On living longer...all I have to really go on are the lives of my grandfather (lived to be 101) and my father, now 98.5 years old. I am nearing 76. Neither had or have dementia, neither smoked for very long, were occasional alcohol users, neither were/are physically active later in life, not sure what my grandfather ate, but my dad is not a particularly healthy eater although he drinks maybe 1-2 cups of coffee every day.
Fruits and veggies are not part of his routine...more like toasted white bread, cereal and a sweet treat before having a decent dinner which may often be a "TV dinner" if my sister doesn't cook a regular meal. He takes a few drugs and maybe a couple of supplements...and still has a few regular doctor appointments over the year.
My grandfather lived alone for the last 40 years of his life. My dad lived alone for the last 16 years until he recently moved into my sister's home. He is still quite capable of moving around and doing a few things and is seldom ill. I do not believe in "genes" mattering for much of anything and so much of the health advice on how to live long flies out the window when I look at my father's habits over the last 20 years.
The experts don't know squat. They are all marketing some "health fix". The doctors are clueless as they believe long life comes from taking drugs for the last several decades of your life. What good is it to live long...into your late 80's or into the 90's when you are debilitated, doctor dependent, disabled and just basically passing time?
But that seems to be the fate most of us will endure if we get that far. Screw the "MAIDS" knuckleheads and murderers. Government and doctors will be the "early" death of us all.
Just curious (and NOT to challenge you)…if it’s not diet, activity or genes, what is it?
I’ve always thought if you eliminate the obvious what you are left with is the answer. In the case of your father and grandfather, from everything youdescribed it would seem genes are the only remaining explanation.
I completely agree with you that quality of life is the most important thing when it comes to aging. Everything I do is focused on that goal and at 69 I am still drug free. If my quality of life is crap I don’t want to be here!
So anyway, from one older dude to another, what are your thoughts?
If we lived in a sterile or controlled environment we could probably glean more reliable data concerning the true influence of life expectancy. But we don’t. We come back then to the age old debate about which is the most influential; genetics or environment. We have data that has shown our increasing life span over time. Better nutrition, better living conditions all contribute to the potential for longer, better lives. We can look at countries who emphasize clean living, good healthcare, exercise and see how they compare with other countries that dont(think Scandinavian vs. US; all things being equal). We know there are pockets of long-living people in the world who all seem to follow similar lifestyles. They live in the “Blue Zones” around the world but they share similarities. https://time.com/5160475/blue-zones-healthy-long-lives/
I m fortunate to come from a line of long livers. My mom, aunts and uncles all lived into their late 90’s or 100’s in good health, although they were frail at the end. My dad’s parents both lived into their mid to late 90’s. My grandad walked more than a couple of miles a day, to the post office, the bank, the drugstore and chatted up the ladies on every place. Kept him young. My mom was an avid gardener until just before she left us at 96. She still played crib, did puzzles and cross stitch. So I have both genetics and examples on my side.
Don’t get the removal of black soldiers from the memorial. Too bizarre.
Not an expert here, but I think for those that drink alcohol moderately, that might be kind of a stress-reliever and may help longevity, not necessarily the alcholol itself. To me, it just seems you need to keep active as best you can in mind and body. I am past retirement age but still work and enjoy it. I have seen many of my co-workers retire to do nothing and I see a great decline in their health. I am not a TV watcher. I have to be constantly doing something. There are still a lot of things I can do, but my physical strength limits many things. I also try and be cognizant of my capabilities and work within that framework. Just my opinion... we do not know what lurks inside our bodies.
I've recently read that doctors recommend seniors abstain from alcohol, which negatively affects brain function in any amount, contributing to dementia. So, we can live longer by drinking in moderation but increase our chance of losing our minds?
On living longer...all I have to really go on are the lives of my grandfather (lived to be 101) and my father, now 98.5 years old. I am nearing 76. Neither had or have dementia, neither smoked for very long, were occasional alcohol users, neither were/are physically active later in life, not sure what my grandfather ate, but my dad is not a particularly healthy eater although he drinks maybe 1-2 cups of coffee every day.
Fruits and veggies are not part of his routine...more like toasted white bread, cereal and a sweet treat before having a decent dinner which may often be a "TV dinner" if my sister doesn't cook a regular meal. He takes a few drugs and maybe a couple of supplements...and still has a few regular doctor appointments over the year.
My grandfather lived alone for the last 40 years of his life. My dad lived alone for the last 16 years until he recently moved into my sister's home. He is still quite capable of moving around and doing a few things and is seldom ill. I do not believe in "genes" mattering for much of anything and so much of the health advice on how to live long flies out the window when I look at my father's habits over the last 20 years.
The experts don't know squat. They are all marketing some "health fix". The doctors are clueless as they believe long life comes from taking drugs for the last several decades of your life. What good is it to live long...into your late 80's or into the 90's when you are debilitated, doctor dependent, disabled and just basically passing time?
But that seems to be the fate most of us will endure if we get that far. Screw the "MAIDS" knuckleheads and murderers. Government and doctors will be the "early" death of us all.
Just curious (and NOT to challenge you)…if it’s not diet, activity or genes, what is it?
I’ve always thought if you eliminate the obvious what you are left with is the answer. In the case of your father and grandfather, from everything youdescribed it would seem genes are the only remaining explanation.
I completely agree with you that quality of life is the most important thing when it comes to aging. Everything I do is focused on that goal and at 69 I am still drug free. If my quality of life is crap I don’t want to be here!
So anyway, from one older dude to another, what are your thoughts?
If we lived in a sterile or controlled environment we could probably glean more reliable data concerning the true influence of life expectancy. But we don’t. We come back then to the age old debate about which is the most influential; genetics or environment. We have data that has shown our increasing life span over time. Better nutrition, better living conditions all contribute to the potential for longer, better lives. We can look at countries who emphasize clean living, good healthcare, exercise and see how they compare with other countries that dont(think Scandinavian vs. US; all things being equal). We know there are pockets of long-living people in the world who all seem to follow similar lifestyles. They live in the “Blue Zones” around the world but they share similarities. https://time.com/5160475/blue-zones-healthy-long-lives/
I m fortunate to come from a line of long livers. My mom, aunts and uncles all lived into their late 90’s or 100’s in good health, although they were frail at the end. My dad’s parents both lived into their mid to late 90’s. My grandad walked more than a couple of miles a day, to the post office, the bank, the drugstore and chatted up the ladies on every place. Kept him young. My mom was an avid gardener until just before she left us at 96. She still played crib, did puzzles and cross stitch. So I have both genetics and examples on my side.
Don’t get the removal of black soldiers from the memorial. Too bizarre.
Only one reason to eliminate black soldier from the memorial and it begins with an “r.”
Not an expert here, but I think for those that drink alcohol moderately, that might be kind of a stress-reliever and may help longevity, not necessarily the alcholol itself. To me, it just seems you need to keep active as best you can in mind and body. I am past retirement age but still work and enjoy it. I have seen many of my co-workers retire to do nothing and I see a great decline in their health. I am not a TV watcher. I have to be constantly doing something. There are still a lot of things I can do, but my physical strength limits many things. I also try and be cognizant of my capabilities and work within that framework. Just my opinion... we do not know what lurks inside our bodies.
I've recently read that doctors recommend seniors abstain from alcohol, which negatively affects brain function in any amount, contributing to dementia. So, we can live longer by drinking in moderation but increase our chance of losing our minds?