Members get a daily Covid-19 topic focused on Covid in Tennessee.
Supporters are part of a self-improvement sub-group where value is dispensed daily on personal growth in all aspects of life, informed by many sources. New members welcome!
In Tennessee today, 908 people had confirmed positive SARS-CoV2 tests for infection, 3 people were reported to have died, and hospitalizations jumped to 502 patients. Positivity rose to 10.18%.
I think it's safe to say that summer break from Covid is over.
We don't wait to put our gloves on until after we've gotten our hands dirty.
We don't wait to put armor on until after we've been shot.
We don't wait to vaccinate until we are sick.
I know that most my readers do not need me to make this point, but some folks may need to have it reiterated: If you are waiting to see how bad it gets before deciding to get your vaccine, you're being as foolish as a soldier who waits until he's been shot to put on his armor.
If you have been exposed and are growing the virus in your body, you can not gain benefit at that moment from a vaccine shot.
And the vaccines have been remarkably effective against severe illness and death.
But, as one comment on yesterday's post mentioned, an all-of-the-above approach makes sense. We need to have excellent therapeutics available as well as vaccines.
This was one of the most infuriating things about how the CDC and the healthcare industry in general approached Covid-19: "Go home and wait."
For most, no advice to help people do what they could to reduce their likelihood of developing severe disease.
Our bodies and our minds are fully interconnected.
Could it be that the hopelessness of "Go home and wait" may have contrasted poorly to the outcomes of those who had some sort of treatment, be it high dose Vitamin D or a particular malaria or parasite drug?
The placebo effect is not a joke. I at this point believe that it is responsible for a great deal of relief of illness and healing, because of the impact our minds have on our bodies.
Yes, I'm simply spouting opinion on this, but what if the reason double blind studies are relatively limited on some of the notable treatments we've seen go by is that both the treatment and the placebo group believe that they are going to get better because they were treated? I'm curious about if a third group of null treatment (none, including no placebo) might uncover unexpected results.
The pandemic remains one of the unvaccinated.
I'm not condemning. I'm just stating what the data is showing currently.
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 ...
