The Healthy Skeptic · The most important thing you may not know about hypothyroidism — Thyroid issues are often missed when people are given psychiatric diagnosis. Chris Kresser is doing a series on thyroid problems. I’ll be linking to them. Hypothyroidism is one of the most common thyroid disorders. One recent analysis suggested up to 10% of women over 60 have clinical or subclinical hypothyroidism. It is characterized by mental slowing, depression, dementia, weight gain, constipation, dry skin, hair loss, cold intolerance, hoarse voice, irregular menstruation, infertility, muscle stiffness and pain, and a wide range of other not-so-fun symptoms.
Grassley Urges NIH To Focus On Ghostwriting // Pharmalot — As the National Institutes of Health readies new conflict of interest rules governing interactions between academic researchers and drugmakers, US Senator Chuck Grassley has released a report he believes should convince the agency to incorpoate a tougher stance toward ghostwriting in its forthcoming policy. At issue is the notion that ghostwritten articles unfairly influence physicians and their approach to practicing medicine.
Tater Tots Aren’t Vegetables: Why Do We Feed Our Kids Crap? | Food | AlterNet — After eating bagel dogs, tater tots and gloppy cheese sandwiches every day for a year, the brave teacher known as Mrs. Q shared what she learned on her blog Fed Up With Lunch: “The quality of school lunches has declined” since she was a kid and “the USDA guidelines are warped.”–Why are French fries and tater tots counted as vegetables, fruit jello cups and frozen juice bars counted as fruit, and so many grains required that schools have to serve combinations like rice with bread? Mrs. Q concludes after her year of school lunches that “our nation’s school lunch program is broken” and what we need is more than just money for better food — fresh food. As she puts it, “We must invest in our ‘lunch ladies’ and teach them how to cook properly” — not just reheat food as they do now. Fixing school lunch will take more than just money, but without money, schools can’t afford the food, training, labor, equipment and supplies needed to revamp their lunch programs.
That misery called meditation: What seven days of silence did to my head. – By Tim Wu – Slate Magazine — Even those of us who like meditation and would do a retreat again, will find this man’s report of his experience enlightening. (pun intended) In order to not dissuade folks, there is no need to go on weeklong silent retreats to benefit from meditation. Daily short sessions of meditation can have many benefits.
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