Thursday, September 4, 2008

BACK IN ACTION

I apologize to all 3 of my readers for my prolonged absence. I was at an amazing art festival in the middle of the desert in Nevada, for over a week. There was no internet access there. I was totally out of touch. Blogging was impossible.

TODAY'S TOPIC: YET MORE BITE-SIZED HEALTH TIPS!
1. What sort of fish should I eat? Check out this concept: the lower on the food chain, the better. A dude wrote a whole book (a great one) on that. The idea is that the higher you go up the fish food chain, the more MERCURY you are exposed to. What you want is the little fish, the ones that eat plankton, algae, and tiny shrimps, etc. What do I mean? Herring, sardines, and anchovies, especially. Yes, they are not that exciting to most people- so ask me if you want some "exciting recipes" using these fish!
2. Sun protection? Look for SPF 30 sunscreens. Evidence does not support the use of higher SPF lotions for most people. As I sit here with fried, cracked, burnt lips, I am reminded to tell you: don't forget your lips when you are trying to protect yourself! Get an SPF 15 or 30 lip balm, better yet get a few since they are easy to lose.
3. Are eggs unhealthy? No, unless you are allergic to them. In recent studies eggs have come through as perhaps the MOST complete form of protein (meaning essential amino acids) on the planet, at least for humans. The cardiac risks of egg consumption have been vastly overrated, and in fact eggs may have some good fats as well as some unhealthy cholesterol. Doctors in the know are now saying you can have an egg a day and that's probably a good thing. Or save your "egg credits" all week and have a big 4-egg omelette on the weekend!
4. Gary Null is full of shit: weeks ago I was trying to support some of Gary Null's nutritional advice, since the guy knows food. That's before I heard him claim that "I don't wear sunscreen, and I'm in the sun all day. I eat antioxidants, and they protect my skin better than any sunscreen, without the chemicals." First of all, if you've seen Gary Null on TV, you know that his skin actually looks like crap. Second, the above statement is so profoundly misguided that I'm afraid I must abandon any support for anything that guy says. You can eat all the antioxidants you want, and your unprotected skin will still get fried and develop skin cancer. The antioxidants are clearly not slowing down Gary Null's dementia either.
5. Don't waste your money on magnets. There are various wristbands, socks, and other crap with magnets in them to help you relieve pain. If you believe in these, I can't help you. You don't believe in these, do you?
6. Reader question: Is skateboarding exercise? You bet it is! Just wear a helmet, please.
That's all for today, folks; please send me more comments and reader questions!