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Fennel Seed Diet

New/extra short term goal- regain health, reduce inflammation and lose weight by adding fennel seeds back to my daily diet. I ran out of them earlier this summer and since then hurt my knee and gained weight with the decreased activity, (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevate (RICE) can help sprained ankles and strained ligaments but 6-8 weeks is expected for recovery).

Fennel seeds are used as an after meal dessert or breath freshener in India and elsewhere. They also are a digestive aid and may help preserve bone density/prevent osteoporosis from reading I did on the topic last winter when I first added them to my daily diet. It turns out they also are thought to help weight loss based on search results-(fennel seed weight loss). I love the internet. More specific information includes potential help with anxiety & depression and also mentions the possible help as digestive aid and weight loss as an appetite suppressant : “21 Health Benefits of Fennel, and Risks & Side Effects,”  selfhacked.com. Excessive amounts daily are not recommended however the crunch and taste are lasting and a pinch, ~ 1/2 teaspoon, is a little like chewing minty gum for little while.

So my simple plan – try to eat my healthy meal choices and have a teaspoon of fennel seeds after meals and whenever I feel like snacking in between meals – and just see if that helps curb the desire for more snacking. /Day one, already feeling some positive effects./

Fennel seed are an alkalizing food – meaning after digestion the body system is more alkaline than acidic which promotes health more and may help reduce cancer risk: Alkalizing foods refers to the alkalinity after digestion.

From my wintertime notes: 

A gift from nature to help us build Nrf2 (10) and which may improve digestion  (11) and bone density (12) are the licorice flavored Fennel Seeds that might be served in a tiny dish as an appetizer or after a meal at an Indian food restaurant. The tiny crunchy seeds can be eaten directly raw or may be toasted.  A few pinches, a teaspoon or two are a reasonable digestive health aid and even seem to freshen the breath somewhat as there is also a slight minty flavor to the more predominant licorice flavor. They are sold in larger quantities, (400 gram package), in India food markets but may be found in a one ounce jar in the spice section as they are also added to soups in Western recipes.

One interaction caution is for women using estrogen based birth control pills. Fennel also contains estrogen like phytonutrients which may interfere with the use of the birth control pills as a pregnancy preventative. (11) Regarding quantity for health benefits – a study on bone density effects in post menopausal women did not find 300 mg per day effective (12) – that would be less than an 1/8th of a teaspoon. I have seen a portion described as “a handful” in an unlinked source, which is about 1/4 – 1/2 cup, and which would be a lot compared to what I eat in a day but an 1/8th teaspoon wouldn’t be much at all. I eat a pinch or two, 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon at a time several times per day. So a tablespoon (three teaspoons) to an 1/8th cup (two tablespoons or 6 teaspoons) might be consumed throughout the day when snacking from an open dish as seen in the image below. They do seem to help settle my stomach after a meal.

Not as conducive to weight loss, but delicious – putting ground fennel powder in cookies – they were incredible: Fennel Cookies-lightly licorice.

Fennel seeds, raw.

Looking to any food to resolve weight gain issues may be too simple if the problem is actually too much exposure to EMF, electromagnetic frequencies, in your environment from laptops, smartphones and other WiFi devices, and/or problems with poor sleep or oxygen intake; discussion by a neuroscientist who got curious about his own health: Tensegrity 5: Your Magnetic Sense, Dr Jack Kruse, jackkruse.com.

/Disclaimer: This information is provided for educational purposes within the guidelines of fair use. While I am a Registered Dietitian this information is not intended to provide individual health guidance. Please see a health professional for individual health care purposes./

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Short term goals

Fifty years is a long time so short term goals are also good. Publishing in an academic peer review journal is a goal for several of the topics I’ve been working on, even if only to submit for more feedback. Studying more to improve my writing skills and understanding of neurology was a goal I mentioned earlier this summer and I exceeded my plan. I had signed up for three courses on a MOOC site called coursera.org and enjoyed them so much I ended up completing several more and one offered through one of the United Nations education website on sustainable water management. Links to those educational sites and others are available in the first two Frequently Asked Questions here: peace-is-happy.org/site-rules-faq

Reviewing chemistry, math, microbiology, and physics is another goal – in order to better understand the science of water which is shared in exquisite detail here: http://www1.lsbu.ac.uk/water/water_structure_science.html

*I’m jumping ahead and just reading the site that way I will better know what to pay attention to in reviewing the other science topics as needed. I’ve also found another site regarding known and theoretical information about quantum biology – quantum physics of our cells. This is a new field of study. (jackkruse.com/tensegrity)

From the site Water Structure and Science by Martin Chaplin, BSc PhD CChem FRSC,

‘Wisdom delights in water.’ – 
           Confucius (Analects VI.21)

Exquisite might seem an odd word to use about the chemistry of water however the site includes more detail about water in one place and in such detail, with clear explanations (similar reading level to the New York Times) of the complex detail – that exquisite is the best word. Water supports our lives internally and externally. It is a treasure of exquisite value.

One unexpected advantage of taking all the courses was in seeing all the educational styles and formats. It was very inspirational as well as educational and led to the new website, peace-is-happy.org . It celebrates water and community. It is a preliminary step towards making a more user friendly interactive education site for promoting lifestyle and community changes that support healthy individuals and ecosystems.

Peace is a glass of fresh cool water on a hot day.

/Disclaimer: This information is provided for educational purposes within the guidelines of fair use. While I am a Registered Dietitian this information is not intended to provide individual health guidance. Please see a health professional for individual health care purposes./

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50 Year Plan

Walt Disney is quoted as suggesting making 50 year plans – setting goals not just for the present year or so or decade but also for the much longer term. Even if you don’t expect to live that long the team of family or community or business will continue, hopefully.

