RFK Jr. tears Big Food apart on 60 Minutes; coffee officially makes you smarter; OpenClaw goes mainstream; Trump plans America's biggest birthday; ICE builds a deportation machine; more.
Ho Ho's and Ding Dongs. I thought you were talking about Democrats for a second there. Boy, take a little time off and the senses get dull. As a side note - and this is no joke - at the grocery store I noticed a pancake syrup brazenly touted as "Butter Rich." Just below it in small letters a disclaimer read: "Contains no butter."
Nowadays, even the terms "organic," grass fed," "pasture-raised," "raised-by-pastors," "cage free," "free range," "rage against the machine," "orange yolks," "cave dwelling," "hand picked," "real chocolate," "cheese product," etc...are totally ambiguous....so named to fake you out. What the hell is soy milk? Who's milking almonds and oats? Who even knew it was possible? Seems like nimble, exacting, painstaking work for teeny weeny circus people.
Addendum: Here's a chortle worthy recipe from "Farm Rich.": SAUSAGE STUFFED BISCUITS, 14oz
Pay particular attention to where the term "sausage" first makes its appearance.
DOUGH: BLEACHED WHEAT FLOUR, PALM OIL, LEAVENING (SODIUM BICARBONATE, SODIUM ALUMINUM PHOSPHATE, SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE), BUTTERMILK POWDER, DEXTROSE, SALT, ASCORBIC ACID, WATER, WHEAT GLUTEN, SOYBEAN OIL, BUTTER FLAVOR (WATER, PROPYLENE GLYCOL, XANTHAN GUM, LESS THAN 0.1% SODIUM BENZOATE ADDED TO PROTECT FLAVOR, NATURAL MIXED TOCOPHEROLS, A NATURAL SOURCE OF VITAMIN E USED TO PROTECT FRESHNESS), YEAST, SORBITAN MONOSTEARATE, ASCORBIC ACID, FILLING: WHOLE EGGS, CORN STARCH, SALT, CITRIC ACID, XANTHAN GUM, CHEDDAR CHEESE (PASTEURIZED MILK, CHEESE CULTURE, SALT, ENZYMES, COLOR ADDED, POTATO STARCH AND POWDERED CELLULOSE ADDED TO PREVENT CAKING, NATAMYCIN (A NATURAL MOLD INHIBITOR), SAUSAGE CRUMBLES (PORK, WATER, SALT, SPICES, SUGAR, SODIUM PHOSPHATES, FLAVORINGS). CONTAINS: MILK, EGGS, WHEAT. CONTAINS A BIOENGINEERED FOOD INGREDIENT.
I'm sort of a stickler for truth in advertising, but I don't suppose christening this as: Palm Oil Stuffed Bleached Dough or Sodium Aluminum Phosphate Enriched Buttermilk Powder Biscuits would do much for sales.
For verification of your Ho Ho and Ding Dong comment, go and "treat" your self to Sandy Cortez's pathetic imitation of a "statesman" at the Munich Conference. How the Euroweenies did not fall down laughing while listening to her prattle on like a silly teenager is a mystery. Her "answer" on the Taiwan question was the clincher.
The Spaniards are the same folks who gave the body of water formerly known as the Gulf of Mexico its name. It's interesting watching the left go through these gymnastics over the change without ever realizing their willingness to hang onto a relic from this hemisphere's colonialist past.
"Absent Operational Cortex" is priceless, Reelin'! If AOC was not cute (to cover for her idiocy) we wouldnāt have to put up with her. Heaven help us all.
no need to worry about the AyOhSee unit. Won't be too long until some caring chap manages to suss out the source o her madjically recently acquired $40Mn plus stash o wealth. No way that booty is clean.
Sandy also informed the audience that Venezuela is geographically located below the equator. But she made certain to pronounce "Venezuela" and "Maduro" with that perfect, phony Spanish accent.
Yes, AOCās attempt to establish her āinternational bona fidesā was stunning! It would be fodder for any ālegitimateā comedianā¦(i.e. anyone who isnāt an obvious D shill) and will almost certainly signal the ignominious end of that vapid wannabeās political aspirations (anywhere other than New York, that is). In that sense, her performance was an astounding success!
I donāt know. Never underestimate the Demsā and their captured mediaās ability to elevate a babbling idiot to national prominence. They ran The Kackler as their last Presidential candidate, and she came way too darned close to winning. Bullet dodged (for now).
For a few minutes, but I suspect it would quickly devolve into a ā clubbing baby sealsā event , possibly even generating sympathy for her and anger at the maleās ā misogyny.ā
"and Kamala almost won after they pulled out every cheating angle they could" (FTFY). Even still, it was a landslide and the Kackler lost DEM ground in every.single.county across the United States. Every one.
Since it can be āorganicā and contain canola oil, Iām not sure thatās a sufficient restriction.
I hate it that I canāt go to the grocery store and buy ingredients without getting poison. Sour cream isnāt just sour cream. Cottage cheese isnāt just cottage cheese. Flour isnāt just flour. Salt isnāt just salt.
And there's a company called azure, that delivers to your neighborhood. They purport to have all actual organic and natural products. See if you can find it near you. I drive down the block once a month and pick up my order off of a huge semi truck. I'm in arizona.
Thanks. Wasn't at my computer! I love that company, and you can get together with neighbors to arrange for delivery near you. Great products, including mason jars for canning, fresh eggs and meat, vegetables grown without chemicals.
Iāll have to check it out. I make my own sourdough bread from sourdough starter with organic flour from Central Milling. Now that I know just how few ingredients it takes, I rarely eat anything but my homemade bread. And itās delicious.
Thanks, Karmy! What a fantastic resource. Pick up places are available in so many areas that there are virtually no food deserts remaining! I live part time in a rural part of OK and thereās a pick up location within 30 minutes of me!
Thank you for the introduction! I have never heard of Azure. After looking at their site, there is a drop off near me. I'll definitely be shopping with them.
Elmerās White Glue is also good for you. We consumed large quantities of it in school in the late 50ās and early 60ās and not only was it safe but you got 15% of your daily protein intake. Now if it were only Halal or Kosher.
Anyone know if Spam is good for you? I like the ingredient āmechanically separated chicken partsā. And what in the world is āImitation Vienna Sausagesā? Why would you imitate them?
The Parmesano Reggiano, all the Manchego from Spain, the Iberico, the Dutch gouda, and select British cheeses were made with animal rennet. Are they now labeled otherwise? (Haven't been in a TJs in over a year.)
The grated Parmigiano Reggiano from Trader Joe's is marked on its container as having animal rennet. It doesn't have sawdust like the Kraft junk either...
I buy English made or Aussie made cheese. But I don't eat very much. We also have a small local cheese maker in Alma, KS. Their cheese is freaking awesome.
No rennet. Chemically created "vegan" rennet made in a lab somewhere probably from the leftovers of the bioengineered meat they tried making and no one wants to buy!
But seriously, the only way to buy cheese is to buy organic and probably local so you can read the label. Those that I have checked list rennet as cow or bovine.
I remember my brother teaching me about labels. If itās an industry standard it doesnāt not have to be on the label that was back in 2002.
Milk has so much sugar. A fried could not figure out why her daughter was wired and at 2-5 addicted to milk. Always had a sippy cup of the crap. I told her about the sugar content.
We order our flour from Canada. Still limit use.
I agree the process to go to the store is exhausting! Try to do whole foods. All the meat from ranchers. Salmon and halibut from my fisherman family members. Eggs from my sister who LOVES her chickens. Itās a whole network
The crime is that the poor and middle classes in our great land do not have the resources to eat healthy. They walk into budget grocery store and are surrounded by sales for ultra processed before they can reach the more expensive produce or meat aisle.
I have been saying the same thing. I am not completely in that category but I cannot afford to do all of it. I even have complained about someone who has wonderful medical research, Dr.Mercola, but he tells you eat all organic, get nothing in plastic packaging, whole foods, etc and unless you are wealthy then I think we are all screwed in one way or another. I do as much as I can.
Actually, whole milk is much better for you than the low/nonfat milk that they push as ābetterā for you. When they remove the fat to get the low/nonfat milk, they add sugar. Surprise!
But nonfat and low fat milk have a lot more than whole. Interestingly enough, milk didnāt used to make us fat. Maybe itās because people are drinking milk that has the bovine growth hormones in them or from cows that receive antibiotics. Although farmers, and the government, claim itās to keep cows healthy, antibiotics actually fatten cows up faster so they can go to the market sooner.
I buy meat from a ranch in Northern California. You're fortunate to have fishermen in your family. I won't touch any fish in the supermarkets. I also have hens, and supply my family.
I am lucky for my network of contributors. Itās so hard to get it going. When I move to Idaho I will have to get a bit of a network started with eggs. I buy from my nephew once a year. He has an entire system for his fish in Alaska. Where do you live?
And you can find (see cheese rennet sub-conversation above) animal rennet cheese in their fresh cheese section. If you don't want to read the labels, just ask behind the counter. Mine has people working that know their stuff.
Of course, the price is insane. So I only go to their cheese department for very special occasions.
Itās beyond infuriating that canola oil became ubiquitous in organic foods, especially restaurants, even āorganic farm to tableā establishments. This oil was originally designed as a solvent, and is great for cleaning brushes used in oil painting. Thatās how I first learned about it. In art classes. Now itās in everything we eat because itās cheap.
Another infuriating thing is when seed oils aren't even listed because manufacturers are taking advantage of the "10-second rule" for flash frying in seed oils. This loophole allows manufacturers to flash-fry food items like chicken strips in seed oils without having to list it because it is considered a processing aid rather than an ingredient.
I buy actual raw organic ingredients. Fruit, veg, meat (when my garden is asleep over winter) and everything else. I shop at Natural Grocers and Aldi, and I read labels like a mad woman. I buy flour from an organic mill in Ill. I really try hard to find the best ingredients. It's a chore, but well worth it.
I can't belive that they can class any 'seed oils' as organic after the processing they have to do to manufacture oil out of those 'raw ingredients'! š¤š šØš¦
Food science geek note- organic canola oil does exist, had to be grown from heirloom seeds and protected from cross pollination by gmo canola. Canola oil comes from the rapeseed plant which was modified to produce less toxic oil than the original rapeseed oil. Most commercial canola oil is extracted using hexane, a petroleum-derived solvent used to maximize oil yield. High levels of hexane are neurotoxic, but it is removed from the oil through evaporation and steam. Trace amounts remaining in the final product. Nice, huh? On the bright side expelled or cold-pressed canola oil doesnāt use hexane. š
This is why milling your own flour is important because industrial flour has been destroyed by processing which removes all the nutrients then they add in chemicals go replace the nutrients that they removed.
You buy wheat berries and a grain mill and grind the berries into flour. This video by Bread Beckers explains what happens to commercial flour and how to grind your own to get all the nutrients.
Gotta be GMO free also. Not sure how canola oil makes it into organic unless they are using GMO free rapeseed to make the canola oil, and that better be cold pressed at that.
read the ingredient list. Its right there on the package.
The yogurt I buy lists hree ingredieints: milk, culture, honey. Also says the milk cows are pasture raised, not dirtlot raised.
My peanut butter lists ONE ingredient.. peanuts.
Jams and jellies, whatever produce.. grape, apple, peach, etc. Sugar, pectin. End o list.
When I see high phructose corn syrup, it goes back on the shelph.
when I see multisyllable ingredients listed and I don't recognise them, it goes back on the shelph.
Buy produce as it comes naturally, not cut. diced, packaged, preservaives added. ONLY the produce. remember, once it is cut it MUST be preserved somehow.. usully something you do NOT want to put into your body. Buy some culery and cut it at home as you eat it.
I most dephinitely am, however my antique old MacBook is not. That key, along with a couple others, has been awol over some time. But you obviously get my dripht...... which is the main thing.
Cooking from scratch is the only way to know whatās in your food. Because Iām on a very restricted diet, Iāve been at this for 10 years. Organic labeled āfoodsā that come in a can, box or bottle need special scrutiny. Watch out for natural flavors, canola oil and citric acid (a nasty ingredient that has nothing to do to do with citrus). I grind my own flour as well, and buy no mixes for any reason. I can whip up a gluten free chocolate cake from scratch in 20 min.
If starting out, this is overwhelming and will feel like a pain in the butt, and yet like everything, skills and knowledge build over time and it gets easier and faster to make meals. The end result is you get to control what is in your body. Eating out is another challenge. Canola oil is used widely, even in āorganicā āfarm to marketā restaurants. Once you start cooking from scratch, change your lifestyle, eating out will drop off a cliff because eating what you make is way better.
Yes. I am assuming you are using the term organic inclusively, like stuff that isn't labled "OrganicTM" but is actually food a person from 100 yrs ago would recognize. Like a carrot from the backyard.
It is regulated, but poorly, and the industry is constantly trying to water it down more. Best plan is know your source, know how they process food, and buy local. Organic is less important than that
Actually, going through an organic audit is quite difficult, the usda just strengthened regulations so that a food company wanting organic certification must have a food fraud program and be able to prove that a random lot of food chosen by the auditor can be traced back to organically sourced food and organic certified handlers/warehouse storage with each document linking back to the last all the way to the field and lot it was grown on, ranch it came from, etc., and the food company has to do this in 2 hours or less. Companies also have to document that they challenge their program at least annually by creatively setting up situations where their employees are tested in real life situations to see if they can spot irregularities in documentation or labeling that are indicators of possible food fraud. If you canāt do this you will lose your organic certification. Food companies are also required to keep traceable pesticides records on file for everything organic, Iāve even seen dna testing of fruit required!
Not sure if it's changed but some years ago, it would cost a farmer $10k to be able to call their products "organic". Many couldn't afford that but grew things according to organic standards. The called their products "organically grown" Most were more than happy to allow you to see how they gardened. Sad that in order to "prove" their methods... they had to pay all that money.
That's what I remembered. IMO just another way to tax people. If being organic is so important, why not just put out a standards list and maybe the farmers themselves monitor it? Or at least something easy and less costly?
I follow, Organic Consumers Association. They are fantastic for information about organic issues. I get emails from them about all the legislation, farmers, food industry companies. They are awesome.
I got all excited and went to OCA's website. There at the bottom of the front page where you sign up for emails, I saw it: headquartered in MINNESOTA. And of course, my first thought was, are they financed by the fraud dollars there? I went ahead and signed up but will remain skeptical and alert.
I hope they're not. They've been around for a long while. I understand about things to do with Minnesota. It's really too bad that state has created such a bad name. There are lots of good people living there too.
10-12 years ago we had a whole lot of chickens. Our daughter started an egg business and all her eggs sold like hotcakes. We suggested she go thru the hoops to get her eggs certified organic, mostly as an educational exercise, but also so she could raise the price.
We learned the USDA has strict regulations for labeling eggs and that it took around 5 years of documenting compliance, soil testing, egg testing, etc to get permission to call her eggs organic. So, at least for eggs it was a criminal violation to label them organic before getting USDA permission.
Side note: We were a year into getting certified when an awfl with too much time on her hands came unto our property, noticed the chickens ran up the fence line following her (which she had not observed with other peopleās chickens), concluded we werenāt feeding the chickens. She emailed the story of the starving chickens to dozens of neighbors and even told the sad tale to her book group. Suddenly, we started having to chase off cars and people on morning pilgrimages to feed our poor starving chickens hamburger buns, last nightās leftovers and stuff they dug out of their compost piles. The extra costs of buying organic food, testing for pesticides, all the time spent learning and preparing documentation and dealing with bugs and weeds because we couldnāt use chemicals on the entire farm, not just in the chicken areas, all went down the tubes in a matter of days. I rather prefer the awfls blocking streets in Minneapolis than terrorizing their own neighbors.
"Unfortunately, a non-GMO claim is not reliable because there are no clear rules for using the claim nor a consistent way of verifying it. However, The Non-GMO Project is a nonprofit organization that has developed a verification system backed by frequent testing of ingredients that could be genetically modified for consumers who wish to avoid them. For a product to display the āNon-GMO Project Verifiedā seal, the food must contain no or minimal (less than 0.9 percent) genetically modified or engineered organisms. Manufacturers must work with independent certification companies who verify that the product meets the Non-GMO Projectās standards."
shayne, I still grow, and put a away a lot of the food I eat. Also we have a local co-op that buys much of what they sell from local farmers and businesses. I am very fortunate:)
In one of my Keto groups a couple years ago someone shared an advertisement for a new agriculture machine being marketed to āgrass-finishedā farms. It mows fields of fresh grass right next to the warehouses holding animals and then dumps it into troughs for the caged animals to eat. šš¤¦š¼āāļøš¤¦š¼āāļø Because nothing says natural like spending millions of dollars replacing the lawn mowers mother nature gave to us for free, all stuck in cages. Plus, the very act of natural animal grazing has amazing effects on both the animal meat/products and the farmland. It was the most hilarious and ignorant ad Iāve ever seen. āGrass finished!ā SMH
Thanks Juju. Cattle don't particularly like cut grass, unless it's baled and left to ferment into hay. I guess they'll eat if they have no choice, but you're right; it seems inefficient and wasteful. BTW, cattle obtain cobalt as their tongues lick the soil when they graze. Cobalt is necessary for cattle in producing Vitamin B12. Cut grass wouldn't have much cobalt.
Solar āfarmsā. Not a thing āfarmā about them, aside from the fact they are being put on farmland all over. Zoned as āagricultureā in many states.
