Nature’s Best Kept Secret: The Ultimate Guide To Bovine Colostrum

What is Colostrum?

Colostrum is the first milk that a mother mammal produces after giving birth. So what does that mean and why should you care? What are the benefits of colostrum? Let’s find out.

My Personal Story

I grew up having a vague history of Crohn’s disease. I had so many tests and colonoscopies (yay!) during my adolescent and adult years. I was never officially diagnosed with Crohn’s though. Sometimes the diagnosis would be IBS or colitis, but my subsequent scopes always had me as either misdiagnosed or in remission. I was told to eat more fiber, which I didn’t accept as a solution.

One time, I had a severe flare up and went to see my GI doctor. Upon examination he put me on prednisone for two weeks and told me if my symptoms didn’t go away in those two weeks, I’d have to go on biologics (a.k.a. harsh medicines with side effects) indefinitely.

In this world, you have to be your own biggest advocate and one day while listening to the Renegade Pharmacist Podcast, the topic of colostrum came up. I had never heard of colostrum, but I was intrigued.

Back to the prednisone. Days 1 through 5- no improvements. I had taken prednisone before, but thought maybe it was just taking a while to kick in. Days 6 through 10- still no improvement. I really didn’t want to take these biologics unnecessarily, so I thought back to the podcast talking about the benefits of colostrum and decided to order some colostrum from Amazon. What did I have to lose at this point?

–> Try Colostrum Here<–

As soon as I took the colostrum, my symptoms went away. I kind you not, I swear by this stuff! I mean, it potentially could have taken the prednisone almost two weeks to kick in, but as soon as I took the colostrum, my problems subsided. I consider it a miracle supplement and nature’s best kept secret.

Since I’ve been using colostrum, I’ve never had another Crohn’s flare up/GI episode. Life changing stuff, really.

I guess it’s important to note that the colostrum I am talking about is Bovine Colostrum. And that I am not a doctor but I have had so much success with bovine colostrum myself. It’s even been studied for Covid-19. And while I’ve had personal success with it, a lot of studies back up my anecdotal experience with it.

Here are a few Studies on Bovine Colostrum for Your Reference:

Supplementation of Bovine Colostrum in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Benefits and Contraindications – National Institutes of Health 75RCXjQw3CWSFvjB/

Bovine colostrum: benefits of its use in human food – SciELO Brazil

Colostrum – its Composition, Benefits as a Nutraceutical – A Review. – Current Research in Nutrition and Food Science

Colostrum Therapy for Human Gastrointestinal Health and Disease – MDPI

Preventive effects of bovine colostrum supplementation in TNBS-induced colitis in mice – PLOS One

–>Click here to buy colostrum <–

What does colostrum taste like?

It’s a power, and it tastes kind of like vanilla ice cream. It’s actually pretty tasty. Colostrum has no smell.

How to I take colostrum?

Take one small spoonful of colostrum at least once daily, more if you are having digestive issues. I put the powder under my tongue for about a minute for the saliva to coat it. The saliva coat is a kind of protection that helps it get past the stomach into the intestines. Once your digestive issues calm down take it once a day or stop taking it. I personally take it every day to prevent any symptoms from recurring and for general health. Some people add it to smoothies so if that works, that’s a good idea too.

Is it safe for humans?

Absolutely it’s safe. I’ve been taking it for years and a lot of others do as well. If you have any concerns though, you should talk to your physician to certainly make sure it’s safe for your particular situation.

Can my dog take colostrum?

Absolutely! My dog takes it almost daily as well. I especially give it to him when he has diarrhea or swallows something shady during a walk. It’s common for dogs to have digestive problems from time to time. He loves it; I swear that he smells the nutrients in it and the biology in him makes him go crazy for it!

What kind of colostrum are you talking about?

I am talking about bovine colostrum (from cow’s milk). Humans make colostrum but that is for toddlers as it’s in breast milk. I have heard that there is goat colostrum and possibly other animals but this blog post is only talking specifically to bovine colostrum.

How many times per day should I take bovine colostrum?

I think the answer to this question is personal preference. I have never heard of anyone overdosing on colostrum, but I generally take it once a day. Sometimes if I feel like it, I’ll take it a few times a day, especially if I have some food that I might not agree with, if I am feeling under the weather, or have heartburn, etc. I also take it before a long run- as some studies say it helps prevent the runners trots or repairs leaky gut.

What brand should I take?

I recommend Soma Breath Brand (affiliate link) from the Renegade Pharmacist. I’ve also used Pure Velvet once when I couldn’t get Soma. Kion is also a reputable brand but that was way too expensive for what you get I thought (as most Kion products are). So for the quality and price point my number one recommendation, and the one I use religiously is Soma, so that’s the one I wholeheartedly recommend.

What are the health benefits of bovine colostrum?

I’ve mentioned a few already in this blog post, but some health benefits of colostrum include, but are not limited to:

Boosting the immune system
Help fight infections (like upper respiratory infections)
Rich in key vitamins, minerals, immune factors, and enzymes
Improve overall gut health
Seal tight junctions to help with intestinal permeability (leaky gut syndrome)
Diarrhea relief
Improve athletic perfomance
Possible treatment for colitis and even studied as a prophylalatic for Covid
More exciting research may reveal some more benefits!

