26 Feb 2021

No Discipline – No Healing

by PapaLima | posted in: Fremhævet, Mindset & motivation | 0

After years of batteling eczema I have come to a conclusion that simply says: No Discipline – No Healing.

It is a hard reality and on my website, I speak truthfully about the cold facts about eczema healing. There is no quick fix and as a man You have to dig deep to find the natural power to win this battle.

During this winter I have not had a single eczema flareup. I have been using the knowledge and routines you can find in my free book, but knowledge is useless without the discipline to implement it.

Discipline is what keeps you on the right path and in time you will find it to be your best friend on the journey to eczema healing.

Mr. Eczema is always just behind you. He is ready to attack if you let your guard down. Eczema flareups are the pain he will inflict on your body and you instantly know that you have failed.

To stay on the right path and do what is right I often look to Jocko Willink. He is my Eczema Drill-instructor and his no-nonsense approach to daily discipline inspires me. His book Discipline Equals Freedom is a MUST-READ for every eczema-warrior. In the following, you will hear snippets from the book spoken by Jocko himself.

TRAILER for the book

Jocko’s message and voice is making Mr. Eczema duck for cover – He is really in trouble now!

The warpath

When I finally decided to confront Mr. Eczema head on I knew I had to go on the warpath. I felt there was no other way. Either I did it 100% or the path to permanent healing would be a long-drawn-out endeavor.

I grabbed my electric shaver, set it on 6 millimeters, and went into the shower. When I got out I had transformed. The guy I saw in the mirror was now looking like a real warrior and a rush of motivation to GET AFTER IT engulfed me.

Warpath by Jocko

Diet

It is important to stay clear of all the temptations that look so delicious, but you know will provoke a flareup. Even if the foods you are craving are not directly causing a flareup it might not be good for your overall health. As eczema-warriors we need to stay on the healthy path and always choose the healthier alternative.

Especially the exclusion of milk and eggs have been an issue that took a while to get on top of. But when I found out where these ingredients are found I just had to use my willpower to say no. That meant no more cakes, milkshakes, milk on the daily cereals and find the internal power to ask for alternatives when at a party or eating out. All these daily trials build and exercises your ability to handle your diet in a disciplined way and stay clear of ALL temptations and things that might contain the root for an eczema flareup. So far I have not had a flareup in more than a year, but I have not taken the chance on any food in that period either. You can do the same and trust me, its getting into a habit sooner than you might think. Discipline regarding diet is your best friend and make it able for you to go after other goals like getting lean and shredded for the beach next summer.

It is here you have to display the most will-power and have the overall goal in sight – to become free of eczema now and stay clear and healthy for the rest of your life.

As you know the road to eczema healing is not covered with cookies and doughnuts, instead it consists of healthy foods. It is a matter of imposing maximum will-power and execute on your knowledge about food each time you put food on the plate. You have learned all you need to know to make the right choices every time.

And when somebody suddenly comes by and offers free doughnuts…. I think Jocko has an opinion about that!

Sugar Coated Lies by Jocko

Stay disciplined every day

Even how hard you try sometimes you will make a wrong choice and an eczema flareup will come seemingly out of the blue. When that happens it is normal to feel overwhelmed and sorry for yourself. It is here you start doubting yourself and whether you have what it takes.

Instead of getting soft – Get angry.! Get more motivated than ever before and analyze the time up to the flareup like a forensic expert. Where did Mr. Eczema come from and what was his weapon?

I have had these seemingly out-of-the-blue eczema flareups several times.

Eczema caused by chemical fumes in paint — Should not have eaten that cake!. But now I know it can cause a flareup. Never again will Mr. Eczema be able to attack me with that weapon!.

Suddenly you feel the itching, stinging sensation of an eczema flareup about to explode in your face. But what can you do?. You will just have to take it head-on and focus on staying strong in the coming healing process.

Each time this has happened to me I have gotten a little closer to knowing my own eczema. By applying that knowledge and staying disciplined to do what is right, you can, like me, in time become 100% healed from eczema.

