When you get older, you start to realize how fragile life is. My best friend from high school when I moved to Michigan my senior year of high school passed away a few years ago. But I had just found out last week. He died of a heart attack. I will express some memories of him soon because I feel its good to write. But you realize it could be "you" or "me" at any time.

Can I tell you the truth? A few years back late one Summer, I caught a weird lung thing. I think it was borderline pneumonia. In the heat of Summer, you would think its weird to catch something. But then I think of something like Legionnaire’s disease or the like and you know its possible. I developed a dry, weak cough and started to feel very fatigued. Who knows, it could have been a corona virus because the symptoms were similar. The truth is, I got so weak and light headed some times that I think I could have easily passed out and that would be it. It actually wouldn’t be a bad way to go. I was at total peace. I wasn’t panicked or scared. I just accepted where I was at the time. When elderly people die of pneumonia, which is super common, I wonder if that’s how they feel? I think I could easily have written and said my goodbye’s with clarity. And then just gone to sleep. It would be that easy.

Don’t get me wrong, I love life. I love all of life. I don’t want to see anyone or anything die. As a soldier, I would still have felt the conviction to defend my brothers and Nation. I wouldn’t savor taking a life, but war is terrible. Sometimes you have to take a life to save lives. I know that’s what happens in war. I would feel intense pain for that, but no regrets.

I am an omnivore. Yes, I kills plants to eat. I’m a biologist and I know what life is. I don’t mix up social issues of convenience or the "bothersome" responsibility of bringing a life into the world. Its not an option to kill for convenience. I know what fertilization means across all organisms. I would have gotten tests wrong if I said that when zygotes unite, undergo meiosis and genetic recombination, and create uniquely different life, wasn’t life. Yes similar to parents but different. The point is, when those gametes intermingle, its life. I don’t kill that life. But I do.

Do you eat fruit? A vegetable is a "vegetative" part of a plant. It may be a leaf, branch, parts of a flower, but not the fertilized egg. The fertilized egg is new life. A "fruit" is a fertilized egg. When you eat it, you are eating life. When you kill it, you kill life. People don’t seem to have any trouble eating strawberries. Ethically, they are OK with it. They are OK with killing a mosquito or fly that’s bothering them. They spray repellents to kill termites and ants. They are even OK with aborting a child for convenience. But are against killing an animal. Their moral justifications are hypocritical. One person explained to me that eating an animal takes its "soul". OK, so now you are saying that we, as humans, now get to determine which animal has a soul. So a puppy dog has a soul but a shellfish does not? A dolphin has a soul but a fly does not? Who are we to say that? And how do we really know? Is the the presence of a central nervous system the standard? Who are we to say? Did you know many plants feel touch? They can sense CO2 changes. They can see sunlight and water. Are you telling me cows have a soul but plants do not? Who are we to say that? Ethical justifications always fall apart.

I love animals. Even hunter’s love animals and their beauty. I would encourage you to expose yourself to more. Watch a show like "The Last Alaskans". You see how people who live off the land marvel at life. There is so much beauty and life to cherish. But you also know how valuable it is to have food. In remote places, like parts of Alaska or places where indigenous people have lived since the beginning of time, you can’t go to the grocery store and buy whatever you want. You have to live off the land. Sometimes those lands don’t have growing plants in Winter. I studied field ecology where bioavailability, assimilation coefficients, coevolution, symbiosis, and other aspects of eating for life come into play. Do you know what dietary fiber really is? Its undigestible pieces that we as humans don’t have enzymes to break down. So we say we like that they are scrubbing our intestines and arteries, but its because we can’t use them. There is no assimilation or nutritious value in fiber. On the other hand, ruminants have cellulases that are capable of breaking down grasses and plants that we can’t use. Its almost like cattle are made to coexist with humans because of what they can eat and provide to us.

Yes, I love animals. But everything has a purpose. Sometimes the strawberry gives hundreds of progeny for our consumption in one fruit. Sometimes, cattle and other animals are used for food. Its like they were made to give up themselves for us. "Domesticated" animals wouldn’t exist without humans. Most roaming free Schnauzer’s, poodles, and Dachschunds won’t live for long on their own in the wild. A coyote or wolf would see them as very easy to obtain food sources. Same with a cow. They wouldn’t roam wild like their ancestors, like a water buffalo, bison, or wildabeast.

