7. What they don't tell you (some of life's hard-earned lessons).
Most of these statements are true, some may not be true, but all warrant further research.
I have no affiliation with any products I've mentioned below; I've just found they work for me.
CHEMICAL HAZARDS
Argon is heavier than air and will drop to the bottom of lungs, causing suffocation
Airplanes at 30,000 feet and above continually expose you to at least 2µSv/hr of hazardous radiation
Fluorescent lamps contain poisonous mercury vapour which must be avoided if they break
Mercury accumulates in the body and brain in particular and may cause tiredness
If you pee on a broken sodium lamp it will (probably) catch fire
DENTAL
Teeth move over time
Top teeth may eventually fall out if the ones below them are pulled
If you have a wisdom tooth out, sharp bone on the jawbone nearby may poke through the stretched skin
but eventually the mouth should realign itself and the bone should disappear back into the gum
Chewing peppermints is a sure fire way of getting holes in your tooth enamel
Fillings are made 10 times bigger than the original hole
Fillings don't degrade, the tooth around them does
Lead amalgam fillings have been attributed to tiredness caused by mercury poisoning:
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/23420-mercury-poisoning
(but removing them may release more mercury into the body)
Carbonated drinks damage tooth enamel
Charcoal toothpastes probably don't work:
https://www.healthline.com/health/dental-and-oral-health/charcoal-toothpaste#the-pros
Teeth naturally darken with age, try using a smokers toothpaste instead, also removes wine stains
If you have a tooth replaced or a crown fitted, later in life they will appear lighter than the rest so
you might want to consider telling your dentist to make them a little darker to begin with
Teeth slowly crumble after the root is removed, so think carefully before having root canal treatment
ELECTRONICS
Electrolytic capacitors dry out: check their ESR; if they bulge it's a sign to replace them
Tantalum capacitors decompose over time, usually to an electrical short: check their ESR
An LED has a 3-dimensional misalignment inside its plastic moulding - difficult to align in a row
Avoid battery fast chargers - they correspondingly shorten battery life - charge @1c (1/10 x mAhr) rate
Polyswitches (electronic fuses) wear out over time due to heat stress, even if they don't trip
FITNESS
The best time to exercise is 3pm to 6pm (page 2): https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-27161671
A brisk walk followed by a long jog or run is a good warm-up
A hot bath is an acceptable way to end a fitness session
Opinion: as you grow older you need precision exercise and ideally matched nutrients to sustain tissue
A fully vegetarian diet is perfectly adequate to build muscle, but may lack some nutrients and vitamins
I found soya in my diet caused muscle issues amplified by my ageing process, I therefore avoid it.
Nettle tea supposedly increases testosterone production which reduces as we age, depleting muscles
Exposure to sunlight increases testosterone production
Balding is attributable to increased levels of testosterone (but some claim the opposite)
TENS doesn't tone muscles but does relieve pain that in turn can aid muscle toning:
https://www.livestrong.com/article/114309-use-tens-unit-tone-muscles
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/transcutaneous-electrical-nerve-stimulation-tens
FOOD
Decaffeinated coffee is potentially cancerous; the solvent Methylene Chloride, often used in the decaffeination of coffee, has been marked as a potential human carcinogen. Decaf benefits & drawbacks:
https://www.nationwidecoffee.co.uk/news/decaf-coffee-the-good-and-the-bad
'NIOSH recommends that methylene chloride be considered a potential human carcinogen' Two thirds down:
https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/86-
114/default.html#:~:text=Because%20methylene%20chloride%20has%20been,methylene%20chloride%20be%20considered%20a
'Eat breakfast like a king/queen, lunch like a prince/princess, and dinner like a pauper' [Adele Davis]
Although a lot of small meals overthe day is probably better for you
The best diet is a balanced one with a little of everything
Green tea can damage your liver: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/stories-45971416
Mushrooms, tea, green leafy vegetables, nuts, blueberries and fish may be good for brain health:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-47554966
Butter is fat. It sounds obvious, but it's something a young man usually misses
The vegan diet is low in Vitamin B
Greens are a good source of calcium
Keep a thermometer in your fridge to ensure temperature is below 40F / 4C:
https://www.fda.gov/food/buy-store-serve-safe-food/refrigerator-thermometers-cold-facts-about-food-safety#:~:text=Chilling%20foods%20to%20proper%20temperatures,be%20at%200%20%C2%B0F.
