Roadmap for Health: 4 Key Strategies to Incorporate for a Healthier, Happier Life

Image from Unsplash

It seems that every week there's a new health fad on social media. Whether it's the latest juice cleanse you must try or the greatest meditation technique, achieving better health can seem more confusing and daunting than ever, especially if you live with diabetes. But maintaining good health doesn't have to be so hard. In fact, taking it back to the basics will be vital in ending bad habits and living happier. Today, PaleoTerran breaks down four strategies to help you do so.

Eat Well

A healthy diet is vital for people with diabetes as it can help to control blood sugar levels and prevent complications. There are a few key points to keep in mind when planning a healthy diet when living with diabetes:

1. Include plenty of high-fiber foods: Fiber helps slow down sugar absorption into the bloodstream, which can help keep blood sugar levels under control. Good sources of fiber include whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and beans.

2. Choose lean protein sources: Protein helps to stabilize blood sugar levels and can also help to promote feelings of fullness. Good lean protein sources include skinless chicken, fish, tofu, and legumes.

3.  Limit saturated and trans fats: These fats can raise cholesterol levels and increase the risk of heart disease. It is best to limit saturated fats to no more than 7% of total daily calories, and trans fats should be avoided altogether.

4. Include healthy fats: Not all fats are bad for you! Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats can improve blood cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease. Good sources of these healthy fats include olive oil, nuts, and avocados.

5. Control portion sizes: It is essential to control portion sizes, even when eating healthy foods. This will help prevent overeating and maintain a healthy weight.

Hydrate Frequently

Water is essential for our body's function and helps us carry nutrients and oxygen to all our cells, tissues, and organs. When you drink water, you're also flushing toxins out of your system, which is imperative for those with diabetes. If you struggle with mobility or flexibility issues, water also helps lubricate and cushion the internal joints. So how much water is enough? According to Mayo Clinic, you should drink around eight glasses of water daily for optimal hydration. You can do this by keeping a water bottle with you at all times of the day and taking a sip of water right when you wake up. Adding slices of lemon, cucumber, or lime to water also helps with a refreshing flavor boost and can help make things more fun!

Take (Lots) of Walks

According to Discover Magazine, walking is one of the easiest and fastest ways to achieve optimal health. Studies have shown consistent walking can also prevent cardiovascular and lifestyle diseases. So try challenging yourself to walk outside - even for 10 minutes. Not only will you feel more energized and happier after getting some fresh air, but you will also see your body lean up and get more heart-healthy. This will be particularly critical if you have a sedentary job. If you're looking for more ways to walk, try to schedule walk breaks, take the stairs instead of the elevator, pick up your food instead of getting it delivered, and walk to your colleague's offices for personal interactions. 

Keep Your Home Clean and Decluttered

Maintaining a clean, decluttered, and organized home promotes positive energy and creates a comfortable living environment. To achieve this, establish a daily cleaning routine that includes tasks such as sweeping, mopping, and dusting. Additionally, make it a habit to declutter your space regularly by sorting through belongings and getting rid of items you no longer need or use. Investing in effective storage solutions and keeping each item in its designated place will further enhance the organization of your home. By dedicating time and effort to these practices, you'll cultivate a serene atmosphere that fosters relaxation and well-being for you and your loved ones.

While taking that first step towards health can be daunting, remember it will be worth it when you start feeling better and happier. You'll benefit from increased energy, life satisfaction, and fulfillment – and all you need to do is take simple measures like drinking more water and going on more walks. It really can be that easy!

 Julia Mitchell

PaleoTerran covers topics such as health, science, nature, and culture. Contact us at 720-475-6982 for more info!

A Natural Lifestyle Guide to Saving Money and Living Better

Are you striving for a healthier, more natural lifestyle but worried about the expense? The good news is that you don’t have to choose between living healthily and living affordably. With a few simple changes, saving money while maintaining a healthy lifestyle is entirely practical. PaleoTerran explores ways to do just that — from evaluating your current habits to starting a business out of your passion! 

Living Healthily Saves Money

First and foremost, living healthily can save you money in the long run by reducing your chances of developing expensive health problems. Regular exercise, a balanced diet, and stress management techniques can help keep your body and mind in tip-top condition.

By taking care of yourself now, you can avoid costly medical bills and lost productivity down the line. Not to mention, many healthy habits can also decrease your everyday expenses!

Evaluate Your Habits

Take a closer look at your current habits and try to find areas where you can make healthier choices. This could be anything from reducing your processed food consumption or quitting smoking. PaleoTerran has a host of other information regarding getting and staying healthy, much like our ancestors did before the advent of modern medicine.

Consider the long-term benefits to your health and your wallet when making changes. For example, organic produce might be more expensive upfront, but the benefits to your health and the environment will likely make it a worthwhile investment over time.

Invest in Wellness Products

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of health and wellness products available. Focus on investing in essentials and choose high-quality, well-reviewed items that will last. It’ll be more cost-effective in the long run than frequently replacing cheap, low-quality products. For instance, you might buy an ergonomic chair for your home office, a quality blender for making smoothies, or a durable yoga mat for practicing at home.

