Life in Your Years Blog: Health, Finance, & More

David posted information he found on the Virology Blog yesterday. I browsed a lot of the blog and was very impressed! The author is Dr. Vincent Racaniello (PhD) who is professor of Microbiology at Columbia University Medical Center. Not only does he debunk the myths of the current swine flu, but he also answers questions and provides helpful and informed speculation in the midst of so much uncertainty and misinformation. I’m guessing that his readership has just jumped significantly! I will definitely be a regular reader. Even if the new swine flu fizzles (here’s praying it does), one can still learn a lot at the Virology Blog.

Have a visit!

According to comments on BBC News, the swine flu may be worse in Mexico than is being reported. The comments from doctors and hospital staff show that the flu has killed quite a few young people, and some doctors and nurses, in numbers greater than the Mexican government is reporting. Reportedly, vaccines and flu drugs are not having much of an effect. The outbreak is probably over three weeks old as well.

UPDATE: I found an interesting article that hypothesizes that the new swine flu virus may fizzle out in the Northern hemisphere, because our flu season is ending, but may come back more virulent than ever in the fall. The Southern hemisphere may have some rough times ahead in the next few months, however, because their flu season is just beginning. The author, an expert in virology, states that the heat and humidity of our summers cause the virus to weaken, so maybe running outside yesterday was a good idea…I couldn’t find anything on his blog about Vitamin D though, which some hypothesize may be the reason for the flu’s summer decline.

No, I’m not talking about chocolate, wine, cheese, meat, or anything else that experts recommend we consume in moderation. The topic of this post is exercise.

Exercise addiction is a real phenomenon and generally involves a real addiction to the act of exercising and the subordination of other activities and obligations to working out. It also usually includes an emotional component where not exercising can bring anxiety and depression. You can find out more here.

Many of our readers (all five?) may see a little bit of themselves when they read about exercise addiction. This is  something that many of us who are excited about our health probably border on. It’s probably even more true if we used to be sedentary and overweight. After all, we have to be vigilant or it’s back to the old habits (and the old health and old looks). So, we can be forgiven for being a tad obsessive, right?

A tad, yes. Certainly, a student who has to work 3 hours to understand a concept is not an addict to education just because he or she can’t learn it in 1 hour like another student. So, in this sense, many of us who used to be fat genuinely may have to put in more effort. I do get somewhat upset if my exercise routine is interrupted. It’s because I know what happens when that becomes a trend…and it ain’t pretty.

However, we all must make sure we’re not becoming addicted to exercise. Our previous habits were unhealthy and brought us down. We can’t have the same thing happen with our new habits. Exercising while injured or sick and becoming emotionally disturbed over exercise will both damage health, not advance it.

So, if the article I linked to sounds a lot like you, it may be time to pull back a little and maybe even get some help doing it. We want to live life to its fullest and exercise should help that, not hinder it.

The reason the Spanish Flu of 1918 was so deadly to young people was that it probably caused what is known as a cytokine storm, a potentially fatal immune reaction that is strongest in those with healthy immune systems. While this current swine flu scare is nothing compared to the Spanish Flu outbreak (yet), it has currently killed people in Mexico, many who apparently are in the 25-45 year old range, which, according to experts, makes it look like a pandemic flu strain much like the 1918 Spanish flu. Normally, the flu is only a serious concern for the very young and the very old, not people in the prime of life.

If the swine flu breaking out in Mexico (and in Texas and California) is indeed similar to the Spanish flu, then immune boosting treatments may actually hasten death. I went looking online to see which nutrients, herbs, foods, vitamins, and drugs actually increase, or inhibit, a cytokine storm. Some of the substances that may hasten death in infections that trigger a cytokine storm may actually be helpful in treating the regular, seasonal, flu, so it is important to understand what type of flu you have. Below I have divided them by category, and included a few natural substances that may act as anti-viral agents. Bear in mind, that while I link to sources for every one, sometimes the rationale is hypothetical, as opposed to based on actual research, and often the research is at the cellular level, or in animals, which means it may or may not work the same with in an actual human body. Also, remember that I am not a medical doctor, and I am presenting my personal research here for everybody to see. If you think you have the swine flu, bird flu, etc, see a doctor and/or follow the instructions of your local health department. It looks like there are currently effective anti-viral treatments for this type of swine flu, so there is no need to treat yourself.

