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Ask HN: Something you’ve done your whole life that you realized is wrong?

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281–290 of 1001 posts

Re: Ask HN: Something you’ve done your whole life that you realized is wrong?

#281

Not using an electric toothbrush. First time I used one it felt like I'd had a proper dental cleaning. An extremely half-assed effort with that kind of brush beats a thorough one with a manual brush. I thought they were a gimmick, but no, they're amazing.

Can confirm, I couldn't get over how clean my teeth felt the first time I used an electric toothbrush in adulthood. The vibrating rattled my skull at first though, that took a few sessions to get used to haha.

Re: Ask HN: Something you’ve done your whole life that you realized is wrong?

#282

Not using an electric toothbrush. First time I used one it felt like I'd had a proper dental cleaning. An extremely half-assed effort with that kind of brush beats a thorough one with a manual brush. I thought they were a gimmick, but no, they're amazing.

THIS! I used to get like 5 cavaites a year, costing me between $300-$900 a year with insurance (US). Then i spent like $120 on an electric toothbrush, nothing ever since, and my gums are so much healthier according to my dentist. I learned this at age 29. Wish i used them years earlier!

Re: Ask HN: Something you’ve done your whole life that you realized is wrong?

#283

Sleeping on my stomach. I'm pretty sure it makes my back/neck pain worse, but I'm just unable to change this habit.

I had a cold last week, and started going to sleep on my stomach because I was able to get more comfortable and relaxed.

Re: Ask HN: Something you’ve done your whole life that you realized is wrong?

#284

Monopoly. If the player elects not to buy the property he lands on, it gets auctioned to the other players. This oft unfollowed rule makes the game 100x more fun when followed.

Not following this rule is also almost singularly responsible for Monopoly's reputation as an extremely long game.

Re: Ask HN: Something you’ve done your whole life that you realized is wrong?

#285
Assuming. As in, others understanding, maybe not believing, what I'm trying to get across. Others get a reasonable argument or are open minded. (Of course what's reasonable to me isn't always to others.) Others can walk their own life path instead of being led by others. (This is still very difficult for me as I try to understand how people are led by others who don't always have their best interest at heart.)

Now I've learned to take almost nothing for granted, which makes me happier.

Re: Ask HN: Something you’ve done your whole life that you realized is wrong?

#286
post #237

I don't know to what extent it's wrong, but I've been drinking tap water for years. Here in Germany it's generally said to be of high quality, but apparently 1 litre contains 100 nanograms of hormones (via birth control medication).[1] Even at such concentrations the hormones are said to have an effect (the article quotes a professor for membrane technology and describes a new filtering process aiming to solve this i…

We live in the US, in an old house and generally the tap isn't good. But, in combination with the old pipes, it was gross. I have a friend who is a pipe fitter, and he told me "Poison kills you quickly. Bad pipes do it slowly." So, we got a Berkey Walter Filter [1] and it's great. They are heavy duty and apparently it even alkalizes the water.

[1] https://www.berkeyfilters.com/

Re: Ask HN: Something you’ve done your whole life that you realized is wrong?

#287
post #193

Wearing modern shoes. As a society, we have somehow led everyone down the path that feet must be wrapped in socks that constrict the feet, then placed in shoes that are designed for looks and not anatomy. It's led to generations of people that have weak feet, and unnecessary pain all throughout their body because the base of what they stand on has been weakened. Wearing toe socks and minimalist shoes, combined with g…

In a similar vein I found flat-soled shoes like Converse sneakers are a dream to wear during daily activities, rather than arch-supported shoes.

Hrmm, I've long been a fan of thin-soled, low profile shoes, but having experienced my first ever pair of Converse just last year, I'd suggest 'avoid'.

They're not expensive, but they're certainly not cheap - but they certainly don't last very long at all. I walk a couple of miles a day to and from work and they barely lasted 6 weeks. Soles were worn down and the uppers were just knackered.

Re: Ask HN: Something you’ve done your whole life that you realized is wrong?