Eat Well at Home

One of the most straightforward strategies for living a healthy lifestyle on a budget is to eat nutritious meals and snacks at home. Focus on whole, unprocessed foods, and To Taste suggests planning your meals in advance to mitigate waste and take-out temptations.

Additionally, consider joining a local community-supported agriculture (CSA) program where you will receive a box of locally grown, seasonal produce each week. This can be an economical and eco-friendly method of incorporating more fruits and vegetables into your diet. Don’t forget about your local farmers market — you can easily find fresh and affordable produce while supporting local growers!

Start a Business

If you’re passionate about health and wellness, why not turn it into a fulfilling and profitable career? Starting a business that aligns with your values and interests can help you earn money while staying true to your healthy lifestyle and inspiring others.

There are countless potential paths to take — opening a fitness studio, launching a wellness consultancy, starting an online store selling health and wellness products — the list goes on! If you have a knack for writing, you could even start an affiliate blog related to your wellness niche.

Consider establishing an LLC, which, as Contracts Counsel explains, provides tax advantages and protects business owners from personal liability related to the company’s financial and legal issues. Taking time to form an LLC can pay off significantly if you ever run into legal issues, and it’s easy when you go through a formation service.

Further, making personalized business cards is easy and affordable and will give your wellness business a professional appeal from the start. If you want to create free business cards, you can use premade templates and customize them with your logo, contact information, and a unique design that sets you apart from the competition. To get started designing your business card, you can try this.

Conclusion

Living healthily and saving money are not mutually exclusive. Evaluating your habits and making mindful choices will allow you to reap the benefits of a healthy and natural lifestyle without breaking the bank!

Remember to invest in quality products, eat more nutritiously at home, and figure out how to monetize your wellness passion. You’ll confidently embark on your journey knowing you can have the best of both worlds — a well-nourished body and a well-balanced budget!

 Julia Mitchell

PaleoTerran covers topics such as health, science, nature, and culture. Contact us at 720-475-6982 for more info!

STEREOTACTIC SURGERY FOR TREATMENT OF PARKINSON'S SYNDROME

On becoming Acting Chief of Neurosurgery in January 1988 and Chief in July 1990, I focused on the development of subspecialty programs. Among the first was the Functional Stereotactic Surgery program.

Patient with stereotactic head frame in position in the operating room.

With the support of the Department of Surgery, the Division purchased a Brown-Roberts-Wells Stereotactic Frame that allowed precise targeting for biopsies of deep brain lesions and the placement of electric probes for the treatment of Parkinson’s tremor via Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS).

A CT scan of the brain with the head frame in place and the thalamic target marked.

An 80-year-old man who presented with severe tremors. Marked shaking of his hands and arms made eating a struggle. Given the severe impact on the quality of his life, I offered stereotactic surgery to implant a probe into the parafascicular thalamus, the source of the tremors.

After local anesthesia was infiltrated at four points of his scalp, a stereotactic was attached to his skull (image above) and this CT scan was obtained, the cross-hatch marking the target point. He was transported to the operating room and sedated.

With the coordinates to the target area set on the frame, a small scalp incision was created at the access point, followed by a small burr hole in the skull.

The lesioning probe was then advanced into the thalamus. Once the sedation wore off, the patient was asked to perform a few activities with his right arm and hand. The first was to bring a cup to his mouth. Without stimulation, his hand jerked wildly. With stimulation, he could reach his mouth well.

 He was then asked to draw a straight line on a piece of paper supported on a clipboard. The tremor was markedly noticeable without stimulation (top image), resulting in this markedly irregular line. The image below was obtained with stimulation turned on, showing marked improvement in the line he drew. The second line shows further improvement.

He was then asked to write his name. The top illegible image shows his signature without stimulation. The bottom image during stimulation allows recognition of his first name. (His last name is blocked for privacy.)

With good positioning of the deep brain electrode, he was again sedated to allow the creation of a subcutaneous tunnel from the scalp incision, down under the skin on the right side of the neck to just above the clavicle where the stimulator battery was implanted in the subcutaneous tissue just above the clavicle. 

John Oró, MD, FAANS
paleoterran@icloud.com

Why Houston? The trajectories of NASA and Joan Oró converge.

Unbeknownst to either, NASA and scientist Joan Oró trajectories converged in Houston, Texas. This convergence led to scientific breakthroughs in the origin of life and the exploration of the Moon and Mars. The fundamental question: Why Houston?

THE FOUNDATION OF HOUSTON

1891 map of Houston, Texas - Wikimedia Commons

In 1832, the Allen brothers, Augustus and John, moved from Canfield, New York, to Galveston, Texas. A few years later, the brothers moved to Nacogdoches, TX, where an association with some entrepreneurs influenced them to become land speculators. The brothers “purchased six thousand acres of land running along Buffalo Bayou three years later.” There they laid out a plat between the White Oak and Buffalo Bayous. The new town was named for General Sam Houston, the leader of the Texian Army’s victory at the Battle of San Jacinto. Houston was chartered in 1837.

While growth was initially slow, in 1848, Houston grew on a path that would lead it to become the nation’s fourth-largest city. The key drivers in this early phase were the creation of the 872-mile Houston and Texas Central Railway (H&TC) and the proximity and access to the Gulf via Buffalo Bayou. 