Here are some of the specific compounds contained in colostrum in a little more detail and their role in why colostrum is nature’s best kept secret supplement (well maybe not anymore since word is getting out!)

Lactoferrin is a protein found in whey and breastmilk that only regulates iron absorption, but also protects against infections from viruses, fungi, and bacteria. Some studies suggest the reason why colostrum is produced in the first place (as the first breastmilk of a mammal is different from the rest) is to protect newborns from infections and give them a jolt of nutrition in their very critical first few days of life.

Antibodies also known as immunoglobulins, are used by your immune system to fight infections. Bovine colostrum contains antibodies like IgA, IgG, and IgM, for those who are science-minded.

Growth Factors like insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF-2). These growth factors help cells grow and promote bone and muscle growth.

Refer to the studies linked above for more information, and here is a good article as well. Also remember I am not a doctor so you can also ask your nutritionally informed physician if colostrum is good for you.

What are the risks?

Though I have had tremendous success with bovine colostrum supplementation for both me and my pet, it may not be for everyone. I recognize everyone’s situation is different, so really do your own due diligence and research before trying out colostrum. Though it’s a natural product and has a lot of promise, more studies are needed to see in what situations it can be recommend for versus when it shouldn’t be recommended. Some risks include how the cows for the bovine colostrum are raised– are they like conventional cows and therefore are fed grains and antibiotics, which can leach into the supplement (along with pesticides)? That’s why I recommend Soma Breath, as the cows are humanely raised and the colostrum is from grass-fed cows. So please buy your colostrum from a reputable brand to reduce the risk of low-quality colostrum Infortunately this stuff isn’t regulated by the FDA (surprise, surprise).

If you are allergic to milk or dairy, colostrum supplementation should be avoided.

Another risk is that further studies need to be done on a subset of individuals. It’s not know if colostrum has any risks for pregnant women, or individuals with diseases like cancer, so more research is needed and caution is to be taken for these individuals. I am not a doctor so if you have any concerns with colostrum, ask your doctor please.

Who shouldn’t take colostrum?

This goes back to the question above about the risks, but generally, people who have any health conditions like cancer, pregnancy, breastfeeding women, diabetes, etc. should check with their doctor before trying colostrum. If you are allergic to milk or lactose intolerant, colostrum is not for you. Also, it’s not vegan if someone out there needs that to be said. Again, I’m not a doctor and this post is only concerning my anecdotal success with colostrum, though studies also support the benefits of bovine colostrum.

Should I consume liquid, pills, or powder colostrum?

I have only ever taken the powder as that works well for me, so I can’t recommend any other way. I would take pills if I needed to but I just stick to the powder.

How long does it take for colostrum to work?

I can’t really answer that, as it’s specific to the individual. For me and my dog, however, the symptom relief is pretty much immediate, but I can’t guarantee that will be the same experience you (or your pet) have on it.

How did you first hear about bovine colostrum?

I was suffering from a Crohn’s disease flareup and was kind of at my wit’s end. I would try anything at that point. I didn’t want to go on long term medications with side effects for the rest of my life. I heard a podcast episode which was on something else entirely (breathwork) and there just happened to be a discussion around colostrum. As soon as I heard about it and all the health benefits, I dove right in, haven’t looked back since, and will continue to forever sing the praises of colostrum! A really neat synchronicity.

This is all quackery. Do you have any other resources?

Of course. Initially, this may all sound like quackery and you should be skeptical when new supplements are recommended that you never heard of. As is good practice, do you own research and make your own decisions. I’ll provide some more resources below. But first, I need to get this off my chest: You have to be your own biggest advocate for everything in life. No one cares about your health as much as you do! It’s your body and your life.

Also, this could be a topic for another day, but remember that most doctors (at least in America) are very good at prescribing medicines and monitoring you for diseases. They know nothing (or next to nothing- so basically…nothing!) about treating conditions holistically and barely take any nutrition courses in medical school. They are also constrained by time and what they can recommend due to a crazy insurance system. So with all that being said, here are some further resources on the health benefits of colostrum. Knowledge is power, and I really want to give you the best information to empower you ! In no time, you can ask powerful questions of your doctor and be your own advocate to take control of your health instead of depending on a for-profit system that has no incentive in finding the root cause of the disease but instead sees you as a money making dollar sign instead of a human being who wants to heal.

Inspiration not necessarily related to colostrum

Questions? Comments?

Have you have any experiences with colostrum? Anything you would add or subtract from this article on the benefits of bovine colostrum? Do you have any general questions? I’ll do my best to answer or point you in the right direction. Thanks for reading this long article on the supplement I rave about called colostrum. Stay healthy out there! – Ryan

Affiliate link disclosure: This post contains affiliate links and I may earn a commission a sale purchased through the link, at no additional cost to you.

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. Please do you own research or talk to your physician before taking any and all supplements.

Neti Pot: What it is and How to Use One

Updated June 11th, 2023

Chances are, you stumbled upon my site by a Google search. I’ve decided to review things other than books on this site, which means you get even more value from more diverse material.

If you came looking for a book review, fear not- there are still plenty of those. And remember, one of my passions is reading and learning about health, so let’s get right into today’s post- it is all about neti pots.

What is a Neti Pot?