Have you seen the ones in India? They put them OVER rivers! Keeps the water from evaporating while gathering solar energy. That is a much better idea, I believe!
I believe in Korea, they put them in the center medians over bike paths. Still donāt produce enough to be worth it IMO,(theyāre being decommissioned in CA and NV; no foresight into planning for clean up), but IDT our plan has much to do with solar energy. Cover parking lots, warehouses, etc., not our farmlands.
@HobGob- Rage Against The Machine. HAHAHAHAHAHA! Yeah, people don't read labels the way they should and many times people that Do read them don't understand WHAT they're reading.
When my late daughter was in the hospital "recovering" from cancer surgery, the food options were horrific. Loaded with sugar and chemicals. They had her limited to a tiny handful of things all with sugar as the first ingredient. Sugar feeds cancer cells. The beginning of my total distrust of hospitals and the medical industry.
Ah yes. Cheese 'enzymes' brought to you by Pfizer. The cheese with real rennet is usually a hard cheese. As soon as this information came out publicly about Pfizer enzymes in cheese there was a listeria outbreak recall in pecorino Romano cheese that used real rennet. Imagine that!!
Then there is the buzz about human remains in the food supply. How are they labeled? With the person(s) name(s)?? Maybe itās time to become breatharians. Oh, wait! The air is poisoned too! Beam me up, Scottie!!!
It means the chemicals are bred into the product. For example, potatoes, the first approved bioengineered food, was gene altered to include a bacteria that killed potato beetles that ate the potatoes.
They did years of research to prove it didnāt affect the people that ate the potatoesā¦oh, wait. That didnāt happen. Weāre the guinea pigs.
That red dye from bugs makes my eye lids swellādiscovered by finding the common ingredient in foods/meds (red melatonin capsules) that triggered the reaction. It takes about 24 hours for the swelling to disipate, with an antihistamine. I avoid any food that is not naturally red because I cannot be sure it is not carmine-free.
I will believe almond milk when I see that nut wearing a bikini! Sorry but a 2 nd generation Ukrainian farm kid, drinking raw milk from Holsteins as a kid and now from a German farmer ( Stryk in Schulenburg) whose Jersey cows were the stars of Blue Bell ice cream ad campaign ā Brenham Texas, where the cows think itās heaven.ā If your grand or great grandparents who were farmers ate it- itās healthy!
No itās against the law in the Texas for stores to sell raw milk. But they sell via 3 rd party every Saturday in Houston, 2 spots. Go to Stryk website and call. They can give you a # to call.
I dozed off sometime around "sorbitan monostearate"... but before "sausage crumbles."
Reading ingredients like THOSE, is a super diet plan!
I went to my kitchen, scrambled 2 eggs (yes...in butter!š) cooked a pork chop and tore into a head of broccoli! (i had already cut up apple and banana earlier for my dogs. They love 'em... and are willing to share with me if I share the eggs and broccoli!)
Why does milk now last a month according to its expiration date? I will be 70 at the end of this month and I will NEVER get used to that, nor will I keep milk that long! WUT?
Yeah, I remember milk in glass bottles that went off in 5 days. There's a family owned dairy by Junction City, KS, that still provides milk in class bottles with cream at the top. Not cheap but well worth every penny. Even when it sours it's still nice in my coffee.
The bookmark was included! I love it. I read and look up the Scriptures first thing with my morning coffee. On the pages that donāt have Bible verses, I pencil in my own that come to mind.
PLEASE.....tell me how to do that, Dr.!!! My cortisol has been "not constantly overreactive" for over 15 years....LOL! I have not been able to find a doctor.....of ANY persuasion......who can effective advise on how to lower it so I can sleep!
Deliberate, rhythmic breathing. Itās called Pranayama in the yoga tradition. It doesnāt have to be fancy or complicated or expensive. Mindful breathing
I started diaphragm breathing after I had a full-body Thermogram (it was spectacular!). She found I had a frozen diaphragm. Not sure if it's the same type of breathing but I'll look into it. My gut biome has improved along with circulation and less frozen diaphragm, but, sadly, after 3 1/2 months, still NOT sleeping. Did 80+ reps last night...but..... up at 1 and 3am.....ugh!
Just started a new brand of probiotics (link below) and am hoping they will help.....eventually.
Look into how our hormones work during sleep. Around 3 am is when cortisol is moving, kind of explains why so many wake around 3 am. Taking magnesium glycinate before bed can help. Also a bit of almond butter & a small handful of walnuts (protein) no blue light. Thereās a Substack named āVictorā that goes into detail how hormones affect everything. Very interesting.
Or a new puppy needing to relieve itself, like clockwork. I was finally getting uninterrupted sleep before we got her. š¤£ now my internal clock wakes me right at 3 am every morning. Lol
Austin, I have shared this with many to good effect, do with as you please. First the āhelpā then the background.
If you donāt have one, procure for very little cost, a hot water bottle. When you retire for sleep, fill it with very warm water, make sure it wonāt leak, and position it against the lower part of the small of your back. I have always had to be on my side, then sort of roll over onto it so kind of still on my side yet keeping it against my back, where I think my kidneys are. Try this for several nights. It has always worked for me.
Background: during an extraordinarily stressful period I had been seeing an acupuncturist who helped me so much. I was sleep deprived and completely unable to sleep through a night.
This LAc explained that in Chinese medicine, the adrenals - which apparently sit just āinsideā the kidneys - were not known. The remedy was developed thinking the kidneys were overly stressed. Moist heat is important, not an electrified source.
In addition to the diaphragmatic/rhythmic breathing, this may help calm your adrenals, which in our world, are often over-active.
My chiropractor has helped with my locked up diaphragm.
Unfortunately right now, it's temporary relief, because I am in deep, acute grief.
I had profound insomnia for several years. Took combination of good psychotherapy (looking at past trauma, new adverse events, etc), good functional medicine support for hormones and biochemistry (from my chiropractor), and weekly acupuncture to help rebalance energy levels. Last summer I finally was getting a solid 6 hrs of sleep a night.
Now, I am again waking early as part of this grief journey.
So I guess I would encourage looking further into root causes and see what you can come up with.
I learned this breathing trick to lower cortisol. Itās simple and it works. Inhale deeply to 4 counts, hold briefly then exhale to a 6-count. Repeat this seven times. It lowers your cortisolā¦. You can visualize exhaling negativity and inhaling white light, or whatever works for you. Youāll be all right!
Ok agree the exhale is the key, the technique I shared is specific to cortisol reduction. There are many breathing exercises that are hugely beneficial.
Yesāthis is my calming breath method too. Inhale through the nose, exhale through the mouth. The mindfulness required to do this in repetition (having to actually pay attention to breathing) triggers the calm. šš»
Pursed lips breathing is very similar - breathe in thru nose to a count and out the mouth thru pursed lips to a count that is twice the length of ābreathe inā count.
Considering your Pug-puppy handleā¦ this is meant with humor but is also supported by scienceā¦ no matter what kind of day youāre having, studies have shown that watching a Golden Retriever eating a carrot can reduce your stress level by up to 92%. It only takes a few seconds, give it a tryā¦
I don't know why but watching and hearing animals eat makes me happy and I have a sensitivity to certain noises. Humans, not so much. Actually, humans in general raise my cortisol levels. š animals can do no wrong in my opinion.
I've found that tons of adults as well as kids get really good results with primitive reflex integration. Think programs like Brain Gym and Rhythmic Movement Training. Bal-a-Vis-X is lesser known but lots of fun. Acupressure points help too.
Here's a trick that's not one of those, but drops cortisol nicely by essentially teaching your back of your body to relax (and helps the vagus nerve too). I call it the Parentheses exercise:
Look to your left, as far as you're comfortable. Pretend there's a parentheses there, and have your eyes slowly trace up and down it. No, slower than that. Use a finger if that's difficult, so you can watch the finger do the tracing. See if you can find a place -- or multiple places -- where it seems to skip or stick, or you feel somewhat different, and then back up an inch or two. Take a deep breath, and go much more slowly yet over that. Do that for a few minutes, or until you feel yourself relaxing quite a bit. Then repeat on the other side.
Great for going to sleep, when your body won't relax.
1. Practice gratitude. Every day. All day. Even for the small things in life like making a traffic light. Be grateful for whatever awful things happen to you that could have been more awful.
2. Make a good night's sleep a priority.
3. Exercise regularly.
4. Get rid of shame, guilt , fear, and hate. Trust me, I know this is the hardest one, and I 'm not there yet, but I work on it every single day. The hardest one for me is learning to forgive people who have wronged me.
That's it. You don't need a doctor or any expert to tell you. That is the blueprint for lowering cortisol. . Dr. Linda's breathing advice is sound to ground yourself after you (invariably) become upset, angry fearful, etc. Remember your vagus never too, and look up ways to use it to calm yourself.
Hey Austin - have you tried meditation? Prayer? Journaling? These things usually take all the pressure off the mind which then decreases stress, then cortisol. Don't know if any of those have been options yet or not
Lots of good advice here, but I'll add the supplement that really changed my life: Integrative Theraputics Cortisol Manager. Take two per night, two hours before bedtime for two weeks (or until you can sleep normally again) and then cut back to one. I've been using it for years. I get mine from Amazon, it's cheaper to buy the 90 tablets ($68 vs $25 for 30 tablets). Prior to that, my bedtime moved around the clock constantly because of my chronic insomnia- never knew when I'd be awake. I'm one of the weird people who get MORE wound up when trying to meditate.
Look into grounding/earthing. The best place to start is a book by Clinton Ober, āāEarthing The Most Important Health Discovery Ever!ā It contains one study after another. The products from his store, Earthing.com, are researched extensively, the benefits are innumerable!
My pillowcase is grounded, (groundluxe.com). It is magic. Could be psychological but I fall asleep so quickly and stay asleep most nights. Not sure what happens on the occasional 3:00 am wake-up though. š¤·š¼āāļø
Itās not psychological. The studies are out there and it does wonders for so much of the body. But it requires well designed equipment (like your pillow) and consistent use. I hope to never sleep ungrounded again and I intend to add more opportunities with other grounding options. EVERYONE needs to ground. God created the earth, created us, and the connection is intentional. Modern man has lost that.
Ok - I suffered from severe insomnia for over two decades. Much of it was triggered by family tragedy, or so I thought. I learned I had hyperparathyroidism, and flew to Tampa to the best surgeons in the world for it. They removed 3 large parathyroid tumors. Insomnia is a common side effect of the disease and I lived with it untreated for over a decade.
But, my insomnia was only half cured by the surgery. Over a decade of conditioning was difficult to change. I did all the mindfulness/prayer/breathing exercises, and used every calming app ever made. No help. I made my bedroom ice cold and deep dark, no devices in the room or an hour before bedtime. Still didnāt help enough.
Then I discovered a combination that really worked for me. I take natural sleep aids along with lipsomal melatonin. The sleep aids I alternate each night the kind so I donāt grow resistant to any: Alteril, Calms Forte, Valerian Root, and my favorite Nature Made Sleep Longer. They all help me be able to fall asleep faster and earlier, but it didnāt last throughout the night beyond a few hours. So I added Life Extension Liquid Melatonin. It was the perfect winning combination. Iāve been getting good long stretches of healing sleep every night and I can get back to sleep rather easily if I wake early.
They say you shouldnāt have more than 5mg melatonin but that was never effective for me. My magic amount is 15mg. Five mg from the sleep aid, and 10mg from the drops.
Parathyroids are smaller than thyroid glands. Healthy ones are the size of a grain of rice. There are four of them. They are the ONLY mechanism for regulating calcium in the body. Once that is out of whack tons of other problems can emerge, all causing symptoms wrongly attributable to other conditions.
50% of the parathyroid tumors never show up in scans. Two of my three were not detected with any scans or ultrasounds. Iāve also had my scans misread many times, the one that showed up was even attributed to a āfatty cystā by a hack radiologist. Only an experienced surgeon should diagnose the scans.
Just fyi
Because hyperparathyroidism causes a boatload of various diseases, I always refer people to parathyroid.com to become informed about it. Itās the best collection of facts and data on planet earth, and even offers diagnostic tools. While women commonly get the disease, many men do too. So many conditions have been improperly diagnosed by undetected hyperparathyroidism. There are about 22 common symptoms and they mirror many other conditions making it hard to discern. But decades of faulty diagnostic criteria that was never corrected have caused many people to die too soon because left untreated it can rob you of 8-10 years of your life. Itās one of the most destructive diseases, yet all the attention goes to high blood pressure or high cholesterol. š
Doctors are pretty much all captured by the hospital system in which they are employed by and have "protocols" of sub-standard of care. Look to see if you can find concierge clinic in your area. Many of these doctors left the establishment so they could actually treat the patient as an individual and not based on an algorithm.
In addition to all these great suggestions, you might try "Cortisol Manager," a supplement made by Integrative Therapeutics. My DO/functional med dr. put us on it about 10 years ago and it has really helped. You take one or two tablets at night.
Minerals imbalance...check out book...Cure your fatigue by Morley Robbins. Magnesium, copper and iron need to be in correct balance. Many of us suffer adrenal fatigue due to stress and depleted foods and diets far from what grandparents ate. It's a process to heal. Nourishing and nesting. Letting your body know its safe and you will provide stability helps.
@Dr.- Here's an interesting question in regards to your comment: CAN cortisol be reduced? What if we had childhoods where we were constantly on guard and our brains are wired for flight or fight more than the average person's?
Or get a new warm puppy. I hit the jackpot with our newest, she LOVES to wrap her entire body around mine throughout the night, molding perfectly around my neck or hips or legs - but usually my neck. Itās dreamy
I've used ashwagandha for several months now with a noticeable reduction in my stress levels.
Ashwagandha is a potent Ayurvedic adaptogenic herb that helps the body manage stress, significantly reducing anxiety and cortisol levels. It is commonly used to improve sleep quality, enhance cognitive function, boost physical strength/recovery, and potentially increase testosterone in men.
Those 4 sound like personal responsibility needs to play a part, first and foremost, not expecting and relying solely on MAHA. Independent accountability.
Great question and thereās so much work that shows how these are helpful in certain situations. But unless they fall into toxic exposure, bacteria, mold, etc has beneficial properties - a lot more than I can speak too but thatās a high level overview
First, JAMA has become the scientific version of the National Enquirer.
The whole rise from zero to over 100,000 GitHub stars and millions of visitors happened in weeks, not months, for the OpenClaw project, blows my mind.
There are reports documenting OpenClaw agents are autonomously purchasing cloud servers with Bitcoin, provisioning them, topping up credits, and even deploying child agents, all without human confirmation. Thatās more than just simple automation; itās autonomous economic activity.
Also, OpenClaw includes a configuration hook that allows the agent itself to replace or alter its system prompt in memory. This means its behavior could change silently, without external code edits (a powerful but controversial capability buried in the design).
A simple solution is for Congress or the FDA to immediately adopt Europeās 400 acceptable ingredients and drop our 10,000. However nothing simple or logical occurs quickly in D.C.
No logic. While they harass raw milk drinkersā¦ pour out gallons of it when they catch it being transported. They allow poison in foods. Reminds me of the tax money they want from me, while shoveling billions of dollars to early learing centers. Make it make sense!
As I have just finished my third mug of raw whole grass-fed Jersey milk with some coffee in it..... (FamilyCow in Chambersburg for any Pa residents reading--they have a delivery schedule around the commonwealth)
There was recently a recall on raw mild with Listeria. Press when gaga over it. The bottom line was to stop drinking raw milk. Same propaganda, different day, all hail raw milk!
To those who took mRNA shots and the resultant adverse effect on their immune system, think twice about raw milk. Listeria only infects the immunocompromised, and weāve had multiple local outbreaks in the last year or two compared to baseline (sorry, no source; all anecdotal).
Big Dairy doesn't want raw milk to catch on so that they can continue their sloppy practices and extended shelf life. It's not about health, it about big business saving money and cutting competition.
We had a ten paragraph post a week or two ago from some industry shill defending Roundup (glyphosate) and heavy metals in foods. It was the typical dazzle them with sciencey-sounding BS propaganda, i.e. you people are too stupid to understand "the science" and there's actually nothing wrong with eating poisoned manufactured food. Thankfully, several people called him out.
Unfortunately this is what we are up against. The processed food industry is hopelessly corrupt and the masses have been propagandized for so long that they will believe almost anything. Yes, Lucky Charms is good for kids, the TV told me so!! Praise God for what RFK Jr is doing, but the government isn't going to save us. It takes that individual realization that eating real food (as our ancestors did) is infinitely healthier than eating slop made in a factory and sold in a box.
Seems obvious but that slop has been deliberately designed to be addictive, and it is *hard* to stop. I've fallen off the wagon many time myself. Fortunately real food tastes really good which helps bring me back.
My husband has started reading the ingredients list. (He always thought I was crazy for doing so) He now understands there is nothing ānatural ā in ānatural flavoringā
My friend has told me for years she doesnāt want to know and now texts me constantly asking āis this bad??) š
When I see anything labeled "natural, ", I immediately move on. It is code for don't buy it. Natural on a label means (this is really crap, aka dog crap is natural, as is snake venom and vomit) but we think you will still buy it if it says natural.
I am old enough to remember the full-page, full colour adverts declaring "nine out of ten NY doctors recommend Kool cigarets, or "I'd walk a mile for a Camel"....and on and on.
