I appear to have reached a stage in my life where my old mates from years ago have taken the dying option on the life insurance. This is worrisome. I’m having far too good a time to throw it all away on a promise of immortality in my cloud, a promise that nobody has been able to prove.
So let’s make the best of what we’ve got, which means looking at the factors involved in Quality of Life. As an aside, I used to have a poster on the wall of my surgery which went “An increase in the length of life is not equivalent to an increase in the Quality of Life.” Long life without having Quality is not worth it. Nobody wants to end up in a wheelchair, or even worse being alive but bed-ridden. So we should look at both.
There are certain items in your make-up that you should know. These include your Blood Pressure, your Blood sugar, your Cholesterol, your liver enzymes and your hormone levels.
These are silent conditions which don’t give you a warning.
Blood sugar can go up by 10 percent a year and you will not know it.
Blood Pressure can go up 10 percent a year and you will not know it.
In 10 years the levels have doubled and you will be in trouble.
Cholesterol will go up. Liver enzymes go up, but you won’t know about it.
However, hormone levels will fall and you will feel yourself slowing down, but you will put it down to getting older, when it does not need to be.
So how do you find these silent conditions? Easy – you go looking. Most of them are found in simple blood tests and blood pressure involved a cuff around the arm (what we call non-invasive testing).
Much of these differences we call “Aging”, but you can slow it all down.
What can happen as you get older?
- Immune system aging
- Intestinal aging
- Decreased kidney function
- Increased autoimmune diseases
- Decreased Detoxification
- Inflammation
- Decrease of Cardiac function
- Increase of CV risk
- Increase of blood pressure
- Loss of calcium from the bones
Loss of elasticity in the skin and ligaments
Changes in hormonal secretion
Looking at all that lot, it is a wonder that any of us can live past 40!
Since we are supposed to be what we eat, what can we eat to slow down all the ravages of the years?
According to some followers, here are some “healthy” food items that we should be eating, rather than burgers!
Dieticians claim that Boron protects your prostate
Calcium to strengthen the bones
Chromium prevents Diabetes
Co-Enzyme Q10 boosts energy
Creatine boosts muscle and memory
Folic Acid lowers the chance of Alzheimer’s Disease
Glucosamine helps the joints
Omega 3 oils protect the heart
Selenium fights cancer
Vitamin E slows the effects of aging
And an anti-oxidant called Resveratrol is found in red wine may help lower your odds of getting cancer, heart disease, and premature aging.
But all this is theory, rather than clinical, but in low dosages is probably good for you, but quite frankly, where do you find Boron on the supermarket shelves? Chromium? Eating old bumper bars for lunch is a little silly. Folic acid and Alzheimers? Will the sufferers remember to take it?
No, I maintain that the diet we eat is what fits in well with our metabolism. But the trick is to avoid putting on too much weight. Extra avoirdupois (I like that word) wears out your skeletal joints (hips, knees for a start) and puts a strain on your heart.
So here’s the Dr. Iain guide to longevity:
Moderation in all things is a start.
Do not smoke – no moderation in this one. Zero!
Exercise daily (swimming is best and treadmills are boring)
Eat a healthy diet – don’t overeat
Maintain a ‘healthy’ weight
Look for ‘silent risks’ by having annual check-ups
Correct those risks
Change to a healthy lifestyle – starting today
Drink Red Wine! The Stonefish 2012 Merlot is my favorite
Finally, I have been told by a reliable source that you can’t take it with you – so I’m not going!
