LegendaryLife Blog

There are two types of lies in this world, those you tell yourself and those you tell others… smokers seem to be experts in both! Caring about their health while smoking is one of the biggest.

Drug addicts are all the same

So far, I have talked to smokers from Canada, United States, Australia, Malaysia, Japan and Korea over an extended period of time and the excuses are all the same. They seem to relish describing how “addicted” or “hardcore” they are. I was talking to one addict yesterday and they where quite proud to say their breath smelled like that of an ash tray… interesting, another from Australia told me exactly the same thing while I was in that country! Here are some fantastically delusional lies you can expect to hear from a smoker (feel free to add more):

I can quit anytime

If this where true, they could quit right now but just try to get enough guts and throw their pack away in front of them… they will run like a squirrel right into the bin to get them. I know… I have done this several times with the same results.

I don’t smoke that much

Sadly, the effects of smoking both primary and second (onto non-smokers) is cumulative. You won’t die right away from emphysema or COD but I wouldn’t want to be a lung in a smokers body after a few decades of continual self-poisoning.

I feel fine

Next time a drug addict tells you that they feel fine, ask them to join you for a hike up a sizable hill… their tune will change guaranteed. The reason they feel fine is because they are use to living in a marginalized body, not because they are actually “fine”.

It helps me keep my shape (slim)

There are two ways to keep your body in shape, one is to exercise and the other is to under-feed it. Sure, smoking is keeping you slim, but guess what, you can accomplish far more by working out and quitting smoking then otherwise. What you are doing is actually starving your body, making it waste resources trying to clean the crap out of the air you take in instead of improving or optimizing it.

My father/mother/uncle smoked till they where 90 years old!

George Burns also smoked a cigar until he hit 100 years old, sure, there are some people out there with wonder genetics but odds are, you don’t have them. Imagine if George Burns never smoked, he might still be alive today! Regardless of how you cut it, smoking WILL reduce not only your lifespan but the quality of the live you live dramatically with time.

Smokers Facing Death

I had a grandfather who I wish everyday never smoked because he died a painful death over several years, his body was fine but his lungs where shot from a live addicted to cigarettes. Now, this week, I got news that one of my uncles, one who saw what my grandfather went through his final years, has been diagnosed with lunch cancer caused by smoking. My grandfather openly admitted that if he ever got a lung transplant that the first thing he would to is smoke and oddly, my uncle, even while at hospital surrounded by smokers slowly fading away, still had the conscience to go… you guessed it right… smoke in hiding! Each and every smokers has to face up to the fact that one day, guaranteed, they will face their maker far sooner then anticipated due to a slow, selfish, purposeful self-poisoning of the very body they inhabit.

Unfunny Joke

Here is an unfunny joke I seem to repeat to myself just about every time I see somebody smoking. What is the difference between a smoker and a junkie? One uses a legal substance. Sad isn’t it… mentally, a junkie is in the same place as a smoker.

How do I treat smokers?

I take my health very seriously, to the point that if I find out a friend smokes, they are no longer somebody I associate myself with. I would honestly prefer to be alone the rest of my life then to spend it with somebody hell bent on destroying their health. There is no sugar coating things, smokers have a death wish but are too much of a coward to get it over with, instead, they drag the emotions of those around them into the hole they inhabit. My only exception to this “banish them from my sight” rule is family but then I try to spend my time outdoors with them as much as possible, limiting exposure to second-hand smoke. Would I ever hire somebody who smoked? Nope, politically correct or not, why the hell would I want to invest my time and resources into somebody who doesn’t give a damn about themselves?

Spiders on Drugs

To some, alright, many out there, this may seem kinda harsh but I live my life by many simple rules, at the top of my list is that if you don’t care about yourself, then I don’t care about you. I do have a very well developed sense of humor so here is something to lighten up the mood on a serious topic. The effect of drugs on spiders! If you can’t laugh at even the worst of things, then the thoughts that follow them have no way out of your head.

The Bottom Line

Reversing a denial is the first step towards a successful life.

The entire “wellness” industry has been on its BS binge for quite some time now, although herbs have been used for many millennia to “cure” conditions, it doesn’t mean they are effective beyond a placebo. Sure, there are exceptions but when you pit a pharmaceutical drug vs one sourced from “natural ingredients”, the pharmaceutical version is more often then not far more potent.

What are Herbal Remedies?

