We bought a Renpho digital smart scale that measures subcutaneous/visceral fat, muscle, bone, water, etc. It’s like a mini DEXA scanner. I’m not all that concerned about weight but fat, bone, muscle, etc. — yes. When I can get a DEXA scan again, I’ll have to check to see how accurate it is. It does seem to match my numbers, though. It’s also very easy to use and only costs about $35.

Most people don't have a problem getting enough protein. If your husband is eating enough during the day, there’s no need to add more. Avocados and other healthy fats would be good choices, though. Guac is a staple in our house. If you want to read more, here’s an interview with gerontology researcher and growth hormone expert Valter Longo where he discusses how long-term excess protein activates certain pathways that can cause too much inflammation and lead to cancer, heart disease and other problems. https://www.bluezones.com/2016/04/fasting-for-longevity/ 2. You’ve found that a low-protein diet is healthier for people. Can you tell us why? Yes, well it’s healthy for people before 70. In fact, a high protein diet is bad for you. Growth hormone pathways, including TOR and IGF-1, are controlled by proteins and they are accelerators of the aging process. So, if you have a low-protein diet you might live longer and healthier. ************* More technical articles if youre interested: https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&hl=en-us&ei=3Nn0X8GoKZKxtQbZ8ZaIAQ&q=protein+mtor+longo&oq=protein+mtor+longo&gs_lcp=ChNtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1zZXJwEAMyBQghEKABOgQIABBHOgIIKToFCAAQzQI6BQgAEMkDOgUIIRCrAlCKGli0LmDMMmgAcAF4AIABfIgB0gSSAQM2LjGYAQCgAQHIAQjAAQE&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-serp

Probably both. I know women researchers who spent two years optimizing their health before conceiving.

I’d buy a home right on Tunnels Beach on Kauai so I could snorkel every day, ocean and weather permitting. Nothing big, just a cute, old style Hawaiian bungalow with a huge lanai facing the ocean surrounded by mango, orange and avocado trees. Maybe have a large second floor lanai as well for an even better view of the ocean. I’d put a Hocatt sauna in there which is actually the first thing I’d get with my lottery money. I’d also buy or just rent for a few days a red Ford Mustang because they're a lot of fun to drive! Philanthropically, first I’d help some of my siblings and nephews/nieces. Second, all of the reservations in Montana would get full-time, devoted addiction treatment and suicide prevention programs. Last of all, Cooper Union in NYC might get some money so they could once again realize Peter Cooper’s dream of an almost-free education.

Two new-ish treatments for allergies are ExACT immunoplasty and vagal toning devices. Something to keep your eyes on if you have chronic allergies.

I absolutely love ozone therapy. As long as you don't breathe it in, it's extremely safe and was used in the US before antibiotics. It's been used by other countries for longer periods of time. Everyone in our family has been using it to prevent Covid. Some of us have tested positive for antibodies but none of us have had symptoms. Regardless, if you want to read about how it's being used to treat Covid, the WHO has info on their site and on another thread, I linked a video of Mark Hyman (Bill Clinton's MD) interviewing Italian MD/PhD, Paulo Tordiglione, who has been using it on patients in Italy with quite good results, even people who were about to die. Hyman suggested using ozone at the beginning of the pandemic. If you are interested in it, I'd suggest speaking to MDs who are offering it here in the US. There is a site where you can type in your zip code and get a list of HCWs who offer it. IV Vitamin C does seem to be helping some long haulers. You can get that done at an IV drip business. Many are run by MDs who've been working with long haulers. Ivermectin and/or the kind of niacin that causes flushing, nicotinic acid (start small despite what the advice is -- 25-50 mg), has been helping some. At this point, the virus probably caused a lot of damage to cells throughout your body. Those cells don't clear out quickly and can sit and fester for a long time, even years, causing inflammation. They are ornery and not quite dead but also not alive, a bit like some of my kids during their teen years. One way to clean up that festering cellular debris (induce autophagy) is to fast. If you think you could handle a fast for a day or two, there's a way to measure blood glucose and ketones that is seen when people are in autophagy. However, if fasting would be too brutal, you could also eat within a period of time each day, ideally starting soon after waking and ending around 5:00 pm. For every hour that you eat after 5:00 pm, c-reactive protein increases exponentially (this is circadian biologist Satchin Panda's research). You don't want to increase inflammation. You can have water and, if you must, unsweetened, pure herbal teas after 5:00 pm but that should be about it because you don't want your liver to get signals that it needs to metabolize food. The liver needs to begin winding down and then the body will begin to move into cleanup mood. The results won't be as intense as a non-food fast, but they're not bad either. If you think you have POTS, ask your doctor about taking low-dose naltrexone. Some POTS people are also deficient in choline and betaine. You can find out how much choline you need at Chris Masterjohn's site as well as his recommendations for what foods/supplements he recommends. Another promising treatment is vagal toning to tamp down histamine. I'm not sure what device they use for POTS, though. I own two Sensate vagal toning devices but I think you'd need something that clips on the earlobe or elsewhere. I'm not sure. The expert on vagal toning is Stephen Porges (polyvagal theory) but if you search for POTS and vagus nerve, you'll find studies and more information. If you have allergies that you think might be making your symptoms worse, ExACT Immunoplasty might be worth trying. I agree with ruling out cardio problems first and then working with someone who specializes in POTS. Good luck. I hope you find something that helps.

