Practice:
• Is practice a verb or a noun? We often think of it as something we do, whether it is medicine, golf, guitar. George Leonard argues (in his book Mastery) that we should think of it more as a noun, something we have, something we are. Practice is Tao in Chinese and do in Japanese, but these words more directly translate to path or way. Practice is something you have for its own sake, not in order to gain something else. Similar to the idea of rest from The Sabbath, you don’t sleep, nourish yourself, meditate, or spend time with family simply to recharge energy that will be devoted to making money at your job, taking tests or publishing papers. Practice, like rest, is the end (not a means).
• The Practice of Wellness is something you must have, and respect, and understand there is no goal, certainly nothing we will obtain in our lifetimes. “If the path is complex and profound enough, the destination is two miles farther way for every mile he or she travels.”
Red Wine with Meat:
• This study and this study go to interesting lengths to determine the gastric interactions between red wine turkey or red meat. In the second study, not only did red wine cause the Malondialdehyde (an advanced lipid oxidation end product) level in the rat serum to not rise with oxidized meat consumption, but the MDA level even went down in the serum. This suggests that consuming red wine by itself could clear (toxic) oxidized molecules in your serum.
• They conclude: “red wine polyphenols exert a beneficial effect by the novel new function, absorption inhibition of the lipotoxin MDA.”
Vaccinate your heart:
• Very cool summary article in the New England Journal on cardiovascular events after infections. Several recent studies have pointed out the increased rate of cardiovascular events such as stroke and heart attack in the weeks to months following infection. This includes colds, bronchitis, flu, pneumonia and sepsis. The authors here discuss how acute inflammatory states from these infections can lead to both Type 1 and 2 MIs (heart attacks).
• They end with some fascinating meta-analyses on decreased heart attack risk in cohorts of patients who get their flu (5 RCTs) and pneumonia (8 observational trials) vaccines. The effects are even more pronounced in patients who have coronary artery disease. Vaccinate your patients and family members!
No Excuses:
• Inspiring article on ten endurance sport records broken in 2018. Some serious girl power here, with 6 of the 10feats led by women, including Desiree Linden becoming the first American woman to win the Boston Marathon. A double amputee climbed Everest, despite new laws seeking to ban double amputees from attempting the summit. Swedish ultrarunner Ida Nilsson ran down, up, back down, and back up the Grand Canyon in 7 hours, 29 minutes, and 16 seconds!
• Check out the article. And hop out of your chair and do a bunch of air squats right now. Your antifragile human body is begging to be challenged!
Parasites:
• Dr. Kristan Milam shared this article on people infecting themselves with GI worms to treat inflammatory bowel disease. Cool read with a very nice summary of this new treatment modality. It is very paleo to eat a few worms, give your gut something to fight so it doesn’t attack itself. Not recommendinganyone try this without medical professional assistance.
The Man in The Glass*
Peter Dale Wimbrow Sr.
When you get what you want in your struggle for self
And the world makes you king for a day
Just go to the mirror and look at yourself
And see what that man has to say.
For it isn’t your father, or mother, or wife
Whose judgment upon you must pass
The fellow whose verdict counts most in your life
Is the one staring back from the glass.
He’s the fellow to please – never mind all the rest
For he’s with you, clear to the end
And you’ve passed your most difficult, dangerous test
If the man in the glass is your friend.
You may fool the whole world down the pathway of years
And get pats on the back as you pass
But your final reward will be heartache and tears
If you’ve cheated the man in the glass.
*Thanks Drew Withington for this recommendation
