Global Health | Geek Life

Early birds may be more active, but night owls can catch up

November 7, 2020November 7, 20201 min read ASNF

Being an early bird has long been associated with a go-getter attitude. Early birds, or those who tend to wake early and go to bed early, are people who naturally feel sleepy earlier in the evening and naturally wake early in the morning. For an early bird type, a 9 pm bedtime may be the norm, and rising at 5 am without an alarm clock feels relatively effortless.

Our internal clock controls more than sleep patterns

Being an early bird, or the opposite night owl, is usually not something that is thought of as being highly under our control. Some people seem to be hardwired to sleep early, while others get a second wind and tend to sleep late. This internal clock is called our circadian rhythm, each person’s unique internal timekeeper and the body’s own master controller of many functions. Most obvious is our sleep patterns; however, our internal … Read more

Type 2 diabetes: Which medication is best for me?

November 6, 2020November 6, 20201 min read ASNF

If you are living with type 2 diabetes, you certainly are not alone. One in 10 people in the US has diabetes, according to the CDC. However, despite considerable progress in diabetes treatment over the past 20 years, fewer than half of those with diabetes actually reach their target blood sugar goal.

In part, this may be because doctors can be slow to make changes to a patient’s treatment plan, even when a patient’s treatment goals are not being met. One reason for this may be the overwhelming number of medications currently available. And yet, waiting too long to adjust treatment for type 2 diabetes can have long-lasting negative effects on the body that may raise the risk of heart and kidney disease and other complications.

What is type 2 diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic disease where the body’s ability to use glucose or sugar as fuel … Read more

It’s still true: Not all the news about COVID-19 is bad

November 5, 20201 min read ASNF

I thought the pandemic would be over by now. And I’m not alone; there were sophisticated models predicting a dramatic drop in the number of infections by the summer. And while there was understandable worry about the second wave, re-infection, and the coming flu season, there was good reason to believe we’d have the worst of the first wave well behind us.

Now, that all seems like wishful thinking. Here we are, over nine months into the pandemic, with more than 224,000 deaths, and more than 70,000 new cases and 800 deaths every day in this country as of late October. There are new hot spots popping up in the US and all over the world. Herd immunity, whether due to infection or vaccination, is still many months or even years away — if it happens at all. Despite these challenges, we do have some good news.

Good news about

Coping With IBS

November 4, 20201 min read ASNF

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can be painful, annoying, and embarrassing. There is currently no cure for this complex condition, and managing its symptoms and flare-ups is tricky. So, coping mechanisms are a constant need.

What are the symptoms of IBS?

IBS is a gastrointestinal disorder in which your gut becomes more sensitive, and the muscles of your digestive system have abnormal contractions. People with IBS usually have abdominal pain along with frequent changes in bowel habits (diarrhea, constipation, or alternating between both). Other common symptoms include

bloating and gas
urge to move the bowels, but being unable to do so
incomplete bowel movements
urgent need to move the bowels.

Because no one knows what causes IBS, it is impossible to prevent it. Once you have been diagnosed, the goal is to focus on managing the condition. You can do this by identifying specific triggers of your IBS symptoms and then … Read more

Defusing the “Benadryl challenge”: Discussing danger with teens

November 3, 2020November 3, 20201 min read ASNF

Let’s start with the bottom line: Parents of teens need to help them understand that just because they have been “challenged” to do something doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. But as simple as that sounds to us, it’s tough for many teens to grasp.

The latest challenge in the news is the “Benadryl challenge” that appeared on TikTok, a popular social media video platform. The idea was to take a whole lot of Benadryl (diphenhydramine, a common antihistamine) in order to cause a high, with hallucinations. While it’s true that diphenhydramine can make you high and make you hallucinate, when you take too much of it you can also have seizures, pass out, have heart problems, or even die. And indeed, emergency rooms across the country have treated overdoses of diphenhydramine, and at least one death has been attributed to the challenge.

Dangerous challenges appeal to teens

To TikTok’s … Read more

Why a Dark Sky Area Should Be Your Next Road Trip Destination

November 3, 20201 min read ASNF

It’s hard not to feel small in a place like Westcliffe, CO. With the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the west and the Wet Mountains to the east, you can spot several 14,000-foot peaks—including Crestone Needle and Crestone Peak—from nearly any point in the Wet Mountain Valley. As stunning as that panorama is during the day, I came to Three Peaks Ranch—a family-owned and- operated private ranch just 15 minutes out of town—not for the mountain views, but for the nighttime sky.

Westcliffe is one of just 28 “dark sky” communities in the world certified by the International Dark Sky Association for showing exceptional dedication to the preservation of the night sky. That’s done through the implementation and enforcement of a quality outdoor lighting ordinance, dark sky education, and citizen support of dark skies. It’s a … Read more

Birth Of A Snack Food Brand… the Story of PeaTos with Nick Desai

November 3, 2020November 3, 20201 min read ASNF

Birth Of A Snack Food Brand… the Story of PeaTos with Nick Desai

Did you know that there are 92,000 Cheetos eaten a SECOND and that Cheetos is a 1.7 BILLION dollar business? AND that 48% of Americans have eaten one in the last year! And that Frito Lay is a 4.5 billion dollar business and that it takes up 60% of the snacking market share? Well, Nick Desai, Chairman and CEO, Snack it Forward has a vision for Junk Food without the Junk and he is creating a massive and impactful disruption to the junk food industry.