After being demonized as unhealthy didnāt the cigarette industry switch to buying food producing factories - having their scientists research how to make food addictive to the consumer (with no consideration to the health of the public)? The love of money is the root of all evil once again.
If people have time to face F their phone every waking minute, they have time to look at food labels. If you can't pronounce it, see a seed oil, see natural sweetener (they rebranded high fructose corn syrup) , or it does not sound like food, don't buy it. See any one of those, put it back and stop reading.
Are you referring to the same Congress that subsidizes ultra processed food by paying for it with SNAP benefits? I was at the local farmers and crafts market this weekend and the cotton candy booth had a sign that they accept SNAP. God help us.
Actually it is entirely logical what happens in DC, the problem is it is evil and corrupt, anything can be done to the plebes for the right amount of money and power...
Keep in mind that those ICE warehouses could be used by another administration to house the future equivalent of Covid dissidents or freedom loving truckers. It's a two edged sword. I'm all for deporting people who ought not be in the country. However, that's a lot of money for a relatively short-term project.
Don't fall into the logical trap that we cannot act today because our actions *might* be used against us in the future. Plenty of bad-faith actors use this technique to ensure nothing can ever change. Otherwise smart people fall for it without thinking through the logical implications.
True. We always need to be aware of the possibilities, though. No government is completely good. Awareness and holding all leadership to account is as good as it gets.
WE need to stop the āprocessingā of illegals- then wouldnāt need the space - just round them up - put on bus and head south the way they came- gone!!
$38,300,000,000.00 - thatās about the same amount of money that a stadium full of Somalians in Minnesota can scam over a 4-year Biden presidential term!
I 100% agree with this and thought the same thing when I read how much they are spending on this
for what should be a temporary problem, since not as many sneaking over the boarder now. I donāt trust the Dems but also do not trust people in power- especially on the heels of all of the Epstein info being released!
If on-going deportation and tighter borders is happening, at some point there won't be a need for massive holding facilities for illegals. My point is that if they exist, they can be used to detain anyone.
Or ā¦ they get dismantled and repurposed as distribution warehouses when no longer needed. š We have to stop fearing doing whatās necessary because of all the potential āwhat ifsā. You can spin ANYTHING into a what if scenario to make it negative.
They can be used to rehabilitate aka CECOT El Salvador style our own overflowing jails. Itās not enough to lock people up, feed and house and bore to death for the entirety of their prison term. We need to rewire them, reskill them, re-moralize them, re-citizenize them. Work, education, exercise, prayer, structure, reward, discipline and finally graduate to a life that isnāt criminal. And that goes for drug addicts and the homeless.
What about turning them into copies of the rehab prisons of ElSalvador. Itās time we do some significant rewiring of our criminal population. Those that CAN be reformed need more than ātime outā in jail. They need what the less seen parts of CECOT are doing. Work, education, prayer, socialization, skills, time to get it right!! Then reintegration into society.
Agree Barbara! Tuckerās interview with Ryan Zink, (J6āer now runnng for congress in TX and suing the US gov as a result of his incarceration in the US gulag), was shocking in what happens in our privatized prisons. Cells with raw sewage, moldy food, raw chicken packed into his water pipe (he saw a piece floating in the bag he used as a cup) to poison him, āmeatā soaked in bleachā¦ He lost 50 pounds in approx 3 months. They tried to kill him. He was one of the lucky ones.
His crime: he was filming for his dadās campaign for office. He never went inside the capitol.
Private prisons should be outlawed. These detention centers would be a vast improvement.
I thought the same thing. They ran an Event 201 style simulation in Europe. This time it wad a virus from pigs with polio-type effects hitting mostly children.
People still watch 60 Minutes? I loved watching them when they began in the late 60's. At what point did they become the propaganda machine for the deep state?
I do hope Trump has plans to help us all financially this year so we can all share in the big celebration of our Republic. Happy Presidents Day.
re: "In 1958, Congress created the GRAS classification to exempt common household ingredients like salt and vinegar from full FDA review. Seems logical, but as usual, they mangled the good intentions; the language was too broad."
Not buying the "good intentions" piece - otherwise they would have locked it down from the get go - I'm certain the legislation was made broad intentional in order to let big food do what they did. And Im certain the "legislators" were paid well by big food to do it.
Oh, and to answer your question, no, I do not watch 60 minutes and haven't for years. They are as crooked as big food and "our" corrupt congress.
Kennedy is doing magnificent work, following Trump's lead, for the American people.
Hey Childers, "evacutory aperture"? Excellent! I will be remembering that one for future uses.
I'd more likely chalk GRAS up to "laziness" - though there were likely some "good intentions" there as well. That whole "high trust" vs "low trust" thing. Written for a high trust, moral society where people understood that "salt" or "rice" would be in that list. Taken advantage of by low-trust people and companies. It's quite likely that the initial authors really didn't expect big food companies to do what they did - I think this is slightly before the food companies _got_ really big and started donating to the AHA and such to demonize fat and promote grains/sugars.
Big food and big gov have been screwing the American people for decades, we are only just beginning to understand the magnitude of the screwing, thanks to President Trump and his team.
People seem overly confident...I'll believe it when I see it. The government is currently spending more money than pre-DOGE, but I doubt many here are aware of this.
Agreed - There's no economic help that won't come at a steep price. The problem is to deep, decades long, and is enriched with monetary policy from the 1913 that needs to change. This is why the debt is rising and the dollar is falling: https://unorthodoxy.substack.com/p/the-great-theft
"Now time grows short. History will not allow the people of Shem additional centuries, or even decades, to come to their senses and realize what is going on. Just as they have been victims of massacres and genocides for centuries, the people of Shem now face the determination of the Canaanites to exterminate them utterly and finally. a goal they hope to achieve by the end of the millenium."
Bard - surely you know that most of us are descendants of Shem, not just Judah. It is not "history", but Yahweh who will bring final judgement on his people for rejecting him.
We used to love 60 minutes too. They were so interesting and eye opening when they did real, unbiased journalism untouched by lobbyists and advertisers. Itās been near 20 years since we were regular watchers. They became so corrupt and foul I canāt bring myself to turn it on again. I know Bari Weiss is supposed to be turning CBS around, but thatās a big ugly tank to move even an inch. It may take years before anyone can really trust them again. Maybe a name change is in order, just a tweak: āYour Traditional 60 Minutesā. The Trad 60
What gulag offered medical and dental care, a law library, and someplace to recreate? And sent people somewhere (home or the country of their choosing, just not the US) within a given period? Solzhenitsyn was 8 years in a camp.
Jeff Childers, I posted this on Saturday. Your essay that day pointed out just some of the good things that Trump has made happen. Trump was certainly betrayed a thousand times and got stronger from it, my point. Knowing you obviously owe me nothing, but Iād love a response, would you rather a comment like mine not be posted? If you would be so kind to answer, I would honor whatever you say. Is my comment a positive or a negative to your sub stack? People have the choice not to read JGās posts. Hereās my comment from Saturday.
Positive Saturday Comment
Always think the troubles we face can become a blessing, just look at the positives happening these days.
40 years ago I built a garage on my property to run my business out of. A few years later a couple of guys, broke in and stole all of my tools. It was a strange feeling going into that empty building and coming to the realization that people were in my shop the night before, stole all of my equipment and basically shut my business down.
It didnāt take long to realize quitting, was not going to happen. Slowly I bought new tools. Little by little I began to secure my property and the building. Eventually I made my shop a very difficult place to break in to. The thieves had made me stronger.
Many times there are people in your life that help you move forward. Iāve had friends help me, Iāve had neighbors help me, one who did my bookkeeping God rest her soul, and of coarse my family has been there for me. But this enemy helped me in a different way. They made me strong, more resolute. The people that robbed me gave me a drive to better secure my property and my equipment. To this day I still better protect my livelihood. In a way my enemies were a blessing.
God puts all kinds of people in our path. At times it can be people that are against us. David would never have reached the throne without Goliath. Sometimes God will put enemies in our life to keep us stirred up. Heāll allow critiques, doubters discourages, even some haters so when you feel tired, think you want to give up, youāll keep pressing forward shaking it off, not because you feel like it, but because you donāt want the enemy to think they stopped you. Many times God will use your enemies to push you to success, put you in a position of promotion. (Just like Trump, added apologies).
Psalm 23:5 says āGod prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemy; He anoints my head with oil; my cup overflowsā. So many times our enemies turn into powerful blessings. They sometimes can direct our life into a more successful path. We may not like it as itās happening, it may not feel good at the time, but sometimes our biggest detractors can be our best motivators.
Judas was ordained to betray Jesus. At the time it seemed like a bad break. But if he hadnāt betrayed Jesus there wouldnāt have been a crusifiction, without the cross there wouldnāt have been a resurection, without the resurrection we wouldnāt have redemption, no salvation. So the man that betrayed Jesus, the person that sold him for 30 pieces of silver, was just as critical a part of his destiny if not more so than the others.
Sometimes we shouldnāt complain about the person that betrayed us. If they walked away they didnāt set you back they set you up for the fullness of your destiny. It may not have been fair, but if God allowed it, it was a step towards your fate, it inevitably was to bring you favor.
Happy Optimistic Valentines Day! J.Goodrich
John 12:46 Jesus said āI have come into the world as the light, so that no one that believes in me should stay in darknessā.
That's very helpful, James Goodrich. I have had many reasons to consider, with unfortunate (?) frequency, two verses--paraphrased, "Those whom God loves, He chastises" and "For I know the plans I have for you, plans for good and not for ill"
As a former Ho Hoās and Ding Dong addict (decades ago), I celebrate RFK Jr. and CBS for saving current and future addicts. Little Debbie has been warned.
Tom, I actually laughed out loud when I read this. We have several family members named Deborah, most of whom are quite petite. When we became aware of the "Little Debbie" brand, my brother started calling one of the Deborahs, "Little Debbie Honey Buns"! Thank you for the laugh this morning!
OMG the hostess lineup was part of every home packed school lunch as a kid. Not to mention all the sugar-laden cereals and āpastriesā and other junk we had. What were our parents thinking? Sure we liked them, they were feeding an addiction we didnāt know we had! Itās a miracle my brothers and I didnāt become diabetics or struggle with obesity as we easily could have. I still tend to reach for sugary treats but itās more controllable now, aided by education and knowledge. Weāve learned a lot and committed to much healthier choices now. Looking back on those daily bad decisions, I have to thank God for His protection.
Looks like we are gonna need a Time Machine. I also remember all the old deli's with cockroaches running back and forth inside the window sills. I'll take a pass on that.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but apparently the coffee study wasnāt a very well-done study. I mean, Iām going to keep drinking mine just to be on the safe side, but it probably doesnāt really decrease risk of dementia, or we cant really know at any rate.
and from a podcast on brain food - honey and cinnamon are good for your brain - so now my coffee comes with honey and cinnamon - oh & btw 3 or more cups/day extends life span as well
I have been ordering Watkins cinnamon extract from Amaz to add to my coffee. That little bottle travels with me. It is so good and it just might give my metabolism a boost.
If anything the caffeine opens the blood vessels. And if you have high blood pressure, doctors tell you to drop the coffee while turning you into a (preferably) pharama experiment
Caffeine is actually a vasoconstrictor which can lead to increased blood pressure, increased heart rate and (in my case), irregular heart beats. It's a similar response to adrenaline.
"Caffeine acts as a complex vascular modulator, typically causing transient vasoconstriction (narrowing) of blood vessels, which can temporarily increase blood pressure and vascular resistance. While it often constricts peripheral vessels, it can simultaneously cause vasodilation (widening) in specific areas like the brain, helping alleviate headaches. Moderate intake is generally safe and potentially protective, but high doses may increase risks of arrhythmias."
My experience is that the dilation is helpful if you have the type of migraine related to constriction. However, the rebound effect is an even worse headache.
Caffeine acts as a complex vascular modulator, typically causing transient vasoconstriction (narrowing) of blood vessels, which can temporarily increase blood pressure and vascular resistance. While it often constricts peripheral vessels, it can simultaneously cause vasodilation (widening) in specific areas like the brain, helping alleviate headaches. Moderate intake is generally safe and potentially protective, but high doses may increase risks of arrhythmias."
Actually I read the study weeks ago and it looked pretty good. Dementia probably is caused by the same crap put in foods...ultra processed has caused much more harm than obesity
I caught Alex's tweets, and was surprised. I read Jeff's summary, and was surprised. I am unsurprised by your comment, and skeptical of this study, particularly after reading the Sensible Medicine article you so kindly linked. I'm going to continue drinking both coffee and tea, because I enjoy them, and also continue being skeptical of these types of studies.
My mom occasionally drank coffee, but boy was she a major black tea drinker all her life. A cup or two of hot tea (always Lipton's) with breakfast. And every single day of the year without fail she and my dad would drink big glasses of iced tea (made with loose leaf Liptons!) for dinner, probably a couple of glasses each. I drank it too. And oh yes...the tea had a couple of spoons of sugar in it, too! My father unfortunately died of cancer at 73, but my mom lived to 95 and she had every one of her marbles until her last day! Similar with my grandmother who made it to 99....daily tea AND frequent coffee drinker. She kept all her marbles intact as well!
"Not the green growing stuff your miniature schnauzer eats outside to aid his digestion, then comes back in and throws up on your favorite throw rug." This sounds personal.... šš¤£š
So we are spending a lot of tax payer money, even though the national debt continues to grow, for Americaās birthday party celebrating 250 years of freedom?
If we were truly a free country, I wouldn't be FORCED to have to pay $$ from my paycheck for Medicare. I havenāt encountered Medicare yet, but will in a few years and I remember it with my momās healthcare, and it was a pain.
The doctors I want to see as a primary (naturopath) are not even covered in my health coverage, so I have to pay out of pocket, even though I pay premiums out of each paycheck. That's not freedom.
While I believe Western medicine is good for emergency care, itās not good for preventative b/c too many doctors could care less about the Hippocratic Oath now and will First Do Harm: https://lizlasorte.substack.com/p/first-do-no-harm
We live paycheck to paycheck, husband will get SS starting in May. Been on Medicare two years since he turned 65. He has to pay monthly premiums and they take out Medicare from his paycheck. Double whammy. So we cannot afford for him to retire either. It's such at messed up system. He is 67 now. I cannot find a way to save. We already do not have " Extras"! He makes decent money but only entitled to half his monthly earnings.Whole thing seems rigged and unfair
I hear ya. I have always lived pay check to pay check too, and of course when we get older, we will need to see doctors more often. This is so messed up!
I already did decades ago and that's why I exercise religiously and eat real, healthy food - that probably has some pesticide residue left behind if not grown in my garden.
But, sometimes we might need to see the doctor for unpreventable illnesses. And, I should not be forced to choose from a list of government approved doctors, esp. after I had no choice but to pay into medicare.
I agree with you on the healthcare, but I think Trump is raising money for the celebration. I donāt think the majority of it is being paid by the taxpayer.
And before I ever complain about the cost of a birthday party, I want every fraudster in MN and CA and IL etc etc to return every cent they stole from us. A milestone birthday celebration is a drop in the bucket compared to what those crooks stole.
Yes, it is a drop in the bucket in the big picture.
IDK how to get that money back, but an easy way to never let it happen again would be to have the rich fund charities like they used to, and the feds could get back into doing what the function of the federal government should be - protecting us, not taking care of us. It would not be that difficult: https://open.substack.com/pub/lizlasorte/p/let-the-rich-fund-charity-again?r=76q58&utm_medium=
What really frazzles me is - Medicare/Advantage coverage is DIFFERENT in every dang state! And you can lose your coverage completely if you make even a dollar or two over the $$ levels.
-In NV, there is no Medicare Advantage coverage at all for anyone on Medicare (for disability) who is under 65- so good luck finding a doctor who will accept straight Medicare with the little they pay. Most doctors there only take a few patients with it or the Advantage coverage; the doctor I saw there only took SIX patients a year with Medicare, and only continued to see me because I had been his patient for 15 years.
-In AZ, you can not only have Advantage coverage, you have a multitude of choices, even free if you accept a PPO, where you see specialists only if your Primary Care refers you, and there is an ever expanding (somewhat) coverage of drugs.
But, none of those AZ plans provide ANY coverage if you are visiting in NV or AL and need care while there, even for emergencies - zero. And since the Advantage signup takes the place of Medicare, you would no longer have even that in the other state. Probably other states as well. I checked because I wanted to visit family/friends.
-In AL, you have crappy straight Medicare or crappy Advantage plans, that are only accepted by a few places/doctors, and pays towards only a few drugs.
-By moving from NV back to AZ, after 20+ happy years, we were able to save at least $400+ & $300+ per month due to differing levels of coverage and drug coverage/costs. THAT is why so many seniors retire here. So, $700-800 a month almost paid our mortgage while we had one. And under my private disability coverage, I was required to apply for disabilty/medicare and to see doctors a certain number of times a year to maintain monthly disability payments to match only 60% of what I was making. Even though my condition (verified with blood/genetic tests) generally worsens with time, & so will not improve- it also adds auto-immune comorbidities like party favors - I still have to maintain those dr visits to get paid.
-I'm sure other states also have differing levels of coverage. Medicare is national, so if we are going to have it, the coverage & Advantage plans ought to be national and cover all 50 states, don't you think? Make it make sense!
