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I had to take a mandated flu vaccine this week.
It was take it or lose my privileges to work.
And, the insult added was that I was required to sign a paper saying that I had been made aware of the risks of the vaccine, that the hospital system mandating the vaccine has no liability for adverse consequences from the vaccine, and that I consent to being given the vaccination.
It is possible to be supportive of taking a vaccine and, at the same time, strongly oppose mandates.
I understand the reasons for the protections extended to vaccine manufacturers. Vaccines are not a high-margin market, and the shielding from liability extended to the developers and manufacturers by the the federal government is one of the things that makes vaccines possible.
Vaccines do not magically appear.
They require development and testing before they can be allowed onto the market, and they require an extensive manufacturing process on a huge scale to produce enough doses to meet population needs.
But liability does raise the stakes and gives incentive to not cut corners. Being shielded from liability means only upside and no downside for the manufacturers. So I accept that the vaccine manufacturers are in a sweet position from a business perspective, and that consumers' distrust is understandable.
In the end, though, I find most of the actual arguments being put forth against vaccination (not against mandates) to be unsupported by the data.
I can identify bias and sources for many simply by the language being put forth. "Gene therapy," "Spike protein toxicity," even "Jab" are very revealing. At this point, people using these terms do not get much attention from me. I can't convince them otherwise, so I save my energy.
And yes, it was a slow news day.
Stay healthy!
I'm on a weekend night call schedule this weekend, which always leaves me feeling under-rested and generally icky.
But I wanted to remind you that outdoor exercise without screens is really good for your mental health.
Go outdoors, preferably into the woods.
Get in tune with those surroundings, the sights, the sounds, the smells, even the movement of air and the varying temperatures as you walk.
We were made to be outdoors.
We were definitely not made to work in cubicles.
One Degree!
What you want from your body will dictate what you need to set as goals, and the goals will determine what you'll end up having to change to attain them.
I've spoken many times about systems being better than goals, and my position has not changed.
But goals are easier to discuss and to understand, so for this week, we'll be very specific about goals.
Do you want more muscle mass?
Do you want to be stronger?
Do you want to run faster?
Do you want to gain weight?
Do you want to lose weight?
Do you want to improve general fitness?
Do you want longevity?
Do you want strong bones?
Do you want to earn a Black Belt?
Understanding the benefits and costs of each particular goal may help you decide what you want.
For example, if you want to compete in body-building competitions, you'll not be doing the same thing as if you were focused on longevity. Same with strength competitions.
But general fitness and longevity go fairly well together.
Running is great but will increase the likelihood of needing knee or hip ...
I'll make this one short and to the point.
Spring time change is hard on all of us. Having to get up an hour early doesn't make going to bed an hour earlier much easier.
Yes, it's nice to have more productive time in the evening.
But it's at the cost of forcing us out of be an hour earlier, as we all know.
Our challenge is to adjust our circadian rhythm to match the world's expectations around us.
My main strategy is supplementing with a dose of melatonin about a half hour before I need to be asleep. It helps most people fall asleep more readily.
If you need a nap during your day, take it between mid-morning and early afternoon. Limit it to 20 minutes.
Taking a longer or later nap may make it even harder to get off to sleep in time.
All of the other normal advice applies even moreso:
- Take a 20-minute walk after supper.
- No screen time for the last hour before bed.
- Listen to calm music after supper.
- Don't eat for 2 hours before bed.
- Don't have conflict-laden conversations ...
