Snoring may be the root of all my problems.

[pchang]

That, of course, but also a CPAP machine. Have to get it fitted and such. We'll see if it works.

You certainly waited long enough. Anyway, no time like the present. If the sleep apnea is under control, it should help with short term memory as well as mood.

[EPW]

I bought and experimented with a CPAP machine when I was a flesh eater and over weight. It seemed to help my wife sleep. Now I am snore free but perhaps a tad self-conceited.

[PLATO]

Been using a CPAP for 20 years. Makes a big difference.

[Lorizael]

My hope is that the CPAP machine will help with short term memory and mood.

[Berzerker]

I had apnea so bad I'd wake up in the middle of the night suffocating, I'd have to stand up and let gravity and consciousness relax whatever throat muscles are involved shutting off the air. Its a very scary sensation the first time it happens, then you get used to it. I've had attacks that were severe enough to wake me up maybe a dozen times but I must have had countless episodes. My friend bought a cpap but doesn't use it much now, couldn't get used to wearing the contraption. Better to solve the problem naturally.

My blood pressure was getting high so I tried beet juice and fish oil supplements. One or both gave me heartburn but did lower my BP to a good range. Fish oil can cause indigestion problems so I backed off on that. I got beet powder now since the juice has sugar.

[EPW]

Fish oil is BS fyi. Beets are very very good, beet juice is questionable, beet powder is sad. Try arugula if you want something less, uh, substantial with high nitrate content.

[Berzerker]

Why not beet powder? The fish oil is less about BP and more about cardiovascular health, arteries get old, stiff, inflexible and more prone to plaques tearing off forming clots and causing heart attacks. I'll look into Arugula

[PLATO]

Fish oil is BS fyi. Beets are very very good, beet juice is questionable, beet powder is sad. Try arugula if you want something less, uh, substantial with high nitrate content.

Thought fish oil was indicated for lowering triglycerides? I think they even had a prescription version (Omicor??) several years ago.

[EPW]

They have nothing you can't get from nuts/seeds, and nuts and seeds don't have the risk of heavy metals...which of course are extra concentrated in fish oils. Also... https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22968891/ There were trials in the 80s that suggested fish oil were good for your heart but they've all been debunked. There's like one study from the 2000s which says they are good for your brain but that one has also been overturned.

beet powder

Beet powder is fine but why would you get it instead of eating delicious beets?

[EPW]

cardiovascular health, arteries get old, stiff, inflexible and more prone to plaques tearing off forming clots and causing heart attacks.

Stop eating meat and dairy and oil. That's not a moral stance. It's been proven those foods are the cause of heart disease.

[Berzerker]

you're right about fish oil, I imagine it is a source of toxins if not purified. How about olive oil? I consume that, nuts, seeds, cinnamon. Is yogurt okay? I'm finding fermented foods are good for gut bacteria and that determines health in all sorts of ways

[EPW]

I can't say any particular animal product is good for you, the goal is to reduce the amount you get as much as possible. The particularly bad animal products are the processed meats and dairy like sausages, deli meat, and cheese(sigh) either because of added cancer risk(from nitrites and other industrial processes and animal hormones) or concentration of saturated fat. Unfortunately yogurt falls in that category. It took me a long time to become 100% vegan and I had small amounts of animal products for a long time. Cheese was the last and hardest thing to get out of my diet.

Oils aren't as bad and are probably okay if eaten in moderation. It's when you start eating lots foods cooked or fried in oil that it becomes a problem. If you ever go to a typical vegan restaurant they make the food taste good using absurd amounts of oil. The differences in the different types of oil are negligible IMO. The problem with oil are, 1) they have no nutrients or fiber. Fiber in plant foods slow the digestion of food so blunt the bad effects of eating lots of fat and sugar at once. 2) too much fat is a cause diabetes 3) high calorie density which leads to weight gain. 4) saturated fats cause heart disease.

Overall I would say to reduce the amount of meat/dairy/oil in your diet to 10% and 90% whole plant foods(i.e. not industrially processed) and you'll get most of the benefits without having to go completely vegan.

[Dinner]

My hope is that the CPAP machine will help with short term memory and mood.

It does. Generally people start losing weight or at least stop gaining it after their apnea is under control.

[Geronimo]

you're right about fish oil, I imagine it is a source of toxins if not purified. How about olive oil? I consume that, nuts, seeds, cinnamon. Is yogurt okay? I'm finding fermented foods are good for gut bacteria and that determines health in all sorts of ways

what are toxins?

[pchang]

Most would consider heavy metals to be toxins. So in fish, most likely mercury and maybe lead.

[Berzerker]

and predatory fish accumulate more