Possibly Lessen/Inhibit a Cytokine Storm:

Vitamin C

Green Tea

Saint John’s Wort

Quercetin

Vitamin D (.pdf) (I should note that Dr. John Cannell observes that in the 1918 pandemic, generally those with the lowest Vitamin D levels lived [blacks, the elderly], while those with presumably the highest levels [young people] died. The pandemic was around in the summer, when Vitamin D blood levels would have been generally elevated anyway, but it definitely was weaker in the summer, and started getting juiced up at the end of the summer and beginning of the fall when Vitamin D levels were falling off. Cannell believes that either very low, or very high, levels of Vitamin D are protective against an influenza-caused cytokine storm. If I am reading him correctly, perhaps a moderate level of Vitamin D is the most dangerous in this case. It would be nice if Cannell would address this.)

Vitamin E

N-Acetyl L-Cysteine (and here)

Turmeric

Aspirin

Prednisone

Possibly Increase Cytokine Storm

Bromelain
(Papain? Pancreatin?)

Cocoa

Echinacea

Elderberry

Possible Natural Anti-Viral Agents

Lauric Acid

Emodin

Resveratrol

Scullcap

Lauric Acid is a saturated fat and medium-chain fatty acid found in abundance in coconut products. It has been found to hinder the entry of some viruses into cells. The last three may work similar to Tamiflu, based on research at the cellular-level. Emodin and Resveratrol are both available in Japanese Knotweed, commonly used as a Resveratrol supplement. Emodin is a laxative, which is why taking a lot of Japanese Knotweed has a laxative effect.

It is allergy season. All those beautiful plants are just filled with substances that make us sneeze and our eyes water! To add insult to injury, our pets are losing their winter coats, usually in the form of clumps of hair all around our houses. The spring is not a great time for allergy sufferers, but the mighty Vitamin D may offer some help.

A new study of over 600 Costa Rican children is bound to increase Vitamin D’s already sunny reputation. Researcher’s found that serum levels of vitamin D were inversely related to markers for allergies and asthma in Costa Rican children. This means that the lower the blood levels of Vitamin D, the higher the markers of allergies and asthma. The authors of the study suggest that supplementation may be necessary.

I have never had any real problems with allergies or asthma as an adult, or since, as I think about it more, I began taking supplements at age 14. When I was a child, I suffered from some allergies. I recall around 5th grade going to an allergy doctor, getting my back pricked, and eventually being prescribed Seldane, which was removed from the market in the U.S. in 1997. Looking back, my allergies weren’t that bad, but I was just a kid, and probably whined about them enough until my parents took me to the doctor, who in turn recommended a specialist. My whiny behavior probably cost the health care system a great deal of money now that I think about it. At any rate, I had a really bad late-spring of 1992. I remember being just out of school, and sitting in the band room sneezing constantly and trying to make use of shriveled up, over-used, tissues that I rested on the music stand. Possibly related to the Vitamin D explanation for allergies related above, I only recall suffering from the allergies in the late spring, when the band rehearsals were entirely indoors. Once we started marching outside, my allergies went away. At that age, I wasn’t very active outside until the band started marching outside, so maybe my allergies were a Vitamin D deficiency. I played football the next three summers, and I got plenty of sun early and often because of training outside in the spring.

On a somewhat related personal note, I remember the band director deciding in 1992 that we should do a few warm-up exercises before marching. I remember our reactions were anything but cooperative. We were really whiny about it – how DARE they make band members actually do a few exercises – but most of us just went ahead and did the jumping jacks after griping. However, I recall one girl who absolutely refused to do a solitary jack, and ran off the practice field, down the hill, crying. She wasn’t even that big either; I never quite understood her.

