QUESTION:
What weighs one gram and supplies as much Beta Carotene as 14 cups of whole eggs or 23 cups of yogurt or 14 gram of liver or 140 gram of beet greens or 70 grams of carrots?
ANSWER:
Four capsules of freeze-dried Super Blue Green Algae.
Benefits from algae
We know that orange, yellow and dark green vegetables are supposed to be rich sources of beta carotene. However, today’s farming methods, food processing and storage are primarily responsible for an unfortunate change in the nutritional content of our vegetables.
Raw carrots, for example, have been found to differ widely in beta carotene content from 18,500 I.U. (which they are supposed to be) all the way down to 70 l.U.! Many of the foods that we would normally expect to nourish us are simply images of what they should be, and the modern carrot in most cases only "looks like a carrot.”
No wonder thousands of people are excited about the availability of the little algae from Upper Klamath Lake and are interested in the benefits from algae to supplement their food in a healthful and nourishing way.
Algae are among the Earth’s most ancient organisms,
found in every inch of sod and in every body of water from the largest ocean to the tiniest puddles, in the hottest springs and the coldest streams. It is responsible for 90% of the world’s photosynthesis, thus consuming carbon dioxide and producing oxygen and food for the entire food chain. Benefits from algae extends not just to humans - but to the entire food chain.
Without algae, there would be no life in the seas and very little on land.
Although algae have been eaten by man for centuries, only recently have they been lauded by scientists as THE group of high protein-containing organisms which are the most likely to provide man with sufficient amounts of nutrients for the future, and, when presented graphically, the amino acids contained in fresh water algae almost overlap those of the human body.
Further illustrating the benefits from algae.
Previously the best known species of algae to be available for human consumption were spirulina and chlorella, both marketed throughout the world. However, both spirulina and chlorella are grown artificially in man made ponds and fed whatever the growers have decided that their proper food should be — while Alphanizomenon flos-aquae, better known as Super Blue Green Algae, is a completely wild algae living in Upper Klamath Lake.
Certified Organic
Today there is great emphasis on organic food, and that is the benefit from algae - it is certified organic.
Read more:
Benefits from Algae
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Blue Zones - the book
Question: In your book, you identify the "Power 9": nine habits or behaviors all Blue Zone populations have in common. Could you talk about one or two that the average American takes most for granted?
Dan Buettner: Many Americans exercise too hard. The life expectancy of our species, for 99.9% of human history, was about 30 years. The fact that medicine has pushed life expectancy to age 78 doesn't mean our bodies were designed for three-quarters of a century of pounding. Muscles tear, joints wear out, backs go out. The world's longest-lived people tend to do regular, low intensity physical activity, like walking with friends, gardening and playing with their children. The key is to do something light every day.
I also think the trend toward isolation is a mistake. Drive down any American street at 9:00 pm and you can see the greenish glow of the television or the computer in people's window. We've become an increasingly isolated society. Fifteen years ago, the average American had three good friends. Now it's down to two. We know that isolation shaves good years off of your life. In The Blue Zones, I advocate reconnecting with your religious community and proactively building friendships with the right people.
Question: Is there something about the physical landscape that contributes to an area being a Blue Zone, or can people make their own personal Blue Zones, regardless of where they live?
Dan Buettner: Staying young and living long is mostly a function of your environment... and the good news is that to a great extent, we each have control over that environment. In the Blue Zones around the world, people live in places where walking is the main means of transportation, where the sun shines strong all year long so they get enough vitamin D; where they have established social norms that bring people together in supportive groups or clubs. The Blue Zones book shows you how to take about two hours and set up your home, your social life and your work place to help you get up to 10 more good years out of life (and look younger along the way!).
Question: Are Blue Zones about living longer, or living better?
Dan Buettner: Both. The same things that get you to a healthy 100 get you there better. The Blue Zones offers a completely different way to think about longevity and youth maintenance. If you look at the Power9—the common denominators of the longest-lived people—you see that they tend to put their families first, they belong to a faith-based community and they know their sense of purpose. All of these behaviors are associated with 3-6 years of life (which is better than any diet can promise) and they're good years. In other words, the same Blue Zone tenets that will help you get to a healthy age 90 will help ensure those years are vital and enriching.
Question: If considering all nine habits at once seems overwhelming, what's the first step someone could take toward living a more enriching, longer life?
Dan Buettner: The good news is that the Power9 is an a la carte menu: by no means do you have to do all nine to gain more good years out of life. In fact, do six of them and get about 90% of the benefit. The most important thing you can do is building your own Right Tribe. Which is to say, all of the world's longest-lived people were born into, or consciously chose to associate with, the right people. The Framingham Studies show us that if your three best friends are obese, there's a 50% better chance that you'll be obese. The reverse is true too. If you dine with people who eat healthy food, you're more likely to eat healthy food; if the friends you spend the most time with play a sport, you're more likely to join them. As your mother said, "You're known by the company you keep." You're also likely to resemble them.
The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest
Dan Buettner: Many Americans exercise too hard. The life expectancy of our species, for 99.9% of human history, was about 30 years. The fact that medicine has pushed life expectancy to age 78 doesn't mean our bodies were designed for three-quarters of a century of pounding. Muscles tear, joints wear out, backs go out. The world's longest-lived people tend to do regular, low intensity physical activity, like walking with friends, gardening and playing with their children. The key is to do something light every day.
I also think the trend toward isolation is a mistake. Drive down any American street at 9:00 pm and you can see the greenish glow of the television or the computer in people's window. We've become an increasingly isolated society. Fifteen years ago, the average American had three good friends. Now it's down to two. We know that isolation shaves good years off of your life. In The Blue Zones, I advocate reconnecting with your religious community and proactively building friendships with the right people.
Question: Is there something about the physical landscape that contributes to an area being a Blue Zone, or can people make their own personal Blue Zones, regardless of where they live?
Dan Buettner: Staying young and living long is mostly a function of your environment... and the good news is that to a great extent, we each have control over that environment. In the Blue Zones around the world, people live in places where walking is the main means of transportation, where the sun shines strong all year long so they get enough vitamin D; where they have established social norms that bring people together in supportive groups or clubs. The Blue Zones book shows you how to take about two hours and set up your home, your social life and your work place to help you get up to 10 more good years out of life (and look younger along the way!).
Question: Are Blue Zones about living longer, or living better?
Dan Buettner: Both. The same things that get you to a healthy 100 get you there better. The Blue Zones offers a completely different way to think about longevity and youth maintenance. If you look at the Power9—the common denominators of the longest-lived people—you see that they tend to put their families first, they belong to a faith-based community and they know their sense of purpose. All of these behaviors are associated with 3-6 years of life (which is better than any diet can promise) and they're good years. In other words, the same Blue Zone tenets that will help you get to a healthy age 90 will help ensure those years are vital and enriching.
Question: If considering all nine habits at once seems overwhelming, what's the first step someone could take toward living a more enriching, longer life?
Dan Buettner: The good news is that the Power9 is an a la carte menu: by no means do you have to do all nine to gain more good years out of life. In fact, do six of them and get about 90% of the benefit. The most important thing you can do is building your own Right Tribe. Which is to say, all of the world's longest-lived people were born into, or consciously chose to associate with, the right people. The Framingham Studies show us that if your three best friends are obese, there's a 50% better chance that you'll be obese. The reverse is true too. If you dine with people who eat healthy food, you're more likely to eat healthy food; if the friends you spend the most time with play a sport, you're more likely to join them. As your mother said, "You're known by the company you keep." You're also likely to resemble them.
The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Veriuni Advanced Liquid Nutrition
The new berry flavored formula now has Acai Berry Extract, Grape Seed Extract, Omegas 3 & 6, and Calcium! It's also Gluten free.
Veriuni Advanced Liquid Nutrition is a one-of-a-kind, all-natural liquid supplement designed to promote robust health. Exclusive formula packs 13 vitamins, 9 herbs, 18 amino acids, and a variety of nutrients, minerals, and plant extracts for total body wellness in every delicious, mixed-berry-flavored, 1-ounce dose.
Why take a liquid nutrition? One word--ABSORPTION!!! The nutrients in Veriuni's Advanced Liquid Nutrition are up to 98% absorbable. Compare that to the less effective 5-10% absorption rate for capsules or hard-to-swallow compressed "horse pills" with unfavorable vitamin aftertastes. Advanced Liquid Nutrition's unique dietary supplement contains nearly every daily nutrient required for vigorous health in a 1-ounce dose.
You can't get this formula anywhere else online or in stores! Try Veriuni Advanced Liquid Nutrition today and start noticing an improved sense of wellbeing and increased energy today!
More information here: Veriuni Advanced Liquid Nutrition
Veriuni Advanced Liquid Nutrition is a one-of-a-kind, all-natural liquid supplement designed to promote robust health. Exclusive formula packs 13 vitamins, 9 herbs, 18 amino acids, and a variety of nutrients, minerals, and plant extracts for total body wellness in every delicious, mixed-berry-flavored, 1-ounce dose.
Why take a liquid nutrition? One word--ABSORPTION!!! The nutrients in Veriuni's Advanced Liquid Nutrition are up to 98% absorbable. Compare that to the less effective 5-10% absorption rate for capsules or hard-to-swallow compressed "horse pills" with unfavorable vitamin aftertastes. Advanced Liquid Nutrition's unique dietary supplement contains nearly every daily nutrient required for vigorous health in a 1-ounce dose.
You can't get this formula anywhere else online or in stores! Try Veriuni Advanced Liquid Nutrition today and start noticing an improved sense of wellbeing and increased energy today!
More information here: Veriuni Advanced Liquid Nutrition
Monday, October 12, 2009
Quest for a Long Life Gains Scientific Respect
Who would have thought it? The quest for eternal life, or at least prolonged youthfulness, has now migrated from the outer fringes of alternative medicine to the halls of Harvard Medical School.
At a conference on aging held here last week, the medical school’s dean, Jeffrey Flier, was to be seen greeting participants who ranged from members of the 120 club (they intend to live at least that long) to devotees of very low calorie diets.
The heavyweight at the conference was Sirtris Pharmaceuticals. The company is developing drugs that mimic resveratrol, a chemical found in some red wines. Resveratrol has been found to activate proteins called sirtuins, from which the company derives its name. Activation of sirtuins is thought to help the body ride out famines.
Mice and rats put on a diet with 30 percent fewer calories can live up to 40 percent longer. They seem to do so by avoiding the usual degenerative diseases of aging and so gain not just longer life but more time in good health.
Sirtris’s researchers think that drugs that activate sirtuins mimic this process, strengthening the body’s resistance to the diseases of aging. The company has developed thousands of small chemical compounds that are far more potent than resveratrol and so can be given in smaller doses.
In mice, sirtuin activators are effective against lung and colon cancer, melanoma, lymphoma, Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s disease, said David Sinclair, a Harvard Medical School researcher and co-founder of Sirtris. The drugs reduce inflammation, and if they have the same effects in people, could help combat many diseases that have an inflammatory component, like irritable bowel syndrome and glaucoma.
Any sirtuin activator that averted all these diseases in people would be a rather remarkable drug. So there is considerable interest in how well Sirtris’s drug trials are going.
Sirtris’s senior director of corporate development, Brian Gallagher, said at the conference that four active clinical trials were under way.
SRT-501, the company’s special formulation of resveratrol, is being tested against two cancers, multiple myeloma and colon cancer that has spread to the liver. A chemical mimic of resveratrol, known as SRT-2104, is in a Phase 2 trial for Type 2 diabetes, and in a Phase 1 trial in elderly patients. (Phase 1 trials test for safety, Phase 2 for efficacy.)
Dr. Gallagher said that unpublished tests in mice showed that another chemical mimic, SRT-1720, increased both health and lifespan; after two years, twice as many mice taking the drug were alive compared with the undosed animals. Resveratrol itself has not been shown to increase lifespan in normal mice, although it does so in obese mice, laboratory roundworms and flies.
Sirtris has so far been doubly fortunate. No severe side effects have yet emerged from the clinical trials. The company has also been lucky in having apparently picked the right horse, or at least a good one, in a fast-developing field.
Besides the sirtuins, several other proteins are now known to influence longevity, energy use and the response to caloric restriction. These include the receptors for insulin and for another hormone called IGF-1, and a protein of increasing interest called TOR (“target of rapamycin”). Rapamycin is an antimicrobial that was recently found to extend lifespan significantly, even when given to mice at an advanced age. Since TOR is involved in the response to caloric restriction, rapamycin may extend life through this pathway.
Sirtuins may not be the most important genes for longevity, Dr. Sinclair conceded at the conference, because the pathways controlled by the sirtuins, TOR and the others “all talk to each other, often by feedback loops.”
Many theories of aging attribute senescence to the inexorable buildup of mutations in a person’s DNA. Dr. Sinclair said that in his view “aging can be reversed” because the DNA mutations did not directly cause aging. Rather, they induce the sirtuin molecules that help control the genome to divert to the site of damage. With the sirtuins absent from their usual post, genes are not regulated efficiently, and the cells’ performance degrades. Diversion of the sirtuins should be a reversible process, in Dr. Sinclair’s view, unlike DNA damage, which is not.
“In five or six or seven years,” said Christoph Westphal, Sirtris’s other co-founder, “there will be drugs that prolong longevity.”
But neither Dr. Sinclair nor Dr. Westphal was the most optimistic person at the conference. That status belonged to the English gerontologist Aubrey de Grey, who sports a beard so luxuriant that it is hard to see if he is wearing a tie. His goal is “negligible senescence.”
Some attendees were so convinced of the virtues of less food that they have begun severe diets of various kinds. Cynthia Kenyon, of the University of California, San Francisco, said she had gone on a low-carb diet in 2002 after finding that food with even 2 percent sugar reduced the lifespan of the laboratory roundworms she studies. “Basically I try to steer clear of desserts and starches, though I do eat chocolate,” she said.
Her willowy figure makes her look at least a decade younger than her age. But a practitioner of more severe caloric restriction who was at the conference looked gaunt and a little frail.