Application of Discipline by Jocko

Stay Focused

Every day is a new day to heal your eczema. By doing the right things and staying clear of all the temptations that can ruin your progress. Think of every day as an opportunity to become a tougher, more disciplined, and better version of yourself. Having this in mind you will eventually get there.

Challenging yourself is a great way to discipline your mind so it is strong when temptations come. Discipline also helps you to do the daily skincare routines and stay clear of soaps and perfumes.

I personally use the daily shower to train my mental will-power. By taking cold showers I do something that is not pleasant at the moment, but afterward, you feel like a superhero.

When the opportunity for a winter-dip in the fjord presents itself my mental will-power is really challenged. But there is no way I will pass on such a great opportunity to show Mr. Eczema who he is up against!

Ice-swimming build will-power — Will-power is forged in the icy waters of Denmark

So stay focused and stay disciplined. You can win this war, but some battles will be lost in the process. Accept that and just keep moving forward with a strong focus on the overall goal – To become eczema-free.

You can do it!

Focus by Jocko

11 Feb 2021

The Nasal rinser is my new best friend

by PapaLima | posted in: Fremhævet, Skincare, The bath | 0

I am always looking for new ways to optimize my well-being and in that process, I stumbled upon nasal rinsing. It seems that a lot of people like this kind of cleansing, so I had to try it.

The nasal cavities act as a filter for the air you breathe in and are filled with cilia. Their job is to catch pollen and impurities before they reach the lungs. This “air filter” is important for keeping the body healthy, but can also be a place where allergenic pollen and dust can accumulate over time.

In many Asian countries, it is just as normal to wash the nose in this way as it is to wash the rest of the body.

I’ve been using the nasal horn several times a week and have fallen in love with it. The first time you rinse your nose you have that great feeling of the free airway – a bit like if you take a strong menthol candy. There is just so much more “throughput” that you become addicted to using your nasal rinser.

Since the rinsing of your nose can cause some splashing of water I use it as part of my bathing routine.

How to use the nasal rinser

The way I use the nasal rinser is:

Fill the nasal rinser jug 3/4 with cold water.
Pour in salt with the included spoon.
Pour to the brim with hot water from an electric kettle. Thus you get approx. 37 degrees.
Stir with the back of the spoon until all the salt is dissolved.
Go into the shower and put the horn’s spout against one nostril.
Turn your head slowly and the water will run through your nasal cavities and out of the free nostril.
When approximately half of the water is used, you put your finger on the nostril where the nasal rinse’s spout is and blow water, etc.! out of the free nostril.
After a few calm breaths, the procedure is the same on the other nostril.
Take a deep breath and enjoy the wonderful feeling of clean and free airways

Do not use lukewarm tap water, which could contain bacteria and other small insects that live in lukewarm water. That is most likely to occur in countries with primitive water distribution systems.

My preferred type of salt is sea salt. It does normally not contain an anti-caking agent, but there can be small impurities that you have to look out for.

To keep the nasal rinsing jug clean, I regularly give it a go in the microwave at 100% power with a little water in the bottom for about a minute. Be careful when you take it out, it is very hot. Let it cool and it is fresh and ready to use again.

I use the nasal rinse from Rhinohorn.dk, as the quality is top-notch. It is sold in danish pharmacies and I give it my best regards.

7 Feb 2021

EV-battery – Superhero of the future

by PapaLima | posted in: Tech | 0

First and foremost it is important that we take care of mother Earth as we evolve into a digitally dependant civilization. Our dependency on nature is not something we think about every day. But what good is it to get healthy and eczema-free if the planet is being destroyed by our lifestyle?

I think the electric revolution will spill into every part of our lives. Especially with the large numbers of batteries that are produced now and in the future. They will be of great value and have longer lifecycles than is the case now.

