Action to take

When you have your annual physical, include blood testing for fibrinogen,
homocystine, Hemoglobin A1C, and possibly C-reactive protein.

Why

I normally focus on what I know best—what it takes mentally to grow young
and live with purpose. Sometimes, news about physical health issues is so noteworthy
that I address it as well. The research source that I have grown to trust the most
for health news is the nonprofit organization, the Life Extension Foundation.
It has a history of championing causes ten years before mainstream medicine
and federal agencies acknowledge the problem or remedy.

Everyone agrees that exercise and good nutrition are vital to cardiovascular health.
For the past decade, cardiologists have focused on cholesterol in the battle against
heart disease—initially on total cholesterol and later on keeping HDL high and LDL low.
 
The Life Extension Foundation’s research indicates several factors foster cardiovascular
problems and cholesterol probably isn’t the most important factor–certainly not the
preeminent factor. One factor that causes a lot of problems is homocystine.
Homocystine is an amino acid found primarily in meat. Some people’s bodies
are more effective than other’s in breaking down homocystine. When homocystine
accumulates, it causes arteriosclerosis, even when cholesterol levels are normal.

A few decades ago homocystine testing was very expensive and could only be
performed in a few dozen research labs. Now it is a routine test but most
physicians haven’t added it to annual checkups. As the research on homocystine
damage accumulates, physicians have lowered recommended levels from
less than 11 to less than 7umol/L. When compared with <7, the risk of stoke
increases 26% at 7-9, 31% 9-11, and 74% above 11. Homocystine also
appears to contribute to developing Alzheimer’s disease. Fortunately, homocystine
levels usually abate with reduced meat consumption and/or with a combination of
Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, folic acid, and trimethylglycine (TMG or betaine).

Increasingly researchers are finding the two processes that contribute the most
to cardiovascular problems are inflammation and erratic blood sugar levels.
The C-reactive protein test is emerging as an effective marker for early stage
cardiovascular problems in people who have not shown symptoms.
A fasting blood sugar level gives a snapshot of blood sugar levels on a given day.
The A1C test, however, is the best measure of blood sugar level stability over a several
week time period. Thus it is an excellent test for early stages of diabetes.
Testing fibrinogen, homocystine, Hemoglobin A1C, and possibly C-reactive protein
levels in an annual physical may catch a problem early and help prevent serious disability.

Quotes

The best doctors in the world are Dr. Diet, Dr. Quiet, and Dr. Merryman.
~Swift

Humor

After talking with the intern, the woman started screaming hysterically and
ran down the hall. An older doctor stopped and asked her what the problem was.
She explained and he marched down the hall and grilled the young doctor,
“What’s the matter with you? Mrs. Terry is 63 years old and you told her she’s pregnant?”
The new doctor smiled smugly and said, “Cured her hiccups though, didn’t it?”

Action to take

When you have your annual physical, include blood testing for fibrinogen,
homocystine, Hemoglobin A1C, and possibly C-reactive protein.

Why

I normally focus on what I know best—what it takes mentally to grow young
and live with purpose. Sometimes, news about physical health issues is so noteworthy
that I address it as well. The research source that I have grown to trust the most
for health news is the nonprofit organization, the Life Extension Foundation.
It has a history of championing causes ten years before mainstream medicine
and federal agencies acknowledge the problem or remedy.

Everyone agrees that exercise and good nutrition are vital to cardiovascular health.
For the past decade, cardiologists have focused on cholesterol in the battle against
heart disease—initially on total cholesterol and later on keeping HDL high and LDL low.  
The Life Extension Foundation’s research indicates several factors foster cardiovascular
problems and cholesterol probably isn’t the most important factor–certainly not the
preeminent factor. Fibrinogen is one of those overlooked independent risk factors
that has a substantial body of animal and human research indicating that higher levels
of fibrinogen bring higher risk of heart attacks and stroke. In a 2006 study, for example,
fibrinogen was the only independent risk factor to predict who was most likely to die
within 42 months of a heart attack. It also is a risk factor for cancer.

The liver produces the protein fibrinogen to make fibrin for the “mesh” that forms
to enable clotting to heal a wound or stop bleeding. Fibrin also helps in gathering platelets.
We need some fibrin. Americans’ sedentary lifestyles and fat rich diets, however,
often result in levels that are too high. A simple blood test can check fibrinogen levels.
The optimal range is 200-300 mg/dL. Factors that appear to reduce fibrinogen levels include:
• fish oil (e.g., fish such as salmon or from supplements)
• olive oil
• niacin (vitamin B3)
• Vitamin A
• keeping homocystine levels down (which usually can be reduced with vitamins B6, B12,
and folic acid and lowering saturated fats)
• foods and supplements that thin the blood, e.g., aspirin, garlic, green tea, Ginkgo, and Vitamin E

If you do nothing else, when you have your annual physical, include blood testing for fibrinogen,
homocystine, Hemoglobin A1C, and possibly C-reactive protein. Elevations of any of these is a
red flag for high risk of cardiovascular disease. I’ll discuss homocystine, Hemoglobin A1C, and
C-reactive protein in the next issues.

Quotes

very disease is a physician.
~Irish proverb

Humor

A new arrival, about to enter hospital, saw two white coated doctors searching through the flower beds.
“Excuse me,” he said, “have you lost something?”
“No,” replied one of the doctors. “We’re doing a heart transplant for an income-tax inspector
and want to find a suitable stone.”

Action to take

Let centenarian role models inspire a no limits outlook on aging.