–> Browse Neti Pots Here <–

(Insert some joke about how that is the correct answer in Jeopardy…wait what?). Anyway, a neti pot is simple- it’s just a pot- usually ceramic or plastic, that you can use to irrigate your sinuses.

Uh, in English please.

It’s literally just a little pot, that you pour salt water (or any other natural mixture solution) into, to rinse out your nostrils and sinuses. Think of it like a tiny watering can for your nose 😉

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Neti-Pot-How-to-use.png — Photo Credit- Daryl Tanghe

Neti Pot: How to Use One

It’s very simple, I’ll break it down into steps here and embed a video for you.

What you need: Neti pot, salt water, sink

Step 1: Add your saline solution into neti pot.

Step 2: Bend over sink and look down into sink basin. Tilt head at approximately 45 degree angle.

Tip the pot towards your nostril that is closest to the ceiling and allow the water to flow through that nostril and out your other nostril, cleaning your sinuses, ridding you of allergens, and just washing out your system, making you feel awesome!

After a few seconds, or longer, it’s up to you, really- switch nostrils and tilt your head 45 degrees the other way, repeating the rinse.

After both nostrils are done, gently blow your nose to get rid of any excess water/solution/mucus. Congrats, you are on your way to respiratory health and feeling fresh!

How to Use a Neti pot By Ashley’s Conscious Life

Don’t Forget to Clean the Neti Pot After Each Use

This is very important! There is a risk of brain infection if not done every single time!

This sounds scary, but really, if you just maintain your cleaning habit after each rinse, you should be fine. I’ve been using my neti pot for a decade with no issues. What I do after each rinse is put a small drop of soap in the pot and rinse it out thoroughly, religiously, after each use. Occasionally, I’ll put it in the top rack of my dishwasher to give it a sanitize as well.

Quick tip: Before I use it, I usually pour our a small amount of the solution just to give it a quick extra rinse. Store your neti pot in a clean and dry space, as well.

How often should I use my neti pot?

I usually use mine once a day, in the morning or at night. I’ll also use it if I am out in a “dirty” area for a long time, like exposed to dirt roads, or after breathing gross city air. When I am sick, I may use it twice a day, but never more than twice a day. I would say it is great for prevention too- if you suspect your allergies are going to come on soon, or you feel a cold coming on, go ahead and make sure you use it prophylactically. Some studies show that it can lessen the symptoms of colds and viruses.

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, I am just sharing this with you as a personal story and preference. I love my neti pot and just wanted to share some tips with you, but don’t take anything I say as medical advice, please.

How to mix the solution

This one is easy too- just pour the solution into clean water, and shake it to mix it thoroughly. Then pour the mixed solution into the neti pot.

Important- do not use tap water! Some people use boiled water and then let it cool, that works. I just use bottled water and add 3 packets of this solution into 20 ounces of water. You can get the solution at amazon- affiliate link here.

How long have I had a neti pot for, and why?

I’ll never forget. One time in college I got a really bad cold. I went to the doctor and she said, “this is going to sound weird, but have you ever heard of a neti pot?”. I hadn’t. She recommended it to me, my cold went away, I felt amazing, and I’ve used one ever since. Some people just love and swear by neti pots. I am one of those people.

–> Browse Neti Pots Here <–

What are the Benefits?

Yeesh too many benefits to count. But basically, regular use helps prevent colds, allergies, and keeps you healthy and safe.

Neti Pot Resources and Links

There are tons of blog posts about the benefits of neti pots so I’ll link a few here if you want to learn more:

What I use and recommend

I actually got my ceramic neti pot in Korea, and I’ve been using it for a decade. I love it. So I won’t link to that neti pot specifically, but I do recommend a ceramic neti pot. Some people like plastic ones but I think the ceramic is safer and more effective. That’s just my opinion though, you can make your own choices and do your own research.

Some people also get fancy with different solutions but I just use this basic saline solution. I got a huge bundle from Costco but you can pick it up at any pharmacy, store, or Amazon. I’ve never really used anything different because I tried this solution once and it did the job so no reason to switch.

Questions?

If you have any questions leave a comment below or contact me and I will help you out as best I can. Here’s to having healthy sinuses and lowering your allergy symptoms, and easing colds and respiratory viruses for life!

Amazon Affiliate Disclosure:
Ryan’s Reading Reviews is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Is the Fetch Rewards App Trustworthy and Legit?

Updated September 12th, 2022

Like a lot of people on the Internet these days, I’ve been looking for side hustles, different and creative ways to make money, ways to save money, and all that jazz. And honestly, a lot of it is all the same garbage. If you type in “side hustles” in the Googles, every list talks about Uber and Lyft and Doordash. And honestly, if you didn’t know that they are side hustles, then you are living under a rock, innit? (In my best British accent).

But actually one blog- I forget the name of it- talked about the Fetch Rewards App. I was intrigued so I downloaded it and gave it a try. It’s not really a side hustle at all, so I don’t want to mislead you- kinda like that blog post did to me. It’s just an app that gives you points every time you scan a receipt. Once you earn enough points, you can redeem those points for gift cards at participating merchants. You can even redeem them for a Visa cash card- though that costs a few hundred extra points for the activation fee.

I know you got questions, and as a Fetch user myself, I’ll provide you some answers.

How Does Fetch Work?