Okay. No, I thought it was you who had those surgeries and was just verifying. My thinking is whether your microbiome could be playing a role in your white blood cell count but I don't think so. Any chance you could give blood at a site that’ll test for Covid antibodies? The drawback is you’d be sitting in an enclosed space while they take your blood so you might not want to do that, either. I just wonder if you might have been asymptomatic. Even people who’ve been very careful have caught it and were completely asymptomatic. My youngest is an example of this. He was living with us for quite awhile and none of us were going out and took extreme measures to stay safe. I’m going to give blood to see if I have antibodies as well. Anyway, this is just a preprint that looked at cases under age 18 but it mentions they did see leukopenia in mostly the asymptomatic cases. So, leukopenia plus your elevated liver enzymes, which they’re also seeing in some of the Covid cases, plus your fuzzy headedness — it’s possible you could have a wonky, lingering, low-grade case of Covid or the residual effects of it. Many long-haulers wax and wane with different symptoms for months. Just throwing this out as a possibility. https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.05.21.20074682v2 The number of asymptomatic COVID-19 infections with leukopenia were significantly more than confirmed cases (p=0.04). Conclusions: Leukopenia mostly occurred in asymptomatic COVID-19 infections under 18 years old compared with the confirmed patients. Regardless, it is probably a good idea to find out what’s causing those low numbers. I hope you can get some helpful answers soon.

Any chance you could have had Covid? The fuzzy headedness is a symptom. Have you tested for it or for antibodies? Elevated liver enzymes are also one of the symptoms in some people. Leukopenia usually appears in more severe cases, though. Have you had a ferritin test recently? Have you had any kind of GI surgery?

I’ve been lurking on boards for people who have Covid and your symptoms are not all that unusual. Gallbladder, pancreas, kidney, gut lining can all be infected. I don't know how good a nasal swab would be but i have read that some with gastro symptoms only have had positive nasal swabs. Rest as much as you can. Not eating might actually be good, too, since you'd be resting your gut and digestive organs, especially your liver.

Have you had Covid? Elevated liver enzymes, pain in the upper area of the GI tract, nausea, loss of appetite and diarrhea can all be symptoms of the gastro version of Covid. You don’t need to experience all of the symptoms. Also, it tends to linger and wax and wane. https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2020/04/stomach-complaints-common-in-covid-19-patients.html Gastrointestinal symptoms were reported by 31.9% of the patients. The majority of that group described the symptoms as mild. Twenty-two percent said they experienced loss of appetite, 22% had nausea and vomiting, and 12% had diarrhea, the study said. “We also noticed that 40% of patients had elevated levels of an abnormal liver enzyme, and that those with high levels required more hospitalization,” Cholankeril said.

If you have the unlucky genes, you might have trouble metabolizing choline which is what transports fat out of the liver. I have those genes and need to eat foods that are high in choline (and betaine). Rhonda Patrick has discussed the genes that affect choline metabolization over at her site FoundMyFitness. If you upload your dna data at her site (for a fee), the report will show if you have those genes. Chris Masterjohn is another good resource, probably one of the best, because he has studied choline extensively. He has a choline calculator on his site that will tell you how much choline you need per day. Back when I did this, it was free. If you don’t get enough choline (or betaine) through your diet, krill oil supplements supply choline, too. They contain phosphatidyl choline (PC). Krill oil is about 40% PC and of that, about 13% of PC is choline. I take Now brand Neptune Krill 1,000 softgels to make up for the choline I don’t eat. For me, 1-2 grams (1-2 capsules) per day does the trick but how much you need depends on how much choline you need genetically and how much choline (and betaine) you’re getting in your diet. For each capsule of Now brand krill oil (1,000 mg), you get 52 mg choline: 1,000 mg krill capsule x 40% = 400 mg PC 400 mg PC x 13% = 52 mg choline Here are some links that might be helpful: https://mobile.twitter.com/chrismasterjohn/status/1118242668855922689?lang=en https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/tools/2019/04/17/the-choline-database