Sirtris’s quest for longevity drugs is founded on solid and promising research. But most drugs fail at some stage during trials. So there is no guarantee that any of Sirtris’s candidate compounds will work in people. The first result from a Phase 2 clinical trial is not expected until the end of next year at the earliest.
Meanwhile, it is a pleasant and not wholly unfounded thought that, just possibly, a single drug might combat every degenerative disease of Western civilization.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/29/science/29aging.html
At a conference on aging held here last week, the medical school’s dean, Jeffrey Flier, was to be seen greeting participants who ranged from members of the 120 club (they intend to live at least that long) to devotees of very low calorie diets.
The heavyweight at the conference was Sirtris Pharmaceuticals. The company is developing drugs that mimic resveratrol, a chemical found in some red wines. Resveratrol has been found to activate proteins called sirtuins, from which the company derives its name. Activation of sirtuins is thought to help the body ride out famines.
Mice and rats put on a diet with 30 percent fewer calories can live up to 40 percent longer. They seem to do so by avoiding the usual degenerative diseases of aging and so gain not just longer life but more time in good health.
Sirtris’s researchers think that drugs that activate sirtuins mimic this process, strengthening the body’s resistance to the diseases of aging. The company has developed thousands of small chemical compounds that are far more potent than resveratrol and so can be given in smaller doses.
In mice, sirtuin activators are effective against lung and colon cancer, melanoma, lymphoma, Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s disease, said David Sinclair, a Harvard Medical School researcher and co-founder of Sirtris. The drugs reduce inflammation, and if they have the same effects in people, could help combat many diseases that have an inflammatory component, like irritable bowel syndrome and glaucoma.
Any sirtuin activator that averted all these diseases in people would be a rather remarkable drug. So there is considerable interest in how well Sirtris’s drug trials are going.
Sirtris’s senior director of corporate development, Brian Gallagher, said at the conference that four active clinical trials were under way.
SRT-501, the company’s special formulation of resveratrol, is being tested against two cancers, multiple myeloma and colon cancer that has spread to the liver. A chemical mimic of resveratrol, known as SRT-2104, is in a Phase 2 trial for Type 2 diabetes, and in a Phase 1 trial in elderly patients. (Phase 1 trials test for safety, Phase 2 for efficacy.)
Dr. Gallagher said that unpublished tests in mice showed that another chemical mimic, SRT-1720, increased both health and lifespan; after two years, twice as many mice taking the drug were alive compared with the undosed animals. Resveratrol itself has not been shown to increase lifespan in normal mice, although it does so in obese mice, laboratory roundworms and flies.
Sirtris has so far been doubly fortunate. No severe side effects have yet emerged from the clinical trials. The company has also been lucky in having apparently picked the right horse, or at least a good one, in a fast-developing field.
Besides the sirtuins, several other proteins are now known to influence longevity, energy use and the response to caloric restriction. These include the receptors for insulin and for another hormone called IGF-1, and a protein of increasing interest called TOR (“target of rapamycin”). Rapamycin is an antimicrobial that was recently found to extend lifespan significantly, even when given to mice at an advanced age. Since TOR is involved in the response to caloric restriction, rapamycin may extend life through this pathway.
Sirtuins may not be the most important genes for longevity, Dr. Sinclair conceded at the conference, because the pathways controlled by the sirtuins, TOR and the others “all talk to each other, often by feedback loops.”
Many theories of aging attribute senescence to the inexorable buildup of mutations in a person’s DNA. Dr. Sinclair said that in his view “aging can be reversed” because the DNA mutations did not directly cause aging. Rather, they induce the sirtuin molecules that help control the genome to divert to the site of damage. With the sirtuins absent from their usual post, genes are not regulated efficiently, and the cells’ performance degrades. Diversion of the sirtuins should be a reversible process, in Dr. Sinclair’s view, unlike DNA damage, which is not.
“In five or six or seven years,” said Christoph Westphal, Sirtris’s other co-founder, “there will be drugs that prolong longevity.”
But neither Dr. Sinclair nor Dr. Westphal was the most optimistic person at the conference. That status belonged to the English gerontologist Aubrey de Grey, who sports a beard so luxuriant that it is hard to see if he is wearing a tie. His goal is “negligible senescence.”
Some attendees were so convinced of the virtues of less food that they have begun severe diets of various kinds. Cynthia Kenyon, of the University of California, San Francisco, said she had gone on a low-carb diet in 2002 after finding that food with even 2 percent sugar reduced the lifespan of the laboratory roundworms she studies. “Basically I try to steer clear of desserts and starches, though I do eat chocolate,” she said.
Her willowy figure makes her look at least a decade younger than her age. But a practitioner of more severe caloric restriction who was at the conference looked gaunt and a little frail.
Sirtris’s quest for longevity drugs is founded on solid and promising research. But most drugs fail at some stage during trials. So there is no guarantee that any of Sirtris’s candidate compounds will work in people. The first result from a Phase 2 clinical trial is not expected until the end of next year at the earliest.
Meanwhile, it is a pleasant and not wholly unfounded thought that, just possibly, a single drug might combat every degenerative disease of Western civilization.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/29/science/29aging.html
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Who Wants to Live Forever?
After watching the first cut of Highlander, a 1986 movie about battling immortals, the rock group Queen produced a single titled “Who Wants to Live Forever.” One might be tempted to respond by asking “Who wouldn’t?”
That our allotted time on this earth is somewhat fleeting has surely not escaped us, especially as we move farther down our life path. Among the animals and plants with which we share our planet, there is inevitable senescence. Even though as one biologist noted, “aging is an unnatural phenomenon [in that] most animals starve or get eaten, and have no chance to age,” aging and death are part of the human natural order. In recent years, however, a building revolution in the science of gerontology has heralded the possibility of life extension. This is leading some to speculate about just what the limits to human life might be; adding another decade or two or even centuries might be possible.
As our knowledge of the biochemistry of aging increases exponentially, it is no surprise that around the globe scientists are discovering hopeful paths that will provide ways to increase human longevity. Meanwhile, biotechnology companies are seeking to bring new products to market—drugs, cells, tissues, and procedures—which they, too, hope will go some way toward extending life as well as bring a profit.
Is death therefore in terminal decline? While the commercial and media hype concerning such a possibility has dismayed some mainstream scientists, others such as Aubrey de Grey have spearheaded efforts to, as he puts it, “cure the disease of aging.” The Methuselah Foundation chairman and biogerontology researcher is not only chasing the dream of immortality; he expects to catch it.
Noting the potential for life extension in his book How to Live Forever or Die Trying, respected Sunday Times journalist Bryan Appleyard reviews much of the current work and comes to a startling conclusion. “Developments in a number of scientific disciplines,” he writes, “suggest that we may soon be able to increase life expectancies . . . to well over a hundred and, perhaps, to over a thousand.”
WAKE-UP CALL
Humankind suffers from a “global trance” concerning aging, de Grey says, and he wants to wake us up. Aging and its associated pathology are not inevitable, he insists. Once we move beyond our fatalistic view of lifespan, de Grey has faith that science will show us how to reprogram our bodies to maintain our cellular systems in a youthful, self-restorative state virtually forever. He believes there are people alive today who need never grow old.
The modern view of aging is being decoupled from calendar time. Instead, aging appears to be the gradual accumulation of cellular damage caused by the byproducts of the biochemistry of life itself. Like other disease, aging and death are now seen as a progression of events that occur because the body fails to repair ongoing metabolic damage; so although time is an important factor, it is the loss of the repair function that leads to disease. Turning back the hands of cellular time and resetting them permanently in youthful self-repair mode is the greater goal in longevity research. This will require further identification of the links between specific genes, their cell maintenance functions, and other interactions between cells, the body, and the environment.
Our emerging understanding will eventually allow humans to reach what de Grey calls “longevity escape velocity” (LEV). This is not to suggest that science is on the cusp of developing the ultimate silver bullet against aging. Rather, just as transfusions and transplants, pacemakers and statin drugs have extended life today—and sanitation, clean water and food, and an application of the germ theory of disease extended human life in an earlier time—so another new age of medicine is on the horizon. Now, de Grey says, we have come to the point where we can begin to retrain the body to retain its natural rejuvenating processes.
Reaching LEV will not happen immediately, of course. We will not suddenly have ways to challenge Methuselah. By the time we can make 100 the normal life span, new innovations will extend it to 200, and so on, effectively leapfrogging expected life span to, well, no end in sight.
http://www.vision.org/visionmedia/article.aspx?id=18195
That our allotted time on this earth is somewhat fleeting has surely not escaped us, especially as we move farther down our life path. Among the animals and plants with which we share our planet, there is inevitable senescence. Even though as one biologist noted, “aging is an unnatural phenomenon [in that] most animals starve or get eaten, and have no chance to age,” aging and death are part of the human natural order. In recent years, however, a building revolution in the science of gerontology has heralded the possibility of life extension. This is leading some to speculate about just what the limits to human life might be; adding another decade or two or even centuries might be possible.
As our knowledge of the biochemistry of aging increases exponentially, it is no surprise that around the globe scientists are discovering hopeful paths that will provide ways to increase human longevity. Meanwhile, biotechnology companies are seeking to bring new products to market—drugs, cells, tissues, and procedures—which they, too, hope will go some way toward extending life as well as bring a profit.
Is death therefore in terminal decline? While the commercial and media hype concerning such a possibility has dismayed some mainstream scientists, others such as Aubrey de Grey have spearheaded efforts to, as he puts it, “cure the disease of aging.” The Methuselah Foundation chairman and biogerontology researcher is not only chasing the dream of immortality; he expects to catch it.
Noting the potential for life extension in his book How to Live Forever or Die Trying, respected Sunday Times journalist Bryan Appleyard reviews much of the current work and comes to a startling conclusion. “Developments in a number of scientific disciplines,” he writes, “suggest that we may soon be able to increase life expectancies . . . to well over a hundred and, perhaps, to over a thousand.”
WAKE-UP CALL
Humankind suffers from a “global trance” concerning aging, de Grey says, and he wants to wake us up. Aging and its associated pathology are not inevitable, he insists. Once we move beyond our fatalistic view of lifespan, de Grey has faith that science will show us how to reprogram our bodies to maintain our cellular systems in a youthful, self-restorative state virtually forever. He believes there are people alive today who need never grow old.
The modern view of aging is being decoupled from calendar time. Instead, aging appears to be the gradual accumulation of cellular damage caused by the byproducts of the biochemistry of life itself. Like other disease, aging and death are now seen as a progression of events that occur because the body fails to repair ongoing metabolic damage; so although time is an important factor, it is the loss of the repair function that leads to disease. Turning back the hands of cellular time and resetting them permanently in youthful self-repair mode is the greater goal in longevity research. This will require further identification of the links between specific genes, their cell maintenance functions, and other interactions between cells, the body, and the environment.
Our emerging understanding will eventually allow humans to reach what de Grey calls “longevity escape velocity” (LEV). This is not to suggest that science is on the cusp of developing the ultimate silver bullet against aging. Rather, just as transfusions and transplants, pacemakers and statin drugs have extended life today—and sanitation, clean water and food, and an application of the germ theory of disease extended human life in an earlier time—so another new age of medicine is on the horizon. Now, de Grey says, we have come to the point where we can begin to retrain the body to retain its natural rejuvenating processes.
Reaching LEV will not happen immediately, of course. We will not suddenly have ways to challenge Methuselah. By the time we can make 100 the normal life span, new innovations will extend it to 200, and so on, effectively leapfrogging expected life span to, well, no end in sight.
http://www.vision.org/visionmedia/article.aspx?id=18195
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Optimism Good for Heart and Longevity
Less cardiovascular disease, fewer deaths among the cheerful, study finds
Women who take a darker view of life are more likely to develop heart trouble than those with a cheerful, trusting outlook, a new study indicates.
The finding comes from the Women's Health Initiative, which has tracked more than 97,000 postmenopausal American women for more than eight years.
"In addition to looking at hormones and their effect on heart disease and cancer, the study also examined psychosocial and social factors and how they affected the health of postmenopausal women," said Dr. Hilary A. Tindle, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh, and lead author of a report in the Aug. 10 issue of Circulation. "Fortunately, we have this wealth of information on the psychological profile at the time they joined the study."
Optimism was measured by a questionnaire on whether a woman agreed with such statements as "In unclear times, I usually expect the best." The questions measuring cynicism asked about agreement with such statements as "It is safer to trust no one" and "I have often had to take orders from people who did not know as much as I did."
Women within the highest 25 percent of optimism scores had a 9 percent lower chance of developing heart disease and a 14 percent lower chance of dying of any cause. Women with the highest degree of cynical hostility were 16 percent more likely to die than those with the most trust in their fellow humans.
The results most likely apply to men as well as women, Tindle said, citing several previous studies, such as a 2004 Dutch report that men who were more optimistic died less often of cardiovascular disease.
There are several possible explanations for the new finding, Tindle said. Money might well be involved, since "optimism is associated with higher income and education," she said. But curiously, "the level of socioeconomic status when a woman was young was better associated with outcome than current status," Tindle said.
Beyond that, there are "three broad categories of possibilities," she said.
One is related to lifestyle factors. "Optimistic women had more stable risk profiles, with less high blood pressure and diabetes," Tindle said. "They didn't smoke as much and tended to exercise more. So their lower risk might just be associated with living healthier."
It's also possible that optimists are more likely to follow their doctors advice more faithfully. "Previous studies have shown that optimists tend to follow the diet they are told to follow," Tindle noted.
Or a woman's outlook on life might affect how she responds to stress, theb researcher said. Pessimism and cynical hostility might lead to higher blood pressure, higher heart rate and other physical risk factors, she said.
Tindle said she would like to test all of those possibilities in a controlled trial. "We would recruit individuals who are pessimistic, and try to alter their outlook and see if it affects their health," she said.
The answer probably would be "yes," Tindle said. "Even the most cynical, hostile individual can change, given the right stimulus, and I see this every day," she said.
The report was cheering news for Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, director of women and heart disease at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.
"It turns out that being optimistic is an important part of maintaining health," Steinbaum said.