Speaking of wildness. I studied field corn for my Ph.D. I had to know all about corn, its history, and its survival. The truth is if we stopped cultivating corn, it would likely die out as a species in just a few years. If you left a field of corn to the wild, the wild would take it over. Weeds, native species, trees and shrubs would take over. Same with soybeans. Yes, a majority of our world’s food consumption comes from these two crops. We have flours, oils, proteins, and other products from these crops. Most processed food has corn or soybean products in them. Yet, without human interaction, these species would go away.

Life is fragile. Its amazing how we ever last a day. If you knew biology and chemistry and physics, you’d know what a miracle we are. Study even just one cell. Study how it survives. Study all the organelles, plasma, and how membranes interact with their environment. I’ve had not only courses in microbiology (single-celled organisms) but in cell biology too. I’m fascinated by the miracle of life. Where we get life wrong is in human thought. We get mixed up in origins, evolution, consumption, and ethics. Its us who get it wrong.

What spurred these thoughts? I just killed a fly; and I felt bad about it. Yes I did. Why? Not because it was living. Not because it was in my house. But it annoyed me. And I felt I was a higher creature that couldn’t be annoyed by such a simple life form. It buzzed in my face and on my computer screens. So I killed it. Isn’t that sad? But we all do it every day. Most of us aren’t Buddhists. And even in that ideal, there are hypocrisies. Because some life is considered less than others. A Buddhist has to eat just like we do. Some things are OK to kill and eat while others are not. Life is fragile. Its a social construct to think otherwise. We all draw lines in the sand of what is OK and what is not.

Life is precious. All life. No one more than another. But life couldn’t exist without nutrients. And those nutrients come from life. Giving one life supports another. Fungi and bacteria that consumes debris that we no longer want or need supports their life. A cracker crumb that slips into the carpet is consumed by microorganisms even if we don’t know it. Life supports life. Its the cycle of our existence.

One big revelation from the COVID crisis is its effect on our education system in America. The main reason why college is recommended and expected by parents and schools is to find employment as an adult. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen.

As a personal example, I went into the Army directly out of high school to pre-pay for my education and to also see the world. It was kind of my gap year(s), but I worked my butt off for that money. It also gave me other opportunities throughout life and shaped who I am today. I’m convinced I would have been a totally different person today without the military. I wouldn’t have it any other way for my life course.

My goal out of high school was to become a physical therapist. I’ve always been interested in health and athletics, so it made sense to help these athletes heal and reach their goals. Well, first of all, my grades were OK in high school, but not good enough to make it into a PT program. I realized this after my first semester of college. I decided to transfer to a local community college to get my basic education out of the way and to make high enough marks to get into PT school. Yes, I did improve my grades, but my goals had changed.

I had interned as a student in the PT ward of a hospital. I had the fun duty of taking the laundry and other yucky stuff to where it needed to go. There was one room with critical patients who were in traction with extreme back pain, hip or shoulder replacements, and other serious issues. It was kind of dark and unpleasant. In addition, when I got to help a PT with a patient, it was never an athlete. It wasn’t someone who wanted to improve their back squat or 100 m dash time. It was an 70 year old lady who had carpel tunnel surgery. The PT used a goniometer to measure range of motion. So after treatment and with tears in her eyes and her gripping tightly to my hand, the PT would say "we need to get a few more degrees of motion today". It was painful to watch. Yes, I still would have become a PT, but it was different from what I had first thought.

So as I went for my Bachelor’s degree, I found myself attracted to the courses at the cellular and molecular level. This led to my degree in Microbiology with a minor in Biochemistry. I was fascinated by microorganisms. I love studying physiology and deeper aspects. So when it came time to graduate, I started interviewing with companies. One was a filtration company who made microfilters and other medical devices. These companies wanted practical experience, like studies in hematology, and specific skills of phlebotomy and other technical aspects. I was largely unqualified due to lack to hands-on abilities. I was over-qualified because of the courses I took.

So what does any highly educated person do? Get more education. My trade-off for not finding a job right away was to go to Grad School. One of my courses that I loved was Mycology, the study of fungi. I took more courses with the mycologist and ended up doing my graduate studies with him. I also took more courses in microbiology, field ecology, virology, and statistics. After all of that, I knew there was no way I was going to get employed with that education. Haha!