During this era, Galveston was the largest town in Texas. However, the deadly 1900 Hurricane - also called the Galveston Flood and the Great Galveston Hurricane - changed Galveston’s fortunes. Furthermore, the Houston Ship Channel completion in September 1914 gave Houston access to the gulf, further accelerating Houston’s growth, which soon exceeded any other Texas city. 

Houston’s growth further accelerated following WWI. A burst of construction led to an increased height of Houston’s new buildings. 1930 saw the construction of Houston’s then-largest building, the Merchant’s and Manufacturer’s Building, which today serves as part of the campus of the University of Houston Downtown. By the 1950’s older buildings were periodically taken down and usually turned into parking lots or new office buildings.

View of Texas Avenue and Main street, the center of the retail business district.
George Rinhart/Corbis via Getty Images

THE FOUNDATION OF RICE UNIVERSITY

Rice University 1955 Commencement

Houston's educational foundations were strengthening. Massachusetts-born businessman William Marsh Rice chartered the Rice Institute in May 1891. However, in 1900, Rice was killed by his valet Charlie Jones to "claim his estate with a forged will." Rice's last will provided "the school's financial foundation." Twelve years later, Rice Institute became Rice University. 

NASA MOVES TO HOUSTON

Johnson Space Center --- home to NASA’s Mission Control, astronaut training, and research facilities. – originally the Manned Spacecraft Center.

In 1965, Mission Control was transferred from Cape Canaveral in Florida to Houston, Texas. In this photo (clockwise from the lower left) are Gemini flight directors Gene Kranz, Glynn Lunney, John Hodge, and Chris Kraft in the Mission Operations Control Room in 1965.

Credits: NASA

NASA Historic Mission Control Renovation - Houston, TX USA

“President Kennedy's motorcade en route down Houston's Main Street, passes under the U.S. and Texas flags, Sept. 12, 1962. The President was in Houston to inspect the Manned Spacecraft Center and made a speech at Rice University's football stadium prior to his trip to the space center.”

Bettmann/Bettmann Archive

Buzz Aldrin walks on the moon in an image taken by Apollo 11
commander Neil Armstrong. (Credit Nasa/EPA)

Houston Gets $60 Million Space Lab in Clear Lake, Texas for Research on Moon Shot.

John Oró, MD, FAANS
paleoterran@icloud.com

SOURCES

1.     JOAN ORO by Miquel Pairoli, Col-leccio de Biografies de la Fundacio Catalana per la Recerca, 1996

2.     JOAN ORO, EL CIENTIFIC THE LA VIDA by Mar Valldeoriola, Angle Editorial, 2001

3.     MISSION CONTROL, INVENTING THE GROUNDWORK OF SPACEFLIGHT, University Press of Florida, 2015

4.     A HISTORY LOVER’S GUIDE TO HOUSTON by Tristan Smith. History Press, 2020

5.     JOHNSON SPACE CENTER – THE FIRST 50 YEARS edited by Laura Bruns and Mike Litchfield.

6.     “The Bettmann Archive is a collection of over 11 million photographs and images, some going back to the United States Civil War and including some of the best known U.S. historic images.”

6 Tips for Soothing Your Climate-Related Anxiety While Also Combating Climate Change

Are you stressed just thinking about current environmental and climate-related issues? Whether you're an avid gardener or simply a concerned citizen, there are several reasons you may be feeling stressed or anxious about climate change. The good news is that you may be able to relieve that stress while also fighting against climate change. Here are six ways to push back against both stress and negative environmental effects due to climate change.

1. Take Matters Into Your Own Hands by Opening Your Very Own Eco-Friendly Business

If you're feeling frustrated with the current availability of environmentally friendly products in your area, why not take matters into your own hands and start up your own eco-friendly company? This one move could prove not only empowering for you but beneficial for the planet.

In order to increase your odds of success in whatever industry you choose, you'll want to assemble a carefully detailed business plan. This plan includes company descriptions, service descriptions, structural specifications, and other details about how the business will be funded and what kind of financial issues or revenue you will project in the near future. 

2. Prioritize Relieving Your Anxiety and Practicing Soothing Self-Care Regularly

According to one study, being tuned in to the latest news about climate change may be correlated with a higher risk of developing anxiety disorders. If you feel more stressed and anxious when you think about environmental issues, make sure you're practicing self-care often to help relieve that anxiety. For example, try to:

• Take deep breaths and/or meditate

• Practice calming hobbies, such as reading

• Exercise a few times a week

3. Reconsider Your Current Approach to Transportation and Swap to Environmentally Friendly Options

One aspect of your everyday life that could be leaving a significant environmental impact is your method of transportation. If you're concerned that driving your car every day is producing too much pollution, for instance, you could consider switching to other, more eco-friendly alternatives.

For example, your area may offer public transportation, such as buses, trams, and subways. You may also be able to cut back on your footprint by carpooling to work and trying to fly less often.