It’s pretty simple. Fetch is just a shopping app that rewards you with points in exchange for you uploading your shopping receipts. Once you have enough points, you can redeem them for gift cards that you can spend at restaurants or merchants, both online and in store. The steps to getting Fetch are simple:

Download app
Register account
Take picture of receipt
Start earning points
Redeem points for gift cards

–>Start Earning Rewards through the Fetch App Here <–

What are some examples of merchants on there?

This is a two part question- Some merchants give you bonus points for buying their brand, and there are timed deals about buying a certain product. Here’s an example of what I mean below:

Huggies (Brand points)- Huggies is a brand you will always earn 10 points for every dollar you spend when using the app. If you go to any store and buy Huggies diapers for $25, then you will earn 250 points.

Huggies (Timed Deals) – More accurately, these are called “Special Offers” in the app- sometimes Fetch will give you more points for buying specific products from the brand. At the time of this writing, you’ll get 500 extra points for buying certain brands of Huggies diapers. These offers for specific products are timed deals because they expire and there will always be new/fresh offers.

Here are some examples of the 280+ brands where you will get 10 points per dollar spent:

Betty Crocker
Axe (LOL!)
Kleenex
Gatorade
Gevalia Coffee
Starbucks
Panera
People Magazine
Doritos
Diet Pepsi
And the list goes on- you can find the other 270+ merchants on the Fetch App or Website.

How can I upload my receipts to Fetch?

It’s super easy- you just click the camera icon in the bottom middle of your app screen and take a picture- you can take as many pictures as you want for long receipts- you have to capture the store name, the total amount spent, and the date of transaction for the receipt. You can edit/upload the receipt 3 total times in case the information on the receipt didn’t upload correctly on the app.

What about Amazon Shopping?

Yes! Probably the most important question, right? You get rewards points from Amazon by connecting your Amazon and/or email accounts to the app through what are called “eReceipts”. It’s super convenient and awesome! You can read more about that here.

Do you get points for every receipt? How does the point system work?

You get 25 points for any receipt uploaded, including stores or restaurants. Here’s how the rest of it works- for any of the partnered brands – remember, there are more than 280 of them- you get 10 points for every dollar spent. You can also earn extra points for buying certain products that change from time to time. Simple example- you buy a box of Kleenex tissues at the dollar store. You’d get 35 points: 25 points for the receipt, + 10 points for buying the Kleenex brand. So you’d get 35 points for this purchase. Remember– you can buy these brands and any retailer.

The point system is as follows: 1,000 points equals $1. You can start to redeem gift cards for as little as 3,000 points at some places like a $3 Amazon or $3 Dunkin Gift card. It goes all the way up to 50,000 points ($50). You can find the list of gift cards by retailer on the “Rewards” tab of your app. They are broken down into categories – you can redeem them for restaurants, magazines, cash cards, enter into sweepstakes drawings, donate your points, and more. It’s all on the Rewards Tab. Here are a few examples of places you can redeem your points for gift cards though:

Adidas
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Cabela’s
Airbnb
Petco
American Cancer Society (Donation)
Applebees
Bonefish Grill
Chipotle
Dunkin
Starbucks
Morton’s Steakhouse
Many more!

–>Start Earning Rewards through the Fetch App Here <–

How new (old) do the receipts have to be?

You can upload receipts to Fetch that are 14 days or newer. More on Fetch’s receipt policies here.

Is there a sign up bonus?

Yes. You get 2,000 ($2) just for uploading your first receipt. Sometimes even more, as they run promotions and bonuses often. Use my referral code here and start earning towards your first free gift card!

What is your referral code?

If you want to help out the blog as well as get your 2,000 point bonus (sometimes it’s more- referral bonuses change), you can use my referral code: KAHGCE

Is the Fetch App Free?

Yes, it’s a free app.

Is the Fetch App Trustworthy?

A few people have asked me if the Fetch app is legit. The answer is yes- Fetch is trustworthy and legit. The app started in 2013, and has a 4.8 rating on the Apple App Store with 1.6 million ratings. As of this writing it’s the #11 ranked shopping app in the Apple Store. I use it every time I buy something and can’t wait to redeem for my first gift card. There are lots of other Fetch App reviews you can Google to decide if it’s legit for you.

What did you do with your rewards that you redeemed, Ryan?

If you are curious, I actually haven’t redeemed anything yet. I am waiting for 50,000 points so I can take myself out to a nice dinner. You know what? I’ll post an update of when I use my first gift card for Fetch which will also prove to you that the Fetch App is trustworthy.

Where can I download it?

You can download it on Google Play or Apple Store- it works on both android and ios.

Why does the Fetch app even exist?

Fetch makes money by partnering with retailers, in the simplest sense. My unscientific thought is also that I am sure the companies are using it for market research, but that happens to us every day anyway if you have any Amazon, Instagram, Google, or Facebook accounts. It’s just the way of the world.

The Conclusion of my Fetch Rewards App Review

I like it a lot! You’re going to shop anyway, and it only takes a few seconds to take pictures of your receipts. It’s cool to see your reward balance grow. I like how convenient it is to get points from e-receipts from Amazon. I really recommend it and can see why it has a 4.8 rating currently on the Apple App Store.

Other Fetch Resources

Fetch Homepage

Krazy Coupon Lady on Fetch

Disclaimer- This post contains my Fetch Referral Code. If you sign up using my referral code, I’ll get 2,000 points and you will get 2,000 points after you snap a receipt. These numbers can change but are current at the time of this blog post.