I haven’t heard anybody give me a definition for what exactly “Herbal Remedies” actually are? I visit trade shows and it seems everybody has their own self-serving definition of what a Herbal Remedy is and why their product is better then any pharmaceutical grade medications out there. As a result, here is my unbiased definition

Herbal Remedy: product sourced from many natural ingredients whose origins are dubious, it’s effectiveness relies heavily on both the placebo effect and on generational trust (it’s been used for thousands of years, so it must work safely). Often promoted as a supplement in modern times without any double blind clinically based studies to backup incredibly exaggerated marketing claims. Herbal Remedies are sold in a variety of formats, from homemade bags to pharmaceutical looking packaging at various price points that aren’t related to effectiveness nor quality. Some are effective but the vast majority are not, relying on a shotgun approach verses a laser one by the pharmaceuticals.

Natural cures for EVERYTHING!

The “wellness industry” likes to promote the reason why their “natural cures” aren’t widely available is due to pharmaceutical companies trying to protect their turf and corrupt government agencies getting in the way of healthy alternatives. I am sure there is some elements of that but while the pharmaceuticals must spend billions proving their product works before reaching the marketplace, the wellness industry is hell bent on not spending a dime on studies that would prove (more likely disprove) their effectiveness. Instead, they rely on pharmaceutical sounding words, testimonials, slick marketing and promises that they must know are over-the-top. Among the most successful out there is Mannatech but there are many more out there as well.

The Wellness Industry Circumventing a Paradox

I believe the entire “wellness industry” is in sort of a paradox, it cannot prove their product work in a clinical setting yet they cannot gain acceptance by the medical field without proving their product works. How to circumvent this seemingly endless paradox? Well, keep telling people they work, if you say something often enough, the general populous will eventually believe it’s a fact. Open any health magazine (Muscle & Fitness, Cosmopolitan, Runners World, Flex etc… ) and you will see this effort in full force, listen to the radio and you will hear the same, watch television and commercials are pushing useless herbal remedies as well.

Times article about potential dangers of herbal remedies

Dr. Sanjay Gupta wrote an interesting piece for Time which outlines the “wellness industry” in rather stark terms, here is a summary:

• use of herbal supplements by the general public has jumped 83% in the past decade and is now worth 22.3 billion dollars a year!
• most common mistake herbal remedy users make is believing the product actually works
• 19% of herbal remedy users are trying to treat specific conditions, not general wellness and wellbeing
• 2/3 of herbal preparations have never been clinically proven for effectiveness
• 2002, the FDA put out a warning against the dangers of supplements using kava root due to its potential to cause liver damage
• 2004, FDA banned ephedra after it was linked directly to over 100 deaths
• Ayurvedic supplements (Indian and South Asian preparations) may be laced with heavy metals such as mercury and lead
• Saint-John’s-wort has an anti-depressive effect but also interferes with some HIV medications and heart drugs like warfarin and digoxin

What to do?

Well, before you spend another dime on naturally sourced supplements, be sure to visit a doctor and share your concerns. He or she knows far more about health then either of us and can lead you in the right direction. Secondly, tell your doctor each and every medication you are taking, some herbals that do work interfere with pharmaceuticals. Thirdly, if it sounds too good to be true, it most likely is, save your money.

The Bottom Line

Effective herbals may have their place in overall health but should never be taken in replacement or in conjunction with pharmaceuticals unless cleared by your health practitioner.

Buzzvia

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1625175,00.html

I find it fascinating at how diverse the human form can be and still be able to live with relatively little health problems, it makes you realize the resilience of our genetic and mental evolution that has made us such a successful species around the world.

Story Summary

ABC News had an extensive article about the extremes of the human form, here is a summary:

• Susie Campbell is 3 foot 10 inches in height, based on birth records, it’s estimated that the United States has over 15 000 people with dwarfism with the most common being achondroplasia, both her parents where of normal height
• in Russia, being born with any type of “deformation” can mean a life to be lived in an orphanage then state hospital or the streets
• Dwarfs suffer from an enlarged skull because fluids produced by the brain to act as an shock absorber has to flow into a smaller spinal column hole, as a result, fluids build up
• at 4 foot 7, Joshua Campbell suffers from hypochondroplasia Dwarfism, which gives him a relatively proportional average adult body but with shorter arms
• most types of Dwarfism are caused by a genetic mutation while for most types of gigantism, they are caused by the release of excess growth hormones by the pituitary gland within the brain
• at 24 years old, Igor Vovkovinskiy is already 7 foot 8 inches high living in a custom built house to make everyday activities easier, he was already 5 feet tall at the age of 3 and is within an inch of the Mongolian herdsman who got married recently who is currently considered the tallest man on Earth
• Sandy Allen recently celebrated her 52nd birthday at the height of 7 foot 7 inches but must stay in a wheelchair as her legs cannot support her 420 lbs frame, she was already 6 foot 3 when she was 10 years old
• people at both extremes of the height scale are incredibly independent due to their experience (negative and positive) from early childhood, they have had to grow up very fast and leaned to rely on themselves more then others

Who wants to be normal?

