The Daily Good 

Many lives are filled with stress from relationships, work, political or environmental issues. Most reading material and media sources are a stream of bad happenings which re-enforce this stress. 

The website The Daily Good offers a different  message. After registration they send a daily email which briefly describes the work or writing of someone who is improving our society or helping others in some way. A link is provided for in depth information. 

After a few seconds scanning that day’s story my day is started on an upbeat. Occasionally I’ll check out the link or find something I want to pursue, but usually it’s just a reminder that many clever people doing good things are as much part of our world as the more publicized politicians and criminals, the two of which are sometimes indistinguishable.

                   https://www.dailygood.org

            Helpful or Harmful Drugs?

Recent changes in marijuana laws in several states have allowed analysis of effects on the general population which Michael Greger has reviewed in a recent NutritionFacts posting (6/22/18).

Medical cannabis provides pain relief to patients dying of cancer as effectively as moderate codeine. It may allow pain to be tolerable while awake and communicating whereas morphine is more effective for pain but does not allow this awareness.

After medical cannabis is legalized in a state opioid deaths drop 25%. There are also large decreases in sales of alcohol and drugs for depression, anxiety, pain, sleeping and migraines. Is it any surprise that major supporters of marijuana prohibition include big pharma, the beer and private prison industries?  

                      All In or Slow Change?

There are different ways to approach healthy eating. The simplest is more veggies and fruits, less animal products, sweets and processed foods. More ambitious seekers of health aim at gradual improvement where hopefully they reach an optimal diet. The completely committed choose between Pritikin, Barnard, Esselstyn, McDougall, Fuhrman, Ornish or similar whole food plant based diets and eat this way immediately.

Any of these dietary changes is good for you. If you're only willing to eat a few more veggies then do it, but greater commitment is much better. There aren't good studies showing how much better total dietary change is. Food intake surveys show better health results for more vegetables and fruit daily up to 8 portions; after that results level off. All physicians reporting on their patients' change to whole food plant based eating have many remarkable success stories for heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, auto-immune disease and, less often, cancer.

Careful, accurate analysis of cigarette smoking may provide help in assessing likelihood of dietary change effectiveness. Those who cut back 50% have only modestly less cancer and lung disease, not nearly 50% less. To have major impact total abstinence is necessary.

The other big reason for going all in from the start is that cravings for fat, salt and sugar are almost wiped out after a few weeks without them. The brain's control centers can be quickly reprogramed, something that does not happen with gradual change.

                           Temptation

A recent NY Times article (Tim Herrera, Smarter Living newsletter, June 10, 2018) discussed research on will power. What does it take to do what you know is best for you, especially in regard to food choice? There remains a modest number who ignore scientific evidence and advocate a high protein and high fat diet, but most know and admit that whole plant foods are good for health with caloric needs filled by minimally processed starches, legumes, seeds and nuts. But we were raised on rich, high fat, high sugar foods which we enjoy, indeed are often addicted to.

Research shows that resisting temptation is exhausting. End result is that we have less energy for other important tasks and that we often eventually give in and eat unhealthy food. Resisting temptation does not strengthen, it weakens. The solution is to minimize temptation: keep unhealthy foods out of sight, out of home cupboards and refrigerators. Meals or drinks with friends at places that offer only unhealthy choices are rejected. You might be surprised- most friends, especially good ones, will honor your request and go to a place with healthy options, and they'll respect you for taking charge of your health. Some will join you in dietary change creating a strong bond.

Should you splurge and buy unhealthy food for home, throw the the rest away after eating some. You don't want it there for tomorrow when you'll resume your good habits. Many of us have a strong sweet tooth. Have healthy options on hand- oranges and dates are sweet, tasty and filling plus healthy. Keep home, office desk and travel bag well stocked with these these and similar choices. You can promise yourself an ice cream cone or candy bar after you eat some healthy sweets. You may decide you don't want the ice cream after your orange; almost for sure you'll eat less.

                    The Cancer Paradox

Modern medicine has decreed aggressive screening and treatment for cancer. In spite of shaky grounds for screening and the futility of many treatment plans most patients meekly agree to whatever a physician recommends about cancer. Most treatment programs including surgery, radiation and drugs are very expensive. With newer drugs cost is often astronomical, perhaps leading to poverty for patient and family. In spite of this most agree to whatever is ordered by their doctor not even pursuing a second expert opinion which I think is crucial for any major medical decision.

Contrast this to best treatment for more common, life threatening conditions like diabetes and heart disease. Physician recommendations of procedures and drugs are often followed. The by far best treatment of lifestyle change is either not offered or rejected even though results are better than standard cancer treatments and the cost is negligible, often negative. This I call "the Cancer Paradox."

Why this illogical, expensive disparity? Most of the fault is with our medical system, starting with miseducation of physicians which is then compounded by strong financial incentives to over diagnose and over treat. Advice to take expensive drugs which offer little chance of success and likelihood of serious side effects is presented to the patient as an absolute. Advice to change diet or other lifestyle is an option to be considered if it is mentioned at all. Furthermore, lifestyle change requires an excellent support system with education, cooking classes, social and psychological professionals for the patient and family, but these are mainly non-existent. There's no profit in such systems and money drives medical center and physician resource allocation.

What's the answer? Unfortunately, it's to find or create such a support system for yourself, family and friends. The internet has many possibilities as long as you're careful to avoid the charlatans promoting fad diets, supplements and foods. Good luck!

                         Extreme Variety

Over 30 years ago Larry Smarr, professor of computer science at UCSD, first proposed the idea of super computer centers based at universities and convinced the National Science Foundation to fund these centers. He also developed systems allowing the internet to be created, but more recently his work has focused on another of his brainstorms, Calit 2, which explores advanced digital technology for medical practice. The structure and work of Calit 2 has been so successful that top level computer scientists have left much better paying jobs to join Smarr in his work.

In addition to computer applications Smarr has studied medical research, concluding that lifestyle was the critical variable for good health and longevity. Optimally, this is patient controlled as he demonstrated in the management of his own Crohn's disease. Exercise, sleep and relaxation are all important features of best lifestyle but diet is the most critical. Smarr has concluded that the gut microbiota are key to many aspects of health including his own Crohn's. Maintaining a wide variety of "good" gut microbes requires the right food. Smarr attempts to eat 32 varieties of whole plant food regularly, often incorporating them into smoothies. He comments- "Although I am not a vegetarian, I am a follower of what Thomas Jefferson once said: "I eat meat only as a condiment to the vegetables which constitute my principal diet."" Smarr cites Michael Pollan's classic book,  In Defense of Food, as an excellent analysis of the best approach to diet. He limits animal products to a maximum of 10% of his diet.

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/03/larry-smarr-the.../550883/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Smarr