Why

What does every golfer want? A hole in one.
102-year-old Elsie McLean got one on a 96 yard par three.
See article and video of interview with her. 

At 99, retired brick layer Richard Hubbard loved bowling but found his game
was deteriorating. That prompted him to see a doctor who diagnosed
calcified heart valves. He had heart surgery at 100 and is eager to get back to bowling.

At 104 Phillip Rabinowitz set a new seniors 100 yard dash record
at 30.86 seconds. While this is far short of the any age world record at 9.74seconds,
I doubt if many teenagers could keep up with him. A few months later
Mr. Rabinowitz died from a stroke in February 2008. He is a great example
of what I call an “Energizer Bunny and alkaline batteries.” While regular batteries
gradually wear out, alkaline batteries give a steady energy level, last a lot longer, 
and die quickly.

The Pekin Times reports that a Havana, Illinois church now has a centenarian club
for member 100+ years old. It currently has two members and another due to join in July 2008.

With elections in the news, articles on centenarians keep popping up.
For example, 106-year-old Anna French couldn’t vote when she was 18.
She had to wait for the 19th Constitutional amendment to give American women the
right to vote in 1920. Regarding Hillary Clinton she said, “If a woman is
smart enough to put herself in that position, she’s smart enough to gt my vote.”

Just for fun, there is the story of how Girl Scout cookies saved a centenarian’s life.
Ten years ago, Rebecca Preston’s daughter bought a box of Thin Mints cookies for
her mother but kept forgetting to deliver them. So they sat in the freezer for ten
years. She asked a friend to deliver them and when Mrs. Preston did not answer
the door, he investigated and found her so ill she could not even get to the phone.
He called an ambulance and now 104-year-old Mrs. Preston is healthy again–and
credits a box of Thin Mints cookies.

Quotes

It gives me great pleasure to converse with the aged.
They have been over the road that all of us must travel
and know where it is rough and difficult and where it is level and easy.
~Plato

Humor

Reporter to centenarian, “Of what are you most proud?”
Centenarian: I’ve lived 100 years and haven’t an enemy in the world.”
Reporter: “Truly inspirational!”
Centenarian: “Yep, I’ve outlived every last one of them!”

Action to take

Enjoy the good news that the incidence rates of cancer are declining
and five year survival rates have passed 50%.

Why

In the 1940’s, only one of four cancer patients survived five years.
In the 1960’s, survival was one in three. Now it has reached one in two.
Meanwhile, incidence rates have been dropped by .5% per year from
1991 to 2001.

Surgeries are often less radical and chemotherapy is often more targeted.
This brings a better quality of life for survivors. A few decades ago,
the public knew little about cancer beyond it being a “death sentence.”
In 1979, Norman Cousins’ book described how he used humor to
help overcome cancer, alerting people to the role of psychological
factors. Now there are thousands of support groups, hundreds of
books, and lots of media attention. A decade ago it would have
been hard to imagine millions of Today Show viewers watching
Katie Couric’s colonoscopy on live television. Inspired by her example,
the number of colonoscopy exams in the US increased 20% the following month.
A recent American Cancer Society report says that half of all cancers
are preventable. Cigarette smoking is the biggest cause of lung cancer, which
comprises about a third of cancers in America. Lung cancer has a very poor
survival rate. US smoking rates are declining and more businesses are now
smoke free. Smoking also contributes to several other types of cancer.
Other priority prevention measures include losing weight and testing for
breast cancer, colon cancer, and prostrate cancer.

Cancer research shows great promise. The future will soon have
genetic testing indicating what medications and treatments are
likely to be the most effective. For those who want alternative approaches
to treating cancer, the Moss Reports and the Life Extension Foundation
offer scientific perspectives on alternative medicine approaches
to cancer treatment.

Our nation’s two biggest causes of death are cardiovascular diseases
and cancer. For both, survival rates are showing substantial improvement.

Quotes

Show me a patient who is able to laugh and play, who enjoys living,
and I’ll show you someone who is going to live longer. Laughter makes
the unbearable bearable.
~Dr. Bernie Siegel

Humor

My apologies to not catching the source.
Interviews with cancer survivors included one
who described how his oncologist told him and
and his parents that he might want to smoke
marijuana to help with the nausea and pain from
the treatments. This was a dream come true–
a doctor telling his parents that he should smoke pot.

Action to take

When thinking and speaking, be accurate
about what you need vs. what you want.

Why

My wife asked if there was anything I needed from the grocery store
and I said some beer. Then I thought, I don’t need beer, I want beer.
The distinction is subtle, but offers several benefits. Saying I want
rather than need:
~ makes me more consciousness that this isn’t something my body needs
~ prompts me to consider whether I am making a healthy choice
~ prompts me to be more likely to make a healthy choice
~ raises my consciousness as to physiological effects
~ prompts gratitude as I realize I have many choices
~ prompts gratitude as I realize I can choose many things beyond my needs
That’s a lot of benefits from just being more conscious of one word choice.
Why fuss about semantics? Painlessly making healthier lifestyle choices fosters
living longer, healthier and living with purpose. So does having more gratitude.
I’m always looking for easy ways to foster growing young and living with purpose.
The distinction can have a lot of nuances. I may want a beer to help me relax
and unwind. If the outcome I want is to relax and unwind, being clear that it is
a want and not a need makes me more aware that I have several choices
for how to relax and unwind.