4. Adjust Your Daily Menu and Make a Difference Through Your Diet

You may not have realized it, but what you put on your plate every day can make a difference in the environment. Clean Eating points out that just a few simple swaps to your usual menu could help reduce your footprint! For instance, you can easily switch to a more eco-friendly diet by:

• Eating locally produced fruits and vegetables

• Avoiding imported foods

• Reducing your overall consumption of meat and dairy, and especially of red meat, such as beef

5. Modify Your Home in a Few Key Ways to Make It More Eco-Friendly

Lastly, you can soothe your anxiety and make a difference simply by upgrading a few key home features to more eco-friendly versions. For example, at home, you could: 

• Switch to lights that automatically turn off when you're not in the room

• Reduce your total home energy use

• Switch to low-flow showerheads

• Install a recycling system in your home instead of throwing everything away

• Planting more trees in your yard 

6. Invest in Solar Panels

Solar panels are becoming increasingly popular as a way to generate renewable energy. In addition to being environmentally friendly, solar panels also have a number of other benefits. For one, they can help to lower your energy bills by offsetting the cost of electricity from the grid. They can also increase the value of your home and provide a hedge against rising energy costs.

If you're planning to install solar panels, the cost is based on the home's usage needs, the type and size of panels, and whether you're on the utility grid. Solar panels typically come with long-term warranties so you don't have to worry about repairs.

In today's world, it's common to feel stressed or even anxious about climate-related issues. Fortunately, there are several ways to soothe your stress while fighting against climate change, whether you're practicing self-care or making eco-friendly changes at home, like installing solar panels. Adopt these six tips as your quick guide to get started. 

Julia Mitchell

Image via Pexels

"Oh my neck!" Management of a cervical dislocation over 100 years ago.

Modern radiograph of a patient with a C6-C7 cervical dislocation.

Patients sustaining cervical spine dislocations or fractures are usually immobilized at the scene with a cervical collar and a backboard and transported to a medical facility where they undergo cervical X-rays, a cervical CT scan, and possibly a cervical MRI. Treatment frequently consists of cervical reduction using traction followed by surgical fusion. Case reports on the treatment of cervical spine injuries over 100 years ago are rare. Thus the importance of the detailed case managed by Balfour Fergusson, MD, and published in the Lancet on July 8, 1899:

"At midnight on June 17th I was called to see a laborer. It appeared that he was working away from home and was in the habit of returning every Saturday night. On the evening in question, he was returning home in charge of a horse and cart and, probably overcome by a week's hard work in the hayfield, he fell asleep while sitting on the edge of the cart." Two men found the laborer lying on the ground "groaning and complaining of his neck" and walked him home. There Dr. Fergusson found him "sitting on a chair with his head well bent backwards and resting against a wall. His skin was cold and clammy; his breathing was diaphragmatic; his pulse was soft, slow, and compressible; and his pupils were dilated and did not readily react to light. He had partially lost power in his arms and legs and he appeared to be dazed. His head was inclined backwards, the occiput resting on the spine."

When Dr. Fergusson tried correcting the position the patient’s neck, "he was thrown into violent spasm, the spasmodic contraction lasting a few minutes, the patient calling out all the time "Oh my neck!"

Dr. Fergusson's description of the reduction:

Securing the assistance of a parish nurse (who is, by the way, an unusually strong woman) and placing her in front of the patient I directed her to take both of his hands and to pull him directly upwards. I placed myself behind and supported his head and pressed his shoulders forwards. So great was the spasm produced by this attempt that the nurse was forcibly drawn across the bed and I was pressed backwards against the iron framework at the top, the poor fellow calling all the time, "Oh, my poor neck. Doctor, I am dying!" I as quickly as possible got him again into the sitting position and placing my left hand underneath his chin and my right behind the nape of the neck I jerked the head upwards, at the same time forcibly bending the head forwards over the chest. A sensation of a bone slipping into its place was communicated to the hand and I felt certain that the dislocation had been reduced.

The patient noted immediate improvement, and within two weeks, the patient was "now out of doors and walking." At the end of the report, Dr. Fergusson makes a few comments about injuries to the cervical spine and notes many are associated with fractures. Of particular interest is the statement that when injuries occur "between the atlas and axis, the odontoid is almost invariably fractured, death quickly ensuing."

The Lancet published the note due to "the rarity of the conditions found on this occasion."

John Oró, MD, FAANS
paleoterran@icloud.com

Balancing Self-Care With Your Side Hustle

With inflation skyrocketing and the cost of living rising faster than an escaped helium balloon, many people in Denverare turning to side hustles to supplement the income from their full-time jobs. However, becoming a side hustler can take a toll on your mental and physical well-being. If you don't make time for self-care and rest, this extra work might cause burnout. Here are some ways to take care of your body while growing your side hustle.

Cultivate a Self-Care Routine

The best way to build self-care into your busy schedule is to develop a daily routine. Carve out time in the morning or evening for your routine.

Exercise. Working out improves your physical health, reducing the risk of illness. It also boosts energy levels, helping you slay your side-hustle tasks. 

Nutrition. Don't put your diet on the back burner while you're hustling. Eating a healthy diet nourishes your body and gives you strength. Try meal prepping on the weekends, so you can follow your eating plan, such as the paleo diet, and cut off the temptation to grab fast food on your way home.

Get enough sleep. Make sure you're getting at least 7 hours of sleep each night.

Going for a walk or doing yoga, eating healthily, and sleeping enough reduce stress and keep you healthy as you increase your workload.

