15 tips every computer geek should know to stay healthy (opens in new tab)

(goplexian.com)

11 pointsgoplexian15y ago10 comments

10 comments

10 comments · 3 top-level

tptacek15y ago· 3 in thread

More HFCS scaremongering. Making an effort to cut HCFS will probably help you because it'll force you to cut out processed foods that wouldn't have been healthy no matter how they were formulated. But the "HFCS is poison" meme leaves you ready to be victimized by the next sweetener-du-jour.

The food industry adds sweeteners because consumers love them, and foods with sweeteners sell better. Read Cooks Illustrated for a few months and note how many of the winning recipes are balanced with a sweetener of some sort. Extraneously-sweetened foods are not going away.

Being careful about what you eat: good. Rubber chicken health claims: not so good.

Stwerner15y ago

What the whole HFCS scaremongering has done for me is raise my awareness of what is actually in the foods I'm eating. I can agree that people probably see health benefits cutting out HFCS because it probably cuts out other highly processed ingredients. Just the other day I was looking at bread ingredients and all the ones without HFCS (which weren't very many) also had the best ingredients all around.

edge1715y ago

I'm no expert, but my understanding's been that the chemical differences do matter in your body's ability to break it down. Is that incorrect?

tptacek15y ago

Maybe 'carbocation will jump on and set me straight, but my basic understanding is that large amounts of pretty much anything that has both nutritive value and sweetening value is going to screw you. I watched the UCSF fructose-is-bad movie too, but HFCS is "high" relative to other corn syrup; it's not like weaponized fructose or anything.

danishkhan15y ago· 2 in thread

Great article. I have been trying to implement a lot of those points that you make.

If you really need to try and drink something other than water I would recommend Apple juice. It's really the only thing you can find that is 100% pure all the time. Even OJ isn't something especial if it's from MinuteMaid.

For taking breaks I would recommend a few applications a computer geek can download.

Mac OSX: TimeOut: http://www.dejal.com/timeout/, AntiRSI: http://tech.inhelsinki.nl/antirsi/

Linux: Workrave: sudo apt-get install workrave or http://dag.wieers.com/rpm/packages/workrave/

Windows: Workrave works for windows as well, Bigstretch: http://www.monkeymatt.com/bigstretch/

goplexianOP15y ago

Thanks very much.

That's a great idea, I'm going to edit the article and add those links!

danishkhan15y ago

No problem.

It's hard to be disciplined when your really into the code so having something to trigger you to take a break is very useful.

edge1715y ago· 2 in thread

Can someone comment on the redshift thing? Has anyone tried that before or is it hippy stuff?

arethuza15y ago

I've had F.lux installed on my main home PC for a couple of months and I really like it.

colonelxc15y ago

I have flux installed on every computer that I have (at least, ones with displays). I like it a lot. Non-flux displays (like my tv, iphone), seem extra bright at night (so I turn them off earlier).

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