The study shows that "one's view of the world and your perspective can play an important role in your health," she said. "This study demonstrates the role and significance of the connection between the mind and the body. Its just another reason to try to look at the bright side of life."
http://www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=629839
Women who take a darker view of life are more likely to develop heart trouble than those with a cheerful, trusting outlook, a new study indicates.
The finding comes from the Women's Health Initiative, which has tracked more than 97,000 postmenopausal American women for more than eight years.
"In addition to looking at hormones and their effect on heart disease and cancer, the study also examined psychosocial and social factors and how they affected the health of postmenopausal women," said Dr. Hilary A. Tindle, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh, and lead author of a report in the Aug. 10 issue of Circulation. "Fortunately, we have this wealth of information on the psychological profile at the time they joined the study."
Optimism was measured by a questionnaire on whether a woman agreed with such statements as "In unclear times, I usually expect the best." The questions measuring cynicism asked about agreement with such statements as "It is safer to trust no one" and "I have often had to take orders from people who did not know as much as I did."
Women within the highest 25 percent of optimism scores had a 9 percent lower chance of developing heart disease and a 14 percent lower chance of dying of any cause. Women with the highest degree of cynical hostility were 16 percent more likely to die than those with the most trust in their fellow humans.
The results most likely apply to men as well as women, Tindle said, citing several previous studies, such as a 2004 Dutch report that men who were more optimistic died less often of cardiovascular disease.
There are several possible explanations for the new finding, Tindle said. Money might well be involved, since "optimism is associated with higher income and education," she said. But curiously, "the level of socioeconomic status when a woman was young was better associated with outcome than current status," Tindle said.
Beyond that, there are "three broad categories of possibilities," she said.
One is related to lifestyle factors. "Optimistic women had more stable risk profiles, with less high blood pressure and diabetes," Tindle said. "They didn't smoke as much and tended to exercise more. So their lower risk might just be associated with living healthier."
It's also possible that optimists are more likely to follow their doctors advice more faithfully. "Previous studies have shown that optimists tend to follow the diet they are told to follow," Tindle noted.
Or a woman's outlook on life might affect how she responds to stress, theb researcher said. Pessimism and cynical hostility might lead to higher blood pressure, higher heart rate and other physical risk factors, she said.
Tindle said she would like to test all of those possibilities in a controlled trial. "We would recruit individuals who are pessimistic, and try to alter their outlook and see if it affects their health," she said.
The answer probably would be "yes," Tindle said. "Even the most cynical, hostile individual can change, given the right stimulus, and I see this every day," she said.
The report was cheering news for Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, director of women and heart disease at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.
"It turns out that being optimistic is an important part of maintaining health," Steinbaum said.
The study shows that "one's view of the world and your perspective can play an important role in your health," she said. "This study demonstrates the role and significance of the connection between the mind and the body. Its just another reason to try to look at the bright side of life."
http://www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=629839
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Verve - the energy drink backed by science
David Woyanorowski MD wrote this review of Verve:
My name is David Woynarowski MD and I am an anti-aging doctor, a supplement designer and a fitness expert. I also have the great fortune of being a member of the top review panel for the Product of the Year Award for Ms Fitness Magazine.
I‘m honored that they ask me to review all kinds of products: from supplements to exercise widgets, information products and just about anything new that pertains to health and fitness. The truth is that most of the time the stuff never gets out of my office, because they are simply NOT GOOD ENOUGH… and that includes the numerous widgets, drinks, pills and info products.
Getting through my door takes a lot and getting the thumbs up for product of the year takes much, much more.
So when they put Verve in front of me I thought, “Why do we need another energy drink!” In a step -by -step analysis the answer became clear and eventually led to Verve being the only real choice for Product of the Year 2009.
Step One: TASTE!
I really liked the fresh, clean, natural taste of Verve and I could tell it was very different right away. Everything is naturally sourced and not created in a lab. Mother Nature rules here in the form of organic plant sources and the great taste reflects it.
Step Two: SHOW ME THE SCIENCE
In addition to my medical endeavors I am also a scientist. All the hype, packaging novelties and celeb word-of-mouth cannot replace solid science. Verve wowed me with science.
For instance, Verve’s parent company, Vemma, has two clinical studies to back up what they say. (And more on the way no doubt.) There’s nothing like a randomized, doubleblind, placebo-controlled study to get my attention. Statistical significance trumps taste tests every time.
The first impressive study shows a rise in antioxidant levels after drinking just 2 ounces of the Vemma nutrition formula in Verve. Now, you may wonder, what does that have to do with an energy drink and why is it important?
First off, energy drinks are meant to support an active lifestyle. Active lifestyles including exercise, while terrific for you, can also increase the level of oxidation and inflammation in your blood. As an ultra-runner I am uniquely aware of the demands exercise can place on your body. Most energy drinks just bang you with caffeine and other s t i m u l a n t s and don’t worry a bit about the “side effects” of your active lifestyle.
In other words, they may be the poison and not the antidote, because they let you do more damage - but don’t help you recover from it.
Now, in case you don’t read or care a lot about science, here is a little tidbit for you as well. Chronic inflammation can cause problems in your body. It has been linked to bad joints, bad hearts, bad moods and, perhaps even worse: to getting fat! And we all know the really bad things that come with being fat.
So it stands to reason you might not want a lot of chronic inflammation in your life. Any product that can cut inflammation is a great product in my book and again Vemma’s science won the day.
Back to that Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Trial (in doctor talk that is very very good!) entitled “The Effect of the Vemma Formula on Immune Function and Inflammation in Humans.” This study shows a drop in critical markers of inflammation that anti-aging doctors like me know can be directly related to disease. So we can safely say that there is science to back up Vemma’s claims of effectively giving your body antioxidants and reducing inflammation in your body.
I will never forget the candid conversation with the former head of a major energy drink company who had just gone off to start his own brand. He left because, as he told it, “You would not give this stuff to your neighbor’s dog if you saw how they made it!” That drink is still selling like hotcakes, by the way!
While I can’t name names, I can tell you that if you have ever had an energy drink you’ve probably had this one and it’s anything but healthy.
Which brings us back to our Product of the Year: Verve.
Step Three:
The Ingredients and The Nutrition
Guarana, aloe and mangosteen, are all at the core of this natural organic mix. And there are tons of vitamins and minerals from Calcium to Manganese, Vitamin A to Vanadium, and they are all provided in a highly bioavailable form so you get what they say you get on the label instead of creating expensive urine.
Then there is the brain stuff - you know, the stuff that makes you feel more alert and alive - like Taurine, D ribose and choline and inositol as well, making this pretty close to a multi-vite in a bottle!
The net effect of all these ingredients is that Verve scored very well on the bioavailable nutrition scale. In English this means it’s a great source of valuable nutrition for your body. How much? Well here are just a few food equivalents for one 8 ounce serving of Verve. The same amount of Vitamin A as a cup of Spinach. The same Vitamin D levels as 55 eggs! The ORAC antioxidant value of 17 ounces of cherries. And in pointto- point comparison Verve simply blows the competition out of the water in antioxidant value.
Now I don’t care what you drink for your energy drink but I will tell you this: it doesn’t even come close to this, thus substantiating the claim of Verve as “The insanely healthy energy drink!”
I think this is the biggest difference between Verve and all the other energy drinks out there. People are constantly wishing for a healthy alternative to the best-selling products which are pretty much “glow in the dark” versions of soda!
I could keep writing about the health benefits that are so appealing to me but I need to tell you a bit more about why we chose this product because yes, there is more!
Step Four:
Convenience and Availability
First, it’s available in a couple of different sizes and caffeine loads dependent on how fast and how much extra energy you need.
For typical use there is an 8-ounce can and for fast-acting instant energy a 3-ounce shot. How’s that for allowing you to choose what’s right for you?
Now, truthfully, none of this would mean much to me without……(drum roll, please) THE SCIENCE, but when you put the total package together: superior ingredients and sourcing along with undeniable science… well, then my friend you have an undeniable winner.
Product of the Year 2009 Is Verve!
Dr Dave Woynarowski MD is a Board Certified Internist and Anti-Aging doctor as well as a Certified Personal Trainer. In additional to anti-aging medicine he has extensive experience in the specific science and techniques of weight loss and has successfully helped thousands to resculpt their bodies in the image they desire. He is a new regular contributor to Ms. Fitness Magazine and a member of the Ms. Fitness Review Panel. He can be contacted by: doc@drdavesbest.com
My name is David Woynarowski MD and I am an anti-aging doctor, a supplement designer and a fitness expert. I also have the great fortune of being a member of the top review panel for the Product of the Year Award for Ms Fitness Magazine.
I‘m honored that they ask me to review all kinds of products: from supplements to exercise widgets, information products and just about anything new that pertains to health and fitness. The truth is that most of the time the stuff never gets out of my office, because they are simply NOT GOOD ENOUGH… and that includes the numerous widgets, drinks, pills and info products.
Getting through my door takes a lot and getting the thumbs up for product of the year takes much, much more.
So when they put Verve in front of me I thought, “Why do we need another energy drink!” In a step -by -step analysis the answer became clear and eventually led to Verve being the only real choice for Product of the Year 2009.
Step One: TASTE!
I really liked the fresh, clean, natural taste of Verve and I could tell it was very different right away. Everything is naturally sourced and not created in a lab. Mother Nature rules here in the form of organic plant sources and the great taste reflects it.
Step Two: SHOW ME THE SCIENCE
In addition to my medical endeavors I am also a scientist. All the hype, packaging novelties and celeb word-of-mouth cannot replace solid science. Verve wowed me with science.
For instance, Verve’s parent company, Vemma, has two clinical studies to back up what they say. (And more on the way no doubt.) There’s nothing like a randomized, doubleblind, placebo-controlled study to get my attention. Statistical significance trumps taste tests every time.
The first impressive study shows a rise in antioxidant levels after drinking just 2 ounces of the Vemma nutrition formula in Verve. Now, you may wonder, what does that have to do with an energy drink and why is it important?
First off, energy drinks are meant to support an active lifestyle. Active lifestyles including exercise, while terrific for you, can also increase the level of oxidation and inflammation in your blood. As an ultra-runner I am uniquely aware of the demands exercise can place on your body. Most energy drinks just bang you with caffeine and other s t i m u l a n t s and don’t worry a bit about the “side effects” of your active lifestyle.
In other words, they may be the poison and not the antidote, because they let you do more damage - but don’t help you recover from it.
Now, in case you don’t read or care a lot about science, here is a little tidbit for you as well. Chronic inflammation can cause problems in your body. It has been linked to bad joints, bad hearts, bad moods and, perhaps even worse: to getting fat! And we all know the really bad things that come with being fat.
So it stands to reason you might not want a lot of chronic inflammation in your life. Any product that can cut inflammation is a great product in my book and again Vemma’s science won the day.
Back to that Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Trial (in doctor talk that is very very good!) entitled “The Effect of the Vemma Formula on Immune Function and Inflammation in Humans.” This study shows a drop in critical markers of inflammation that anti-aging doctors like me know can be directly related to disease. So we can safely say that there is science to back up Vemma’s claims of effectively giving your body antioxidants and reducing inflammation in your body.
I will never forget the candid conversation with the former head of a major energy drink company who had just gone off to start his own brand. He left because, as he told it, “You would not give this stuff to your neighbor’s dog if you saw how they made it!” That drink is still selling like hotcakes, by the way!
While I can’t name names, I can tell you that if you have ever had an energy drink you’ve probably had this one and it’s anything but healthy.
Which brings us back to our Product of the Year: Verve.
Step Three:
The Ingredients and The Nutrition
Guarana, aloe and mangosteen, are all at the core of this natural organic mix. And there are tons of vitamins and minerals from Calcium to Manganese, Vitamin A to Vanadium, and they are all provided in a highly bioavailable form so you get what they say you get on the label instead of creating expensive urine.
Then there is the brain stuff - you know, the stuff that makes you feel more alert and alive - like Taurine, D ribose and choline and inositol as well, making this pretty close to a multi-vite in a bottle!
The net effect of all these ingredients is that Verve scored very well on the bioavailable nutrition scale. In English this means it’s a great source of valuable nutrition for your body. How much? Well here are just a few food equivalents for one 8 ounce serving of Verve. The same amount of Vitamin A as a cup of Spinach. The same Vitamin D levels as 55 eggs! The ORAC antioxidant value of 17 ounces of cherries. And in pointto- point comparison Verve simply blows the competition out of the water in antioxidant value.
Now I don’t care what you drink for your energy drink but I will tell you this: it doesn’t even come close to this, thus substantiating the claim of Verve as “The insanely healthy energy drink!”
I think this is the biggest difference between Verve and all the other energy drinks out there. People are constantly wishing for a healthy alternative to the best-selling products which are pretty much “glow in the dark” versions of soda!
I could keep writing about the health benefits that are so appealing to me but I need to tell you a bit more about why we chose this product because yes, there is more!
Step Four:
Convenience and Availability
First, it’s available in a couple of different sizes and caffeine loads dependent on how fast and how much extra energy you need.
For typical use there is an 8-ounce can and for fast-acting instant energy a 3-ounce shot. How’s that for allowing you to choose what’s right for you?
Now, truthfully, none of this would mean much to me without……(drum roll, please) THE SCIENCE, but when you put the total package together: superior ingredients and sourcing along with undeniable science… well, then my friend you have an undeniable winner.
Product of the Year 2009 Is Verve!
Dr Dave Woynarowski MD is a Board Certified Internist and Anti-Aging doctor as well as a Certified Personal Trainer. In additional to anti-aging medicine he has extensive experience in the specific science and techniques of weight loss and has successfully helped thousands to resculpt their bodies in the image they desire. He is a new regular contributor to Ms. Fitness Magazine and a member of the Ms. Fitness Review Panel. He can be contacted by: doc@drdavesbest.com
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Wired on the Longevity Dividend
I see that Wired is running a piece espousing the Longevity Dividend. The Longevity Dividend is an argument developed by a group of gerontologists and aimed at regulators and politically-influenced funding groups. It deliberately steers clear of talking about extending life span, instead presenting increased funding for applied aging research as a form of investment that will greatly reduce later government medical program expenditures through reducing incidence of age-related disease. In that sense it is a form of compressed morbidity viewpoint, the theory that the period of life spent in age-related frailty and suffering from age-related disease can be compressed down without extending life span. This runs contrary to aging-as-damage theories, which instead state that any intervention that reduces the level of accumulated damage will tend to extend overall life span in addition to its other beneficial effects.