Some vegetables are better eaten raw, others are better eaten cooked (with source links)
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/raw-veggies-are-healthier/
Cabbage eaten raw releases more nutrients during digestion than if cooked
Cooked tomatoes have more nutrients & beta carotene than raw tomatoes
Carrots provide more antioxidants when boiled or steamed than when eaten raw
https://www.liveinhomecare.com/vegetables-that-are-healthier-for-you-cooked-than-raw/
Nettle tea can make you tired and is a diuretic, so consume it sparingly, or at night
Stinging nettle can reduce an enlarged prostate: https://examine.com/supplements/stinging-nettle/
Asparagus, cabbage (cauliflower less so) are diuretics; limit intake to reduce night time toilet visits
Eat bread that has egg instead of E472e emulsifier
https://www.nuritas.com/eat-5-popular-ingredients-aware-buying-bread
Eat brown rice instead of white rice which has the husk removed and fills you more with less nutrients
Soak rice overnight before cooking it in a 5:1 water-to-rice ratio to remove 80% arsenic:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-38910848
Boiling rice in a pan until dry removes no arsenic as it is simply re-absorbed with water
Instead put rice in the filter section of a coffee percolator: the water flushes through it and removes 85% of the arsenic: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-33638321
Avoid burned food as it may be carcinogenic - no more than light brown coloured is best
Hot smoked products also fall into this category due to PAH & NNA chemicals present in the smoke:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/food-science/smoked-food
Soak porridge overnight to allow nutrients in the grain to be more easily absorbed by your body:
https://oatpantry.com/4-amazing-health-benefits-of-soaking-oats-overnight/#:~:text=When%20you%20soak%20oats%2C%20it's,are%20healthier%20for%20your%20gut
Simmer asparagus in water in a pan for no more than 2 minutes
Take vegetables out of plastic bags and keep them loosely apart in the fridge in discarded food trays
Keep carrots under water in the fridge and they won't go soggy
Keep potatoes in a cardboard box in a dark cupboard
Dill & parsley combined are good for the digestion - serve with fish for a tasty treat
Wild salmon is one of the few fish with minimal mercury content
Cover strong smelling foods in the fridge to stop them influencing others
Microwave is the healthiest way to cook food - steam with a little water under a cover with a vent
Place a larger plate under a plate in the microwave so you won't get scalded when you remove it
Poach eggs in microwave: Pyrex jug 1/4 full of boiled water, add eggs, microwave to required softness
Most ice cream has salt in it - manufacturers unnecessarily add salt to most things to enhance taste
If you like fizzy water with big bubbles like in bottles, don't buy a CO2 fizz maker: bubbles are tiny
HEALTH
The body heals itself at night.
'You cannot tell an intolerance from a hair sample, saliva sample, or by using metal electrodes':
https://www.womenshealthmag.com/uk/food/healthy-eating/a708294/food-intolerance-test/
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/jun/04/bogus-allergy-tests-causing-real-harm-say-experts
Covid-19 may accelerate the ageing process by modifying the body's immune system, even if vaccinated
If you feel cold in bed, try putting warm slippers on your feet inside the bed
If you feel too hot in bed, put your feet out of the bed - they should cool you rapidly
Flesh tissue thins as you age, reducing muscle mass and warmth insulation from the cold
One result is previously warm socks with tight elastic cut off circulation leaving you with cold feet
The chemical composition of the body degrades as you age, altering both mental and physical attributes
As you get older the body is less able to repair itself because the repair structure is diluted:
https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/004012.htm
As you get older the body becomes less efficient at renewal, needing better nutrition and exercise
If you see a thin white arc of light when swivelling an eyeball, you may have a tear in your retina
If a dark unfocused object appears in your line of view, you may have a tear in your retina
