Many years ago I was a member of the Science Fiction Book Club. One of the books I bought was named "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." However, before I ever got the chance to read it, I loaned it to someone, never to see it again (moral: only loan things that you can do without). I had read the dust jacket, and it was about a twin of planet Earth, in the same orbit, but at 180 degrees from us - on the opposite side of the sun. That sounded interesting and I had always wondered what the plot was.
Fast forward around 40 years (I told you it was many years ago), where now we have the internet and can find almost anything we look for. I found the book - it had been renamed to "Echo X," and was being sold for 86 cents (used), plus $3.99 shipping. Forty years plus after getting the original book, I finally got to read it. The twin Earth had figured out how to do away with conflicts and wars, and also became technologically advanced, eradicated disease, etc. The book was written was during the cold war and the threat of nuclear war. But the twin world was about love and peace, and our world about war and killing. The twin Earth contacted us, and gave us the opportunity to share their advanced knowledge, but when they discovered the dangers of the way we lived, decided it would be best not to share it, after all. Of course, there's a lot more to it, including a love story, but you'll have to get the book for the rest.
Wouldn't it be nice if this Earth was like the twin Earth - no wars, technology used only for good, no diseases, and everyone had all they need to live a happy and contented life.
Now, about the change to my posting on this blog. I think the dual posts about photography and health is confusing for people who come here for photography only. So I may start a separate health blog - but will discontinue health articles here. Photography posts will either be weekly or monthly (probably monthly for a while), unless I have some new and interesting photos to post, which I will post as they happen.
Thanks for being here and hope you learned something helpful about how to improve your health. Have a great weekend.
Friday, April 25, 2014
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Mammograms and Breast Cancer
This is sort of related to part of my last post. If you are interested in this subject, please go to this link: Alliance for Natural Health - Also note in that article link, that with all the walks and other fund raising for breast cancer, the incidence of that cancer is rising rather than falling, including a good friend of mine who died from it a couple of years ago.
You may want to sign up for the Alliance for Natural Health (ANH-USA) newsletter. They are a good source of information. As is foodbabe.com and Mercola.com.
One more link worth reading from ANH-USA - Junk Science and Faulty Studies
Remember, prevention is your best bet. So eat well, be well and always do your research and due diligence.
You may want to sign up for the Alliance for Natural Health (ANH-USA) newsletter. They are a good source of information. As is foodbabe.com and Mercola.com.
One more link worth reading from ANH-USA - Junk Science and Faulty Studies
Remember, prevention is your best bet. So eat well, be well and always do your research and due diligence.
Half of What We Teach is Wrong
The following quote has been attributed to a Dean of Harvard Medical School, among others. "Half of what we teach our students is wrong. The problem is, we don't know which half." Here is a link where you can see some others it has been attributed to: Half is Wrong.
With the internet, we have more information available than ever before. Virtually any topic that interests you, you can learn - you just have to figure out what is right and what is wrong. What makes sense and what doesn't. What is the motivation for those who are writing the information you're reading?
For advertising, a big motivator is money - to get you to buy something. Sometimes it can be helpful by making you aware of alternatives to something you are using or something you might be interested in using. Other times, as with drug ads, they may get you to try something that can make your life miserable, or worse, that may kill you.
So how do you decide which half to listen to? Check many sites, ask friends who may be using a product you're interested in or who has been educated in the subject. Try to figure out the motivation - is it there to help you, or to get you to buy something? Is it both?
Getting back to the original quote - before you see your doctor, research the problem you are seeing him or her for. Medical mistakes has been said to be the third leading cause of death in the U.S. -- Medical Mistakes - The more you know, and can discuss with your doctor, the better your chances of making things better instead of worse.
This is why I have extensively studied health and nutrition, vitamins and supplements, etc. Hope this helps you in some way. Take care and stay well.
With the internet, we have more information available than ever before. Virtually any topic that interests you, you can learn - you just have to figure out what is right and what is wrong. What makes sense and what doesn't. What is the motivation for those who are writing the information you're reading?