As to my personal view, I'll say that there are many strategies by which one can advance a cause - here, the cause of longevity science. Advocacy strategies that water down or omit core goals and facts in order to achieve wider circulation will do little to change the marketplace of ideas, however, and it is change in the marketplace of ideas that drives progress. The best progress in advocacy is made by planting your flag as far out as is supported by the evidence, and then defending that point against all naysayers.
But of course only the boldest of folk are willing to do that. Large institutions, such as government funding sources and the associated research communities, are ruthless in punishing members who publicly step one iota behind the limits of tradition and convention - hence the softly softly approach by those who have the most to lose.
Back to the topic at hand, here's the article in Wired:
As politicians try to reform a health care system that could swallow one-fifth of the nation’s economic output by 2020, they should consider making a small bet with a potentially huge payoff: research that could slow the process of aging.
"There will never be enough money for the federal government to pay for the demands of health care, because of chronic age-related diseases," said Doug Wallace, a cell biologist at the University of California, Irvine.
Wallace specializes in mitochondria - cellular power plants that float outside the cell nucleus, turn glucose into usable energy, and wear down over time. He thinks their malfunction underlies nearly every disease whose risks spike after middle age, from cancer to heart disease to dementia.
..
In papers published in The Scientist and British Medical Journal, Olshanksy and International Longevity Center president Robert Butler wrote that drugs that delay aging’s onset by seven years are now a realistic possibility.
They’re currently in the process of calculating this longevity dividend’s economic benefits. Even if the figures aren’t finalized, however, they’re likely to be massive. For Alzheimer’s disease alone, they estimate that the cost of care will rise to $1 trillion by 2050. The Robert Wood Johnson foundation estimates two-thirds of rising health costs come from chronic diseases.
“We need a method of molecular pre-emption. If we’re going to be able to afford health care, that’s what we’ve got to do. That’s going to provide the maximum cost savings, not managing symptoms or curative treatment,” said former National Institutes of Health chief Elias Zerhouni at a symposium held last Friday by the Jackson Laboratory.
I'll point you to a good quote from a little while back:
I say if this were a privatized system, we would all say "gee it’s wonderful. All these people want more health care, this industry is thriving". Let me put one other analogy. Suppose we made cars a government entitlement. Instead of cheering when auto production went up, we’d say, "Oh my God, we can’t afford this!". How you finance it may greatly affect the psychology and actually the freedom of the economy to take advantage of these new opportunities.
Centralized government control destroys everything it touches; it's just a matter of time for US medical institutions. It will be the tragedy of the commons writ larger than ever, a system in which every local, personal incentive is aligned against progress. So we will have little progress - and consequently much suffering - until some revolution sweeps this all away.
http://www.fightaging.org/archives/2009/08/wired-on-the-longevity-dividend.php
As to my personal view, I'll say that there are many strategies by which one can advance a cause - here, the cause of longevity science. Advocacy strategies that water down or omit core goals and facts in order to achieve wider circulation will do little to change the marketplace of ideas, however, and it is change in the marketplace of ideas that drives progress. The best progress in advocacy is made by planting your flag as far out as is supported by the evidence, and then defending that point against all naysayers.
But of course only the boldest of folk are willing to do that. Large institutions, such as government funding sources and the associated research communities, are ruthless in punishing members who publicly step one iota behind the limits of tradition and convention - hence the softly softly approach by those who have the most to lose.
Back to the topic at hand, here's the article in Wired:
As politicians try to reform a health care system that could swallow one-fifth of the nation’s economic output by 2020, they should consider making a small bet with a potentially huge payoff: research that could slow the process of aging.
"There will never be enough money for the federal government to pay for the demands of health care, because of chronic age-related diseases," said Doug Wallace, a cell biologist at the University of California, Irvine.
Wallace specializes in mitochondria - cellular power plants that float outside the cell nucleus, turn glucose into usable energy, and wear down over time. He thinks their malfunction underlies nearly every disease whose risks spike after middle age, from cancer to heart disease to dementia.
..
In papers published in The Scientist and British Medical Journal, Olshanksy and International Longevity Center president Robert Butler wrote that drugs that delay aging’s onset by seven years are now a realistic possibility.
They’re currently in the process of calculating this longevity dividend’s economic benefits. Even if the figures aren’t finalized, however, they’re likely to be massive. For Alzheimer’s disease alone, they estimate that the cost of care will rise to $1 trillion by 2050. The Robert Wood Johnson foundation estimates two-thirds of rising health costs come from chronic diseases.
“We need a method of molecular pre-emption. If we’re going to be able to afford health care, that’s what we’ve got to do. That’s going to provide the maximum cost savings, not managing symptoms or curative treatment,” said former National Institutes of Health chief Elias Zerhouni at a symposium held last Friday by the Jackson Laboratory.
I'll point you to a good quote from a little while back:
I say if this were a privatized system, we would all say "gee it’s wonderful. All these people want more health care, this industry is thriving". Let me put one other analogy. Suppose we made cars a government entitlement. Instead of cheering when auto production went up, we’d say, "Oh my God, we can’t afford this!". How you finance it may greatly affect the psychology and actually the freedom of the economy to take advantage of these new opportunities.
Centralized government control destroys everything it touches; it's just a matter of time for US medical institutions. It will be the tragedy of the commons writ larger than ever, a system in which every local, personal incentive is aligned against progress. So we will have little progress - and consequently much suffering - until some revolution sweeps this all away.
http://www.fightaging.org/archives/2009/08/wired-on-the-longevity-dividend.php
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Make your own happiness
Henry William Allingham’s ‘antiquity’ was mind-boggling. When he died at 113 years last week he was the world’s oldest man and one of the last surviving servicemen from the First World War. Born in London in 1896, the year the first Olympics were held, he was 14 when the Great War broke out. His mother begged him not to join the army but he signed up after her death in 1915. He was 67 when President Kennedy was shot and 73 when Neil Armstrong took that giant step for mankind on the Moon (his life spanned three centuries and the reign of six monarchs).
But he didn’t always have an easy time. His experience of war was terrifying which led to a nervous breakdown. Later he had another collapse. But in both cases the real culprit was overwork, he says: “I was trying to do the work of three men.” If ever there was a secret to his longevity he said it could be “keeping within your limit, which is vital. The trick is to look after yourself and always know your limitations.”
Another thoughtful take of his on longevity was: “Never to worry. In the ’20s there were millions of men out of work. You couldn’t get a job anywhere,” Allingham said in an interview. “I wasn’t worried. I’m not worried now,” he added. “I was cycling along Rotten Row one day when I saw George V come along on his horse. I took my cap off, and the King tipped his riding crop. And I said, ‘Give me a job, Sir; I’ll do anything for you.’ But it was lost in the clatter of the hooves.”
Allingham’s gentle dignity also seemed to conceal a steely sense of determination and defiance, says an oral historian of the First World War: “He was so surprised to survive (the carnage) that he saw whatever came next as a reward. He made the most of his life. It does exemplify in my mind that, whatever age you are, never give up, and when in doubt, sing, which is what he still did. Sheer defiance was the reason he kept going.”
His own parting advice, “You make your own happiness, whatever age you are” resonates with insights offered in Yoga and Ayurveda. Mind alone makes for bondage or freedom and that contented state of mind called santosha is a prime mover of physical hardihood and spiritual grace conducive to longevity, says Hathayogapradipika. Back that with “nutritious food, always in sparing quantities (hitabhuk mitabhuk),” the Charaka Samhita says, and you have the tranquil secret of sleeping soundly (sukham shete) so essential for a centurion’s life.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/4805269.cms?prtpage=1
But he didn’t always have an easy time. His experience of war was terrifying which led to a nervous breakdown. Later he had another collapse. But in both cases the real culprit was overwork, he says: “I was trying to do the work of three men.” If ever there was a secret to his longevity he said it could be “keeping within your limit, which is vital. The trick is to look after yourself and always know your limitations.”
Another thoughtful take of his on longevity was: “Never to worry. In the ’20s there were millions of men out of work. You couldn’t get a job anywhere,” Allingham said in an interview. “I wasn’t worried. I’m not worried now,” he added. “I was cycling along Rotten Row one day when I saw George V come along on his horse. I took my cap off, and the King tipped his riding crop. And I said, ‘Give me a job, Sir; I’ll do anything for you.’ But it was lost in the clatter of the hooves.”
Allingham’s gentle dignity also seemed to conceal a steely sense of determination and defiance, says an oral historian of the First World War: “He was so surprised to survive (the carnage) that he saw whatever came next as a reward. He made the most of his life. It does exemplify in my mind that, whatever age you are, never give up, and when in doubt, sing, which is what he still did. Sheer defiance was the reason he kept going.”
His own parting advice, “You make your own happiness, whatever age you are” resonates with insights offered in Yoga and Ayurveda. Mind alone makes for bondage or freedom and that contented state of mind called santosha is a prime mover of physical hardihood and spiritual grace conducive to longevity, says Hathayogapradipika. Back that with “nutritious food, always in sparing quantities (hitabhuk mitabhuk),” the Charaka Samhita says, and you have the tranquil secret of sleeping soundly (sukham shete) so essential for a centurion’s life.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/4805269.cms?prtpage=1
Saturday, June 20, 2009
100-year-old man attributes longevity to healthy lifestyle
One Fort Collins resident has 100 reasons to celebrate.
Lynn "Mac" Wilkins McMillan hit the century mark Thursday.
"I don't drink. I've never smoked. I'm just glad to be in as good health as I am," McMillan said during an interview from his son's home in north Windsor. "I would be miserable if I were in the shape that others are in at this age."
McMillan was born June 11, 1909, in Paducah, Texas.
He now lives at Rigden Farm Senior Retirement, where he celebrated his birthday.
Friends and family will host an open house celebration June 28 to mark McMillan's birthday.
Karen McMillan of Windsor, Mac's daughter-in-law, has been gathering old photos and asking family and friends to express their feelings through a homemade video.
The video will be played during the open house.
Karen also has written letters to Willie Nelson, the White House, former President Bill Clinton, the Army and television personality Willard Scott announcing Mac's 100th birthday.
McMillan was surprised to receive a card from a gentleman in the Army and is still waiting to receive one from the White House.
Until then, he is pleased to share his life experiences during the past 100 years with the community.
McMillan was raised on a farm with five sisters and two brothers.
He attended the University of Texas where he studied math and psychology.
Upon graduation, Mc-Millan worked in accounting and bookkeeping until he was drafted into the Army in spring 1941.
"I liked it," he said. "You would never know what was going to happen. I think we were all pretty anxious to get out though."
McMillan had various assignments during World War II. He traveled to Virginia, New York, the Philippines and Japan.
"Our last assignment was in Japan," he said. "There was an invasion scheduled but then the war ended."
After 20 years of service, McMillan retired.
He also served in the National Guard for six years.
He married Elizabeth, his wife of 60 years, on Oct. 12, 1941. They had one son, Charles McMillan of Windsor.
McMillan has one grandson, one granddaughter and four great-grandsons.
After retiring in 1969, he spent time traveling. McMillan has visited Hawaii twice, Canada, California, the Panama Canal, Costa Rica, Jamaica, the Cayman Islands and Disney World.
"I liked Hawaii better than any other place," he said. "It was something different."
The next trip McMillan has scheduled is for September.
"If I get approved to travel to see the (WWII) Veterans Memorial in Washington," he said, "I will."
When not traveling, McMillan focuses his time on activities at the senior retirement home.
"I've been taking Spanish lessons; I love to play Bingo and the Wii," he said. "I used to bowl a lot, so when I play the Wii I still have a tendency to curve the bowling ball."
McMillan also has his own cell phone and loves crossword puzzles.
"I'm a crossword addict," he said. "The first thing I do in the morning is the crossword puzzle in the newspaper. It's very educational and gives you a lot of words."
The retirement home has also appointed McMillan as the gardener.
"I've set out tomatoes for them and peppers," he said.
McMillian's mother lived to be 95 years old.
With plenty of activities to occupy his time, McMillan has remained a healthy 100-year-old.
"Right now, when I go to the doctor, they can't find anything wrong with me," he said. "You've got to take care of yourself healthwise."
http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20090612/NEWS01/906120315/1002/CUSTOMERSERVICE02/100-year-old-man-attributes-longevity-to-healthy-lifestyle
Lynn "Mac" Wilkins McMillan hit the century mark Thursday.
"I don't drink. I've never smoked. I'm just glad to be in as good health as I am," McMillan said during an interview from his son's home in north Windsor. "I would be miserable if I were in the shape that others are in at this age."
McMillan was born June 11, 1909, in Paducah, Texas.
He now lives at Rigden Farm Senior Retirement, where he celebrated his birthday.
Friends and family will host an open house celebration June 28 to mark McMillan's birthday.
Karen McMillan of Windsor, Mac's daughter-in-law, has been gathering old photos and asking family and friends to express their feelings through a homemade video.
The video will be played during the open house.
Karen also has written letters to Willie Nelson, the White House, former President Bill Clinton, the Army and television personality Willard Scott announcing Mac's 100th birthday.
McMillan was surprised to receive a card from a gentleman in the Army and is still waiting to receive one from the White House.
Until then, he is pleased to share his life experiences during the past 100 years with the community.
McMillan was raised on a farm with five sisters and two brothers.
He attended the University of Texas where he studied math and psychology.
Upon graduation, Mc-Millan worked in accounting and bookkeeping until he was drafted into the Army in spring 1941.
"I liked it," he said. "You would never know what was going to happen. I think we were all pretty anxious to get out though."
McMillan had various assignments during World War II. He traveled to Virginia, New York, the Philippines and Japan.
"Our last assignment was in Japan," he said. "There was an invasion scheduled but then the war ended."
After 20 years of service, McMillan retired.