The first batch of vaccine created by AstraZeneca’s Italian vaccine manufacturer was a bit too concentrated and that is why AZ decided to halve the first dose in that one particular group. I’m not 100% sure but I believe by the time they gave the second dose, the concentration had been corrected. https://www.bbc.com/news/health-55308216 The Italian manufacturers used a different technique to Oxford to check the concentration of the vaccine - effectively how many viral particles are floating in each dose. When the Oxford scientists used their method, it appeared that the Italian vaccine was double strength. What to do? Calls were made to the medical regulators. It was agreed that volunteers should be given a half measure of the vaccine, on the basis that it was likely to equate to something more like a regular dose. This was partly a safety issue - they preferred to give them too little rather than too much. But after a week, the scientists became aware that something unusual was going on. The volunteers were getting none of the usual side-effects - such as sore arms or fever. About 1,300 volunteers had only received a half-dose of the vaccine, rather than a full one. The independent regulators said the trial should continue and that the half-dose group could remain in the study. The Oxford team bristle at any suggestion that there was a mistake, error, call it what you will. Perhaps the most accurate characterisation is that the volunteers were inadvertently given a lower dose. In months to come, they would be the stellar group in terms of vaccine efficacy. ETA: India is probably going to start administering the AstraZeneca vaccine next week or so.

This spice mix works well with any tofu and veggie dish. I make a huge jar of it and just liberally sprinkle it on my tofu scrambles. Quick and easy. It’s spicy but if spicy’s not for you, the cayenne could be reduced or switched out with a milder pepper. Aleppo might be a less spicy choice and it has a slightly smoky flavor. 2 tbsp brewer’s yeast 1 tsp chili powder 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp kalan amak, a sulphury salt that you might have to order online but it makes a difference in taste 3/4 tsp turmeric 1/4 tsp garlic powder

I’m not sure if you want an actual barre as well or just dvds, but I bought a Fluidity barre years ago and use their dvds. In the beginning the workouts were definitely hard, even the beginner’s. Yowza! For that reason, I liked being able to do them in my own home so that I could stop, which was often. The workouts are solid. The barre itself folds up vertically and is not too difficult to scoot around when folded. It is a bit heavy but also solid which is ideal because you do put your weight on it at times. Don’t want to topple over. I’ve seen some other similar barre/Pilates equipment that might be more versatile but I don't know much about them. There are also other dvds and probably online videos but I don't use them. I’m curious to hear about them, though.

With my kids, all adults now, I learned a technique called motivational interviewing which helped (helps) immensely. It was originally used to help alcoholics direct their ambivalence toward positive change while maintaining their autonomy. It can be used in many different situations, though. Part of it involves using reflective listening which helps an individual feel heard. I’m off to bed, but if you search online, you should be able to find some good summaries.

The ranchers and farmers where I grew up would say that. And then tip their hat or nod. Mornin’ and howdy were other greetings. My guess is that it’s regional.

Just got a call from my youngest son (23). He volunteered for an antibody study in October and just got his results back showing that he has Covid antibodies. He was still going in to work in March and thinks he might have been exposed then but who knows. He's been completely asymptomatic the entire year. We see him twice a week at his place so I wonder if we've had it, too, and are just asymptomatic. Might give blood to see if it shows anything. We all wear a mask as soon as we leave our home or car and will keep doing that. And we all plan to get vaccinated when we can. Crazy virus!

@MeaganS Your “new” bookcases are gorgeous! That was well worth the effort. What type of paint did you use? I’m thinking of painting some bookcases but I’m not sure which type of paint to use.