Image of tulips taken by me

Congressmen and women are having the same problems many Americans are having these days: gaining weight. The article I linked to blames long hours, poor food choices, economic stress, and extra workload. It’s tempting to think of these people negatively since they are politicians, but I actually felt an odd degree of sympathy. Perhaps because it’s a struggle that I’ve faced and still struggle with.

My guess is that the issues cited in the article are ones that lots of Americans face and have faced. It’s helpful to see that it’s not just the average person who is struggling. In fact, the statistics suggest that it’s every American. I also hope that as the leaders of our nation battle the bulge they will realize the value in letting ordinary Americans enjoy the same benefits they do, like good food choices (the congressional cafeteria is amazing), gym access, and nutrition consulting. And hopefully they’ll stop subsidizing crap for our schools. But, that’s another issue.

Although I disagree with a lot of what he is doing politically, I will grant that Obama is a great role model for health and fitness (except for smoking). When the media mocked him for being a gym rat, I was annoyed. If only everyone spent as much time in the gym as Obama, I guarantee that our nation’s health and healthcare system would be much better off. Congress could use, at least on this one issue, to follow the President’s lead.

For those who have a Discover Card, enroll in the Get More program for this month, and you will get 5% cash back at Home Improvement, Department, and Clothing stores. All you have to do is enroll your Discover Card online, sign-up for this quarter’s reward, and voila, 5% back.

Hi, my name is David, and I make money from credit cards. You mean credit card companies actually make money from you? It doesn’t have to be so!

Today is Earth Day. I have mixed feelings about the holiday. As a Christian, I do not always agree with the way a lot of people celebrate earth day. I think it is important to place the earth in its context as part of God’s creation. However, because it is a part of creation, we have the responsibility to take care of it, and not destroy it.

I believe it is important to conserve our resources and our environment, as well as to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Jennifer and I have tried our hardest to “live simply” for the last five years or so, although I have to admit my main motivations are health and to save money, but if our efforts benefit the environment, that is great. Here are a few of the small things we do that help the environment (and our bottom line!):

- We turn the hot water heater down to low when we are gone for longer than a day, saving natural gas

- We keep the thermostat at 62-65 in the winter, and 75-78 in the summer

- We hypermile in our cars, squeezing an extra 32% fuel efficiency over what my relatives get in their cars

- We have placed a filled 2 liter bottle in our toilet tank, which saves 2 liters of water every time we flush.

- We are starting a garden

These are just a few of the small things we do. They are not necessarily trendy or massive, but just solid ways to live a little more simply…and we did it before the recession made it trendy .

I saw this at Walmart and while the photo makes it kind of hard to see the real size, the plant  pots in the background give you an idea of how huge it is. If I could order one of these, I could brag that I only drink one cup of coffee a day!

A recent study reported in Cancer Letter reports that Bromelain, a mixture of enzymes found in pineapple fruits and stems, has anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. Pre-treating rats with Bromelain resulted in fewer tumors in rats, and a 65% decrease in tumor size. Bromelain also activated an anti-cancer gene, and blocked inflammatory responses. This squares with other research that has shown Bromelain (and other protein-digesting enzymes) to be an effective anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory substance (see this study which shows that when enzymes are given preventatively, cancer does not develop).

Bromelain is relatively inexpensive, and I take it regularly on an empty stomach before exercising, because of its anti-inflammatory activity. Most experts recommend supplementing with Bromelain and other enzymes between meals, because if taken with meals, they will digest food rather than be absorbed by the body as anti-inflammatory agents. Because enzymes are large molecules, and poorly absorbed, therapeutic dosages of enzymes tend to be rather high. The study I mentioned above used 45 mg of proteololytic (protein-digesting) enzymes per kilogram of body weight. I weigh 72 kilograms, so this means I would need 3.2 grams of proteolytic enzymes to have the effect, which is not a huge amount, but more than I currently take. I have been fascinated by therapeutic enzymes since I first read about the science behind them in high school. The “gold standard” of therapeutic enzymes is Wobenzym, and it includes Bromelain.