Their ability to store energy and act as a buffer will be used in many new applications. For that reason, I will tell about the my ideas of how we will see the area of batteries emerge in the comming decades. It is meant as an inspiration for people that are not that into tech and to open people’s eyes to the possibilities in batteries.

The main focus will be the repair and reuse of batteries. In a couple of years there will be extreme amounts of batteries that are still usable, but not for the application where they started their life. In the following we will look into the usecases of used, but still useable batteries.

This video explains the current situation about recycling of old batteries.

EV’s

As more and more EV’s come onto the roads it will be increasingly important to be able to fix and repair EV batteries.

Now electronics have been integrated into every part of our lives and our cars are rolling computers. The transition from ICE-vehicles to EV’s will be a cornerstone in the evolution of modern western countries. These vehicles are packed with electronics that all run on batteries.

The battery in an EV is the most expensive and environmentally problematic single part. It alone makes the production of a typical EV 74% more energy demanding than the production of a similar conventional car. On top of the energy demand during battery production, there is also a massive need for rare-earth minerals inside the battery itself.

Inspecting a module of an EV-battery pack

To mitigate these dilemmas the need for efficient battery repair will be a necessary part of the future car market. By repairing instead of replacing an EV-battery it is possible to save energy and materials that would otherwise go into the production of a brand new battery. It is also quite certain that the material- and production supply chain will be hard-pressed in the coming decade.

Research into the possibility of repairing a faulty battery pack shows it is possible to replace only a small part of the battery. Often it is only a few faulty cells that make the entire battery defective. These cells can be replaced by new cells that have the same characteristics as the original cell. Thereby reducing the cost of replacing the entire battery pack.

Another interesting aspect of battery repair is using old cells with sub-nominal capacity in low-demand applications. This could be power grid backup installations or as powerwall in your house. The areas of application of these used cells are vast.

Electric ships

Used cells have low capacity and their power-to-weight ratio is low. But in a ship, they could be used as ballast and at the same time act as a power source. Solar cells on the surfaces and superstructure of the ship would harvest the sun’s energy and store it in the ballast battery pack.

This ship is a fully electric ship and in the future, this kind of ship could be build using used cells from used EV-battery packs.

Fully electric tanker — A new 60m-long tanker, named the e5, is the first of its kind to be powered solely by lithium-ion batteries.
This all-electric, battery-powered vessel will launch in Tokyo Bay next year (2022).
Credit: www.ship-technology.com/features/will-battery-powered-ships-take-over-the-industry/

By reusing old battery cells the EV-battery repair industry will be able to lower their prices, since the used cells may be a resource instead of going to waste. This will profit both EV consumers and the business itself, but also the environment. The cells go through one more useful application, but recycling of the materials might be the last option.

Companies are beginning to get into the game

New companies are beginning to see the potential business model of reusing used EV-batteries. One of these compagnies are Second-Life. They are selling pre-used EV-battery packs and modules thereby making it possible to repair and upgrade your EV-cars range.

As electric vehicles production continues to grow, the market for second life EV batteries will also grow exponentially. To reuse those batteries for personal EV projects or energy storage is not only a good business decision, but also one that can reduce waste, and ensure that those batteries can be recycled properly and efficiently at the end of their useful lifespan.

Repurposing used EV batteries for energy storage

The Norwegian company ECO STOR has designed a solution that repurposes used electric vehicle batteries to provide affordable energy storage for commercial buildings. “Our company is positioned between two megatrends: the enormous growth of renewable energy and the electrification of transportation. This is creating a huge market for low-cost energy storage, which our technology is able to provide,” says Trygve Burchardt, CEO of ECO STOR.

TE_Solutions_ECO STOR_image 1_cropped.png

The rapid adoption of solar and wind energy is increasing demand for energy storage. However, most energy storage solutions are very costly. There is a large unmet need for affordable options, especially for distributed energy production from rooftop solar installations on commercial buildings.

