Ketamine Hype Part 2

Last time we talked about how ketamine is currently receiving a bit of attention as a possible treatment for depression. This is interesting because historically ketamine has been used either as one of several drugs used to put a patient under for surgery or as a very risky and addictive recreational drug. 

Ketamine, also called Vitamin K, Special K, Kit Kat, Cat Valium, Super K, and more, is a dissociative anesthetic which  causes a disconnect between mind and body. Users experience what’s referred to as entering a K-hole The user undergoes a distortion of sight and sound for up to an hour. It’s often taken as a powder, snorted or put into drinks. The effects have been compared to that of LSD or PCP and include hallucinations and the user has little control during use.

We briefly talked about some of the benefits but what are some of the specific risks of ketamine usage? Well, it could raise your blood pressure or even destabilize your heart rate altogether. This is usually temporary but even more concerning is the impact ketamine could have on cranial pressure. It’s possible that there could be an increase in pressure which is why usage even in the medical arena should be closely monitored.  Additionally, as with most drugs, there is a risk of liver damage. This is specifically challenging with ketamine though as it interacts with a large range of other drugs. The interaction can obviously go beyond liver damage but in recreational settings where it's likely to be combined with alcohol, this is particularly concerning and even deadly. If you undergo professional ketamine treatment, be sure to disclose all the other medications as the list of dangerous interactions is extensive.

It’s also not uncommon to feel disoriented and confused as you come out of the hallucinogenic state. People have also mentioned aches and pains, imparied judgment, anxiety and a temporary decrease in cognitive functioning. 

So, considering the risks, what does ketamine do that other drugs do not which makes it worth consideration for some patients despite the negative side effects? Well, for starters ketamine’s effect on the brain does not end when the drug leaves a person’s system. In fact, the impact of ketamine is rooted in the brain's response to ketamine, not its presence. Ketamine stimulates the production of glutamate which is the foundation to the creation of new neural pathways. This paves the way for what some experts have referred to as a “reset” for the brain. The formation of these new pathways creates an opportunity for the patient to fortify neural pathways that aren’t shaped by depression and may protect against the return of depression in general.

Practitioners caution that because there are so many possible negative side effects attributed to ketamine and it is highly addictive, even the drugs made from ketamine should only be used once more traditional means have been unsuccessful. Additionally, ketamine-based drugs are not a cure all alone. Most treatment protocols also include behavioral therapy so that a patient doesn’t just continue the same lifestyle patterns that created their vulnerabilities to hormonal imbalances. As ketamine gains some traction in the spotlight, it’s important to note that it is a volatile and potentially dangerous chemical that should only be used with the supervision of a doctor with ketamine experience. Also, the ketamine based medications and the recreational drugs are not the same and ketamine, when misused, causes lasting cognitive and liver damage and sometimes death. Hopefully this gives you a  more balanced view of what some are referring to as a miracle drug for depression. Always talk to your doctor and get a second opinion when considering something largely experimental for your health.

Should We Ban Water Bottles? Pt. 1

If you were offered a brand new bottle of water or a glass of water from the tap, which one would you reach for? We’ve talked before about how “enhanced” bottled waters are pretty gimmick-filled and may be more of an issue than a boon. We’ve also touched on the current water crisis as well as some of the current complications with tap water today. Any mention of Flint, Michigan will probably bring the dangers of water contamination and an overall shortage to mind for years to come. What about plain, bottled water? 

Bottled water has had a chokehold on the American preference for decades. Many of us grew up believing that bottled water was just cleaner and more heavily filtered than what came out of the tap. Even as we drank from hoses and accidentally swallowed lake water, we knew that just based on the cost alone, there had to be something special about that plastic-encapsulated H20. That’s one reason many of us were up in arms when it came out that Aquafina was literally straight from the tap. So, besides the possibility that they are identical to what comes from your kitchen faucet, what are the other big reasons that bottled water might be a bust?

The most obvious reason is right in the name: Plastic. Plastic waste is one of the biggest contributors to global warming and we, as a global community, need to be doing our utmost to combat such an unnecessary strain. More than 17 million barrels of oil are required to produce enough bottled water to meet America’s current demand. Even though some plastic bottles can technically be recycled, less than 1 in 5 are eligible. Even fewer make it into the recycling process. Most end up in a landfill or the ocean. Millions of tons of plastic bottles are currently floating in the Great Pacific Garbage Island. In addition, plastic often carries several chemical contaminants. Have you ever left a water bottle in your car and wondered if it was still okay to drink? The simple answer is, probably not. The longer answer is that the integrity of the plastic used for most bottles (roughly 93% of them) holds up until about 70 degrees. At that point, you are likely ingesting a significant amount of microplastics and heavy metals as well as an unknown cocktail of chemical contaminants that differs slightly between brands. So again, if you are considering drinking that hot, bottled water from the backseat, maybe just don’t!