I take around 2,000 IU of Vitamin D a day throughout the winter, and since October 1, 2008, I have averaged 1433 IU of Vitamin D per day. Next year, I will probably up that amount to around 3000 IU/day. It may seem obvious that supplementing Vitamin D is important during the winter months, when the sun is not strong enough in the northern U.S. to cause our skins to manufacture the vitamin, but I often wonder if I should supplement during the months when my skin can make the vitamin. I have thought about this because I want to make sure my levels are optimal, and I also don’t want to waste money taking a pill when the sun is providing plenty for free. By the way, according to Drs. Roizen and Oz, if you live north of North Carolina, the sun is not strong enough from October 1-April 15 to consistently cause our skin to produce Vitamin D.

I found the chart above that shows that Vitamin D levels tend to reach higher levels in the middle of summer, and start to decline by the end of the summer. However, the Vitamin D Council recommends a blood level of at least 50 ng/mL of calcidiol, which is not even reached, on average, in the chart above, so it is possible that most of us aren’t out in the sun enough to even make a basic amount of Vitamin D, even in the summer. I seem to recall that only lifeguards and a few others who were in the sun daily had truly normal levels without supplementing! Research I came across a few months ago (that I cannot seem to find again!!) suggests that by the late summer most of us are actually Vitamin D deficient, probably because tanned skin no longer produces a lot of Vitamin D. I believe this study suggested Vitamin D levels peak around May and June, and decline until spring the next year. I am guessing that I am one who has to watch my Vitamin D levels during the summer. I tend to get out in the sun a lot in April and May, so by the mid summer, I have a pretty strong tan (I am naturally a little darker-skinned, and tan easily). Also, research suggests that dark skinned people require more sunlight to make Vitamin D, which, if you live near the equator works out fine, but if you are dark-skinned and live far from the equator (like in the northern U.S. or Canada) you will have trouble making adequate Vitamin D from sun exposure.

I was out in the noonday sun for about 25 minutes a few days ago, and I also ran outside the last few days during peak hours, and given that it is past April 15th, I theoretically made plenty of Vitamin D. I am going to hold off on Vitamin D supplements for a few weeks if I consistently get this kind of sunlight, and may not start supplementing again until July or August, and even then, I will probably stick with 400 IU/day until October begins. Outside of getting regular blood tests, I don’t know how to consistently regulate my Vitamin D levels in the spring and summer months, but this post shows I am trying to make an educated guess about it. I have emailed the Vitamin D Council with this basic concern, but have yet to get a response. If I get one, I will share it.

Chart from When Your Body Gets the Blues by Brown and Robinson

I recently came across the website of Anglican priest Fr. David Smith who is not only a minister in the Anglican tradition, but also a boxer and martial arts expert. He has started a website called “Fighting Fathers” which is dedicated to fighting social ills and working for real change in the world. He even runs a Christian fight club (physical fighting, not like the “fighting fathers”) and goes to great pains to assert that it is not a “gentle, touchy feely self-help group” but one that will actually train you to win competitions. They have their unique style of martial arts, but adhere to a general Christian philosophy of faith, fellowship, and fitness.

My thoughts on all of this? I love it. Men do not usually embrace faith and spirituality, probably because they think it is wimpy and in many cases they are right. Jesus was not touchy-feely. He was kind, loving, and compassionate, but also could be tough when it was required (taking on the religious authorities, cleansing the temple). We need to let our young men know that you can be strong, masculine, and faithful. Here at Life In Your Years we like to promote holistic health, yet too many men lack physical and spiritual fitness. Fr. Dave’s program would go a long way to remedy this.

Some will say that Fr. Dave plays to male stereotypes. Perhaps; but most stereotypes have a bit of truth. And, from my teaching experiences, most guys love sports, especially contact ones. Most of them also think the martial arts are extremely cool. Programs like this would be a great way to get kids, especially troubled boys, on a path of spiritual growth, physical fitness, and moral integrity.

Kudos to Fr. Dave!

My wife has been very fascinated by the idea of blue zones lately, especially since Oprah and Dr. Oz started promoting them. I’ve taken up a lot of her enthusiasm too. The idea behind them is simple: regions where people typically live active lives to age 100 and beyond are considered “blue zones.” Author Dan Buettner is releasing a book on the topic which I’ve pre-ordered.

