I work out with weights 3 times a week, and I've sometimes wondered, at my age, if I'm doing more harm than good by possibly wearing down joints, tendons, ligaments and cartilage. But new research from UCLA indicates that the more muscle mass older people possess, the less likely they are to die prematurely. Researchers studied 3659 men and women 55 years of age and older. The 6 year study revealed that the more muscle you have, the lower your risk of death,
In addtion, a study published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology suggests that kidney disease patients who worked out with weights and increased their muscle mass were healthier overall and lived longer than kidney disease patients who had signifigantly less muscle mass.
Finally, a study published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism indicated that the greater a person's muscle mass, the lower the person's risk of insulin resistance, which is a precursor of Type 2 Diabetes.
The moral of our story is obvious:Pumping iron pumps more years into your lifespan. It's never too late to start. Research has found that even seniors in their nineties benefitted from a weight training routine. Regardless of your age, you'll feel better and look trimmer. And what could possibly be wrong with that?
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Friday, March 21, 2014
Recipe For Success
A shrink had 3 simple ways to increase your odds of success in life, and decreasing your odds of falling below the poverty line. While it's too late for old geezers like myself, these three direct and simple rules should be mandatory reading for everyone under the age of 18.
1) Finish high school.
2) Don't have a child out of wedlock.
3) Don't quit a job until you have another one lined up.
I followed the first two, but I did screw up on the third one a few times.
1) Finish high school.
2) Don't have a child out of wedlock.
3) Don't quit a job until you have another one lined up.
I followed the first two, but I did screw up on the third one a few times.
Thursday, March 20, 2014
6 Reasons I Don't Believe In Global Warming
1) There has been no global warming since 1998.
2) Southern hemisphere polar ice set new records in 2013. The ice was nearly 1 million square kilometers above the long term average.
3) Greenpeace co-founder, Patrick Moore testified at a US Senate Committee On Environment and Public Works that here is no scientific evidence that humans are the primary cause of global warming. "No actual proof, as it is understood in science, exists," he said. Moore left Greenpeace in 1987 because he claimed it had become motivated to push a leftist political agenda.
4) Over 17,000 scientists signed a petition from the University of Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine, which stated in part, "Thee is no scientific evidence that human release of carbon dioxide or any other green house gases is causing or will cause catastrophic heating of the Earth's atmosphere.
5) Kilamjaro snowcaps are melting because of a lack of moisture. Temperatures there have not risen.
6) Computer models are wildly unpredictable. One predicts the Colorado Basin precipitation will increase 150%, while another computer shows an increase of 5%. One computer predicts an increase in precipitation in the Red River Valley of 80%, while another computer predicts a decrease of 80%.
2) Southern hemisphere polar ice set new records in 2013. The ice was nearly 1 million square kilometers above the long term average.
3) Greenpeace co-founder, Patrick Moore testified at a US Senate Committee On Environment and Public Works that here is no scientific evidence that humans are the primary cause of global warming. "No actual proof, as it is understood in science, exists," he said. Moore left Greenpeace in 1987 because he claimed it had become motivated to push a leftist political agenda.
4) Over 17,000 scientists signed a petition from the University of Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine, which stated in part, "Thee is no scientific evidence that human release of carbon dioxide or any other green house gases is causing or will cause catastrophic heating of the Earth's atmosphere.
5) Kilamjaro snowcaps are melting because of a lack of moisture. Temperatures there have not risen.
6) Computer models are wildly unpredictable. One predicts the Colorado Basin precipitation will increase 150%, while another computer shows an increase of 5%. One computer predicts an increase in precipitation in the Red River Valley of 80%, while another computer predicts a decrease of 80%.
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Protein: Friend and Foe
Medical researchers have recently made some major discoveries regarding proteins in our diet. Those tiny buggers are the building blocks of every cell in our body, and the accepted idea was the more protein, the better our health. That view was altered to some degree when research after World War II indicated that too much protein in the diet could actually be harmful. Lab animals fed low protein diets had double the lifespans of animals fed high protein diets. That was enough to convince me, so I shifted to a low protein diet, primarily by reducing the amount of red meat that I ate to one to two servings a week maxium. I replaced the red meat with pasta, chicken, turkey and fish.
