Tag Archives: health

things I thought I knew about food poisoning

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We’ve all had a handful of cases of what we are pretty sure was food poisoning, along with a few hundred or thousand cases of more mild…gastrointestinal distress, to use a euphemism. This article from Philadelphia magazine says many people may have some misconceptions.

  • We tend to blame the last meal we had before the symptoms start. But the microorganisms that cause a serious case of food poisoning tend to have at least a 24 hour incubation period, and sometimes up to 72 hours. So it is more likely something you ate the day before or even a couple days before. And it’s hard to be sure for that reason.
  • Microorganisms that cause milder cases of gastrointestinal distress tend to have shorter onset periods. The ones where you do a shot of Pepto-Bismol and get on with your day, rather than the ones requiring medical attention or at best leave you curling up in a fetal position on the bathroom floor.
  • Nasty stomach viruses like Norovirus can spread from person to person, particularly people in close contact in families or environments like cruise ships. These people will often have eaten together, and when they get sick around the same time may misattribute it to something they ate together.
  • The only way to be sure is to go to the doctor and have a stool sample analyzed. And honestly, that is not something most people are going to spend the time and money on most of the time, when we know from experience that most cases of food poisoning in an otherwise healthy adult tend to pass without long term ill effects.

Where are we on longevity?

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This is a long excerpt from Peter Diamandis’s book We Are as Gods: A Survival Guide for the Age of Abundance. The New York Post somewhat amusingly did not proofread and reports the subtitle of the book as “A Survival God…” – maybe they will correct before you read this? Or maybe nobody knows or cares. Anyway, it’s sort of a cheerleading piece but I found it interesting for a run-down of some of the longevity drugs and technologies that are out there:

CRISPR lets us edit the genome; Yamanaka factors, a set of four transcription genes, roll back the biological age of cells; cellular reprogramming, epigenetic editing, mitochondrial enhancement. Each of these technologies adds more possibility, and all of them are being accelerated by AI.

Enter senolytics, a new class of drugs that clears zombie cells from our system. In mice, they’ve already extended healthspan and lifespan. Human trials are underway.

Meanwhile, companies like Celularity are working on immune reinforcement. Founded by stem cells pioneer Robert Hariri, Celularity harvests NK cells from healthy placentas and transfers them into aging bodies, where they bolster immune function. They’re also developing T cell and stem cell supplements to reboot the body’s natural repair systems. Together, these advances shift the paradigm from treating age-related disease to preventing decline before it starts.

It goes on like that, and kind of transitions from the academic research to sales pitches for various companies. Probably some of their stuff will work out and some will turn out to be snake oil.

what to do after those holiday meals

I don’t put too much stock in online nutrition and fitness advice, but here is what at least one article (Fashion Beans) suggests in the day or two after overindulgence.

  • Day 1: Start by drinking a whole bunch of water to start flushing salt from the system. Delay caffeine intake for an hour or two (ha, no chance I would ever do this, I have my priorities.) Basically just eat protein, vegetables, and a little bit of vegetable-based fat the rest of the day (hopefully there are some of these amongst the leftovers.) Take a 10-minute walk after every meal (probably never a bad idea). Exercise, but only lightly (as defined by the fitness bro who probably wrote this post.) Give alcohol a break. Get a solid sleep (they say 7.5 hours, sounds a bit overprecise to me).
  • Day 2: Lots of yogurt and fruit and more protein for breakfast.

And that’s it. Sounds totally fine for general health advice. We know what we are supposed to do right? Sleep, exercise, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, whole grains, protein, approved fats and oils in moderation. 0-1 alcoholic beverages per day and avoid sugar and processed foods almost entirely. Do this for a couple days and you will probably feel decent whether you behaved badly on day 0 or not, I would think. Behave badly for several days in a row, as at least I tend to do over holiday breaks and on vacation, and you might start to feel pretty crappy. So here’s the best piece of advice I can give: Do as I say, not as I do!

May 2025 in Review

Most frightening and/or depressing story: The India-Pakistan conflict seems to have died down a bit (or did the media outlets I pay attention to just lose interest?). But both the potential nuclear conflict and the long-term loss of glacial ice billions of people depend on are terrifying.