For advertising, a big motivator is money - to get you to buy something. Sometimes it can be helpful by making you aware of alternatives to something you are using or something you might be interested in using. Other times, as with drug ads, they may get you to try something that can make your life miserable, or worse, that may kill you.
So how do you decide which half to listen to? Check many sites, ask friends who may be using a product you're interested in or who has been educated in the subject. Try to figure out the motivation - is it there to help you, or to get you to buy something? Is it both?
Getting back to the original quote - before you see your doctor, research the problem you are seeing him or her for. Medical mistakes has been said to be the third leading cause of death in the U.S. -- Medical Mistakes - The more you know, and can discuss with your doctor, the better your chances of making things better instead of worse.
This is why I have extensively studied health and nutrition, vitamins and supplements, etc. Hope this helps you in some way. Take care and stay well.
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Models at Venice Beach - Ready for Rain or Shine
Before I forget, hope everyone has had a Happy Easter.
Maybe my headline should have been Beauty and the Beach - because I saw these two models at Venice Beach, just opposite the paddle tennis courts. As those who know me know I spend some time there, usually playing paddle tennis when not injured. I currently have a wrist injury, so have been spectating instead, and doing more hunting for photos to shoot. I suppose this would come under the heading of Street Photography. I've been doing that in Venice for around 30 years or so, on and off. Depending on the situation, I try to remain as unobtrusive as possible. At Venice Beach, that can be difficult because there are so many people that it's difficult to get a clear shot, but patience pays off, as can be seen below.
The below photo is from around 20 years ago, perhaps more - there were still phone booths at Venice Beach. I didn't know it at the time I shot this, but I knew the model on the far left. She looked different in the photo.
The below photo was shot at the same phone booths. I was skating by at the time, and never saw anyone sitting in one of these booths, so had to get the shot. She saw me shooting the photo, and got a nice laugh out of it. We talked a bit before I skated on, and she got back to her long distance call.
Well, that's it for today. Next post will be back to health....probably.
Maybe my headline should have been Beauty and the Beach - because I saw these two models at Venice Beach, just opposite the paddle tennis courts. As those who know me know I spend some time there, usually playing paddle tennis when not injured. I currently have a wrist injury, so have been spectating instead, and doing more hunting for photos to shoot. I suppose this would come under the heading of Street Photography. I've been doing that in Venice for around 30 years or so, on and off. Depending on the situation, I try to remain as unobtrusive as possible. At Venice Beach, that can be difficult because there are so many people that it's difficult to get a clear shot, but patience pays off, as can be seen below.
The below photo is from around 20 years ago, perhaps more - there were still phone booths at Venice Beach. I didn't know it at the time I shot this, but I knew the model on the far left. She looked different in the photo.
The below photo was shot at the same phone booths. I was skating by at the time, and never saw anyone sitting in one of these booths, so had to get the shot. She saw me shooting the photo, and got a nice laugh out of it. We talked a bit before I skated on, and she got back to her long distance call.
Well, that's it for today. Next post will be back to health....probably.
Friday, April 18, 2014
Venice Beach and Photography
Today is Good Friday - for most people, I imagine most Friday's are pretty good. I spent the day nearby the Venice Beach paddle tennis courts. Can't play due to a wrist injury, so got my camera out and shot some photos. It was like a Summer weekend day out there - packed with people. Over the years (many many years), I've photographed thousands of people and events at Venice Beach. I'm always looking for the unusual, for something new and different, something beautiful or odd or ???????? The kind of thing you know when you see it, or at least I do, LOL.
Today, I saw something that fit the above description, and started making some photos of what was happening. I hope you find this outfit as interesting as I did. Not sure where one would wear an outfit like this (perhaps to an art exhibit?) - but for Venice Beach, it is pretty normal. Although because they had a whole production company working on it, they did draw a pretty good crowd.
Here are some of the photos:
Hope you all have a Happy Easter....and try not to eat too many chocolate Easter eggs!