If either or both of the above occurs, take this test: https://tetonretinal.com/self-test/
The body can absorb ~20% of damage and still function is if there were no damage
A small amount of beer may help broken bones repair:
https://www.webmd.com/osteoporosis/news/20100208/beer-for-better-bones
The most common cause of joint popping noises is air bubbles forming in the joint spaces
Cold weather narrows the blood vessels near the skin and increases the risk of blockages
A couple of days after injury, the brain will usually re-route pain, often reducing it
The body is a balanced mechanical structure - pain in one area may be due to a problem elsewhere
Muscle knot 'trigger points' can be caused by bad habits of repetition or lack of movement
Trigger points accumulate in muscles due to toxin build up, and lack of oxygen or poor blood flow
A muscle spasm is the body's way of protecting itself
Stop muscle spasm by slowly rubbing 'lumpy areas' upward along the muscle (but never downward)
Cramp can be stopped by engaging and using the affected muscles (and rubbing the area upward as above)
A fast remedy to leg cramp is to get up and walk around for short period of time
Blood is red because haemoglobin contains iron that changes it to red when combined with oxygen
The outer layer of the skin has cells containing pigment melanin which protects skin from the Sun's UV
People tan because sunlight causes the skin to produce more melanin and darken
A hangover is the body's way of telling us alcohol is poison
(Generally) keep medicines in the fridge to make them last longer
Most vitamin supplements (probably) don't work:
A 2011 study on 35,533 healthy men found vitamin E & selenium increased prostate cancer by 17%
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20161208-why-vitamin-supplements-could-kill-you
But Bryan Johnson seems to have had some successes: https://protocol.bryanjohnson.co/
An orange a day may be good for eyesight:
https://www.nutraingredients.com/Article/2018/07/20/15-year-study-backs-higher-flavonoid-intake-for-macular-degeneration
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002916522029355?via%3Dihub
Garlic does NOT reduce cholesterol: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/411743
If you cut yourself and slice through a nerve, you may forever suffer tingling discomfort
Uneven fingernails can be caused by stress
Broken fingernails can be caused by vitamin deficiency or too much e.g. A-Z multivitamins + good diet
Eczema can be brought on by stress; excessive use of steroid hydro-cortisone cream can thin skin badly
If you have oily skin it is possible you may develop an allergic reaction to oil
If you have oily skin you may find you break out in spots after exposure to high humidity tropics
Avoiding conditioner makes your hair more prone to breakage (but try GR-7 hair care products instead:)
GR-7 seems to have reversed my grey hair (no harm trying yours): https://gr-7.eu/en/grey-hair-reversing/
Rheumatoid arthritis & type 1 diabetes are autoimmune diseases: the body's immune system in overdrive
Every injury and illness has a long-lasting detrimental effect on the body
The less you injure yourself, the better your physique, the longer you will live in good health
If you are unfortunate to get breast cancer, your arm lymph nodes may be removed as they attract it
If your arm lymph nodes are removed, at times you may need fluid retention to be drained from the arm
Some hormones & proteins attract cancers; if you get it you may need H/P reduction medication for life
If you have had a clinical dye injected to trace lymph nodes, expect the dye to come out when you pee,
and expect the dye to remain visible in your skin for many months afterwards
Don't go back to work before you have properly healed. or it will take longer
The body operates best in moderation: push limbs to their limits and they will fail sooner
The body readily adapts - if you don't use parts of it they will slowly shut down
Advice & apps to avoid your PC ruining your eyesight - https://www.wired.com/2013/09/flux-eyestrain/
Optrex is not just Distilled Witch Hazel. DO NOT apply pure Distilled Witch Hazel to the eyes!
Vitamin B12 deficiency causes brittle nails (a vegetarian diet typically lacks Vitamin B12).
If you use valerian extract as a sleep remedy too often it may make your TMJ (jaw joint) click.