#288
post #152

When my then-gf/now-wife and I first moved in together, I got really mad at her because she kept "hiding" my stuff when I left it out for more than a day. I couldn't find anything! At some point, I yelled, "It's like you don't even want to see any of my things when I'm not using them!" Then I stopped for a second. For the first time in my life, it made sense. The whole point of putting things away is to hide them! No…

This is so absolutely hilarious to me because this is 100% something I'd do. I had a friend come over once and then he came over again a week later and all of my kitchen cabinet doors were open and in the exact same position as they had been a week prior. He was like "dude did you not shut your cabinet doors? Wtf" Its just not even on my radar

Open cabinet doors drive me crazy because they look like a concussion waiting to happen.

Re: Ask HN: Something you’ve done your whole life that you realized is wrong?

#289
post #152

When my then-gf/now-wife and I first moved in together, I got really mad at her because she kept "hiding" my stuff when I left it out for more than a day. I couldn't find anything! At some point, I yelled, "It's like you don't even want to see any of my things when I'm not using them!" Then I stopped for a second. For the first time in my life, it made sense. The whole point of putting things away is to hide them! No…

This is so absolutely hilarious to me because this is 100% something I'd do. I had a friend come over once and then he came over again a week later and all of my kitchen cabinet doors were open and in the exact same position as they had been a week prior. He was like "dude did you not shut your cabinet doors? Wtf" Its just not even on my radar

Exactly! You don't even see the mess.

It's funny you mention the cabinets. My wife and I can tell whenever my siblings have been over: they're all incorrigible cabinet goblins.

I still leave cabinets open, but it's typically because I'm using it as a reminder to return whatever I had taken from the cabinet. Of course, my Cabinet Sight still has a ways to go, so the thing doesn't get returned until I actually notice the open cabinet the next day.

Re: Ask HN: Something you’ve done your whole life that you realized is wrong?

#290

Putting off an annual checkup with a PCP (I’m 42, and the last PCP I had was a pediatrician). I had long suspected my cholesterol and triglycerides were high due to family history and my excessive love for cheese, and last week that suspicion was confirmed. I’m now more resolute than ever on lifestyle changes (exercise, less red meat, getting most of my calcium from 2% milk). On the bright side, I also got reassuranc…

That's great news that your cholesterol and triglycerides were high and that everything else looks normal! Are there any other tips that you would suggest for making lifestyle changes to help lower cholesterol and triglycerides?

I’m not a Physician or Dietitian, but my dad is a Gastroenterologist and my wife is a Registered Dietitian, so some of their knowledge rubs off on me. And my PCP gave me some tips last week that are still fresh in my mind.

- Exercise can help lower cholesterol slightly. But try to have a reasonable balance between cardio and resistance training. Too much cardio risks having some muscles actually weaken if you maintain a large calorie deficit.

- Diet-wise, you want to go for sustainable weight management, so no extreme or gimmicky diets. Avoid Atkins and Keto (unless a professional tells you you actually need to avoid carbs), extreme fasting, etc.

- 3 moderate meals a day are better than 2 or 1 large feast(s) because they keep your metabolism going for most of the day. Your body can adapt to feast/famine and can go into ketosis, but these are survival mechanisms and harmful, even counterproductive, if you keep your body in these modes for long periods of time (you might even gain weight in feast/famine mode because when you do eat, your body converts as much sugar into fat as it possibly can, in order to prepare reserves for the next “famine”).

- Some fasting is good for spirituality and to teach self-control, but it should not be a permanent state (I plan to fast Mondays and Thursdays as much as possible, leading up to Ramadan in about 50 days). Fasting every single day for the rest of your life is not realistic and probably does more harm than good.

- Eat raw nuts (raw almonds have been observed to lower total cholesterol, lower LDL, and raise the HDL/LDL ratio) as much as you can within your calorie allowance. In general, more plant-based protein and fats, and less animal-based is very helpful (but watch out for high saturated fat from coconuts, and too much soy can mess up men’s hormones). Edit: the soy evidence is not conclusive - see comments below.

- Keep your calorie allowance reasonable and sustainable, and try to eat a good variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, legume, meats, etc. with moderation in everything.

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