August 17, 2023: Developing cold resistance and reducing WLAN radiation

August 17, 2023. I was taking a break outside the library. The cold wind was causing goosebumps on my skin. I was wearing only a T-shirt and shorts, while others were all wrapped in long pants and jackets. As I ate a banana, I pondered: Is it healthy to expose oneself to the cold, not dressing too warmly? I already knew that cold showers could have positive health effects, but did that apply to cold weather outside? I wanted to answer this question because if it turned out that exposure to cold outdoors is healthy, I could not only do something for my health but also reduce my dependence on warm clothing.

After my break, I returned to the library and researched this question. I concluded that cold exposure is indeed healthy. Similar to cold showers, exposure to cold has an anti-inflammatory effect. In medicine, cold is used to alleviate rheumatic inflammations, skin diseases, migraines, or depression. Regular exposure to cold would generate brown fat, which then burns white fat to produce heat. Constantly being in warmth would result in the regression of brown fat, and I would feel colder more quickly. Cold stimulates circulation by narrowing blood vessels in the cold and causing the heart to pump faster. When entering warm rooms, the blood vessels dilate again, training elasticity. The number of white blood cells increases, and the thyroid gland is stimulated, leading to better absorption, transport, and conversion of substances in the body. Cold also makes one alert, which could be a good alternative to coffee. Another thought occurred to me: If cold slows down processes in the body, it must also contribute to slowing down the aging process.

Encouraged by all these benefits of cold exposure, I decided not to dress too warmly from today onwards and to turn up the heating even less in winter. When I left the library in the afternoon, it was windier and colder. But now I found the cold less uncomfortable. I even enjoyed not being entirely warm, and like a superhero in shorts, I strolled home.

I was shocked when I checked my stock portfolio at home. The price of the knockout certificate, which I greedily let rise to 300% and beyond, had plummeted. My Tesla knockout certificates had hit the knockout threshold, and I lost the entire investment. The shock was temporary and didn't bother me throughout the day, but this loss got me thinking—both about investing in speculative securities and about stocks and cryptocurrencies in general.

In the evening, I went to Borsum and was picked up by my mother in Harsum when she returned from the late shift. Julien was also there, which Lauri didn't really like, so she barricaded herself in her room. I, on the other hand, found Julien, aside from his tendency to alcohol, quite nice. The next morning, he even got bread rolls for us before going to work.

During breakfast with my mother and Lauri, I drank spelt coffee, despite the tempting smell of coffee from Mom's cup. Apart from the acquired taste of spelt coffee, which Tobi compared to the disgusting smell of fish, I got used to it. I decided to always drink spelt coffee in Borsum from now on—with maybe a few exceptions for special occasions.

As my mother drove to Julien's, I wanted to try out a significant change that had been swirling around in my head for some time: from today onwards, I will try not to use toilet paper after defecating. Instead, I will clean myself in the shower. If this experiment goes well, it will be one of the best 1% changes in recent times in terms of finances, sustainability, and health. I would never have to spend money on toilet paper again. I would avoid the plastic waste from toilet paper packaging. I would survive the next pandemic without worrying about panic buyers clearing the toilet paper shelves in the supermarket. And I would contribute to protecting the habitat "forest." As a city dweller, I was so far removed from the production of the food I consumed daily that I wasn't interested in the consequences of production. In the case of toilet paper, my awareness of production had changed. This no-toilet-paper experiment was also the reason why I ate extra many rolls for breakfast today.

I thought about how I could wash my black laundry, which was usually not heavily soiled, as sustainably, quickly, and inexpensively as possible while still being able to remove all odors. Washing at forty degrees without detergent had unfortunately not worked well. I had brought my dirty laundry to Borsum specifically to experiment with washing here. In my research, I came across various methods and learned a trick: turning the laundry inside out before washing. Since sweat odor settles more strongly on the inside of the T-shirt, turning it inside out should help to remove the odor better. Washing with baking soda made the laundry softer, and I knew that baking soda perfectly removes odors without affecting the black color. So I tried baking soda by adding two tablespoons to the drum onto the dirty laundry. I set the temperature to twenty degrees to reduce hot water costs, protect textiles, and not depend on the availability of hot water. To make the wash quick and gentle, I chose a fifteen-minute express wash cycle. When the laundry was done, I thoroughly smelled the T-shirt. It seemed odorless and felt soft.