The more I research and discover about health and fitness, the more I question why anybody would ever want to be normal. Who wants to be normal? Einstein wasn’t normal, he suffered from a host of physical and mental problems throughout his life yet is known the world over for his achievements. If anything, being abnormal, with a physical or mental disability should make other both appreciate what they have and encourage an abnormal person to pursuit their dreams where their extensive abilities are. I was a great fan of the series “little people in a big world” before I moved out of reception range as it showed that even when facing adversity, the human spirit can thrive if allowed to.

The Bottom Line

Life is what you make of it, normal or otherwise.

Buzzvia

http://abcnews.go.com/2020/Story?id=3404733&page=1

According to a BBC report sourcing a recent World Health Organization study, South African rates of obesity are approaching those in the industrialized world. I was surprised to hear this considering the only things we hear coming out of Africa are starvation, poverty and war.

According to the BBC/WHO:

• WHO estimates 400 million people worldwide are clinically obese
• Obesity crisis caused by fried fatty meat eaten during many meals
• HIV is the focus of many countries within Africa while obesity awareness and education fell off the wayside
• urban black woman have highest incidence of obesity, 67% to 72%!
• ill effect of obesity (morbidity) is being felt throughout society with higher rates of mortality
• in developing countries, where food is perceived to be scarce, being fat is a status symbol of wealth (culturally)
• if you are thin, people assume you have HIV or AIDS
• people fear going on weight loss programs for fear of being labeled HIV Disease positive
• South African government is saying that you cannot legislate peoples behavior

Ironic Twist

What I find incredibly ironic about this entire situation is that one very serious yet preventable disease (HIV Disease) is used as an excuse to create another very serious yet preventable disease (Obesity). South Africans are trading one epidemic for another! The very fact that their society as a whole thinks this is alright is deplorable, the South African government needs to step in to educate people that simply being thin doesn’t mean you have HIV Disease and that being fat isn’t healthy. Being obese leads to a number of major health problems including a shortened lifespan, diabetes, heart attack and the list goes on.

This being South Africa, I don’t expect this to happen anytime soon, with a corrupt government that still believes HIV Disease is caused by poverty, not a virus with no policy towards controlling its spread. This is ironic as well because Nelson Mandela’s own son died of AIDS a few years back (and he wasn’t poor).

The Bottom Line

Obesity shows it’s ugly head where ever ignorance and negligence live.

Buzzvia
Newspod for August 20th, 2007

According to a new study, yes, it is! HIV apparently has the ability to not only kill off mature brain cells but also prevent the brain from fixing the damage!

Journal Results

In the latest Cell Stem Cell journal, the University of California (San Diego) performed found out after performing experiments on mice that HIV viral load had a direct relationship with the amount of brain damage occurring and the inability of the brain to repair the damage caused. Although it was already known that HIV has a protective protein coating called gp120 which kills normal brain cells by disrupting their internal chemistry, what was discovered is that this same protein also slows the production of new brain cells in the hippocampus. This is bad news as the hippocampus is responsible for processing memory and solidifying learned behavior/materials.

HIV induced dementia

One of the known symptoms of advanced HIV Disease is dementia but until now, the depth of the damage it caused to the brain wasn’t known. Before antiviral drugs where developed, patients suffering from full blown AIDS often had mental illness but as this was segregated to those who where already in a state of waste, it was hard to pinpoint cause and effect. The brain is like many organs in our body, it regenerates itself on a regular basis, optimizes its processes and adapts to new challenges but this process occurs over an extended period of time, HIV is too quick.

Ramifications

Well, although the triple drug cocktail and other medications help keep viral loads down as much as possible, they don’t travel as easily through the brain as other organs due to its complex structures. As a result, even though a patient may live longer, the compound effects of HIV on the brain may still produce dementia in an otherwise relatively healthy individual.

The Bottom Line

HIV Disease is really proving to be one tough cookie to not only crack but understand as well.

Buzzvia

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6944255.stm