Meanwhile, the popularity of electric vehicles (EV) continues to grow, as does the number of batteries needing replacing. In Norway alone, it is anticipated that over 100 000 batteries will be replaced in coming years. Today most of these batteries are sent for recycling, but they could still be used for less demanding applications.

A second life for electric vehicle batteries

When the capacity of an EV-battery drops below 70 per cent, the driving distance becomes too short and the battery must be replaced. ECO STOR has developed a small-scale, modular energy storage system that takes full advantage of these batteries’ 10 to 15 years of remaining life.

“We are creating a complete EV-battery value chain. We want to be a one-stop shop by using the full potential of this beautiful product,” says Burchardt.

ECO STOR’s solution uses the entire battery system, avoiding costly disassembly and reassembly, new wiring and electronics, and maintaining stringent automotive standards for handling, shipping, outdoor storage and safety.

The company’s proprietary method allows users to diagnose the health of the used EV-battery. Based on this, the battery can be repurposed. A simple control unit is placed onto the EV-battery and provides a communication link between the battery, an energy management system and the inverters that connect the battery to the grid.

In larger commercial buildings where multiple used batteries are connected, the control unit monitors and adjusts the individual batteries according to the diagnostic information.

ECO STOR’s system is modular. Each module consists of one or two by two EV batteries and provides 15kWh to 30kWh. There is no limit to the number of modules that can be connected, so the battery bank can be adjusted to the energy storage needs of the individual building.

16 Jun 2020

Hand-eczema during the Corona-times

by PapaLima | posted in: Fremhævet, Skincare | 0

During this corona-pandemic the focus on hand hygiene has given rise to an increasing issue in keeping the skin on our hands healthy.

It’s a simple imbalance between the amount of handwash and the body’s ability to keep the skin healthy. This may well be the root cause of the problems we are now seeing.

The excessive hand washing removes fats that hold the individual skin cells together. The result is that the skin barrier becoming leaky and allergens can enter the body.

When you get an eczema flare-up it is the immune system reaction to allergens that create redness and itching wounds on your skin. This phenomenon is called inflammation and is the body’s protective mechanism when allergens enter the body.

Skincare and treatment

To avoid a worsening of the eczema on your hands, it is essential to rebuild the skin barrier and at the same time treat inflammation.

After each hand-wash all soap should be rinsed well off and while hands are still moist, plenty of skin cream should be applied. You need a skin cream that is made for eczema skin and can replenish the skin with the compounds that are a natural part of our skin. It should be a cream that contains the same fats the skin now lacks and has lost due to the frequent washing. These are ceramides, cholesterol and fatty acids. They are binding agents between the individual skin cells and create a skin that does not allow allergens to enter, but keeps in the body’s moisture.

I have sensitive skin and have for more than ten years been investigating what works in my personal skincare. Countless products have been tested, but so far the most effective skincare cream is the one from CeraVe. It contains the right combination of ceramides, lipids and fatty acids naturally used by the body in production and maintenance of healthy skin.

By using CeraVe cream or creams with similar ingredients you can help your skin to cope with the hardships it is now beeing exposed to.

Use cream in the morning after your morning-bath, after each wash and before bed. Since the cream absorbs quickly into the skin you can use it frequently, especially during the first “reconstruction phase”.

To reduce inflammation, the eczema you may have should be treated with a topical steroid cream. I would choose Locoid, which you need a prescribtion for. It is a class 2 cream and is quite effective, but the risk of side effects is very small.

It is important not to be nervous about using topical steroids. It should be remembered that skin with eczema and inflammation itself is a dangerous condition that poses a risk of worse things in the future. Therefore, it is important to treat your eczema and follow up with effective skincare.

It is only when using class 3/4 creams for a very long time in the same area that you can experience side effects in the long run.

