Week's Reflections - 1/28/12

          Apologies for getting to this so late today!  It has been a bit of a hectic week.  As always, please let me know if you come across anything interesting you want to let me know about; I would really appreciate it.

Plus it has a nice color.

1.) Curcumin vs LDL Receptors

          This is an interesting little study that I came across recently, despite the fact that it's been sitting around for over three years.  It deals with the compound curcumin, which is found in the wonder spice, turmeric.  In case you missed the boat, turmeric takes a shotgun approach to health in the human body by somehow positively impacting virtually everything.

          This study was designed to further analyze the observed anti-atherosclerotic effects of curcumin.  They found that it increases LDL receptor expression by some molecular pathway that's a little beyond my current paygrade.  LDL receptors pick up LDL cholesterol (the "bad" kind) and help get them pulled into a cell via endocytosis.  Sounds good to me.  Besides, it's a pretty tasty spice.

Rematch Bowl 2012

This is what I want to see Feb 5th.

          In a fairly surprising turn of events, it looks like we'll be having a Super Bowl re-match of the 2008 Super Bowl, between the Giants and the Patriots.  As I'm sure Patriots fans and NFL fans all remember, in 2008, the Giants, a seemingly mediocre team, rose up to defeat the undefeated Patriots.  Until that game, the Patriots had been playing at an unprecedented level.  I doubt many people really thought the Giants had much of a chance, but against all odds, they played a great game and won.  I'm sure Patriots fans are still sick over that loss and eager for a shot at vengeance on the Giants.

          I hate the Patriots.  I am a Raiders fan, and the Tuck Rule still hurts... a lot.  That one, awful play, has stuck with me since my childhood.  I'm not joking.  Add to that the fact that I live in New York and am basically a New Yorker, and I am obviously going to be pulling hard for the Giants.

Week's Reflections - 1/21/2012

          As always, please post in the comments if you have anything interesting you want to recommend for me and others to read/watch/whatever!

Your brain on Alzheimer's.

1.) Diet and Alzheimer's - When the Sugar Hits Your Brain

          This was an interesting article that talks about the effect of Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs) on our brains.  The author presents a fascinating study from Neurology that presents a very strong correlation between endogenous AGEs and a person's mental decline.  Personally I think AGEs somewhat frightening and are a really interesting topic that I am eager to start educating myself about.

          This article is well worth a read if you're at all interested in AGEs, Alzheimer's, nutrition, or mental decline.

Football Miscellaneous

          Within three or four hours of publicizing my Saints Super Bowl prediction in the Week's Reflections... they made me look like an idiot.  That's too bad.  I have had a decent run with predictions recently, picking Green Bay last year and the Colts the year before (hey, they lost the Super Bowl, but it was pretty close).

          That was one heck of a game, though.  I was blown away by the Niners defense.  I actually never watched them play a game this season, and obviously I underestimated them.  Brees still threw for 450+ yards and 4 touchdowns, but that's with an uncharacteristic 50ish completion percentage and 2 interceptions.  I couldn't believe how good the anticipation was in the secondary, and their tackling was absolutely spectacular.  With the league so high flying with all the passing this season, it's nice to see such a strong defense with excellent fundamentals for a change of pace.

Week's Reflections - 1/7/12

          The first week of the new year is in the books!  I am excited to celebrate by heading on vacation next week.  Don't worry, I'll still post a few updates.


1.) New Track Your Plaque Article

          I like this article, because it's a very succinct and to the point summation of the reasoning behind the Track Your Plaque low carb diet.  Dr. Davis briefly describes the phenomena he sees with a low carb vs a low fat diet, through the lens of a cardiologist mainly concerned with heart disease.  His article is backed by many years of clinical experience managing the diet and heart health of his patients.  At the end, he also suggests that avoiding wheat in particular can also cause people to benefit in several non-heart related ways.  He doesn't break any new ground here, but I appreciate it for being short and concise and easy to understand with or without medical training.

Raiders Break My Heart

          Well, the Raiders managed to break my heart yet again.  Somehow, the football gods decided to give them a chance.  One of the many win loss scenarios that would allow the Raiders the chance to sneak into the playoffs actually occurred.  Tebow and the Broncos lost.  It was amazing.  All the Raiders had to do was win.

          They couldn't do it.

          This has been an up and down season for the Raiders.  We have had some solid wins and some disgusting losses.  The implosion against the Lions and playing like a college team against the Dolphins are the two that sting the most.  Except, maybe, for the one earlier today.