Been reading about lemons on the Net lately, after that night when I thought of throwing a slice of lemon on my glass of water. The rest of what you will read below is a recollection of what I've come across so far, as far my recall goes.
A simple Google search led me to a couple of sites about Master Cleanse, which is a detox/weight reduction approach using primarily lemons and not much else. I've never been a fan of anything about detox or cleansing that excludes a whole bunch of everything else except for a few food types, regardless if it was intended to be done only for a period of time. Besides, it was also intended for weight reduction, which is something I don't have need of. So I move on.
The next thing I started reading about is the alkalizing property of lemons. Alkalinity is generally that state of being not acidic. Being acidic carries with it certain limitations in how the body can absorb nutrients and dispose of wastes, hence bad. Technically, being not acidic can be measured in terms of ph levels, with about 7.0 ph as being "neutral", and anything lower than that contributing to acidity. Coffee is about 4.5ph, while lemons goes a long way down at 2.3ph.
Now, that seems to run counter in most sites that says lemons actually contribute to lessening acidity in the body, or technically, bringing the body fluids closer to 7.0ph. That's where the term "alkalizing" comes into play. Lemon, though being acidic, actually contributes to alkalinity because it triggers a reaction in the body's organs to produce stuff that reduces acidity and bring about alkalinity. Hmmm sounds interesting, so I asked a medical friend of mine.
My medical friend calls the reaction of the body to the lemon as a possible form of "compensation", which happens to other situations in the body to account for certain imbalances. But this can lead to longer-term problems. For example, a situation in the body can reduce the heart's ability to pump blood, for which the body will compensate by increasing the heart rate, or the number of pumps in a given time. The desired effect may be obtained, but may result in greater damage to the body in the future. What needs to be done instead is to possibly remove the reason why the heart is not pumping blood as well as it should, like having enough exercise and proper diet.
In possibly the same way, when we take in a certain amount of lemon juice, the body is releasing substances to induce alkalinity because of the high level of acidity. Which makes drinking substantial amounts of lemon juice to induce alkalinity (some sites recommend the juice of half of a lemon to be squeezed in a glass of water, three times a day) essentially pointless, even dangerous to the body.
So far, I have yet to find a site that's actually a "medical" one that has something to say about lemons. Hope you could share here if you have come across some.
This film is a documentary by Michael Moore, of the Fahrenheit 9/11 and Bowling with Columbine fame, two of his other films that I suppose are more widely known than the others. In his trademark style of combining "facts" (reader beware, as always) with interviews, he delves into the state of health care in America, and compared it side by side with the health care programs of other countries such as France, Canada, and Cuba. Moore paints a gloomy picture of the American health care system, where American citizens themselves are often not given the attention they need. He attributes this problem to the for-profit model of Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs), in which the less they provide health care the better off is the company, which clashes with the original intention of privatizing the provision of health care to make it more efficient and available for everybody. He contrasted this with the health care systems of other countries where he paints a picture of health care that is dependent on a person's need, not on his "coverage", and which can even extend to non-citizens of said countries. Overall, he makes for a case of reform which gives an impression that he is advocating for a single-payer universal health care system. The term "universal health care" basically means that a person should be able to get health care affordably (or even free), promptly, and without conditions attached (such as pre-existing illnesses). Having a single payer implies that a centralized body such as a government agency is to be responsible for the provision of health care, and the compensation of those involved in providing these services.
As with any controversial issue, there will always be a plethora of information available for and against SiCKO (and by extension, Michael Moore himself). Most of these information are beyond the capability of an ordinary person to actually verify and vouch for its accuracy. But SiCKO was successful enough in challenging commonly held assumptions. Having a state-of-the-art hospital in Cuba is one such eye-opener for me, I have to admit I always had a bleak perception of Cuba's health care facilities. Also, the film was able to point out that the manner of delivery of common good such as health care should always be carefully considered, especially if there is a tendency for conflict with the profit motive. My own recent experiences with HMOs have not been encouraging themselves. And I still have to get over the fact that you will actually be penalizing yourself for disclosing a pre-existing condition, rather than getting the attention that you need.
As I can imagine the gargantuan task of having a single payer system (though it has been portrayed as having been implemented successfully in the countries featured) and comparing it with the get-away-with-what-you-can mentality of a fully privatized health care system, I am wondering if there are other alternatives. Can some form of government control actually be useful, maybe provide for regulation on what HMOs can and cannot do, even reining in excessive profit-taking? The question is: who would dare do that?
Let me hear your thoughts on this one.
What is your age, your real age?
This is the question RealAge attempts to answer for you. The first thing you can do at the site is to have your RealAge computed for you, by answering a series of questions ranging from hereditary traits to diet and lifestyle. Each answer you provide carries a weight that will either add or deduct from your calendar age to arrive at your "biological" age. The result is then summarized for you as a health action plan on what you should continue to do and what you should start having second thoughts doing in the future.
As with any mass-market approach in making estimates, RealAge relies primarily on averages, which is both a good and bad thing. Averages tend to even out extremes and in most situations provide a more conservative estimate. This can mean that you are even younger than what the results would indicate. But since this is based on averages, situations specific to you as a person may be overlooked. The way some questions are posed may also allow for some bias on your part to creep in. This may be unintentional and may just be a result of one's current mood or perception.
In addition to computing your RealAge, the site also features several specific and in-depth tests, such as diets, sleep, and exercise. You can also sign up to receive a daily e-mail of tips.
Although RealAge can never replace a regular checkup with your doctor, just having it around and being reminded of it daily (if you subscribed to the email alerts) can help to put you on the track to getting fit and healthy. You can also invite your friends to check out who among you is the youngest.
Go visit the site now and start living your life to the youngest!
