Pesticides
The Utne Reader (www.utne.com) recently released a list of the most and least pesticide-laden produce. When we shop for fruits and vegetables we try and buy organic. Sometimes it isn’t always possible. I posted a little while ago about the benefits of organic and the dangers of our pesticides and artificial fertilizers. We have hundreds of new ones each year and the ones we ban (DDT, etc.) are sold to other countries and come back to us on imported produce. This list will help in deciding which foods you really should buy organic and which ones you might get away with buying conventional.
Michael Polan, the author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma has just released a new book titled, In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto. During his interviews to market the book, he mentions that his main recommendation is to not eat anything that your great-great grandma wouldn’t recognize. Considering how quickly we are inventing new food (i.e. trans fats) and the number of new chemicals introduced each year, this is becoming a tougher recommendation to follow. Still, his advice brings us back to basic breads and pastas, fruits and vegetables and “clean” animal products.
12 most pesticide-contaminated produce (Only eat these as organic):
Peaches, Apples, Sweet Bell Peppers, Celery, Nectarines, Strawberries, Cherries, Lettuce, Grapes, Pears, Spinach, and Potatoes
12 least pesticide-contaminated produce (Safe to eat conventional):
Onions, Avocados, Frozen Sweet Corn, Pineapples, Mangoes, Frozen Peas, Asparagus, Kiwi, Bananas, Cabbage, Broccoli, and Eggplant
Doug on 01.11.08 @ 02:42 PM PST [link]
Tuesday, January 8th
Outsourcing Healthcare
I have mentioned before that our family has an excellent healthcare plan – thanks to Jeanette and her employer. We are insured by CIGNA and we opted for the more comprehensive plan. When I switched my care over to Alta Bates the plan checked over by their resident insurance reviewer. She said it is the best coverage she has seen. So I am very thankful for this gift.
Healthcare is a hot topic these days as the presidential candidates talk on issues that are affecting our general public. Americans spent $2 trillion on healthcare in 2006, which is about the same as what the world spent on petroleum. This is about twice as much as was spent per person by other wealthy countries. And we still have 50 million Americans uninsured! Even with this great expense, we are still not a top-ranking nation in longevity statistics. Twenty years ago, we were 11th in the world for life expectancy. Now we rank 42nd in the world behind Bosnia and Jordan. We are 28th in infant mortality statistics ranking behind countries such as Cuba and the Czech Republic.
As we know, healthcare costs continue to spiral upward. Businesses are spending large percentages of their employee costs on care plans. We are now seeing a trend where companies are offering employees cash to have their medical operations performed overseas. Kevin Miller of Louisiana was in a car accident and ended up with whiplash - a herniated disc. The quote to have his neck repaired was $90,000 out of his own uninsured pocket. Instead, he made his first ever trip overseas and went to Bangkok where he checked into the Bumrungrad Hospital with its marble-floors, liveried bellhops, fountains and restaurants and had the operation performed by US trained doctors for $10,000. This one clinic treated 55,000 Americans last year, a 30% increase over the year before. When I was getting treated in Mexico, there were loads of Americans from all over the country coming across the border each day to have dental work done and even plastic surgery. Countries such as India, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia top the list of medical tourism destinations. We are even seeing companies like IndUShealth that are offering companies and individuals researched access to healthcare procedures in India.
American healthcare is huge business with huge profits and wealthy lobbyists. So many of our politicians are funded by the healthcare and drug industry that changing our broken system will be difficult. As costs rise and more employers can’t fund healthcare, we will see more medical tourism and access to prescription drugs overseas. Maybe if we took away healthcare benefits from congress? We are paying for them, aren’t we?
Doug on 01.08.08 @ 04:38 PM PST [link]
Sunday, January 6th
Life Partners
I guess it was the holiday break and a chance to spend time with couples. But I have been thinking about what goes into choosing a spouse. I remember dating various people and knowing quickly whether they were someone that I would be compatible with. I am guessing that it is a very primal instinct that drives the decision. What amazes me is how we look for such different people. Are we looking for our better half? Are we aware of our shortcomings so we are looking for someone to fill in the gaps? For instance, if I am terrible at organization, am I drawn to someone who is organized? Perhaps it is even more fundamental than that. If I am a giver, do I connect with someone who is needy? I am amazed by couples where the wife not only buys all his clothes but lays them out for him.
