That’s often true but in some cases of encopresis there is no leakage or bunny droppings but large, impacted clay-like stools. Children will sometimes pass these in the tub when their sphincters relax. They can be dense and as large as cans of soda and have to be broken up before flushing. Fiber acts like a sponge and takes waste, toxins and other material out of the body. Some waste can be reabsorbed if not absorbed by fiber and not eliminated timely (constipated) leading to mitochondrial damage in the body. Probiotics are loosely regulated in the US. Many tested products have shown to have few to no strains of good bacteria or they don’t have all the strains they claim to have. Visbiome and VSL#3 are pretty dependable probiotics and are often used in research. Amazon sells both, IIRC. Prebiotics found in food like Jerusalem artichokes (eat only a slice or so with food) feeds your gut bacteria which helps them colonize in the gut. The Good Gut by Justin and Erica Sonnenburg (Stanford researchers) discusses how important the microbiota is to many aspects of health. It’s a good book for anyone wanting to learn more.

I love Lush’s lemony Montalbano bar soap. It’s my go-to shampoo.

Charles Raison, a professor of psychiatry, has been using sauna to treat severely depressed patients. It recalibrates them. Really interesting. Rhonda Patrick (scientist) recently interviewed him. You can find it on YouTube if you’re interested.

His colon may be desensitized to the signals that nerves send telling him to go. Very common in kids with encopresis; kids with encopresis will often “squeeze shut” their sphincter when they get the urge to go. After years of not responding and nerve signaling problems, the colon enlarges which would explain the cloggers. Daily practice sits after meals can help. After eating, maybe 15-30” after, go sit on the toilet for 15”. No need to produce anything. Generally, stronger urge to go in morning after coffee and/or breakfast. Sometimes after a warm bath.. Key is to establish habit of sitting on toilet. Keep food and ? diary. Note foods that help and foods that don’t. Make sure he’s getting enough water. Give this time to correct. Could take months.

Here is an easy to read article from Discover that discusses the problems with funding and conflicts of interest in academia. It’s from 2006 but the problems still exist. Berkeley’s funding by British Petroleum is mentioned on page 4. http://discovermagazine.com/2007/oct/sciences-worst-enemy-private-funding

I’m merely offering my opinion and what I’ve heard and observed. I’ll try to find some links for you and will post them when I do. Statistics are immensely important in research and are absolutely relative to the question of which methods of farming are healthier. Researchers aren’t necessarily lying intentionally, either. However, studies may be poorly designed, sometimes intentionally. Or results may be improperly interpreted which happens often enough. Food poisoning can occur in conventionally grown crops as well.

I’m not saying anything about a “vast conspiracy theory.” I will say that bias most definitely exists and sometimes it’s done for profit at the expense of consumers. Many members of my family and friends work or have worked in research, including agricultural and pharmaceutical industries. My husband’s PhD is in statistics and he has studied bias in research extensively. He has also testified before Congress multiple times and has seen how legislation really gets passed. Bias is far more common than the public may realize and it’s not very difficult to find the studies to support particular claims. Much of the funding is given in ways that are not transparent. I could link all kinds of information to support what I’m saying but, IMO, it’s better for individuals to research these issues themselves and then make a decision.

The problem with these discussions is finding truly unbiased information. The federal agencies, such as the USDA, that are supposed to be protecting consumers are captured agencies. The people in charge have strong ties — conflicts of interest — to the corporations they are supposed to be overseeing. University research can also be influenced when these corporations fund the research either directly or indirectly. Lobby groups and media also do their fair share of spreading misinformation. This is where I have a problem with these discussions.

If people can have problems with other chemicals, then it’s entirely possible to have problems with conventional agricultural chemicals. For those of you mentioning chemicals used on organic crops, which specifically are the worst and why? Curious...

Don’t worry so much about calories. Some studies are showing that artificial sweeteners cause insulin to be released. CICO is probably not quite right anyway because the gut microbiome, the microbes that live in and on our bodies, is looking like it plays a key role in metabolism. Your gut microbes are influenced by what you eat. Veggies are important because the undigested fiber is what feeds the microbes in your colon. Healthy microbiome = healthy and happy body and mind. Your food choices look good. If you like avocados, those can be easy and filling. Cut in half, salt, eat with spoon. They can be stored in the fridge as they’re just starting to ripen. If you like tea, a giant unsweetened one would be good. If you have to grab a burger at McD’s, don’t eat the bun or eat just one. I do that sometimes myself. Certain nuts can be good. Eat earlier in the day at times that work for you but try not to snack (or choose foods carefully). Try to eat within a window of time ending before 5-8 pm if possible. Short walks even around work will help. Some push ups or air chair for a few minutes. Make it something you don’t mind doing even if it’s only for 30 seconds. An a1c would be a good test to start with when you see doctor.