Today, I saw something that fit the above description, and started making some photos of what was happening. I hope you find this outfit as interesting as I did. Not sure where one would wear an outfit like this (perhaps to an art exhibit?) - but for Venice Beach, it is pretty normal. Although because they had a whole production company working on it, they did draw a pretty good crowd.
Here are some of the photos:
Hope you all have a Happy Easter....and try not to eat too many chocolate Easter eggs!
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Neuropathy, Heart Disease, Diabetes, Etc., and "Food," Supplements, and Drugs
I put Food in quotes in the title because what too many people eat I would not consider to be food. The link at the bottom of this post will give more detail on why.
You may have heard of the Unified Field Theory that basically tries to tie everything together into one theory. What I am summarizing here could be thought of as the Unified Natural Health Theory. It will be extremely condensed and compacted or would need several volumes to describe it completely. Actually, thinking about it, I will have to spread it out over many posts - this post will be an introduction.
There will be links to other pages because I cannot legally say certain things. For example, if you have neuropathy, I cannot tell you that a certain natural formula might help you. However, you can do an independent Google search to find certain information. I do this often, plus look in various health books for answers to questions I have. Prevention is a much better alternative to trying to fix a problem you acquired through poor eating habits. And that is what my Unified Natural Health Theory will be about.
I am writing this because of what I saw happen to my parents (and grandparents) and their health, as well as my own poor health before the age of 30, and the results I have gotten since then through a healthy diet and supplements. I mention healthy diet - what does that include, and more importantly, what does it exclude? About supplements - how did I get to the mix of supplements I take today, and why yours most likely would need to be different, at least partially so.
I wanted to talk about....I was going to say links, and because I mentioned neuropathy in the title, was going to put a link to it, but this would be better: in Google, start typing "natural neuropathy" and you get a drop down list of many combinations to search for. There would be enough to keep you busy for days.
When I see a link I want to go to, I usually right click it, and open it in a new window. That way, when I close that window, I don't lose my place on the page I was reading. And I don't lose the page.
Now here are a few links - the first one, I received in an email today:
Artificial Sweeteners
Foods you should eat and avoid
This is all for today.
You may have heard of the Unified Field Theory that basically tries to tie everything together into one theory. What I am summarizing here could be thought of as the Unified Natural Health Theory. It will be extremely condensed and compacted or would need several volumes to describe it completely. Actually, thinking about it, I will have to spread it out over many posts - this post will be an introduction.
There will be links to other pages because I cannot legally say certain things. For example, if you have neuropathy, I cannot tell you that a certain natural formula might help you. However, you can do an independent Google search to find certain information. I do this often, plus look in various health books for answers to questions I have. Prevention is a much better alternative to trying to fix a problem you acquired through poor eating habits. And that is what my Unified Natural Health Theory will be about.
I am writing this because of what I saw happen to my parents (and grandparents) and their health, as well as my own poor health before the age of 30, and the results I have gotten since then through a healthy diet and supplements. I mention healthy diet - what does that include, and more importantly, what does it exclude? About supplements - how did I get to the mix of supplements I take today, and why yours most likely would need to be different, at least partially so.
I wanted to talk about....I was going to say links, and because I mentioned neuropathy in the title, was going to put a link to it, but this would be better: in Google, start typing "natural neuropathy" and you get a drop down list of many combinations to search for. There would be enough to keep you busy for days.
When I see a link I want to go to, I usually right click it, and open it in a new window. That way, when I close that window, I don't lose my place on the page I was reading. And I don't lose the page.
Now here are a few links - the first one, I received in an email today:
Artificial Sweeteners
Foods you should eat and avoid
This is all for today.
Saturday, April 5, 2014
Before Buying Anything Advertised
Although my expertise is in Photography and Vitamins/Supplements (so I write mostly about those things or related), anytime I see or hear anything advertised, I check it out on the internet. The latest was an ad for Clear TV. The ad made it sound like you would no longer need cable and hinted that Clear TV would give you everything, but the reality, after researching it, was that it was no different than your regular antenna - all you get is what is called antenna TV. Whatever channels are local to you.
