A Healthy Dose of Sarcasm - Maintaining Strong Ligaments and Tendons

Things start to give as we age. I'm not talking about entrenched opinions and social biases. I'm talking about our bodies. 

I'm a gym rat of advanced age and am growing concerned about the strength of my connective tissue. Shoulders and knees are the worst culprits. Your muscles can be as strong as you can get them, but if your connective tissue is weak, then you're in for a world of literal pain.

I did some research on 'feeding' my ligaments and tendons. I wanted to make sure my diet is sufficient to provide my connective tissue with the fuel it needs to grow alongside my muscles.

Maintaining strong ligaments and tendons requires a diet rich in specific nutrients that support the synthesis and repair of connective tissue, particularly collagen.

Here are some key supplements and foods:

Key Supplements

1. Collagen Peptides (Hydrolyzed Collagen) or Gelatin:

• Why it helps: Collagen is the primary structural protein in ligaments and tendons. Supplementing with hydrolyzed collagen peptides (a more readily absorbed form) or gelatin provides the amino acids (such as glycine and proline) the body needs to build and repair these tissues.

• Tip: Research suggests combining collagen with Vitamin C may enhance its benefits for connective tissue synthesis.

2. Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate:

• Why it helps: These are natural compounds found in cartilage. Glucosamine, in particular, may help accelerate repair by supporting the body's collagen synthesis.

3. Vitamin C:

• Why it helps: This vitamin is essential as a cofactor for the enzymes that produce collagen. Without adequate Vitamin C, the body cannot form the strong collagen structure needed for healthy tendons and ligaments.

• Supplement Tip: Often included with collagen supplements.

4. Bromelain and Curcumin (from Turmeric):

• Why it helps: These are natural anti-inflammatory agents. Bromelain (an enzyme found in pineapple) and Curcumin can help manage inflammation, which can otherwise impede the healing and repair of connective tissues.

5. Omega-3 Fatty Acids (Fish Oil):

• Why it helps: They have potent anti-inflammatory properties, which can help reduce chronic inflammation that may negatively impact tendon and ligament health.

Essential Foods and Nutrients

The goal of your diet should be to provide the building blocks and cofactors needed for collagen synthesis:

Nutrient	Why it's Important	Food Sources
Protein/Amino Acids	Provides the raw materials (especially glycine, proline, and lysine) for collagen synthesis.	Lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy (like Greek yogurt), bone broth, lentils, quinoa.
Vitamin C	Necessary for the creation and stabilization of collagen.	Citrus fruits (oranges, grapefruit), strawberries, kiwi, bell peppers, broccoli, and kale.
Copper & Manganese	Trace minerals that are cofactors in the enzymatic reactions that strengthen collagen through cross-linking.	Nuts, seeds (especially sesame), shellfish, whole grains, leafy greens.
Zinc	Essential for tissue repair, immune function, and collagen synthesis.	Oysters, red meat, nuts, seeds, beans, and whole grains.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids	Strong anti-inflammatory effects.	Fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines), walnuts, chia seeds, flaxseeds.
Vitamin A	Essential for cell division and tissue repair.	Carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, kale, eggs, liver.

Top Food Focus:

• Bone Broth: An excellent natural source of collagen and gelatin, providing key amino acids.

• Colorful Fruits and Vegetables: Rich in Vitamin C and other antioxidants that protect tissues from damage.

• Lean Protein Sources: Ensure a consistent supply of amino acids for repair.

---

A Healthy Dose of Sarcasm - Black Bean Turkey Chili

I'll be posting a few of my favorite healthy recipes, The first is a dish I make and eat on throughout the week.

The recipe is a modification of one found on AllRecipes.com. However, I usually find the ingrediants a little lacking so you'll find a modified version here with a Texas flare. 

The base ingredients are

1 or 2 tsp of Olive Oil (or preferred oil)

One whole onion - sweetness and size up to the cook.

3-6 cloves of garlic - depending on clove size and garlic tolerance of the cook.

1-1.5 lbs of ground turkey

3 cans of low sodium, organic black beans

2 cans of Rotel tomatoes

oregano

basil

red wine vinegar

other hot sauce

hatch pepper honey (secret ingredient)

A note on cooking: I usually keep a lid on the large pot while cooking to keep as much moisture inside the mixture as possible. It also cooks quicker.