Now researchers have done a semi-reversal. New studies have shown that people between the ages of 50-66 who consume a high protein diet have a signifigantly higher mortality rate. No big surprise. However, after the age of 66, a high protein diet actually reduces mortality rates. There are two primary reasons for this: 1)The diets of seniors are often lacking sufficient protein and other nutrients. 2) As we age, our bodies are less able to utilize the protein we ingest. Therefore, those of us over 66 actually benefit from increased amounts of protein.
So, a change of plans. Looks like I increase my protein intake. No, that doesn't mean I pig out on double bacon cheeseburgers, but it does mean increasing my intake of leaner cuts of meat, and a bit more low fat and non-fat dairy products.
The moral of the story is this: If you're between 50 and 66, eat less protein and consume more grains, veggies, pasta, and much leaner cuts of meat. Over 66, increase your lowfat and non-fat dairy intake, as well as consuming more leaner cuts of meat. Under 50, more booze, illegal drugs and Big Macs. Just kidding. I need you youngbloods to stay healthy. Somebody has to pay for my Social Security benefits.
Now researchers have done a semi-reversal. New studies have shown that people between the ages of 50-66 who consume a high protein diet have a signifigantly higher mortality rate. No big surprise. However, after the age of 66, a high protein diet actually reduces mortality rates. There are two primary reasons for this: 1)The diets of seniors are often lacking sufficient protein and other nutrients. 2) As we age, our bodies are less able to utilize the protein we ingest. Therefore, those of us over 66 actually benefit from increased amounts of protein.
So, a change of plans. Looks like I increase my protein intake. No, that doesn't mean I pig out on double bacon cheeseburgers, but it does mean increasing my intake of leaner cuts of meat, and a bit more low fat and non-fat dairy products.
The moral of the story is this: If you're between 50 and 66, eat less protein and consume more grains, veggies, pasta, and much leaner cuts of meat. Over 66, increase your lowfat and non-fat dairy intake, as well as consuming more leaner cuts of meat. Under 50, more booze, illegal drugs and Big Macs. Just kidding. I need you youngbloods to stay healthy. Somebody has to pay for my Social Security benefits.
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
I recently read an article by a doctor who had a simple recipe for a longer lifespan. You didn't need to go on a stringent, restrictive diet, or spend big bucks for a healthclub membership, or bust your butt with a strenuous exercise regimen. All you had to do was follow these three simple rules, and statistically, you would increase your longevity:
Rule 1: Don't smoke.
Rule 2: Don't ride on motorcycles.
Rule 3: Don't fly in private planes.
Makes good sense to me.
Rule 1: Don't smoke.
Rule 2: Don't ride on motorcycles.
Rule 3: Don't fly in private planes.
Makes good sense to me.
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Decade of change
Having been born in 1944, I have lived through a crapload of decades, and by far the most interesting and signifigant decade, personally, historically and culturally, has been the notorious 60's.
I was 15 at the start of the 1960's. Right from the get-go, the very first presidential debates were televised. It was Nixon versus Kennedy in what turned out to be the closest presidential election in our history. JFk's victory ushered in the era of Camelot.
1962 had personal signifigance: I graduated from Chicago Vocational High School and started at Southeast Junior College.
In January of 1963 I met a cute brunette with gorgeous brown eyes named Joyce Vargo, who would later become my wife. Of course we know what happened in November of 1963: the assassination of President Kennedy.
February of 1964 brought the Beatles to America, and the band created a seismic shift in music, fashion
and pop culture in general. That summer Martin Luther King Jr. marched on Washington and civil rights legislation was passed into law.
In 1965 President Johnson signed the Medicare Act. In May I started my first real full time job at US Steel Southworks. Then in December of 1965 I received a draft notice, making me part of the first big troop callup of the Viet Nam war in January of 1966. Prior to that January, the army was drafting approximately 2 to 3 thousand men a month. That January the number exploded to 25,000.
1966 held many firsts. It was the first time I lived away from home; it was the first time I flew in an airplane. In March I married that beautiful brown-eyed girl I met in 1963. In June I left the USA for the first time, having been sent to Wiesbaden, Germany. And later that year I smoked my first joint along with a few of my fellow GI's.