Questions?

If you have any other questions feel free to contact me or leave a comment below. Where will you redeem your first Fetch Reward?

Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey

More than just an “Alright, Alright Alright!” Book!

Updated June 12th, 2023

Alright, Alright, Alright. Time for my review of Greenlights, Matthew McConaughey’s new book. (I won’t ruin it for you, but there is definitely a story in there about how the iconic “McConaugheyian” three word catchphrase came about, which may be worth the price of the book alone. (Hint: you could also just Google it. ;))

A Novel non-Novel

See what I did there? Ok, I haven’t read too many memoirs, but Greenlights is definitely unique in this regard. McConaughey shares some personal anecdotes, stories, and life lessons, so it’s part memoir, part personal development, part just entertaining storytelling.

Well, What Are these “Greenlights”?

By “Greenlights”, McConnaughey means things that set you up for success. It could be a system, habit stacking, building momentum, having small wins, etc. Here a few examples of “Greenlights”:

Meditating in the morning
Drinking Bulletproof Coffee (unless you have high cholesterol).
Laying out your gym clothes the night before, so you don’t have to spend energy in the morning.
Basically, anything that sets you up for success/makes your life easier!

What is Becoming Relative with the Inevitable?

McConaughey also uses the catchphrase “becoming relative with the inevitable” throughout the book. This phrase and idea really resonated with me. But what does it mean?

Becoming relative with the inevitable means, simply, shit is going to happen in life. That’s inevitable. Life is full of ups and downs, but in this case, we are focusing on the downs :(. When you are in a tough situation, you can become relative – that means you can persist through the challenge/adversity and keep doing what you are doing. You can pivot– change, and do something different. Or, you can concede- give up.

McConaughey says, what you do in these tough situations, and when, could help us in our own art of living. Though he call’s it livin’, without the “g”, throughout the book for some reason, probably just cause he’s Matthew McConaughey.

Greenlights is full of other cool/fun stories which I never knew about him- he shares some personal stuff which I will let you read about in the book, not on my blog.

Did you know he drove around the United States in an RV for years? He would fly out and pick up a producer or agent at an airport and drive them back home in his RV, all while discussing the movie scripts. All in a days work! But, how cool to have all that freedom!

How Many Stars?

4.5 stars 🙂

A pretty interesting and fast read if you want to learn more about him and take some of his life lessons and apply them to your own life for personal growth.

Bonus points if you read this book imaging his voice like I did!

–>Buy the book here<–

May all your lights be green!

BOOK DETAILS ONE MORE TIME

Title: Greenlights
Author: Matthew McConaughey
Publish Date: October 20, 2020
ISBN: 0593139135 ISBN-13: 978-0593139134

Book | eBook | Audio

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

Updated September 12th, 2022

I simply could just not put this book down. Beautiful. Raw.

Part Science, Part Life Philosophy

Memoirs, especially memoirs of terminally ill patients, are not light reading. Paul Kalanithi was a Stanford and Yale-educated neurosurgeon who was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer in his mid-thirties. He had his whole medical career ahead of him, and just like that, his whole world changed. When Breath Becomes Air was a raw look into the life of a doctor, who also becomes a patient. And he takes his readers along the way.

What made me not put When Breath Becomes Air Down?

I read this book rather quickly because of a few different reasons. First, this book was written beautifully. What I mean by that is, Paul Kalanithi was just honest and raw and brave by sharing with the public his life journey and cancer journey. He reveals his thoughts in the darkest times of his and his family’s lives.

Second, this book has a unique angle- it is written by a doctor (a brilliant and talented one at that) who is now a patient.

Third, that is not the only unique angle of the book. Kalanithi was always interested in the question “what makes a life worth living?” and the difference between the brain and the mind. This is one of the reasons he was attracted to neuroscience and subsequently, neurosurgery. In fact, he aspired to be a surgeon/professor after his residency.

Fourth, which ties back into the first point, he also had a dream of being a writer or a literature professor. I’m glad he was able to write the book (though his wife tells us he did not fully finish it) for one of his last accomplishments.

–> Buy it here <–

Conclusion

This is not a feel-good-happy-cheery- read. It’s deep and will make you think about your own life. If you are interested in medicine (like neuroscience or oncology) you will relate to the medical aspects of this book. But everyone will relate to the spiritual and philosophical side of the book. It’s a shame the world lost the talents of Paul Kalanithi, but it’s great that his legacy lives on!

How Many Stars?

5 🙂

See conclusion above for why I gave it 5 stars.

BOOK DETAILS ONE MORE TIME

Title: When Breath Becomes Air
Author: Paul Kalanithi
Publish Date: January 12, 2016
ISBN: 081298840X ISBN-13: 978-0812988406

Book | eBook | Audio

Cholesterol Down by Janet Bond Brill

Updated June 15th, 2023

THE Guide to lowering cholesterol. Mostly.

I recently got a blood test and I have high cholesterol. Womp. Womp. I don’t want to take a statin, I want to get my cholesterol down by diet and lifestyle. So naturally I did a Google search and found this book on Amazon.

What can you do to lower your cholesterol naturally?

