With all of this raging healthcare debate lately, it seems that the focus (besides the cost I mean) is on medical care and fixing people. While I of course think each person has a right to have affordable medical coverage, I also think the priorities of our health care system (now and in the future regardless of what Congress comes up with) are wholly messed up. We all know that the majority of the money in the system is spent on curing and healing those who are not well. But what you don't hear very often is the word "prevention".

Sure, in some ways you do, as in don't smoke, exercise daily, eat from the major food groups. But if you go to the doctor with high blood pressure, or any of the many issues related to obesity, the doctor doesn't ask how often you eat fast food and how many servings of vegetables you eat daily. And though the course of action may be to lose weight or to change diet, it's usually left at that with no further specifics. And quite possibly that option is skipped over in favor of some sort of pill or medicine.

Everything about healthcare is about fixing health problems. This whole health care debacle would be mostly a non-issue if people would just start taking responsibility for preventing these problems before they manifest themselves. I think that a portion of the money poured into health care should be about health education, and furthermore, I think the government should shift its focus from medicine and curing diseases to preventing them through diet. Start some incentives for organic farming, and tighten up the rules on commerical farming, especially when it comes to what goes into the food that people eat that they think is healthy. A nice salad covered in pesticides? No thanks. A pork chop or steak filled with antibiotics and artificial growth hormones? Not for me.

There are many theories about healthcare, and we've all heard the one about how it's most profitable for the industry if people keep getting sick. But regardless of how much it's true or not, the fact remains that over half of the money spent in the health care system is for treating people who are sick with preventable diseases, including heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, and even certain cancers.

As proof, I use myself. Growing up and even through college I have always eaten a fairly balanced diet. I use that statement loosely, but even when the quality was low and I was eating crap like fish sticks and chicken patties, I still ate side salads, fruits, and vegetables. And on occasion I also ate fast food, or out at restaurants. My health was standard, though nothing to make note of, and like everyone I got sick a couple times per year.

But then a few years ago, I started getting very interested in organic foods, and additionally I started educating myself about the benefits of raw fruits and vegetables, as well as learning the truths about the Standard American Diet. I made a considerable shift, changing my habits to a point where I can confidently say that I now eat probaly 50-75% whole and organic foods, and my intake of fruits and vegetables is way above average. I still do undesirable things like eat out at restaurants, I still have vices and eat crap (though NO FAST FOOD), I still drink alcohol fairly regularly (in moderation), I still hit happy hour for an app now and again, and I still eat red meat, though much less frequently than in the past (probably less than once per week).

But my point is, since I've made this shift to primarily organic and dramatically increased my vegetable intake, I don't get sick any more. I haven't had a true head cold in a couple years, and I survive all of the office sicknesses that go around. Even through this time of flu paranoia and the winter colds and sniffles, I have remained healthy.

I'm not making any guarantees about my long term health, but I can say that without a doubt, making a substancial (though not extreme) change to my diet, while still enjoying my vices, I've significantly improved my health. (As a side note, and probably more suited to another article, this diet shift over several years (including a month long stint of raw eating) cleared me of some mild but sometimes painful acne that had plagued me for nearly 15 years.)

This simple thing, diet, is what could change our entire health care system, and save the government millions of dollars. Support and promote organic fruits and vegetables, whole foods, and educate people about the poisons that they take in daily by eating a crappy diet with no balance. It would save billions of dollars and lives ... though the drug companies wouldn't be very happy.

Labels: diet, drugs, healthcare, organic, raw diet

Photo credit: makelessnoiseThe other day I saw an article about big city water ratings in the United States, and it really got me thinking how sad it is that clean, fresh water is so hard to find. The article was brought to my attention at a good time, as just the other day I watched a program on the History Channel (I think) that spoke of the deterioration of the public infrastructure here in this country. This show was more broad in its content than just public water, but in addition to describing how the public water infrastructure is badly in need of repair, it also described roads, bridges and highway systems that are also in need of repair and in some cases close to failing.

In the article, San Diego -my current city of residence- was ranked 91 out of 100 in terms of water quality. There were 31 different pollutants found in the water since 2004, and 17 chemicals which exceeded health guidelines. This story is not new, as there are always cases of poor water quality surfacing around the country, as well as around the world.

But the thing that strikes me is just how apathetic people are about this. Good, clean water is the one thing that every single person absolutely needs for survival, and it seems that there is barely a place on Earth where the water has not yet somehow been tainted. People look around and see that two thirds of the planet is made up of water, so they see that there is no problem. And if you tell them that it is mostly all polluted, they just assume that modern technology can solve the problems. But it doesn't seem to strike them as outrageous that in just a few hundred years of industry, we have managed to create a problem of epic proportion.

Sure, here in the US we are lucky that we get moderately clean water that comes out of our tap, and yes, there are some remote places in the country left where the water is clean and potable. But those places are getting more and more scarce. And when we have to start questioning the safety of our public water infrastructure as well, it certainly doesn't paint a pleasant picture.