I was attracted to very independent women. Once they showed any sign of dependence or clinginess, I was out of there. I have always wondered why that is so. Jeanette is very strong and independent - sometimes too much so as she rarely leans on me for support or comfort. But I knew she was the one for me - and still is. Now that I am battling cancer, I wonder if somehow, my body knew all along that I would need to be with someone who could handle my illness and/or early demise. Consciously, this is certainly not the way I thought my life would play out.
There is a lot of time these days to think these things out. Our choices in life and what motivates them continue to interest me. I am always surprised by the variety, but then, that is the spice of life.
Doug on 01.06.08 @ 05:40 PM PST [link]
Friday, January 4th
Cold and Flu Season
As mentioned, the family headed down to San Diego for a week following Christmas. The day we arrived, I became so sick that I spent the night in an easy chair trying to help out my lungs. I have been struggling to breath lately but this was quite a turn for the worst. I began to cough up material that I will spare you from hearing about. Just amazed at what can reside in your lungs. The following day I checked into UCSD Med Center’s emergency room where they ran a blood test, strep throat test, chest x-ray and a chest CT scan. I checked in at 10am and didn’t get out until 8pm that day. The conclusion was that I must have some kind of respiratory infection and just needed some antibiotics. So began our vacation on the beach. We had a beautiful beach house on the Strand and it turned out to be as good a place as any to bundle up in a blanket and watch the waves and people go by.
I have been proud of the fact that I have not gotten sick over these past three years. Considering my condition and the number of times that I have been on chemotherapy, I have been doing pretty well. Chemo is notorious for lowering your white blood counts and for destroying your bone marrow that produces your red blood cells. It is truly an immune system depressant. I credit my supplements for keeping me healthy. Unfortunately, when I do get sick like this, I always wonder whether it is a progression of the disease or something I will eventually recover from and improve. I try to hold faith that I will improve and regain what quality of life I had but you never know. The alternative is a frightening proposition.
Yesterday I went in for a round of chemo and they decided to give me another week off. One of my drugs, Avastin, can cause bleeding in the lungs for lung cancer patients. Though my lung tumors are colon cancer, I have been bringing up blood so it is a concern. Still, I think I am on the road to recovery and am going out this evening to hear some live music. I hope all of you made it through the holiday season in good health.
Doug on 01.04.08 @ 05:48 PM PST [link]
Past Posts
I had a fellow teacher in Vienna, Austria while I was there who was the drama coach. He did a one-man routine while riding a stationary bike. He titled it “I Wonder” and he spent the hour pondering why things were. I don’t remember most of it. There were the usual ones like “Why do we drive on a Parkway and park on a Driveway?” And the unusual ones like why does the toilet paper on the wall have to come over the top of the roll?
Yesterday I spend the whole day in bed. It was a combination of reasons. I didn’t have anything on the schedule and didn’t feel well enough to initiate any activities. Jeanette was a great nursemaid as she brought me meals and snacks. My lungs just seem to be getting worse. I get short of breath even when I am on my oxygen and find myself constantly dialing up the level on the tank. It has become my life support.
As much as we try to think we are not so vain, it still holds us in a tight grip. How we look plays such a big role in how people react to us and even how we see ourselves. I now need to carry oxygen with me wherever I go. Out to dinner this week, many people stared, as it is an uncommon sight. In a theater, I am embarrassed by the noise my oxygen regulator makes. Often children ask me about it. Thankful I can still go out, though even these little trips are beginning to exhaust me. 
There are lots of stories of people who have cured themselves with laugh therapy. Side effects include occasional uncontrollable snorting, pain in the side and danger drinking milk. There are stories of people doing comedy movie marathons. I have tried to watch more funny movies, TV shows and books and ease up on the heavier stuff. I must say that our new puppy has added more laughter to our house. He is really a sweet boy and we are really enjoying his lively spirit. We finally decided to name him Teddy, which seems to fit him well. He is a sweet teddy bear.