Bolster Your Mindset

Physical health is just one aspect of self-care. Focusing on your mindset helps you find peace of mind.

Make time for personal relationships. Don't hustle so hard that you don't have time for friends and family members. 

Build your confidence from the outside. If you're feeling unsure of yourself, working on your external confidence can help you feel more secure in other areas. Even if you're working from home, try wearing clothes that feel comfortable without sacrificing style. Some new loungewear, such as a dress, robe, or pair of leggings, can have you feeling great, whether you're hustling, relaxing, or trying to keep up with the kids at home.

Finding time to connect with the people you love and choosing versatile, confidence-building clothing are essential steps in building a healthy work-life balance.

Aim for Efficiency in Your Hustle

Side hustlers need ninja-level time management skills. The more efficiently you run your business, the more you can get done.

Calendar apps. Make a monthly schedule using an app, like Google Calendar, to time, block each aspect of your life.

Create SOPs. Make yourself documents outlining the main steps, or Standard Operating Procedures, for any repeatable processes in your business so you — and your future employees or contractors — can complete these tasks as quickly as possible.

Taking control of your time helps you balance your regular job, side gig work, personal life, and home life.

Achieving Work-life Balance Can Be Fun

Launching a side hustle is an exciting stage of life and, if you take the time to care for your body and mind while maximizing efficiencies in your business, you'll have the capacity you need to succeed in the long run. If you need help taking your side hustle to the next level, check out Paleoterran for a guide to developing a green business and marketing business. 

Julia Mitchell

Mural in River North, Denver.

By Casey Kawaguchi, 2019

Ecopreneurship: Developing and Managing a Green Business and Marketing Plan

Being eco-conscious is a current trend in the business world. Most businesses work towards having eco-friendly practices and strategies, such as using renewable energy and reducing carbon footprints. Others also change the business angle by developing a green business idea into an established business. 

Ecopreneurship focuses on highlighting businesses and industries that sell eco-friendly products and services. Setting up such businesses requires an elaborate business plan. Governments and institutions encourage these green businesses through awards and sponsorships. Here’s what you need to know about eco-businesses. 

Come Up With Your Business Idea and Plan

Some of the most popular green businesses are local production of greens and herbs, operating a greenhouse, creating sustainable products, enhancing energy-efficient products and services, and hobby farming. First, you need to identify a gap in the industry or system. Then, refine your idea before you can draw up a business plan. 

Once you identify your business idea, draw up a business plan. Consider including the following sections in your project:

• A cover page 

• The executive summary

• Mission and objectives of the company 

• Types of products and services

• Operations, financing, human resources, and marketing strategies

When looking at financial options, consider options like getting grants, financiers, loans, or investors before making your final financial decision. Needing large amounts of capital will push you to get external funding. 

Grants work best in such situations, but you must keenly search, research, eligibility, and application. Look around for federal and private grants that suit your cause. Most grants target specific groups of people or industries, such as tech grants for tech startups. 

Think About Its Structure, Culture, and Marketing

Once you have your business plan, work around your business structure. Learn how to departmentalize the business, create a link between them, and think about your marketing and production plan. A green company should appeal to the eco-community and use friendly methods to get the results. Incorporating digital solutions for your green business will push your mission further to create an impact on society. It would help if you worked on a good marketing plan to promote your brand name and mission.

You can use different marketing options like infographics, social media marketing, etc. Get the necessary graphics to present your ideas. You can DIY using internet tools to personalize your campaign or get a professional marketer to promote your agenda. Working with people who have the same values and principles helps you get the best results. Vetting the employees will get your team united toward your business goals. 

Effective marketing for green businesses involves telling the story of how your business practices reflect your values. For example, you might discuss how you use cloud accounting tools for your business, mentioning that it allows your business to reduce paper use by going paperless in the office and operating more efficiently. Another idea could be to discuss using LED lighting and low-flow plumbing fixtures to minimize resource use. You want your customers to understand and respect how your green values appear.

Never Stop Growing and Inventing

Ecopreneurship success needs experience, knowledge, and understanding of the industry. Sustainability will require sound financial, production, and human resource management. It’s up to you to learn what your business needs and how to sustain it. 

Ecopreneurship demands continuous growth to succeed. With proper management and understanding of the industry, your business will thrive and improve the environment.

Julia Mitchell

For more information, please visit my website or contact me today!

PaleoTerran was launched in 2010 with two goals: (1) learning from the apparent superior health of our ancestors before the Agricultural Revolution and (2) limiting our global environmental impact. While these goals remain important, over time, PaleoTerran expanded its scope to cover topics such as science, nature, and culture. All while sharing a bit of joy along the way.

HURRICANE GRACE BRINGS SURF TO TEXAS GULF COAST

August 19, 2021, The Weather Channel states that Hurricane Grace made landfall before 5 am on Thursday along the eastern Yucatan Peninsula, near Tulum, Mexico. Grace is currently bringing max wind speeds of 75 mph. The latest track from the NHC has Grace moving west across the Yucatan Peninsula into the Bay of Campeche, making another landfall in eastern Mexico at the beginning of the weekend.

