Coping with Rotary Cuff

In my doctor's visit yesterday I found out that I have rotary cuff, or what is also commonly known as tendinitis. I was thinking that the pain was very minor, assumed that it was just a minor issue that would resolve itself. Well, I guess I was wrong, and I learned the lesson that chronic pain, even if bearable, should be checked out.

The treatment for now is an anti-inflammation drug and exercises. Hopefully that works and I won't need more exercises through physical therapy or a steroid shot.

Off my diet

I've noticed over the past year that I tend to go off my diet in small episodes of time. Usually I go off on a Friday, associated with the end of the week and wanting to go out to a restaurant - Indian food or Thai food, which have many dishes that contain a good deal of bad carbs, sugar and fat. Once I'm off the wagon, so to speak, it's hard to get back on. For example, last night I went to an Indian restaurant, had a beer with my already carb and fat-loaded dish, and then a class of wine when I got home. Today, being that it's Saturday, I'm heading to a blues festival in town that will have the typical temptations of ribs and beer. My one consolation is that it hasn't been an all-out binge, and that in the past I have had small deviations from my diet without hugely negative results.

Choice of doctor

Of all the accusations made against a single-payer health care system, the charge that we would not be free to choose our doctor is the most astounding. I'm currently looking for a new doctor, and just as before, the current system is very restrictive upon my "choice." Most importantly, I must choose someone in my insurance plan; if I hear of a doctor outside my plan, too bad, you don't have that choice. (With single-payer, you can choose any doctor, by way of contrast.) Anytime I hear the fear that a universal plan will take away choice, I know that this is propaganda devoid of substance. After all, what choice do I have now?

Obesity in Illinois

I was surprised to read today in the local paper that Illinois ranks 4th in the country for obese children, after Mississippi, Georgia, and Kentucky. Wow, we're really near the bottom on this problem.

My first thought is that we need to sever the ubiquitous school relationship with McDonalds, one of the biggest peddlers of junk food to our nation's children. I've spoken with union leaders and teachers before on this issue, and sometimes it is mentioned that McDonald's provides money and resources to schools. But that is precisely the problem. Short of public funds, schools are forced to accept money from McDonald's and then end up promoting the company and its terrible food. Others I've spoken to claim that McDonald's food in moderation is okay. I beg to differ. McDonald's food is full of fat and sugar, contributing to obesity, and these substances are highly addictive. Kid end up craving the fat and sugar and continue to do so into adulthood. Educating our children on eating healthy must involve early habituation in good habits, which means cutting out fast food and junk.

Caffeine on the road

Traveling in my car, I always take in too much caffeine. Coffee in the morning is only a start; later, to keep myself occupied in my car, I turn to diet sodas. Besides the issue I have with supporting the the anti-union soda companies, and in the case of Coke their death squad activities in Colombia, I was thinking that this much caffeine can't be good for my health. Of primary concern was possible dehydration. So, to find out more, I did a quick search on the Internet and I saw one of my favorite medical advice columns, Go Ask Alice. After reading the column, I'm definitely going to try to cut down today in my car, after my first coffee. One symptom in drinking so much caffeine is being simultaneously tired and not being able to sleep, a problem that I have been experiencing this summer. Strangely, I wake up early in the morning, wanting to get up, but also tired after only getting 5 or 6 hours of sleep. I didn't think that caffeine might be the issue!

Traveling again

Once again I'm going to try to eat right and stay fit when traveling, this time in my car on the road! Eating right on the road isn't too hard, once you have gotten over the cultural pressures to eat crap when traveling. Basically, when all else fails, I find a place where I can get a Cobb salad or something similar - a mixture of vegetables with a protein source. Avoiding bad carbs, on the road that means all bread and potatoes, is a fundamental principle. This time around, however, I want to challenge myself to avoid caffeine. Usually I have my coffee in the morning. But when on the road I have a tendency to crave diet sodas, having to stop all the time for restroom breaks. I can't imagine anything worse for causing dehydration! Well, we'll see how it goes...

Where to find the worst health advice

I'm convinced that the worst place to look for health advice is in the supermarket checkout lanes. Today when I was at the supermarket, I noticed amidst the tabloids a women's magazine called First for Women that looked very stylish and for that reason somewhat credible as a health magazine. But the top story told me everything: Lose 16 pounds in 4 days! I first wondered why anybody would want that goal. I can see being impatient, but what's the point in losing 16 pounds that quickly? Am I missing something? My second thought was that such a goal was either extremely unhealthy or illusory. I would imagine that almost all of that weight would be water weight; otherwise, the advice is extremely unhealthy. It's amazing that such mags can bill themselves as health magazines!