Behaviors

Take walks for reflection and presence; examples included walking to expand beyond narrow daily milestones, walking a mile every day, and using walking as a form of meditation focused on being present.

In the clinical-trial context, macrodosing appears more effective than microdosing. Prioritize set, setting, and safety when making this choice.

For psychedelic use, set and setting are important, along with safety; certainly not for children.

For women who have had strokes or are at risk for stroke, avoid oral contraceptives because they still increase clot risk somewhat, though less than first-generation formulations.

Exercise was discussed as a beneficial lifestyle factor associated with lower stroke incidence and better self-care.

Lower obesity prevalence was discussed as beneficial because obesity is a risk factor for stroke and heart attack.

Avoid stimulant drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamine because they markedly increase risk of aneurysms and hemorrhage, damage vessels, and raise blood pressure.

Recommended when concussion is severe; MRI usually does not show molecular abnormalities of concussion but can show contusion or bruising.

During concussion recovery, avoid overstressing the brain, but also avoid prolonged sensory deprivation such as staying home in the dark with sunglasses on for long periods. Keep giving the brain input without overloading it.

Mentioned as part of the general vascular-protective approach.

If exploratory or total-body scans reveal findings that concern you, discuss them with a specialist before acting.

For a tiny incidental aneurysm such as a 1.75 mm blister, recommendation was not to change lifestyle; instead, forget about it and get follow-up imaging, as it may never matter clinically.

Guest says he cut back on coffee/caffeine after overdoing work, travel, exercise, and fainting.

Guest says he no longer pushes himself to exercise hard if he is feeling fatigued.

If you feel faint, correlate symptoms with vital signs by measuring blood pressure.

Guest says he personally would not let his kids play football or rugby because of concussion and CTE risk despite acknowledging benefits of team sports.

If you are not a professional athlete, guest suggests choosing other sports with similar benefits and less controversy or risk than football or boxing.

For a common mild head hit or mild concussion causing brief dizziness, guest says in general not to worry or get a scan if symptoms resolve within a relatively short period, such as a day or two.

After stroke, continue moving the body. Evidence supports activity, walking, exercise, resistance training, skill-related training, physical therapy, and even forced activity as beneficial.

Restrain the good limb to force use of the affected limb after stroke; guest notes intriguing data and says it has been shown in animal and some clinical studies.

Guest cautions that forcing use of the affected limb too soon after stroke may be detrimental; timing matters.

Guest describes mild hypothermia as reducing brain/body temperature from 37°C to about 33°C and says he still lets patients cool a few degrees because of possible neuroprotective benefit, while cautioning against excessive cooling.

Do not cool too much after head injury/TIA context; excessive cooling can interfere with metabolic functions and clotting parameters and increase infection risk if temperature goes too low for too long. Guest explicitly would not recommend sticking your head in a snowbank.

Avoid unproven stem cell clinics or traveling abroad for stem cell therapy after stroke or head injury. Guest warns you may not know what you are getting and cites risks including tumors, blindness, and other harms; be careful about therapies that are not proven.

If you feel like you need a bathroom break to urinate, don't hold it too long because it may be harmful.

Begin higher-protein habits during perimenopause to set up a healthier postmenopause.

Ask your mother and aunts when they went through menopause and whether any medical conditions were associated with it, since genetics is the biggest factor in timing.

Use waist-to-hip ratio as a better measure of metabolic risk than weight or BMI. Measure the smallest part of the waist, or use the belly button if there is no narrow waist; stay relaxed, measure first thing in the morning with an empty bladder when not bloated; measure the widest part of the hips with feet parallel and standing up straight; track about once per month, not daily.

Break protein into smaller amounts across the day rather than stacking most of it at dinner.

Especially in menopause, alcohol may be poorly tolerated and can trigger middle-of-the-night waking and sweating; even more than one glass of wine may impair sleep.