Author Archives: whymendieyoung

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Staying Fit Carefully in the CoronaVirus Era

The millions of people with time on their hands can use that extra time to stay fit. We have noticed a big increase of runners and walkers in our neighborhood. We are fortunate to live in California, where the weather is usually good, whereas people living in areas with poor weather need to do their exercise indoors. Those who are already disciplined to do exercises like Pilates or Yoga may not need any extra gear, but others need equipment such as stationary bicycles. Whether or not you use such equipment, you need to be careful.

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Being Overweight or Obese Makes You More Likely to Get Covid-19

Elderly individuals are more susceptible to dying from a variety of causes. These days it has become common knowledge that they are more likely than younger people to die from the Covid-19. But people of all ages who are overweight or obese have a greater chance of getting ill, and dying, from Covid-19.

The Spirit is Willing but the Flesh is Weak

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The USA has become too dependent on the cheap products it gets from China. In the face of the high volumes of people stricken by CoronaVirus it was not able to supply enough face masks. In particular, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has in the past provided temporary shelters (e.g., trailers) and other products to victims of natural disasters, but the nature of the supplies needed to deal with the CoronaVirus was so different that potential suppliers were unprepared to provide sufficient quantities of appropriate items. To make matters worse, President Trump and 3M were feuding because he used the United States’ Defense Production Act to prevent shipments of US-made face masks to Canada or other countries. Fortunately, Trump and 3M changed their minds, though Canada and other countries might not be happy because they would be getting the less-effective face masks made by 3M whereas Americans would get the more-effective models imported from China.

Kudos to Stores for Using Internet to Serve Households

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Grocery stores, in particular, deserve a lot of praise these days for their quick response to the challenges caused by the CoronaVirus. We personally experienced this in the case of using Instacart at our local Safeway. We actually were in touch with the staffer who was picking items from their shelves, and we could answer questions regarding the items he was choosing and make decisions in real-time

BladderMax is Fake News

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A half-page article in my newspaper (The Mercury News (part of the Bay Area News Group)) on March 24, 2020 is headlined “New Bladder Control Pill Sales May Surpass Adult Diapers By 2021”. These fake news stories appear regularly in many daily newspapers.  It had the byline T.J. Roberts; possibly a fictitious person, since a Google search reveals no science journalist with that name. And it quotes Keith Graham, Manager of Call Center Operations for BladderMax, saying how it has exceeded their expectations. One would expect a quote from a noted urologist rather than the head of a “boiler room” telephone bank. fortunately, there are other watchers who are alert, such as Science Based Medicine. And there are legitimate bladder control pills, such as Myrbetriq and SagaPro (at a price one-tenth that of Myrbetriq). One wonders why a reputable newspaper would publish such an advertisement.

VOXXLIFE’s Products for Feet Magically Improve Comfort and Performance

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When I first tried on a pair of VOXXSTASIS socks (at the Elevate Performance and PT studio in Redwood City, CA), I was astonished. Studio owner Nadine Waeghe and I took turns lifting each other with and without wearing the socks. It was clear to me that the socks made each of us significantly stronger. Subsequently I wore them in my ballroom dance shoes (special shoes with very thin soles) and noticed that my feet felt stronger and I could dance longer without wearing out. Then I bought a pair of VOXXBLISS insoles that I use in my TOPO walking shoes (which have no built-in sculptured insoles) per my Pilates instructor Maxine Walmsley at the Core Body Connections studio in Menlo Park, CA. These are intended to make my feet “walk as God intended”. Presumably these products will help other people with (or without) challenged feet.

Restaurant Meals Can Make You Fat

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Even if you eat in upscale restaurants in the U.S. or most other high-income countries, you normally are served meals with considerably more calories than you need. If you want to maintain a “Normal” BMI (Body Mass Index) you need to eat only a portion of the meal and take the rest home. It is even worse if you either (1) eat in downscale restaurants or (2) eat at fancy restaurants with 10-course “tasting menus. And if you eat enough to weigh 100 pounds or more too much you can expect to die 14 years younger than a person with normal BMI.

Global Rescue Saves Lives, at a Price

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Whether you need to be evacuated from locations experiencing earthquakes or landslides or political turmoil (wars, invasions, etc.) or other emergencies, you should become a client of the private crisis-response firm Global Rescue … if you can afford it.

But they also can be useful to deal with accidents or illnesses that can happen to travelers, especially ones who venture off the beaten path where medical care is not available.

Can Fixing Hearing Loss Prevent Dementia?

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It is not surprising that a hearing aid company like Beltone would praise the value of improved hearing to reduce the likelihood of a person’s contracting Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Beltone referred to a number of studies, which may have included the one by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the National Institute on Aging.

Alzheimer’s Disease Drug Research Proceeds; Diabetes Drugs, Vitamin B1, and Flossing May Work

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With millions of people affected by Alzheimer’s disease, there is a lot of interest by drug companies to come up with a cure. But that interest has thus far not translated into drugs that work. Two companies—Pfizer, Inc. and Axovant Sciences Ltd.—have recently exited the business, but others are continuing their research, and new ones are starting. Curiously, new research indicates that drugs used to treat diabetes may work for Alzheimer’s too … at least in mice.

The brain needs vitamin B1 (thiamine) to make acetylcholine as Alzheimer’s sufferers are deficient in it.

And another possible way to avoid, or at least delay, Alzheimer’s is to floss your teeth religiously.