Most hopeful story: I came up with four keys to my personal happiness in the moment: sleep, coffee, exercise, and down time. What, no family, community, career accomplishment, or making a lasting difference in the world you ask? No, those are about reflecting on life satisfaction, not being in the moment. No “fun”? Well, my idea of fun may be different than your idea of fun. I wish you joy and happiness as you pursue your idea of fun, only try to have some empathy and don’t force your own idea of fun on others. So there.

Most interesting story, that was not particularly frightening or hopeful, or perhaps was a mixture of both: The U.S. approach to R&D is a partnership between government (through both grants and procurement power), universities, and the private sector (historically, including regulated monopolies like Bell Labs). Other countries including China have copied this model somewhat successfully, and our own government taking a monkey wrench to our own system that has worked so well seems like a really stupid idea. First we need to stop the damage and then let’s hope it can be repaired.

make America great…maybe by lowering infant mortality to at least the average among developed countries?

Infant mortality is a grim subject. Our World in Data provides a grim but interesting look at the details of how this data is collected and standardized. (Now for context, infant mortality across developed countries is much less than 1%, which is a happy thing, and in the most successful countries – Japan and Scandinavia – it is close to 0.1%.) For example, doctors have to make a call on what constitutes a live birth, and it makes a difference how premature births are counted, since very premature babies have a low chance of survival. The U.S. counts all live births in its official numbers no matter how premature. Regardless of these details, infant mortality in the U.S. sticks out like a sore thumb on the chart for being about twice as high as the eyeball average (let’s call these numbers 0.5% and 0.25%). Shame.

Infants are defined as up to one month in age, and the article says the main factors driving mortality in babies this young have to do with the health of the mother. So we’re back to the U.S. not having a well-functioning health care system accessible to all, and lifestyle factors including obesity.

Here’s another article on increases in cancer diagnoses in Americans under 50. Part of the reason is more and sensitive screening at younger ages, so we may be catching more cancers that have always existed and treating them earlier. But part of it comes back to lifestyle. We tend to be afraid of chemicals, but again obesity is mentioned as a major factor. If we really wanted to get serious about making America healthy (again? when was the golden age of awesome health exactly?), seriously tacking obesity might be the single best place to start.

My Keys to Happiness in the Moment

I’ve been thinking about this, whether there is any recipe for my personal happiness in the moment. Happiness in the moment is something different from overall life satisfaction, maybe a topic for another day. Anyway, here is what I have come up with.

  1. Sleep. Enough sleep, and quality sleep. I’ve always had some trouble falling asleep and staying asleep, and I don’t have all the answers. Keeping a set routine most of the time, including weekends, helps. Winding down for an hour or so before bed helps (not always under my control with the life of a working parent). Podcasts and audio books can help for those nights when the mind just doesn’t want to settle down. A quiet, dark, cool bedroom and comfortable bed help (again, not always under my control, although I have taken to sleeping with earplugs at times.)
  2. Coffee. Surprising to see this at #2? For me it’s the only 100% reliable antidepressant out there. I often wake up feeling like the world is not such a nice place, and 30-60 minutes after I have my coffee, it feels like a much nicer place. More coffee is not better, of course. 1-2 cups, at about the same time each day, works for me.
  3. Exercise. Anything including stretching or a walk can provide a temporary mood pickup, but consistent exercise several days in a row really seems to improve my mood. It doesn’t have to be long – maybe 20-30 minutes – but it does have to involve some heart pumping, heavy breathing, sweat and/or sore muscles to maximize this effect for me. Part of the effect of exercise may be that it reinforces good sleep.
  4. Down time. I think the introvert/extrovert framework is a useful way to think here. For extroverts, spending time with friends and family may count as down time. For me, it does not. I love my friends and family, and I don’t want to live my life in solitary confinement, but for me some alone time is non-negotiable to feel my best. Reading, thinking, ideally some time in nature or at least outdoors. Ideally it would be at least an hour a day, a day a week, and a weekend each month. The latter two have been impossible in middle aged working professional family life, but I grab the alone hours and moments where I can. I know however that my mental health is never what it could be if I could slow down and have more time to myself. Perhaps if I live long enough to retire…but it’s sad to look forward to the later stages of your life. Such is the supposedly modern world we have created for ourselves.

