Cognitive Dissonance: Health and wellness

New Site: Livestrong.com

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:30:36 GMT

More bicycle-related goodness. Looks like Lance Armstrong has launched a health-related site. That should be pretty cool. I have tried to be healthier, but am about the laziest person around when it comes to exercise. Seems like I am right in the target audience.

From the announcement:

On behalf of everyone involved, I'm pleased to announce the launch of Livestrong.com, an ambitious web site project that aspires to be THE destination on the Internet to inspire and inform people about leading a healthy, fit lifestyle. We've assembled a strong partnership of the Lance Armstrong Foundation and Demand Media, Inc., one of the leading social media companies in the world, as well as an incredible team of world-renowned experts in their respective health fields.
Livestrong.com is not just another web site packed with health information and expert advice. In my opinion, there is plenty of information already out there and furthermore, sitting at your desk surfing the web is not the key to a healthy, active life. Livestrong.com aspires to be a totally interactive community, where you can connect with people of similar interests and health concerns and obtain easy-to-find, specific advice from respected experts. We've made a strong effort to have the tone of the site be upbeat and motivating, rather than dry and academic. Consider this distressing news from a recent survey fielded by Harris Interactive: 86% of Americans attempt healthy lifestyle changes, but only 46% are successful. I don't think this failure rate is due to lack of knowledge, but instead with a flawed approach. As an athlete, I know it's easy to set goals - whether it's winning the Tour de France, lowering my marathon time or trying to eat a little healthier. The hard part is follow-through: staying focused and motivated over the long term. We envision you using Livestrong.com to get motivated, focused and then take real-life, decisive action to achieve your goals.

Lance Armstrong: Decisive Action To Achieve Your Goals - Living on The Huffington Post

Making Your Bicycle Fit You

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:22:57 GMT

A neat article. When my mom got me my first 10 speed bicycle, it was a frame and a box of parts from a garage sale. I remember taking a trip to the school library to get a bike repair book to figure out how it all went together. Surprisingly, few parts were missing, and it just needed a lot of time to put together. But getting it to fit me was a bugger. That took a lot of trial and error, and a few more books, but eventually I got it. That bike lasted me through college. Once I knew how it went together, I just replaced parts as needed.

From the article:

Bicycle fitting had very humble beginnings at the turn of the century - an era where bicycles had common design and sizing features. These features and the fact that bicycles were largely similar in size and were made of the same materials, allowed many "anecdotal fitting" techniques to suffice. As bicycle design and performance has evolved steel has been replaced with carbon, titanium and exotic aluminum and magnesium alloys. The once standard bicycle sizes of the 60's, 70's and 80's have been replaced with a proliferation of choices that make each brand somewhat unique. There are women's specific bicycles (more upright with shorter reach), there are "Tour De France" replica bikes (featuring long and low reach) and there are the rotund cyclist versions that have all the high tech features, but are slightly gentler on the body of a weekend warrior.
So how does one choose a bike given the myriad choices in the sizing, materials and features? Perhaps the better question answers how can you avoid buying the wrong bike. There is one company that has a three decade obsession with the science and art of bicycle fitting. When Ben Serotta built his first bicycle sizing machine in 1979 he knew that was going to be pioneering a new approach. His company, "Serotta Competition Bicycles" has relentlessly developed new ways to enhance the cycling experience.

Dr. Joshua S. Dines and Dr. Rock Positano : Joe DiMaggio Sports Medicine Blog: Making Your Bicycle Fit You - Living on The Huffington Post

Fucking Kiwi Fruit

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 18:11:01 GMT

Apparently, I have a severe allergy to Kiwi Fruit. A year ago I noticed that I reacted after eating one by getting sick, so I generally avoided it. Yesterday however, I had forgotten, and made Sasha a smoothie with kiwi in it. She had me take a taste, and I thought nothing of it.

Bad Mistake.

As my throat began to close, my first thought was to where I put my allergy medicine, which helped control things, but it ended up feeling like the worst hay fever attack ever after that. Dizzy, sore throat, eyes watering, the works. Fortunately, I didn't eat much, as apparently it could get a lot worse.

From the medical site:

Adverse Reactions:
IGE AND IMMUNE:
Diarrhoea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Burning of lips and mouth. Pruritis of the eyes, ears, tongue, pharynx, mouth. Angioedema. Dermatitis and atopic dermatitis. Respiratory complaints. Pharyngeal swelling. Colic.
A 26 year-old patient with a localized pruritic reaction a few minutes after eating kiwi fruit, repeated a few months later, accompanied by dysphagia, vomiting and urticaria. (Garcia1989 ref. 536 34)
In 22 patients allergic to kiwi fruit, 10 with severe systemic reactions and 12 with localized symptoms confined to oral and pharyngeal mucosa (oral allergy syndrome), prick tests showed positive reactions to kiwi fruit in all patients, whereas specific IgE to kiwi fruit could be demonstrated only in patients with generalized severe symptoms. Surprisingly, all 22 patients with clinical kiwi allergy showed positive prick test results and elevated IgE to birch pollen. Clinically, all complained of rhinitis during birch pollen season. Many patients showed sensitization to grass and mugwort pollen. Also, food allergy was found to be associated with kiwi allergy: we found strong reactions to apple and hazelnut; moderate reactions to carrot, potato, and avocado; and weak reactions to wheat and rye flour, pineapple and papaya, and their enzymes bromelain and papain. RAST inhibition studies revealed cross-reacting antigens between birch pollen and kiwi fruit. Interestingly, patients with birch pollen allergy without clinical signs of kiwi allergy had positive prick test reactions to kiwi. Patients with kiwi allergy showed higher concentrations to birch pollen IgE compared with patients with isolated birch pollen allergy. (Gall 1994 ref.535 34

AllergyNet - Allergy Advisor Find

Lose Weight Now, Ask Me How!

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 16:18:17 GMT

Ug. Six pounds overnight. I'm not sure if I had a minor Flu, more probably a mild case of food poisoning. Dizzy, heavy arms and legs, and as we used to say at Macworld:

Liquidation Sale! All Shit Must Go!

This morning I am a total mess. I have some Madelines, and will get coffee soon. Ug.

UPDATE: I went home from work. Still dizzy and shivering. Currently voting for Flu as candidate.