Below we’ve included some additional reading resources and next time we will talk a little more about how the production of bottled water is ironically wasting a precious, limited resource: water. 

Resources:

The Real Reason You Should Stop Buying Bottled Water

The real cost of bottled water - Sustainability - University of Que    ensland

Reasons to Avoid Bottled Water | Sustainability at Harvard 

Moisturizer: Yes or No?

Do you use a daily moisturizer? There seem to be two main schools of thought when it comes to dry skin or just maintaining the health of your skin. One group swears by their particular moisturizer and wouldn’t be caught dead without it whether it’s cool or hot, dry or wet outside. The other group tends to view their skin care more like a “less is more” situation and they often swear by hydrating from the inside out. You might be surprised to discover that the research seems to support something of a middle ground. 

First, we know that drinking water is important. In order for the body to function and for all of the cleansing systems within the body to work, you have to have water. Not only is water the mechanism by which toxins and impurities are purged from the body but just about every rejuvenating bodily function also relies on water. Even the construction of new cells relies heavily on water to work as epithelial cells (and most cells, period) are made up of more than 70% water. It makes sense then that hydrating the body would go a long way to taking care of the body’s largest organ, a.k.a. the skin. Many celebrities call heavy water intake their secret weapon when it comes to great skin. 

However, there is something to be said about a topical moisturizer as well! Mainly this: Moisturizer is capable of trapping water that would otherwise leave the skin, against the skin, allowing the skin to absorb more of it and rehydrate. That is the main function of a moisturizer. You may be wondering about all the vitamin enhancers and mineral containing creams but most of those ingredients don’t survive sun exposure or they start to break down as soon as they hit the air. The true value of moisturizer is to serve as a vehicle for bringing and trapping water against the absorbent surface of your skin. That’s basically it. After that it is mainly a matter of preference or need. Some of us have sensitive skin so something with chemical fragrances or harsh additional ingredients is not going to be a great choice. Additionally, for someone with psoriasis or another skin condition, there might be a need for a medicinal ingredient, typically prescribed by a doctor. 

At the end of the day, researchers and dermatologists seem to agree that drinking water and staying hydrated is an excellent idea for the health of your skin and a simple moisturizer won’t hurt. 

Are Bubbles Bad for Your Bite?

Hydration is so important especially as we head into the boiling hot summer months. Over the years, we’ve learned so much about how much water each person should drink. We are no longer stuck to the idea that you always need 8, 8oz cups no matter your size or typical exertion level. It’s better to consider all the individual factors and drink water accordingly. To the dismay of some, the average need is often a little more than the previously pushed 64 ounces. Many struggle with drinking so much plain water. They say it's tasteless and boring. Others even say it’s impossible to get down and they just can’t drink that much throughout the day. They’d honestly rather drink anything else. 

Tea, coffee and soda unsurprisingly cannot replace pure, plain water. What about sparkling water? You’ve probably heard someone say, usually to a kid, that soda will rot your teeth. This sounds like an “old school” exaggeration but it’s actually pretty spot on. The high sugar content of soda and the way it coats every surface in your mouth will encourage the growth of bacteria and without mitigating steps being taken, it may indeed lead to tooth decay. However, this is true of pretty much any sugary beverage and not just sodas. Additionally, this effect is not on account of the carbonation, which is a viewpoint many have held. Carbonation on its own does not seem to have a significant impact on one’s teeth. Therefore, it follows that without all the additives and sugars found in soda, sparkling water isn't going to be any more detrimental to your teeth than regular water. At least one study found that it in fact did not do any more damage to the enamel than plain water. 

However, not all sparkling water is made the same. Many brands will put coloring, flavoring, sweeteners and more in their sparkling water. This ceases to be just water and the toll it takes on your teeth is closer to that of any other non-water drink. Anything that coats your teeth in some flavor is something you should chase with a toothbrush and some pure water. This is really important to keep in mind as many companies are also selling water “enhancers” that make your water taste like all different things to help encourage people of all ages to drink more. While better than drinking nothing, these flavored waters or specialized water bottles that add flavor (essentially amounting to the same thing) can not replace pure water. It’s like trying to wash a muddy car with dirty water. Sure, you might get some of the really caked on mud off but the car won’t really be clean in the end. You’ll always have a film of grime that needs to be washed away with pure, clean water. As far as dental health is concerned, sparkling water is just as safe as water without all the fanfare. Now, your gastrointestinal tract might have a thing or two to say about replacing half the water you drink with bubbly water but that’s a slightly different story. Your enamel is safe and it’s a green light from the dental health side. Enjoy!