A darker color, a blue, charcoal gray or espresso maybe, would hide the shadows you might see around the seams of the individual wall boards if you were to paint it white. To prep, use a pole sander and maybe 120 grit sand paper to lightly sand. Then use a wet cloth and/or tack cloth to remove the dust. Fill, sand and prime holes. If going darker, maybe roll on Gardz primer which is a milky-clear primer, before painting. eta: Here’s a modern pixilated version of Girl with the Pearl Earring that could look cool against a dark wall.: https://www.ixxiyourworld.com/en/products/ixxi-images/meisje-met-de-parel/?carousel=149782

The new strain found in the UK is more infectious but there is no evidence it is more deadly according to Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer for England. Most likely, it will be less deadly. Experts will be trying to figure this out but that is typically how new viruses behave. ********* New strain of Covid-19 reported to World Health Organisation Chief Medical Officer for England, Professor Chris Whitty said: As announced on Monday, the UK has identified a new variant of Covid-19 through Public Health England’s genomic surveillance. As a result of the rapid spread of the new variant, preliminary modelling data and rapidly rising incidence rates in the South East, the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (NERVTAG) now consider that the new strain can spread more quickly. We have alerted the World Health Organisation and are continuing to analyse the available data to improve our understanding. There is no current evidence to suggest the new strain causes a higher mortality rate or that it affects vaccines and treatments although urgent work is underway to confirm this. Given this latest development it is now more vital than ever that the public continue to take action in their area to reduce transmission.

Yes, yes and yes. A big thank you. And some Lush bath bombs. You are doing a fantastic job feeding everyone, even catering to their individual needs and wants. If you paid someone to do that, it would be expensive.

I love the pure purple potatoes just because they're so beautiful! And blueberries...because they're so delicious. 🙂

We are purple eaters here, too. Purple veggies and fruits are full of anthocyanins which are a type of flavonoid which have all kinds of benefits. In Singapore they’ve even developed a purple bread that has a lower glycemic index and causes less of a spike in blood glucose. https://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/0716p18.shtml https://www.cnn.com/2016/03/17/health/purple-bread/index.html

That poor kid. He has really been through the ringer. If the GI problems began shortly after the virus, I would suspect the virus led to new problems. Have they tested his microbiome? Butyrate protects the gut lining. Maybe he has chronically low levels? Was he tested for the tick-borne red meat allergy, alpha-gal? If he can eat chicken (fowl) but not red meat, that might be something to ask about. If a possibility, some of the “natural flavors” that are added to foods contain beef or other mammal cells and could cause problems. The bone swelling could be related to the lack of vitamin D. Have his levels been low for years? He’d also need calcium and magnesium and a type of K for his bones. The clotting problem could make K tricky. Magnesium is needed to activate Vitamin D as well as help with about 300 other processes. I’d think that is low, especially if his gut has such serious inflammation. For pain I’d worry about how meds affect his immune system. Some of them can bring on SJS, Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, which is very rare but his gut just isn't healthy. An alternative that I’ve used for any pain or inflammation issue is pulsed electromagnetic frequency therapy (pemf). It works well but could take awhile to kick in, especially if you're new to it. I usually use a Sota. Dr. Pawluk (MD) uses pemf extensively on his patients. He has a website with articles that explain it. As a bonus, it can help build bone and can even heal some types of non-union bone breaks. NASA uses it. NFL. Race horses. TRE is a series of exercises that cause an involuntary response called neurogenic tremors, a kind of deep muscle shaking. Mammals naturally shake after traumatic responses because it is a survival mechanism. Humans, though, can stop this process. Peter Levine and David Berceli are two individuals who use TRE with clients. Stephen Porges’s polyvagal theory explains how and why it helps. You can find info they've put online about it. If done very gently with a skilled practicioner for short periods of time, it might help but it seems your son’s friend main problem is a long-standing, unresolved gut issue possibly caused by the virus. TRE could help, though. ETA Alpha-gal allergy seems to be a possibility that needs to be ruled out if it hasn't been already. The allergic reactions are odd and don't always occur while other times, very small exposures — exposure to fumes from cooking meat, band-aid adhesive, etc. — can cause a reaction. The reaction also can be delayed by hours after the exposure. People can spend years suffering severe gastro problems before they are diagnosed. Here’s a link: https://alphagalinformation.org/symptoms/#Gastrointestinal Symptoms

Definitely agree with trying out a few so you can get a feel for which features you'll want. LL Bean offers courses that provide the kayaks and teach you the basics. REI and other places might also. Classes are a good way to learn about safety. Streams and rivers can look calm but have fast-moving currents underneath. Having an expert who can teach this is the best way to go. You'll also need a personal flotation device/lifejacket as well as equipment or the means to transport the kayak or a storage facility by the water where you want to kayak. You might also want to buy some of the incidentals, like dry bags and suitable clothing, etc. https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/kayaking-what-to-wear.html