Chop onions and garlic.

Heat the oil in a large pot.

Dump onions and garlic into the pot and saute until the onions are soft and translucent.

Add ground turkey and cook until brown.

Add the rest, bring to a slight boil then reduce heat to low and cook for 60 minutes.

 

 

Ubuntu Picture Uploads from Pixel 4a

At times I use this blog just to document things I learn in case I need them later or in case others are trying to get over a technical hurdle. In this case, it's how to get photos from my Pixel 4a into Ubuntu Shotwell.

First, plug your Pixel phone into your desktop using a USB cable. This should be the same cable you use to charge your phone but it may require you to buy one if your desktop doesn't have a USB-C connector. 

If you're getting the dreaded Android the "Camera is locked by another Application", go to your Ubuntu Files application and eject your phone's drive from the drive list. 

If Shotwell states the device has no photos, you'll need to enable file transfer from your Pixel. On the notification screen, you should see a notice that your phone is charging via USB. This should show a down arrow. If you click that you should see a screen that allows you to transfer files via USB. Select this and then go back to Shotwell. It should begin scanning for new photos.

A Healthy Dose of Sarcasm - Here's Your Pill

After a brief blog diversion to Body Odor, this week's post returns to Death Factor X and the pathway to finding it.

Big Healthcare has its actuarial tables worked out. They know the average human's biological and psychological cycle and have a plan to profit from it - complete with a marketing budget. You can say it any number of ways but perhaps the simplest form is "There's money in them there pills."

Prior to middle age you go to the doctor for the equivalent of an oil change and fluid check. Towards the end, you're in for a transmission overall and electrical system replacement - the one they never get right, requiring multiple return visits until you eventually sell the car.

Big Healthcare's actuarial tables state the following based on your age:

• 20 to 39 - 99% of the time there’s nothing wrong that lifestyle changes or time can’t fix. You're Big Vanity's profit center for now.
• 40 to 49 - doctors look for things to treat later unless they find something to treat now. Big Vanity loves this age as you try to keep your looks from the previous decade.
• 50 to 59 - doctors look for Death Factor X and begin treatment if needed. Big Vanity's profits begin to give way to Big Healthcare.
• 60 and later - Jackpot! 

By some unwritten rule, sometime in your 40s, you must have a pill - usually for high blood pressure or high cholesterol. After the first pill, each doctor's visit involves swapping the prescription for another or adding a new medication. Doctors, especially doctors in large corporate healthcare organizations, get the benefit of routine office visits to evaluate the effectiveness of your medication.

Of course, you're only out the copay for the office visit and the prescription. Your insurance company, if you have one, picks up the rest. I suspect the entirety of Big Healthcare would collapse if the pill pattern changed.

I don’t care much for the healthcare industry. Mostly because Big Healthcare isn't designed to maintain health; they treat symptoms and diseases. If you have high blood pressure - get the speech on lifestyle modification and a pill. If your blood pressure goes higher, another speech on lifestyle modification and a different pill.

However, there is data to support the pill approach. Dr. Worth, my previous doctor, prescribed my very first forever pill for Hypertension aka High Blood Pressure. This seemed logical due to my family history of heart disease and elevated blood pressure.

I’m not alone in needing a forever pill in my mid-forties according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). By 55 over half the American population have hypertension.

Age of Diagnosed Hypertension

Age	Men (%)	Women (%)
20-34	11.1	6.8
35-44	25.1	19.0
45-54	37.1	35.2
55-64	54.0	53.3
65-74	64.0	69.3
75 and older	66.7	78.5
All	34.1	32.7

Hypertension is nasty stuff. Treat it! Check out these statistics from the American Heart Association if you think high blood pressure isn't a threat.

• First heart attack: About 7 of every 10 people having their first heart attack have high blood pressure.
• First stroke: About 8 of every 10 people having their first stroke have high blood pressure.
• Chronic (long-lasting) heart failure: About 7 of every 10 people with chronic heart failure have high blood pressure.

Of course, you have a choice regarding the forever pill. According to the Mayo Clinic, you can

1. Shed belly fat
2. Exercise regularly
3. Eat a healthy diet
4. Reduce sodium in your diet
5. Limit alcohol intake
6. Quit smoking
7. Cut back on caffeine
8. Reduce stress

Most people opt for the pill.