All of our health care is ridiculous, for the richest and most advanced country in the world. Medical care and drugs are too expensive, health care and Medicare offer only partial or no coverage, and many Americans can't afford insurance for themselves and their minor children.
Have you looked into moving to a socialized country that offer the medical you want Liz? That may be a better option for you. I know 2 people that have done this and are very happy they made the move.
Your friends must have expendable money to do that. And if they made their money the old fashioned way, good on them, but only someone with expendable money would think that way.
Most of us struggling to stay in the middle class do not think that way, b/c we simply do not have it, not because we are not frugal, but because we were forced to pay most of EU's NATO bill so they could treat their citizens to "affordable" health care, let alone all the other welfare we are FORCED to pay.
We are the freest in the world! I celebrate it. We are blessed to live in this country although it would be much improved without the demons in skin suits called democrats.
I understand your sentiment, and I thought that myself until I realized what really happened in 1787 and that Brutus predicted all the corruption in our government (from the uni-party - not just the dems) because he understood human nature and read history. If interested, here's my take on Brutus: https://lizlasorte.substack.com/p/brutus-was-right-about-everything?r=76q58
We the People did not keep our constitutional repubic, as Franklin predicted.
I want my children to enjoy the American dream, and their children, and so on, as I'm sure you do as well. But, if we don't see our reality and face it, it will only get worse. And I believe if I was truly free, I wouldn't be forced to pay for medicare - that I have no faith in along with a number of issues.
All we needed was to look to the Bible for corruption, Brutus was not really needed in that respect. And, nothing is free in life, there is always a compromise or trade-off in some way and yet the American Dream is still achievable by many.
You need to realize that America has been subsidizing that socialist healthcare..now that is going to change..the people who have to wait months for treatments or surgery may not agree it is so great.
āSo there you go! Drink your coffee, read your C&C, smile, and rest easy knowing that both activities are now scientifically associated with improved cognitive outcomes.ā ā ā
Yes! Dr Lindaā¦ exactly what my microbiology and clinical psychology professors always insistedā¦ ā Ask a question and observe the answer. THEN ask more Questionsā ā¦ andā¦ āyour research doesnāt start with designing questions nor ends tabulating answer's, but in continuing to test the results with ever more defining questionsā
For decades, Dems have been degrading the brand "USA", and Trump understands why it must be renewed and how to renew it. It's about damn time. Dems better get on the "Proud of the US" train, or be delivered to the train station.
And what will become of the ICE detention facilities when Trumpās term is over? Who wants to bet theyāll be āwelcoming centersā where millions of ānew Americansā will be introduced to their new entitlements and set forth into the community?
well removing the democrats largest voting base will help republicans stay in power - now if we could only figure out how to stop dead people from voting democrat
Maybe once all the illegals have been returned to their home countries, the facilities can be used for the new asylums we need for all the deranged, unhinged, murderous progressives.
I have to sayā¦ the picture is a distribution center, not a warehouse. Iāve learned the difference because about 20 of them have been built across from the entrance to my neighborhood over the last 3 years. And no, Iām not pissed. Itās way better than putting in 10k apartments and the attendant traffic. The distribution centers will mostly add traffic to the 2 freeways, not local roads.
IMO these were planned before when we were supposed to be locked at home for 10 years and that was the way we would get anything those plans were changed, but the plans to build were still moving forward. ?? Maybe they think for future use? And now Iām hoping theyāre just bought by ice.
Either that or all the trillions printed during Covid had to go somewhere. I guess we should be grateful that these are actually buildings and not more fake business or NGOs funneling cash back to the democrat party through act blue.
They are going up all over the US and to what end? How much crap is there to ādistributeā? It seems ridiculous, but investors donāt generally waste money, unlike government.
Macy's adds those perfume blowcards to everything they ship. Maybe they have a warehouse full of those blowcards. I don't like smelling like an old lady so quit buying from Macy's.
I don't like any fragrance. I used to like and wear fragrance years ago, but I don't recall any brand. In the last 10 years, I got skin allergies to all sorts of things, and fragrances were one item that I decided to avoid because the term is all encompassing so there's no way to know what's really in a fragrance.
Fragrances are everywhere. For example, laundry detergents and softeners. There's an ingredient in most all detergents, and every single fabric softener, even those supposedly "safe" for eczema and similar, that causes major skin reactions, so besides avoiding all these laundry items, I can no longer trust buying any fabric type thing that was previously owned/worn.
In general, I find the continual use of all these room scents and whatnot, and the addition of fragrances to many household items, to be alarming. I believe that overuse of these scented items can trigger skin/nasal allergies in people and pets.
well they are getting better taken care of in these new facilities than many Americans and our tax dollars paying for their medical/dental needs. I call BS to that.
Ho Ho's and Ding Dongs. I thought you were talking about Democrats for a second there. Boy, take a little time off and the senses get dull. As a side note - and this is no joke - at the grocery store I noticed a pancake syrup brazenly touted as "Butter Rich." Just below it in small letters a disclaimer read: "Contains no butter."
Nowadays, even the terms "organic," grass fed," "pasture-raised," "raised-by-pastors," "cage free," "free range," "rage against the machine," "orange yolks," "cave dwelling," "hand picked," "real chocolate," "cheese product," etc...are totally ambiguous....so named to fake you out. What the hell is soy milk? Who's milking almonds and oats? Who even knew it was possible? Seems like nimble, exacting, painstaking work for teeny weeny circus people.
Addendum: Here's a chortle worthy recipe from "Farm Rich.": SAUSAGE STUFFED BISCUITS, 14oz
Pay particular attention to where the term "sausage" first makes its appearance.
DOUGH: BLEACHED WHEAT FLOUR, PALM OIL, LEAVENING (SODIUM BICARBONATE, SODIUM ALUMINUM PHOSPHATE, SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE), BUTTERMILK POWDER, DEXTROSE, SALT, ASCORBIC ACID, WATER, WHEAT GLUTEN, SOYBEAN OIL, BUTTER FLAVOR (WATER, PROPYLENE GLYCOL, XANTHAN GUM, LESS THAN 0.1% SODIUM BENZOATE ADDED TO PROTECT FLAVOR, NATURAL MIXED TOCOPHEROLS, A NATURAL SOURCE OF VITAMIN E USED TO PROTECT FRESHNESS), YEAST, SORBITAN MONOSTEARATE, ASCORBIC ACID, FILLING: WHOLE EGGS, CORN STARCH, SALT, CITRIC ACID, XANTHAN GUM, CHEDDAR CHEESE (PASTEURIZED MILK, CHEESE CULTURE, SALT, ENZYMES, COLOR ADDED, POTATO STARCH AND POWDERED CELLULOSE ADDED TO PREVENT CAKING, NATAMYCIN (A NATURAL MOLD INHIBITOR), SAUSAGE CRUMBLES (PORK, WATER, SALT, SPICES, SUGAR, SODIUM PHOSPHATES, FLAVORINGS). CONTAINS: MILK, EGGS, WHEAT. CONTAINS A BIOENGINEERED FOOD INGREDIENT.
I'm sort of a stickler for truth in advertising, but I don't suppose christening this as: Palm Oil Stuffed Bleached Dough or Sodium Aluminum Phosphate Enriched Buttermilk Powder Biscuits would do much for sales.
For verification of your Ho Ho and Ding Dong comment, go and "treat" your self to Sandy Cortez's pathetic imitation of a "statesman" at the Munich Conference. How the Euroweenies did not fall down laughing while listening to her prattle on like a silly teenager is a mystery. Her "answer" on the Taiwan question was the clincher.
Idiots...elect idiots.
Careful... most of the world believes you lot elected 'Sleepy Joe and Cackles' š¤£
Not a chanceā¦ We did NOT elect them! They cheated their way in with miles and miles of election fraud! š„
Or the cowboy one! She's descended from the Spaniards who brought cattle to the Americas, but she doesn't know they did that.
The Spaniards are the same folks who gave the body of water formerly known as the Gulf of Mexico its name. It's interesting watching the left go through these gymnastics over the change without ever realizing their willingness to hang onto a relic from this hemisphere's colonialist past.
Absent Operational Cortex couldnāt find Taiwan on a map.
"Absent Operational Cortex" is priceless, Reelin'! If AOC was not cute (to cover for her idiocy) we wouldnāt have to put up with her. Heaven help us all.
no need to worry about the AyOhSee unit. Won't be too long until some caring chap manages to suss out the source o her madjically recently acquired $40Mn plus stash o wealth. No way that booty is clean.
A horse walked into a bar. Bartender said, "Why the long face, AOC?"
Sandy also informed the audience that Venezuela is geographically located below the equator. But she made certain to pronounce "Venezuela" and "Maduro" with that perfect, phony Spanish accent.
But one day the Dems will run her as a candidate for POTUS ... after Chuck The Schmuck is out of the way.
I love this.
Yes, AOCās attempt to establish her āinternational bona fidesā was stunning! It would be fodder for any ālegitimateā comedianā¦(i.e. anyone who isnāt an obvious D shill) and will almost certainly signal the ignominious end of that vapid wannabeās political aspirations (anywhere other than New York, that is). In that sense, her performance was an astounding success!
I donāt know. Never underestimate the Demsā and their captured mediaās ability to elevate a babbling idiot to national prominence. They ran The Kackler as their last Presidential candidate, and she came way too darned close to winning. Bullet dodged (for now).
Not sure the cadre that vote for AOC and her comrades care a whit about the Munich Security Conference.
In fact, except for the wonderful presentation by SOS Rubio, it seemed to be basically a dud.
AOC voters are attuned to the performative aspects of events rather than the substantive factors.
But wouldnāt it be fun to see her debate Rubio or Vance?
Lol, that one would be over before it starts
For a few minutes, but I suspect it would quickly devolve into a ā clubbing baby sealsā event , possibly even generating sympathy for her and anger at the maleās ā misogyny.ā
True
Mayor Mandami won in NYC over Gen z opposition to genocide.
Could be a winning platform
And wretched whitmer, on a state paid junket no doubt, was flummoxed by a question and deferred to the AOC brain trust.
Whitmer is as stupid as Sandy Cortez; their combined IQ's barely reach room temperature.
At this point I don't listen to anything she says, after she said last year that Elon Musk was "stupid". Need I say more?
She only said that because he wants to date her.š
I literally cringed. š¬ she made Gretchen Whitmer look smart, and thatās scary in and of itself.
Are Euroweenies their version of an American staple?
Perhaps you're thinking of "Vienna sausages".
High school. No, grade school. Maybe Iām out of touch at my age. Day care.
She was every bit as competent as Kamala on the European stage, and Kamala almost won. Don't count her out.
"and Kamala almost won after they pulled out every cheating angle they could" (FTFY). Even still, it was a landslide and the Kackler lost DEM ground in every.single.county across the United States. Every one.
Still not worth listening to, regardless of whatever her political skills may or may not be
This is why we need to buy organic ingredients and do what our parents (silent generation) and grandparents did, cook from scratch.
Since it can be āorganicā and contain canola oil, Iām not sure thatās a sufficient restriction.
I hate it that I canāt go to the grocery store and buy ingredients without getting poison. Sour cream isnāt just sour cream. Cottage cheese isnāt just cottage cheese. Flour isnāt just flour. Salt isnāt just salt.
Itās beyond tiresome.
Daisy brand cottage cheese and sour cream are the real deal! Just sayin š
And there's a company called azure, that delivers to your neighborhood. They purport to have all actual organic and natural products. See if you can find it near you. I drive down the block once a month and pick up my order off of a huge semi truck. I'm in arizona.
https://www.azurestandard.com/ Here is the link to Azure Standard.
Thanks. Wasn't at my computer! I love that company, and you can get together with neighbors to arrange for delivery near you. Great products, including mason jars for canning, fresh eggs and meat, vegetables grown without chemicals.
Iāll have to check it out. I make my own sourdough bread from sourdough starter with organic flour from Central Milling. Now that I know just how few ingredients it takes, I rarely eat anything but my homemade bread. And itās delicious.
Check country of origin. Azure imports from around the world including China.
Thanks, Karmy! What a fantastic resource. Pick up places are available in so many areas that there are virtually no food deserts remaining! I live part time in a rural part of OK and thereās a pick up location within 30 minutes of me!
Thank you for the introduction! I have never heard of Azure. After looking at their site, there is a drop off near me. I'll definitely be shopping with them.
Elmerās White Glue is also good for you. We consumed large quantities of it in school in the late 50ās and early 60ās and not only was it safe but you got 15% of your daily protein intake. Now if it were only Halal or Kosher.
I was in elementary school so long ago, that kids ate that thick paste from a jar. Not Elmer's.
Thanks cat, same here! I was getting ready to comment, āpaste was so much more satiating than Elmerās glue!ā š¤
š¤£š¤£š¤£
There was always that kid with his lips stuck together š¤£š
š¤£š
Thatās the brand I buy and for exactly that reason. But I used to buy what was on sale. šø
Where have I heard that before: "The brand I trust"?
I love the Daisy brand products!
No animal products period!
Recently discovered 90% of cheese on the market contains GMO rennent (genetically modified fermentation-produced chymosin (FPC)). Yum!
And that lab created rennet is made by Pfizer.
Link to the dirty details:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-15439443/cheese-Pfizers-ingredient-dairy-products.html
Do you know how we can tell whether the rennet is made by Pfizer or not?
I would just assume if the label reads "microbial rennet or enzymes" that it is probably made by Pfizer.
The DailyMail link I posted really shook me up.
Only 90%???
I can only find 2 cheeses in Trader Joe's that have animal rennet
Sliced Gouda cheese (not TJ brand)
Parmesan (refrigerated)...I think there are multiple options. Only 1 of them has animal rennet.
Every now and then they'll have specialty cheeses with animal rennet. But the "usuals" not so much. Read the labels carefully.
We have a MOM's organic store nearby. Best eggs at good-enough prices. Yet not a single cheese has animal rennet. Read the labels carefully!
Anyone know if Spam is good for you? I like the ingredient āmechanically separated chicken partsā. And what in the world is āImitation Vienna Sausagesā? Why would you imitate them?
I've never eaten Spam. Can't get past how it looks.
https://youtu.be/anwy2MPT5RE
The Parmesano Reggiano, all the Manchego from Spain, the Iberico, the Dutch gouda, and select British cheeses were made with animal rennet. Are they now labeled otherwise? (Haven't been in a TJs in over a year.)
The grated Parmigiano Reggiano from Trader Joe's is marked on its container as having animal rennet. It doesn't have sawdust like the Kraft junk either...
I switched to only buying Trader Joe's sliced Gouda after reading the labels on the rest of their cheeses.
I buy English made or Aussie made cheese. But I don't eat very much. We also have a small local cheese maker in Alma, KS. Their cheese is freaking awesome.
You are a lucky duck! Wish we had a local cheesemaker!
We are really fortunate, Amy. They've been around for many decades.
Just checked the label on our Tillamook Cheese. "Contains No Animal Rennet" is found at the bottom of the ingredients list. :(
That's very disappointing.
They make it sound like they are doing you a favor by not using animal rennet.
No rennet. Chemically created "vegan" rennet made in a lab somewhere probably from the leftovers of the bioengineered meat they tried making and no one wants to buy!
But seriously, the only way to buy cheese is to buy organic and probably local so you can read the label. Those that I have checked list rennet as cow or bovine.
Even organic has the crappy vegan rennet. Cheese isnāt vegan anyway, so why ruin it for everyone?
Not all organic. Not the ones I buy anyway.
Yeah. Itās almost impossible to find animal rennet anymore. Itās criminal.
Safe eating has become a research project, and a major expense. It is one our future selves will appreciate, however.
I remember my brother teaching me about labels. If itās an industry standard it doesnāt not have to be on the label that was back in 2002.
Milk has so much sugar. A fried could not figure out why her daughter was wired and at 2-5 addicted to milk. Always had a sippy cup of the crap. I told her about the sugar content.
We order our flour from Canada. Still limit use.
I agree the process to go to the store is exhausting! Try to do whole foods. All the meat from ranchers. Salmon and halibut from my fisherman family members. Eggs from my sister who LOVES her chickens. Itās a whole network
The crime is that the poor and middle classes in our great land do not have the resources to eat healthy. They walk into budget grocery store and are surrounded by sales for ultra processed before they can reach the more expensive produce or meat aisle.
I have been saying the same thing. I am not completely in that category but I cannot afford to do all of it. I even have complained about someone who has wonderful medical research, Dr.Mercola, but he tells you eat all organic, get nothing in plastic packaging, whole foods, etc and unless you are wealthy then I think we are all screwed in one way or another. I do as much as I can.
Actually, whole milk is much better for you than the low/nonfat milk that they push as ābetterā for you. When they remove the fat to get the low/nonfat milk, they add sugar. Surprise!
All have a lot of sugar
But nonfat and low fat milk have a lot more than whole. Interestingly enough, milk didnāt used to make us fat. Maybe itās because people are drinking milk that has the bovine growth hormones in them or from cows that receive antibiotics. Although farmers, and the government, claim itās to keep cows healthy, antibiotics actually fatten cows up faster so they can go to the market sooner.
I buy meat from a ranch in Northern California. You're fortunate to have fishermen in your family. I won't touch any fish in the supermarkets. I also have hens, and supply my family.
I am lucky for my network of contributors. Itās so hard to get it going. When I move to Idaho I will have to get a bit of a network started with eggs. I buy from my nephew once a year. He has an entire system for his fish in Alaska. Where do you live?
