mstevens

Took Taurine capsules some time back for gallbladder issues. It was part of a protocol including milk thistle, choline and TUDCA and the gallbladder issue (suspected to be gallbladder sludge) cleared up.

RCA, Patpong and Rachadapisek are the "official" nightlife areas. I read once that if you wanted to, for example, apply for a licence for a new gogo bar, you could do it in those three areas but anywhere else it would not be allowed (while existing licences can continue to be used).

To answer your question, no, I would not take statins - at least, not before trying and if necessary, exhausting, all lifestyle factors first. I am a big proponent of trying lifestyle adjustments and natural medicine first - and only using pharmaceuticals if absolutely necessary. The reason for this is that pharmaceuticals have a lot of side effects. Yes, sometimes they may be necessary, but it's very much worth trying lifestyle choices first. My understanding is that the key number with your cholesterol is the ratio of good (HFL) to bad (LDL). That's how my doctor explained it to me. Not the total, but the ratio. Personally, I eat a high fat diet including eggs (minimum 3 per day), nuts (macadamias and pecans), seeds (pumpkin, flaxseed, sunflower), more red meat than is "recommended" with 4 or 5 red meat meals per week, avocados, olive oil, avocado oil, butter and a little cheese - and my cholesterol ratio is "outstanding" according to my doctor. To be clear, I do not eat a keto diet per se, but I do aim for high fat / and moderate to low carbs. I get a full blood panel and check in with my doctor every year and no concerns whatsoever from Doc. I know those with experience in the medical industry will blast me for saying this but I am of the belief that a diet high in healthy fats (and low in carbs) is a key to good health.

Got a signed copy of Nick Nostitz's Patpong: Bangkok's Twilight Zone.

A friend of mine has had exactly the same problem. Ever since his gallbladder was removed, he has yet to have a well-formed stool. Have you tried an ox bile supplement? This can help with the digestion of fats.

Too many pensioners puts you off? Surely the price doesn't put you off. 250 baht for a full meal with what is presumably a decent sized slice of imported fish sounds like a bargain to me!

He hasn't lived in New Zealand since he was a teenager. He lives on the Gold Cast in Australia.

Such as? The guy is hugely successful!

Watched it last night and thought it was good, but not great. Definitely worth watching if you like action movies that are a bit dark. It was very slow to get going, but worth it in the end.

I could be wrong, but I think if you get one of these DNA tests done where you get a saliva sample and send it away, then you get some raw data back which you can send to another company online and it will analyse and tell you which gene mutations you have etc. You might need to send the DNA sample to the States - but you should be able to do this from anywhere in the world. I looked in to this a while ago and if I remember right, you send off a sample of your DNA to a company like 23AndMe and then when you get your raw data back from them, you forward that to a company like SeekingHealth which looks at it and sends you back a report back outlining all your gene mutations (along with what they mean and suggestions to deal with them through diet and lifestyle).

I think the owners of the forum need to decide what sort of forum they wish to operate. Some of the sub-forums on ASEAN Now are well-run, others are a free for all where anything goes. If you want this forum to be a place where people goof around and where topics with inane discussions are allowed, then keep doing what you're doing. If you want something a bit more serious, I really think the moderators need to be a bit more firm. Too many clowns dominate the forum these days, lowering the tone and ruining many threads.

It's good to see that the cops behind this extortion were prosecuted and sentenced to jail. I remember some years ago being stopped and asked questions by cops and frankly, I didn't like it. It was so obvious they were fishing and look for an opportunity. It would be nice if this case is noticed by other cops and they think twice about extorting foreigners, lest they too be charged with extortion and end up in jail.

When the first response to a thread is this, I rest my case that this forum is going to the dogs.

If you're cooking at high temperatures, go for avocado oil, if you can afford it. Very high smokepoint, unlike olive oil (which is otherwise, an excellent oil).

Me too. I am staggered that so many people are so cheap and refuse to pay this paltry amount.

Fruit juice is pure sugar and really shouldn't be part of a decent diet. And even with a decent diet, it's very difficult to get all of your vitamin and mineral needs. A quality multivitamin or a selection of vitamins and minerals can fill in a lot of the gaps that we don't get from our diet.

Nothing wrong with grass-fed red meat. It's probably about the most nutrionally dense food you can consume. Hard to beat a good roast beef or better still, roast lamb.

No, and I speak from first-hand experience!

He eats like a panther.

Yep, I suffered from severe sinus infections in the past that were knocked out with antibiotics only to come back within a few weeks. VERY annoying. To be clear, stinging nettle root and NAC won't kill a sinus infection, but they treat the symptoms very well well which is a great relief.

As a natural alternative, consider Stinging Nettle Root and NAC i.e. taking both at the same time. Both these supplements help hugely with sinus issues and taking both at the same time have proved to be a great remedy for me.

Sorry to hear you're having a tough time of things. Regarding natural supplements, here are a few worth trying in the order I'd recommend them: Ashwagandha is an adaptogen and is perhaps the best-known and most effective supplement for those who are suffering from stress and anxiety. Take one capsule / day for a couple of months. It's not a quick fix but within a couple of weeks you should start to feel some relief. If at all possible, try and find the Himalaya brand. 5HTP raises serotonin and is very helpful for staying sleep (as opposed to falling asleep), relieving stress and helping with anxiety. GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter. In simple terms, it basically helps you from over-thinking stuff. It also helps with sleep. Now Foods makes good, inexpensive 5HTP and GABA. All of these supplements are available from iHerb, and may be available on Lazada and Shopee.

I have never had such a reaction from an educated Thai. That’s the sort of silly comment you might get from thr employees in bar areas, I suppose.

I speak and read Thai to a high level and I have found it both useful and rewarding. In social situations, I have found that once Thais realise that they can just speak Thai with you and don't need to use English, they are much more comfortable. Even Thais who speak very good English really do appreciate foreigners who speak Thai well. It just makes them feel more relaxed around you. I like knowing what is going on around me and, personally, would not like to feel like I was in the dark about what people were saying or doing. I have seldom used the Thai language in the workplace or in business. When I was working, all of the Thais spoke English to a good standard and they used English for me for anything work-related and occasionally used Thai when out socially. As an aside, I often heard it said that Thais don't like foreigners who speak Thai to a high level. My only experience of this was with the sort of Thais I have no interest in socialising with. Educated Thais all appreciate foreigners who take the time and effort to learn the Thai language to a good level. Has my life been better through being able to read and speak Thai well? Yes, it has. You can, of course, survive perfectly well in Thailand with no Thai at all. For me, learning Thai has been very rewarding and I am glad I put the effort in all those years ago to learn the language. But is is necessary? For the vast majority of people, I'd say no.

Actually, I imagine he would! Many Thais are applauding this action and no doubt, plenty of restaurants in Thailand would do the same.