Resources:

Does Drinking Sparkling Water Damage Your Teeth?

Dental trend spotlight: Sparkling water

Enegry Drinks: Safe or Suspect?

What do you typically reach for when you feel that midday slump creeping up on you? Or when you have to write a paper for school and you just need a little more juice to stay awake? Apparently about a third of teens and young adults would reach for their favorite energy drink but this habit might not be as harmless as once believed. 

Energy drinks are typically a mix of water, tons of sugar, and a huge serving of caffeine. They often have a medley of herbs and vitamins as well, though most haven’t been officially approved to improve performance. The trouble with these drinks is that they actually tend to incorporate some of the worst parts of other popular beverages. For example, we’ve talked about the effect of the large amount of caffeine in coffee on the body and the brain. Coffee contains about 60 - 80mg of caffeine. It can contain more if you get that extra shot of espresso which adds as much as 65mg more. In comparison, it’s not uncommon for an energy drink to have 200-350mg of caffeine. A few have even more caffeine and unlike coffee, it’s pretty common for energy drinks to be purchased by the case and consumed similar to soda. Imagine downing two or three of these in one evening! Some of you probably don’t have to. You’ve been there, done that. 

Well, caffeine contributes to a myriad of health issues such as insomnia, anxiety and even hearth complications. The halflife of caffeine is 6 hours so drinking one of these drinks in the afternoon means you will still have a shot of espresso’s worth of caffeine in your system by the time you are ready for bed. Drink two and you will still have a similar amount of caffeine when you wake up the next day! It’s easy to see how this might cause issues with your sleep and exacerbate all the issues caffeine is known for. 

Ironically, these drinks are also thought to cause dehydration. Caffeine encourages the body to expel water and on top of that, energy drinks contain a ton of sugar. Unless you are chasing these drinks with a ton of water, it won’t be long until you end up depleted. 

Speaking of sugar, energy drinks tend to contain even more sugar than your typical soda. This is truly wild as many sodas contain 30 to 35mg of sugar per can! Energy drinks often contain 40mg or more. Just like pop, all the issues of drinking sugar are kicked up a notch in your average energy drink. 

The effects of all of these components are even more potent for kids and teens. Despite this companies tend to market directly and heavily to this demographic. The fact that a couple of teens have had heart attacks linked directly to energy drinks is not slowing that practice down so it’s important to educate those around you on the risks and dangers and to plan accordingly when shopping for your next pick-me-up. 

Turn Off the Plastic Tap!

So, as we’ve all been existing this last week, one theme keeps coming back again and again. The overwhelming amount of plastic waste in this country and globally. Statistics like, 50% of emissions are coming from the top 10% of wealthy individuals globally. Or, the truly shocking news that among everything else, the USPS is about to buy a huge fleet of their classic truck model that we’ve recently learned gets about 8 miles per gallon of gas. This, in the face of all the efforts to reduce the use of fossil fuels. Not a great choice when there are definitely other options available. When a public service doesn’t seem to be making an effort to change, it can be really disheartening as it seems to suggest that our government is not backing up their words with actions. Can you imagine the impact it would have in the other direction if all USPS trucks were transitioned to electric? Additionally, bathtub analogies about turning off the plastic tap abound. The idea is so straightforward that a very small child could understand the premise. If you haven’t seen one of these illustrations (check out the video below), basically, in order to stop an overflowing bathtub from dousing your space, you’d first turn off the tap. While interested and innovative, a lot of the suggested climate change fixes are more like attempting to bail water out of the flooding tub without turning off the tap. Impossible, impractical, irrational. Everything a successful plan should not be. We need to stop plastic waste at the source. The number of things that must be plastic is much shorter than the list of things that can be plastic or are cheaper when plastic.