He also served in the National Guard for six years.
He married Elizabeth, his wife of 60 years, on Oct. 12, 1941. They had one son, Charles McMillan of Windsor.
McMillan has one grandson, one granddaughter and four great-grandsons.
After retiring in 1969, he spent time traveling. McMillan has visited Hawaii twice, Canada, California, the Panama Canal, Costa Rica, Jamaica, the Cayman Islands and Disney World.
"I liked Hawaii better than any other place," he said. "It was something different."
The next trip McMillan has scheduled is for September.
"If I get approved to travel to see the (WWII) Veterans Memorial in Washington," he said, "I will."
When not traveling, McMillan focuses his time on activities at the senior retirement home.
"I've been taking Spanish lessons; I love to play Bingo and the Wii," he said. "I used to bowl a lot, so when I play the Wii I still have a tendency to curve the bowling ball."
McMillan also has his own cell phone and loves crossword puzzles.
"I'm a crossword addict," he said. "The first thing I do in the morning is the crossword puzzle in the newspaper. It's very educational and gives you a lot of words."
The retirement home has also appointed McMillan as the gardener.
"I've set out tomatoes for them and peppers," he said.
McMillian's mother lived to be 95 years old.
With plenty of activities to occupy his time, McMillan has remained a healthy 100-year-old.
"Right now, when I go to the doctor, they can't find anything wrong with me," he said. "You've got to take care of yourself healthwise."
http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20090612/NEWS01/906120315/1002/CUSTOMERSERVICE02/100-year-old-man-attributes-longevity-to-healthy-lifestyle
Long-distance longevity
Franklin — For five years, one of the few breaks Frank Ruebl got was getting out of the house to go for a run.
Every morning he'd lift his wife out of bed and get her dressed.
He did the cooking. He bathed her. He cleaned the house. He was the one who looked after the dog.
"When she was ready for her nap, I knew she would be all right," Ruebl said.
"She kept pushing me, 'Go run, Frank.' "
Ruebl is 90 years old, whippet-thin, and looks at least a decade younger.
On Saturday, he plans to run Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, Minn. Officials say he's the oldest runner to ever enter the popular marathon on the north shore of Lake Superior.
He's hoping for a better outcome than last year, in June 2008, when he was hobbled by knee pain and slowed by the heat and humidity. He quit midway through the race.
"I wanted to go all the way," he said. "But I couldn't."
His biggest problem wasn't physical - it was emotional. His wife, Ora, died on March 29, 2008.
To make matters worse, his dog, a 14-year-old black Labrador, died seven months after he lost his wife.
Ruebl is struggling with his losses and says it's been harder than he thought it would be. To cope, he takes a prescription for anxiety.
"I got my legs. I can run. That helps a lot. People tell me to get over it. Some people can. But I can't."
James Clemence has been Ruebl's physician since 1971.
"This was extreme devotion," he said. "She was an invalid, and he took care of her as well as anyone could have.
"It's much different than when somebody loses someone early in their life."
More elderly runners
The ranks of elderly runners have swelled over the last three decades, nurtured by advances in medicine, improved training techniques and changing perceptions about aging and physical activity.
Still, marathon runners in their 90s are extremely rare, according to Running USA.
The incessant pounding, the stress on the cardiovascular system and, of course, the pain eventually weed out even healthy older people, said Ryan Lamppa, media director for the organization, which tracks running trends.
Aside from cold weather, Ruebl said, he dwells little on the uncomfortable aspects of running. He is attracted to the solitude and the challenge each spring of ramping up the mileage after spending the winter on his well-worn exercise bike.
"It makes me feel better," he said. "I feel I need to get the workout in, or I don't feel right."
It's a common refrain from serious athletes in their middle years and beyond.
Exercise is a scratch that needs to be itched, almost every day. Training and competition satisfy a need to be challenged. And many are attracted to the camaraderie of it all.
Companionship isn't an attraction for Ruebl. "I'm a loner," he said.
But when he heads to Duluth, he will be joined by a small army of relatives. One of his grandsons will be running with him.
How much is enough?
Only three in 10 adults between ages 25 and 64 get enough leisure-time physical activity, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
After people reach age 65, activity levels drop even further.
How much exercise is enough?
The CDC says 30 minutes, five days a week - it can be anything from yardwork to running the 100-meter dash.
Ruebl mows his own lawn at his home in Franklin and has picked up odd jobs as a carpenter in retirement. He didn't stop working full time as a carpenter until his early 80s, when his wife needed him.
He views the work and the mental discipline of carpentry as keystones to his longevity.
Ruebl ran his first marathon when he was 59 - a double loop that started at Mayfair Mall. He's run Grandma's, Lakefront, Paavo Nurmi in Hurley, and Boston. He qualified for Boston in his early 60s by running Grandma's in 3 hours and 23 minutes - a 7:44 pace.
Ruebl describes himself as a "feel" runner, meaning he doesn't follow a strict regimen, but adjusts his training to his relative fitness.
He is also not an equipment junkie. He recently bought a new pair of shoes for the season. But until then he wore his beat-up ASICS like badges of fortitude.
"I can feel every pebble in the road," he complained before getting the new shoes.
Yet Ruebl isn't oblivious to training techniques and the running world.
He reads running magazines, and this spring, he read "Duel in the Sun: Alberto Salazar, Dick Beardsley, and America's Greatest Marathon," by John Brant.
"It's something deep with him," said Clemence, his physician. "He has a runner's mentality, and he gets so much joy from it."
To augment the running and stationary cycling, the 5-foot-6, 130-pound Ruebl lifts 10-pound weights - dozens of times - and walks up and down his basement steps until he's tired.
He also bought a new puppy, another black lab, and named her Smokey. Same as the old dog.
"We don't always quite appreciate how phenomenal it is, what my dad is doing, because he's always been this way," said Kathy Schraufnagel, one of his daughters whom he talks to most days.
Improving with age
Ruebl is part of a subculture that seeks to improve within the context of age.
Barb Klippel, 76, of Hayward is planning on completing her 20th American Birkebeiner in February 2010 after surviving non-Hodgkin's lymphoma at 51 and an accident in 2005 that broke her skull when she fell down a flight of steps.
Since then, she trains with friends in the hills outside town and practices getting off the snow in her skis to help improve her balance.
Greg Osterman, 54, of Cincinnati started running marathons and lifting weights after a heart transplant and cancer at the age of 37.
He'd never been a runner. But after the surgery, he began walking back from the grocery store with jugs of milk to build up his strength. He desperately wanted to get back to work as a plumber and support his family.
One day during his recovery, he broke into a trot. He could feel his heart beating.
"It gave me a sense of well-being," he said, shortly after knocking off a half marathon at age 50. "This thing is really pumping, and I feel really good. I just want to keep it going."
Increasing life expectancy
In a long-term study dating to the early 1980s at a southern California retirement center, researchers at the University of California, Irvine found that exercise, brain engagement, moderate amounts of caffeine and alcohol and being slightly overweight were factors that increased life expectancy.
After he runs on his favorite route, Whitnall Park, Ruebl occasionally will drink a beer in the parking lot.
"If there is a little sunshine, that's a pretty nice day," he said.
With a few weeks to go before Grandma's Marathon, he fell behind in his training. The cold spring sapped his enthusiasm for outdoor training, and he substituted some of his running with biking indoors.
His longest run has been 8 miles, and he needs to run close to 20 miles before the race.
Over time, his pace has slowed to a fast walk.
But he's still a runner.
Two weeks before race day, the rain had sent golfers into the Whitnall clubhouse.
"I got to keep going," he said. "I've got to get some longer runs in."
http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/48010402.html
Every morning he'd lift his wife out of bed and get her dressed.
He did the cooking. He bathed her. He cleaned the house. He was the one who looked after the dog.
"When she was ready for her nap, I knew she would be all right," Ruebl said.
"She kept pushing me, 'Go run, Frank.' "
Ruebl is 90 years old, whippet-thin, and looks at least a decade younger.
On Saturday, he plans to run Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, Minn. Officials say he's the oldest runner to ever enter the popular marathon on the north shore of Lake Superior.
He's hoping for a better outcome than last year, in June 2008, when he was hobbled by knee pain and slowed by the heat and humidity. He quit midway through the race.
"I wanted to go all the way," he said. "But I couldn't."
His biggest problem wasn't physical - it was emotional. His wife, Ora, died on March 29, 2008.
To make matters worse, his dog, a 14-year-old black Labrador, died seven months after he lost his wife.
Ruebl is struggling with his losses and says it's been harder than he thought it would be. To cope, he takes a prescription for anxiety.
"I got my legs. I can run. That helps a lot. People tell me to get over it. Some people can. But I can't."
James Clemence has been Ruebl's physician since 1971.
"This was extreme devotion," he said. "She was an invalid, and he took care of her as well as anyone could have.
"It's much different than when somebody loses someone early in their life."
More elderly runners
The ranks of elderly runners have swelled over the last three decades, nurtured by advances in medicine, improved training techniques and changing perceptions about aging and physical activity.
Still, marathon runners in their 90s are extremely rare, according to Running USA.
The incessant pounding, the stress on the cardiovascular system and, of course, the pain eventually weed out even healthy older people, said Ryan Lamppa, media director for the organization, which tracks running trends.
Aside from cold weather, Ruebl said, he dwells little on the uncomfortable aspects of running. He is attracted to the solitude and the challenge each spring of ramping up the mileage after spending the winter on his well-worn exercise bike.
"It makes me feel better," he said. "I feel I need to get the workout in, or I don't feel right."
It's a common refrain from serious athletes in their middle years and beyond.
Exercise is a scratch that needs to be itched, almost every day. Training and competition satisfy a need to be challenged. And many are attracted to the camaraderie of it all.
Companionship isn't an attraction for Ruebl. "I'm a loner," he said.
But when he heads to Duluth, he will be joined by a small army of relatives. One of his grandsons will be running with him.
How much is enough?
Only three in 10 adults between ages 25 and 64 get enough leisure-time physical activity, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
After people reach age 65, activity levels drop even further.
How much exercise is enough?
The CDC says 30 minutes, five days a week - it can be anything from yardwork to running the 100-meter dash.
Ruebl mows his own lawn at his home in Franklin and has picked up odd jobs as a carpenter in retirement. He didn't stop working full time as a carpenter until his early 80s, when his wife needed him.
He views the work and the mental discipline of carpentry as keystones to his longevity.
Ruebl ran his first marathon when he was 59 - a double loop that started at Mayfair Mall. He's run Grandma's, Lakefront, Paavo Nurmi in Hurley, and Boston. He qualified for Boston in his early 60s by running Grandma's in 3 hours and 23 minutes - a 7:44 pace.
Ruebl describes himself as a "feel" runner, meaning he doesn't follow a strict regimen, but adjusts his training to his relative fitness.
He is also not an equipment junkie. He recently bought a new pair of shoes for the season. But until then he wore his beat-up ASICS like badges of fortitude.
"I can feel every pebble in the road," he complained before getting the new shoes.
Yet Ruebl isn't oblivious to training techniques and the running world.
He reads running magazines, and this spring, he read "Duel in the Sun: Alberto Salazar, Dick Beardsley, and America's Greatest Marathon," by John Brant.
"It's something deep with him," said Clemence, his physician. "He has a runner's mentality, and he gets so much joy from it."
To augment the running and stationary cycling, the 5-foot-6, 130-pound Ruebl lifts 10-pound weights - dozens of times - and walks up and down his basement steps until he's tired.
He also bought a new puppy, another black lab, and named her Smokey. Same as the old dog.
"We don't always quite appreciate how phenomenal it is, what my dad is doing, because he's always been this way," said Kathy Schraufnagel, one of his daughters whom he talks to most days.
Improving with age
Ruebl is part of a subculture that seeks to improve within the context of age.
Barb Klippel, 76, of Hayward is planning on completing her 20th American Birkebeiner in February 2010 after surviving non-Hodgkin's lymphoma at 51 and an accident in 2005 that broke her skull when she fell down a flight of steps.
Since then, she trains with friends in the hills outside town and practices getting off the snow in her skis to help improve her balance.
Greg Osterman, 54, of Cincinnati started running marathons and lifting weights after a heart transplant and cancer at the age of 37.
He'd never been a runner. But after the surgery, he began walking back from the grocery store with jugs of milk to build up his strength. He desperately wanted to get back to work as a plumber and support his family.
One day during his recovery, he broke into a trot. He could feel his heart beating.
"It gave me a sense of well-being," he said, shortly after knocking off a half marathon at age 50. "This thing is really pumping, and I feel really good. I just want to keep it going."
Increasing life expectancy
In a long-term study dating to the early 1980s at a southern California retirement center, researchers at the University of California, Irvine found that exercise, brain engagement, moderate amounts of caffeine and alcohol and being slightly overweight were factors that increased life expectancy.
After he runs on his favorite route, Whitnall Park, Ruebl occasionally will drink a beer in the parking lot.
"If there is a little sunshine, that's a pretty nice day," he said.
With a few weeks to go before Grandma's Marathon, he fell behind in his training. The cold spring sapped his enthusiasm for outdoor training, and he substituted some of his running with biking indoors.
His longest run has been 8 miles, and he needs to run close to 20 miles before the race.
Over time, his pace has slowed to a fast walk.
But he's still a runner.
Two weeks before race day, the rain had sent golfers into the Whitnall clubhouse.
"I got to keep going," he said. "I've got to get some longer runs in."
http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/48010402.html
Sunday, May 3, 2009
The Island Where People Live Longer
Making it to 90 years old is awe-inspiring in much of the world. But on a tiny Greek island in the North Aegean Sea, nonagenarians barely merit a second glance.
The island of Icaria could be the newest of the world's so-called blue zones — places where residents have unusually long life spans.
Dan Buettner has crossed the globe many times over the years in search of blue zones, and he recently teamed up with AARP and National Geographic to study Icaria.
Buettner and a team of demographers work with census data to identify blue zones around the world. They found Icaria had the highest percentage of 90-year-olds anywhere on the planet — nearly 1 out of 3 people make it to their 90s.