That’s it! There are many other things that might help at the margins. Good nutrition certainly. Meditation. Power naps. I do not oppose the light recreational use of alcohol and possibly other substances, in particular to enhance that down time that is in such short supply. And of course professional help is out there and worth trying for many people. I’m sure I could come up with a long list here. But none help that much without nailing the top 4.

Finally, it helps me to think of high and low moods as being like the weather. High and low moods will come and go. Sometimes there is no obvious reason for them. You can’t predict them with certainty, and you can’t expect to control them all the time even if you do everything perfectly. Following the “Top 4” things above improves the odds considerably I think, but there will still be bad days and occasionally weeks. So on those emotional “rainy days”, it is okay to slow down a bit and just remind yourself that the bad weather will pass.

heart attacks in young people linked to Covid-19 (era drug abuse)

At least one cardiologist thinks the documented increase in heart attacks among younger people since Covid is due not to Covid infection itself, but due to abuse of Adderall and Ritalin that picked up around that time. Sleazy online doctors are writing these prescriptions apparently. It’s sort of a hidden, slow motion version of the opioid/fentanyl epidemic because stimulants don’t cause your heart to just stop beating, they just raise the risk that it will explode over time. By the way, I’ve been listening to Donald Trump Jr.’s podcast occasionally because it is a good gauge of MAGA propaganda. The first sponsor he mentioned last time I tuned in was a sleazy online pharmacy.

This also reminds me of the book Blitzed: Drugs in Nazi Germany which is about massive methamphetamine abuse by German soldiers and civilians at the time.

As I write this I have been popping Sudafed for a couple days to try to keep a head cold from settling into my chest. It’s kind of a nice feeling. But I only bought 24 of them and when they are gone, they are gone.

Amazon

No, I’m not an Amazon associate. I’ve just noticed that posts with pictures and videos get more attention.

Ozempic vs. drug and alcohol abuse

This journal article suggests GLP-1 drugs (Ozempic) are effective in reducing opioid and alcohol abuse.

The association between glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide and/or glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist prescriptions and substance-related outcomes in patients with opioid and alcohol use disorders: A real-world data analysis

Prescriptions of glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide and/or glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists appear to be associated with lower rates of opioid overdose and alcohol intoxication in patients with opioid use disorder and alcohol use disorder. The protective effects are consistent across various subgroups, including patients with comorbid type 2 diabetes and obesity.

napping

I think I’ve talked about napping before. It’s supposed to be good for your heart and brain. But anyway, here is what a (paywalled) Philadelphia Inquirer article says are best practices.

  • 20-30 minutes in length
  • end 4-6 hours before bedtime (this would be 4-6 pm for me)
  • “create the right environment by napping in a quiet, comfortable, and dimly lit space”

The article actually suggests it is okay to use caffeine to fight off grogginess when waking up from an afternoon nap. But I don’t think a cup of coffee late in the afternoon would work for me. I think that is actually a great time for exercise. And we know that is good for our hearts and brains.

Covid and testes

According to this article, there is some evidence of a decline in male fertility since the pandemic, and this is on top of the known long-term decline in male fertility. For one thing, the virus actually infects the testes themselves. But another thing I didn’t know (or never thought a lot about) is that hormones originating the brain have an important effect on sperm production, so a drop in sperm production might not indicate a physical problem with your testicles themselves.

This article also says that when couples have trouble conceiving for biological reasons, about half the time the problem originates in the male and about half the time in the female. This kind of makes sense. I suspect chemicals in our air, water, and/or food, combined with the stress and time-constraints of modern urban, industrialized life.

Other things that certainly affect fertility rates in a social sense are educated and employed women coupled with (lack of) policies to support families and childcare. I believe pressure on men to work long hard hours to support a family financially somewhat obviously has an effect here too, but maybe this is controversial to some.

If I didn’t have to work quite as long and hard at my testicle-shrinking job, I could spend more time with my children or help more with housework. You can work, help with children, have a great marriage, help care for aging relatives, and maximize your own mental and physical health, but there are some tradeoffs between these desirable objectives for both men and women. The decline of multi-generational households and extended family living close by certainly doesn’t help. There may be no return to the past, but as we lose these aspects of our culture we may need public policy to step in and help fill the gap. In the U.S. at least, that isn’t happening, and we are all standing around scratching our heads as to why we have to give up aspects of our lives (like our health, and strong marriages!) just to keep the whole house of cards from collapsing.