That’s the bottom-line, though,  isn’t it? Plastic is cheap. You go to the store and you want a soda. You could buy a 20oz for, say, $1.50 or you could buy a 12oz glass bottle for $2.99. Which are most people going to buy? We’ve incentivized buying the plastic option to the point that it's all vulnerable communities can consistently afford. So, where is the root of the issue? Though large corporations bear a lot of the weight when it comes to making biodegradable and eco-friendly alternatives, they are motivated mainly through our consumerism. Companies aren’t going to produce a product for which there is no demand. But I recycle, you might say. Well, if you live in the US, you should know that the amount of plastic actually recycled has dropped below 6%. We aren’t saying don’t try but a lot of the stuff you think is being recycled may still be ending up in the landfill. So, if you can, when you can, buy a reusable alternative. Support companies that are making big moves towards reusable products. Most of all, we need to  get on the same page as a country and vote to support climate change savvy legislation. Customer demand is gradually making a change but with the right regulations we can make sweeping changes to the landscape of commercial production. We are already finding microplastics in our lungs and in our blood. What more will it take for us to work together to pull the plug on plastic waste? We have the innovations. Use them. 

Resources: 
Companies Moving Towards Zero Plastic

Pretty and Self-sufficient: The Flowerbed Improved

As springtime rolls in, you might be ready to spruce up the yard, drag out the lawnmower and maybe plant some flowers to brighten the season. While pretty, even a flower garden can do more than just look pretty. There are a number of edible plants that you can add to the rotation that will spice up your favorite springtime dishes as well. 

Looking for ground cover? Mint is delicious muddled into a refreshing beverage or incorporated into a savory dish. The plant itself makes excellent ground cover and it’s pretty low maintenance even if you don’t have the greenest of green thumbs. Be careful, though. Mint will take up a mile if you give it an inch so it doesn’t really play well with others. Oregano and marjoram are resilient herbs that will spread on their own and are common kitchen staples. Sorrel, also edible, provides excellent cover for plants that might be closer to the ground. While you might be familiar with rosemary as the bush-like plant that can grow into a monster-sized shrub, there’s also a trailing or creeping version that will spread out and cover quite a bit of ground while staying pretty low.

Looking for plants to form an edible hedge instead? We’ve already mentioned rosemary. This very tasty herb can get quite large so make sure you give it some room to spread. Many of our favorite berries can serve as a great privacy hedge and some provide us with fresh berries in season as well! Blueberries, blackberries, and elderberries can all be cultivated into a fruit-bearing barrier. Cherry plums and damsons can also serve as a hedge with rewards.

Maybe you are just looking for some pretty plants with bonus features. Lavender sports tiny, purple flowers that will brighten any landscape. Red Orach is a vibrant purple-leafed plant that can serve as an excellent accent plant but is also a part of the spinach family. Amaranth is a pretty plant with a number of options for snacking. The leaves can be used in salad and cooked as well. The flowers are dramatic, large bunches coming in pinks, purples, red and gold. If you want to feed the local hummingbird population naturally, honeysuckles are also a very pretty choice. The plant itself might not be as flashy as the others, but it attracted a wide variety of showing guests.

Farmers’ markets and established local nurseries are a great place to learn about which plants will do the best in your growing zone. You are also more likely to find someone who can talk to you with some experience about which plants will grow well together. We are experiencing strains on our food supply and our climate stability is breaking down. Growing some food of your own with the same resources you might spend on annual flowers is an excellent small change to increase your personal self-sufficiency. It’s also fun! Share your favorite plants to grow below!

Resources: 

Gardening Know How 

Shrubs - Edible Landscaping 

Edible Hedge Plants That Serve as Both Privacy and Food 

Pathways for the Future

Today we are featuring another very cool innovation that has actually been around for several years but it is getting a little more press right now! You are probably pretty familiar with the concept of renewable energy but let’s do a quick review. Renewable energy is any source of energy that is sustainable and doesn’t run out. For example, we don’t run out of sunlight and (for now) it is a bottomless resource that we can utilize. Other examples of renewable energy are wind energy, hydro energy, tidal energy, and geothermal energy. If you’ve ever driven across the US, you’ve probably come across wind farms. These farms harness air movement to generate clean energy. This energy is then used to supplement the grid, reducing the power obtained from fossil fuels.

      It’s a similar pattern with the other sources of clean energy, with an environmental constant providing energy simply through its existence and technological utilization. Alternatively, the type of energy currently being talked about is not from an environmental constant but something we, as human beings, create by living. A human-generated kinetic energy. Kinetic energy is  often thought of as the energy of movement. If you’ve ever seen one of those lines of wired balls where you lift and drop one on one side and when it swings down and hits the group, the ball on the other side swings up, you’ve seen the impact, no pun intended, of kinetic energy. Well, one company called Pavegen, has decided to utilize this type of energy to power the common amenities of common areas. Specifically, Pavegen has harnessed the kinetic energy produced by footsteps to power things like stadium phone chargers, street lights, and supplemental energy for shopping spaces. These triangular panels take the energy produced from being stepped on and transfer it into usable electricity.

