Category: Motivational

Jeff Nelson writes:

My father went plant-based at 82, right after they put in a stent. His numbers came down. He got off his medications. He felt good — good enough that after a few years he started loosening his grip. Peanut butter here. Restaurants when nobody was watching.

Then one day he had chest pain, and my mother drove him to the ER. While he was sitting in that hospital, he had a widowmaker.

He lived. He lived because he was forty feet from a cath lab.

But it’s why I can’t let go of the question in this new video.

David Jenkins is one of the most respected researchers in nutrition — he gave us the glycemic index, and he’s vegan, and not only on health grounds. His Portfolio Diet is backed by randomized trials in JAMA. I have enormous respect for the man and for his work.

So here’s my question.

If you’ve already had a heart attack — if you’re walking around with three stents and an 80% blockage — is lowering LDL enough?

That’s a very different question. And I don’t think anybody has answered it.

https://www.drmcdougall.com/education/information-all/mammography-is-unjustified-a-letter-few-newspapers-will-print/

https://www.drmcdougall.com/success-stories/

The United States House of Representatives passed the Sunshine Protection Act on July 14, 2026, by a vote of 308–117. The bill aims to end the twice-yearly changing of clocks, establish permanent daylight saving time year-round, and give states an option to opt out. As the legislation heads to the U.S. Senate with backing from President Donald Trump, the debate over how this shift impacts daily life has intensified.

The core conflict does not center on whether to end the clock changes—a move widely supported to eliminate sharp spikes in heart attacks, strokes, and traffic accidents—but rather on which permanent timeline society should adopt. The choice between Permanent Daylight Saving Time (pDST) and Permanent Standard Time (pST) highlights a fundamental friction between biological routines and modern social schedules.

## The Seasonal Shifts
To understand the practical impact of the proposed changes, it is necessary to isolate how each system alters the seasons.

## Under Permanent Daylight Saving Time (The Proposed Bill)

* Summer Months: No change. The U.S. is already on Daylight Saving Time from March to November. Summer sunrises and sunsets remain exactly as they are now.

* Winter Months: Significant change. Instead of “falling back” in November, the U.S. would remain on summer time. Winter sunsets would happen one hour later, providing more evening light. However, winter mornings would stay dark much longer, delaying sunrises until nearly 9:00 AM in some northern regions.

## Under Permanent Standard Time (The Current Winter Schedule Year-Round)

* Summer Months: Dramatic change. The sun would rise and set one hour earlier than current summer schedules. In many parts of the country, dawn would break between 4:00 AM and 4:30 AM, while darkness would fall by 7:30 PM or 8:30 PM during peak summer months.

* Winter Months: No change. The winter schedule would remain exactly as it is now, with typical sunrises between 7:00 AM and 7:30 AM and sunsets between 4:30 PM and 5:30 PM.

——————————
## Competing Schools of Medical Thought

The medical debate features two distinct viewpoints, each prioritizing a different aspect of human wellness.

## 1. The Case for Permanent Standard Time (Circadian Alignment)
This perspective is heavily supported by the medical establishment, including the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) and the American Medical Association (AMA). Their core argument is that Standard Time aligns human biology with the solar clock.

The human brain relies on morning sunlight to shut down melatonin production and regulate metabolism. Under permanent DST, delayed winter sunrises force the population to wake and commute in pitch darkness. Sleep scientists argue that this chronic mismatch between the social clock and the biological clock leads to systemic sleep deprivation and “social jet lag.”

A landmark 2025 study from Stanford University researchers concluded that permanent Standard Time would result in 300,000 fewer strokes and 2.6 million fewer cases of obesity in the U.S. compared to the current system, driven by superior metabolic alignment.

## 2. The Case for Permanent Daylight Saving Time (Behavioral Health & Lifestyle)
Conversely, public health researchers, epidemiologists, and behavioral scientists argue that extra evening light provides distinct physical and mental health benefits tailored to modern lifestyles.