Well, good question! That’s what this book is about. It was written in 2006 so some of the studies are outdated, but I gleaned all the positive stuff that will work for me. I’m going to follow this program and report back several months later with any progress, ~~so next time you read this, hopefully it will be updated.~~ See my update at the end of this post.

Cholesterol Down- Book Summary

The book is broken down into three basic sections. One is the science behind cholesterol and why so many Americans and people around the world have such high cholesterol. If you’re not interested in that, you can get right to section two, which are the 10 steps you can take to lower your cholesterol. Section three is the heart-healthy recipes. To cut to the chase, here are Dr. Brill’s 10 steps for lowering your cholesterol without statins.

Eat Oatmeal
Eat Flaxseeds
Eat Margarine (plant sterols)
Eat Soy
Eat Garlic
Take Metamucil
Eat Almonds
Eat an apple a day
Eat Beans
Go for a walk

That’s the book in a nutshell. Each part is explained well and I appreciate this work from Dr. Brill!

–> Check out the book here <–

Personally, there are steps I just won’t do. For example, I don’t do grains well, so I ain’t doin’ no oatmeal. And I also ain’t doin’ no margarine. Given that this book was written in 2006 and there is still confusion about some things health, I for sure try to stay away from all vegetable oils, including canola oil. There’s nothing in Cholesterol Down that mentions the dangers of canola oil. And also she cites “The Seven Countries Study” so right there I knocked off a point in my rating since that study is misleading at best.

Um, so what now?

Another good question, reader! I’m going to get bloodwork again in a few months, so from now until then, I’ll add more fiber to my diet, start using soy milk and flaxseeds in my daily smoothies, and add a handful of almonds and eat an apple each day. Beans- well, we’ll see about that one- I already eat chickpeas fairly often. I already eat a ton of garlic and exercise pretty much daily, and I’m doing a hard pass on oatmeal and margarine.

How Many Stars for Cholesterol Down?

4 🙂 3

Minus one point for recommending margarine and not really informing readers about the dangers of all vegetable oils, and for citing Ancel Keys’ “Seven Countries Study” without disclosing that he studied more than seven countries, but just cherry-picked the seven countries that fit his theory that fat causes high cholesterol and leads to heart disease. But other than that, the rest of the my science in Cholesterol Down seems sound and I’m excited to see if I get results.

My Cholesterol Down Update

A lot has changed since I last read this book. I even lowered the ranking a half a point! For reasons beyond the scope of this book and article, I believe cholesterol is not the evil molecule society has made it out to be. There are way better ways to assess your heart disease risk such as:

There’s also lots of evidence for keto or carnivore diets, which raise cholesterol, so it could be more about particle size (light and fluffy vs hard and dense). You want to avoid the hard and dense cholesterol. So can I wholeheartedly (no pun intended) recommend this book? Not really.

BOOK DETAILS ONE MORE TIME

Title: Cholesterol Down: Ten Simple Steps to Lower Your Cholesterol in Four Weeks–Without Prescription Drugs
Author: Janet Brill
Publish Date: December 26, 2006
ISBN: 0307339114 ISBN-13: 78-0307339119

Book | eBook | Audio

Everyday Millionaires by Chris Hogan

Updated October 16th, 2022

Yes, I do read more than just books on health. I read books on financial health, too!

I don’t know what I was expecting from a Dave Ramsey disciple. They all preach the same thing: Debt is bad (to the point that you should pay off your 0% car loan instead of taking advantage of your company 401(k) match), live like a pauper in the prime years of your life so that you can enjoy your life when you are older. This is also know as the deferred life plan. It’s a system that works for people and has some merits, but to quote Oscar Wilde, “Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination.”

Everyday Millionaires is an Everyday Book

The theme of the book is, the average person can become a millionaire; Hogan claims he undertook the largest study of millionaires and found that millionaires aren’t anything special- they didn’t inherit their money, they just saved and had good money habits. Well, I can tell you that this book is nothing special.

There was nothing really new in it, at least if you know or follow Dave Ramsey. It was just a rehash of with motivational pep-talk and contained not much actionable advice other than get rid of all debt and save your money, in that order.

If you’re new to this stuff…

Sure, why not. Give it a read. It might give you some insight into how to get your finances on track. For the rest of us…meh.

–> Get the book here <–

How Many Stars?

2 🙁

You know, the Dave Ramsey crowd says to save your money. Well here’s a tip- save your money on this one! Read The Millionaire Next Door instead.

Book Details One More Time

Title: Everyday Millionaires: How Ordinary People Built Extraordinary Wealth―and How You Can Too
Author: Chris Hogan
Publish Date: January 7, 2019
ISBN: 0977489523 ISBN-13: 978-0977489527

Book | eBook | Audio

The Cancer Code: A Revolutionary New Understanding of A Medical Mystery by Dr. Jason Fung

Updated May 29th, 2023

If you our a loved one are battling cancer, this is a must read.

I’ve been a fan of Dr. Fung for a while now (see here and here), and as soon as I heard he was coming out with a new book on cancer, I picked it up.

