One of the best things you can do to fight sickness while traveling is to go in with a robust, healthy gut. Strong gut microbiomes take time and discipline to cultivate, but they, in turn, keep us healthy on a number of fronts, physically and mentally. I’ve been tracking my own progress in rebuilding my gut after a course of antibiotics this spring.
Bacterial infections (or worse) are common occurrences when people travel, especially to developing countries. While antibiotics can remedy the problem, they really should be used sparingly. Their overuse in healthcare and food production is leading to antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria, and taking them when they’re not strictly necessary can cause harmful side effects, especially to the community of microbes living in our guts.
Indian food has been a staple for me as a vegetarian, but dairy plays a big role in Indian cuisine, so I was unsure about turning to this part of the world for this series on veganism. It turns out that many Indian recipes are actually vegan or vegan friendly, in part because of the wide availability of plant-based ingredients across the country.
For this Seventh Anniversary post, we will be looking at a very important piece of copper equipment. Approximately 10% of American women of childbearing age use “long-acting reversible contraceptives,” including IUDs. While the copper (non-hormonal) kind is less common, it’s the kind I’ve had for almost a decade. I even participated in a clinical study to test a smaller “more comfortable” model for FDA approval.
A friend recently warned me against using my electric blanket. While there are established risks (including burns and fires), she was talking about health conditions that could be caused by electromagnetic fields. Hypothesizing about health impacts from environmental exposures can walk a fine line between conscientious public health research and pseudoscience. The difference between the two lies in what we do with answers we get.
Giving up animal products entirely may not be a feasible option for many of us, but more people are eating less meat and cheese – and really making it count when they do. While I may never be a full vegan, it is important to me that I try to match my behaviors to my values, and that means eating less cheese more often.
For years I’ve incorrectly believed that sheep cheese has a lower carbon footprint than cow cheese because sheep emit far less methane than cows. They also produce far less milk, which balances the scales. In reality, cheese has an extremely high carbon footprint, higher than some meats. For that reason, it seemed like time to reevaluate whether my actions are still aligned with my values.
There are clear benefits to organic gardening, but are there situations in which an organic solution can do more harm than the chemical alternative? As much as I hate to say it, there may be some grey area when it comes to the best course of action for eradicating my tenacious thistle. I found a safer alternative to glyphosate, though safer doesn’t mean safe.
While there is still very much we don’t know about the impacts of cannabis on human health, there are some clear indications of health benefits in specific situations. However, the questions we ask of the world are inherently influenced by our biases. What if some of the impacts we see on brain activity are not “bad” but simply a “different” way of using our brains?
The human race has used cannabis for 5,000 years. But for the last (almost) 100, it has been vilified in the United States as a “gateway drug” that will “fry your brain.” Federal prohibitions have limited opportunities for the scientific community to study the benefits (not just the harms) of this plant, particularly when it comes to stress reduction and a healthier Endocannabinoid System.