Sometimes wants are complicated by physiological needs. Wanting coffee
in the morning might be to prevent a headache from caffeine withdrawal
and to counter the lack of sleep from coffee the night before.
Physiological need distinctions can be controversial and confusing.
Research indicates that caffeine stimulates estrogen (estradiol) production.
This can increase the risk of cancer, especially for women at risk for
endometriosis and breast cancers. Some research suggests that pregnant
women metabolize caffeine at only a fourth of their normal rate.
The livers of fetuses cannot metabolize caffeine so the caffeine stays
in their systems for days.

Some research indicates caffeine increases menstrual muscle cramps.
Many women, however, report it relieves cramps and is calming
(partially from its diuretic effect). Then there is research indicating
that coffee has health benefits. What to make of the contradictions?
We need to pay attention to how caffeine affects us (and possibly
experiment with reducing or eliminating consumption to see the difference).
At the very least, moderation is needed, and extra moderation is
needed during pregnancy and breast feeding.

I have just been addressing what we eat and drink. Whether we need or just
want a new car and whether it is a Saturn or a luxury car has its nuances as well.

Quotes

Daddy, I don’t need your help.
I’ve been very intelligent since I was two years old.
~Sharon Brickey (last year when she was 4)

The road to success is a toll road. Pay that small, daily fee,
and you’ll be able to go most anywhere you want.
Leave some time for fun, and you’ll enjoy the ride.
~Steve Goodier (writer)

A rich person is not one who has the most,
but is one who needs the least.
~(source unknown)

Humor

If we are to believe the HBO series, Big Love,
a man needs a mistress just to break the monogamy.
~Michael Brickey

Action to take

When you imagine living well into your hundreds,
imagine living at home or in a home like setting.

Why

Only a third of Americans say they want to live to a hundred.
Why? They imagine living to a hundred means being disabled
and living in a nursing home with its depersonalization, lack of privacy,
and institutional food. Nursing homes often are a necessary evil
for step-down nursing care after hospitalization, but they are a
terrible place to call home.

The marketplace caught on and now offers a cornucopia of
home-based services including housekeeping, nursing care,
and physical therapy. There are often tax breaks, utility subsidies,
and meals on wheels programs to help low-income seniors stay at home.
Independent living facilities and assisted living facilities are popping up
everywhere. Some are homelike. Some are very luxurious and like
a resort. (Some, unfortunately, look institutional and have a medical
feel with nursing stations and medical carts.) Americans whose
finances give them a choice are increasingly choosing to live at home
or in homelike communities. Baby Boomers in particular are likely
to insist on a homelike or resort-like atmosphere.

Now federal and state governments are doing the math and finding
that housing seniors in nursing homes often wastes money. In Pennsylvania,
for example, nursing homes bill Medicaid $144 a day per resident.
Home based care only costs $56 a day. Certainly a sizeable number
of nursing home residents are bedridden or in fragile health and are better
served in a nursing home. Many, however, are in nursing homes because they
have health problems, only have Social Security income, and can’t
afford to live on their own. They need some assistance but don’t
need the intensity of a nursing home.

Often indigent and low income seniors with health problems have
to choose between trying to make it in the community vs. giving up
their privacy and independence to share a tiny room in a nursing home.
It is probably just a matter of time before the government catches on
that the middle ground of assisted living is more humane, more
dignified, and more cost effective. Perhaps the fear is that people
who would otherwise live at home will flock to more comfortable
assisted living facilities. I doubt it. In most assisted living facilities
most residents pine for living at home.

To conclude, more and more seniors are living at home or in
homelike facilities. While you may spend a few weeks in a nursing
home for a knee replacement, you are not likely to have to live out
your later years in a nursing home.

Quotes

Oh, Auntie Em – there’s no place like home!
~Dorothy’s last line in the Wizard of Oz

Humor

Human beings are the only creatures
that allow their children to come back home.
~Bill Cosby

Action to take

If you are a Baby Boomer, adopt a new designation for your generation.

Why

Baby Boomers were born between 1946 and 1964. Boomers’ claim to fame is that
they are so big they can’t be ignored. But Boomers need a new public relations firm.
Is size all the generation stands for? The previous generation knew PR and called
themselves “The Greatest Generation.” Now that’s great marketing.

Baby Boomers need to drop the Baby. Boomers are well out of diapers and
have changed quite a few diapers themselves. Eighteen years is really more than one
generation and earlier and later Boomers had quite different defining events.
What most distinguishes the Boomer generation? They have redefined aging.
Boomers made 50 the new 30, etc. It wasn’t rhetoric. Though often overweight,
Boomers tend to look and act twenty years younger than people used to act at their age.
The change has come from their spirit and determination. It affected a paradigm shift in
how people age. To give proper credit, however, they also had a lot of help from medicine,
science, and cosmetics.

So let’s give Boomers the credit they deserve for helping all of us to look and feel younger.
Let’s change their name from Baby Boomers to Age Busters.

Quotes

I hope to die young, as late as possible.
~actors Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy

Humor

Radio talk show caller: I’m 75, Flo. I used to want to live fast and die young!
Flo: And now?
Caller: Well…now I just want to die young at a very old age.
~Flo & Friends cartoon by Campbell Bigel

We could certainly slow aging process down if it had to work its
way through Congress.
~Unknown

Action to take

The anti-aging cavalry is on the way.
Take care of yourself now so you can
benefit from coming scientific advances.

Why

Last post addressed how a family of enzymes called sirtuins
hold promise for slowing aging and helping remediate diseases such as
diabetes and Alzheimer’s. Today I would like to discuss another
research endeavor that holds promise of improving health and slowing aging.

