Four Thousand Weeks – by Oliver Burkeman

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This is not, strictly speaking, a time management book. It’s more a “contemplating mortality and making things count while still doing the necessaries”.

Burkeman’s premise is that we get around 4,000 weeks of life, on average. If we live to 120, it’s more like 6,200. Unlucky souls may have to do the best they can with 1,000 or so.

The book is thought-provoking; consider:

  1. how was your last week?
  2. how will your next week be?
  3. what if it were your last?

Of course, we cannot necessarily liquidate all our assets and spend next week burning out in style, because then the following week comes. So, what’s the solution?

That’s something Burkeman lays out over the course of the book, with key ideas including passion projects and figuring out what can be safely neglected, but there’s far more there than we could sum up here.

Bottom line: if you ever find yourself struggling to balance what is expected of you with what is of value to you, this book can help you get the most out of your choices.

Click here to check out Four Thousand Weeks, and make yours count!

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    Choose soap over sanitizer: it removes germs effectively, while sanitizer takes too long to act. Plus, treat your hands with quality soaps and a good moisturizer!

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  • The How Not to Die Cookbook – by Dr. Michael Greger

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    We’ve previously reviewed Dr. Greger’s “How Not To Die”, which is excellent and/but very science-dense.

    This book is different, in that the science is referenced and explained throughout, but the focus is the recipes, and how to prepare delicious healthy food in accordance with the principles laid out in How Not To Die.

    It also follows “Dr Greger’s Daily Dozen“, that is to say, the 12 specific things he advises we make sure to have every day, and thus helps us to include them in an easy, no-fuss fashion.

    The recipes themselves are by Robin Robertson, and/but with plenty of notes by Dr Greger; they clearly collaborated closely in creating them.

    The ingredients are all things one can find in any well-stocked supermarket, so unless you live in a food desert, you can make these things easily.

    And yes, the foods are delicious too.

    Bottom line: if you’re interested in cooking according to perhaps the most science-based dietary system out there, then this book is a top-tier choice.

    Click here to check out The How Not To Die Cookbook, and live well!

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  • Inflammation: The Silent Fire – by Dr. Carly Stewart

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    Despite its relative brevity (188 pages), this book is quite comprehensive, covering a lot more than “eat some fruits and vegetables please”.

    In terms of complexity, it starts at the level of “what is inflammation?” and progresses to the nuances of NF-kB inhibitors and the role of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats and CRISPR-associated protein 9. And we do mean “progresses”; it doesn’t jump from one to the other.

    The author, a doctor of physiotherapy, has plenty to say about the role of movement, as you may have guessed, and there’s a whole section on anti-inflammatory exercises to do (mostly derived from yoga), as well as all the things you might expect (and more) about diet, sleep, and so forth, plus a chapter on gut health, one on stress management (beyond the yoga and sleep and such in their respective chapters). She also covers supplements beyond the obvious, as well as medications—again, beyond the obvious.

    The style is simple and explanatory, not complicating things more than necessary, nor padding it out with anecdotes or sensationalist fluff.

    Bottom line: if you’d like to better manage inflammation, this book is a great resource for that.

    Click here to check out Inflammation: The Silent Fire, and dial down yours!

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  • Cherries vs Cranberries – Which is Healthier?

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    Our Verdict

    When comparing cherries to cranberries, we picked the cherries.

    Why?

    In terms of macros, cherries have a little more protein (but it’s not much) while cranberries have a little more fiber. Despite this, cherries have the lower glycemic index—about half that of cranberries.

    In the category of vitamins, cherries have a lot more of vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B9, and a little more choline, while cranberries have more of vitamins B5, B6, C, E, and K. A modest win for cherries here.

    When it comes to minerals, things are more divided: cherries have more calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc, while cranberries have more manganese. An easy win for cherries here.

    This all adds up to a total win for cherries, but both of these fruits are great and both have their own beneficial properties (see our main features below!)

    Want to learn more?

    You might like to read:

    Take care!