Nick believes that there should be a bridge option between JUNK and totally unprocessed natural foods and he is willing to risk everything to make an impact on the obesity epidemic while being honest with who they are.

Today on Leveling up meet Nick Desai. He has been the Chairman and … Read more

Jaw-Dropping Surf Clips From This Week's Massive Nazaré Swell

November 2, 2020November 2, 20201 min read ASNF

This article originally appeared on Surfer.com and was republished with permission.

The first time you watch the clip, it seems like your eyes deceive you. A white trail is streaking across a massive wall of water, but there’s no surfer to be seen. Watch it again, and again, and again––same result. The streak is Lucas Chumbo and the wave is one that Chumbo would later claim as the “bomb of my life.”

Yep, that XXL swell at Nazaré is living up to expectations. Hurricane Epsilon sent liquid skyscrapers barreling towards Portugal this week, and it’s being described as one of the biggest swells in years. In addition to Chumbo, this week’s XXL chasers included Kai Lenny, Nic von Rupp, Pedro Scooby, Justine Dupont, Andrew “Cotty” Cotton, Sebastian Steudtner and more.

To give you a sense of what’s going down in Portugal right now, we assembled a collection of the … Read more

Talking to your doctor about an abusive relationship

November 1, 20201 min read ASNF

When Jayden called our clinic to talk about worsening migraines, a medication change was one potential outcome. But moments into our telehealth visit, it was clear that a cure for her problems couldn’t be found in a pill. “He’s out of control again,” she whispered, lips pressed to the phone speaker, “What can I do?”

Unfortunately, abusive relationships like Jayden’s are incredibly common. Intimate partner violence (IPV) harms one in four women and one in 10 men in the United States. People sometimes think that abusive relationships only happen between men and women. But this type of violence can occur between people of any gender and sexual orientation.

Experiencing abuse can be extremely isolating, and can make you feel hopeless. But it is possible to live a life free from violence. Support and resources are available to guide you toward safety — and your doctor or health professional may be … Read more

This Animal Flow Workout Will Get You Stronger Without Any Weights

November 1, 20201 min read ASNF

Don’t let the odd name deter you: Animal flow offers unique benefits you won’t get from traditional strength training. “It fundamentally brings you back to the basics,” says Nike Master Trainer Patrick Frost. “These are ground-based movements, where you create resistance by pushing and pulling your body around a fixed platform.” The trick to mastering this discipline is generating constant tension throughout your body. “There are some parts that require grace and some that require grit,” Frost says.

“You could do this same workout multiple times and have a completely different experience depending on how you attack it.” While mimicking the movement patterns of a crab or an ape can seem a little goofy, animal flow … Read more

You Won’t Get There By Accident

November 1, 2020November 1, 20201 min read ASNF

You Won’t Get There By Accident

YOU WILL NOT GET THERE BY ACCIDENT. Are you super laser clear on what you actually WANT to create for yourself? If you are not clear on where you want to go you won’t get there ‘by accident’.

Kinda like getting in a car and driving without deciding where you are going! You’ll get somewhere but it’s random and you may run out of fuel figuring out the destination.

That’s how I spent the first 4 decades of my life… chasing, following, changing directions… not being super clear on where I actually wanted to end up and getting clear on what I wanted that to feel and be like once I arrived.

Here’s the cool thing about deciding and then declaring a clear “vision and destination” for yourself:

Anything is possible if you can dream it up. It does not matter where you are … Read more

Intermittent fasting: Does a new study show downsides — or not?

October 31, 2020October 31, 20201 min read ASNF

Intermittent fasting (IF) is an approach to eating based on timing. The idea is that fasting for long enough allows insulin levels to fall low enough that our body will use fat for fuel. Growing evidence in animals and humans shows that this approach leads to significant weight loss. When combined with a nutritious, plant-based diet and regular physical activity, IF can be part of a healthy weight loss or maintenance plan, as I described in an earlier blog post.

Now, a randomized controlled trial published in JAMA claims that IF has no significant weight loss benefit and a substantial negative effect on muscle mass. News outlets picked up the story and ran headlines like A Potential Downside of Intermittent Fasting and An Unintended Side Effect of Intermittent Fasting.

But what did this study actually look at and find?

In the study, 141 patients were randomly assigned to … Read more

Why Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Are on the Ballot This Year

October 31, 20201 min read ASNF

How we protect and intend to use the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is on the ballot this election, as is the Tongass National Forest in Alaska, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Idaho’s South Fork Salmon River, Bristol Bay, Bears Ears National Monument, and countless other public lands.

Ely, Minnesota was once a thriving iron mining capital, whose modern identity is now synonymous with the largest wilderness area east of the Rocky Mountains: the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. That wilderness (the most heavily used in the U.S., attracting a quarter million visitors a year) now finds itself at odds with a foreign-owned copper/nickel mine—one that had been suspended, pending further research under the previous administration, and is now being fast-tracked by the current one.

Travis J. Camp / Shutterstock

The massive underground project, underway just a couple miles (or a long portage) away from … Read more