I'm in Kansas, Patti.
I also buy my meat direct from ranchers. Zero grain, zero vaccines, zero antibiotics, completely pasture-raised. It makes a huge difference.
And you can find (see cheese rennet sub-conversation above) animal rennet cheese in their fresh cheese section. If you don't want to read the labels, just ask behind the counter. Mine has people working that know their stuff.
Of course, the price is insane. So I only go to their cheese department for very special occasions.
Itās beyond infuriating that canola oil became ubiquitous in organic foods, especially restaurants, even āorganic farm to tableā establishments. This oil was originally designed as a solvent, and is great for cleaning brushes used in oil painting. Thatās how I first learned about it. In art classes. Now itās in everything we eat because itās cheap.
Similar to fluoride that some municipals have added to drinking water -- it's basically repurposing a toxic waste.
Yes. Since most canola oil comes from Canada, where businesses are only profitable via subsidies.
Fluoride was used to keep inmates in the mental institutions calm.
Another infuriating thing is when seed oils aren't even listed because manufacturers are taking advantage of the "10-second rule" for flash frying in seed oils. This loophole allows manufacturers to flash-fry food items like chicken strips in seed oils without having to list it because it is considered a processing aid rather than an ingredient.
Had no idea that was going on.
Probably federally subsidized.
I buy actual raw organic ingredients. Fruit, veg, meat (when my garden is asleep over winter) and everything else. I shop at Natural Grocers and Aldi, and I read labels like a mad woman. I buy flour from an organic mill in Ill. I really try hard to find the best ingredients. It's a chore, but well worth it.
I can't belive that they can class any 'seed oils' as organic after the processing they have to do to manufacture oil out of those 'raw ingredients'! š¤š šØš¦
Try butterā¦it doesnāt even meltā¦must be completely manufactured and it says āorganicā .
I buy Irish butter when it's on sale, and stock up.
Controversy with Kerrygold Irish butter:
https://lawgaze.com/kerrygold-butter-lawsuit/
Thank you for this. We use Kerry Gold. Now, Iāll have to see if I can find something better rather than having to make my own. (Sigh)
Interesting. I hope they get the labeling issue resolved. I still prefer it more than other butters. Thanks for the info, Kathleen.
Food science geek note- organic canola oil does exist, had to be grown from heirloom seeds and protected from cross pollination by gmo canola. Canola oil comes from the rapeseed plant which was modified to produce less toxic oil than the original rapeseed oil. Most commercial canola oil is extracted using hexane, a petroleum-derived solvent used to maximize oil yield. High levels of hexane are neurotoxic, but it is removed from the oil through evaporation and steam. Trace amounts remaining in the final product. Nice, huh? On the bright side expelled or cold-pressed canola oil doesnāt use hexane. š
This is why milling your own flour is important because industrial flour has been destroyed by processing which removes all the nutrients then they add in chemicals go replace the nutrients that they removed.
And how do you do that? This is so insane the lengths we have to go through to stay healthy.
You buy wheat berries and a grain mill and grind the berries into flour. This video by Bread Beckers explains what happens to commercial flour and how to grind your own to get all the nutrients.
https://youtu.be/06NnVpQw9rg?si=clxuPNbM5BWP2Jng
Itās a very long video. Iāll have to watch it in sections.
You can purchase a countertop mill with either stainless steel or stone grinders. The really good ones are a bit expensive.
Do you have any recommendations?
Gotta be GMO free also. Not sure how canola oil makes it into organic unless they are using GMO free rapeseed to make the canola oil, and that better be cold pressed at that.
canola is still a processed seed oil, thus not on MY list o acceptble items to eat.
Yep, and many times, you need a good pair of š to catch all the tiny print.
Totally agree!
Good point, QH. Have to be a label reader and establish your non negotiable ingredients.
read the ingredient list. Its right there on the package.
The yogurt I buy lists hree ingredieints: milk, culture, honey. Also says the milk cows are pasture raised, not dirtlot raised.
My peanut butter lists ONE ingredient.. peanuts.
Jams and jellies, whatever produce.. grape, apple, peach, etc. Sugar, pectin. End o list.
When I see high phructose corn syrup, it goes back on the shelph.
when I see multisyllable ingredients listed and I don't recognise them, it goes back on the shelph.
Buy produce as it comes naturally, not cut. diced, packaged, preservaives added. ONLY the produce. remember, once it is cut it MUST be preserved somehow.. usully something you do NOT want to put into your body. Buy some culery and cut it at home as you eat it.
So, youāre not a phan of the letter f?
I most dephinitely am, however my antique old MacBook is not. That key, along with a couple others, has been awol over some time. But you obviously get my dripht...... which is the main thing.
Great creative approach to a minor typing issue. Some days, though, that āfā could be the most important letter.
Absolutely TN
Cooking from scratch is the only way to know whatās in your food. Because Iām on a very restricted diet, Iāve been at this for 10 years. Organic labeled āfoodsā that come in a can, box or bottle need special scrutiny. Watch out for natural flavors, canola oil and citric acid (a nasty ingredient that has nothing to do to do with citrus). I grind my own flour as well, and buy no mixes for any reason. I can whip up a gluten free chocolate cake from scratch in 20 min.
If starting out, this is overwhelming and will feel like a pain in the butt, and yet like everything, skills and knowledge build over time and it gets easier and faster to make meals. The end result is you get to control what is in your body. Eating out is another challenge. Canola oil is used widely, even in āorganicā āfarm to marketā restaurants. Once you start cooking from scratch, change your lifestyle, eating out will drop off a cliff because eating what you make is way better.
Love this, thank youšš»
Yes. I am assuming you are using the term organic inclusively, like stuff that isn't labled "OrganicTM" but is actually food a person from 100 yrs ago would recognize. Like a carrot from the backyard.
Bacon, sausage, beef all straight off the animals. Like it used to be done.
And we need it, the B12 you get from animals helps greatly to stave off dementia.
That's crazy
Got data.
@Shayne- Organic isn't regulated. Anyone can call their product organic. You have to be careful.
It is regulated, but poorly, and the industry is constantly trying to water it down more. Best plan is know your source, know how they process food, and buy local. Organic is less important than that
Actually, going through an organic audit is quite difficult, the usda just strengthened regulations so that a food company wanting organic certification must have a food fraud program and be able to prove that a random lot of food chosen by the auditor can be traced back to organically sourced food and organic certified handlers/warehouse storage with each document linking back to the last all the way to the field and lot it was grown on, ranch it came from, etc., and the food company has to do this in 2 hours or less. Companies also have to document that they challenge their program at least annually by creatively setting up situations where their employees are tested in real life situations to see if they can spot irregularities in documentation or labeling that are indicators of possible food fraud. If you canāt do this you will lose your organic certification. Food companies are also required to keep traceable pesticides records on file for everything organic, Iāve even seen dna testing of fruit required!
I hear you, but unfortunately, there are chemicals that have no business being allowed in the term organic that are.
Pesticides? Yes Iām sure there are. No one will ever agree on that.
Not sure if it's changed but some years ago, it would cost a farmer $10k to be able to call their products "organic". Many couldn't afford that but grew things according to organic standards. The called their products "organically grown" Most were more than happy to allow you to see how they gardened. Sad that in order to "prove" their methods... they had to pay all that money.
It's a very expensive, intense process for anyone to get an organic certification.
That's what I remembered. IMO just another way to tax people. If being organic is so important, why not just put out a standards list and maybe the farmers themselves monitor it? Or at least something easy and less costly?
I follow, Organic Consumers Association. They are fantastic for information about organic issues. I get emails from them about all the legislation, farmers, food industry companies. They are awesome.
Organic Consumers Association <campaigns@organicconsumers.org>
I got all excited and went to OCA's website. There at the bottom of the front page where you sign up for emails, I saw it: headquartered in MINNESOTA. And of course, my first thought was, are they financed by the fraud dollars there? I went ahead and signed up but will remain skeptical and alert.
I hope they're not. They've been around for a long while. I understand about things to do with Minnesota. It's really too bad that state has created such a bad name. There are lots of good people living there too.
10-12 years ago we had a whole lot of chickens. Our daughter started an egg business and all her eggs sold like hotcakes. We suggested she go thru the hoops to get her eggs certified organic, mostly as an educational exercise, but also so she could raise the price.
We learned the USDA has strict regulations for labeling eggs and that it took around 5 years of documenting compliance, soil testing, egg testing, etc to get permission to call her eggs organic. So, at least for eggs it was a criminal violation to label them organic before getting USDA permission.
Side note: We were a year into getting certified when an awfl with too much time on her hands came unto our property, noticed the chickens ran up the fence line following her (which she had not observed with other peopleās chickens), concluded we werenāt feeding the chickens. She emailed the story of the starving chickens to dozens of neighbors and even told the sad tale to her book group. Suddenly, we started having to chase off cars and people on morning pilgrimages to feed our poor starving chickens hamburger buns, last nightās leftovers and stuff they dug out of their compost piles. The extra costs of buying organic food, testing for pesticides, all the time spent learning and preparing documentation and dealing with bugs and weeds because we couldnāt use chemicals on the entire farm, not just in the chicken areas, all went down the tubes in a matter of days. I rather prefer the awfls blocking streets in Minneapolis than terrorizing their own neighbors.
Ughā¦ Karens seem to be everywhereā¦ š
That's reprehensible. What utterly ignorant people. I'm so sorry this happened to your family.
āSustainableā is another scam. Pay $10,000 and you to can get a certificate to sell your salmon as āsustainableā!
@Reelin'- Sustainable=as long as they reproduce
I look for non GMO..I have read that organic doesn't mean what it used to..
"Unfortunately, a non-GMO claim is not reliable because there are no clear rules for using the claim nor a consistent way of verifying it. However, The Non-GMO Project is a nonprofit organization that has developed a verification system backed by frequent testing of ingredients that could be genetically modified for consumers who wish to avoid them. For a product to display the āNon-GMO Project Verifiedā seal, the food must contain no or minimal (less than 0.9 percent) genetically modified or engineered organisms. Manufacturers must work with independent certification companies who verify that the product meets the Non-GMO Projectās standards."
https://www.bswhealth.com/blog/food-labels-101-what-organic-all-natural-non-gmo-and-grass-fed-really-mean
A problem with non-GMO is that the grain may be sprayed with roundup pre-harvest as a desiccant. If itās organic, that is not allowed.
Always enjoyed meals at Grama's house.
shayne, I still grow, and put a away a lot of the food I eat. Also we have a local co-op that buys much of what they sell from local farmers and businesses. I am very fortunate:)
shayne, and read labels;)
Cooking from scratch is fun & satisfying. Up your skill set!
When will anyone hold the groceries to task, they are not innocent bystanders. Looking at you Kroger & WalMart.
You too Publix!!
Oh, I don't know. Every time I see "grss fed" now, I think the product was made by a connoisseur of marijuana.
In one of my Keto groups a couple years ago someone shared an advertisement for a new agriculture machine being marketed to āgrass-finishedā farms. It mows fields of fresh grass right next to the warehouses holding animals and then dumps it into troughs for the caged animals to eat. šš¤¦š¼āāļøš¤¦š¼āāļø Because nothing says natural like spending millions of dollars replacing the lawn mowers mother nature gave to us for free, all stuck in cages. Plus, the very act of natural animal grazing has amazing effects on both the animal meat/products and the farmland. It was the most hilarious and ignorant ad Iāve ever seen. āGrass finished!ā SMH
Thanks Juju. Cattle don't particularly like cut grass, unless it's baled and left to ferment into hay. I guess they'll eat if they have no choice, but you're right; it seems inefficient and wasteful. BTW, cattle obtain cobalt as their tongues lick the soil when they graze. Cobalt is necessary for cattle in producing Vitamin B12. Cut grass wouldn't have much cobalt.
Good Ranchers!! That's all I want to say.
Wouldn't that be grass smoked?
The kids are all about the edibles these days
That would be grass infused.
If it's mowed it might be gasoline infused.
HAHA good one and it's funny because it's true! SMH
Most tender beef ever. The cattle are so relaxed!
here's an expert "nut milker" for your enjoyment!
https://youtu.be/Imue7RLNGos?si=kbX6WQ-157e4Sbcy
Iām dying laughing! āThe almond nip, they have twoā š¤£š¤£š¤£š¤£ and āI had to go to the almond farm to be able to teach other peopleā
And the little stool. š¤£š¤£š¤£ I canāt stop laughing.
ššš! Laughed out loud! On the days I don't get that from the newsletter, a commenter can usually be counted on! Thank you!!!!
That was hilarious. šš
SHug, that is hilarious. Thanks for lightening up my day.
š
ššššššš
Solar āfarmsā. Not a thing āfarmā about them, aside from the fact they are being put on farmland all over. Zoned as āagricultureā in many states.
And ironically making the land inhospitable to farming, as it makes it dry and hotter.
Have you seen the ones in India? They put them OVER rivers! Keeps the water from evaporating while gathering solar energy. That is a much better idea, I believe!
I believe in Korea, they put them in the center medians over bike paths. Still donāt produce enough to be worth it IMO,(theyāre being decommissioned in CA and NV; no foresight into planning for clean up), but IDT our plan has much to do with solar energy. Cover parking lots, warehouses, etc., not our farmlands.
Loaded with seed oils, propylene glycol, bioengineered ingredients. Nuff said.
@HobGob- Rage Against The Machine. HAHAHAHAHAHA! Yeah, people don't read labels the way they should and many times people that Do read them don't understand WHAT they're reading.
That is just it. If you don't understand what it is , it's not food
And this is the kind of stuff they feed patients in hospitals
When my late daughter was in the hospital "recovering" from cancer surgery, the food options were horrific. Loaded with sugar and chemicals. They had her limited to a tiny handful of things all with sugar as the first ingredient. Sugar feeds cancer cells. The beginning of my total distrust of hospitals and the medical industry.
I'm so sorry for your loss.
It's so utterly shocking. And so important to pass this information on to the following generations.
Avoid hospitals.
Better to die at home
After doing your research.
Ah yes. Cheese 'enzymes' brought to you by Pfizer. The cheese with real rennet is usually a hard cheese. As soon as this information came out publicly about Pfizer enzymes in cheese there was a listeria outbreak recall in pecorino Romano cheese that used real rennet. Imagine that!!
Their evil knows no bounds.
Then there is the buzz about human remains in the food supply. How are they labeled? With the person(s) name(s)?? Maybe itās time to become breatharians. Oh, wait! The air is poisoned too! Beam me up, Scottie!!!
It's all just too much. I have to tune out and trust in Jesus.
Oxygen is highly overrated.
Indeed. It is the negative electric charge that it Carries to the body.
Only in ICE prisons. Incinerators are included.
Help me out here, Iām behind the times on food technologyā¦ does Bioengineered food ingredient mean ze bugs?
It means the chemicals are bred into the product. For example, potatoes, the first approved bioengineered food, was gene altered to include a bacteria that killed potato beetles that ate the potatoes.
They did years of research to prove it didnāt affect the people that ate the potatoesā¦oh, wait. That didnāt happen. Weāre the guinea pigs.
Carmine as an ingredient are bugs.
Used for food coloring. It was on the ingredient label of Tillamook's beef jerky.
I remember my mum using cochineal to colour the icing on cakes. That's a wee bug. It's been used as a red dye for a very long time.
It is ācarmineā on the list of ingredients. I developed an allergy to it as an adult. No more ānot naturally redā foods for me!
That red dye from bugs makes my eye lids swellādiscovered by finding the common ingredient in foods/meds (red melatonin capsules) that triggered the reaction. It takes about 24 hours for the swelling to disipate, with an antihistamine. I avoid any food that is not naturally red because I cannot be sure it is not carmine-free.
Anything red is bugs.
Acheta powder is beetles. Or was it grasshoppers?
It's crickets.
š¤®
I believe there are coded names for beetles etc most people donāt know what these ingredients are.
I will believe almond milk when I see that nut wearing a bikini! Sorry but a 2 nd generation Ukrainian farm kid, drinking raw milk from Holsteins as a kid and now from a German farmer ( Stryk in Schulenburg) whose Jersey cows were the stars of Blue Bell ice cream ad campaign ā Brenham Texas, where the cows think itās heaven.ā If your grand or great grandparents who were farmers ate it- itās healthy!
Coachbear the Urbanfarmboy
Does Stryk sell to HEB? I would love to buy some here in Baytown!
No itās against the law in the Texas for stores to sell raw milk. But they sell via 3 rd party every Saturday in Houston, 2 spots. Go to Stryk website and call. They can give you a # to call.
Much obliged to you, Joe!
I dozed off sometime around "sorbitan monostearate"... but before "sausage crumbles."
Reading ingredients like THOSE, is a super diet plan!
I went to my kitchen, scrambled 2 eggs (yes...in butter!š) cooked a pork chop and tore into a head of broccoli! (i had already cut up apple and banana earlier for my dogs. They love 'em... and are willing to share with me if I share the eggs and broccoli!)
Why does milk now last a month according to its expiration date? I will be 70 at the end of this month and I will NEVER get used to that, nor will I keep milk that long! WUT?
Yeah, I remember milk in glass bottles that went off in 5 days. There's a family owned dairy by Junction City, KS, that still provides milk in class bottles with cream at the top. Not cheap but well worth every penny. Even when it sours it's still nice in my coffee.
Because it is boiled at high temperature to ultra pasteurize it.
https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/is-ultra-pasteurized-milk-bad/#gsc.tab=0
I love Fairlife milk. The fat-free product has the texture of 2% butter-fat milk. But it is ultra-pasturizedā¦ I may have to re-think my milk choice.
Really they should be putting more of the tocopherols in their products. Especially the mixed natural ones, from right off the farm.
āļøāļøāļø
But as for us, we will bless the LORD
From this time forth and forever.
Praise the LORD!
ā Psalm 115:18
We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.
ā Colossians 1:28
NAS95
āļøāļøāļø
Amen!
Janice, you are doing yoeman's work.
<looks up "yeoman"> š
Thanks for the encouragement, Phil.
yeoman service:
efficient or useful help in need
Yes! Thanks Janice for your faithfulness in posting Scripture here. Have been praying for you and loving your "My Jesus" book!
Thanks for telling me that, Margot! I hope your Amazon copy was good. PM me your address and I'll send you a bookmark.
The bookmark was included! I love it. I read and look up the Scriptures first thing with my morning coffee. On the pages that donāt have Bible verses, I pencil in my own that come to mind.
Oh silly me, Iām glad. Thatās awesome that youāre finding other verses!
Thereās really only four causes of diseases: toxic exposure, nutritional deficiency, electromagnetic radiation, and chronic stress.
When MAHA can remove all the fallacies and get us down to eliminate these 4 causes, we will really be healthy again.
Right now our current medical system is a profit machine for big pharma. This needs to stop: https://unorthodoxy.substack.com/p/why-youre-a-healthcare-customer-not
Yes
Decrease your cortisol!!
Hugely increased by stress. It is necessary but not constantly overreactive.
PLEASE.....tell me how to do that, Dr.!!! My cortisol has been "not constantly overreactive" for over 15 years....LOL! I have not been able to find a doctor.....of ANY persuasion......who can effective advise on how to lower it so I can sleep!
Deliberate, rhythmic breathing. Itās called Pranayama in the yoga tradition. It doesnāt have to be fancy or complicated or expensive. Mindful breathing
A really interesting book is "Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art" by James Nestor. https://www.amazon.com/Breath-New-Science-Lost-Art/dp/B082FPZC4H/ref=sr_1_1?sr=8-1
Cool. I will look.
I have been teaching & practicing the 5,000 year old art/science for over 40 years.
I started diaphragm breathing after I had a full-body Thermogram (it was spectacular!). She found I had a frozen diaphragm. Not sure if it's the same type of breathing but I'll look into it. My gut biome has improved along with circulation and less frozen diaphragm, but, sadly, after 3 1/2 months, still NOT sleeping. Did 80+ reps last night...but..... up at 1 and 3am.....ugh!
Just started a new brand of probiotics (link below) and am hoping they will help.....eventually.
https://www.customprobiotics.com/multi-strain-probiotics-custom-probiotics/
Look into how our hormones work during sleep. Around 3 am is when cortisol is moving, kind of explains why so many wake around 3 am. Taking magnesium glycinate before bed can help. Also a bit of almond butter & a small handful of walnuts (protein) no blue light. Thereās a Substack named āVictorā that goes into detail how hormones affect everything. Very interesting.
Dena, almong butter? How about almond milk. Here's how to make it fres at home.
https://youtu.be/Imue7RLNGos?si=ibTGhn-jo7ag-Rm8
A naturopath told me to eat a hard boiled egg before bed, that waking at 2-3 is most likely blood sugar drop.
Or a new puppy needing to relieve itself, like clockwork. I was finally getting uninterrupted sleep before we got her. š¤£ now my internal clock wakes me right at 3 am every morning. Lol
Good time for sodium bicarbonate for perfect ph.
Austin, I have shared this with many to good effect, do with as you please. First the āhelpā then the background.
If you donāt have one, procure for very little cost, a hot water bottle. When you retire for sleep, fill it with very warm water, make sure it wonāt leak, and position it against the lower part of the small of your back. I have always had to be on my side, then sort of roll over onto it so kind of still on my side yet keeping it against my back, where I think my kidneys are. Try this for several nights. It has always worked for me.
Background: during an extraordinarily stressful period I had been seeing an acupuncturist who helped me so much. I was sleep deprived and completely unable to sleep through a night.
This LAc explained that in Chinese medicine, the adrenals - which apparently sit just āinsideā the kidneys - were not known. The remedy was developed thinking the kidneys were overly stressed. Moist heat is important, not an electrified source.
In addition to the diaphragmatic/rhythmic breathing, this may help calm your adrenals, which in our world, are often over-active.
Let us know, okay?
tried a hot Tottie yet?
Alcohol isnāt great for keeping you asleep, but hot water with butter, real cream and a bit of salt helps some.
I forgot to mention another thing I stumbled upon during that sleep-deprived time: wrapping something warm around my neck, especially the nape.
My chiropractor has helped with my locked up diaphragm.
Unfortunately right now, it's temporary relief, because I am in deep, acute grief.
I had profound insomnia for several years. Took combination of good psychotherapy (looking at past trauma, new adverse events, etc), good functional medicine support for hormones and biochemistry (from my chiropractor), and weekly acupuncture to help rebalance energy levels. Last summer I finally was getting a solid 6 hrs of sleep a night.
Now, I am again waking early as part of this grief journey.
So I guess I would encourage looking further into root causes and see what you can come up with.
Or at home, neuroacoustic brain wave science.
Be Well, Be Blessed, Phillip
Standard Process Drenamin
Have you tried the sleep App called Calm yet?
So disappointed. Free trial
You are correct. Precisely.
I learned this breathing trick to lower cortisol. Itās simple and it works. Inhale deeply to 4 counts, hold briefly then exhale to a 6-count. Repeat this seven times. It lowers your cortisolā¦. You can visualize exhaling negativity and inhaling white light, or whatever works for you. Youāll be all right!
I do a 4 count in, 7 count hold, 8 count exhale. The key is the exhale should be double the inhale count.
Ok agree the exhale is the key, the technique I shared is specific to cortisol reduction. There are many breathing exercises that are hugely beneficial.
Yesāthis is my calming breath method too. Inhale through the nose, exhale through the mouth. The mindfulness required to do this in repetition (having to actually pay attention to breathing) triggers the calm. šš»
Also short quick breaths trigger sympathetic mode, fight or flight
Yoga practice, Tai Chi and breathing techniques learned in both disciplines helps tremendously as well.
Mindful breathing, it works.
Removes nitrogen.
That is what chiropractors do with "adjustments".
@Bard- AND they get the blood flowing to the region to help facilitate healing
Pursed lips breathing is very similar - breathe in thru nose to a count and out the mouth thru pursed lips to a count that is twice the length of ābreathe inā count.
The mindful breathing distracts/slows down your mind, the reason many canāt fall asleep.
Considering your Pug-puppy handleā¦ this is meant with humor but is also supported by scienceā¦ no matter what kind of day youāre having, studies have shown that watching a Golden Retriever eating a carrot can reduce your stress level by up to 92%. It only takes a few seconds, give it a tryā¦
https://fb.watch/FiZwCfTB7j/?fs=e
I don't know why but watching and hearing animals eat makes me happy and I have a sensitivity to certain noises. Humans, not so much. Actually, humans in general raise my cortisol levels. š animals can do no wrong in my opinion.
I've found that tons of adults as well as kids get really good results with primitive reflex integration. Think programs like Brain Gym and Rhythmic Movement Training. Bal-a-Vis-X is lesser known but lots of fun. Acupressure points help too.
Here's a trick that's not one of those, but drops cortisol nicely by essentially teaching your back of your body to relax (and helps the vagus nerve too). I call it the Parentheses exercise:
Look to your left, as far as you're comfortable. Pretend there's a parentheses there, and have your eyes slowly trace up and down it. No, slower than that. Use a finger if that's difficult, so you can watch the finger do the tracing. See if you can find a place -- or multiple places -- where it seems to skip or stick, or you feel somewhat different, and then back up an inch or two. Take a deep breath, and go much more slowly yet over that. Do that for a few minutes, or until you feel yourself relaxing quite a bit. Then repeat on the other side.
Great for going to sleep, when your body won't relax.
1. Practice gratitude. Every day. All day. Even for the small things in life like making a traffic light. Be grateful for whatever awful things happen to you that could have been more awful.
2. Make a good night's sleep a priority.
3. Exercise regularly.
4. Get rid of shame, guilt , fear, and hate. Trust me, I know this is the hardest one, and I 'm not there yet, but I work on it every single day. The hardest one for me is learning to forgive people who have wronged me.
That's it. You don't need a doctor or any expert to tell you. That is the blueprint for lowering cortisol. . Dr. Linda's breathing advice is sound to ground yourself after you (invariably) become upset, angry fearful, etc. Remember your vagus never too, and look up ways to use it to calm yourself.
The only way to fix #4 is Jesus. We feel guilty because we ARE guilty, because all have sinned against the holy God. He alone can wash it away.
Old Covenant to New Covenant.
The whole Bible points to Jesus ā¤ļø
Prayer to break generational curses - very powerful!
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59c2b2a77131a52b1df7dfe0/t/69150575522710008d3c10e7/1762985333757/Anton_Prayer.pdf
Hey Austin - have you tried meditation? Prayer? Journaling? These things usually take all the pressure off the mind which then decreases stress, then cortisol. Don't know if any of those have been options yet or not
Yes, but thank you. I even learned how to do Neurofeedback. Most of the time it helps me get BACK to sleep.
The journaling was a colossal failure. I don't recommend telling anyone who has a key to your house that you do this.
š³š
Try this prayer to reverse generational curses:
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59c2b2a77131a52b1df7dfe0/t/69150575522710008d3c10e7/1762985333757/Anton_Prayer.pdf
It may help your sleep (depending on the cause of your trouble) - it will definitely benefit your peace of mind!
And then when you donāt want the journals anymoreā¦
Yoga....meditation....breathing..
Make time for yourself.
Meditation on scripture works best
I like to recite Psalm 23. The words to the Hymn "To God Be the Glory" works too.
Like your name a lot!
Lots of good advice here, but I'll add the supplement that really changed my life: Integrative Theraputics Cortisol Manager. Take two per night, two hours before bedtime for two weeks (or until you can sleep normally again) and then cut back to one. I've been using it for years. I get mine from Amazon, it's cheaper to buy the 90 tablets ($68 vs $25 for 30 tablets). Prior to that, my bedtime moved around the clock constantly because of my chronic insomnia- never knew when I'd be awake. I'm one of the weird people who get MORE wound up when trying to meditate.
Ditto, the silent one will take me out eventually. Always hear how not enough sleep causes X y Z ā¦ stress X y Z ā¦ Iām in trouble š„“
Look into grounding/earthing. The best place to start is a book by Clinton Ober, āāEarthing The Most Important Health Discovery Ever!ā It contains one study after another. The products from his store, Earthing.com, are researched extensively, the benefits are innumerable!
My pillowcase is grounded, (groundluxe.com). It is magic. Could be psychological but I fall asleep so quickly and stay asleep most nights. Not sure what happens on the occasional 3:00 am wake-up though. š¤·š¼āāļø
Itās not psychological. The studies are out there and it does wonders for so much of the body. But it requires well designed equipment (like your pillow) and consistent use. I hope to never sleep ungrounded again and I intend to add more opportunities with other grounding options. EVERYONE needs to ground. God created the earth, created us, and the connection is intentional. Modern man has lost that.
Ok - I suffered from severe insomnia for over two decades. Much of it was triggered by family tragedy, or so I thought. I learned I had hyperparathyroidism, and flew to Tampa to the best surgeons in the world for it. They removed 3 large parathyroid tumors. Insomnia is a common side effect of the disease and I lived with it untreated for over a decade.
But, my insomnia was only half cured by the surgery. Over a decade of conditioning was difficult to change. I did all the mindfulness/prayer/breathing exercises, and used every calming app ever made. No help. I made my bedroom ice cold and deep dark, no devices in the room or an hour before bedtime. Still didnāt help enough.
Then I discovered a combination that really worked for me. I take natural sleep aids along with lipsomal melatonin. The sleep aids I alternate each night the kind so I donāt grow resistant to any: Alteril, Calms Forte, Valerian Root, and my favorite Nature Made Sleep Longer. They all help me be able to fall asleep faster and earlier, but it didnāt last throughout the night beyond a few hours. So I added Life Extension Liquid Melatonin. It was the perfect winning combination. Iāve been getting good long stretches of healing sleep every night and I can get back to sleep rather easily if I wake early.
They say you shouldnāt have more than 5mg melatonin but that was never effective for me. My magic amount is 15mg. Five mg from the sleep aid, and 10mg from the drops.
Wow... I feel like you're "playing my song." I've actually had an ultrasound of my thyroid and, like all other "checks", they found nothing wrong.
I have bookmarked this "episode" so I can refer back.
Thank you.
Parathyroids are smaller than thyroid glands. Healthy ones are the size of a grain of rice. There are four of them. They are the ONLY mechanism for regulating calcium in the body. Once that is out of whack tons of other problems can emerge, all causing symptoms wrongly attributable to other conditions.
50% of the parathyroid tumors never show up in scans. Two of my three were not detected with any scans or ultrasounds. Iāve also had my scans misread many times, the one that showed up was even attributed to a āfatty cystā by a hack radiologist. Only an experienced surgeon should diagnose the scans.
Just fyi
Because hyperparathyroidism causes a boatload of various diseases, I always refer people to parathyroid.com to become informed about it. Itās the best collection of facts and data on planet earth, and even offers diagnostic tools. While women commonly get the disease, many men do too. So many conditions have been improperly diagnosed by undetected hyperparathyroidism. There are about 22 common symptoms and they mirror many other conditions making it hard to discern. But decades of faulty diagnostic criteria that was never corrected have caused many people to die too soon because left untreated it can rob you of 8-10 years of your life. Itās one of the most destructive diseases, yet all the attention goes to high blood pressure or high cholesterol. š
Doctors are pretty much all captured by the hospital system in which they are employed by and have "protocols" of sub-standard of care. Look to see if you can find concierge clinic in your area. Many of these doctors left the establishment so they could actually treat the patient as an individual and not based on an algorithm.
Try L-Theanine 200mg or Calm CP by a company called Neurosciences Lab to lower cortisol.
I have ordered the Calm CP. I'll let you know.
In addition to all these great suggestions, you might try "Cortisol Manager," a supplement made by Integrative Therapeutics. My DO/functional med dr. put us on it about 10 years ago and it has really helped. You take one or two tablets at night.
Sadly, I've tried this, twice.....nada, but thank you.
Minerals imbalance...check out book...Cure your fatigue by Morley Robbins. Magnesium, copper and iron need to be in correct balance. Many of us suffer adrenal fatigue due to stress and depleted foods and diets far from what grandparents ate. It's a process to heal. Nourishing and nesting. Letting your body know its safe and you will provide stability helps.
Watch this hour-long documentary and see if it doesn't de-stress and uplift you. This self-help tool works like a damn: https://youtu.be/CADTkM1aoP8
@Dr.- Here's an interesting question in regards to your comment: CAN cortisol be reduced? What if we had childhoods where we were constantly on guard and our brains are wired for flight or fight more than the average person's?
I have recently been reminded of the importance of circadian biology through this writer.
https://zaidkdahhaj.substack.com/p/modern-eye-care-through-a-circadian?publication_id=1244072&post_id=187462392&isFreemail=true&r=12bubw&triedRedirect=true
Cortisol & melatonin are wired into us.
Itās not a new field but has become more sophisticated. I am going to take some classes .
How DOES one lower their cortisol???
Cuddle your cat š»
Especially when it is purring
Or get a new warm puppy. I hit the jackpot with our newest, she LOVES to wrap her entire body around mine throughout the night, molding perfectly around my neck or hips or legs - but usually my neck. Itās dreamy
I've used ashwagandha for several months now with a noticeable reduction in my stress levels.
Ashwagandha is a potent Ayurvedic adaptogenic herb that helps the body manage stress, significantly reducing anxiety and cortisol levels. It is commonly used to improve sleep quality, enhance cognitive function, boost physical strength/recovery, and potentially increase testosterone in men.
A good combo is Ashwaghanda/L-Theanine
Oops, hit send by mistake. That was number 1.
#2 drink water with salt/electrolytes asap upon waking.
#3 move gently, like a slow relaxing walk before coffee.
#4 get sunlight into your eyes before any man made light.
I think it is working. Iāve listened to several podcasts suggesting this approach.
Several good examples above
Touch grass, 20-30 minutes of NON-sun screened sun a day, (sun is not your enemy), and if all else
fails, a
little help
from
your
friends Mark&Rita. š¹And prayer!
Standard Process Drenamin can help.
5-HTP helps some people.
In the AM no blue light for 90 min.
And increased by caffeine intake.
Those 4 sound like personal responsibility needs to play a part, first and foremost, not expecting and relying solely on MAHA. Independent accountability.
Agreedā and this is the point: health is a personal choice and should not be dictated out to anyone else
Are you implying MAHA is dictating?
What about bacteria, fungus and mold? (All which I believe have been weaponized)
Great question and thereās so much work that shows how these are helpful in certain situations. But unless they fall into toxic exposure, bacteria, mold, etc has beneficial properties - a lot more than I can speak too but thatās a high level overview
100 % right. You must have at least 3 of those 4, and you will probably have all 4, to get cancer, or probably any disease
Absolutely!
First, JAMA has become the scientific version of the National Enquirer.
The whole rise from zero to over 100,000 GitHub stars and millions of visitors happened in weeks, not months, for the OpenClaw project, blows my mind.
There are reports documenting OpenClaw agents are autonomously purchasing cloud servers with Bitcoin, provisioning them, topping up credits, and even deploying child agents, all without human confirmation. Thatās more than just simple automation; itās autonomous economic activity.
Also, OpenClaw includes a configuration hook that allows the agent itself to replace or alter its system prompt in memory. This means its behavior could change silently, without external code edits (a powerful but controversial capability buried in the design).
Truth!!!!
How?
When I used to ask my father silly questions, he always answered.... Why is a mouse when it spins? The higher it goes the fewer.
You have just been Jimmy-ed. š
A simple solution is for Congress or the FDA to immediately adopt Europeās 400 acceptable ingredients and drop our 10,000. However nothing simple or logical occurs quickly in D.C.
No logic. While they harass raw milk drinkersā¦ pour out gallons of it when they catch it being transported. They allow poison in foods. Reminds me of the tax money they want from me, while shoveling billions of dollars to early learing centers. Make it make sense!
As I have just finished my third mug of raw whole grass-fed Jersey milk with some coffee in it..... (FamilyCow in Chambersburg for any Pa residents reading--they have a delivery schedule around the commonwealth)
šÆ
Iām in Pa
There was recently a recall on raw mild with Listeria. Press when gaga over it. The bottom line was to stop drinking raw milk. Same propaganda, different day, all hail raw milk!
Yet, the covid DeathVax is still on the market.
but most have caught on not to get it, that is the good news.
To those who took mRNA shots and the resultant adverse effect on their immune system, think twice about raw milk. Listeria only infects the immunocompromised, and weāve had multiple local outbreaks in the last year or two compared to baseline (sorry, no source; all anecdotal).
Big Dairy doesn't want raw milk to catch on so that they can continue their sloppy practices and extended shelf life. It's not about health, it about big business saving money and cutting competition.
We had a ten paragraph post a week or two ago from some industry shill defending Roundup (glyphosate) and heavy metals in foods. It was the typical dazzle them with sciencey-sounding BS propaganda, i.e. you people are too stupid to understand "the science" and there's actually nothing wrong with eating poisoned manufactured food. Thankfully, several people called him out.
Unfortunately this is what we are up against. The processed food industry is hopelessly corrupt and the masses have been propagandized for so long that they will believe almost anything. Yes, Lucky Charms is good for kids, the TV told me so!! Praise God for what RFK Jr is doing, but the government isn't going to save us. It takes that individual realization that eating real food (as our ancestors did) is infinitely healthier than eating slop made in a factory and sold in a box.
Seems obvious but that slop has been deliberately designed to be addictive, and it is *hard* to stop. I've fallen off the wagon many time myself. Fortunately real food tastes really good which helps bring me back.
My husband has started reading the ingredients list. (He always thought I was crazy for doing so) He now understands there is nothing ānatural ā in ānatural flavoringā
My friend has told me for years she doesnāt want to know and now texts me constantly asking āis this bad??) š
When I see anything labeled "natural, ", I immediately move on. It is code for don't buy it. Natural on a label means (this is really crap, aka dog crap is natural, as is snake venom and vomit) but we think you will still buy it if it says natural.
Tell your friend about the Yuka app. Damn spell check!
Yep 100% although they do allow some questionable ingredients, but itās a great way to start!
There is an app for your friend. Itās called Yuka
Yep use it š
I am old enough to remember the full-page, full colour adverts declaring "nine out of ten NY doctors recommend Kool cigarets, or "I'd walk a mile for a Camel"....and on and on.
After being demonized as unhealthy didnāt the cigarette industry switch to buying food producing factories - having their scientists research how to make food addictive to the consumer (with no consideration to the health of the public)? The love of money is the root of all evil once again.
If people have time to face F their phone every waking minute, they have time to look at food labels. If you can't pronounce it, see a seed oil, see natural sweetener (they rebranded high fructose corn syrup) , or it does not sound like food, don't buy it. See any one of those, put it back and stop reading.
Yep we have the power to put them out of business. See Bud Light š
But government subsidies.
Are you referring to the same Congress that subsidizes ultra processed food by paying for it with SNAP benefits? I was at the local farmers and crafts market this weekend and the cotton candy booth had a sign that they accept SNAP. God help us.
Actually it is entirely logical what happens in DC, the problem is it is evil and corrupt, anything can be done to the plebes for the right amount of money and power...
Taiga, you nailed it!
Campaign lobbying will dry up.
Keep in mind that those ICE warehouses could be used by another administration to house the future equivalent of Covid dissidents or freedom loving truckers. It's a two edged sword. I'm all for deporting people who ought not be in the country. However, that's a lot of money for a relatively short-term project.
Yes but it doesn't matter, we have to do it.
Don't fall into the logical trap that we cannot act today because our actions *might* be used against us in the future. Plenty of bad-faith actors use this technique to ensure nothing can ever change. Otherwise smart people fall for it without thinking through the logical implications.
True. We always need to be aware of the possibilities, though. No government is completely good. Awareness and holding all leadership to account is as good as it gets.
WE need to stop the āprocessingā of illegals- then wouldnāt need the space - just round them up - put on bus and head south the way they came- gone!!
Thatās what I meant to say, Julie. Thank you!
šÆ
Deport, donāt house. Let that ādue processā for illegals go to the SC. Or has it already? Not my area of expertise, by a lonng shot.
$38,300,000,000.00 - thatās about the same amount of money that a stadium full of Somalians in Minnesota can scam over a 4-year Biden presidential term!
Yep. And a Democrat administration would not hesitate to use it that way.
What's a Democrat?
A democrat is anyone who cannot describe what a woman is (or isn't).
A literal demon.
The Patriot Act was only supposed to last for 5 years.
Mrs. RW
It's like many people say....anything, any bureaucracy etc. that you create in the government, even if designated "temporary"....it never goes away.
I 100% agree with this and thought the same thing when I read how much they are spending on this
for what should be a temporary problem, since not as many sneaking over the boarder now. I donāt trust the Dems but also do not trust people in power- especially on the heels of all of the Epstein info being released!
Itās a very important project though and even with that money being spent, it will save more money especially in the long term.
I still donāt like the permanency of it; just ship āem out and use the money to fight the resistance in courts (preferably after theyāre gone).
I just think the logistics of that might be more complicated than it seems š
If we retain them on USA soil, doesnāt that give them additional rights as in, āunder our jurisdiction?ā
Good question, I donāt really know š
Yep! These look a lot like the concentration camps the Australians used for jab refusers.
Itās not a short-term project. That was the point of the news
If on-going deportation and tighter borders is happening, at some point there won't be a need for massive holding facilities for illegals. My point is that if they exist, they can be used to detain anyone.
Or ā¦ they get dismantled and repurposed as distribution warehouses when no longer needed. š We have to stop fearing doing whatās necessary because of all the potential āwhat ifsā. You can spin ANYTHING into a what if scenario to make it negative.
Yes; sunsand. Yay for ousting the criminals but once they're all gone, who'll those prisons be used for next. Perish the thought.
They can be used to rehabilitate aka CECOT El Salvador style our own overflowing jails. Itās not enough to lock people up, feed and house and bore to death for the entirety of their prison term. We need to rewire them, reskill them, re-moralize them, re-citizenize them. Work, education, exercise, prayer, structure, reward, discipline and finally graduate to a life that isnāt criminal. And that goes for drug addicts and the homeless.
Good points.
What about turning them into copies of the rehab prisons of ElSalvador. Itās time we do some significant rewiring of our criminal population. Those that CAN be reformed need more than ātime outā in jail. They need what the less seen parts of CECOT are doing. Work, education, prayer, socialization, skills, time to get it right!! Then reintegration into society.
Agree Barbara! Tuckerās interview with Ryan Zink, (J6āer now runnng for congress in TX and suing the US gov as a result of his incarceration in the US gulag), was shocking in what happens in our privatized prisons. Cells with raw sewage, moldy food, raw chicken packed into his water pipe (he saw a piece floating in the bag he used as a cup) to poison him, āmeatā soaked in bleachā¦ He lost 50 pounds in approx 3 months. They tried to kill him. He was one of the lucky ones.
His crime: he was filming for his dadās campaign for office. He never went inside the capitol.
Private prisons should be outlawed. These detention centers would be a vast improvement.
exactly, ssw. Creating a standing army of bureaucrats along with these fancy new prisons.
I was hoping the factories would revert to being factories after their TEMPORARY use as holding cells.
there's nothing good about this news.
I thought the same thing. They ran an Event 201 style simulation in Europe. This time it wad a virus from pigs with polio-type effects hitting mostly children.
Agree. Iād donāt want permanent housing for the illegals (not to mention the cost of supporting them). Deport ASAP.
People still watch 60 Minutes? I loved watching them when they began in the late 60's. At what point did they become the propaganda machine for the deep state?
I do hope Trump has plans to help us all financially this year so we can all share in the big celebration of our Republic. Happy Presidents Day.
re: "In 1958, Congress created the GRAS classification to exempt common household ingredients like salt and vinegar from full FDA review. Seems logical, but as usual, they mangled the good intentions; the language was too broad."
Not buying the "good intentions" piece - otherwise they would have locked it down from the get go - I'm certain the legislation was made broad intentional in order to let big food do what they did. And Im certain the "legislators" were paid well by big food to do it.
Oh, and to answer your question, no, I do not watch 60 minutes and haven't for years. They are as crooked as big food and "our" corrupt congress.
Kennedy is doing magnificent work, following Trump's lead, for the American people.
Hey Childers, "evacutory aperture"? Excellent! I will be remembering that one for future uses.
next up - seed oils
I'd more likely chalk GRAS up to "laziness" - though there were likely some "good intentions" there as well. That whole "high trust" vs "low trust" thing. Written for a high trust, moral society where people understood that "salt" or "rice" would be in that list. Taken advantage of by low-trust people and companies. It's quite likely that the initial authors really didn't expect big food companies to do what they did - I think this is slightly before the food companies _got_ really big and started donating to the AHA and such to demonize fat and promote grains/sugars.
Big food and big gov have been screwing the American people for decades, we are only just beginning to understand the magnitude of the screwing, thanks to President Trump and his team.
Remember it's now Bari Weiss at CBS. I haven't watched 60 mins in 20 years, at least.
Good luck with "help" considering Trump has surrounded himself with economic vultures of wealth - not creators of wealth.
Glad to see you back with your always-negative takes. Such a refreshing change from Jeffās optimism. š
I get the impression J-O is positive Trump has surrounded himself with economic vultures of wealth - not creators of wealth. š¤
Sorry if reality hurts. We need wealth creators in office, not wealth extractors.
@Johhny- we're just extracting from those who owe us. Bigly.
People seem overly confident...I'll believe it when I see it. The government is currently spending more money than pre-DOGE, but I doubt many here are aware of this.
Agreed - There's no economic help that won't come at a steep price. The problem is to deep, decades long, and is enriched with monetary policy from the 1913 that needs to change. This is why the debt is rising and the dollar is falling: https://unorthodoxy.substack.com/p/the-great-theft
"Now time grows short. History will not allow the people of Shem additional centuries, or even decades, to come to their senses and realize what is going on. Just as they have been victims of massacres and genocides for centuries, the people of Shem now face the determination of the Canaanites to exterminate them utterly and finally. a goal they hope to achieve by the end of the millenium."
The Curse of Canaan
Eustace Mullins 1987
Bard - surely you know that most of us are descendants of Shem, not just Judah. It is not "history", but Yahweh who will bring final judgement on his people for rejecting him.
We used to love 60 minutes too. They were so interesting and eye opening when they did real, unbiased journalism untouched by lobbyists and advertisers. Itās been near 20 years since we were regular watchers. They became so corrupt and foul I canāt bring myself to turn it on again. I know Bari Weiss is supposed to be turning CBS around, but thatās a big ugly tank to move even an inch. It may take years before anyone can really trust them again. Maybe a name change is in order, just a tweak: āYour Traditional 60 Minutesā. The Trad 60
Love that. Yes, I haven't watched them in years.
stopped watching that a long time ago bc of their fanatic leftism.
From the Gulag planned by ICE.
Paging Alexander Solzhenitsyn.
What gulag offered medical and dental care, a law library, and someplace to recreate? And sent people somewhere (home or the country of their choosing, just not the US) within a given period? Solzhenitsyn was 8 years in a camp.
This is all on Bidenās failure
Really, it kinda chilled me too.
Go for the Gulag, we need a bigger boat for all the illegals.
Jeff Childers, I posted this on Saturday. Your essay that day pointed out just some of the good things that Trump has made happen. Trump was certainly betrayed a thousand times and got stronger from it, my point. Knowing you obviously owe me nothing, but Iād love a response, would you rather a comment like mine not be posted? If you would be so kind to answer, I would honor whatever you say. Is my comment a positive or a negative to your sub stack? People have the choice not to read JGās posts. Hereās my comment from Saturday.
Positive Saturday Comment
Always think the troubles we face can become a blessing, just look at the positives happening these days.
40 years ago I built a garage on my property to run my business out of. A few years later a couple of guys, broke in and stole all of my tools. It was a strange feeling going into that empty building and coming to the realization that people were in my shop the night before, stole all of my equipment and basically shut my business down.
It didnāt take long to realize quitting, was not going to happen. Slowly I bought new tools. Little by little I began to secure my property and the building. Eventually I made my shop a very difficult place to break in to. The thieves had made me stronger.
Many times there are people in your life that help you move forward. Iāve had friends help me, Iāve had neighbors help me, one who did my bookkeeping God rest her soul, and of coarse my family has been there for me. But this enemy helped me in a different way. They made me strong, more resolute. The people that robbed me gave me a drive to better secure my property and my equipment. To this day I still better protect my livelihood. In a way my enemies were a blessing.
God puts all kinds of people in our path. At times it can be people that are against us. David would never have reached the throne without Goliath. Sometimes God will put enemies in our life to keep us stirred up. Heāll allow critiques, doubters discourages, even some haters so when you feel tired, think you want to give up, youāll keep pressing forward shaking it off, not because you feel like it, but because you donāt want the enemy to think they stopped you. Many times God will use your enemies to push you to success, put you in a position of promotion. (Just like Trump, added apologies).
Psalm 23:5 says āGod prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemy; He anoints my head with oil; my cup overflowsā. So many times our enemies turn into powerful blessings. They sometimes can direct our life into a more successful path. We may not like it as itās happening, it may not feel good at the time, but sometimes our biggest detractors can be our best motivators.
Judas was ordained to betray Jesus. At the time it seemed like a bad break. But if he hadnāt betrayed Jesus there wouldnāt have been a crusifiction, without the cross there wouldnāt have been a resurection, without the resurrection we wouldnāt have redemption, no salvation. So the man that betrayed Jesus, the person that sold him for 30 pieces of silver, was just as critical a part of his destiny if not more so than the others.
Sometimes we shouldnāt complain about the person that betrayed us. If they walked away they didnāt set you back they set you up for the fullness of your destiny. It may not have been fair, but if God allowed it, it was a step towards your fate, it inevitably was to bring you favor.
Happy Optimistic Valentines Day! J.Goodrich
John 12:46 Jesus said āI have come into the world as the light, so that no one that believes in me should stay in darknessā.
Love the perspective on Psalms 23 , good food for thought.
Iām not JC , but Iāve enjoyed your comments JG . Bless your day š
Thank You nik
That's very helpful, James Goodrich. I have had many reasons to consider, with unfortunate (?) frequency, two verses--paraphrased, "Those whom God loves, He chastises" and "For I know the plans I have for you, plans for good and not for ill"
You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good.
-Joseph, prophet, dreamer, redeemer, prince
Indeed, and thanks for adding to the list.
Great post, and a timely reminder!
Some good quotes from the past, and there are many more:
Ernest Hemingway in A Farewell to Arms:
āThe world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places.ā
From Rumi
āThe wound is the place where the Light enters you.ā
From Friedrich Nietzsche
āThat which does not kill us makes us stronger.ā
From Winston Churchill
āIf youāre going through hell, keep going.ā
Thank you for writing that.
Mrs. RW
As a former Ho Hoās and Ding Dong addict (decades ago), I celebrate RFK Jr. and CBS for saving current and future addicts. Little Debbie has been warned.
"Big Deborah."
Tom, I actually laughed out loud when I read this. We have several family members named Deborah, most of whom are quite petite. When we became aware of the "Little Debbie" brand, my brother started calling one of the Deborahs, "Little Debbie Honey Buns"! Thank you for the laugh this morning!
Mrs. "the Knife"
Deborah XXL.
OMG the hostess lineup was part of every home packed school lunch as a kid. Not to mention all the sugar-laden cereals and āpastriesā and other junk we had. What were our parents thinking? Sure we liked them, they were feeding an addiction we didnāt know we had! Itās a miracle my brothers and I didnāt become diabetics or struggle with obesity as we easily could have. I still tend to reach for sugary treats but itās more controllable now, aided by education and knowledge. Weāve learned a lot and committed to much healthier choices now. Looking back on those daily bad decisions, I have to thank God for His protection.
I have Hostess to thank for that āfreshman 15ā I added so long ago. š„“
In NY, we ate Drake's Cakes: Yodels, Ring Dings, Devil Dogs, and Coffee Cakes.
