background preloader

Oliver Sacks on Learning He Has Terminal Cancer

Oliver Sacks on Learning He Has Terminal Cancer
Photo A MONTH ago, I felt that I was in good health, even robust health. At 81, I still swim a mile a day. I feel grateful that I have been granted nine years of good health and productivity since the original diagnosis, but now I am face to face with dying. It is up to me now to choose how to live out the months that remain to me. “I now reckon upon a speedy dissolution,” he wrote. I have been lucky enough to live past 80, and the 15 years allotted to me beyond Hume’s three score and five have been equally rich in work and love. Hume continued, “I am ... a man of mild dispositions, of command of temper, of an open, social, and cheerful humour, capable of attachment, but little susceptible of enmity, and of great moderation in all my passions.” Here I depart from Hume. And yet, one line from Hume’s essay strikes me as especially true: “It is difficult,” he wrote, “to be more detached from life than I am at present.” I feel a sudden clear focus and perspective.

Ohai! You look new around these parts. | Dick Talens Fitness Ohai! You look new, but you’ve come to the right place. This little corner of the Internet is like none other. Why is that? If you’re looking around for fitness help, chances are you’ve failed before. Some of you have failed quite miserably. Perhaps you never have the motivation. You’re in luck. Here’s the deal. If you fell down the first time you tried to ride a bike, you wouldn’t say “I don’t have the willpower or self-control to ride this bike. Here, you’ll learn the skills that are required to be successful in YOUR own transformation. But with every journey, you must start somewhere. After all, you’re likely here because something wasn’t working, no? First, let’s understand what it takes to be successful… to be motivated… 1. Now, let’s check out a few more articles that help you get started on your journey. 1. That’s it for now. Oh, lastly, if you’re a woman who cannot lose weight and has the tendency to binge eat and do a lot of cardio, this is a good read for you.

5 Secrets of Powerful Speakers Here are five principles that seem to guide the great speakers I've seen recently, whether they're talking about a vision for the company or the rollout of a new ad campaign. It's interesting that three of the five secrets I'm looking at are counter-intuitive--for example, did you know that a great grabber may not be the best opening for your talk? Instead, you should start by answering one three-letter question. Two of the principles require you to reach inside before you reach out to listeners--it seems if you don't believe in your message, no one will. 1. When I started out as a speaker, I was told to use a grabber--a snappy, attention-getting opening sentence designed to pull people out of their own heads and get them interested in what's in yours. But I noticed that anytime I was listening to a really good speaker, they weren't so concerned with the showy stuff at the start. Maybe a story, or a joke, or a news item from the paper will work. 2. Passion is contagious. 3. 4. 5.

Fruits and vegetables: This is what your grandma never taught you. [Infographic] Fruits and vegetables’ vibrant colors tell the story of their “super powers.” You see, it’s their “phytonutrients,” or plant nutrients, that help us fight disease and stay stronger for longer. Learn what the phytonutrients do — and how much of each you need to be healthy — in the infographic below. Then download this free Phytonutrient Cheat Sheet. Print it out. Stick it on your fridge. The health and fitness world can sometimes be a confusing place. Let us help you make sense of it all with this free special report. In it you’ll learn the best eating, exercise, and lifestyle strategies – unique and personal – for you. Click here to download the special report, for free.

It’s official: Americans should drink more coffee Bottoms up. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic) When the nation's top nutrition panel released its latest dietary recommendations on Thursday, the group did something it had never done before: weigh in on whether people should be drinking coffee. Not only can people stop worrying about whether drinking coffee is bad for them, according to the panel, they might even want to consider drinking a bit more. The panel cited minimal health risks associated with drinking between three and five cups per day. "We saw that coffee has a lot of health benefits," said Miriam Nelson, a professor at Tufts University and one of the committee’s members. That's great news if you're already drinking between three and five cups each day, which Nelson and the rest of the panel consider a "moderate" level of consumption. Interestingly enough, it isn't just people in the United States who drink less-than-moderate amounts of joe each day. Roberto A.

Here’s What Your Voice Tells Others About You | TIME People judge you by your voice in many ways. Via Subliminal: How Your Unconscious Mind Rules Your Behavior: The result: speakers with higher-pitched voices were judged to be less truthful, less emphatic, less potent, and more nervous than speakers with lower-pitched voices. Also, slower-talking speakers were judged to be less truthful, less persuasive, and more passive than people who spoke more quickly. “Fast-talking” may be a cliché description of a sleazy salesman, but chances are, a little speedup will make you sound smarter and more convincing. When you hear a woman’s voice talking about relationships you trust it more than a man’s voice, even if the content is the same. Women find men with deep voices sexier. …women miraculously tend to agree: men with deeper voices are rated as more attractive. And men with deeper voices have more kids. Men subconsciously know the connection between voice and dominance. Join over 170,000 readers. Related posts: Tags:

60 Simple Rules of Personal Finance The most important rule of personal finance? Spend less than you earn. A while back, I was asked to give an hourlong presentation where I talked about my key principles of personal finance. I would happily share the presentation with you, but I’m not sure of the copyright nature of some of the images used. Of course, not everyone will be able to follow each rule all of the time. #1 – Spend less than you earn If there is a single fundamental rule of personal finance, it’s this. #2 – Keep everything as simple as possible The more credit cards you have, the more chances you have for identity theft and the more chances you have to miss a payment. Simplify. #3 – Don’t ever let your “future self” take care of your current situation Do you ever tell yourself that it’s okay to make a bad spending decision right now because you’ll earn more money down the road? #4 – Focus first on building an emergency fund #5 – Focus second on eliminating high-interest debt #6 – Focus third on saving for retirement