Human Growth Hormone prompts our bodies to grow new tissue.
HGH levels decline after puberty and continue to decline with age. Physicians began
using Human Growth Hormones (HGH) in the 1980’s to help very short children
grow to a more normal height. That use is still common.

In 1990, Dr. Daniel Rudman gave HGH injections to elderly nursing home residents
and got dramatic results–the residents developed bigger muscles, thicker skin,
denser bones, more energy, lower blood pressure, fewer wrinkles, better
vision, thicker hair, improved mood and memory and improved sexual functioning.
Since then, thousands of athletes, actors, and celebrities have been taking
HGH injections at about $10,000 a year. My take is that if you are already elderly
or have certain unique health issues, it might be worth trying. At younger ages,
however, it is risky because not enough is known about the effects of long-term use.

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could get our bodies to naturally produce more HGH?
You can. Exercising, especially strength exercising, helps increase your HGH levels.
On the Internet you can find hundreds of sites selling secretagogues–over-the-counter
supplements that are supposed to prompt your body to increase HGH production.
Do any work? There is no good way to tell. I would expect results in a third of
users just from the placebo effects. That alone can account for the testimonials.
Needless to say it is a buyer beware market. (I, for one, have not purchased any.)

Researchers at the University of Washington and the VA have been testing
capromorelin, an experimental drug from Pfizer. 395 men and women ages 65-84
used the drug for six months. They gained an average of three pounds in lean muscle mass
and were better able to walk a straight line (a test of coordination, balance and strength).
A year later they showed improvement in stair climbing. Merck reportedly is working on
a similar drug.

While the pharmaceutical companies have often had questionable practices
in reporting research and promoting medications, I certainly have more faith
in their products than a secretagogue found on the Internet. The FDA does
not regard aging as a disease and sets higher approval standards for medications
that just improve functioning as opposed to cure or manage diseases. Thus
medications such as capromorelin will receive extra scrutiny for the FDA.

Quotes

Basic research is what I am doing when I don’t know what I’m doing.
~Rocket scientist, Wernher von Braun

Humor

Finagle’s First Law: If an experiment works, something has gone wrong.

Finagle’s Second Law: No matter what the anticipated result, there will always be
someone eager to (a) misinterpret it, (b) fake it, or (c) believe it happened according
to his own pet theory.

Finagle’s Third Law: In any collection of data, the figure most obviously correct,
beyond all need of checking, is the mistake.

Finagle’s Fourth Law: Once a job is fouled up, anything done to improve it only makes it worse.

Finagle’s Creed: Science is true. Don’t be misled by facts.

Corollaries on mistakes:
1. Nobody whom you ask for help will see it.
2. The first person who stops by, whose advice you really don’t want to hear, will see it immediately.

Action to take

The anti-aging cavalry is on the way.
Take care of yourself now so you can
benefit from coming scientific advances.

Why

Satchel Paige said, “If I had known I would live so long
I would have taken better care of myself.” I don’t want
you someday saying, “If I had known how much help science
would offer, I would have taken better care of myself.”
Wellness (prevention) and healthcare (treatment) advances
are coming at an exponential pace. The healthier you keep
your body now, the more you can benefit from the advances.

In June, 2006 University of Wisconsin researchers reported on how
sirtuins, a family of enzymes, orchestrate many enzymes involved
in metabolic processes and can play a major role is slowing the
aging process. The report in the June Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences discussed how sirtuins may also
help treat metabolic disorders such as diabetes and neurological disorders
such as Alzheimer’s disease. Elevated levels of sirtuins slow degeneration
in damaged nerve cells and impact aspects of metabolism responsible
for insulin secretion. One substance that activates sirtuins is reservatrol,
the anti-oxidant found in red grapes and red wine.

Rare diseases often muster little interest from pharmaceutical companies
as there is not much profit in them. With effects on aging, diabetes, Alzheimer’s,
and many other diseases, the pharmaceutical companies are very interested in sirtuins.

Research on sirtuins is just one of many exciting research developments.

Quotes

If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?
~Albert Einstein

Humor

Enough research will tend to support your theory.
~Murphy’s Law of Research

Anyone who makes a significant contribution to any field of endeavor,
and stays in that field long enough, becomes an obstruction to its progress–-
in direct proportion to the importance of their original contribution.
~Jones’s First Law of Research

Action to take

Take a tip from Madison Avenue ad firms and pitch your lifestyle to the
age you choose to perceive yourself to be.

Why

Advertisers call it psychographics–using demographics in marketing to
determine the attitudes and tastes of a market segment. For Baby Boomers
psychographic studies prompted marketing to the Baby Boomers’
perceptions of their age and lifestyle. Boomers perceive themselves as a lot
younger than we used to associate with their chronological ages. Hence
50 is the new 30, etc. Some may see it as denial. I see it as supremely realistic.

Our perceptions and stereotypes for what people are supposed to be like at
40, 50, 60, etc. are typically based on how our parents’ generation aged.
We have to have some reference and our parents have been our role models.
But Boomers have a vision of being much younger than those stereotypes and
refuse to go along with expectations. Eventually, advertisers caught on and
marketed to their perceived ages. The ads in turn reinforced the Boomer beliefs
that they are forever young.

You can perceive of yourself as younger, older, or about the same as
stereotypes for your age. Thinking of yourself and your lifestyle as younger
fosters being more active, resilient, hopeful, and healthy. You’ve got to like choices
that give you everything to gain and nothing to lose.