1967 was marked by turbulence and civil unrest, riots and protest demonstrations over the Viet Nam war and racial tensions. Hippies became front page news and a worldwide phenomenon. Pot and LSD became the new buzzwords. 1967 was the year I dropped acid for the first time and smoked my first pipeful of hashhish. Two days before Christmas proved a mega-mega milestone for me: I received an honorable discharge from the army and returned home to my wife and the beginning of a new chapter in my life.
1968 saw 2 politcal assasinations: Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy. On a personal note, Joyce and I moved into our first apartment, and I bought my first new car--a 1968 Mustang for the whopping price of $2800.00.
1968 saw the first man to walk on the moon, and later that year we got the news that Joyce was pregnant. The pride of our life, Craig, would arrive in August of 1970.
So that marked the end of a whirlwind of a decade branded with an unbelievable series of firsts and milestones, both good and bad, a decade unequalled in my lifetime.
The tackiest decade? the 70's!
I was 15 at the start of the 1960's. Right from the get-go, the very first presidential debates were televised. It was Nixon versus Kennedy in what turned out to be the closest presidential election in our history. JFk's victory ushered in the era of Camelot.
1962 had personal signifigance: I graduated from Chicago Vocational High School and started at Southeast Junior College.
In January of 1963 I met a cute brunette with gorgeous brown eyes named Joyce Vargo, who would later become my wife. Of course we know what happened in November of 1963: the assassination of President Kennedy.
February of 1964 brought the Beatles to America, and the band created a seismic shift in music, fashion
and pop culture in general. That summer Martin Luther King Jr. marched on Washington and civil rights legislation was passed into law.
In 1965 President Johnson signed the Medicare Act. In May I started my first real full time job at US Steel Southworks. Then in December of 1965 I received a draft notice, making me part of the first big troop callup of the Viet Nam war in January of 1966. Prior to that January, the army was drafting approximately 2 to 3 thousand men a month. That January the number exploded to 25,000.
1966 held many firsts. It was the first time I lived away from home; it was the first time I flew in an airplane. In March I married that beautiful brown-eyed girl I met in 1963. In June I left the USA for the first time, having been sent to Wiesbaden, Germany. And later that year I smoked my first joint along with a few of my fellow GI's.
1967 was marked by turbulence and civil unrest, riots and protest demonstrations over the Viet Nam war and racial tensions. Hippies became front page news and a worldwide phenomenon. Pot and LSD became the new buzzwords. 1967 was the year I dropped acid for the first time and smoked my first pipeful of hashhish. Two days before Christmas proved a mega-mega milestone for me: I received an honorable discharge from the army and returned home to my wife and the beginning of a new chapter in my life.
1968 saw 2 politcal assasinations: Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy. On a personal note, Joyce and I moved into our first apartment, and I bought my first new car--a 1968 Mustang for the whopping price of $2800.00.
1968 saw the first man to walk on the moon, and later that year we got the news that Joyce was pregnant. The pride of our life, Craig, would arrive in August of 1970.
So that marked the end of a whirlwind of a decade branded with an unbelievable series of firsts and milestones, both good and bad, a decade unequalled in my lifetime.
The tackiest decade? the 70's!
Thursday, February 27, 2014
The home stretch
On March 17 (St. Paddy's Day) I hit 70, which is why I decided to start a blog. Being an official septuagenarian means I'm spinning out of the far turn and heading into life's home stretch, with the finish line drawing ever nearer. The difference between a horse race and life, however, is that we can never be sure where the finish line lies.
Now let's play the numbers game. Some might call it life's lottery. Whatever you call it, one thing is clear: it's all a freakin' gamble. Note the following stats on longevity:
At age 10, a male can expect to live another 66.9 years; at age 20, another 52.2 years; age 60, another 21.5 years; and at age 70, another 14 years. In each instance, you can add another couple of years for a female.
Looking at these longevity numbers another way, a 20 year old has a 0.05 chance of dying the next year; at 40 years of age, the risk of dying the following year is three times greater; at age 60 that number jumps to 16 times greater; and at the dear sweet age of 70, my chances of dying next year leap to 50 times greater. Which means there's no point in my buying a 30 year Treasury. On the other hand, if a bank wants to float me a 30 year mortgage, that's on them.