August 21, 2021, the word is out amongst Gulf Coast surfers that it's time to wax their surfboards and make their way to their favorite surf spot. For me, it's Surf Side, Texas, which is an hour's drive from my house. Now's the time to check out the Surfside webcam or the South Padre Islands surf webcam if I had instead wanted to head further down south for a few days.

The Surfside webcam showed that the waves were big, breaking far out from shore with no rideable form due to the high winds blowing onshore. I knew from the past that the next day being Saturday, the winds would have backed off, and the waves would be a lot cleaner, making them more rideable. I decided to wait until about 1 pm Saturday, and off I was to see if I could still paddle out and catch some waves. The last time I had surfed was in 2013 while I was Kiteboarding in South Padre Island. 

A couple of days later, Surfside was tame.

Not owning a surfboard any longer meant needing to rent a board for a few hours. Board rented; I was off to my favorite launch spot. I entered the water, hopped on the board, and to my amazement, I was paddling out thru the shore break and eventually making it to the outside where I could catch some waves. Somewhat out of breath, I spent the next twenty minutes or so straddling the board and wishing some of my old surf buddies were there to chat with while waiting for the right wave. Then my thoughts changed to remembering the many beautiful places I had surfed in my lifetime Mexico, California, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Tortola Island, Cape Town, and South Padre Island.

Riding a wave was the best part of surfing. The second-best part of being out there was soaking up the natural beauty of mother nature, which always put me in a state of mind of total peace. Surfing the Windsurfing or kiteboarding doesn't in any way compares to the stoke that I experience riding a wave. I had a great time the 90 minutes I was out, even though my balance wasn't that great, and my rides only lasted a short while. The saddest part of a surfing day is knowing that this will be the last ride of the day due to exhaustion or that it's getting too dark to be out.

Tommy Garner

Must-Read Resources for Eco-Friendly Business Ownership

The climate crisis is one of the most pressing issues facing the world today. Many who would like to make their mark in the business world worry about how to start a business that factors the environment in from the start. After all, it’s easy for even a relatively small business to have a significant carbon footprint. 

Fortunately, there are several steps you can take to make sure your business does more good for the planet than harm. Paleoterran is proud to offer these resources business owners can use to create sustainable, environmentally friendly companies: 

Getting Your Business Started 

Business stability empowers you to make a bigger impact: 

• Make sure you have enough funding to keep your business going long enough to become profitable. 

• Consider working with a Colorado registered agent LLC formation service to give yourself legal protections and, in some areas, tax advantages. 

• Work with a financial advisor to ensure you’re using your money in the best ways possible. 

Reducing Negative Global Impact 

Some simple steps can limit environmental damage: 

• Whenever possible, go paperless in your business. 

• Reduce waste by making recycling and composting accessible in your office or shop. 

• Source ingredients, products, and materials from nearby sources to reduce your shipping footprint. 

Being an Agent of Change 

Businesses can have a powerful voice; here’s how to use yours: 

• Join your local chamber of commerce to promote environmentally-friendly business practices in your area. 

• Speak with local politicians and encourage them to enact climate-protecting legislation. 

• Connect with customers about the climate crisis in an approachable, action-oriented manner. 

Business owners can make a serious impact in a community. This means that your entrepreneurial journey can empower you to push real, measurable change in the fight against the climate crisis. We hope this article gives you the tools you need to create a business that helps protect the planet we share. 

Cheryl Conklin
https://wellnesscentral.info

Photo Credit: Pexels

If you read only one thing on our climate crisis, read this.

“Some climate cascades will unfold at the global level – cascades so large their effect will seem, by the curious legerdemain of environmental change, imperceptible. A warming planet leads to melting Arctic ice, which means less sunlight reflected back to the sun and more absorbed by the planet-warming faster still, which means an ocean less able to absorb atmospheric carbon and so a planet-warming faster still. A warming planet will also melt Arctic permafrost, which contains 1.8 trillion tons of carbon, more than twice as much as is currently suspended in the earth’s atmosphere, and some of which, when it thaws and is released, may evaporate as methane, which is thirty-four times as powerful a greenhouse-gas warming blanket as carbon dioxide when judged on the timescale of a century; when judged on a timescale of two decades, is eighty-six times as powerful. A hotter planet is, on the net, bad for plant life, which means what is called “forest dieback” – the decline and retreat of jungle basins as big as countries and woods that spread for so many miles they used to contain whole folklores – which means a dramatic stripping-back of the planet’s natural ability to absorb carbon and turn it into oxygen, which means still hotter temperatures, which means more dieback, and so on. Higher temperatures mean more forest fires means fewer trees means less carbon absorption, means more carbon in the atmosphere, means a hotter planet still – and so on. A warmer planet means more water vapor in the atmosphere, and, water vapor being a greenhouse gas, this brings higher temperatures still – and so on. Warmer oceans can absorb less heat, which means more stay in the air, and contains less oxygen – which leaves us with more carbon, which heats the planet further. And so on. These are the systems climate scientists call “feedbacks”; there are more. Some work in the other direction, moderating climate change. But many more point toward an acceleration of warming, should we trigger these. And just how these complicated, countervailing systems will interact – what effects will be exaggerated and what undermined by feedbacks – is unknown, which pulls a dark cloud of uncertainty over any effort to plan ahead for the climate future. We know what a best-case outcome for climate feedback looks like, however unrealistic because it quite closely resembles the world as we live on it today. But we have not yet begun to contemplate those cascades that may bring us to the infernal range of the bell curve.” 