Exercises to relieve TMJ clicking: https://www.healthline.com/health/tmj-exercises#exercise
If you have had a recent muscle injury and it no longer hurts, don't assume it is healed, because
soft tissue injuries can take six weeks to three months to heal in several phases:
https://physioworks.com.au/treatments-1/what-are-the-phases-of-a-soft-tissue-injury
Broken bones on average take six weeks to heal
Keep your nose warm if you want to avoid catching colds (a Covid mask also keeps a nose warm):
https://www.healthline.com/health-news/scientists-finally-figure-out-why-youre-more-likely-to-get-sick-in-cold-weather
LIGHT
CRT screens produce better quality light and images than LCD screens
Fluorescent lights are UV mercury lamps. A white phosphor coating converts the UV to white light
Fluorescent eco lights emit a reduced number of wavelengths that fool the eye
Fluorescent eco lights don't work on domestic dimmers
MATHS
The constant Pi (3.1415926535...) can be approximated to 6 places using integers 355/113 = 3.14159292(the more familiar approximation 22/7 is only accurate to 2 places: 3.14285714, repeating)Easy way to remember Pythagoras: Some Auburn Haired girls → Sine / Adjacent = Hypotenuse
MEDICINAL
Lie on the right to help medicine go down https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11097319/Lie-right-absorb-drugs-better-new-research-suggests.html
Ibuprofen taken regularly can cause tinnitus
NSAIDs (like Ibuprofen) block prostaglandins that dilate blood vessels decreasing blood oxygen flow, injuring kidneys. https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/drugs-your-kidneys
Alcohol/ethanol burns in wounds as it activates the vanilloid VR1 nerve receptor that responds to heat
Capsaicin in hot peppers also activate VR1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRPV1
Using hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol on an injury can actually harm the tissue and delay healing
The best way to clean a minor wound is cool running water & mild soap; rinse for at least five minutes
Drinking the juice of 2 lemons a day can increase urine citrate which may reduce /remove kidney stones
Bepanthen nappy rash cream greatly reduces the healing time of spots and small grazes because it forms
a thin impervious layer to the skin, minimising the amount of dirt or chemicals entering the skin
Hold burned skin under cold water for 20 minutes to greatly reduce scarring or need for plastic surgery
Wyeth Chap Stick medicated gel lip balm with menthol and camphor is excellent for small burns
Noxzema deep cleansing cream with menthol & eucalyptus is even better for burns
Use non-adherent dressings or cling film on open wounds and burns to stop them sticking
Nettle stem may reduce an enlarged prostate. Usual dosage 3 times daily at 120mg.
Corsodyl mouthwash with chlorhexdine digluconate quickly clears up minor gum infections
Some anti-histamines like Piriton stop a runny nose (decongestants in pharmacies do the opposite)
https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/decongestants-antihistamines-cold
Ingrown toenails may develop if you have stopped wearing shoes indoors
Eucerin is an excellent moisturiser that also softens toenails (stopping ingrown toenail pain)
Balsam tissues disintegrate after a couple of days in your pocket, so don't take out more than you need
Manuka heals wounds quickly and reduces scaring (Activon is a cheaper tube-based variant)
Manuka UMF 30+ is the highest rating (but now impossible to get). other ratings explained here:
https://manukahoneyorganic.com/what-is-umf
Human saliva is a mild antiseptic
MISC
Keep glue gun sticks in the freezer to stop them making too much string:
https://www.favecrafts.com/Techniques/Hot-Glue-Gun-Crafts-Tips-For-Working-With-Hot-Glue
Pritt sticks seem to be engineered to dry out within a couple of years; Tesco's 'Glue Sticks' don't
Lemon/lime juice or white vinegar dissolves limescale (calcium carbonate)
A house built on clay is liable to subsidence due to global warming drying out the clay
MONEY
If you buy a product yearly, auto-renewal will usually set a higher price than doing it manually
Shares go up when people buy them, and fall when people sell them
PCs, OSs, etc - see also [PC Builds].
SSD write cycles are finite - defrag ('TRIM') them sparingly to extend life
TIM paste dries out over a couple of years. Either replace it regularly or use indium or graphite foil
The cooler a PC's CPU, GPU, SSD and semiconductors in general run, the longer their life:
https://www.akcp.com/blog/how-temperature-affects-it-data-storage/
PESTS
Mosquitoes are attracted by exhaled CO2 and other body odours:
https://www.mosquitnoband.com/why-do-mosquitoes-like-me-more-than-anyone-else
Spiders probably aren't affected by conkers but they do keep moths at bay:
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2019/08/conkers-spiders-and-facts
Clothes moths don't like lavender or peppermint:
https://www.thespruce.com/get-rid-of-moths-1388158
If you purchased clothing from a secondhand store, moth eggs may be laying in wait to hatch. Air the clothes outside in sun or cold for a few days then immediately wash or dry clean.