So the next step? Ph.D. studies. I wasn’t smart enough to get into PT school but definitely smart enough for advanced studies. I studied plant pathology. Now that definitely had application to real life. I had worked at the plant disease clinic helping people solve problems with lawns, trees, bushes, and field crops. But, outside of the clinic, it wasn’t an employable degree. I actually studied disease resistance in field corn, which included a lot of genetics and breeding techniques. Once again, when I tried to find jobs with corn breeders, I was under-qualified to do that specifically. And there weren’t jobs as a pathologist other than the few with the USDA labs.

So what does a highly educated person do? They teach. So I became an Assistant Professor. And, after years of begging for money and making far out claims of what I could do for people, I used my military background to reach out to the Corps of Engineers. It has been a good place to work, but not without issues of politics and bureaucracy. The truth is, I still beg for money. And some of my work gets tossed into a trash heap, just like some of my University work. But a good amount of my work goes toward improving the lives of every day people. And it helps with our National Security.

The truth is, I would say at least half the people I know where I work and the people who work out in the real world; most don’t work in the field they were educated in. I know a lot of college graduates who work in sales, retail, insurance, and various trades. The work I do right now has nothing to do with my specific fields of study. But its the analytical tools and abilities to do research that makes the difference. Does that mean I am a better researcher than my colleagues who have a B.S./B.A. or Associates Degree? Not at all. The Ph.D. just gives me a little extra street cred. Even if you look at the highest levels of leadership in my organization, there isn’t always a Dr. in front of their name. I would say the Dr. only gives you a little extra boost, but not by much.

The statistics show that college graduates make more money than people who don’t have a college degree. But in all my studies in statistics, I know the data is often skewed. I don’t think you can look at an Annual Salary as a true indicator of wealth. You have to look at the cumulative effect of an education. I spent a couple years in the Army before school. Then I spent 12 years in schooling. Yes, I made some money for college in the Army, but I also didn’t pay into social security or a pension plan. The same is true as a student. I did work part-time jobs which helped, but its nothing like a bigger annual salary of full-time employment. I was way better off than most because nearly all of my education was paid for. But most people go into huge debt to go to school. Even worse are professional degrees like M.D. or J.D. (law school). Paying for those degrees is like paying for a mortgage on a house.

A short story: When I was in my undergrad, my church had a young couples group. We’d have get togethers at each other’s homes. Most of us were still in college, so we had apartments or small homes. But one of the couples had a total McMansion. I mean, when we met in their basement, it had these gaudy Greek columns and mirrors and a full bar area. This guy didn’t go to college. He worked in his Dad’s business as a kid, then full-time after high school. He ended taking over the business. I had friends who were electricians and plumbers who started work one or two years out of vocational school. They had families and homes and country club memberships. Whereas, I didn’t start making real money for about 15 years out of high school. That was 15 years of very little employment other than the military.

Would I do that all over again the same way? Probably, because I would never have predicted. In fact, I think it would have been better to stay in the military for a 20 year career. I finished college at age 32. I could have retired from the Army at 38. I mean "RETIRED!!" Wow! And I could have come out of the Army with a degree too, which many do. I gained so many skills with the military. I think of how much money I save by knowing how to repair cars, fix mechanical things, and build stuff. Its a super huge cost savings in life. And I would have had a ton of respect finishing a full military career. I was an E-7 when I left the Army. You only go up to E-9. So I could have made a lot with my career.

For most people, college is a crutch. Its something you do because you don’t want to be an adult yet. When I went to college, kids were acting so stupid. It was like high school again. Whereas I had lived in Germany and was responsible for lots of expensive equipment. I had a much better head on my shoulders than the students around me. In the news, they call an 18 year old who dies in a car wreck a child, a teenager, a kid. But an 18 year soldier who dies in combat is called a man or woman. It is a totally different distinction. Some people never finish being kids. They live in their parent’s basement to age 32. They never take on responsibility or push themselves to make more of their lives. That doesn’t mean college. It means seeking a trade or experience that makes money.

I know some young people who even decry money. They are totally disillusioned by society. They call it greed or selfishness. But I’d like to talk with them when they are 60 years old. They will sorely realize the error of their ways. They will be the sad stories of people living on the street, no retirement income, no pension, nothing. They may be ill of health and not have a way to pay for treatment. At 60 is when you’ll know that you should have done something different in life. But then, there is not a whole lot that you can do about it.

