Wise & Well Weekly 06.25.23
Your weekly prescription, plus more healthy reading and your feedback
Welcome back to your weekly dose of wellness, helping you make tomorrow a little better than today — thanks to Wise & Well writers and readers on Medium.
THIS WEEK’S PRESCRIPTION
If mosquitoes bug you, you’ll want to get the lowdown on how to fend them off, not just because bites are annoying but because of the deadly diseases mosquitoes can carry. The methods that work—including certain bug sprays like DEET and picaridin, clothing choices, and also some attack strategies—can be used in combination and vary depending on whether you’re battling backyard mosquitoes, taking a hike in the woods or, as this doctor and writer has done, enjoying an African safari. What’s most interesting are the popular mosquito-repellent strategies that don’t work! Dr. Jan Patterson offers a comprehensive plan in Mosquito Repellent Strategies: What Works and What Doesn’t.
YOUR INSIGHTS
Reader comments on recent Wise & Well stories:
“I don’t normally nap, but if I have had a bad night’s sleep then a 30 min nap is often game-changing. I usually try and just make sure I sleep as well as possible though.”
—Emma Colsey-Nicholls, re: Do Naps Boost Brain Health? Keep Dreaming, by Robert Roy Britt
“There has to be a point where the family comes second and the psychological welfare of the individual must come first. Even if it requires estrangement to be permanent. The adult child obviously was tired of trying to get their needs met and to be felt seen and heard by their parents. If their parents haven’t come around by the time the child is an adult, the odds are they never will.”
— Notorious [sic], re: When Adult Kids Cut Parents Out of Their Lives by Kathleen Murphy, who responded: “The research I’ve done confirms your points. Usually, the adult child breaks with the parent, and the parent seeks reconciliation. This makes sense because the parent/child relationship is by its nature imbalanced (the parent supports the child, and the child grows up and separates from the adult). But imbalance doesn’t imply toxicity. I sense that in not all, but the majority of cases, what’s called for is repair, not permanent rupture. But that requires real emotional work, which few people today seem willing/able to tackle.”
“Years ago I found myself using many products that contained Splenda or sucralose as a means of replacing sugar. There were days when I would drink several diet beverages; I would use Splenda packets in my coffee, in unsweetened yogurt, in baked goods. I’d say I did this for a solid year or more. It wasn’t long after that I began to experience severe digestive distress and was eventually diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. I can’t help but wonder if my ‘safe’ Splenda habits at that time caused UC, or at the very least, was the trigger to cause my body to rebel against itself.”
—Jennifer, re: Splenda Might Be Damaging Your DNA, Study Suggests
HEALTHY READING
A selection of this week’s other informative and insightful articles:
Are Psychedelics the Secret to Happiness?
Psychedelics like MDMA are all the rage these days. But how effective are they in treating mental health problems? “While taking MDMA sounds like a lovely vacation from all that ails you, scientists’ interest in its potential to mitigate mental illness goes beyond that. The thing with vacations is, they end. There’s strong evidence, however, that taking MDMA only a few times in the right setting could result in lasting relief from a variety of mental illnesses.” Before you take a trip, take a 7-minute journey with this writer and therapist. By Giana Porpiglia
The Gut Truth for Heart Attack Survival
Lowering your risk of a heart attack, or surviving one, or avoiding a second one, all involve similar and rather surprising preventive and proactive behaviors you can lean into. And don’t forget your microbiome! By Sam Westreich, PhD
Are Mitochondria Causing Mental Illness?
Mitochondria were once cast as cellular action heroes. But they’re now viewed as sometimes villains responsible for dementia, autism, depression and more. The writer sorts fact from fiction and suggests how we can support these superheroes as they battle their kryptonite: oxidative stress. By John Kruse
This One Nutrient Can Lower Cancer Risk 10%
Some 95% of Americans don’t get enough of a certain, very common nutrient. Can you guess what it is? I enjoyed trying to guess, as the doctor/writer teased into it. So instead of spoiling the surprise, I’m just going to suggest you go read this important story, which offers one of the simplest prescriptions for better health you can possibly ask for, both for lowering your risk of cancer and improving your overall physical well-being in numerous other ways. By Denny Pencheva, MD
RIP the Ability to Fart Safely and Confidently
One of the underappreciated joys of youth and good health is the free-spirited fart that sneaks out quietly or explodes like thunder, on purpose or not, without raising any fear something else might accompany it. But once you’ve sharted, the days of carefree gas passage are dead to you and, on a serious note, sharts can be a sign of underlying medical issues that need probing, so let’s talk freely. By Robert Roy Britt
RANDOM BIT OF WISDOM
“There is no standard normal. Normal is subjective. There are seven billion versions of normal on this planet.”
― Matt Haig, Reasons to Stay Alive
If you like what you see, please follow Wise & Well on Medium. Meanwhile, I hope we’ve helped you make tomorrow a little better than today. — Rob