Circadian rhythm and time of eating have a significant effect on weight. Insulin response is different earlier in the day — more favorable — than later even if an individual eats the exact same diet. You might want to get a fasting insulin test and see how that changes as you make changes. Also, most people in the US don’t get enough potassium from their diet which can lead to problems because the sodium-potassium pumps (NaK) don’t work well and the potassium that’s necessary for certain functions isn’t available. You might want to read about that as well. If you’re not getting enough potassium from food, you can find foods that are high in K but are low glycemic. Ex., Alaskan salmon, beet greens, chard, kale, spinach, avocado,tomato juice. You’d have to see how these affect your blood glucose. Choosing between fatty pork and Alaskan salmon depends partly on your omega 3 index which you can test yourself at home with a finger prick and send in to a lab. If the numbers are good, the pork is fine but otherwise you’d probably want to eat the Alaskan salmon and take a good fish oil like Nordic Naturals for a few months or so. Then retest. Protein is also important but you’d want the right amount for your body/activity level. Not too much, not too little. Weight lifting, aerobics, HIIT and sauna can all help, too.

Has anyone here read The Porn Myth by Matt Fradd or Your Brain on Porn: Internet Pornography and the Emerging Science of Addiction by Gary Wilson? Thoughts? Opinions?

Selfhacked has some interesting explanations why people tend to slump and what you can try. Here’s one article: https://www.selfhacked.com/blog/revealing-6-unknown-reasons-get-tired-eating/

You could try different things to influence your orexin system. Most likely the foods you are eating around noon are causing you to feel sleepy, possibly high glycemic foods. I don’t feel the least bit sleepy after some meals, like a kale salad or tofu scramble, but other meals will knock me out.

You are my kindred spirit! I have swim tights from both and also wear a full rash guard. Great for swimming around noon and dry fast.

Possibly your soleus muscles — sometimes called the second heart — may be having difficulty pumping interstitial fluid and venous blood back to your heart. The soleus muscles are deep in your calves. Maybe something to do also with potassium? Definitely let the surgeon know what you’re experiencing.

Hawaii News Now just did a live broadcast with scientists. This morning’s eruption was short but the plume of ash went up high. They are expecting a series of similar eruptions but can’t exactly predict how or when they’ll occur.

Some studies have shown that HPV might be transmitted by kissing but these were small and not well designed. By 2020 cancers of the head and neck are expected to outnumber cervical cancers. Of those who do have HPV in the throat —particularly strains 16 and 18 which can also cause cervical cancer — about 5% will develop head/neck cancers. So about 95% of those who are infected do clear HPV. For the 5% who develop head/neck cancers, HPV survives because it hides on the surface of tonsils in tonsil crypts (pockets) where the HPV is encased in biofilm, slimy sheets of bacteria that protect the HPV. These tonsil crypts are where the head and neck cancers originate. To treat, first they will need to develop a reliable test, possibly a rinse, that can detect the HPV strains in the mouth and then they will need to develop an antimicrobial that can disrupt the biofilm, possibly something topical, that would allow the immune system to clear the HPV. Biofilm disrupters are already being developed for other conditions so in time, scientists may develop something for biofilm that surround HPV.

The first one could be a type of bee balm.

I’m not sure. We were only offered the Gardasil 9.

Young, sexually actively gay/bi men should also make sure their meningitis vaccines are up to date, and should seriously consider the Bexsero vaccine as well (meningitis B) since meningitis is cropping up among gay men in some cities. Better to be safe.

The site you linked is discussing the HPV4 vaccine. The Gardasil 9 is the HPV9 vaccine and protects against 9 types of HPV.

Nine are known to cause the majority of hpv-related cancers and diseases according to this site. https://www.gardasil9.com/hpv-facts/what-is-hpv/?HPVTypes=true My son got the Gardasil 9.

Very few people in the US get enough potassium daily. You could try tracking your foods to see how you’re doing and tweak if necessary.

My kids are all adults, youngest 20 and a junior in college. I no longer worry simply because ignorance is (usually) bliss. Back when they were younger, though, I did worry. We did ask the kids to turn off the hall light when they got home but half the time, they forgot. What eventually worked was their sending us a smilie text when they got home.