As far as those infomercials - always research those. I've read about many horror stories from people ordering those items. Just use Google, type in whatever product is being sold, then add the word "problems," "complaints," "scam," or something similar. Then if you decide to buy, you'll at least know what to expect.
On a more positive note, buying through Amazon and Ebay offer some protections. For photography, besides using those two, I have also used Adorama, which has been excellent. For vitamins and supplements, the two places I used most are Vitacost and Swanson. One time, before I knew any better, I ordered a camera from some other place I found on the internet. Never got the product, and was told by the company I had to file a credit card dispute to get my money back. If I had checked them out beforehand I never would have ordered from them. They had a terrible reputation.
Hope this article saves somebody some time and money.
Enjoy your weekend and stay well.
As far as those infomercials - always research those. I've read about many horror stories from people ordering those items. Just use Google, type in whatever product is being sold, then add the word "problems," "complaints," "scam," or something similar. Then if you decide to buy, you'll at least know what to expect.
On a more positive note, buying through Amazon and Ebay offer some protections. For photography, besides using those two, I have also used Adorama, which has been excellent. For vitamins and supplements, the two places I used most are Vitacost and Swanson. One time, before I knew any better, I ordered a camera from some other place I found on the internet. Never got the product, and was told by the company I had to file a credit card dispute to get my money back. If I had checked them out beforehand I never would have ordered from them. They had a terrible reputation.
Hope this article saves somebody some time and money.
Enjoy your weekend and stay well.
Friday, April 4, 2014
Internet Ads for Health Supplements - Beware of Inflated Prices!
I came across an ad for a diabetes supplement the other day: let's dissect parts of the ad.
As with other ads of this type, many of which I have come across, it mentions how much you need to be careful of inferior products, and then generalizes that to make you think all other products are no good at best. This is not true. While there are inferior products, if you buy from reputable companies, you will get products that are of excellent quality. But these companies try to make you think that you have to buy from them by saying this, so they can offer you a product at an extremely inflated price.
The next thing they do is tell you the retail value is even higher, but they'll knock off a lot if you buy now. You may think, wow, what a deal. In this case their suggested price is $147 for a one month supply, but you can get it for $67 if you order now (hey, that's a savings of $80, wow), and if you order 4 bottles, the price of each bottle is only $49.95 (now you're really saving!!!!). Each bottle lasts one month.
About the ingredients: Curcumin, Berberine, Piperine. Plus the usual other ingredients. What about Piperine? Well, it sounds like Bioperine is actually the better form. I found this on the bioperine site, "BioPerine® is the only product sourced out of piperine to obtain a patented status for its ability to increase the bioavailability of nutritional compounds. Secondly, it is the only source from piperine to have undergone clinical studies in the U.S. to substantiate its safety and efficacy for nutritional use."
So perhaps their quality is not the absolute best.
As for the other ingredients - Swanson's Superior Herbs Curcumin Complex is standardized and contains Bioperine, and costs $17.99 for a two month supply. It contains 850mg Curcumin vs 400mg for the other brand, both standardized to 95% curcuminoids. Both have 5mg of either piperine (for their product) or bioperine (for Swanson). Now for berberine HCL - the other brand has 200mg. Swanson vitamins has 400mg berberine HCL for $9.99 for a two month supply.
Let's do a cost comparison: Their product - 4 month supply costs $49.95 per month. For the same active ingredients (at twice the strength) the cost is $27.98 for two months, or $13.99 per month.
BTW - I used the Swanson brand Curcumin with Bioperine. There are many other good brands out there, but I use this one.
One more example (much shorter) - There was a Beverly Hills doctor advertising a superfood blend. To put it together myself would have saved me 75% for the exact ingredients. I made some changes that I thought were better, added another couple, and still saved about 75%. He claimed that if you bought his ingredients separately it would cost you much more. Well, I guess if you searched for the most expensive places to buy from, maybe he would have been right.