Plus, Buettner says, "they have about 20 percent lower rates of cancer, 50 percent lower rates of heart disease and almost no dementia."
Our life spans are about 20 percent dictated by our genes, Buettner says. The rest is lifestyle. People in Icaria live in mountain villages that necessitate activity every day. "They have gardens," he says, for example. "If they go to church, if they go to their friends' house — it always occasions a small walk. But that ends up burning much more calories than going to a gym for 20 minutes a day."
"They also have a diet that's very interesting," Buettner continues. "It's very high in olive oil; it's very high in fruits and vegetables." It's also very high in greens; about 150 kinds of veggies grow wild on the island. "These greens have somewhere around 10 times the level of antioxidants in red wine."
And though they live on an island, Icarians don't eat much fish. Buettner says pirates pushed the culture up in the highlands and villagers couldn't depend on the sea as much as might be expected.
Particularly unusual to this new blue zone are the villagers' drinking habits. Tea drinking, that is. Icarians drink herbal teas every day, morning and night, Buettner says. This seems to be one of their secrets to longer living.
"We had five of these herbal teas sent to Athens and analyzed for their chemical composition," Buettner reports. "We found out that most of them were diuretics."
"It turns out that diuretics actually lower blood pressure," he says, "so when you're chronically lowering blood pressure every day with these herbal teas, that does help explain why there's lower rates of heart disease."
"That's something we haven't seen in Okinawa or Costa Rica or Sardinia or any of the other blue zones," Buettner says.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103744881
The island of Icaria could be the newest of the world's so-called blue zones — places where residents have unusually long life spans.
Dan Buettner has crossed the globe many times over the years in search of blue zones, and he recently teamed up with AARP and National Geographic to study Icaria.
Buettner and a team of demographers work with census data to identify blue zones around the world. They found Icaria had the highest percentage of 90-year-olds anywhere on the planet — nearly 1 out of 3 people make it to their 90s.
Plus, Buettner says, "they have about 20 percent lower rates of cancer, 50 percent lower rates of heart disease and almost no dementia."
Our life spans are about 20 percent dictated by our genes, Buettner says. The rest is lifestyle. People in Icaria live in mountain villages that necessitate activity every day. "They have gardens," he says, for example. "If they go to church, if they go to their friends' house — it always occasions a small walk. But that ends up burning much more calories than going to a gym for 20 minutes a day."
"They also have a diet that's very interesting," Buettner continues. "It's very high in olive oil; it's very high in fruits and vegetables." It's also very high in greens; about 150 kinds of veggies grow wild on the island. "These greens have somewhere around 10 times the level of antioxidants in red wine."
And though they live on an island, Icarians don't eat much fish. Buettner says pirates pushed the culture up in the highlands and villagers couldn't depend on the sea as much as might be expected.
Particularly unusual to this new blue zone are the villagers' drinking habits. Tea drinking, that is. Icarians drink herbal teas every day, morning and night, Buettner says. This seems to be one of their secrets to longer living.
"We had five of these herbal teas sent to Athens and analyzed for their chemical composition," Buettner reports. "We found out that most of them were diuretics."
"It turns out that diuretics actually lower blood pressure," he says, "so when you're chronically lowering blood pressure every day with these herbal teas, that does help explain why there's lower rates of heart disease."
"That's something we haven't seen in Okinawa or Costa Rica or Sardinia or any of the other blue zones," Buettner says.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103744881
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Oprah Winfrey Show focuses on health and longevity
Program may include highlights from Appalachian’s Human Performance Lab in Kannapolis
Research being conducted at the N.C. Research Campus to improve people’s health and longevity will be the focus of “The Oprah Winfrey Show” Tuesday, March 24.
While the producers of the show are keeping the contents under wraps until broadcast time, Appalachian State University Professor David Nieman was one of the professors working at the research campus who was interviewed by the show’s producers. Researchers from UNC Chapel Hill and Duke University also were interviewed.
Appalachian became part of the N.C. Research Campus last May. Nieman and Andy Shanely, Fuxia Jin, Amy Knab and Margaret Downs West, also with Appalachian, are expanding on research related to exercise, nutrition and the immune system that has been conducted at Appalachian’s Human Performance Lab in the Department of Health, Leisure and Exercise Science.
The N.C. Research Campus is a $1.5 billion biotechnology complex founded by Dole Food Co. owner David Murdock, who has long been interested in health and nutrition.
Appalachian has leased 5,200 square feet of office and research space in N.C. State University’s Plants for Human Health Institute, which is part of the research campus.
Research conducted at Appalachian during the past decade has documented the positive impact of moderate exercise on the immune system, that carbohydrate sports drinks help athletes stay healthy after high-intensity exercise, and that quercetin – an anti-oxidant found in red grapes, red wine, red apples, green tea and broccoli – helps keep people healthy.
http://www.news.appstate.edu/2009/03/17/oprah-winfrey-show/
Research being conducted at the N.C. Research Campus to improve people’s health and longevity will be the focus of “The Oprah Winfrey Show” Tuesday, March 24.
While the producers of the show are keeping the contents under wraps until broadcast time, Appalachian State University Professor David Nieman was one of the professors working at the research campus who was interviewed by the show’s producers. Researchers from UNC Chapel Hill and Duke University also were interviewed.
Appalachian became part of the N.C. Research Campus last May. Nieman and Andy Shanely, Fuxia Jin, Amy Knab and Margaret Downs West, also with Appalachian, are expanding on research related to exercise, nutrition and the immune system that has been conducted at Appalachian’s Human Performance Lab in the Department of Health, Leisure and Exercise Science.
The N.C. Research Campus is a $1.5 billion biotechnology complex founded by Dole Food Co. owner David Murdock, who has long been interested in health and nutrition.
Appalachian has leased 5,200 square feet of office and research space in N.C. State University’s Plants for Human Health Institute, which is part of the research campus.
Research conducted at Appalachian during the past decade has documented the positive impact of moderate exercise on the immune system, that carbohydrate sports drinks help athletes stay healthy after high-intensity exercise, and that quercetin – an anti-oxidant found in red grapes, red wine, red apples, green tea and broccoli – helps keep people healthy.
http://www.news.appstate.edu/2009/03/17/oprah-winfrey-show/
Sunday, March 15, 2009
A Word About Coenzyme Q10
Every cell must have energy to survive and function. Coenzyme Q10 is needed for energy in every normal cell of the human body.
In fact, Dr. Karl Folkers, winner of the Priestley Medal for his work on CoQ10, has declared, "We know today that CoQ10 is essential for life to exist."
It has been confirmed that common manufacturing processes such as the refining of grains will remove most of the CoQ10 previously present in foods.
Also, stressful environmental and lifestyle factors can deplete CoQ10 from bodily tissues. Studies have shown that if the essential levels of CoQQ10 are allowed to decline, and the body’s vital organs and systems cannot meet their energy requirements, serious health concerns may arise.
Furthermore, with advancing age the body begins to lose its ability to supply CoQ10, making supplementation advisable.
http://www.simplexityhealth.com/greensuperfoods
In fact, Dr. Karl Folkers, winner of the Priestley Medal for his work on CoQ10, has declared, "We know today that CoQ10 is essential for life to exist."
It has been confirmed that common manufacturing processes such as the refining of grains will remove most of the CoQ10 previously present in foods.
Also, stressful environmental and lifestyle factors can deplete CoQ10 from bodily tissues. Studies have shown that if the essential levels of CoQQ10 are allowed to decline, and the body’s vital organs and systems cannot meet their energy requirements, serious health concerns may arise.
Furthermore, with advancing age the body begins to lose its ability to supply CoQ10, making supplementation advisable.
http://www.simplexityhealth.com/greensuperfoods
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Exercise increases longevity for middle-age men
Men can have their life span extended by two more years if they started exercising when they are 50, say researchers.
The study conducted by Swedish researchers found that exercise increases the length of life, nonetheless, almost half of middle-age men don't exercise. But Dr. Karl Michalsson, a senior lecturer in the Department of Surgical Sciences at Uppsala University and the study's lead author, said the study offers more proof that "it's not too late for a man after the age of 50 years to invest in health and longevity by becoming more physically active."
Exercising has the same beneficial effect on life span as quitting smoking in middle age.
"Men who reported an increase in physical activity to a high level at age 60 years had, after an induction period of approximately 10 years, the same mortality risk as those who continued to have a high physical activity from age 50 to age 60 years," he said. "The magnitude of the reduction in mortality risk with increased physical activity corresponded to that of smoking cessation."
For the study, Michalsson's team collected data on 2,205 men who were 50 years old and then surveyed them again when they were 60, 70, 77 and 82. Each time, they were questioned about their level of physical activity as well as their weight, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, smoking habits and alcohol use.
After adjusting the data for other lifestyle factors, the researchers found that men who led sedentary lives were most likely to die during the follow-up period, and those who had the highest level of physical activity were least likely to die during that time.
In fact, men who exercised the most when they were 50 lived, on average, 2.3 years longer, and men who did moderate exercise lived 1.1 years longer than men who reported the lowest levels of exercise. It might take five to 10 years to see, but men who exercise in middle-age live longer, the researchers noted.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-03/09/content_10976693.htm
The study conducted by Swedish researchers found that exercise increases the length of life, nonetheless, almost half of middle-age men don't exercise. But Dr. Karl Michalsson, a senior lecturer in the Department of Surgical Sciences at Uppsala University and the study's lead author, said the study offers more proof that "it's not too late for a man after the age of 50 years to invest in health and longevity by becoming more physically active."
Exercising has the same beneficial effect on life span as quitting smoking in middle age.
"Men who reported an increase in physical activity to a high level at age 60 years had, after an induction period of approximately 10 years, the same mortality risk as those who continued to have a high physical activity from age 50 to age 60 years," he said. "The magnitude of the reduction in mortality risk with increased physical activity corresponded to that of smoking cessation."
For the study, Michalsson's team collected data on 2,205 men who were 50 years old and then surveyed them again when they were 60, 70, 77 and 82. Each time, they were questioned about their level of physical activity as well as their weight, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, smoking habits and alcohol use.
After adjusting the data for other lifestyle factors, the researchers found that men who led sedentary lives were most likely to die during the follow-up period, and those who had the highest level of physical activity were least likely to die during that time.
In fact, men who exercised the most when they were 50 lived, on average, 2.3 years longer, and men who did moderate exercise lived 1.1 years longer than men who reported the lowest levels of exercise. It might take five to 10 years to see, but men who exercise in middle-age live longer, the researchers noted.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-03/09/content_10976693.htm
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Reality check for men's health
Most people's grandmothers outlive their grandfathers, and 85 percent of centenarians are women. Behavior patterns contribute. Eighty percent of Americans who have a serious drug addiction are men; more than 80 percent of drunk drivers are men; during young adulthood, the peak age for homicide, suicide and accidental death, three men die for every woman.
However, Daniel Kruger, a research fellow at the University of Michigan who has done extensive studies on mortality rates, notes that behavior isn't the only factor in men's shorter life span; there are contributing genetic and physiologic differences.
Just as in many other species, he says, human "males are built for competition and females for longevity." Physiologically, the male hormone testosterone builds muscle mass, while the female hormone estrogen boosts the immune system and increases the level of HDL, the "good" cholesterol.
Tom Perls, founder of the New England Centenarian Study at Boston University, estimates that about 30 percent of the male-female disparity in longevity is due to biological differences, and 70 percent to social and cultural factors.
Primary to those particular factors is that women are known to tune in more to their health care. Women visit the doctor more often than men, and nearly twice as often for preventive care, according to a 2001 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The government's Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality is trying to get men more interested in their health. An ad campaign ( www.ahrq.gov/realmen) promotes the idea of getting regular checkups.
But if you're already geared up and just need a little extra help, read on for an age-by-age breakdown on what men should do at various ages to maintain their health.
What to do in your ...
20s:
Arrange for a complete physical every five years, which should include:
• Cholesterol profile
• Blood pressure check
• Testicular cancer screening (Young men should also perform monthly self-exams.)
• Waist measurement and height and weight measurements to calculate your body mass index, or BMI
• Complete blood count, a blood-sugar test and urinalysis
• Adult-type tetanus-pertussis-diphtheria booster (and follow up every 10 years)
• Dental visit every six to 12 months
30s:
Sign up for complete physicals, which should repeat the tests conducted in your 20s, but every three years instead of every five. At 35 you can stop testicular exams.
40s:
Get a complete physical every two years.
Also:
• Schedule a baseline EKG at 40 and repeat it periodically.
• Take a fasting blood sugar test at 45, then every three years.
• Start skin cancer screening, with additional exams by a dermatologist for men at high risk.
50s:
It's time to make your complete physical an annual event. Your regular health-care schedule should from now on include these four important additions:
• Colon cancer screening, which should take one of four approaches: Annual fecal occult blood testing (FOBT) with colonoscopy if a positive test; FOBT plus sigmoidoscopy every five years; colonoscopy every 10 years; double-contrast barium enema every five to 10 years.
• Prostate cancer screening. The physician should discuss the pros and cons of annual PSA blood tests and digital rectal exams.
• Eye exams by a specialist
• Annual flu shot
60s:
In addition to maintaining the pattern established in your 50s, ask your doctor about a shingles shot. Also, get the pneumonia vaccine. At 65, men who have ever smoked should get an abdominal aortic ultrasound.
70s and beyond:
From here on out, you can keep doing what you've been doing. After all, you've made it this far.
Better still, when you hit age 75, you can delete prostate cancer screening from your checklist.
And if some of this sounds a little familiar, it's probably because you've heard it before. One of the challenges of primary care, according to Harvey B. Simon, who compiled this information, is persuading men to get regular physicals. Simon should know. He is an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and the editor of Harvard Men's Health Watch.
http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090224/LIFESTYLE03/902240392
However, Daniel Kruger, a research fellow at the University of Michigan who has done extensive studies on mortality rates, notes that behavior isn't the only factor in men's shorter life span; there are contributing genetic and physiologic differences.
Just as in many other species, he says, human "males are built for competition and females for longevity." Physiologically, the male hormone testosterone builds muscle mass, while the female hormone estrogen boosts the immune system and increases the level of HDL, the "good" cholesterol.