Quotes

I can remember when the air was clean and sex was dirty.
~George Burns

Humor

The perfume industry missed one important Boomer psychographic.
Yes there are perfumes that make you smell sweet. But if
Boomer women really want to attract Boomer men, they need
a perfume that subtly, imperceptibly smells like pizza.
~Mike Brickey

Action to take

Avoid the “memory quicksand” of self-limiting beliefs about your memory.
Reject negative stereotypes and beliefs about aging. Rather see yourself as
nourishing your memory with healthy beliefs, good nutrition, and exercise.

Why

If you were taking a memory test, would it make a difference if you thought you
were competing against younger people? Against older people? Researchers at
Tulane and the University of Kansas gave 85 men and women between 48 and 62
standard word recall task—study 30 words for two minutes and then write down
as many as you can recall.

Researchers told one third of the subjects that they were testing their memory
against adults over 70. They told another third they were testing the memory
against adults in their twenties. Another third just took the test. Those competing
against younger adults and those in the control group scored the same.
Those competing against seniors did not remember as many words. Why?
Apparently the pairing suggested memory deteriorates with age and
compromised their performance.

The effect is a common one. After reading that men do better on math tests,
women did not perform as well as controls who were not exposed to the article.
Likewise men who think they are competing against Asian students on math tests
do not perform at their potential.

I’m not suggesting a Pollyannaish denial that memory doesn’t deteriorate some
with age. For many the deterioration comes from the effects of disabilities and medications.
Even with good health there is some decline. If you stay healthy, there is no reason
your memory can’t be quite sharp in your hundreds in areas that you use it. I.e.,
Don’t expect to easily learn a foreign language at 90 if you only know English.
But if you are a crossword buff, you still can be a crossword maven in your hundreds.
The same holds for skills like play bridge.

Often people don’t remember a name because they don’t pay attention when they
hear the name, don’t rehearse the name, or don’t even believe they are capable
of remembering a name. A good memory requires interest, effort (rehearsal and
making it memorable), and belief that you can remember. Our expectations and
actions have far more influence on our memory than most people realize.

Quotes

I can remember when the air was clean and sex was dirty.
~George Burns

Humor

A woman slapped her husband in the back of the head, and yelled,
“I found a piece of paper in your pants with Marylou written on it.”
“Calm down honey,” he said, “Remember last week when I went to the dog races?
That was the dog I bet on.”
The next morning, his wife smacked him again.
“What was that for?” he complained.
“Your dog called last night.”

Action to take

Make sure you protect your skin from the sun every day you–
are exposed to the sun and only use skin care products that are:
~pH balanced
~free of mineral oil
~free of dyes and fragrances

Why

A friend called me in distress. To celebrate his birthday his kids washed
his new car–only they used Brillo scouring pads. What would you say to the kids?
We periodically replace worn out cars. Most Americans do the equivalent of a
car wash with scouring pads to their skin every day. We have to live
with our skin the rest of our lives. How you look affects how you feel
and how others treat you. Don’t do the stupidest things to your skin.

Stupidest Mistake #1 Using Soap

You’re probably thinking I’m nuts. Don’t we need soap to be clean and
get rid of germs? Your sebaceous glands keep your skin at a pH between
5.5 and 6.5 (slightly acidic) for optimal health. Most soap is very alkaline
and strips your skin of its protective oils. What may feel “squeaky clean”
is really dehydrated and vulnerable to free radical damage. All soaps, shampoos,
shaving cream, moisturizers, and cosmetics should be pH balanced to protect
your skin. It may sound like I am overreacting, but it makes a difference.

Stupidest Mistake #2 Mineral Oil

Baby oil is 100% mineral oil. Why? Cloth diapers needed a barrier between
the baby’s skin and wet diaper. With absorbent paper diapers, an oil barrier isn’t needed.
So now we can use baby products that nurture your baby’s or grandbaby’s skin so it can
breathe and not get diaper rash. In the U.S. most cosmetic companies use mineral oil
because it is cheaper than water-based alternatives and it seems to moisturize
because it coats your skin. Your body is water based and like oil and vinegar
salad dressing, mineral oil doesn’t interact much with your water based skin.

Most European countries ban mineral oil from cosmetics and skin care products.
Some pricey cosmetics even use water-based moisturizers in Europe and mineral oil-based
moisturizers in the U.S. Mineral oil coats your skin, clogs your pores, and prevents
your skin from breathing. It keeps your skin from exfoliating dead skin cells and toxins.
It keeps your skin from absorbing vitamins, nutrients, and antioxidants in a moisturizer.

Stupidest Mistake #3 Fragrances and Dyes

The most common causes of skin reactions and allergic reactions are the fragrances
and dyes that are added to soaps, shampoos, shaving cream, moisturizers, and cosmetics.
Having your hair smell like coconuts or mangos or bananas or be a pretty color often
comes with a cost. For the healthiest skin–no fragrances, no dyes.

Stupidest Mistake #4 Sun Damage

Most people don’t get enough sun. Sun is vital to feeling good and avoiding depression.
Like bears, many people respond to less sunlight in the winter by becoming depressed,
grouchy, and less active. Our bodies use sunshine to produce Vitamin D. Many Americans
have insufficient Vitamin D, a vitamin that helps with calcium absorption and
preventing osteoporosis. By all means, try to get some sunshine every day.