The Cancer Code by Dr. Jason Fung: Book Summary

The Cancer Code essentially walks us through a brief history of cancer, and tries to explain why we’ve made so much progress in other areas of life…think computers, technology, iPhones, and even heart disease survival. But we really haven’t made much difference in cancer prevention and survival – until very recently. For example, Coley’s Toxins was the start of immunotherapy, but that was back in the 1890s! The 1890s!!! The Internet wasn’t even a twinkle in our world’s eyes, yet immunotherapy is still not the answer for all cancers after 130 years of refinement and discovery. We have 5G networks and you can get anything you ever want from your phone though. This is not to downplay all the great medical advances in cancer care, but compared to a lot of other areas of life, cancer sure is one frustrating biological monster!

Other shocking findings from the book:

Most cancer deaths have gone down not from medicine, but from people quitting smoking.
Pharmaceutical companies have more of an incentive to copy rather than innovate.

What does that second point mean?

Dr. Fung likens developing a new drug to writing a book. If you want to write a bestselling book, it is extremely difficult and financially risky. The same is said for new medicines- it’s risky and expensive for the pharmaceutical companies to launch a new drug. The way the laws work (at least in America) is that pharmaceutical companies can keep the same basic chemical formulas and add or subtract certain molecules and tweak the formula a little bit and then sell and pass it off as their own product. Dr. Fung is great with analogies, and to continue the book analogy, he says drug companies can write a new book from scratch or take a book like Harry Potter and change the name to Henry Potter, and sell that as their own product. So another reason we haven’t made much progress in cancer medicine is because the incentive for drug companies it to copy rather than innovate.

–> Click here to buy the book <–

Not all is Lost

Don’t get me wrong- the main message of the book is not that we are hopeless and there’s no way to ever cure cancer. We’ve actually made a lot of progress in cancer technology, especially in the 2000’s! Here are a few discoveries that doctors and scientists have made:

Cancer is so hard to treat because it’s not an “external” disease like a virus, it’s a disease within our bodies.
We have more and more proven carcinogens like H. pylori or smoking.
Branch chain mutations make it very hard for targeted therapy- think of a tree with branches- we’d need a target to block each branch! There are 2 medicines that chop down the tree from the trunk- Herceptin and Gleevec.
Cancer may actually be atavism – a reverse evolution back to single-celled organisms. (I don’t understand how people don’t believe in evolution!!! But I digress).
The Seed and the Soil – Why do some people have cancer genes in their body but never develop cancer? It’s because not only do you need the gene (seed), you also need an environment that allows the cancer to grow (soil). Environment can mean literally the environment or it could mean crappy food, stress, or lifestyle. Cancer genes would be the seed, and the environment would be the soil. This was one of my biggest takeaways from the Cancer Code.
Insulin and Cancer- There is a fascinating connection between insulin and cancer that Dr. Fung goes into detail about. All cancer patients should get their c-Peptide levels checked.
If you have type 2 diabetes, you need to reverse it! And drink green tea! These are 2 important anti-cancer strategies! Oh, and of course, just don’t smoke in the first place.

–> Click here to check out the book <–

In Conclusion

The Cancer Code was a great book -albeit it scary and frustrating at times!- and one that may revolutionize how our society looks at and treats and cures cancer. It is backed by science (more so than Chris Beat Cancer I’d say) and if you or a loved one are suffering from cancer, read this book and talk to your oncologist/medical team about it.

How Many Stars?

5 🙂

This is a new book, and the best book about cancer that I’ve read. Read it and it may save your or your loved one’s life, and will just make you more informed about this horrible disease and how we can cure/treat it. It will give you hope that despite some shortcomings, medical technologies and advancements around cancer are now becoming more and more promising, although advancements were slower than we expected over the last few decades. But each passing day we are learning more and more about how to cure this awful disease!

Book Details one more time

Title: The Cancer Code: A Revolutionary New Understanding of a Medical Mystery
Author: Dr. Jason Fung
Publish Date: November 10, 2020
ISBN: 0062894005 | ISBN-13: 978-0062894007

Book | eBook | Audio

Chris Beat Cancer: A Comprehensive Plan for Healing Naturally by Chris Wark

A game-changing book in the fight against cancer. But read the first half of the book at your own risk!

Updated June 8th, 2023

A close family member of mine was recently diagnosed with cancer. So this book was definitely so personal to me. In fact, I’ve read and reviewed a couple books about cancer and am learning more about health and lifestyle and diet every single day.

The Story of Chris Wark

All you have to do is Google “Chris Beat Cancer“to find out Chris Wark’s story. He was diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer at age 26. He had surgery to remove his tumor and turned down taking chemotherapy, which his oncologists said was basically suicide. Over 16 years later he is alive and healthy!

His book goes through his cancer journey, a damning take on the cancer medicine industry, and what lifestyle and diet changes you as a cancer patient can do to heal. And if you don’t have cancer, it’s a good book to read on how to prevent it or decrease your risk.

This book was amazing- well, half of it anyway. It’s a controversial book, but I think some of the things in this book could potentially be lifesavers. What are those things?

“Amazing” Half of the book

Diet
Rebounding
Exercise
Environmental toxins
Spiritual Healing
Stress Relief
Beating Cancer Mindset
The Corruption in the Pharmaceutical Industry

Why are these amazing?

Because your doctor isn’t going to talk about them, so they supplement the care of your oncologist and medical team. The me, these parts are just as important as the medicines you take. In other words, I’d rely on your oncologist, and supplement with the gems in this book. You could also use this book to challenge your oncologist with questions and suggestions to help you beat cancer!