Tom Perls, founder of the New England Centenarian Study at Boston University, estimates that about 30 percent of the male-female disparity in longevity is due to biological differences, and 70 percent to social and cultural factors.
Primary to those particular factors is that women are known to tune in more to their health care. Women visit the doctor more often than men, and nearly twice as often for preventive care, according to a 2001 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The government's Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality is trying to get men more interested in their health. An ad campaign ( www.ahrq.gov/realmen) promotes the idea of getting regular checkups.
But if you're already geared up and just need a little extra help, read on for an age-by-age breakdown on what men should do at various ages to maintain their health.
What to do in your ...
20s:
Arrange for a complete physical every five years, which should include:
• Cholesterol profile
• Blood pressure check
• Testicular cancer screening (Young men should also perform monthly self-exams.)
• Waist measurement and height and weight measurements to calculate your body mass index, or BMI
• Complete blood count, a blood-sugar test and urinalysis
• Adult-type tetanus-pertussis-diphtheria booster (and follow up every 10 years)
• Dental visit every six to 12 months
30s:
Sign up for complete physicals, which should repeat the tests conducted in your 20s, but every three years instead of every five. At 35 you can stop testicular exams.
40s:
Get a complete physical every two years.
Also:
• Schedule a baseline EKG at 40 and repeat it periodically.
• Take a fasting blood sugar test at 45, then every three years.
• Start skin cancer screening, with additional exams by a dermatologist for men at high risk.
50s:
It's time to make your complete physical an annual event. Your regular health-care schedule should from now on include these four important additions:
• Colon cancer screening, which should take one of four approaches: Annual fecal occult blood testing (FOBT) with colonoscopy if a positive test; FOBT plus sigmoidoscopy every five years; colonoscopy every 10 years; double-contrast barium enema every five to 10 years.
• Prostate cancer screening. The physician should discuss the pros and cons of annual PSA blood tests and digital rectal exams.
• Eye exams by a specialist
• Annual flu shot
60s:
In addition to maintaining the pattern established in your 50s, ask your doctor about a shingles shot. Also, get the pneumonia vaccine. At 65, men who have ever smoked should get an abdominal aortic ultrasound.
70s and beyond:
From here on out, you can keep doing what you've been doing. After all, you've made it this far.
Better still, when you hit age 75, you can delete prostate cancer screening from your checklist.
And if some of this sounds a little familiar, it's probably because you've heard it before. One of the challenges of primary care, according to Harvey B. Simon, who compiled this information, is persuading men to get regular physicals. Simon should know. He is an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and the editor of Harvard Men's Health Watch.
http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090224/LIFESTYLE03/902240392
Sunday, February 22, 2009
10 Health Habits That Will Help You Live to 100
You don't need to eat yogurt and live on a mountaintop, but you do need to floss
The biggest factor that determines how well you age is not your genes but how well you live. Not convinced? A new study published in the British Medical Journal of 20,000 British folks shows that you can cut your risk of having a stroke in half by doing the following four things: being active for 30 minutes a day, eating five daily servings of fruit and vegetables, and avoiding cigarettes and excess alcohol.
While those are some of the obvious steps you can take to age well, researchers have discovered that centenarians tend to share certain traits in how they eat, move about, and deal with stress—the sorts of things we can emulate to improve our own aging process. Of course, getting to age 100 is enormously more likely if your parents did. Still, Thomas Perls, who studies the century-plus set at Boston University School of Medicine, believes that assuming you've sidestepped genes for truly fatal diseases like Huntington's, "there's nothing stopping you from living independently well into your 90s." Heck, if your parents and grandparents were heavy smokers, they might have died prematurely without ever reaching their true potential lifespan, so go ahead and shoot for those triple digits. Follow these 10 habits, and check out Perls' lifetime risk calculator to see how long you can expect to live.
1. Don't retire. "Evidence shows that in societies where people stop working abruptly, the incidence of obesity and chronic disease skyrockets after retirement," says Luigi Ferrucci, director of the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. The Chianti region of Italy, which has a high percentage of centenarians, has a different take on leisure time. "After people retire from their jobs, they spend most of the day working on their little farm, cultivating grapes or vegetables," he says. "They're never really inactive." Farming isn't for you? Volunteer as a docent at your local art museum or join the Experience Corps, a program offered in 19 cities that places senior volunteers in urban public elementary schools for about 15 hours a week.
2. Floss every day. That may help keep your arteries healthy. A 2008 New York University study showed that daily flossing reduced the amount of gum-disease-causing bacteria in the mouth. This bacteria is thought to enter the bloodstream and trigger inflammation in the arteries, a major risk factor for heart disease. Other research has shown that those who have high amounts of bacteria in their mouth are more likely to have thickening in their arteries, another sign of heart disease. "I really do think people should floss twice a day to get the biggest life expectancy benefits," stresses Perls.
3. Move around. "Exercise is the only real fountain of youth that exists," says Jay Olshansky, a professor of medicine and aging researcher at the University of Illinois at Chicago. "It's like the oil and lube job for your car. You don't have to do it, but your car will definitely run better." Study after study has documented the benefits of exercise to improve your mood, mental acuity, balance, muscle mass, and bones. "And the benefits kick in immediately after your first workout," Olshansky adds. Don't worry if you're not a gym rat. Those who see the biggest payoffs are the ones who go from doing nothing to simply walking around the neighborhood or local mall for about 30 minutes a day. Building muscle with resistance training is also ideal, but yoga classes can give you similar strength-training effects if you're not into weight lifting.
4. Eat a fiber-rich cereal for breakfast. Getting a serving of whole-grains, especially in the morning, appears to help older folks maintain stable blood sugar levels throughout the day, according to a recent study conducted by Ferrucci and his colleagues. "Those who do this have a lower incidence of diabetes, a known accelerator of aging," he says.
5. Get at least six hours of shut-eye. Instead of skimping on sleep to add more hours to your day, get more to add years to your life. "Sleep is one of the most important functions that our body uses to regulate and heal cells," says Ferrucci. "We've calculated that the minimum amount of sleep that older people need to get those healing REM phases is about six hours." Those who reach the century mark make sleep a top priority.
6. Consume whole foods, not supplements. Strong evidence suggests that people who have high blood levels of certain nutrients—selenium, beta-carotene, vitamins C and E—age much better and have a slower rate of cognitive decline. Unfortunately, there's no evidence that taking pills with these nutrients provides those antiaging benefits. "There are more than 200 different carotenoids and 200 different flavonoids in a single tomato," points out Ferrucci, "and these chemicals can all have complex interactions that foster health beyond the single nutrients we know about like lycopene or vitamin C." Avoid nutrient-lacking white foods (breads, flour, sugar) and go for all those colorful fruits and vegetables and dark whole-grain breads and cereals with their host of hidden nutrients.
7. Be less neurotic. It may work for Woody Allen, who infuses his worries with a healthy dose of humor, but the rest of us neurotics may want to find a new way to deal with stress. "We have a new study coming out that shows that centenarians tend not to internalize things or dwell on their troubles," says Perls. "They are great at rolling with the punches." If this inborn trait is hard to overcome, find better ways to manage when you're stressed: Yoga, exercise, meditation, tai chi, or just deep breathing for a few moments are all good. Ruminating, eating chips in front of the TV, binge drinking? Bad, very bad.
8. Live like a Seventh Day Adventist . Americans who define themselves as Seventh Day Adventists have an average life expectancy of 89, about a decade longer than the average American. One of the basic tenets of the religion is that it's important to cherish the body that's on loan from God, which means no smoking, alcohol abuse, or overindulging in sweets. Followers typically stick to a vegetarian diet based on fruits, vegetables, beans, and nuts, and get plenty of exercise. They're also very focused on family and community.
9. Be a creature of habit. Centenarians tend to live by strict routines, says Olshansky, eating the same kind of diet and doing the same kinds of activities their whole lives. Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day is another good habit to keep your body in the steady equilibrium that can be easily disrupted as you get on in years. "Your physiology becomes frailer when you get older," explains Ferrucci, "and it's harder for your body to bounce back if you, say, miss a few hours of sleep one night or drink too much alcohol." This can weaken immune defenses, leaving you more susceptible to circulating flu viruses or bacterial infections.
10. Stay connected. Having regular social contacts with friends and loved ones is key to avoiding depression, which can lead to premature death, something that's particularly prevalent in elderly widows and widowers. Some psychologists even think that one of the biggest benefits elderly folks get from exercise the strong social interactions that come from walking with a buddy or taking a group exercise class. Having a daily connection with a close friend or family member gives older folks the added benefit of having someone watch their back. "They'll tell you if they think your memory is going or if you seem more withdrawn," says Perls, "and they might push you to see a doctor before you recognize that you need to see one yourself."
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/baby-boomer-health/2009/02/20/10-health-habits-that-will-help-you-live-to-100.html?PageNr=2
The biggest factor that determines how well you age is not your genes but how well you live. Not convinced? A new study published in the British Medical Journal of 20,000 British folks shows that you can cut your risk of having a stroke in half by doing the following four things: being active for 30 minutes a day, eating five daily servings of fruit and vegetables, and avoiding cigarettes and excess alcohol.
While those are some of the obvious steps you can take to age well, researchers have discovered that centenarians tend to share certain traits in how they eat, move about, and deal with stress—the sorts of things we can emulate to improve our own aging process. Of course, getting to age 100 is enormously more likely if your parents did. Still, Thomas Perls, who studies the century-plus set at Boston University School of Medicine, believes that assuming you've sidestepped genes for truly fatal diseases like Huntington's, "there's nothing stopping you from living independently well into your 90s." Heck, if your parents and grandparents were heavy smokers, they might have died prematurely without ever reaching their true potential lifespan, so go ahead and shoot for those triple digits. Follow these 10 habits, and check out Perls' lifetime risk calculator to see how long you can expect to live.
1. Don't retire. "Evidence shows that in societies where people stop working abruptly, the incidence of obesity and chronic disease skyrockets after retirement," says Luigi Ferrucci, director of the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. The Chianti region of Italy, which has a high percentage of centenarians, has a different take on leisure time. "After people retire from their jobs, they spend most of the day working on their little farm, cultivating grapes or vegetables," he says. "They're never really inactive." Farming isn't for you? Volunteer as a docent at your local art museum or join the Experience Corps, a program offered in 19 cities that places senior volunteers in urban public elementary schools for about 15 hours a week.
2. Floss every day. That may help keep your arteries healthy. A 2008 New York University study showed that daily flossing reduced the amount of gum-disease-causing bacteria in the mouth. This bacteria is thought to enter the bloodstream and trigger inflammation in the arteries, a major risk factor for heart disease. Other research has shown that those who have high amounts of bacteria in their mouth are more likely to have thickening in their arteries, another sign of heart disease. "I really do think people should floss twice a day to get the biggest life expectancy benefits," stresses Perls.
3. Move around. "Exercise is the only real fountain of youth that exists," says Jay Olshansky, a professor of medicine and aging researcher at the University of Illinois at Chicago. "It's like the oil and lube job for your car. You don't have to do it, but your car will definitely run better." Study after study has documented the benefits of exercise to improve your mood, mental acuity, balance, muscle mass, and bones. "And the benefits kick in immediately after your first workout," Olshansky adds. Don't worry if you're not a gym rat. Those who see the biggest payoffs are the ones who go from doing nothing to simply walking around the neighborhood or local mall for about 30 minutes a day. Building muscle with resistance training is also ideal, but yoga classes can give you similar strength-training effects if you're not into weight lifting.
4. Eat a fiber-rich cereal for breakfast. Getting a serving of whole-grains, especially in the morning, appears to help older folks maintain stable blood sugar levels throughout the day, according to a recent study conducted by Ferrucci and his colleagues. "Those who do this have a lower incidence of diabetes, a known accelerator of aging," he says.
5. Get at least six hours of shut-eye. Instead of skimping on sleep to add more hours to your day, get more to add years to your life. "Sleep is one of the most important functions that our body uses to regulate and heal cells," says Ferrucci. "We've calculated that the minimum amount of sleep that older people need to get those healing REM phases is about six hours." Those who reach the century mark make sleep a top priority.
6. Consume whole foods, not supplements. Strong evidence suggests that people who have high blood levels of certain nutrients—selenium, beta-carotene, vitamins C and E—age much better and have a slower rate of cognitive decline. Unfortunately, there's no evidence that taking pills with these nutrients provides those antiaging benefits. "There are more than 200 different carotenoids and 200 different flavonoids in a single tomato," points out Ferrucci, "and these chemicals can all have complex interactions that foster health beyond the single nutrients we know about like lycopene or vitamin C." Avoid nutrient-lacking white foods (breads, flour, sugar) and go for all those colorful fruits and vegetables and dark whole-grain breads and cereals with their host of hidden nutrients.
7. Be less neurotic. It may work for Woody Allen, who infuses his worries with a healthy dose of humor, but the rest of us neurotics may want to find a new way to deal with stress. "We have a new study coming out that shows that centenarians tend not to internalize things or dwell on their troubles," says Perls. "They are great at rolling with the punches." If this inborn trait is hard to overcome, find better ways to manage when you're stressed: Yoga, exercise, meditation, tai chi, or just deep breathing for a few moments are all good. Ruminating, eating chips in front of the TV, binge drinking? Bad, very bad.
8. Live like a Seventh Day Adventist . Americans who define themselves as Seventh Day Adventists have an average life expectancy of 89, about a decade longer than the average American. One of the basic tenets of the religion is that it's important to cherish the body that's on loan from God, which means no smoking, alcohol abuse, or overindulging in sweets. Followers typically stick to a vegetarian diet based on fruits, vegetables, beans, and nuts, and get plenty of exercise. They're also very focused on family and community.
9. Be a creature of habit. Centenarians tend to live by strict routines, says Olshansky, eating the same kind of diet and doing the same kinds of activities their whole lives. Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day is another good habit to keep your body in the steady equilibrium that can be easily disrupted as you get on in years. "Your physiology becomes frailer when you get older," explains Ferrucci, "and it's harder for your body to bounce back if you, say, miss a few hours of sleep one night or drink too much alcohol." This can weaken immune defenses, leaving you more susceptible to circulating flu viruses or bacterial infections.