But sun also is by far the biggest cause of skin damage–wrinkling, drying, and skin cancer.
Skin cancer is three times more common than breast cancer and lung cancer combined
and accounts for half of new cancer diagnoses in the U.S. Sun tans are a sign of sun damage
to the skin and sunburn greatly increases the risk of skin cancer. Sun tans may look good
in the short run but in the long run they contribute to leathery, wrinkled skin and a
much higher risk of skin cancer.

If you insist on a suntan, ask me about a safe way to tan your skin without the sun or with
less sun. With the ozone depletion, sunscreen becomes even more important to healthy skin.
For prolonged sun exposure, use a sunscreen and if your skin gets red, a post sun skin treatment.
For modest sun exposure, use a moisturizer that includes a sunscreen.

Seeing Your Future

Imagine it is tomorrow morning and you are looking in the bathroom mirror.
Make a mental snapshot of how that looks now. Now imagine that 20 years
have passed and during those 20 years you didn’t give your skin much thought
–and now it shows in dry, wrinkly, perhaps even leathery skin with age spots.
It has some suspicious areas that you need to have your doctor check to
make sure it isn’t skin cancer. You say to yourself as Satchel Paige said,

“If I had known I was going to live so long, I would have taken better care of myself.”
Make a snapshot of the picture. Now imagine that tomorrow you start being kind
to your skin–using skin care products that are pH balanced, free of mineral oil,
free of fragrances, and free of dyes. You use a botanically based moisturizer
that includes a sunscreen and you are careful about sun exposure. Within days
your skin starts feeling softer and smoother and has a healthier glow. Within weeks
wrinkles get a little smaller and scarcer. And 20 years later your skin still looks good.
Which future do you want? Which image do you want to have to look at for several decades?

Quotes

Won’t you come into my garden? I would like my roses to see you.
~Richard Sheridan
The saying that beauty is but skin deep is but a skin deep saying.
~John Ruskin

Humor

The hung over barber nicked the customer he was shaving.
Annoyed, the customer quipped, “See what happens when you drink too much?”
“Yeah,” said the barber, “it makes skin more sensitive.”

Action to take

Journal the lesson you learn each day.

Why

At lunch today a fellow professional speaker, Marie Pollack,
talked about how she developed a habit of journaling what
she learned each day. I asked myself why I had never thought of this.

Because of Marie’s example, I started a daily lesson journal.
I haven’t kept a diary or journal as I imagined it would
just log mundane events. However, the two minutes it takes
to log the day’s lesson is a great antidote to aging.
It prods you to look for the good and for the lesson.

Learning something new each day is a great way to stay young.
Learning a lesson every day is even better. If you learn more than
300 lessons a year, you are destined to be a very wise person.
Will they all be keepers? If only ten percent seem profound
next year, you still have about three dozen a year.

How does one become a family patriarch or matriarch?
Learning hundreds of lessons a year makes you a natural.
Want to pass on a legacy to children, grandchildren, or others?
How many people learn several hundred lessons each year?

An insight is usually but a fleeting idea unless it is captured on paper.
What could be a simpler way to stay young, positive, and see the
big picture than logging a lesson a day? Writing is one of the best
antidotes to aging I know.

Quotes

Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first,
the lesson afterward.
~How to be a Winner, This Week, 14 August 1940

The diary is an art form just as much as the novel or the play.
The diary simply requires a greater canvas.
~Henry Miller

The biggest lesson I have ever learned is the stupendous importance
of what we think. If I knew what you think, I would know what you are,
for your thoughts make you what you are; by changing our thoughts,
we can change our lives.
~Dale Carnegie

Action to take

Consider giving blood periodically–as a good deed and to improve your health.

Why

What if you could perform one of the most generous good deeds possible,
help your health at the same time, and it would not cost you anything?
Chances are that you can. Philosopher Rabbi Moses Maimonides would add that
giving blood is one of the highest forms of charity as the recipient is anonymous.

Too much iron: Most Americans have higher than optimal levels of iron
in their blood. Iron is an oxidant that oxidizes LDL cholesterol and
contributes to atherosclerosis and heart disease. It impairs utilization of
zinc, which is vital to memory, immune functioning, healing, sexual functioning,
and healthy skin. Excess iron increases the risk of cancer and most cancer cells
consume more iron than other cells. One in 250 people have a common
genetic disorder that causes very high levels of iron. Very high levels or iron
damages the heart, liver, and other organs and can be fatal.

Too little iron: Iron is essential to red blood cell production. Iron deficiency
causes anemia, which brings weakness and fatigue and increased vulnerability to illnesses.
Iron is vital to several enzymes, energy production, metabolism and DNA synthesis.

Common sources of concentrated iron:
~Iron supplements
~Many multiple vitamin pills (use ones without iron unless you need iron)
~Cereals, pasta, and other foods fortified with iron
~Red meat
~Clams
~Soybeans, lentils, tofu, and beans

While people fret about whether vegetarians get enough iron, most get plenty from
soybeans, lentils, tofu, and beans. Popeye tried to popularize eating spinach for iron
and strength. One serving (1 cup) of spinach has 2.9 milligrams of iron. Red meat
and soy foods, however, have about twice as much iron as spinach. Three ounces
of clams has a walloping 23.8 milligrams of iron.

Do you have an optimal amount of iron?
When you get your annual physical (You do get an annual physical don’t you?),
make sure at least every few years you check iron levels. There are several
possible tests. Your doctor can choose the one that is most pertinent for you.