What is rebounding?

It’s jumping up and down on a mini-trampoline to exercise your lymphatic system. Tony Robbins does it before a lot of his speeches. I thought this was an excellent gem- I’ve never heard about it before!

Nutrition

The nutrition is the best part of the book. If I could give you one piece of advice, I’d say take everything else in this book with a grain of salt, but pay attention religiously to the nutrition tips in this book. Hint: Garlic, leeks, and onions are some of the best anti-cancer foods.

I’d pay attention to your medical team but really, the nutrition advice in this book may save your life as well! The nutrition section was worth every single penny of the book, and is something I and my family will take with us forever!

Giant-Cancer Fighting Salad

Here is an example of Chris’ Anti-Cancer salad.

Bad stuff- Quackery?

I’ll leave that up to you to decide if you read the book. Chris gets a lot of support online, but he gets a lot of flak, as well. I really respect him for putting himself out there are going against the grain. What courage he had to stick to his guns while everyone around him told him he was crazy and that he should do chemo! However, with that said, I get the impression that Chris is always against chemo. And I think that is dangerous. In some cases, people absolutely need chemo. So, the first half of the book is kind of terrifying in that regard. There is definitely corruption and incentives for big pharma to take advantage of sick people who don’t have a choice in their treatment plans, but at the risk of sounding like an annoying broken record, I’d recommend reading this book to supplement your traditional cancer plan laid out by your medical team. Cancer is very personal, so take what you think is right for you, and ignore the rest. Your life may just depend on it!

Everyone’s cancer journey is different, but if you or a loved one is battling for their life, I wholeheartedly recommend Chris Beat Cancer.

–>Buy it here <–

Resources

Chris Wark’s website
Chris Beat Cancer (aff link) (Non-aff link)
Beat Cancer Daily (aff link) (Non-aff link)
American Cancer Society
Valter Longo on Cancer
The Cancer Code Book Review

How Many Stars?

5 🙂

While some things in this book are controversial, you won’t get this angle of treatment from your doctors. Thanks to Chris, I’ve bought a rebounder, which I never even knew existed. The nutrition part is the most important part. I think what Chris reveals will be crucial information for your anti-cancer strategy, survival, and well-being.

BOOK DETAILS ONE MORE TIME

Title: Chris Beat Cancer: A Comprehensive Plan for Healing Naturally
Author: Chris Wark
Publish Date: September 25, 2018
ISBN: 9781401956110 ISBN-13: 978-1401956110

Book| Audio | eBook

The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts by Gary Chapman

*This book ain’t a bestseller for nothing! Corny stories but good advice!*

Updated November 28, 2021

I had heard about the concept of love languages before and out of sheer curiosity for the human condition, I decided to pick this book up on Amazon one day and give it a read. It’s a short and easy read, I finished the book in two days. Here’s my quick review of it.

The Common Sense Approach to Love

This book made a ton of sense. Most marital (or relationship) problems can be chalked up to miscommunications. In other words, I may express my love language differently than my wife. When I express it, I take it as a sign that I am showing my love to her, but if my wife doesn’t “speak” that love language, she may not realize I am showing my love. After the wedding’s over, as Chapman says, and the passion of love wears off, couples revert to their default love languages, which may be opposite of each other, and this an lead to conflict that builds up over time, which could lead to unhappiness. But the good news is by reading this book, couples can rekindle their old flames.

The Five Love Languages Are:

Words of Affirmation
Quality Time
Receiving Gifts
Acts of Service
Physical Touch

The above love languages are pretty self explanatory. Words of Affirmation would be giving your spouse kind words or compliments. Quality Time would be just spending time with your partner talking, or cuddling on the couch or just walking together. Receiving (or giving) Gifts would be surprising your spouse coming home from work with a gift or just giving flowers for no special reason as examples. Acts of Service would be when you do the laundry or wash the car or prepare dinner. Physical Touch is touching- sex is also under this one.

Whoops! I just spilled the whole book. Kidding, but this is 90% of what the book is about. 🙂

My Love Language(s)

My primary love language is words of affirmation followed by receiving gifts. There is an assessment you can take at the back of the book for both males and females to figure out your primary love language.

Results May Vary

For me, this was an interesting way to view my marriage and relationships with people overall. Now that I know about it, it’s pretty easy to see that people operate in these different love languages; example abound that I hadn’t noticed before. Maybe you’re already well versed in this, or maybe you don’t need to read it. Perhaps you have different love languages or you will have a different experience reading this book.

How Many Stars?

4 🙂

I give it 4 stars. I recommend it! Even if you have a strong marriage you can glean some pointers on where you or your spouse might be coming from. Marriage is like anything else that is important- it takes work and investment sometimes. One thing I noticed is the stories and examples are super cheesy and sound made up to me, but they get the point across.

–> Buy the book here<–

Conclusion

This book was an easy read. I recommend it if you are trying to improve your marriage or even if you are happily married. Hindsight is 2020 and this book has a lot of commonsense points but it’s an interesting and true lens to look at a marriage. If you don’t want to read the book, you can just refer to the above paragraph about love languages and go from there.

Book Details one more time

Title: The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts
Author: Gary Chapman
Publish Date: January 1, 2015
ISBN: 080241270X ISBN-13: 978-1591842057

Book | eBook | Audio