10. Stay connected. Having regular social contacts with friends and loved ones is key to avoiding depression, which can lead to premature death, something that's particularly prevalent in elderly widows and widowers. Some psychologists even think that one of the biggest benefits elderly folks get from exercise the strong social interactions that come from walking with a buddy or taking a group exercise class. Having a daily connection with a close friend or family member gives older folks the added benefit of having someone watch their back. "They'll tell you if they think your memory is going or if you seem more withdrawn," says Perls, "and they might push you to see a doctor before you recognize that you need to see one yourself."
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/baby-boomer-health/2009/02/20/10-health-habits-that-will-help-you-live-to-100.html?PageNr=2
Saturday, February 14, 2009
'Elderly' no longer acceptable word for older people
A new guide for journalists warns against using terms which discriminate against people of a certain age.
'Senior', 'fossil' and 'biddy' have been blacklisted by the lexicon of unacceptable phrases, which has been compiled by an international think tank.
Instead, people aged over 50 should be referred to as 'older people' or simply 'man' or 'woman' followed by their age, the guide suggests.
'Old ladies' of both the 'little' and 'sweet' variety are also to be avoided, according to the report.
The advice is included in a media guide on reporting issued by the think tank The International Longevity Center, and ageism campaign group Aging Services of California.
The guide says it aims to help journalists report stories about "older people" in a "fair contemporary and unbiased" manner.
The authors of the report state that 80 per cent of older Americans have been subjected to ageist stereotypes.
"While names and characterisations may vary, the message is the same: older men and women are incompetent and lack sufficiency," the guide states.
Journalists are advised: "If you need to identify individuals over the age of 50, 'older adults' is preferred over 'senior' and 'elderly', which can be discriminatory in nature.
"After all, we don't refer to people under 50 as 'junior citizens'.
"Instead, say 'man' and 'woman', and give the age, if relevant to the story."
In a preface to the report, Robert Butler, president of the International Longevity Centre, described the guide as "an important step in overcoming ageist language and beliefs".
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/4596139/Elderly-no-longer-acceptable-word-for-older-people.html
'Senior', 'fossil' and 'biddy' have been blacklisted by the lexicon of unacceptable phrases, which has been compiled by an international think tank.
Instead, people aged over 50 should be referred to as 'older people' or simply 'man' or 'woman' followed by their age, the guide suggests.
'Old ladies' of both the 'little' and 'sweet' variety are also to be avoided, according to the report.
The advice is included in a media guide on reporting issued by the think tank The International Longevity Center, and ageism campaign group Aging Services of California.
The guide says it aims to help journalists report stories about "older people" in a "fair contemporary and unbiased" manner.
The authors of the report state that 80 per cent of older Americans have been subjected to ageist stereotypes.
"While names and characterisations may vary, the message is the same: older men and women are incompetent and lack sufficiency," the guide states.
Journalists are advised: "If you need to identify individuals over the age of 50, 'older adults' is preferred over 'senior' and 'elderly', which can be discriminatory in nature.
"After all, we don't refer to people under 50 as 'junior citizens'.
"Instead, say 'man' and 'woman', and give the age, if relevant to the story."
In a preface to the report, Robert Butler, president of the International Longevity Centre, described the guide as "an important step in overcoming ageist language and beliefs".
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/4596139/Elderly-no-longer-acceptable-word-for-older-people.html
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Simple Changes That Slow Down The Aging Process
We live in a society in which everybody seems to want to look and feel younger than their chronological age, yet too many of us live lifestyles that will make us look anything but youthful. The truth is that overeating, cramming junk food down your throat and sitting on your bottom playing video games and watching TV when you aren't at work will actually speed up the aging process. If you also drink a lot of alcohol, smoke cigarettes or partake of illegal drugs you will grow old even more rapidly. If you live unhealthily even the most expensive anti aging skin care products available on the market can do nothing to help slow down the aging process. If you want to slow down the aging process so that you can look and feel younger than your years and increase your life expectancy, you must change the way you live.
What You Put Into Your Body
If you would like to slow down the aging process you have to eat right. Most of us know that a healthy diet comprises more whole foods like fresh fruit, vegetables, fish and whole grains and less of those products that contain an excess of carbohydrates or saturated fats. However, following a healthy eating plan is easier said than done. If you want to start eating right keep away from fast food outlets and go grocery shopping when you aren't hungry so you'll be less inclined to put high calorie items into your shopping cart.
If you want to slow down the aging process you will also need to watch the number of calories you consume. Just because you are eating healthier food that doesn't mean you can eat 3,000 calories per day. If you ate enough apples you would still get fat. The key to maintaining a healthy BMI is not to eat more calories than your body is able to burn. You may find it helps to stop eating just before you start to feel full.
Taking regular vitamin and mineral supplements can also do a great deal to slow down the aging process. It stands to reason that when the cells and tissues of the body receive all of the minerals, vitamins and essential nutrients they need for optimal functioning they work better and do not degenerate as rapidly.
What You Do
If you would like to do what is required to slow down the aging process you also need to change what you do. Too many of us do not exercise at all despite the fact that we have jobs that entail sitting in front of a computer for eight hours a day. If you want your heart, muscles and skeleton to remain strong then regular cardiovascular and resistance exercise is a must.
You also need to keep your mind active if you do not want to develop senile dementia in your old age. Find a hobby that stimulates your brain and spend some time doing crossword puzzles and IQ tests whenever you feel bored. Read books, debate with friends and play competitive games like chess and scrabble with them. Take an active role in family life and get involved with your community. Do whatever it takes to stop your mind from becoming passive and sheep-like.
http://www.worldmedicalguide.com/medical-treatment/anti-aging/simple-changes-that-slow-down-the-aging-process/
What You Put Into Your Body
If you would like to slow down the aging process you have to eat right. Most of us know that a healthy diet comprises more whole foods like fresh fruit, vegetables, fish and whole grains and less of those products that contain an excess of carbohydrates or saturated fats. However, following a healthy eating plan is easier said than done. If you want to start eating right keep away from fast food outlets and go grocery shopping when you aren't hungry so you'll be less inclined to put high calorie items into your shopping cart.
If you want to slow down the aging process you will also need to watch the number of calories you consume. Just because you are eating healthier food that doesn't mean you can eat 3,000 calories per day. If you ate enough apples you would still get fat. The key to maintaining a healthy BMI is not to eat more calories than your body is able to burn. You may find it helps to stop eating just before you start to feel full.
Taking regular vitamin and mineral supplements can also do a great deal to slow down the aging process. It stands to reason that when the cells and tissues of the body receive all of the minerals, vitamins and essential nutrients they need for optimal functioning they work better and do not degenerate as rapidly.
What You Do
If you would like to do what is required to slow down the aging process you also need to change what you do. Too many of us do not exercise at all despite the fact that we have jobs that entail sitting in front of a computer for eight hours a day. If you want your heart, muscles and skeleton to remain strong then regular cardiovascular and resistance exercise is a must.
You also need to keep your mind active if you do not want to develop senile dementia in your old age. Find a hobby that stimulates your brain and spend some time doing crossword puzzles and IQ tests whenever you feel bored. Read books, debate with friends and play competitive games like chess and scrabble with them. Take an active role in family life and get involved with your community. Do whatever it takes to stop your mind from becoming passive and sheep-like.
http://www.worldmedicalguide.com/medical-treatment/anti-aging/simple-changes-that-slow-down-the-aging-process/
Thursday, January 8, 2009
The drive for longer life
Four factors that have slowed America's push for greater longevity
How long can you expect to live? The answer to that tantalizing question tells a lot about the success of a nation -- or the lack of it.
If the people in some countries tend to live several years longer than the global average (as they do in, say, Japan or Singapore or most European nations) that suggests that their populations are generally healthy. But if they are below the global average, that suggests they drink too much alcohol or have other unhealthy habits (as is the case in, say, Russia).
With costs soaring and consumers asked to make more decisions, you need up-to-date health advice.
• Health-care reform on front burner
• Baseball stats and better health
• Flu vaccines revved up
• Health plans 'skimpier'
Read the Health Matters Blog
The U.S. performed spectacularly well in the longevity competition during the 20th Century. Longevity in America famously surged from an average 47 years in 1900 to 77 years in 2000. We can credit many factors, including the virtual elimination of malaria, small pox and many childhood diseases.
Not only are Americans living longer, they are also working for more years than their forebears and they are retiring later. This is partly because they have to continue working in order to support themselves in a slower economy and also, in many cases, because they wish to stay active and alert.
The problem with this triumphant prolongation of life is that the gains in U.S. longevity have slowed in the last five years or so and this has alarmed scientists and policy makers who study it.
Dr. Robert Butler, 81, the influential and prescient physician who is CEO of the International Longevity Center in New York, believes that at least four forces are at work here:
1. The shockingly high infant mortality rate in the U.S. Mostly because so many babies are born in urban slums and country hollows, where prenatal and infant care is often primitive, America has the second steepest newborn mortality rate among developed nations. In 2005, the latest year for which statistics are available, about seven out of every 1,000 babies in the U.S. died before their first birthdays. Though there has been steady improvement for many years, the U.S. is 29th in the world, behind even Cuba.
2. The multibillion dollar political power of the industries that contribute to the steep rate of obesity among U.S. children and adults, such as fast foods and sugared drinks. Butler urges that the U.S. government create public-private initiatives to promote healthier diets and physical fitness programs among the public at large.
3. The estimated 46 million Americans (15.8 percent of the population) who do not have health insurance and thus lack the kind of medical care that would expand and enhance longevity.
4. The slowdown in medical research in the U.S. Especially absent is the kind of what-makes-the-sky-blue basic research usually conducted by younger scientists and technicians, who tend to be the most innovative, daring, productive -- and successful when it comes to life-expanding discoveries.
The main support for basic medical research in the U.S. is not universities or drug manufacturers but the government, notably the National Institutes of Health. The NIH's budget has been flattened since 2003 -- hovering around $29 billion -- with the result that the rate of discoveries has slowed. Among them, presumably, are the kinds of discoveries that would add to longevity.
Another factor, says Butler, is the researchers who receive NIH grants are getting older. Butler reckons that the average age of researchers receiving their first NIH grant is about 42, whereas he believes it should be 28 or 30.
The encouraging news is that all these challenges can be addressed -- provided the nation has the will to do so. Indeed, the new administration of President-elect Barack Obama and Congress in Washington are already committed to make health-care reform one of their immediate and massive issues.
If they add to that the commitment to battle infant mortality, obesity and the flattening of medical research, they will create a new and needed strategy for making American longevity even more vital.
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/four-reasons-americas-drive-longer/story.aspx?guid={1FE4B90E-4DDA-438F-92D1-D3B1FE0468C3}&dist=msr_1
How long can you expect to live? The answer to that tantalizing question tells a lot about the success of a nation -- or the lack of it.
If the people in some countries tend to live several years longer than the global average (as they do in, say, Japan or Singapore or most European nations) that suggests that their populations are generally healthy. But if they are below the global average, that suggests they drink too much alcohol or have other unhealthy habits (as is the case in, say, Russia).
With costs soaring and consumers asked to make more decisions, you need up-to-date health advice.
• Health-care reform on front burner
• Baseball stats and better health
• Flu vaccines revved up
• Health plans 'skimpier'
Read the Health Matters Blog
The U.S. performed spectacularly well in the longevity competition during the 20th Century. Longevity in America famously surged from an average 47 years in 1900 to 77 years in 2000. We can credit many factors, including the virtual elimination of malaria, small pox and many childhood diseases.
Not only are Americans living longer, they are also working for more years than their forebears and they are retiring later. This is partly because they have to continue working in order to support themselves in a slower economy and also, in many cases, because they wish to stay active and alert.
The problem with this triumphant prolongation of life is that the gains in U.S. longevity have slowed in the last five years or so and this has alarmed scientists and policy makers who study it.
Dr. Robert Butler, 81, the influential and prescient physician who is CEO of the International Longevity Center in New York, believes that at least four forces are at work here:
1. The shockingly high infant mortality rate in the U.S. Mostly because so many babies are born in urban slums and country hollows, where prenatal and infant care is often primitive, America has the second steepest newborn mortality rate among developed nations. In 2005, the latest year for which statistics are available, about seven out of every 1,000 babies in the U.S. died before their first birthdays. Though there has been steady improvement for many years, the U.S. is 29th in the world, behind even Cuba.
2. The multibillion dollar political power of the industries that contribute to the steep rate of obesity among U.S. children and adults, such as fast foods and sugared drinks. Butler urges that the U.S. government create public-private initiatives to promote healthier diets and physical fitness programs among the public at large.
3. The estimated 46 million Americans (15.8 percent of the population) who do not have health insurance and thus lack the kind of medical care that would expand and enhance longevity.
4. The slowdown in medical research in the U.S. Especially absent is the kind of what-makes-the-sky-blue basic research usually conducted by younger scientists and technicians, who tend to be the most innovative, daring, productive -- and successful when it comes to life-expanding discoveries.
The main support for basic medical research in the U.S. is not universities or drug manufacturers but the government, notably the National Institutes of Health. The NIH's budget has been flattened since 2003 -- hovering around $29 billion -- with the result that the rate of discoveries has slowed. Among them, presumably, are the kinds of discoveries that would add to longevity.
Another factor, says Butler, is the researchers who receive NIH grants are getting older. Butler reckons that the average age of researchers receiving their first NIH grant is about 42, whereas he believes it should be 28 or 30.
The encouraging news is that all these challenges can be addressed -- provided the nation has the will to do so. Indeed, the new administration of President-elect Barack Obama and Congress in Washington are already committed to make health-care reform one of their immediate and massive issues.
If they add to that the commitment to battle infant mortality, obesity and the flattening of medical research, they will create a new and needed strategy for making American longevity even more vital.
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/four-reasons-americas-drive-longer/story.aspx?guid={1FE4B90E-4DDA-438F-92D1-D3B1FE0468C3}&dist=msr_1
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