David Wallace-Wells 

The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming (2019)

John Oró, MD, FAANS
paleoterran@icloud.com

2,300 Year-old Mummy Scanned at MU Health

From the left: Dr. David Goldman (Class of 1988), Dr. Doug Long (Class of 1990), and Dr. Kent Grewe (Class of 1989).

One day in 1988, I learned that the MU Museum of Art and Archaeology, located on the university campus, was planning to bring a mummy to University Hospital Radiology Department for CT scanning. Following evening rounds on the day of the scan was scheduled, three neurosurgery residents and I went to the CT suite, where I took some photos.

Photo Credit: Missouri Alumnus magazine.

The mummy was that of Pet-Menekh. According to journalist Michael C. Purdy and Liam Otten:

Pet-Menekh — or 'he whom the excellent one has given' — is thought to have been a priest of the god Chem during the Ptolemaic period (c. 300 B.C.). He died in his 30s or 40s, possibly of sudden trauma or acute disease. His coffin — likely found at the Necropolis of El-Hawawish in Akhmim — is richly decorated with hundreds of hieroglyphics as well as images of the goddesses Isis and Nut.

Furthermore, Maura Cornman, adjunct assistant professor of art history and archeology notes at "Part of the elaborately painted coffin … is inspired from prayers of the Book of the Dead.”

When we arrived, the mummy was being brought out of the CT scanner. I noted a small loose tag of parchment draping at the mummy’s mid-torso that looked to have a script written on its inner layer. From one of the people that transported the mummy to the medical center, we learned the script was a portion of the Book of the Dead, the guide to the next world. MU’s Cornman explains its purpose:

The theory was that if a mummy made a mistake in reciting these spells, it could go back to the coffin or look at its bandages to brush up.

In use from about 1500 BC to 50 BC, the Egyptian Book of the Dead describes the mummification process used in preparing the deceased for the afterlife. It is commonly believed that the embalmers removed the liquifying brain by passing a hooked instrument into the nose and penetrating the sphenoid bone to reach the intracranial cavity. Recently, a couple of mummies have been identified in which excerebration was performed using an "organic stick."

However, not in the case of Pet-Menekh. Carol Hunter, writing in the winter 1988 issue of the Missouri Alumnus magazine reported:

"Part of the elaborately painted coffin, for instance, is inspired from prayers of the Book of the Dead. 'The theory was that if a mummy made a mistake in reciting these spells, it could go back to the coffin or look at its bandages to brush up,’ says Maura Cornman, museum conservator and adjunct assistant professor of art history and archeology." 

 After the brain tissue was removed, the embalmers filled the intracranial cavity with resin. Over time, the resin hardened and cracked as in this CT image of the Pet-Menekh mummy.

Among the many images obtained on the Pet-Menekh mummy, we were most interested in those of the brain. The axial CT images dramatically revealed the embalmer's effectiveness at removing the brain tissue. The scans revealed an empty cranium other than the resin - seen here in two layers - inserted by embalmers. Layered at the bottom of the skull, it attests to the mummy lying on his back. In Pet-Menekh's case, for over two thousand years.

John Oró, MD, FAANS
paleoterran@icloud.com

If you read only one thing on the climate crisis, read this!

“Some climate cascades will unfold at the global level – cascades so large their effect will seem, by the curious legerdemain of environmental change, imperceptible. A warming planet leads to melting Artic ice, which means less sunlight reflected back to the sun and more absorbed by the planet warming faster still, which means an ocean less able to absorb atmospheric carbon and so a planet warming faster still. A warming planet will also melt Artic permafrost, which contains 1.8 trillion tons of carbon, more than twice as much as is currently suspended in the earth’s atmosphere, and some of which, when it thaws and is released, may evaporate as methane, which is thirty-four times as powerful a greenhouse-gas warming blanket as carbon dioxide when judged on the timescale of a century; when judged on a timescale of two decades, is eighty-six times as powerful. A hotter planet is, on net, bad for plant life, which means what is called “forest dieback” – the decline and retreat of jungle basins as big as countries and woods that spread for so many miles they used to contain whole folklores – which means a dramatic stripping-back of the planet’s natural ability to absorb carbon and turn it into oxygen, which means still hotter temperatures, which means more dieback, and so on. Higher temperatures mean more forest fires means fewer trees means less carbon absorption, means more carbon in the atmosphere, means a hotter planet still – and so on. A warmer planet means more water vapor in the atmosphere, and, water vapor being a greenhouse gas, this brings higher temperatures still – and so on. Warmer oceans can absorb less heat, which means more stay in the air, and contains less oxygen – which leaves us with more carbon, which heats the planet further. And so on. These are the systems climate scientists call “feedbacks”; there are more. Some work in the other direction, moderating climate change. But many more point toward an acceleration of warming, should we trigger these. And just how these complicated, countervailing systems will interact – what effects will be exaggerated and what undermined by feedbacks – is unknown, which pulls a dark cloud of uncertainty over any effort to plan ahead for the climate future. We know what a best-case outcome for climate feedback looks like, however unrealistic, because it quite closely resembles the world as we live on it today. But we have not yet begun to contemplate those cascades that may bring us to the infernal range of the bell curve.” 