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  • Children can be more vulnerable in the heat. Here’s how to protect them this summer

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    Extreme heat is increasingly common in Australia and around the world and besides making us uncomfortable, it can harm our health. For example, exposure to extreme heat can exacerbate existing medical conditions, or cause problems such as heat stroke.

    Due to a combination of physiology and behaviour, children are potentially more vulnerable to severe heat-related illness such as heat stroke or heat exhaustion.

    But these are not the only heat-related health issues children might experience on a very hot day. In a new study, we looked at emergency department (ED) visits and unplanned hospital admissions among children in New South Wales on heatwave days.

    We found a significant increase in children attending hospital compared to milder days – with a range of health issues.

    maxim ibragimov/Shutterstock

    Why are children more vulnerable in the heat?

    Sweating is the main way we lose heat from our bodies and cool down.

    Children have a greater skin surface area to body mass ratio, which can be an advantage for sweating – they can lose more heat through evaporation for a given body mass. But this also means children can lose fluids and electrolytes faster through sweating, theoretically making them more susceptible to dehydration.

    Meanwhile, younger children, particularly babies, can’t sweat as much as older children and adults. This means they can’t cool down as effectively.

    Children in general also tend to engage in more outdoor physical activity, which might see them more exposed to very hot temperatures.

    Further, children may be less in-tune to the signals their body is giving them that they’re overheating, such as excessive sweating or red skin. So they might not stop and cool down when they need to. Young children especially may not recognise the early signs of heat stress or be able to express discomfort.

    A boy drinking from a drink bottle, appears hot and bothered.
    Children may not easily be able to communicate that they’re hot and bothered. christinarosepix/Shutterstock

    Our study

    We wanted to examine children’s exposure to extreme heat stress and the associated risks to their health.

    We measured extreme heat as “heatwave days”, at least two consecutive days with a daily maximum temperature above the 95th percentile for the relevant area on a universal thermal climate index. This ranged from 27°C to 45°C depending on the area.

    We assessed health outcomes by looking at ED visits and unplanned hospital admissions among children aged 0–18 years from NSW between 2000 and 2020. This totalled around 8.2 million ED visits and 1.4 million hospital admissions.

    We found hospital admissions for heat-related illness were 104% more likely on heatwave days compared to non-heatwave days, and ED visits were 78% more likely. Heat-related illness includes a spectrum of disorders from minor conditions such as dehydration to life-threatening conditions such as heat stroke.

    But heat-related illness wasn’t the only condition that increased on heatwave days. There was also an increase in childhood infections, particularly infectious enteritis possibly related to food poisoning (up 6% for ED visits and 17% for hospital admissions), ear infections (up 30% for ED visits and 3% for hospital admissions), and skin and soft tissue infections (up 6% for ED visits and 4% for hospital admissions).

    A boy standing in front of a sprinkler.
    Kids can be more vulnerable in the heat because of their behaviour and physiology. K-FK/Shutterstock

    We know many infectious diseases are highly seasonal. Some, like the flu, peak in winter. But heat and humidity increase the risk of certain infections caused by bacterial, viral and fungal pathogens.

    For example, warmer weather and higher humidity can increase the survival of bacteria, such as Salmonella, on foods, which increases the risk of food poisoning.

    Hot weather can also increase the risk of ear infections. Children may be at greater risk during hot weather because they often swim or play at the beach or pool. Water can stay in the ear after swimming and a moist environment in the ear canal can cause growth of pathogens leading to ear infections.

    Which children are most vulnerable?

    During heatwaves, we found infants aged under one were at increased risk of ED visits and hospital admission for any reason compared to older children. This is not surprising, because babies can’t regulate their body temperature effectively and are reliant on their caregivers to keep them cool.

    Our study also found children from the most disadvantaged areas were more vulnerable to heat-related illness on heatwave days. Although we don’t know exactly why, we hypothesised families from poorer areas might have limited access to air-conditioning and could be more likely to live in hotter neighbourhoods.

    Keeping kids cool: tips for parents

    The highest levels of heat exposure on hot days for young children is usually when they’re taken outside in prams and strollers. To protect their children from direct sunlight, parents often instinctively cover their stroller with a cloth such as a muslin.

