LIVING WITH MCL

As it turns out, just about everything. It's just no one seems to want to tout its benefits, which there is an explanation for! For starters, it's free! So there's no incentive for the pharmaceutical or supplement industries to tout its benefits. [They can't sell you sunlight]. And the sunscreen industry doesn't want you to know [moderate] direct exposure to sunlight (you just don't want to burn) is actually beneficial , because that realization would mean lower sales of sunscreen products. Remember, they've built an entire industry based on the fact sunlight is bad for you. Well, it's time we stop believing everything we hear, and start questioning the motives of some. Remember what I said in a previous post Don’t be stupid. Everyone has an agenda, and it most likely isn’t to benefit you. As it turns out, it is estimated that 75% of teens and adults may be vitamin D deficient . So what are some of the benefits of Vitamin D ? It is crucial for the absorp...

I can remember when I was a little kid, and my most pressing concern was not being able to touch the floor with my feet when I was sitting in a chair. I can also remember being in elementary school, and all I could think about was going to high school, then going to college. Then when I finally got to college, my only thoughts were about getting my first job, and then changing jobs, after which I couldn't wait till I was able to retire. Well, been there, done all that! My only question now is, what's next? Now that I've reached the penultimate goal of retirement, what's left to do? Sure I could travel some (and we are planning a 2 week barge cruise through Europe this coming May), but that's only two weeks. What am I going to do the other 50 weeks? Plus traveling is hard, i.e. there's the preparation, the getting through airport security, arranging for a house sitter to take care of the cats, even for just a weekend. (They wouldn't do good in a kennel.)  It...

While advances in the treatment of cancer are continuously being made, I have always had an overriding belief that "the cure is worse than the disease". I have just never been able to adequately articulate why I believe that to be so, that is until now. [note]I only wish I had seen this great analogy, on how cancer treatments work, when I was first diagnosed with MCL, and friends and acquaintances would ask why I wasn't starting treatment right away.[/note] While this person was responding to a promising new technology, CART (Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell) therapy, it's still represents an accurate assessment of the current state of all cancer treatment. I live in the wilderness with many species of wild and domestic animals like Coyotes, Fisher Cats, Fox, Bobcats, Dogs, Cats and yes Bears. Many of these animals help keep a balance of nature and rarely bother humans but sometimes bears can become dangerous, culminating in the rare attack on humans. Let's say a ...

Our trip to the annual Aureole Wine Weekend in Vegas has ended, and we're back home recovering. It's hard to believe a weekend of [over] eating and [over] indulging in wine, could be so tiring, but by the time Sunday afternoon rolled around, I was pretty much exhausted. I even cancelled reservations we had at LeCirque for Sunday evening, opting instead for hamburgers at Hubert Keller's Burger Bar. They are very good burgers! I have to admit, I didn't think it was possible for Kevin (Aureole GM) and William (Master Sommelier) to top last years event , but they did. This was even despite my initial reservations because of the theme, white burgundy's and Spanish wines, but I have now come away with a new appreciation for both, especially the Spanish wines. Of course these were not your usual Spanish wines, primarily focusing on the wines from the Priorat region of spain, i.e. Carinena (Carignan), Garnacha (Grenache), Syrah, Cabernet Savignon, and Merlot, with of course...

Remember the advice about drinking 8 - 8 oz glasses of water a day? Well, studies have now shown that may not be such good advice , and could actually be harmful. The study also concluded drinking caffeinated beverages has no deleterious effects on hydration either. I had read about caffeinated beverages not causing dehydration before ( from a study commissioned by the Tea Advisory Panel in the UK ), so that isn't surprising, but the debunking of the myth about drinking 8 - 8 oz glasses of water is new news to me [despite it being old news to many others]. Under some circumstances, significant fluid intake — at least eight 8-ounce glasses — is advisable: for the treatment or prevention of kidney stones, for example, as well as under special circumstances, such as performing strenuous physical activity or enduring hot weather. In those cases I'm guessing you may need to drink even more [and it doesn't even have to be water], but the best advice now appears to be Drink when y...