David Wallace-Wells
The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming
2019

Keep up with the climate crisis by following SUSTAIN TERRA on flipboard.com. Better yet, download the FLIPBOARD app on your mobile device and search for SUSTAIN TERRA.

Caring for your emotional well-being in these challenging times

Recently, while browsing a health magazine purchased in 2919 — Time's Special Edition WELLNESS: Finding a Healthier You — I read the article by Jeffrey Kluger: "How Well Are You Really?" 

In the spirit of lightening the load during these challenging times, below are a few points worth sharing. Adjust them accordingly for appropriate mask-wearing and social distancing.

• "Staying connected with family – or reconnecting if you've drifted can – can be a powerful emotional curative. Joining social groups, volunteering, and if you're widowed, divorced, or otherwise single, rejoining the social world can also help." In today's world, staying within our bubble(s) or the online option will be.”

• "In some cases, merely walking in the door of a house of worship can be good for health and overall wellness."

• "Then, too, there is the mutual support and services that congregates offer one another." The University of Michigan "has conducted some surprising studies showing it is often the people who provide the services which benefit more than the ones who receive them."

• "American adults spend an average of four hours per day watching TV, and a lot of what they are getting in those hours is the entertainment equivalent of empty calories." Fortunately, there are also high-quality options.

• Intellectual stimulation protects against cognitive decline. As Kluger writes: "One 2017 study from the Mayo Clinic on people 70 and older found that older adults who play chess or other board games have a 22% lower risk of mild cognitive impairment. Working with crafts cuts the risk by 28% and using a computer by 30%.

• Learn a second language: "… the journal Annals of Neurology provided fresh support for the long-held belief that learning a second language helps keep the mind sharp – improving memory, reading comprehension and general intelligence – partly by fostering the growth on new brain cells."

• "… nearly any kind of structured class in an academic setting can boost overall brain wellness." It can also be competitive fun! Especially in you are learning a second language on Duo Lingo.

• "There are lighter workouts for your brain too: solving puzzles, reading a stimulating book or even just the newspaper, going to a museum – especially if you make it a point to try and learn and retain something about the art or other exhibits you're seeing."

• "You can't clean up the planet – not the whole thing and certainly not all by yourself. But you can make big improvements in your small part of it."

• "… nearly any kind of structured class in an academic setting can boost overall brain wellness.”

• “Then, there's the importance of physical activity. Dr. Prianka Chawla recommends getting 30 minutes of brisk walking, jogging, dancing, or casual cycling at least 5 times per week."

Finally, let’s not forget the importance of spending time in nature, a topic for another day.

John Oró, MD, FAANS
paleoterran@icloud.com

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Anticrepuscular rays: An Unusual Sky Phenomenon

While Colorado skies can be dramatic at times, the sky on December 20 during an evening walk in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, was extraordinary. Gazing west, I was awed by the cloud patterns and the sunlight's intensity at the clouds' inferior aspect.

As our path curved in an easterly direction …

... I gazed at the sky ahead of us. It was mind-bending. The Sun was setting behind me, yet, it also seemed to be setting in front of me!  I estimated the rays were coming from the northeast.

Puzzled, I checked my phone's compass. Sure enough, the beams were coming from the east-northeast. Impossible, but there they were.

I looked back to see if anything had changed in the western sky and saw the intense inferior brightening of the nearer clouds and darkening of the more distant ones as sunset progressed.

A look to the southwest revealed similar findings.

As we progressed on our walk, the rays darkened ...

... and soon faded.

Turning northwesterly on our return home, we were greeted by a delightfully dramatic sky.

Arriving home, I searched the net for "unusual sunset today." The answer popped up immediately - Anticrepuscular rays! What?! 

Wikipedia's entry came up first: 

Anticrepuscular rays, or antisolar rays, are meteorological optical phenomena similar to crepuscular rays, but appear opposite of the Sun in the sky. Anticrepuscular rays are essentially parallel, but appear to converge toward the antisolar point, the vanishing point, due to a visual illusion from linear perspective.

And from Atmospheric Optics:

Crepuscular rays appear to converge on the sun, anticrepuscular or antisolar rays converge in opposite direction and you must have your back to the Sun or sunset point to see them. They appear to converge towards the antisolar point, the point on the sky sphere directly opposite the Sun. Like crepuscular rays they are parallel shafts of sunlight from holes in the clouds and their apparently odd directions are a perspective effect. Think of a long straight road, it converges towards the horizon but turn around and it also converges to the opposite horizon. Crespuscular and anticrespuscular rays behave in the same way.

"Holes in the clouds." Could that be the rays passing through the cloud's inferior surface as seen earlier in the walk? Some passing through "holes" in the clouds and converging in the opposite direction? When we sit in a movie theater, the projector behind us streams light beams over our heads. We look in the opposite direction, the screen in front of us, where the rays arrest and become visible. 

Hmmm?  An arc of rays over our head that become visible and deceivingly convergent: anticrespuscular rays. 

John Oró, MD, FAANS

Your thoughts, critiques, and insights are welcome.