Not only is this a very cool idea, but the utilization of these pads have been used to push for more general behavioral changes. For example, one shopping center wanted to push both the use of the Pavegen walkway and the use of their in store app. They incentivized the use of the walkway by connecting it to their store app and rewarding users with bonuses at retailers within the mall. Now, not only are shoppers incentivized to download the mall’s app but they were also rewarded for use of the Pavegen’s walkway. Little integrations like this one allow people to benefit from sustainable activities and ultimately assist in training overall better behaviors for our environment! A true win-win!

A Surprising Exercise for the Brain

As we get older, the concern for neurological issues often becomes heightened. You might feel a little brain fog creeping in or you start to feel like your reaction time is slower or delayed. Often we try to mitigate these changes by doing more puzzles or reading more books! While these aren’t bad ways to engage the brain, there are some more literal exercises that give the brain a surprising power boost. You might say, “Of course! We already know that running, swimming and almost all aerobics exercises are good for mental health.” But did you know about squats? Squats, the joint stabilizing, glute-building workout that’s been shown to help almost every area of the body is now thought to also aid in stretching the capabilities of the brain!

Squatting causes a sort of famine-and-plenty, back-and-forth effect on blood flow through the brain and this variance is responsible for a measurable improvement in functioning. While something like a brisk walk might increase blood flow and boost memory functions within the brain, squats actually cause the brain to release all the chemicals responsible for learning and growth. 

Research has shown that squatting is one of the best exercises for reducing your risk of Alzheimer and dementia and improving your overall cognitive health. The best part about this is that squats are an exercise that the majority of people can do! Every age group can build up the strength to do squats. Even if you aren’t as strong as you used to be or are recovering from an injury, there are a number of variations and even assisted versions of the squat to make it useful for a wide range of people!

Squats range from the basic squat to versions that incorporate jumps or kicks or props. The traditional squat where you stand with your legs about shoulder width apart, your toes pointed slightly outward and your arms either relaxed or clasped in front of you and dip down like you are about to sit in an invisible chair, is just the start. The key to the foundational squat is to keep your back in a neutral position (not exaggeratedly arched or anything) and you knees apart and squeeze those glutes on the way up. You can go all the way down almost into the “egg” yoga position or stop when your thighs are parallel to the ground. This is what you would call a bodyweight squat but you can add to the difficulty level by grabbing some weights, increasing the load on your limbs. You can find squats that are challenging for literally any level of fitness. Take it slow at first and have fun with it! Make sure you are warming up and stretching out. Always practice good form, even if you have to go very slowly and enjoy the brain boosting power of squats!

Resource: 

Types of Squats - Heathline

Can squatting boost your brain power? - BBC REEL

Do Squats Every Day And See What Happens To Your Body 9 Reasons why you need to do squats 

https://youtu.be/c8Q8AyFjWZM 

https://www.healthline.com/health/squat-variations#bodyweight-squats 

Cows and Climate Change

Now that we’ve talked a little bit about why a 2 degree increase is so significant, let’s look at how we got here and what changes we could make to dial back the speed of global warming. You may have heard at this point that the burning of fossil fuels is impacting and accelerating the rate at which the earth is warming. C02 lingers in the atmosphere building up for years and years and the result is that bubble of greenhouse gases, trapping heat against the earth. Methane is also one of those gases and is thought to be almost 30 times as potent when it comes to the impacts of global warming than CO2. One of the biggest differences, however, is that Methane does not linger in the atmosphere nearly as long. It stays in up there just over a decade versus hundreds of years like CO2.

So, while we produce a large amount of methane from burning fossil fuels and industrialism, cows, goats and other livestock contribute over a third of the human caused methane production in the world. Take a look at this video to learn more.

As you can see, even though methane from cows is in the atmosphere for a much shorter period of time, because of its potency, alleviating this source of methane will still have a significant impact on our forecast of the future. This is probably our best opportunity to quickly reduce the level of methane we are releasing into the atmosphere. So what can you do?

Voting with your actions, your wallet and your vote are going to be the best ways to support mitigating the damage we’ve already done! Next time, let’s look at what will happen and is already happening if we don’t push for intensive change today!