We sow seeds early in life. Some of us don’t sow at all. We travel all over the world and live in constant debt. We always rent or lease and never own anything. There is no equity in our lives. We don’t have an investment in ourselves. We just gave into every pleasure and called it Woke. When in reality is was just a dream. A dream that floats away with the wind. And when your Woke eyes open, you realize you have nothing. When a crisis, a pandemic, or whatever comes your way, you become dependent on everybody else and have nothing socked away for a rainy day. That’s not Woke. That’s just plain not smart.

Education comes in many ways. The best way is to jump into the fire and learn the hard way. Its sink or swim. But there are smart ways too. Learn a trade. Be a commodity. Be someone that people need in life. Don’t be optional. Don’t be non-essential. Be essential in life. To be honest, where I sit for my home office looks out a front room window. With very little traffic because nobody goes to work, one thing keeps ticking. Those trash trucks. The different companies pass by and you can hear their distinct sounds. A trashman always works. Rain, sun, snow, or hail, they are out there hustling their butts off. Many make good money. We always need the trashman. A funny side note on that: why aren’t there trash women? What happened to equality? I’m sure the trash companies would take women. But why aren’t women signing up to be trash men? There’s a story in there somewhere. There are always jobs to be had. When I was a janitor in high school, I could have done that the rest of my life. I would have always been wanted. I could have worked as many or little hours as I wanted.

Be essential.

I hope you all have been well. Despite being home all the time, I have been defunct in my writing. So here is my update.

Each week of being locked down at home has brought new (and better) life. The idea of "temporary" is looking more like "normal". I’d love to share my life with you because, let’s be honest, I’m old! (haha!) And maybe "old" sometimes equates yp a bit of "wisdom". Time will tell (pun). So before I start -splaining things to you, I’ll give you the punch line.

My New Life Strategies (for the foreseeable future):
– Use FatSecret app to monitor food intake on the weekdays (M-F). 1,500-2,000 kCals
– Use the Zero app to monitor Intermittent Fasting on weekdays (M-F).
– Do weekly weigh-ins on Friday, a.m. and p.m.
– Try to eat an early dinner (before 530pm) and start my fast.
– Try to fast for a minimum of 13 hours but up to Noon (18.5 hours).
– Don’t monitor anything on the weekend (530pm Fri to 530pm Sun).
– But also don’t go crazy. I don’t want to erase all my gains.
– Primary goal in diet is to stay under 100 g of carbohydrates during the work week.
– Secondary goal is to be mostly Keto/Primal. Stay keto through breakfast and maybe lunch.
– CrossFit every day (except Friday):
Strength – but don’t overdo it – 5×5, 3×10, 7×1 – to failure but only 80% total intensity
WOD – usually a couplet, sometimes a triplet. Nothing crazy, aim for 5-15 mins.
Accessory – a skill or focused exercise to work on. Maybe a couple exercises.
– Friday play day – usually trail run, but may be combined with mountain biking, paddleboarding, kayaking, fishing.

I’ve done this specific plan for the past couple weeks and it has been so freeing. I love it. I’ve also been working longer days early in the week so I can take more time off Thurs and Friday. I used to have half days on Friday. Now I have the full day off Friday most weeks or a half day. Then I may even take shorter Thursdays. Depending on the weather, I may switch my Thursday and Friday around.

If you have Memorial Day off, have a wonderful celebration. I don’t have plans yet, but its going to be fun!

What I mean by this is the concocted wars created by left and right. There is no war, only facts. These are the facts.

#1
The number one problem is kids having kids irresponsibly. The most responsible way to have kids is to first have an income. You wouldn’t (or couldn’t) buy a car or a house without first having a means to pay for those purchases. Parental planning is key. You need to have a plan for the future. Don’t have kids without having first created a stable home. A Robin will first create a nest before laying eggs.

#2
Irresponsible use of mind altering substances. This could be alcohol, cannabis, or any other drug. This leads to problems at #1. A lot of kids have been made when you are out of your mind and not using protection. Passion does funny things to us. Its irresponsible to do this. It creates many other problems as well, like poor education, poor work life, and poor health in general. And don’t drink (or get high) and drive!!

#3
Having a support net. Believe me, the government shouldn’t be your support net. Your significant other is the first level support net. In my household, its divide and conquer. My wife and I have our own responsibilities. And when one of us is down, the other can pick up the slack. After 31 years of marriage, I don’t know how I would have made it without her. If you live life without that kind of commitment to someone, you have lost your first line support net. Even better if you have kids. You take care of them, they take care of you. I always think about my parents and in-laws. I know it will be my responsibility to make sure they are OK when they can’t care for themselves. Beyond that, parents, other family, community, church; these are all important pieces to your support net.