Lots of Tastycakes in the MidAtlantic.
Peach, yes butterscotch krimpets were the best
We used to tease a college basketball buddy from Virginia about being a "Tastykake All American." He didn't think it was funny. Hahaha.
I was a TK Butterscotch Krimpet addict too. Iām lucky to be alive.
These human bodies are amazing machines.
...steaks at Tad's, oatmeal at the Automat. Cheesecake at Lindy's, anything at the Russian Tearoom.
I always liked the Carnegie Deli. Remember the Horn & Hardart (on the southeast corner of 42nd Street and Third Avenue)? It closed in 1991.
Yeah, that was the last one. I understand that there's some sort of effort to bring the Automat(s) back to life.
That'd be great. I think? It would also be nice to ride to one in a Checker Marathon cab.
Looks like we are gonna need a Time Machine. I also remember all the old deli's with cockroaches running back and forth inside the window sills. I'll take a pass on that.
Yum - coffee cakes!
Donāt forget Scooter Pies and BOSCO in our milk!
My brother loved Scooter Pies and Yoo-Hoo!
My Ding Dongs had foil on the outside. That makes me prehistoric in age š¤£
They were so good back then! Nowadays, they taste like dry wax. I tried one and didnāt even finish it.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but apparently the coffee study wasnāt a very well-done study. I mean, Iām going to keep drinking mine just to be on the safe side, but it probably doesnāt really decrease risk of dementia, or we cant really know at any rate.
https://open.substack.com/pub/sensiblemed/p/coffee-is-great-but-it-does-not-prevent?r=z2cc5&utm_medium=ios
As one of the commenters said: I am in my second cup, not taking any chances.
Good post
Heās a pretty good follow.
Another very wordy guy, though.
and from a podcast on brain food - honey and cinnamon are good for your brain - so now my coffee comes with honey and cinnamon - oh & btw 3 or more cups/day extends life span as well
I have been ordering Watkins cinnamon extract from Amaz to add to my coffee. That little bottle travels with me. It is so good and it just might give my metabolism a boost.
And wonder if they spray the coffee trees with roundup?
Organic Roundup?
LOL
as if...lol
If anything the caffeine opens the blood vessels. And if you have high blood pressure, doctors tell you to drop the coffee while turning you into a (preferably) pharama experiment
Caffeine is actually a vasoconstrictor which can lead to increased blood pressure, increased heart rate and (in my case), irregular heart beats. It's a similar response to adrenaline.
"Caffeine acts as a complex vascular modulator, typically causing transient vasoconstriction (narrowing) of blood vessels, which can temporarily increase blood pressure and vascular resistance. While it often constricts peripheral vessels, it can simultaneously cause vasodilation (widening) in specific areas like the brain, helping alleviate headaches. Moderate intake is generally safe and potentially protective, but high doses may increase risks of arrhythmias."
My experience is that the dilation is helpful if you have the type of migraine related to constriction. However, the rebound effect is an even worse headache.
Probably temporarily increases circulation to the brain, which keeps cells alive.
Iām thinking blood thinning enzymes are another help (Nattokinase, serropeptase). They certainly cut down on TIAs / stroke.
@Matt- actually, the caffeine constricts the blood vessels. Migraines happen because of dilated blood vessels. Caffeine helps with that.
ICYMI
Caffeine acts as a complex vascular modulator, typically causing transient vasoconstriction (narrowing) of blood vessels, which can temporarily increase blood pressure and vascular resistance. While it often constricts peripheral vessels, it can simultaneously cause vasodilation (widening) in specific areas like the brain, helping alleviate headaches. Moderate intake is generally safe and potentially protective, but high doses may increase risks of arrhythmias."
I like the Sensible Med people. They are all about the evidence.
Agreed! Even if sometimes I canāt follow the articles, lol.
And this makes me feel better because I have extreme caffeine sensitivity and there is no way I could drink that much caffeinated coffee :)
Actually I read the study weeks ago and it looked pretty good. Dementia probably is caused by the same crap put in foods...ultra processed has caused much more harm than obesity
Or caused by the extra "preservatives" in vaccines or the Round Up......
I caught Alex's tweets, and was surprised. I read Jeff's summary, and was surprised. I am unsurprised by your comment, and skeptical of this study, particularly after reading the Sensible Medicine article you so kindly linked. I'm going to continue drinking both coffee and tea, because I enjoy them, and also continue being skeptical of these types of studies.
Same!
Be skeptical of everything!
Don't believe everything you read, my father used to tell me.
Don't believe everything Jeff S' father tells you.
I read that once.
Right here.
Just now.
Hahaha. "Knuckles" would agree.
But your father didn't have the internet. You can believe everything you read on the internet, right? Right?
Reading your last two words and seeing a certain meme...
My mom occasionally drank coffee, but boy was she a major black tea drinker all her life. A cup or two of hot tea (always Lipton's) with breakfast. And every single day of the year without fail she and my dad would drink big glasses of iced tea (made with loose leaf Liptons!) for dinner, probably a couple of glasses each. I drank it too. And oh yes...the tea had a couple of spoons of sugar in it, too! My father unfortunately died of cancer at 73, but my mom lived to 95 and she had every one of her marbles until her last day! Similar with my grandmother who made it to 99....daily tea AND frequent coffee drinker. She kept all her marbles intact as well!
I'm old enough to remember that doctors cautioned against allowing children to have coffee, because "caffeine stunts your growth". Huh.
Obviously the doctors were tea drinkers. Tea drinkers will never be able to figure out that coffee is better for them.
It seems to me that there have been previous studies with the same conclusion though?
My dad had dementia. He drank 1-3 cups of caffeinated coffee every day. Iām not holding my breath.
Sponsored by the Coffee trust.$$
"Not the green growing stuff your miniature schnauzer eats outside to aid his digestion, then comes back in and throws up on your favorite throw rug." This sounds personal.... šš¤£š
I was thinking the same š
Thank you for the laugh Shayne. Not only does it sound personal (to Jeff) ā¦ but relatable to many dog owners. š
As a coffee drinker, I figured it out. I kept the mini Schnauzers and got rid of the rugs.
So we are spending a lot of tax payer money, even though the national debt continues to grow, for Americaās birthday party celebrating 250 years of freedom?
If we were truly a free country, I wouldn't be FORCED to have to pay $$ from my paycheck for Medicare. I havenāt encountered Medicare yet, but will in a few years and I remember it with my momās healthcare, and it was a pain.
The doctors I want to see as a primary (naturopath) are not even covered in my health coverage, so I have to pay out of pocket, even though I pay premiums out of each paycheck. That's not freedom.
While I believe Western medicine is good for emergency care, itās not good for preventative b/c too many doctors could care less about the Hippocratic Oath now and will First Do Harm: https://lizlasorte.substack.com/p/first-do-no-harm
We live paycheck to paycheck, husband will get SS starting in May. Been on Medicare two years since he turned 65. He has to pay monthly premiums and they take out Medicare from his paycheck. Double whammy. So we cannot afford for him to retire either. It's such at messed up system. He is 67 now. I cannot find a way to save. We already do not have " Extras"! He makes decent money but only entitled to half his monthly earnings.Whole thing seems rigged and unfair
I hear ya. I have always lived pay check to pay check too, and of course when we get older, we will need to see doctors more often. This is so messed up!
Luckily.. Not me In my 60's. No ailments or meds Knock on wood. Hope you are in good health. Cheers!
You might want to rethink that a bit.
I already did decades ago and that's why I exercise religiously and eat real, healthy food - that probably has some pesticide residue left behind if not grown in my garden.
But, sometimes we might need to see the doctor for unpreventable illnesses. And, I should not be forced to choose from a list of government approved doctors, esp. after I had no choice but to pay into medicare.
We are not free!
I think it's the doctors who choose whether or not to accept Medicare.
And the Medicare you pay for covers only 80 percent of the bill.
JustA, what state are you in? Medicare/Advantage varies from state to state.
I agree with you on the healthcare, but I think Trump is raising money for the celebration. I donāt think the majority of it is being paid by the taxpayer.
And before I ever complain about the cost of a birthday party, I want every fraudster in MN and CA and IL etc etc to return every cent they stole from us. A milestone birthday celebration is a drop in the bucket compared to what those crooks stole.
Donāt forget ME, too!
With AI so powerful, what is preventing a full DOGE treatment of ALL government spending?
This is what automation should be used for!
Yes, it is a drop in the bucket in the big picture.
IDK how to get that money back, but an easy way to never let it happen again would be to have the rich fund charities like they used to, and the feds could get back into doing what the function of the federal government should be - protecting us, not taking care of us. It would not be that difficult: https://open.substack.com/pub/lizlasorte/p/let-the-rich-fund-charity-again?r=76q58&utm_medium=
It's not health care. It's the Road to Ruin.
Yea, RFK Jr is doing good stuff but if he doesnāt find a way to include alternative Drs on Medicare and insurance, Iām going to be really upset.
What really frazzles me is - Medicare/Advantage coverage is DIFFERENT in every dang state! And you can lose your coverage completely if you make even a dollar or two over the $$ levels.
-In NV, there is no Medicare Advantage coverage at all for anyone on Medicare (for disability) who is under 65- so good luck finding a doctor who will accept straight Medicare with the little they pay. Most doctors there only take a few patients with it or the Advantage coverage; the doctor I saw there only took SIX patients a year with Medicare, and only continued to see me because I had been his patient for 15 years.
-In AZ, you can not only have Advantage coverage, you have a multitude of choices, even free if you accept a PPO, where you see specialists only if your Primary Care refers you, and there is an ever expanding (somewhat) coverage of drugs.
But, none of those AZ plans provide ANY coverage if you are visiting in NV or AL and need care while there, even for emergencies - zero. And since the Advantage signup takes the place of Medicare, you would no longer have even that in the other state. Probably other states as well. I checked because I wanted to visit family/friends.
-In AL, you have crappy straight Medicare or crappy Advantage plans, that are only accepted by a few places/doctors, and pays towards only a few drugs.
-By moving from NV back to AZ, after 20+ happy years, we were able to save at least $400+ & $300+ per month due to differing levels of coverage and drug coverage/costs. THAT is why so many seniors retire here. So, $700-800 a month almost paid our mortgage while we had one. And under my private disability coverage, I was required to apply for disabilty/medicare and to see doctors a certain number of times a year to maintain monthly disability payments to match only 60% of what I was making. Even though my condition (verified with blood/genetic tests) generally worsens with time, & so will not improve- it also adds auto-immune comorbidities like party favors - I still have to maintain those dr visits to get paid.
-I'm sure other states also have differing levels of coverage. Medicare is national, so if we are going to have it, the coverage & Advantage plans ought to be national and cover all 50 states, don't you think? Make it make sense!
All of our health care is ridiculous, for the richest and most advanced country in the world. Medical care and drugs are too expensive, health care and Medicare offer only partial or no coverage, and many Americans can't afford insurance for themselves and their minor children.
Your post just convinced me to stay in Korea.
Plus - one GENERIC drug I do take is priced at $171 for one MONTH! For a generic, even with Medicare!!!!! The brand name is over $600 a month
Have you looked into moving to a socialized country that offer the medical you want Liz? That may be a better option for you. I know 2 people that have done this and are very happy they made the move.
Your friends must have expendable money to do that. And if they made their money the old fashioned way, good on them, but only someone with expendable money would think that way.
Most of us struggling to stay in the middle class do not think that way, b/c we simply do not have it, not because we are not frugal, but because we were forced to pay most of EU's NATO bill so they could treat their citizens to "affordable" health care, let alone all the other welfare we are FORCED to pay.
We are not free; that's the point.
We are the freest in the world! I celebrate it. We are blessed to live in this country although it would be much improved without the demons in skin suits called democrats.
I understand your sentiment, and I thought that myself until I realized what really happened in 1787 and that Brutus predicted all the corruption in our government (from the uni-party - not just the dems) because he understood human nature and read history. If interested, here's my take on Brutus: https://lizlasorte.substack.com/p/brutus-was-right-about-everything?r=76q58
We the People did not keep our constitutional repubic, as Franklin predicted.
I want my children to enjoy the American dream, and their children, and so on, as I'm sure you do as well. But, if we don't see our reality and face it, it will only get worse. And I believe if I was truly free, I wouldn't be forced to pay for medicare - that I have no faith in along with a number of issues.
All we needed was to look to the Bible for corruption, Brutus was not really needed in that respect. And, nothing is free in life, there is always a compromise or trade-off in some way and yet the American Dream is still achievable by many.
You need to realize that America has been subsidizing that socialist healthcare..now that is going to change..the people who have to wait months for treatments or surgery may not agree it is so great.
Good point.
Is all the crap sprayed in the sky considered "GRAS?"
āSo there you go! Drink your coffee, read your C&C, smile, and rest easy knowing that both activities are now scientifically associated with improved cognitive outcomes.ā ā ā
āThe scientists were surprisedā and a little embarrassed.ā
Thatās how we used to do scientific research. Ask a question and observe the answer. THEN ask more Questions.
Yes! Dr Lindaā¦ exactly what my microbiology and clinical psychology professors always insistedā¦ ā Ask a question and observe the answer. THEN ask more Questionsā ā¦ andā¦ āyour research doesnāt start with designing questions nor ends tabulating answer's, but in continuing to test the results with ever more defining questionsā
And the source of funding
That is the tricky part.
For decades, Dems have been degrading the brand "USA", and Trump understands why it must be renewed and how to renew it. It's about damn time. Dems better get on the "Proud of the US" train, or be delivered to the train station.
Neil, is that like the trainstation in Wyoming in yhe Yellowstone Series?
https://www.google.com/collections/s/list/0ArNiYxRE-jyVE5y7S3Pkg/lgdAhdb6B28
yes; metaphorically...
We will need new train rails to the concentration camps.
And what will become of the ICE detention facilities when Trumpās term is over? Who wants to bet theyāll be āwelcoming centersā where millions of ānew Americansā will be introduced to their new entitlements and set forth into the community?
Or reeducation camps - I donāt even like writing this
I share the same concernā¦kind of. I will never allow anyone I know to be put into any type of camp.
Me either, it terrified me. Now I tell myself we would be in good company š
How about democrat demonic worship instruction camps or democrat propaganda camps.
Like Stalinist Russia.
well removing the democrats largest voting base will help republicans stay in power - now if we could only figure out how to stop dead people from voting democrat
And if we could only figure out how to get the Republicans to not be RINOs
Or dissident centers if the party in control changes. š¬ š¤
Only one party. The Trotskyites in control.
Maybe once all the illegals have been returned to their home countries, the facilities can be used for the new asylums we need for all the deranged, unhinged, murderous progressives.
Oooh good thought
I have to sayā¦ the picture is a distribution center, not a warehouse. Iāve learned the difference because about 20 of them have been built across from the entrance to my neighborhood over the last 3 years. And no, Iām not pissed. Itās way better than putting in 10k apartments and the attendant traffic. The distribution centers will mostly add traffic to the 2 freeways, not local roads.
IMO these were planned before when we were supposed to be locked at home for 10 years and that was the way we would get anything those plans were changed, but the plans to build were still moving forward. ?? Maybe they think for future use? And now Iām hoping theyāre just bought by ice.
Either that or all the trillions printed during Covid had to go somewhere. I guess we should be grateful that these are actually buildings and not more fake business or NGOs funneling cash back to the democrat party through act blue.
They are going up all over the US and to what end? How much crap is there to ādistributeā? It seems ridiculous, but investors donāt generally waste money, unlike government.
One of them is a MACYās distribution center. Theyāre still around? Who is ordering from them?
Macy's adds those perfume blowcards to everything they ship. Maybe they have a warehouse full of those blowcards. I don't like smelling like an old lady so quit buying from Macy's.
Out of curiosity, which perfume do you like and which makes you cover your nose?
I don't like any fragrance. I used to like and wear fragrance years ago, but I don't recall any brand. In the last 10 years, I got skin allergies to all sorts of things, and fragrances were one item that I decided to avoid because the term is all encompassing so there's no way to know what's really in a fragrance.
Fragrances are everywhere. For example, laundry detergents and softeners. There's an ingredient in most all detergents, and every single fabric softener, even those supposedly "safe" for eczema and similar, that causes major skin reactions, so besides avoiding all these laundry items, I can no longer trust buying any fabric type thing that was previously owned/worn.
In general, I find the continual use of all these room scents and whatnot, and the addition of fragrances to many household items, to be alarming. I believe that overuse of these scented items can trigger skin/nasal allergies in people and pets.
I do once in awhile.
Most of our new ones are empty. Say for rent but still building more ā¦
Ours are mostly empty too.
The distribution centers are basically freightyards for trucks. They should put those loads back on the trains and save the roads for cars.
I'm pretty sure that "distribution center" is a new name for warehouse.
Also, "fulfillment center" which they apparently got straight from Disney
Mrs. RW
Warehouses store goods, distribution centers take product off one truck and put it on another one within hours.
We sure dont want to deport them. They can be new ICE recruits.
To house victims of the next imagined plandemic.
well they are getting better taken care of in these new facilities than many Americans and our tax dollars paying for their medical/dental needs. I call BS to that.
JD will use them to finish exporting invaders.
Alex Jones called it Prison Planet.
If the SAVE act is passed we shouldn't have to worry about that for a long time.
JD will use them to finish exporting invaders.
I thought the same.