I don’t spend a lot of time directly with other people currently but during my career I frequently helped ten or twenty families per day and sometimes forty or more during large group events. Empowering people to help themselves is the job of an educator and a public health educator specializes in helping any community members who are interested either in person or with educational articles or Public Service Announcements. It may seem like I don’t help because it is indirect but my long term goal has been to provide whatever help I can to whoever is interested. We as a group are suffering economically for a variety of reasons and one is the high cost of health care and health insurance.

Even with health insurance there can be copays and tests or specialists that aren’t covered by the insurance. Costs can be even greater for those without insurance but they may be more likely to ask about price before proceeding with a recommended treatment plan. (2) It is a good idea to ask about the reasons and necessity for a test or prescription and if any other options are available. Guidance regarding self-advocacy as a patient is available in a book written by a medical doctor. (3)

Magnesium deficiency is involved in many chronic physical and mental health conditions and it can be an inexpensive solution that helps a variety of symptoms at the same time, which can save trips to the doctor or specialist too. I’ve made a lot of mistakes with my own health simply by not continuing with new habits that I found helpful such as taking magnesium, or by thinking that since I was feeling better that meant I could go back to eating or doing things that are considered normal and often expected in social situations. Holiday settings and celebrations can be difficult for someone with health issues that include food sensitivities however hurting yourself just to be polite isn’t helpful to yourself and illness can cause more trouble than saying no thanks.

Recently the healthcare costs of the U.S. healthcare system were found to be expensive compared to other nations because they truly are more expensive. We are getting charged far more than other nations for prescription medications, lab tests and screenings, and many health care workers have much larger salaries or fees than in other nations. We are getting billed more and those with insurance have to pay copayments on those large bills and people without insurance often have to pay even more for the total because insurance companies often have negotiated for slightly lower fees. We also are not providing healthcare for much of the population. The number of prescriptions, lab screenings and healthcare visits is similar to other nations. We are paying more for the same amount of service and many people are left without care. (1)

Lack of healthcare increases costs to society in other ways – from emergency visits and lost wages for people too sick to work, to increased prison costs for people who might simply need mental health care.

My family has a of Alzheimer’s and my genetic screening showed increased risk for it. Based on the material I’ve read on the topic and seen shared by others we need to start early and prevent it because the symptoms occur late in the process of cell death. For a summary of some potential prevention lifestyle and diet strategies see:

Preventing preeclampsia is also easier earlier than later in a pregnancy and can save mother’s and baby’s lives or long term health.  See: https://effectivecare.info/g-preeclampsia-%26-trp-ch

The fifty year plan – as many healthy children of all species as possible. That isn’t up to me, it isn’t something I can achieve on my own, it is up to all of us. The information I share is for anyone interested in do-it-yourself strategies, health is daily habits, and it is possible to improve health for many people with work.

Disclaimer: Opinions are my own and the information is provided for educational purposes within the guidelines of fair use. While I am a Registered Dietitian this information is not intended to provide individual health guidance. Please see a health professional for individual health care purposes. Thanks.

  1. Why are U.S. Health Costs the World’s Highest? Study Affirms ‘It’s the Prices, Stupid’, CommonHealth,  http://www.wbur.org/commonhealth/2018/03/13/us-health-costs-high-jha
  2. 1,495 Americans Describe the Financial Reality of Being Really Sick, (Oct. 17, 2018), The N.Y. Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/17/upshot/health-insurance-severely-ill-financial-toxicity-.html
  3. If Laughter is the Best Medicine, Then Self-Advocacy may be the Second Best and a U.S. Physician has Written a Prescription for Both; a Book Link. April 2, 2105, https://transcendingsquare.com/2015/04/02/if-laughter-is-the-best-medicine-then-self-advocacy-may-be-the-second-best-and-a-u-s-physician-has-written-a-prescription-for-both-a-book-link/
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There’s more to life than business.

Business is said to make the world go around* but family and physics are also important.

  • “Money makes the world go round.”
    – John Kander and Fred Ebb
    Line from the song Money, Money – from the musical Cabaret. (allgreatquotes.com)

I didn’t know the origin of that expression – I love the internet.

Trivia – the name of this website is based on a translation of the Tao Te Ching, Verse 41, which is slightly different than the typical English translation. The Great Integrity is the oneness of which everything is a part – transcending the physical realm is to accept that there is more to life than material things such as money or business. One section of the verse is quoted on a page on this site: Tao Te Ching, Verse 41, (transcendingsquare) a link to the book with the translation is included.

The initial theme I had envisioned for this site was a collection of images of things that are not quite square – or transcending the typical in some way.

Underneath the tip of the public view is archives of my notes and previous work. Having a notebook with a search engine attached is a modern way to transcend rectangular – a notebook with many layers.

A mini forest within a forest – life transcends square every day.

More leaf and forest images – nature can be healing, even if only in viewing images: https://www.peace-is-happy.org/blog/peace-is-a-rainbow 

Walking in the woods can be more healing but other types of regular exercise can also be beneficial for reducing stress. See “Forest Bathing” for more details and links and “Forest Bathing: for a healthy microbiome” for more images and information about the potential health benefits of a walk in the woods: (effectivecare/Glossary)

Disclaimer: Opinions are my own and the information is provided for educational purposes within the guidelines of fair use. While I am a Registered Dietitian this information is not intended to provide individual health guidance. Please see a health professional for individual health care purposes. Thanks.