Women who menstruate and children have to make more blood and hence need
more iron than men and postmenopausal women. The reason premenopausal
women are less prone to heart attacks may be from menstruation reducing iron in their blood.
External or internal bleeding also would require building more blood.

Donating blood:
Giving blood is the quintessential act of giving of yourself and giving life to others.
If your iron levels are higher than optimal, it can also help you lower your iron levels.
One study found that men who donated blood at least once a year had an 88% lower
risk of heart attack than non-donors. It seems to be a tradition to reward blood donors
with donuts or sweets. When you give blood, bring healthy food with you, e.g., fruit
or nuts, and pass on the junk food.

Quotes

There’s a saying in medicine, which is that you are only as old as your blood vessels.
~Michael West

We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.
~(source unknown)

Humor

Children say there are three kinds of blood vessels: arteries, vanes and caterpillars.

Why did the Vampire get fired from the Blood Bank?
He was caught drinking on the job.

Action to take

Have at least one hero that you aspire to emulate.

Why

When we were kids we had lots of heroes–perhaps they were
football stars, cowboys, movie stars, TV stars, rock stars, or even our parents
or teachers. Many people outgrow their heroes and don’t replace them with new
ones. Perhaps they think heroes are just for kids. If you want to
be youthful, do what youthful people do. Youthful people have heroes.

I often see clients who see trust as an all-or-nothing issue. They either
trust someone or they don’t. This is a bad idea. I can’t think of anyone
I trust on all matters, e.g.,
~to honestly say what they think (some people are “too nice” to risk hurting your feelings)
~to be honest and responsible with money
~to speak up when you are making a bad decision
~to be punctual
~to help with problems
~to keep a secret
~to be loyal
~to follow through, etc.

The idea is to appreciate a person’s or hero’s strengths and not insist they be
perfect in all areas. Especially when it comes to political leaders, it is hard to find one who does not have
faults and make some bad decisions. Not being perfect should not preclude you from having heroes.

Who is my hero? I thought you’d never ask. When my career turned to
anti-aging psychology, speaking, and writing, my favorite hero became
Art Linkletter. He was host of two of the longest running television programs–
“House Party” and “People are Funny.” One ran on radio and TV for 25 years.
Keys to his success included his wit, his great sense of humor, and his consummate
interviewing skills. He was MC for the opening of Disneyland in 1955 and at age 93 was
MC at Disneyland’s 50th anniversary in 2005. There is an interesting story that when
Disneyland opened Walt Disney said he couldn’t afford to pay him an appropriate fee.
Linkletter graciously suggested he would settle for the camera and photo rights for ten years.
I think he did OK on that deal.

He was adopted at an early age (and later in life adopted many children himself).
Despite family tragedies, (his 20-year-old daughter committed suicide and his
31-year-old son died in an automobile accident,) adversity didn’t stop
him from his passionate interest in children and seniors. In a Larry King
interview in 2000 he said he has been married 65 years. He swims laps every day
and only recently stopped skiing because his wife was afraid snowboarders might hit him.

His “Kids Say the Darndest Things” format interviewing young children has been often imitated.
His 27 books include Old Age is Not for Sissies. He does more than fifty lectures a year
and is active on the Boards of many businesses and charities. At 84 he still travels the world on
philanthropic causes. To me the crowning jewel is his new book,
How to Make the Rest of Your Life the Best of Your Life.
It has great advice for what it takes to live well into your hundreds. You can tell in reading it that
this is what he really believes and follows. His life is a testimony to following the principles
and the wonderful life that can flow from it.

P.S. When I sent Mr. Linkletter a copy of 52 baby steps to Grow Young,
I was thrilled when he wrote an endorsement for it.

Quotes

Don’t ask me if I’m going to retire. Retire to what? I love what I’m doing
because I think it matters. And I think this book can matter to anyone who
is getting into the later years. Don’t stop living and learning.
I never want to be
What I want to be,
Because there’s always something out there yet for me.
There’s always one hill higher–with a better view,
Something waiting to be learned I never knew.
So until my last days are over
Never fully fill my cup.
Let me go on grouping–up.
~Art Linkletter, from his newest book,
How to Make the Rest of Your Life the Best of Your Life

Humor

The only thing you should Re-tire is your car.
~Art Linkletter

When you get old, love making is less like the Fourth of July and more like Thanksgiving.

Action to take

If you become depressed, vividly remind yourself of an upbeat, resourceful
memory before imagining the future. If a friend, co-worker, or family member
is depressed you can seamlessly use the same sequence to help him or her
feel more hopeful about the future.

Why

Depression is the common cold of mental health. When researchers have
depressed people imagine the future, it is usually bleak. If you’ve ever told
someone “Cheer up, tomorrow will be a better day,” you got that look that
says, “Yeah, right.”

Our minds are capable of logically understanding that the death, job loss, divorce,
etc., eventually will not sting as much and new positive events will occur.
But when we try to imagine the future, we almost invariably base emotions about
the future on the emotions we are feeling now. I.e., our minds are brilliant at imagining events
or even things we have never seen, but have great difficulty imagining emotions other
than our current feelings.

But there is a solution–a way to help your mind have more optimistic feelings
when thinking about the future. Think back to a time when you felt good and felt
hopeful and optimistic. Perhaps it was a time when you felt unstoppable.
Vividly remember what you saw, felt, and heard. Now while you are feeling these
positive emotions, imagine what will happen tomorrow, next week, or next year.
If you slip back into current depressed feelings, mentally take yourself back to
the resourceful time.