Please don't get the impression I'm obsessed with death and dying. I truly am not. but as that expiration date draws closer, I find the finite aspect of life to be utterly fascinating. Life truly is an adventure. Think of all the things that have occurred in your life that you would never have predicted or anticipated--both good and bad. As I glide into the golden years (Why golden when everything is turning gray?) I'm thinking about the prospect of dramatic changes--physical, mental and emotional. How long will I remain physically active? Will I lose my mental acuity and succumb to dementia? The things that interest me now--how long will I remain interested, or will I fall into apathy and passivity?
For the record, I hit the ground running at 70. I work out 7 days a week, 3 days weight training, the other 4 days biking, walking, or both. At 5'6" " (I'm actually tall for my height) I weigh 130 lbs., with a body mass index of 21. My blood pressure is 99/59, blood sugar is 84, triglycerides are 77, HDL's are 54. Several months ago I had a colonoscopy and prostate exam, both giving me a clean bill of health. Mentally, I'm still relatively sharp (although some may argue about that). I recently completed a novel, and in recent months have had 2 of my poems published. Go to Amazon.com and you can find 2 more of my novels and a collection of my poetry.
Some folks my age turn to religion as they see a dirt nap looming in their future. Personally, I do not believe in an afterlife. Human beings are so desperate to cling to life, we've even created a place of eternal damnation and suffering called Hell. Apparently an eternity of pain and horror beats nothingness. So what is death like for someone like me who doesn't believe in an afterlife? I believe this: Death for us will feel the same way we all did in 1820. That is to say, we won't exist. Nothing. Nada.
So fuck the afterlife. The here and now is too exciting and challenging, and the most challenging years are yet to come. The final ones usually are. I want to use this blog to record this adventure in all its highs and lows, laughter and tears for as long as I am physically and mentally able. I invite you to come along for the ride. Let's hope it's a goddamn long one.
Now let's play the numbers game. Some might call it life's lottery. Whatever you call it, one thing is clear: it's all a freakin' gamble. Note the following stats on longevity:
At age 10, a male can expect to live another 66.9 years; at age 20, another 52.2 years; age 60, another 21.5 years; and at age 70, another 14 years. In each instance, you can add another couple of years for a female.
Looking at these longevity numbers another way, a 20 year old has a 0.05 chance of dying the next year; at 40 years of age, the risk of dying the following year is three times greater; at age 60 that number jumps to 16 times greater; and at the dear sweet age of 70, my chances of dying next year leap to 50 times greater. Which means there's no point in my buying a 30 year Treasury. On the other hand, if a bank wants to float me a 30 year mortgage, that's on them.
Please don't get the impression I'm obsessed with death and dying. I truly am not. but as that expiration date draws closer, I find the finite aspect of life to be utterly fascinating. Life truly is an adventure. Think of all the things that have occurred in your life that you would never have predicted or anticipated--both good and bad. As I glide into the golden years (Why golden when everything is turning gray?) I'm thinking about the prospect of dramatic changes--physical, mental and emotional. How long will I remain physically active? Will I lose my mental acuity and succumb to dementia? The things that interest me now--how long will I remain interested, or will I fall into apathy and passivity?
For the record, I hit the ground running at 70. I work out 7 days a week, 3 days weight training, the other 4 days biking, walking, or both. At 5'6" " (I'm actually tall for my height) I weigh 130 lbs., with a body mass index of 21. My blood pressure is 99/59, blood sugar is 84, triglycerides are 77, HDL's are 54. Several months ago I had a colonoscopy and prostate exam, both giving me a clean bill of health. Mentally, I'm still relatively sharp (although some may argue about that). I recently completed a novel, and in recent months have had 2 of my poems published. Go to Amazon.com and you can find 2 more of my novels and a collection of my poetry.
Some folks my age turn to religion as they see a dirt nap looming in their future. Personally, I do not believe in an afterlife. Human beings are so desperate to cling to life, we've even created a place of eternal damnation and suffering called Hell. Apparently an eternity of pain and horror beats nothingness. So what is death like for someone like me who doesn't believe in an afterlife? I believe this: Death for us will feel the same way we all did in 1820. That is to say, we won't exist. Nothing. Nada.
So fuck the afterlife. The here and now is too exciting and challenging, and the most challenging years are yet to come. The final ones usually are. I want to use this blog to record this adventure in all its highs and lows, laughter and tears for as long as I am physically and mentally able. I invite you to come along for the ride. Let's hope it's a goddamn long one.
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