Clothes moth larvae can be killed by exposing them to 30°C (85°F) for 4 hours or more.
SCIENCE
A blood moon's colour comes from all the Earth's sunrises and sunsets at that time:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-61423765
The sky is blue because blue light from the Sun travels as shorter, smaller waves than other colours:
https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/blue-sky/en
The ocean is blue because water absorbs the red light spectrum leaving the blue part visible:
https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/oceanblue.html
Both the sky and the ocean get their blue colour from white sunlight being scattered from molecules that make up our atmosphere and our oceans:
https://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2005/05/31/1360804.htm
A star is a luminous ball of gas held together by its own gravity. Nuclear fusion reactions in its core support the star against gravity and produce photons and heat:
We know the earth rotates about the Sun because if it didn't, star formations would be different
https://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-resources/what-is-a-star
A rainbow is white light entering droplets of water, refracted into colours and reflected back:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow
How to tell male & female house flies apart: male eyes almost touch, female eyes are wider apart:
http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/urban/flies/house_fly.HTM#:~:text=Adult%3A%20The%20house%20fly%20is,reddish%2Deyes%20and%20sponging%20mouthparts.
Milk is white because casein and certain fats reflect wide ranges of wavelengths:
https://www.livescience.com/32501-why-is-cows-milk-white.html
SLEEP
Melatonin induces sleep
Grapes, almonds and cod & haddock fish have melatonin so eat them later in the day for better sleep
The ideal sleeping environment is a cool, quiet, dark room
Sunlight wakes you up (the natural circadian rhythm of life, often attenuated by modern lifestyles)
Blue light from CCL backlights in LCDs at night disrupts this rhythm, reducing sleep quality
Alcohol is poisonous to the body and impairs the night time healing process
Alcohol increases heart rate and the older you get, the more this affects sleep
Caffeine & chilli peppers increase heart rate and are best avoided later in the day
After prolonged use, caffeine may have the opposite effect: 30 mins woken up then half a day asleep
In a tent sleep at opposite ends or CO2 from another person will reduce your own oxygen intake
Ibuprofen makes you sleepy (but avoid using as a sleep aid as this can cause medical issues)
Many sleep aids are based on anti-histamines; brands use Chlorpheniramine maleate, cheaper by itself
But use AH in moderation as prolonged use may cause blurred eyesight, floaters and ghosting
If allergic to a woollen blanket, an open sleeping bag on top of a duvet stops heat escaping from a bed
VEHICLES
Always take a test ride in/on any vehicle before you buy it
Before buying any vehicle first check if its engine cam belts are replaced (often every 30k miles)
If you have a badly running vehicle try adding injector cleaner as they can clog after ~20k miles
Using fully synthetic oil and changing the oil and filter every 2000 miles greatly extends engine life
How to break in a new (motorcycle) engine: http://www.lazymotorbike.eu/technical/breakin/HP
Always carry a support disc for a motorcycle side stand so you can park on grass
Always carry a reel of adhesive black tape in your vehicle
Always keep a (working) torch in a car dashboard; a pen is useful too
WEB
If you have loaded a different browser xxx to the horrible MS Edge and clicked 'Yes' to the question
'Do you want to set xxx as your default browser?', you have to do a bit more to get it recognised:
Go into Settings/Apps where you will find the browser you want to replace still shown as the default; click on its icon and select the one you want to replace it with.
If you're using Wix under Chrome and need to save URLs, you'll find by default Chrome removes the https:// prefix, but Wix requires the full URL address. Right-click in Chrome's address bar and select 'Always show full URLs'.
The Chrome browser is a TSR (Terminate Stay Resident) program, which means if you close it, it still runs in the background, either deliberately or due to poor coding. Use the Windows task bar processes window to close it or alternatively as the Windows 10 taskbar is hideously complex, an app utility like CrapCleaner.
When the CrapCleaner Browser is first installed it will add unwanted modifications to the Registry. Identify and remove these with an anti-virus app (I used Gridinsoft Trojan Killer).
If you are using the CrapCleaner Browser, copy the URL: secure://flags/#read-later into your browser to reach the hidden localised page containing a horrifically huge set of flags that include unwanted marketing options similar to the ones MS hides in Windows 10 Settings/Privacy,
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