Health Matters

You may know, or have realized, that I am fascinated by the general subject of good health and nutrition. I've been a proponent of nutrition, including diet as well as vitamins and supplements, since the late 1960s and love reading and learning on the subject.

I learned a lot more during my recent health scare.  I picked up my blood test results yesterday from my doc, and when they told me my white blood count was 'almost back to normal', they weren't kidding.  The number is, in fact, higher than it's been since I've been keeping track, which goes back to 2003.  The other numbers are better, too, but not to this degree.  Now, you may remember that I wrote about some things I wanted to try nutritionally to elevate this number.  Garlic and Shiitake mushrooms headed the list and I inundated my body with fresh garlic and fresh shiitake for awhile back in Oregon. That went by the wayside with the move, since I haven't been really cooking, but along with the food intake I have been taking garlic oil capsules and powdered shiitake mushroom capsules regularly.  It seems that they have worked, and it's always good to see results.  I did other things as well, but to a lesser extent and not so regularly.  I'm sure it all helped.

You may also have read as I railed about weight gain since I retired, despite the exercise and hiking and walking beaches and such back in Brookings.  In the back of my mind I've always considered the difference in my total activity before and after retirement.  Yes, I probably walked and exercised as much after retirement as before, but that didn't include the amount of exercise at the office, where I was constantly up and about, as opposed to sitting on my butt.  I also took the stairs to the 3rd floor, rather than the elevators.  All of that seemed to matter.  This morning, an article in the New York Times confirms that suspicion.  It DOES make a difference if you sit all day, or a large portion of the day, even if you exercise regularly. Even standing takes energy.  Sitting is the worst thing you can do, and in Brookings, I certainly did sit a lot for lack of much else to do -- even during the time periods when I was wearing a pedometer and getting in my 10,000 steps per day.  I don't sit nearly as much here, and once I start on actual projects such as the garden, or painting, I'll sit even less.  Hopefully, some of the fat will disappear.

I'm still debating the garden issue -- specifically, the composition of the raised beds.  Last night I was thinking of going to cheap pine boards, which will last a few years.  But, once I ran the numbers I found that it costs almost as much to use pine as it does to use one layer of concrete blocks, if you stay with the same height of 8".  I could go to 6", but am not sure I want to do that.  I'm also thinking of getting my soil tested, because at first glance it looks to be pretty good soil, rather than Georgia red clay.  It's not red, at any rate -- more dark and loamy looking.  In that case, 6" might work. My original plan, once cedar was out of the question, was two layers of the blocks for a level of 16".  I'm willing to start with 8" and build on that.  It'll be cheaper to fill, too.  I'm still going to run exact numbers, before I decide whether to use pine or concrete.  The pine would certainly look better -- I hate the look of concrete blocks.

Our weather is taking a turn towards cold again, which is not amusing, but at least it seems to be dry.  There's a lot to be said for that.  Guess that's about it for today.  It's going to be a quiet one, I think, but tomorrow will be just the opposite.  LOTS to do then, in Rome.