    However, a recent study from our group showed this actually increases temperatures inside a stroller to as much as 3–4˚C higher than outside.

    But if the cloth is wet with water, and a small fan is used to circulate the air close to the child, stroller temperatures can be 4–5˚C lower than outside. Wetting the cloth every 15–20 minutes (for example, with a spray bottle) maintains the cooling effect.

    When young children are not in a stroller, and for older children, there are a few things to consider to keep them cool and safe.

    Remember temperatures reported on weather forecasts are measured in the shade, and temperatures in the sun can be up to 15˚C higher. So sticking to the shade as much as possible is important.

    Exercise generates heat inside the body, so activities should be shortened, or rescheduled to cooler times of the day.

    Sunscreen and hats are important when outdoors, but neither are especially effective for keeping cool. Spraying water on the child’s skin – not just the face but arms, legs and even the torso if possible – can help. Wetting their hats is another idea.

    Proper hydration on hot days is also essential. Regular water breaks, including offering water before, during and after activity, is important. Offering foods with high water content such as watermelon and orange can help with hydration too.

    Wen-Qiang He, Research Fellow in Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney; James Smallcombe, Post-doctoral Research Associate, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney; Natasha Nassar, Professor of Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology and Chair in Translational Childhood Medicine, University of Sydney, and Ollie Jay, Professor of Heat & Health; Director of Heat & Health Research Incubator; Director of Thermal Ergonomics Laboratory, University of Sydney

    This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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  • I’ve been given opioids after surgery to take at home. What do I need to know?

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    Opioids are commonly prescribed when you’re discharged from hospital after surgery to help manage pain at home.

    These strong painkillers may have unwanted side effects or harms, such as constipation, drowsiness or the risk of dependence.

    However, there are steps you can take to minimise those harms and use opioids more safely as you recover from surgery.

    Flystock/Shutterstock

    Which types of opioids are most common?

    The most commonly prescribed opioids after surgery in Australia are oxycodone (brand names include Endone, OxyNorm) and tapentadol (Palexia).

    In fact, about half of new oxycodone prescriptions in Australia occur after a recent hospital visit.

    Most commonly, people will be given immediate-release opioids for their pain. These are quick-acting and are used to manage short-term pain.

    Because they work quickly, their dose can be easily adjusted to manage current pain levels. Your doctor will provide instructions on how to adjust the dosage based on your pain levels.

    Then there are slow-release opioids, which are specially formulated to slowly release the dose over about half to a full day. These may have “sustained-release”, “controlled-release” or “extended-release” on the box.

    Slow-release formulations are primarily used for chronic or long-term pain. The slow-release form means the medicine does not have to be taken as often. However, it takes longer to have an effect compared with immediate-release, so it is not commonly used after surgery.

    Controlling your pain after surgery is important. This allows you get up and start moving sooner, and recover faster. Moving around sooner after surgery prevents muscle wasting and harms associated with immobility, such as bed sores and blood clots.

    Everyone’s pain levels and needs for pain medicines are different. Pain levels also decrease as your surgical wound heals, so you may need to take less of your medicine as you recover.

    But there are also risks

    As mentioned above, side effects of opioids include constipation and feeling drowsy or nauseous. The drowsiness can also make you more likely to fall over.

    Opioids prescribed to manage pain at home after surgery are usually prescribed for short-term use.

    But up to one in ten Australians still take them up to four months after surgery. One study found people didn’t know how to safely stop taking opioids.

    Such long-term opioid use may lead to dependence and overdose. It can also reduce the medicine’s effectiveness. That’s because your body becomes used to the opioid and needs more of it to have the same effect.

    Dependency and side effects are also more common with slow-release opioids than immediate-release opioids. This is because people are usually on slow-release opioids for longer.

    Then there are concerns about “leftover” opioids. One study found 40% of participants were prescribed more than twice the amount they needed.

    This results in unused opioids at home, which can be dangerous to the person and their family. Storing leftover opioids at home increases the risk of taking too much, sharing with others inappropriately, and using without doctor supervision.

