Shoes That Kill (draft)

Footwear and its affect on health 

Does your feet throb after a night out with friends? Does your knee feel sore? Does your back ache? Do you know why? You are wearing the wrong shoes! Dozens of research have been published in the last few years showing that most shoes do more harm than good, including the extremely cushioned and arch supporting running shoe that you own. According to some podiatrists, comfortable shoes do not necessarily mean that they are more supportive or healthy (Adams). Goes against intuition right? In the next few minutes, I will explain the problem with most shoes, what shoes are better, and what to do if you are already experiencing some side effects from wearing unsuitable shoes.

 The evil shoe

In the last few years, the average height of high-heels has gone from 3 to 5 inches (Rein). As a result, doctor visits for foot complaints have increased by 75% (AAOS).  Anyone who has ever worn high heels can tell you that they are hell. Heels increase the chances of ankle injuries, bunions, hammertoes, stress fractures, tendinitis, plantar fasciitis, and other ligament injuries. It makes sense: you are balancing your weight on a thin stiletto and all the pressure is on your toes. But did you know that supportive running shoes could cause just as much damage? Shoes with cushioning encourage the customer to land on the heel first when moving (something called heel strike). This alters the stride and posture of the body, and therefore creates a unnatural walking pattern.  To be continued...

That farm life though...

When I think of farmers, I picture the stereotypical old man and lady with baggy clothes out with their cows plowing fields. But hey, maybe that’s just me based on what I have seen after spending some time in the countryside in Taiwan. However, after reading the book Growing a Farmer by Kurt Timmermeister, I now have a completely different perception and a new found admiration for farmers. 

The book starts of Timmermeister – a few years out of college at age twenty-four, and is about to open his first restaurant. Timmermeister gives an intimate and detailed walk-through of his experience managing his business. From the very first chapter, you can immediately tell that Timmermeister is a passionate man and always pursues what he loves. However, as his restaurant develops, he becomes more and more disgusted by how food is processed (to the point where he stops eating at his own restaurant), and instead starts focusing on food quality and his farm. Timmermeister begins to educate himself by attending lectures, reading books, and basically any resources he could get his hands on. Through trial and error his farm eventually starts making profit and he takes you on a detailed journey through his growth and development.

I have read about half of the book already, and to be honest, I cannot immerse myself into it. It is an easy and straight forward read but it is not the type of book that I am normally interested in. Nevertheless, it has been educational and eye opening. Timmermeister explains how he runs his farm in detail and is blatantly truthful, which I love! For example, Timmermeister explained how he impulsively bought his first cow and was unprepared for the labor needed. It hurt not only his hands but also his pride. Overall, the biggest take away I have from the book at the moment is perseverance. Timmermeister never gave up on what he wanted despite how difficult it got. He tried different things, failed, learned, and tried something new until he found what worked for him. This is a characteristic that I deeply admire. 

 

Formosan black bear

 What is a Formosan black bear? (I am going to assume most people don’t know what they are since I didn’t know till about a few years ago). Formosan black bears are endemic bears in Taiwan. They have thick black fur with a distinctive white v-shape or crescent mark on its chest – giving them their nickname, “moon bear”. 

This species of bear has been listed as endangered since 1989 and is also on the red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, which basically means that these bears are very close to extinction. What I found interesting was that according to a research conducted by National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Formosan black bears managed to survive while other wildlife in Taiwan have gone extinct is because of the myths surrounding this animal. Different Taiwanese aboriginal tribes have different myths but they all believe that killing a Formosan black bear will bring bad luck. For example, the Taroko tribe believes that the white marks on the bears represent the moon and that the bears are the “king of the forest”. Therefore, if you kill a Formosan black bear, you will be cursed and cause family disasters.

There are an unknown number of Formosan black bears left in Taiwan, but a video released in 2009 showing a mother with 2 cubs have renewed people’s hope to preserve this animal.