#4
Get an education. My rule through college to my Ph.D. was to never miss a class. Go to class and pay close attention. If you strive to learn it the first time, then it will save you so much time trying to catch up and do it on your own. I learned this in high school back in Kansas. Unlike where I graduated in suburbia in Michigan, I lived in rural Kansas where most of us had jobs. We were farmers, we baled hay, I worked in a train yard some times… we worked! So we didn’t get a lot of homework since our teachers knew we worked. You had to listen and do your work in class and in study hall because you didn’t have time to do it at home. An education is also learning a trade. Maybe your parents have skills as a plumber, welder, mechanic, seamstress, crafter, or other trade. Maybe it helps to go to a tech or vocational school. Or maybe you go to college, which I would say is generally less useful than the vocational school. Some majors in college don’t translate into a job. So if you go to college, know how it transitions into making money and a career. In my many years, I’ve learned on my own how to do brake jobs on autos and other skills. I know wood craft. I’m about to begin welding. With skills gives you opportunities. YouTube is great for learning. Then go apprentice with someone. You need knowledge. There is no excuse for not getting educated. Anybody can do it.

#5
Live by a budget. Have you read the book "Rich Dad, Poor Dad"? If you haven’t, you should. Just like you don’t get marriage advice from a celebrity, or take fitness tips from someone drastically overweight; don’t seek financial tips from a homeless person. Learn from a rags to riches story how to be successful. We see the flashy people out there who are new to money. But for many wealthy people, they drive a very modest car, live in homes they can afford, and don’t eat out all that much. Some wealthy people are very frugal with their money. Many of Dave Ramsey’s flock of financially literate people sacrifice a lot to be in a good position in life. I guarantee, if I walked around with someone who doesn’t make a lot of money, I could point out precisely the mistakes being made.
-Junk food and fast food; that includes Starbucks.

-Flashy clothes and shoes.
-Expensive travel that you can’t pay for.
-Buying and leasing autos you can’t afford.
-Paying for your home with Rent (BIG money down the drain)
-Buying too big of a house.
-Not buying in bulk or seeking wholesale prices.
-Not diversifying your sources of income.
-Not diversifying where you invest.

#6
Have an emergency fund. An emergency fund is essential. Before saving, before paying off debt, before anything; have an emergency fund. That should be at least 2 months of your expenses, preferably 3, optionally 4-5. This money is set aside and never touched. Its not your Cayman Island fund. Its not your new car fund. Its never to be touched unless you have an emergency. Its apropos to today. When done right, nobody should be in crisis.

#7
Get out of debt and never go back into debt. Though I list this as #7, its the #1 killer of wealth. Its like carrying a canteen of life saving water, but you have big holes drilled into the sides. The holes are debt. It sucks the life out of you. I know some people who buy things and take vacations completely on credit. That’s a huge STUPID NO-NO! Do you hear me? Don’t do it. Its STUPID. Create a vacation fund. If you are planning a big vacation and it takes 3 years to save up for, then that’s what you can afford. Create a car fund. Then buy your next car with cash. That’s how you live within your means. I’ve found the Dave Ramsey way to be the best way to snowball yourself out of debt. Take your smallest debt first and get rid of it; FAST! Then, use the amount you were using to pay that debt and even more for the next smallest. By the time you get to the last and biggest debt, you snowball all that money into the debt. Get rid of it! NOW! And never ever go back into debt. Save, save, save. Plan, plan, plan.

The government wants you dependent on them. The banks want to take what you own. You need to watch out for numero uno. Having kids outside of a committed relationship is extremely troublesome. It comes first down to firm personal beliefs and a value system. When you play with fire, you are bound to get burned. You go to a party, drink too much, inhibitions go down, and then you start getting busy with anyone and everyone. You can blame all the people you want for a poor start in life. It takes two to tango and both are responsible (for being irresponsible). But what it came down to is selfishness. You gave into your own pleasures. You had a poor understanding of your belief system. You had no self control. And you started skipping classes at school. You didn’t listen to teachers. And then you wonder why you are making minimum wage. It starts early. It takes a family who loves and cares for you to bring you up with those values and beliefs so you can succeed in life. It starts from infancy. It has nothing to do with a political or class war struggle. It comes down to personal responsibility. Refuse to be a victim. Refuse to be a token to anyone’s cause. Never seek handouts, only hand-ups. Seek people who help you reach your dreams. Seek positivity; not negativity. A winner always wins.