    Kitchen cupboard full of stockpiled medicine
    Don’t stockpile your leftover opioids in your medicine cupboard. Take them to your pharmacy for safe disposal. Archer Photo/Shutterstock

    How to mimimise the risks

    Before using opioids, speak to your doctor or pharmacist about using over-the-counter pain medicines such as paracetamol or anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen (for example, Nurofen, Brufen) or diclofenac (for example, Voltaren, Fenac).

    These can be quite effective at controlling pain and will lessen your need for opioids. They can often be used instead of opioids, but in some cases a combination of both is needed.

    Other techniques to manage pain include physiotherapy, exercise, heat packs or ice packs. Speak to your doctor or pharmacist to discuss which techniques would benefit you the most.

    However, if you do need opioids, there are some ways to make sure you use them safely and effectively:

    • ask for immediate-release rather than slow-release opioids to lower your risk of side effects
    • do not drink alcohol or take sleeping tablets while on opioids. This can increase any drowsiness, and lead to reduced alertness and slower breathing
    • as you may be at higher risk of falls, remove trip hazards from your home and make sure you can safely get up off the sofa or bed and to the bathroom or kitchen
    • before starting opioids, have a plan in place with your doctor or pharmacist about how and when to stop taking them. Opioids after surgery are ideally taken at the lowest possible dose for the shortest length of time.
    Woman holding hot water bottle (pink cover) on belly
    A heat pack may help with pain relief, so you end up using fewer painkillers. New Africa/Shutterstock

    If you’re concerned about side effects

    If you are concerned about side effects while taking opioids, speak to your pharmacist or doctor. Side effects include:

    • constipation – your pharmacist will be able to give you lifestyle advice and recommend laxatives
    • drowsiness – do not drive or operate heavy machinery. If you’re trying to stay awake during the day, but keep falling asleep, your dose may be too high and you should contact your doctor
    • weakness and slowed breathing – this may be a sign of a more serious side effect such as respiratory depression which requires medical attention. Contact your doctor immediately.

    If you’re having trouble stopping opioids

    Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you’re having trouble stopping opioids. They can give you alternatives to manage the pain and provide advice on gradually lowering your dose.

    You may experience withdrawal effects, such as agitation, anxiety and insomnia, but your doctor and pharmacist can help you manage these.

    How about leftover opioids?

    After you have finished using opioids, take any leftovers to your local pharmacy to dispose of them safely, free of charge.

    Do not share opioids with others and keep them away from others in the house who do not need them, as opioids can cause unintended harms if not used under the supervision of a medical professional. This could include accidental ingestion by children.

    For more information, speak to your pharmacist or doctor. Choosing Wisely Australia also has free online information about managing pain and opioid medicines.

    Katelyn Jauregui, PhD Candidate and Clinical Pharmacist, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney; Asad Patanwala, Professor, Sydney School of Pharmacy, University of Sydney; Jonathan Penm, Senior lecturer, School of Pharmacy, University of Sydney, and Shania Liu, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta

    This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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  • Anti-Inflammatory Piña Colada Baked Oats

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    If you like piña coladas and getting songs stuck in your head, then enjoy this very anti-inflammatory, gut-healthy, blood-sugar-balancing, and frankly delicious dish:

    You will need

    • 9 oz pineapple, diced
    • 7 oz rolled oats
    • 3 oz desiccated coconut
    • 14 fl oz coconut milk (full fat, the kind from a can)
    • 14 fl oz milk (your choice what kind, but we recommend coconut, the kind for drinking)
    • Optional: some kind of drizzling sugar such as honey or maple syrup

    Method

    (we suggest you read everything at least once before doing anything)

    1) Preheat the oven to 350℉ / 180℃.

    2) Mix all the ingredients (except the drizzling sugar, if using) well, and put them in an ovenproof dish, compacting the mixture down gently so that the surface is flat.

    3) Drizzle the drizzling sugar, if drizzling.

    4) Bake in the oven for 30–40 minutes, until lightly golden-brown.

    5) Serve hot or cold:

    Enjoy!

    Want to learn more?

    For those interested in some of the science of what we have going on today:

    Take care!

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