I hope this helps you avoid these kinds of misleading ads. Whatever else you do, always do your research - whether it's on prices, how well something works, what supplements to take, what to eat, what drugs to avoid, or if you're buying stocks.
As with other ads of this type, many of which I have come across, it mentions how much you need to be careful of inferior products, and then generalizes that to make you think all other products are no good at best. This is not true. While there are inferior products, if you buy from reputable companies, you will get products that are of excellent quality. But these companies try to make you think that you have to buy from them by saying this, so they can offer you a product at an extremely inflated price.
The next thing they do is tell you the retail value is even higher, but they'll knock off a lot if you buy now. You may think, wow, what a deal. In this case their suggested price is $147 for a one month supply, but you can get it for $67 if you order now (hey, that's a savings of $80, wow), and if you order 4 bottles, the price of each bottle is only $49.95 (now you're really saving!!!!). Each bottle lasts one month.
About the ingredients: Curcumin, Berberine, Piperine. Plus the usual other ingredients. What about Piperine? Well, it sounds like Bioperine is actually the better form. I found this on the bioperine site, "BioPerine® is the only product sourced out of piperine to obtain a patented status for its ability to increase the bioavailability of nutritional compounds. Secondly, it is the only source from piperine to have undergone clinical studies in the U.S. to substantiate its safety and efficacy for nutritional use."
So perhaps their quality is not the absolute best.
As for the other ingredients - Swanson's Superior Herbs Curcumin Complex is standardized and contains Bioperine, and costs $17.99 for a two month supply. It contains 850mg Curcumin vs 400mg for the other brand, both standardized to 95% curcuminoids. Both have 5mg of either piperine (for their product) or bioperine (for Swanson). Now for berberine HCL - the other brand has 200mg. Swanson vitamins has 400mg berberine HCL for $9.99 for a two month supply.
Let's do a cost comparison: Their product - 4 month supply costs $49.95 per month. For the same active ingredients (at twice the strength) the cost is $27.98 for two months, or $13.99 per month.
BTW - I used the Swanson brand Curcumin with Bioperine. There are many other good brands out there, but I use this one.
One more example (much shorter) - There was a Beverly Hills doctor advertising a superfood blend. To put it together myself would have saved me 75% for the exact ingredients. I made some changes that I thought were better, added another couple, and still saved about 75%. He claimed that if you bought his ingredients separately it would cost you much more. Well, I guess if you searched for the most expensive places to buy from, maybe he would have been right.
I hope this helps you avoid these kinds of misleading ads. Whatever else you do, always do your research - whether it's on prices, how well something works, what supplements to take, what to eat, what drugs to avoid, or if you're buying stocks.
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Enjoy Life More
I cam across this on FB today, and thought it was a great list. Especially since it listed #10, without which you may not be able to enjoy the other 11 as much, if at all. Here is the link: 12 Things You Should Start Making Time For Again.
The point is that you never know when your time is up. So enjoy what time you do have. Don't put things off for later. Relating to photography, that means you may want to get your portrait done now rather than next year, whether a family portrait or and individual beauty portrait. We didn't have many photos of my grandfather, but got this photo of him just a few days before his time was up, with my brother along side him:
This photo was taken over 50 years ago, and we were so glad we had taken it. That's a convertible Buick in the background, with a plaid top. Jamaica Estates, NY.
As always, have a great week and hope you enjoy reading the link.
The point is that you never know when your time is up. So enjoy what time you do have. Don't put things off for later. Relating to photography, that means you may want to get your portrait done now rather than next year, whether a family portrait or and individual beauty portrait. We didn't have many photos of my grandfather, but got this photo of him just a few days before his time was up, with my brother along side him:
This photo was taken over 50 years ago, and we were so glad we had taken it. That's a convertible Buick in the background, with a plaid top. Jamaica Estates, NY.
As always, have a great week and hope you enjoy reading the link.
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