Proponents point out that a modern, non-agrarian society operates late into the evening. Moving an hour of light from the early morning (when most people are asleep) to the evening directly encourages outdoor exercise, sports, and recreational activity after school and work. Data from the UK Biobank published in Diabetes Care indicates that evening physical activity can yield significant metabolic benefits for adults managing obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Furthermore, early winter sunsets are heavily correlated with seasonal depression. Shifting sunlight to the evening has been shown to improve mood and reduce seasonal depressive episodes. From a public safety standpoint, extra evening light during the chaotic evening rush hour also reduces pedestrian fatalities and vehicular trauma.
——————————

## Conclusion: A Matter of Societal Value

The century-long debate persists because both sides present valid points based on what they value. For those prioritizing physiological alignment and natural sleep cues, Standard Time provides the healthiest framework. For those prioritizing daytime utility, outdoor living, and lifestyle convenience, Daylight Saving Time offers a more practical structure. Ultimately, choosing a permanent time system requires deciding which set of daily drawbacks society is most willing to tolerate.
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Click to read, just scroll past the HuffPost announcement:

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/what-should-we-learn-from_b_815943

Option 1 (My Recommendation): Plain Water ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

For most fruits and vegetables:

• Hold under cool running water.
• Rub firmly with your hands for 20–30 seconds.
• For potatoes, carrots, cucumbers, melons, etc., use a vegetable brush.

This is what the FDA and USDA recommend.

Option 2: Baking Soda Wash ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This has some evidence for helping remove certain pesticide residues from the surface of produce.

Recipe

• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 4 cups (1 quart) cool water

Directions

1. Soak produce for 12–15 minutes.
2. Rub gently.
3. Rinse well under running water.

This works well for:

• Apples
• Grapes
• Bell peppers
• Tomatoes
• Cucumbers

Option 3: White Vinegar Wash ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

Good for removing dirt and some surface microbes.

Recipe

• 1 part white vinegar
• 3 parts water

Soak 5–10 minutes, then rinse thoroughly. Vinegar can slightly affect the flavor of delicate fruits if they’re soaked too long.

Option 4: Lemon + Baking Soda ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

Some people like this because it deodorizes produce and may help loosen wax.

Recipe

• 1 quart water
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Soak for 10–15 minutes, then rinse well.

---

For our diet

Since we eat lots of:

• broccoli
• leafy greens
• potatoes
• apples
• berries
• bananas

I’d use:

• Baking soda wash for apples, potatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and other firm produce.
• Plain running water for bananas (just rinse the peel before opening), broccoli, and most leafy greens.
• A salad spinner after washing greens to remove excess water.

Commercial washes like Harvest Pure are convenient, but they’re generally not necessary. A box of baking soda costs only a few dollars and can make many gallons of produce wash.

Will it completely remove Apeel?

Apeel is designed to **adhere tightly to the surface** of fruits and vegetables to slow moisture loss and oxidation. Because it’s meant to stay on during normal washing, neither of these will reliably remove it:

* Plain water
* Baking soda solution
* Vinegar solution
* Commercial produce washes like Harvest Pure

You may remove **some** of the coating by:

* Scrubbing firm produce (such as apples or cucumbers) with a vegetable brush under running water.
* Peeling the produce, which removes the coating along with the peel.

If avoiding Apeel is important to you, the most reliable approach is to:

* Buy produce that is **not treated with Apeel**.
* Ask the store whether specific produce has an edible coating.
* Look for produce labeled as untreated, when available.

Grocery chains that have stated or reported they **do not currently carry Apeel-treated produce**

* Costco – Costco’s customer service states it is **not currently purchasing items with Apeel**. ([Costco Customer Service][1])
* Trader Joe’s – Reportedly no longer sources Apeel-treated produce, though it has not published a formal company-wide policy. ([Ivy Herbal][2])
* Sprouts Farmers Market – Reportedly decided not to carry Apeel-treated produce. ([Ivy Herbal][2])
* Whole Foods Market – Says its global produce team does not purchase Apeel-treated produce, although it cannot guarantee every regional supplier. ([Ivy Herbal][2])

Grocery chains with **mixed or uncertain** sourcing

* Walmart – Says its **private-label produce is not Apeel-treated**, but it cannot certify produce from all outside brands. ([Ivy Herbal][2])
* Kroger (including Ralphs, Smith’s, Fry’s, etc.) – States its own private-label produce is not Apeel-treated but cannot guarantee all national brands. ([Ivy Herbal][2])
* ALDI – No clear company-wide policy has been published. ([Ivy Herbal][2])
* Albertsons (including Vons and Safeway) – No blanket public policy. ([Ivy Herbal][2])

Since I know we:

* eat mostly whole plant foods,
* buy lots of fresh produce,
* and like to keep costs low,

I’d suggest this shopping order:

1. **Costco** (when practical)
2. **Trader Joe’s**
3. **Sprouts**
4. **Whole Foods** (if prices fit our budget)
5. Other stores, while checking labels or asking the produce manager if avoiding Apeel is important to you.

One more tip: if you buy directly from a local farmers market or local grower in your area, the produce is generally less likely to have coatings like Apeel because it spends much less time in the distribution chain, though it’s always reasonable to ask the grower.