Medical students urged to be strong advocates Canada’s medical students need to be strong advocates for a better health care system. That was the main message delivered by Canadian Medical Association president Chris Simpson in his address to the annual meeting of the Canadian Federation of Medical Students (CFMS). In his speech which was followed by a lengthy question and answer period, Simpson stressed the concept of students as advocates but combined this with his well-honed messages on the importance of developing a national strategy on seniors care and a segue into the importance of the students looking after their own health and wellbeing. “Student leadership is really, really important,” Simpson said in his opening remarks, adding that “the advocacy sensibility of physicians needs to be brought out by your generation.” Asked later about the limits on physician advocacy, Simpson said the students should take the view that “anything that impacts my patients’ health is important to me.”

The 50 Healthiest Foods of All Time (With Recipes) | TIME Why it’s good for you: Light meat is a fine choice, but there’s no reason to be afraid of the dark. The fat in dark meat contains a hormone called cholecystokinin, or CCK, which is partly responsible for satiety, so a little bit of dark meat can go a long way, especially if you’re watching your weight. Further, dark meat contains myoglobin, a protein which delivers oxygen to muscle cells. Dark meat also has more B vitamins than white meat, making it a nutrient-rich protein source that’s tasty and satisfying, and meat from the leg and thigh are rich in taurine. Studies have shown that taurine can lower the risk of coronary heart disease in women and it may also help protect against diabetes and high blood pressure. Serving size: chicken, dark meat, cooked thigh (one example) Nutrition per serving: Calories: 184 Fat: 8.7 g Cholesterol: 137 mg Sodium: 198 mg Carbohydrates: 0 g Dietary fiber: 0 g Sugars: 0 g Protein: 27 g Preparation Preheat oven to 425°.

Turmeric Overview Turmeric (Curcuma longa) has been used for 4,000 years to treat a variety of conditions. Studies show that turmeric may help fight infections and some cancers, reduce inflammation, and treat digestive problems, and it has gotten a lot of press lately. But remember several facts when you hear news reports about turmeric. First, many studies have taken place in test tubes and animals, and turmeric may not work as well in humans. Turmeric is widely used in cooking and gives Indian curry its flavor and yellow color. Curcumin is also a powerful antioxidant. In addition, curcumin lowers the levels of two enzymes in the body that cause inflammation. Research suggests that turmeric may be helpful for the following conditions: Indigestion or Dyspepsia Curcumin stimulates the gallbladder to produce bile, which some people think may help improve digestion. Ulcerative colitis Turmeric may help people with ulcerative colitis stay in remission. Stomach Ulcers Osteoarthritis Heart Disease Cancer

How to fix a broken diet. [Infographic] 3 ways to get your eating on track. In this infographic I’ll share the 3 main strategies I use to help clients fix a “broken diet” and start eating better. I’ll also share how we troubleshoot eating plans when they’ve “just stopped working” and you don’t know what else to try. And, finally, I’ll show you how to use these powerful and purposeful strategies to improve your own eating. Or to help others do the same. Notes: 1. 2. 3. Summary If you feel like your nutrition’s off track – but aren’t sure what to do about it – hopefully this infographic (and the accompanying article) have given you something new to consider and try. Remember: First, remove red flags and nutrient deficiencies.Control your calorie intake without counting calories.Consider your body type and activity level.Observe your progress carefully. Remember, whether you’re a beginner and trying to get started in the right direction, or you’re experienced but still spinning your wheels, these steps – when applied in sequence – can make all the difference.

300+ Awesome Free Internet Resources You Should Know Ali Mese is a freelancer, wanderer, and contributor to few startup projects. Say hi on Facebook or Twitter. This post originally appeared on his Medium blog. I’ve prepared a list of 300 web resources that are not only awesome, but free to use. Business + Marketing HTML5 UP: Responsive HTML5 and CSS3 site templates.Bootswatch: Free themes for Bootstrap.Templated: A collection of 845 free CSS & HTML5 site templates.WordPress.org | WordPress.com: Create your new website for free.Strikingly.com Domain: Free website resources for strikingly.com domains.Withoomph: Beautiful logos designed instantly.Hipster Logo Generator: It’s Hip, It’s Current, It’s Stylish, It’s Hipster.Squarespace Free Logo: You can download free low-res version for free.Hive: First free unlimited cloud service in the world.Invoice to me: Free Invoice Generator.Free Invoice Generator: Alternative free invoice generator.Slimvoice: Insanely simple invoices. Design + Code Some hand-picked some free photo packs: Discover & Learn

Jeukendrup - Trusted sports nutrition advice & exercise science news | Overtraining: is it real? There is much written about overtraining and it is a frequent topic of conversation amongst coaches, trainers and athletes. Although everyone probably has some idea what overtraining is, when you start to ask questions, it becomes clear pretty quickly that people have different ideas about overtraining, what causes it, how it is monitored and prevented, and even whether it is a good thing or not. There are a lot of publications on the topic and even books dedicated to it. I will post a number of articles on the topic, discussing symptoms as well as possible preventative measures, but first we must all be very clear on what we mean by the term overtraining. The term overtraining is used in a variety of ways and the most common way is as a verb indicating “performing too much training”. Performance decrements are common, but this can simply be due to fatigue. Thus overtraining seems to be at the far end of a spectrum of different forms of “fatigue”.

Related: