottom line: You can't go wrong with a mostly whole-foods diet, but don't let the pseudo-scientific scaremongers rule your life. Be your own scientist and try different things. Do what makes your body feel its best, and what works with your personal philosophy, whether it's Paleo or vegan. Because dontcha know, chronic stress is also linked to a shorter life and a whole host of diseases, too! ;) Here's my favorite comic about science news and the media (http://www.phdcomics.com/comics/archive/phd051809s.gif).

ETA: BTW, this post isn't intended to suggest that anyone choosing to forgo a chemical like aspartame is in any way wrong to do so-- only that current consensus has deemed food chemicals safe for *most* people. My neighbors swear going gluten-free alleviated many behavioral problems in their kid. I'm convinced MSG gives me horrible headaches, and that going sugar and flour-free has alleviated a lot of my chronic joint pain (go figure). Genetic differences mean that people metabolize things differently. That's what I mean by "be your own scientist" and see what works for you.

[AniaR]

Carly... Great reply. Very mature. ;) well done.

Dancing fish hits it out of the park.

[Seatan]

Dancing Fish, awesome reply. I would also like to point out that sometimes a disease is not becoming more COMMON (we never saw that in the "good old days") it is just being diagnosed more. Autism is a more "popular" diagnosis with parents and some doctors these days, so oftentimes kids that would have been labelled intellectually disabled are now put into "the autism spectrum" due to societal pressure--I have seen it happen. So there is not necessarily an increase in Autism, just in the diagnosis of Autism. Same thing for chemical depression, bipolar, etc. People have always had these things, they just had no name for it for a long time and the diagnosis has gotten more widespread over the years. So you also have to take in the increase in DIAGNOSIS when judging how often a disease occurs versus a literal increase in the actual disease.

[Dancing Fish]

Thanks, guys! I'm always terrified to post a novel like that. Mostly I just wish that there was better science education, so people wouldn't have to live in such fear. I hope I don't come across as a big knowitall with all the answers. We're all kind of in the dark here! So the other advice is, always question anyone who tells you the DO have all the answers. :)

[PearlieMae]

Brava, Dancing Fish! :clap:

[Echidna]

A lot of the fear-mongering is based on correlations (links). The problem is that correlations do not always indicate causal relationships.
Truth is, we don't know the underlying causes of a lot of these illnesses, and we can't explain the correlations.
And a good portion of it is genetic, and thus, out of our control.

Indeed.
One would have to test for decades to see if Glyphosate, genetically altered food, and new technology have an averse effect.
And one cannot wait decades to make a profit, we're alive now!

And what caused illness in the end can never, ever, be brought into correlation.
Therefore I heartily recommend the following for all those with a sharp scientific mind:

-a diet consisting exclusively of engineered food (don't forget a healthy splash of pesticides, humans are well-equipped to deal with those)
-heavy smoking (genetics!)
-taking residence next to a nuclear plant, or better, right inside it

That'll show the fearmongers for sure.

[SeaGlass Siren]

:eek:

[Dancing Fish]

Indeed.
One would have to test for decades to see if Glyphosate, genetically altered food, and new technology have an averse effect.
And one cannot wait decades to make a profit, we're alive now!

And what caused illness in the end can never, ever, be brought into correlation.
Therefore I heartily recommend the following for all those with a sharp scientific mind:

-a diet consisting exclusively of engineered food (don't forget a healthy splash of pesticides, humans are well-equipped to deal with those)
-heavy smoking (genetics!)
-taking residence next to a nuclear plant, or better, right inside it

That'll show the fearmongers for sure.

If that's all you got from what I said, I'm sorry I couldn't communicate my point better. I'm not sure how to restate it more clearly, so I'll just wish y'all a nice evening (and good health, ;)). Peace!

[Seatan]

Indeed.
One would have to test for decades to see if Glyphosate, genetically altered food, and new technology have an averse effect.
And one cannot wait decades to make a profit, we're alive now!

And what caused illness in the end can never, ever, be brought into correlation.
Therefore I heartily recommend the following for all those with a sharp scientific mind:

-a diet consisting exclusively of engineered food (don't forget a healthy splash of pesticides, humans are well-equipped to deal with those)
-heavy smoking (genetics!)
-taking residence next to a nuclear plant, or better, right inside it

That'll show the fearmongers for sure.

... I think that was a bit harsh toward someone who made a fair, scientific point of view in a well thought out way. You didn't have to write it sarcastically, you could have simply stated those as examples of when fears did turn out to be true. Just my opinion... I feel like people get really upset over this issue and then no one is ever going to change anyone's mind toward their view because we are busy being mean.

[Mermaid Kelda]

Yeah, you might not agree with Dancing Fish, Echidna, but I thought everything she said was fair and well-explained. She was trying to be helpful and didn't attack anyone. No need to be unnecessarily facaecious.

[MerShellly]

@AniaR- Thank you! I appreciate that!
@Dancing Fish- I’m glad you wrote in “novel form.” :P In-depth information that’s supported by reasons is always beneficial! I was never really interested in medical science until here recently; I could never write that well.

I had no idea this subject was so controversial. I see a pattern in the mernetwork community that everyone likes to question everything (not saying that at all as an insult, just an observation).
I'm not sure how to word this, but it seems like medical science beliefs are as diverse as something like religion, based on what I'm seeing. I still strongly believe that the environment today can be detrimental to our health even if you don’t live next to a nuclear reactor dumping site (but Seavanna also made a very good point about illnesses today being noticed and diagnosed better), yet I don’t believe in global warming (not sure if a lot of people don’t believe in it either, but that’s beside the point).

[Mermaid Kelda]

yet I don’t believe in global warming (not sure if a lot of people don’t believe in it either, but that’s beside the point).
Well, that's a whole other kettle of fish xD I think you might be in the minority here, even amongst those who agree with you on environmental illnesses. But you're right, that's beside the point (though definitely worth discussing)

[MerShellly]

Well I guess it's not so much environmental as really just the chemicals we're putting both in our food, water, and the air.
At least my "minority" isn't as small as my friend's, I'm sure. He believes cancer is caused by demon curses..

[Seatan]

I had no idea this subject was so controversial. I see a pattern in the mernetwork community that everyone likes to question everything (not saying that at all as an insult, just an observation).

We really aren't that bad, I swear! There are just a few issues where buttons get pushes, especially things where people have strong opinions. One of the good things about this community is that we're close enough that they don't have to ban talking about "hot button" issues like many hobby forums do. We love each other deep down, LOL, even when we have strongly different opinions!

[MerShellly]

@Seavanna- I don't mean that as a bad thing! :) This is a friendly site. I'm glad this a place where someone can ask a question and have members answer helpfully and/or give sensible opinions.

[SeaGlass Siren]

ETA: BTW, this post isn't intended to suggest that anyone choosing to forgo a chemical like aspartame is in any way wrong to do so-- only that current consensus has deemed food chemicals safe for *most* people. My neighbors swear going gluten-free alleviated many behavioral problems in their kid. I'm convinced MSG gives me horrible headaches, and that going sugar and flour-free has alleviated a lot of my chronic joint pain (go figure). Genetic differences mean that people metabolize things differently. That's what I mean by "be your own scientist" and see what works for you.


Basically.

[-Annwyn-]

All foods are made of chemicals.

[MerShellly]

Of course all food is made from chemicals, like oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen. I'm just concerned about the chemicals in or on food these days that we can hardly pronounce.

[Mermaid Kelda]

Keep in mind that your ability to pronounce something doesn't always denote your ability to process it. I know you're talking specifically about lab-created formulas, but lots of "normal" ingredients have huge names, too, because they're just as complex as what we create. "4-Hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde" is the full name of Vanillin, a natural extract of the vanilla bean. "Methyltheobromine" is another name for caffeine. You might know "dihydrogen monoxide" better by its more common name, "water".

I agree we should be mindful and aware of what we're ingesting, and I'm not aiming this at you, I just so often see people say things like "more than 5 syllables? Don't put it in your body!" and that is so not the point!

[Rogue Siren]

You might know "dihydrogen monoxide" better by its more common name, "water".

This-^ Some people nearly got in huge trouble for causing a panic by claiming that dihydrogen monoxide was in the water supply....

[SeaGlass Siren]

... isn't it hydrogen dioxide?

[Mermaid Kelda]

No, the subtext numbers used in chemical formulas relate to the letter they follow - so the 2 in H2O means there's two hydrogen atoms, and the lack of a number after the O means there's only one oxygen atom.
Hydrogen dioxide is another name for hydrogen peroxide, or H2O2 (don't ask me why they don't call it dihydrogen dioxide, because I don't know xD)

[SeaGlass Siren]

... science is wierd.

[Mermaid Kelda]

That's why I quit chemistry in high school. Fascinating stuff, but I got sick of rolling into class every day like
http://i.imgur.com/r4En176.gif

[SeaGlass Siren]

don't even get me started on physics and biology.

[AniaR]

that gif is so apt

[PearlieMae]

Little Sally took a drink
But she shall drink no more.
For what she thought was H2O
Was H2SO4.

:fallover:

[Mermaid Kelda]

Two chemists walk into a bar.
The first one says "I'll have some H2O."
The second one says "I'll have some H2O, too."
The second chemist dies.

Alternatively:

Two chemists walk into a bar.
The first one says, "I'll have some H2O."
The second says, "I'll have some water too. But why'd you order it like that? We aren't at work."
The first chemist excuses himself and weeps in the bathroom. His assassination plot had failed.

[SeaGlass Siren]

^LOL!!! CLEVER.

[Floppus]

I don't think my way of taking care of your health will work for everyone, but if you don't mind smoking weed, I highly recommend checking out this online store https://westcoastsupply.cc/product/jager/ which has quality cannabis and a very wide selection of strains. It helps me relieve stress and nervous tension, and sometimes even cope with insomnia.