I mentioned that people think modern technology can solve these problems of deteriorating water quality, and to some extent it can. We can take toilet water and turn it to tap water, we can desalinate the ocean and make it fresh, but let me say, as someone who grew up drinking well water from 400 feet beneath my house, there is nothing like a fresh glass of real water that is clean, pure, and tasteless.

Another article I saw the other day described a scenario where there at one time was a small country stream and ecosystem which has subsequently filled in and paved over to build a housing complex. To me, hearing about and seeing these things is sickening. People need to learn before it's too late to they can't just keep destroying these natural systems, and more to the point, we need to start protecting our water sources before it is too late.

Labels: chemicals, conservation, environment, resources, water

For maybe 4 or 5 months now I've been experimenting with barefoot running. I've written about this before, so I won't bore you with any old details. However, I am happy to report that after nursing my calf injury back to health, I've been able to get out and run 4-5 days a week now, mostly on rocky trails in the canyons near my house. I've not been going totally barefoot, but instead until last week have been going with just a pair of Speedo water socks. They provide adequate protection from the ground (from both the rocks in the trails and from the debris on the roads) and also are minimal enough that I've been able to adapt my running style and moderately strengthen my feet, ankles, and calves.

Because I'm still fairly new to "barefooting", I haven't been going more than 3 miles at a time, but the runs are feeling good, and for the first time in basically my whole life, I am able to enjoy running and am also able to do it pain free. I used to have all sorts of issues, tight calves, shin splints, muscle cramps, and the only way I was able to put any miles on was by stetching like crazy and slowly working at it.

So now come the Vibram Five Fingers. Initially I wasn't going to buy them because I just didn't want to spend the money, and figured the water socks were a good cheap alternative. But now after finally breaking down and buying the Vibram KSOs, I know this is not really the case. Let me tell you, the difference between Five Fingers and water socks is definitely noticeable, as was the difference between running shoes and the water socks.

The reason that I finally caved and bought them is because of my upcoming trip to Thailand. I really only want to bring one pair of shoes, and had read the the Five Fingers make great travelling shoes because they are so minimal. Addionally they are easy to pack and can withstand city walking, light trekking, beaches, and water. So rather than buy shoes for travel, I opted for the Vibrams and now can use them for running too. It took me a while to make my decision, but I finally decided on the KSOs (Keep Stuff Out) in the grey color.

Before purchasing, I dutifully followed the sizing directions on the Vibram site, which tell you to measure your foot, and go by that rather than a standard shoe size. After finding my size, I saw that Vibram was out of the grey color I wanted, but I was able to find them at Summit Hut. The price was perfect, and even free shipping!

So here is my review thus far:

First of all, don't assume your size. As noted, use their chart. My feet measured at just over 11", so I bought the size 44 which are for foot size 11 1/4". I first put them on and thought "Oh no", they seemed way too snug, and I was tempted to send them back for a bigger size. But I did some googling and found that a snug fit is standard, and actually what you want. Several people noted that the ones that felt too snug at first soon adapted and perfectly. So far I am finding the same. So rule #1 is follow the chart and wear them around the house for a few days before you give up and return them for a different size. Barring any strange circumstances, their chart will likely be more accurate than your judgement.

Having first worn them around the house a few times to get used to them, I've now also worn them out for one long walk with the dogs and two runs. They held up great and the snug feeling has gone away and I forget I have them on. My only problem so far (besides foot fatigue) is that I have a big dog that likes to be so close to my side that she steps on my feet, and obviously, the Vibrams provide no protection against that. I can't fault the Vibrams for this issue though, because their goal is to be minimal. But this does lead to some concern about the durability of the tops of the KSOs. Will roughness and scratching from the top cause the material to rip or tear? Also, I have already stubbed my toes twice, once when my dog got too close, and once on something random. I guess you take for granted how much shoes (or water socks for that matter) actually protect your feet. But with these two exceptions, I am overwhelmingly impressed with these Five Finger shoes so far.

After two runs in them, I have to say, "Wow!" I thought the water socks were minimal and let me "feel" the ground, but these Vibrams simulate barefoot so much better. (In fairness, water/aqua socks are cheap and closer to barefoot than sneakers, but it does not simulate barefoot like the Vibrams). The trail has never felt so rocky, and I had to be careful not to step on big stones since it actually was hurting the bottoms of me feet, something that I only rarely experienced with the water socks. But in time I think this will be fine as my feet toughen up. And as others have noted, it is certainly amazing that I was able to feet sand and grass between my "toes", and even the mud squish under my feet!

All in all, my "barefooting" is going well, but after my conversion from the water socks to the Vibrams, I realized that I still have a ways to go to stengthen my feet. My leg muscles feel fine, but I am noticing significant fatigue in my feet and arches, something I briefly noticed when I switched from sneakers to the water socks as well. I guess this is phase 2, one step closer to real barefooting!


Related Links:
Barefoot running update #2
Barefoot running update

Labels: barefoot, lifestyle, running