When a friend is talking gloomily about his future, slide in a
“Remember the time when we….” Revel in the fond memory.
Then you can ask what his plans are for next week.
With someone you don’t know as well you can ask about
better times or the best times of his life.

Certainly more severe cases of depression may need additional interventions
such as psychotherapy, exercise, better nutrition, addressing drug and alcohol
abuse, or anti-depressant medication. My analogy for anti-depressants is the
time when you left your car headlights on overnight and your car refused to start.
You got a jump start, drove it for awhile, fixed anything that was draining the battery,
and the car worked again. Of course, in some severe cases people need to stay on
anti-depressants permanently.

Depression is a miserable experience that impairs relationships, impairs
work performance, and makes us more vulnerable to illnesses.
The simple strategy of vividly experiencing positive memories before
contemplating tomorrow can prevent a lot of pain and get people more
hopeful and productive. Just as we all know we need to exercise and
eat healthily, the trick is having the presence of mind and discipline to do it.
This strategy is a lot easier than getting motivated to exercise or saying no
to that pastry. It’s free, it only takes a few minutes, and it works.

Quotes

There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.
Shakespeare; Hamlet Act II, scene ii

Depression is really just anger without enthusiasm.
~Flo & Friends cartoon by Campbell Bigel

Humor

Statisticians say one out of four people are mentally ill.
Check three friends. If they’re OK, you’re it.

Action to take

When you need to get something done, remind yourself of the strengths
you have already shown.

Why

I saw a woman who told me she grew up in an alcoholic family and became
an alcoholic herself. Eventually she did something “beneath her dignity”
and was so disgusted she quit drinking the next day.
A decade later, she was a three-pack-a-day smoker despite emphysema.
One day she was smoking and fell asleep. The cigarette fell on her
oxygen tube and her house burned down. She quit smoking the next day.

Now her health problems are complicating her recovering from a fall.
It was clear to both of us that to have a quality of lifestyle that would
let her walk easily, she needed to lose at least fifty pounds.
“But I tried all my life to lose weight and have never been successful,”
she lamented. She was feeling very hopeless.

Alcoholism, particularly when there is a strong family history,
is a tough addiction to beat. In my opinion, smoking is even harder to beat
than heroin or alcoholism. Hollywood glamorized smoking.
Until recently you could smoke almost anywhere and smoking became associated
with everything–to start the day, while working, to take a break, to socialize,
after a meal, with coffee, with alcohol, after sex, etc. For heavy smokers
few activities or events didn’t include a cigarette. Only recently has
smoking been limited in the workplace and public accommodations.

So I talked with her about how she has already singled-handedly, beaten
two of the most difficult additions. You could see a physical shift.
“I have never thought of it that way. No one has ever put it that way,”
she said. Instantly she was empowered and feeling hopeful.
We then talked about the nitty gritty of what weight loss strategies would
work for her.

The formula is 1-2-3:
1. Think of two or three of your biggest accomplishments in life. Think about how if you can do that you can do anything.
2. Think of why you must make this change (leverage). Post the reasons where you will see them everyday.
3. Plan the details of how you will achieve the goal.

What are you wanting to do that seems impossible (or just doesn’t seem to happen)?
Whether the challenge is a small one like getting yourself to exercise today,
or a big one like losing fifty pounds, accessing your strengths gets you in a can-do
state of mind.

Quotes

Continuous effort–not strength or intelligence–is the key to unlocking our potential.
~Winston Churchill
What’s past is prologue.
~William Shakespeare, The Tempest, Act II, scene 2

The inscription “What is Past is Prologue” is also on the National Archives Building.
Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas was riding in a Washington
cab once, pondering out loud what the quote meant. The cabbie chimed in,
“It means you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.”

Humor

The right side of the brain controls the left side of the body.
Thus only left handed people are in their right mind.

Action to take

When you need to get something done, remind yourself of the strengths
you have already shown.

Why

Our brains have a built in WiFi (wireless fidelity system) to read and imitate
others’ emotions in a matter of milliseconds. There is great adaptive value
to quickly recognizing danger and reacting to it before the conscious mind
even has time to figure things out. Our WiFi system also facilities rapport,
shared emotions, and emotional bonding.

When you see someone scratch, yawn, or smile, your premotor muscles
activate to do the same. What determines whether the movement it
executed is beyond the scope of this article. What is clear from
Daniel Goleman’s research on Social Intelligence is that you are programmed
to imitate other people. Two implications come to my mind for our goal of
thinking, feeling, looking, and being happier.

#1 You become like the people you are around. If you are around dour, sour
people, it drags your mood downwards. If you associate with upbeat people
who smile a lot, you will smile more as well. I’m not suggesting you get
a divorce because your spouse doesn’t smile enough. But it is worth considering
whether the friends you choose, the activities you go to, and your workplace pulls
you up or down. At the least, adopt a belief that you gravitate to upbeat people.
You may want to consider whether you want to make some changes in how you
spend your time or even whether your job could be structured differently or
is ultimately a job you want to stay with.

It is interesting to theorize what can go wrong with emotional WiFi. Religious fanatics
rigidly adhere to a belief system and pay little attention to WiFi input. Stereotypical
lab scientists who do great research but are inept with people also have a WiFi
system that pays little attention to input. Anti-social personalities may or may not
read others well but ignore empathy. Dependent personalities too readily absorb
and react to everyone else’s feelings.

#2 When one person is smiling and another frowning, which emotion is most
con