From what I’ve gathered so far, he has identified four “blue zones:” Sardinia (Italy), Okinawa (Japan), Loma Linda (CA), and Nicoya Peninsula (Costa Rica). He’s isolated several factors that all the cultures embrace that may lead to their unusually long and active lives (see diagram above).

I can’t wait to read more about this topic when the book is released (and amazon brings it to my doorstep), but am encouraged that many of the practices Buettner has isolated, my family and I already embrace. I will definitely have more to say about this in future posts.

Image from wikipedia

Yesterday, Jonathan posted on how his Easter went, so I thought I would tell you how my spring break is going. I have a longer break than Jonathan, so I am visiting my parents a little longer, and getting a few more days of needed R and R.

The Good:

I just got back from a trip to New York City, which was really enjoyable.  I had a great time, and walked about 10 miles a day, which was some nice exercise. I got a chance to see my cousin who lives there, and I visited some really cool sites. I went to the Y on Saturday morning after I got back from NY, but I haven’t been since. I had hoped for some nice weather, but so far it has been pretty cold. Thursday and Friday look VERY nice, and I plan on running outside both of those days. Thursday is April 16th, which means that I should be able to make some Vitamin D! And, I have to say that I am glad it is Easter, which is the high point of the Christian Church Year, so I want to wish everyone a Happy Easter season (Easter is a 50 day season that starts on Easter day). It is nice to see family too.

The Bad:

I ate pretty poorly in NYC (it seems as if all of our meals set up by the touring company involved a hamburger), so my calories were pretty high. I also didn’t get as much sleep as I normally do, so I am sure my metabolism is a little off right now. My fiber was pitiful. As for right now, there is way too much candy around here, and because the weather is rainy and fairly cold, I don’t feel like leaving (I will probably get my butt to the YMCA a little later). While it is nice to sleep in and relax, I feel like I lose a lot of my day when I am on break. I feel lazy and bloated.

The Pretty:

The weather may be a little dreary, but spring has broken out here (see the photo above). The winter went pretty quickly, but it seems as if the coldness will never end! We had a break in the rain and had a nice walk last night (see photo below). I have also discovered some cool GIMP techniques that help me enhance photos the way I have wanted to enhance them for months.

Well, another set of holidays has come and gone. I spent mine at my parents’ house, which while always enjoyable and worthwhile, presents unique challenges for my weight maintenance and fitness goals. So, consider this post a “debriefing” of sorts on how well I did.

Eating: I actually did pretty well. I stuck to my usual habit of not eating any meat other than fish. Mom even graciously made salmon along with the traditional hamloaf. Other than Easter Sunday, I kept my calories in the 2000-2500 range, which for me is normal. Now, Easter Sunday wasn’t perfect. I ate more Cadbury eggs (and other stuff) than normal and finished with over 3,000 calories. But, Monday, I was back on track. Also, compared to what I would’ve done 2 years ago, this was phenomenal. I went off my normal eating plan, but didn’t go waaaaay off like in the past.

Working Out: I managed to workout two out of the four days I was either visiting my parents or traveling to visit them, which isn’t too bad. Normally, I probably would’ve worked out all the days or at least three of four. Still, this wasn’t too bad. For some reason the YMCA near my parents doesn’t do much for me. I think it’s because I have to drive 20 minutes one way to get there and my energy is a bit sapped. But, I still went and did pretty much my normal workout.

Stress: The holidays always stress me out a bit, but I didn’t do too badly this time. I didn’t sleep well there, which did admittedly create some stress. But, I dealt with it and didn’t let it bother me.

Overall: I’m happy with how the Easter holidays went. I didn’t put on weight, kept my working out routine fairly normal, and didn’t stress out. For me, this was quite a success!

Anyone following this blog want to comment on how you did this Easter?

Image: Taken by me at a reststop near Columbus. It was very nice to see spring farther along than we have experienced near Cleveland.