Category Archives: Pandemic

The Covid-19 Isn’t the Only Reason People Are Fat

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Not all countries have the same eating habits, but the ones that have abundant food. over-eat and under-exercise. Over-eating in the United States was proven by research by Brian Wansink. His research was compelling (if memory serves we bought his book during a Cornell reunion), the Wall Street Journal referenced him saying that overweight waiters may inspire restaurant customers to eat and drink more. Unfortunately, Wansink was cheating on his research to make it more newsworthy. The Wall Street Journal’s OVERHEAD column did some pizza research that showed the largest pizza-makers sold a lot more during the COVID. But there is also the good news that scientists found that the coronavirus attacks fat tissue. And you are not alone.

 

Why can’t I Buy Bread in Stores that is as Good as I can Make Myself?

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In yesteryears, there was a popular bread named WonderBread. Nutritionists said, “It’s a wonder it doesn’t kill you!” And there was a saying about the miracle of sliced bread. Today you can buy a variety of tasty and nutritious loaves—sliced or unsliced–from competent bakers or at farmers’ markets. But even those loaves don’t satisfy as much as ones that you have made yourself. We grew up next to our grandparents, and we loved it when our grandmother gave us a still-warm loaf (which was raised next to a wood-burning stove) for our next meal. In our case, we purchased a bread machine (ours is the Zojirushi), which does most of the work and ensures that our timing of the mixing and raising are correct. Most of our value-added is in choosing a recipe (we refer to The Bread Machine Cookbook, by Donna Rathmell German), assembling the ingredients, making sure that it is behaving properly in the early stages, and carefully removing the loaf from the machine (it doesn’t surrender its bounty without effort). The pandemic underscored the benefits of home baking.

 

Dr. Fauci: Star of TV and Cartoons Section

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Several centuries ago, William Shakespeare wrote, “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.” Thus has the name of Dr. Anthony Fauci become a household word, for a wide range of ages. One measure of his value has been that President Trump attacks him because he is afraid of the truth that Dr. Fauci brings to us.

Forest Fire Smoke Can Kill from Outside and the Coronavirus Can Kill from Inside

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The forest fires in California and other Pacific states not only burned down a lot of trees and residences but also killed people by either being burned to death or poisoned by the smoke.  The air quality has become so bad that knowledgeable people have been checking a dedicated webpage before they venture from their homes. And they have recently have purchased some sort of air purifier.

Simple Exercises for Staying Fit During the Coronavirus Era

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Many people have lots of time and need to stay fit. Some are walking every day. But they also need to do things to maintain their strength and flexibility. Pushups and situps are ideal because they don’t take much space or time. How effective they are depends on how many repetitions they do and how they do them. Pushups are simpler and the main technique consideration is how wide apart their hands are. How many one should do depends on their age and gender.  Situps use different muscles and there is a wider range of positions of one’s arms. How difficult it depends on where you put your arms. It’s basic engineering. Your body is like a bunch of chunks of meat: head, arms, torso, abdomen, legs. If you extend your arms over your head your situps will be a lot more difficult than if you keep them along your legs. Some people are fans of “crunches”, which are shorter and harder motions. Your choice is like choosing a religion.

 

Could Stay-at-Home Orders Cause an Increase in Alcoholism?

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There are multiple reasons that people may increase the number of alcoholic drinks they consume. The overall stress of the current pandemic leads people to turn to alcohol for relief. The absence of one’s numerous healthy alternatives, especially social ones that have been discontinued because of the pandemic can result in drinking with your spouse or other members of the household. And sitting in front of a TV set longer than in the pre-pandemic days expands the opportunity to drink. Examples are numerous.

Inaccurate Coronavirus Case and Death Counts May be Leading to Bad Decisions by Leaders That Are Likely to Result in Higher Numbers

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Perhaps April 2 was too soon to expect precise counts and estimates, but in Massachusetts, there were actual counts of only 7,738 cases but the state’s estimates were in the range of 47,000-172,000 for the course of the epidemic. And of course, if a second wave of the virus occurs, the numbers could be significantly larger.

Reasons for the miscounting, are numerous. One is that states are not counting cases and deaths consistently, as specified by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). But the conventions for counting are changing.  And the counts depend on who is doing the counting and their methodology.

The numbers of cases and deaths are worse for men than for women. Women make better than decisions about health, so they live longer (which gives meaning to our website name).

President Trump’s beliefs and actions may be causing more deaths than would have otherwise occurred. He continually pooh-poohs the danger of the Coronavirus and almost never wears a mask (though he did on July 11). And it may cause him to lose the coming election. He apparently is joined by Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos who supports school openings in the fall.

A Second Wave of CoronaVirus is Likely

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