While hanging up the laundry, I urgently needed to go to the toilet. I quickly dashed into the bathroom and squatted in the "Russian squat" position on the toilet. At that moment, I thought about the sweat odor removed from the T-shirt. Maybe I could avoid the odor altogether if I switched to a raw vegan diet? And if I gave up coffee? After all, it stimulates sweating. More sweat means more food for bacteria.

After defecating, I looked at the stool, which was mushy and left fecal marks on the enamel. Perfect conditions for the experiment. I took off my pants completely, took the shower head in hand, and turned on the water. Then I squatted on the edge of the bathtub, held onto the sink until I was balanced, and aimed the shower head with a strong stream of water at the anal area. I thought, "Okay, that's enough." I hopped on the floor, turned off the water, and grabbed a white towel from the shelf next to me. With it, I wiped the outer area and inspected the spot on the towel that I used to wipe the anus.

"Oh no," I said, seeing a brown stain on the towel.

"Maybe I should use my hand to clean the anus after all," I thought. It wasn't enough to just aim the shower head at the anus, even if the stream was strong enough. So I took the same position on the edge of the bathtub, held the shower head with a water jet in my right hand, aimed it at the anus, and with my left hand, I rubbed the anal area clean. When drying off, I used a different part of the towel. It had worked. This time, my anus was clean.

It would have been easier to get the anus clean if I hadn't eaten so many wheat rolls this morning but had something high in fiber instead, which would have made my stool firm and less greasy—a so-called "royal shit," as Tobi would call it.

Inspired by my research on baking soda, in the evening, I embarked on another significant experiment. Baking soda neutralizes acid and is used by some YouTubers and bloggers as a toothpaste substitute. Today, I brushed my teeth with baking soda for the first time. I moistened the toothbrush and placed some baking soda powder on my also moistened palm. This created a pasty baking soda-water mixture resembling toothpaste. Then, I brushed my teeth, making sure the baking soda paste adhered to the bristles, and began brushing. Combined with saliva, it foamed in my mouth, and apart from the salty taste of the baking soda, I noticed no difference during or after brushing compared to using store-bought toothpaste. My teeth felt clean. Only the inside of my lips burned a little, probably because I had used too much baking soda. To gauge any changes, I decided to continue the experiment over a longer period. If successful, I would never have to buy toothpaste or toothpaste tablets again, and I would always have toothpaste with me if I brought along my jar of baking soda, which I also used as deodorant.

While sitting on the floor with the laptop on my lap, another thought came to mind: Is it actually healthy for the laptop, with its Bluetooth and WLAN, to radiate so close to my body? After all, I had read back when setting up the router in Hinüberstraße that a safety distance should be maintained from the router. My research revealed that having the laptop on the lap has a thermal effect on the body, heating the surrounding tissue. Prolonged sitting with the laptop on the lap can affect sperm quality due to this heat. Immediately, I placed the laptop on the floor and crossed my legs. Then, I learned about the non-thermal effect of WLAN and Bluetooth radiation, which triggers oxidative stress in the cells of the surrounding tissue. The Federal Office for Radiation Protection recommended reducing artificial EMF exposure as much as possible. So, I turned off Bluetooth on the laptop and smartphone, as I didn't need these functions at the moment. This also had a positive effect on battery life. Fortunately, I no longer put the smartphone in my pocket but in my backpack. I decided to make it a habit not to place the laptop on my lap or to do so only when WLAN and Bluetooth were turned off. To place my laptop on my lap on the train, I would have to turn off both sources of radiation. I also learned during long phone calls not to hold the phone to my ear but to use the speakerphone function.

1. I consciously expose myself to the cold to train my body's natural cold protection and enjoy the health benefits of cold exposure. In winter, I will consciously choose to heat less and not dress too snugly warm in heated rooms. This benefits not only my health but also my wallet.
2. When visiting my mother, I consciously choose spelt coffee instead of regular coffee. This change will hopefully contribute to reducing my coffee consumption. Additionally, spelt coffee is caffeine-free, gluten-free, and doesn't cause palpitations or heartburn for me.
3. I wash my laundry with baking soda at a temperature of 20 to 30 degrees Celsius and turn the garments inside out before washing to more effectively eliminate sweat odor. Only the microfiber towel I wash with hot water, as it otherwise starts to smell bad.
4. If I plan to have my laptop on my lap for an extended period, I turn off WLAN and Bluetooth. In general, I make an effort to turn off WLAN and Bluetooth when I don't need these functions. This not only reduces unnecessary oxidative stress on cells but also extends battery life. During long phone calls, I use the speakerphone function.