This is the truth!

This is tongue-in-cheek y’all!

I did a Warrior Dash with friends a few years ago. A carload of us went to a far suburb of Chicago to do this obstacle course race. It was a fun, muddy time with lots of laughing.

Afterward, we wandered to a breakfast place that serves waffles and all things wonderful. But what was most amazing that all my friends at this event were vegetarian or vegan or other iteration of that ilk. I was the only omnivore.

As it happens when you are in the minority, they talk about things like you aren’t even there. They were joking about how non-vegetarians think they eat. They talked about how people ask how they get their protein. They were laughing about what omnivores say about veggie-people’s hair falling out and other problems. And about how we only think they eat salads.

The problem is, when veggie people talk about omnivores, they talk about us like we are only carnivores. I think that would be ok, but its not true of most of our diets. The same when people talk about Paleo or Keto or Primal. Yes, we may decry carbs in the form of sugars, pastas, and flours. Yes, we are against what grains do to our bodies. But if we’re honest, we still love cookies, cakes, and pastas; we just know they are not good for us.

The real truth is that omnivores who aspire to Paleo/Keto or other similar ideal will fill up our plates first with colorful veggies. Our meats and fats are always paired with the perfect veggies. We may snack on veggies too (if we don’t have a beef jerky stick around, haha!) Nutritious and low glycemic is what we love the most. We love our veggies. But we love other stuff too.

We all find the niche that works for us. I had an awesome discussion with a veggie friend of mine. We talked about a lot of things I’ve already mentioned. We talked about ethical treatment of animals, but also about harmful pesticides that are nearly unavoidable with veggie crops.

With COVID, the store shelves are fairly bare with products. Knowing what I know about how unregulated certification is for organic products, I usually avoid those products. A farmer can charge 3-5 times as much if they have the organic label, when I know that those products have not been tested by any authority. So with COVID, this idea has been even more pronounced. I had to buy a few things that were organic even though it was much more costly. When we get back to free choices and stocked shelves, I’ll go back to my ways. The only way to really know the source and quality of what we eat is to grow food ourselves. Second best is to know an ethical (truthful) farmer and actually visit their farm. The reality is people have to pay their bills. For some, if a pest invades a crop and can potentially devastate it, they’ll probably spray it with a pesticide to save the crop. Otherwise, its a very expensive loss of seed, fuel for tillage and planting, and fertilizer. It would be difficult to let all that go to waste. Then to take an additional loss in revenue by not providing a certified organic crop knowing they can charge more for it. Some may even still stay its organic to get that price point. So, if you can, grow food yourself. Grow animals too if that’s what you do.

I hope you are staying well. Whatever food choices you have, be smart about it all. If you follow one diet, know how to balance it to get essential vitamins and macronutrients. Remember that healthy food is always the best first choice. Supplements, juices only, or other magic elixirs are not the way to go. Then, if you need to supplement after that, then do so. To me the key elements in order of priority are:

1. Get enough sleep. If you don’t sleep, all the rest of this is for naught.
2. Drink water. Coffee, tea, soda, and even alcoholic drinks are OK if in moderation and if you’re countering their diuretic effects with more clear, unadulterated fluids. Our bodies are composed of mostly water and every cell depends on full hydration to function properly.
3. Nutrition. Always healthy food first. Shop the outer aisles and not the processed foods in the middle.
4. Sun light. The sun is good for many things. It sets the stage for our circadian rhythms. It regulates serotonin, melanin, testosterone, and cortisol. It also produces more Vitamin D than anything we could possibly eat or supplement. On the standard American diet, we get about 300 IUs of Vitamin D. A glass of milk has about 100 IU. Whereas, we get 1,000 IUs from a good dose of sunlight. The good thing is, we store Vitamin D. Enough exposure through Summer will get us all the way through Winter.
5. Exercise. Our lymphatic system doesn’t have its own circulatory system like we have for blood. You have to move or manually massage lymph to get it to move. Lymph carries most of our immune products as well as bad toxins. Breathing, pumping blood, and lengthening muscles is key to good health.
6. These latter aspects are the links to good mental health. We could do items 1 through 5, but if we have stress, it all goes to pot. Working stressful jobs and living in a toxic relationship counters all the good things you could do. Yoga, tai-chi, physical activity, meditation, and connecting spiritually are all ways to de-stress.