Good morning Bitcoinland.
Still going sideways in mid-$9xxx boredom... currently $9420USD/$12777CAD (Bitcoinaverage)'
Life goes on. Hodl and be happy.
@Tash: I was on the same path until about a decade ago, tried a lot of fancy "magic" stuff, tried to convince other people of how silly they are not to go "alternative" and throw their money at scammers that are actual doctors.
Let me tell you this: It didn't work. The only people i knew that claimed that it works either had no real health problems or took money for their alternative product or service. Some of the first group had health problems afterwards. Most risks are well documented.
This is a wakeup call from Morpheus. It's up to you if you take the red or the blue pill.
There's no sense trying to reason with those so brainwashed their minds are locked shut. They're right and everyone else (except other devotees) is wrong. They'll tell you that "common sense" dictates that the world is flat. They know the difference between "real" lettuce and the other kind. Unreal lettuce? Sigh.
I have a cousin, same age as me (in his 40s), who's eating more or less like Tash describes. He is totally against conventional medicine and into natural remedies, herbs, etc. He's also a vegetarian.
-- Half his teeth have fallen off. Even most of the front ones, but he refuses to go to the dentist (he's against doctors).
-- His Hematocrit (blood HCT) is below normal (around 30~35%).
-- Although he is very fit (he exercises a lot), he looks malnourished and unhealthy.
Several years ago, I was suffering from a serious, life-threatening condition, that required taking some nasty, very strong chemicals. My cousin strongly advised me against it, and recommended some special herbs. After researching all of my options, I went ahead with the medical treatment as advised by my doctor, and I'm now in perfect health. Had I followed my cousin's advice, I would probably not be alive today.
Just a word of caution, don't experiment with your health based on what someone has told you, or what you've heard, or read on the net, without hard, scientific evidence. Eat what you like, enjoy your food (your body itself will tell you what is good for you), just don't overdo it, as with most things. Most importantly, don't listen to anyone claiming he has the solution to all your health problems, without researching it thoroughly by yourself.
One last thing. Apply the "follow the money" principle. Just check to see if there's money involved and whether or not the person giving you advice has some monetary gain from persuading you to follow his methods. Steer clear from cases where you need to buy some "magic supplement" that will make you healthy, or otherwise having to pay someone for health services that are not scientifically proven.
I have similar anecdotal experiences. I had several friends who distrusted "big pharma" and the entire established medical profession. One even used a pendulum like a diviner to "cure" diseases. Needless to say, he and most of the others died early deaths.
In the real world, there are causes and effects, although they are not always obvious and can be confused with coincidences. Common sense can indeed be used for health if you wade through all the misconceptions.
A few years ago, I discovered I had hepatitis-c (for who knows how long?) and my liver took a beating.I enjoy alcoholic beverages. Luckily, Big Pharma came to the rescue. Seems that by culturing hep-c virus in vitro (thanks to a technique developed in European universities), American Big Pharma was able to identify a protein required by the virus for replication, while being unnecessary for humans, and developing a blocker. Luckily, I live in a country that doesn't depend on insurance companies for health care. I took a pill (Zepatier) every morning for 3 months. It was like taking a vitamin pill... no side effects. I didn't even have to quit drinking booze.
Before starting treatment, my AST levels (standard liver function blood test) were over 300. 20 is considered normal and 40 is red line. After a month my AST had dropped to 20 but we continued treatment for the full 90 days. Comprehensive testing after 90 days indicated no hep-c virus remaining. We tested again after 90 days more and again 60 days after that. Still no hep-c. I thanked my hepatologist and wished him a happy retirement. Thank you Medical Establishment. Thank you Big Pharma.
From my late teens to my early fifties I didn't go to doctors except to get stitched up, have my bones screwed back together, or get prescribed antibiotics after consorting with the wrong women. I'm a great believer in diet, exercise, and a healthy attitude. I figure that if hypochondriacs can make themselves ill with the sheer power of their own brains, we hyperchondriacs can make ourselves well... to a point.
Placebo effect is a proven and long established phenomenon. It's the reason for experiments being double-blind. It only goes so far though. There are times when outside intervention is required.
