It really was hard to walk and I was limping so I just decided to relax and not bother with anything since it was a holiday anyway. Of course, we all know what goes on during holidays, it’s unending flow of food. Of course, I was still thinking this was just a sprain and not a gout even if I’ve already had a minor attack 3 years ago. So on I went with attacking the “buffet table” during Christmas eve. I ate lechon, pansit malabon, shrimps and more. Well, this was going to be my last great meal for the holidays.

The next day it got really worse to the point that I couldn’t walk anymore and my foot was so sensitive that even if it got hit by the blanket I would feel really weak. It was really a bad timing since doctors were also on vacation and won’t be back until after the New Year right? And what made this holiday not favorable to my sickness was that it was one of the longest holidays in recent memory.

Good thing there is this thing called the internet where you find lots of information regarding gout. Kidding aside, all my information regarding what to eat and what to do came from the sites that I will mention below. Today, the gout attack strikes again and I will be needing gout information right now to know more about this sickness. I must be doing something wrong even if I’ve had to give up gravy, shellfish (I love shrimps!!!), beer and tofu. It looks like I will really have to modify my diet and really lose some more weight. Maybe around 20 pounds to make my weight drop to around 175.

Now that I’ve shared my experience, what is gout?

Gout is a disease that results from an overload of uric acid in the body. This overload of uric acid leads to the formation of tiny crystals of urate that deposit in tissues of the body, especially the joints. When crystals form in the joints it causes recurring attacks of joint inflammation (arthritis). (Medicinet.com)

To understand more about gout, here’s a gout video:

So here’s a list of websites you can check if you or your loved ones are having a gout attack:

Gout (Wikipedia.com)
Gout and Hyperuricemia (Medicinenet.com)
Gout Diet – Foods That Cause Gout (goutdiettips.com)
How To Treat Gout With Diet and Medication (About.com)
Gout Diet: Foods To Avoid (About.com)
What Causes Gout (Foot Physicians)
Preventing Gout Attacks (USnews)
Gout Home Treatment (WebMD)

No related posts.

Ironically, in a recent study by researchers at the University of Rochester, it was found that most specifically action-orientated games, improved contrast sensitivity function (CSF). CSF is the ability to detect small increments in shades of gray on a uniform background.

To prove the research, they conducted an intensive training study (50 h over 9 weeks) on a small sample of 13 individuals split into two groups. The first group played either experimental, action video games (Call of Duty 2 by Infinity Ward and Unreal Tournament 2004 by Atari) and the other group played a control, non–action video game (The Sims 2 by Electronic Arts), which is a slower pace and not requiring precise, visually guided aiming actions.

So what are the findings?

Those in the action group showed a 43 percent improvement in CSF compared to those in the non-action group, whose average was 11 percent. Playing action video games resulted in an enhanced CSF and a shorter integration time for contrast sensitivity.This is of practical importance when driving at night or under degraded conditions, as well as during activities such as reading

What are you waiting for? Go ahead and play those games. Killzone anyone? (Still wishing for my PS3)

No related posts.