Healthy Aging - Quality vs Quantity

I went to an informative and thought provoking seminar yesterday on the topic of healthy aging. Two key aspects stood out for me
1) the common factors found across those parts of the world which have the healthiest and happiest senior citizens.
2) the use of Resveratrol, a compound extracted from the herb Polygonum, as a 'magic bullet' to reduce the adverse effects of our modern Western diet and lifestyle.

Dan Buettner, in his book 'The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who've Lived Longest' (National Geographic, 2009) examines the Blue Zones where the greatest proportion of 90 year old plus people living free from chronic disease live. Okinawa, Sardinia, Costa Rica and Loma Lida were the regions studied and the reseach found nine common factors which Buettner attributes to the outstanding health of the local people. The nine factors are as follows..

1) Move (find ways to move mindlessly, make moving unavoidable, moving should be done at low intensity for long periods)

2) Plan de Vida (know your purpose in life)

3) Down Shift (work less, slow down, rest, take vacation)

4) 80% Rule (stop eating when you're 80% full)

5) Plant-Power (more veggies, less protein and processed foods)

6) Red Wine (consistency and moderation)

7)Belong (create a healthy social network)

8) Beliefs (spiritual or religious participation)

9) Your Tribe (make family a priority)

It's not only the extensive research that makes me think these health tips are valuable, what little common sense I might have is also nodding it's head vigorously. Of course the trick with these recommendations is to actually incorporate them into your daily life. The Blue Zones website has a whole section that aims to help you do exactly that. Go to www.bluezones.com and check out Blogs and/or Community.

Most people I talk with want quality of life rather than quantity but according to Buettner's research quality goes hand in hand with quantity, that is by being healthy and happy you get better quality and quantity. I'll drink (red wine in moderation) to that!

Resveratrol (an extract from Polygonum cuspidatum) could be the magic wonder herb for preventing and moderating the chronic diseases that result from our modern Western diet and lifestyle. Diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, dementia, heart disease, cancer and chronic inflammatory diseases can all be reduced with Resveratrol according to seven different peer reviewed clinical trials in well respected orthodox science journals. Ten more research projects are currently underway. The effects of Resveratrol are not quite as good as improving your diet and lifestyle but for those unable or unwilling to change it seems as though there may be an answer! Maybe there is a God after all :)

Happy aging,
David

Update- today's Sydney Morning Herald (18.11.10)has an article on the Professor who has pioneered the use of Resveratrol. It contains a nice quote about how some consider it a pill for the disease of 'contemporary slothfulness'!
See http://m.smh.com.au/lifestyle/wellbeing/forget-the-fountain-of-youth-x2026-pop-a-pill-for-a-long-and-healthy-life-20101117-17xpr.html

Spring remedy for the common cold

The following remedy comes from "Food for the Seasons", my favourite book on Traditional Chinese Medicine. It's a great book for both practitioners and patients, easy to read with effective recipes that are easy to make.

When a cold is just starting, it's possible - on the first day - to stop it in its tracks before it gains strength.

3 spring onions, white parts only,
2 slices ginger, 20-cent piece size
2 sprigs mint, or 1 teaspoon dried mint

Finely chop the spring onions and ginger then add both to a saucepan with 1 and 1/2 cups boiling water. Simmer on medium heat for 5 mins then add the mint and continue to simmer for 2 mins. Drink as soon as it's cool enough. Then hop into bed covering yourself warmly to induce sweating. Continue sweating for 5-10 mins, then dry yourself off and put on dry clothes. Take it easy for the rest of the day. Be gentle with yourself for the next few days, including eating well and getting enough sleep.

"Food for the Seasons" by Prof. Wong and Kath Knapsey is available in store at Alchemy in Bellingen or online direct from the publisher at rdog.com.au

New growth in Spring

The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Medicine is the 'Bible' of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and was written about 2500 years ago. There have been some important improvements in the field of TCM since then but most of the concepts and applications contained within the book still hold true today. So what did the Yellow Emperor have to say about creating and sustaining good health during the season of Spring?
"The three months of Spring bring about the revitalization of all things in nature. During this season it is advisable to go to bed early. Wake up early also and go walking in order to absorb the fresh, invigorating energy. Since Spring is when everything begins anew and rejuvenates, one should attempt to correspond to it directly by being open and unsuppressed, both physically and emotionally."
"On the physical level it is a good time to exercise more frequently and wear loose fitting clothing. This is the time to do stretching exercises to loosen up the tendons and muscles. Spring is a time when people are more prone to indulging in frustration, anger, depression and sadness, all of which can impair the function of the central nervous system, liver and gall bladder. Therefore, now is the time to develop the easy going and carefree aspect of your character." (See previous post for advice on developing new good habits)
By following the Yellow Emperor's advice you should feel more relaxed, happy and ready to dive into new projects and opportunities. Of couse you could just ignore the advice and take a chance on being stressed, grumpy and fearful of change but there are just too many beautiful flowers in bloom right now, so go for a walk and start sniffing!

Good habits - I CAN help myself

Bad habits have ruined the lives of many good people. Most of us have more than one habit we would like to change. Bad habits may lead to ill health and an unhappy, unpleasant mental-emotional state. For those habits that leave you in a negative or unpleasant frame of mind, changing the habit can be difficult - but it can be done. 

Good health is pretty simple, eat well, think good thoughts, exercise and rest in proper amounts. It’s simple and yet so few of us actually do it!  Most of us have a good idea of how to be healthy and yet we continue to make choices that injure ourselves.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine this self harm from our bad habits is caused by mental, emotional and spiritual disturbance. That is, when our mind and soul are busy, stressed or upset in any way, we don’t have the peace of mind to make healthy decisions. It’s a Catch-22, bad habits create upset emotions which then bring about more bad choices and the cycle continues.

On the other hand, a clear, calm mental state allows you to make choices that are beneficial to your health and wellbeing. Do I want that extra helping of dessert? Do I want to yell at my loved ones? Do I want to escape my life situation with drugs, alcohol or TV etc? “Not really” the clear, calm mind says to itself, “I’d rather be nice to myself and maintain this sense of peace and contentment that I’m feeling right now”.

It is easy to understand that a calm mind is needed to steer clear of bad choices and therefore create new, healthy habits. But how do you create new healthy habits if your mind it not calm? By force of will power alone some people can change their habits by themselves. In the absence of this, what is there for the rest of us?

Receiving support from an experienced health professional is perhaps the best way to maximise your chances of creating new healthy habits. Tell your therapist you want to create a sense of calm and clarity. The following therapies can calm the mind if your therapist has that as their aim.

• Counselling, Hypnotherapy,
• Bodywork such as massage, acupuncture, adjustments
• Herbs, supplements and pharmaceuticals 

Once your mind is calm you can then make healthy choices from the following menu to maintain your new found peace of mind,

• Meditation
• Exercise
• Avoiding stimulants (spicy food, caffeine, nicotine, amphetamine)
• Calming foods (cooked slowly for several hours, few ingredients, minimal stirring)
• Anything else you know from personal experience that makes you feel peaceful

Break the negative cycle with professional help, and then once it is broken you can keep it that way by using the positively reinforcing cycle of choosing healthier options.

May you be calm of mind and warm of heart,

David.