27 May 2020

CeraVe – Moisturizing cream for eczema

by PapaLima | posted in: Fremhævet, Skincare | 0

I find the CeraVe cream to be the best moisturizing cream for skin troubled by eczema. I found it some time ago after reading interesting articles about the benefits of ceramides. These fatty compounds should be good for people with a faulty skin barrier like eczema-patients since ceramides should fill the space between skin cells and act like mortar in a brick wall. Hmm… Sounds interesting…

On Amazon I saw thousands of positive reviews of the CeraVe-cream. After reading a lot of these reviews I had to try this cream and learn what this CERAMIDE was all about.

An extraordinarily high percentage of reviews are fire-stars.

I bought two jugs of CeraVe moisturizing cream 340 grams from lookfantastic.dk. It was reasonably priced compared to a lot of other moisturizing creams made for eczema. These often tend to be quite expensive and thereby being unattractive in the long run.

Before we go my experiences with the cream we need to learn more about the main active compound in CeraVe creams, the ceramides.

Ceramides

Us with atopic dermatitis has dry skin and our skin barrier is compromised because we lack fats called lipids in the top layer of the skin. Ceramides are skin-identical compounds that are a normal part of our skin. In normal skin these fatty lipids represent approximately 50 percent of the top layer. They keep the skin resistant against allergens and inhibit water from escaping the body. Normal people can produce these lipids including ceramides to keep the skin barrier tight and sturdy. Eczema patients do not produce enough to fill the spaces between the skin cells and therefore the skin barrier becomes leaky.

By applying lipids and ceramides to the skin in the form of cream you can help the skin to hold cells together by adding these essential fats to the skin barrier.

This info-graphic shows how Ceramides works

As we age the skin becomes drier as the level of lipids in the skin diminishes. For that reason the importance of adding creams containing ceramides becomes more important as time goes on.

Ceramides can is made synthetically or from natural sources, but chemically they are the same. Together with other fatty lipids like glycerin, fatty acids, and cholesterol, ceramides can work wonders for eczema skin.

CeraVe cream is recommended by the National Eczema Association in the U.S.

My verdict

This is the best cream I have ever used. The cream is silky smooth to apply and absorbs quickly into the skin. My skin is now soft, moist and feels more robust than ever before. The use of steroid creams have gone down and for now I am in a period where I do not use them anymore. If this holds up in the long run we will have to see, but for now I am very pleased.

When I shower and use mild soap and salt my skin is now still oily and feel not as exposed as before. It seems like this cream in a way fills up the skin with oils, so the barrier is intact even after the shower.

I have been using the cream daily for a week after the shower, at high noon and before bedtime. In that short amount of time I can literally say that my skin has changed.

All in all I am very impressed and my skin just loves this cream. Hopefully it will keep doing its job at keeping the steroid creams at bay.

Read more about diet, skin care and much more in my book.

References:

Wikipedia/Ceramide

National Eczema Assosiation – Moisturizers for Skin Diseases: New Insights

4 May 2020

Make a stand now!

by PapaLima | posted in: Fremhævet, Mindset & motivation | 0

You have to make a stand and decide if you will commit to get rid of your eczema. My book will help you get on the road to permanent change. Once your eczema has cleared up and you get your energy back, you will not go back to your former life and diet.

It takes some self-discipline to avoid foods that you know will trigger your eczema. However, since you know the itching of red and inflamed skin from your own body, the risks of “taking a chance” are clear to you. That’s why you must firmly say “no!” to the food that you know or think may provoke an eczema flare-up.

The risk of “taking a chance” frequently leads to an eczema flareup that you have to treat with steroid creams for at least a week.

We all have a special mental tool we can use in a crisis situation. It is called the Warrior Mind and we all have it deep within ourselves. The Warrior Mind is a big asset in the healing process and will often provide you with the right course of action.

When weak-mind says CANDY, Warrior-mind says CARROT!!

Weak Mind is the voice in your head that’s always chattering and commenting. It likes instant pleasures no matter the consequences.

Warrior Mind is your intuition, your feeling that something is right. It will guide you to the best choices even if Weak Mind is complaining like a spoilt child.

Activate your Warrior Mind NOW!

Author Archives: PapaLima