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The Longevity Chronicles IV

Pondering it all plus Tidbits

Sometimes in that little way down deep place we all have, I wonder, as I endlessly study the theories of longevity - telomeres vs. free radical damage? - and what supplements are supposed to be preventive, - resveratrol, curcumin, pomegranate? - if all this stuff is an irrelevant time-waster and why the hell am I spending so much time on this subject? For you? For me? Are the gods laughing at my naivete in thinking that I can affect the outcome of the inevitable? Am I trying yet again to do that all too human and egoic thing of trying to control every aspect of my life and my aging but especially the time and manner of my death?

Sometimes during all the dark and murky musings, I get just a glimmer of what it would be like to loosen the grip a bit. My shoulders drop a few feet from up around my ears and I find myself taking a deep breath. But, then the cycle starts all over again. What new supplement is out there? Is it snake-oil crap or does it work? What is the latest theory of anti-aging? Will this (theory, pill) give me the control I want? Will I live longer? (Actually that is the question.)

You get the picture? I'm sure you do because some of you reading these broodings are like this, too. Ultimately, I have figured out that if we are to cover all of our aging bases, we would all be swallowing 80-100 pills a day plus drinking foul tasting powders and liquids and we would be quickly developing a Howard Hughesian obsession about dirt, odors, chemicals, toxins and the like.( I am just this close to being there.) But when I get in a state of overwhelment about all of this, I just think about Jack LaLanne and what he said when asked why he took so many supplements despite his extremely healthy lifestyle. One word, he said: "Insurance." There you have it, bottom line, the real why of supplements.

Of course, with all that I know and the research that I do, I could be (should be!) swallowing so many pills a day that I wouldn't have room for my quinoa and veggies at night, but that's not only impossible but stupid. So here is what I have concluded: We should look at our body weaknesses and where we think we have a propensity for disease and develop our supplement program in those areas - much of which overlap, by the way. I have arbitrarily (how adorable is that?) decided that my weaknesses are heart disease and stroke (Mom and Dad) cancer (me) and dementia (like, everyone on my father's side!) so my nutrition program is aimed towards the prevention of those three awful diseases.

We have to choose wisely. The body will perceive too many supplements as toxins and then you are in a big pickle, because you are paradoxically poisoning yourself in the sad and vain attempt to keep yourself well and if you are really deluded, you think if you just pop one more pill, you might have a chance at immortality. No thanks.

The pill thing is a fine balance. There is no magic number of pills you should or should not take in a day  it's all very personal. I probably swallow 40-50 a day and maybe 4 or 5 powders and liquids in a mostly-daily smoothie, but then I take at least one day off a week from everything. I can feel when my body is chock full of good stuff and won't accept anymore: When I open my tackle boxes, the pills look awful and I sneer at the little compartments, say something like "yuck" or "argh" or worse then I snap the lids shut for the day.

By the way, I hate the word anti-aging. If you really look at the word, anti-aging means that you are against aging, getting older or intend to not age at all. That's lame. We all do it. If you don't want to age, the best way to do it would be to die at age 39 and be done with the whole thing. Something is going to take me - and you - I know that, but I want to "live long and die short." In my biz, I see too many people who are living short and dying long, cradled in the poisonous arms of Big Pharma, and it ain't a pretty picture.

The healthy and less obsessed way to do the longevity thing is, of course, to be moderate. And this moderation includes supplements. I want to be clear that my prevention program is not aimed towards immortality but for a superb quality of life until that moment comes when I exhale my last breath. What that includes is prevention with supplement "insurance" concentrating on my major disease possibilities, eating right for me, exercising moderately, taking care of my skin, my hormones, my teeth and gums and sleeping well. There is a huge overlap in all the above. For example, if you do just one, like sleep well, it will help everything including your heart, brain, teeth, gums and skin. If you take Q10 for your heart, it will also affect every little cell engine in your body - the mitochondria - and give them a bit of cell STP, so this affects your skin and your gums as well as your energy levels. Now, for tidbits:

• Want a better brain? There are three things to do here: 1) Simple aerobics such as walking 45 minutes/3X week. 2) Meditation which increases mental agility 3) Videogames. Yes, you heard right. Certain videogames are excellent for mental agility, cognition, motor speed, visual-spatial skills etc. These two games are Space Fortress and Rise of Nations. Go figure. Newsweek, Jan. 10&17, 2011.
• A maternal link to Alzheimer's has been discovered. Neurology, Mar. 1, 2011
• The Mediterranean Diet, heavy on fish, EVOO and vegetables are associated with slower rates of decline in the elderly. Am Jour Clin Nut, Jan 18, 2011. Ask me for a copy of the Mediterranean Food Pyramid next time you are in.

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