I took my pill and promised Dr. Worth I'd tackle at least half the items on the list. I lost weight and exercised more. It worked. I dropped from 239 lbs down to 216 lbs, mostly by cutting out fast food; a mainstay of my diet at the time.

Every trip back to the doctor brought the same lifestyle lecture but Dr. Worth seemed pleased with the weight loss. Things were going well. My blood tests showed good blood sugar and cholesterol levels. That's why Dr. Worth confused me with the suggested I start another medication for cholesterol.

I disagreed.

Which leads to our next post: Firing Your Doctor.

Until then - stay healthy, my friends.

References:
10 ways to control high blood pressure without medication - Mayo Clinic
High Blood Pressure Facts - Centers for Disease Control

A Healthy Dose of Sarcasm - Baking Soda: A Pit's Best Friend

I've been told my last post was a bit morbid so I decided to tackle a problem everyone faces: BO.

As a general statement: people stink. People stink more when they sweat. Here's why.

Body odor - or technically bromhidrosis, osmidrosis, or ozochrotia - is an unpleasant smell given off when the bacteria living on your skin break down the proteins found in sweat. Perspiration itself has no odor until the bacteria transform it into thioalcohol. Armpits stink more than other body parts because it’s warm, moist, and usually dark: party central for bacteria. Shoed feet have the same issue.

Big Vanity - corporations specializing in makeup, soap, deodorant,  toothpaste, etc. - produced a wide variety of products to keep humanity from an odorous existence. They approached the problem with antiperspirant, to keep you from sweating, and deodorant, to cover the smell.

According to WebMD, antiperspirants work by forming a chemical reaction with the water in perspiration to create a physical plug in your sweat ducts. Their answer is pretty simple - stop sweating. Deodorant masks the sweat making it through the chemically clogged perspiration plumbing.

Despite various reports linking antiperspirants to cancer, Alzheimer's, and kidney disease - the only common side effect to antiperspirant is occasional irritated or swollen skin. The few medical reasons for avoiding antiperspirants include kidney disease or those undergoing radiation therapy for cancer. The radiation beams will heat the aluminum in the antiperspirant causing burns.

After reading an interesting section in Baking Soda: House and Home, I decided to try another approach: kill everything living in my pits.

The book stated you can use Baking Soda like talcum powder, dusting it over areas generating more odor than socially acceptable. Armpits and feet are the most common areas for treatment. The book claims Baking Soda makes skin inhospitable to the thioalcohol-creating bacteria.

I’ve used it for a while now and there is literally no smell from my pits for days at a time. And when I say no odor, I mean it - even with my daily trips to the gym.

The benefits of Baking Soda over Big Vanity products include:

• No artificial perfume smell
• No gooey feeling from stick deodorants/antiperspirants
• A nice dry feeling upon application
• It's incredibly low cost

You can also use Baking Soda for:

• Toothpaste
• As an exfoliant in your bath
• To sooth rashes and bug bites
• In laundry to remove smells and sweat stains
• As a counter cleaner

So you can stay smelling fresh, brush your teeth, and clean the bathroom sink and counter - all with one substance. Pretty impressive for something that's been used by man since Ancient Egypt.

Baking Soda is cheap, available in large containers, and useful in the kitchen, bathroom, garden, and tool shed. You can even use it on pets to prevent fleas. Check it out if you want to give your pits a break from Big Vanity.

References:
Body Odor: Causes, Prevention, Treatments - Medical News Today
Antiperspirant Safety: Should You Sweat It? - WebMD (short answer - no)
Meet The Bacteria That Make A Stink In Your Pits - NPR
Baking Soda: House & Home - Amazon Link
“Baking soda is far more than a baking ingredient – it can be used in all manner of household tasks including cleaning, laundry, animal care, and health and beauty. This is the essential guide to maximizing the potential of this cheap, environmentally-friendly and multi-purpose product. Tips range from removing baked-on food from pans to making your own facial scrub, from getting stubborn stains out of your clothes to shampooing your dog. "Baking Soda" also gets the kids involved, with some fun science experiments and sweet treats, as well as providing culinary tips and a few tasty recipes for breads, cakes and cookies.”