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Waiting For Superman

My Journal

2/15/14


Today I don't want to be introspective. I want to just be superficial, which is kind of different for me, not in an arrogant way, just in a factual way. I thought it was interesting when I read an article about a guy who decided to follow Ben Franklin's schedule for a day. Ben left time for study and to deal with spiritual things. The author said he almost never did that, and it was an interesting thing for him to do. Thinking about big things like God and purpose and why we are here and doing research into those questions is something I grew up doing and something I do all the time. How can you not wonder about that? How can you just go through life and just go to work, come home, be with your someone, party sometimes and that is it. That is satisfying? Really? Don't you wonder about things as a whole? Don't you wonder why we are here or how, or do you just take science's or God's word for it and leave it at that. I guess in a way you could have more of your emotional energy available to fritter away on personal drama. That might be interesting. I know it is kind of a weight on me to wonder about my, and our purpose, to wonder what or who else is out there, and it is a huge itch I am just dying to scratch to see everything as it really is. I used to think I would just go to heaven and God would explain it all to me and I could live with that. Now I am not so sure I will ever know, and ugh, that is annoying.

But to live without that burden, to me is to live in a closet. To live in the small world of what I see now. I just need to get out into the air and breath and wonder, and make wild guesses and hope. So with that comes the burden of what I don't know, of making choices and just not knowing if they are the right ones because I can't have all the information. I can't see past death or into the new millennium, so I have to make some of my best guesses blind.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Longevity and my two cents

Many of my friends are very interested in things like eating organic, and having fewer pesticides and chemicals in the things they eat. There is a certain amount of emphasis put on being as natural as possible, basically reverting to the eating of previous generations. There are also other things involved in their eating decisions, such as the treatment of animals, and the environment. I think it is great for them to get satisfaction from these endeavors. In the bit of research I have done, however, eating healthy is just one of many factors that lead to a good quality of life, and longevity. Another major factor is obesity. Unfortunately, many of these same friends are overweight. Statistically speaking they would be better off doing whatever they had to to get their weight in a normal range. That would very likely indicate a diet high in fruits and vegetables, which they are already pros at, but also exercise. This is another activity that I see very little emphasis on in the healthy eating community. Another big contributing factor to longevity is stress management. Exercise helps control stress. Vital relationships and time out with friends also plays a role in longevity, probably because of it's tie to relieving stress. Interestingly, I have friends who have really never left their children since they were born years ago. I understand that children are wonderful, and I love mine, but at the same time I find that when I am around them my mind is constantly estimating the likelihood of them falling into catastrophic danger. When I am away from them and I know they are with a trusted grown-up I can concentrate on only one thing, which is just plain less energy consuming. There is a bit of a release in just being responsible for me, and there is also a bit of a self-confidence boost as I remind myself of the other parts of me that are interesting and valuable. There are actually very few friends I can count on to leave their families to foster strong friendships. I understand that all of my friends may not choose to spend their kidless social time with me (I do have a big mouth at times, after all) but I see little evidence that my mom friends are doing it elsewhere.
If raising chickens is a relaxing activity for you, and it contributes to your happiness, and self-satisfaction, then more power to you. The same goes for gardening. Some may say that I am deriding these activities because I don't like doing them and they are not relaxing for me, and that would be completely true. I don't like to garden. I don't want pets or chickens. So yes, I am easing my conscience, but at the same time, I don't see evidence that spending the extra time and money on doing these activities only because the products are more natural will make an appreciable difference in the quality of my life or longevity, especially if I am doing well on a variety of other planes. I exercise regularly, spend time with friends, do my best to relax and appreciate life, have regular sex (another key to longevity, for a variety of reasons). I have a lot of energy and I am completely healthy as far as I and any recent doctor visits can ascertain.
This leaves me with the strongest known factor in the determination of longevity. Genetics. Studies have shown that the length of your parents and grandparents lives is the most consistent determining factor in how long you will live. I have a grandma who will be 99 this year. "Go Grandma!" When I am interrogating my future sons and daughters in law I will make sure to find out how old their grandparents are (JK). Scientists are feverishly working on how to alter and enhance our DNA to make sure we all have the chance to endure a few more years of sitting in a wheelchair being offered a cookie in return for a smile, (like my Grandma) . Your next best bet for life extension after genetics is a calorie restrictive diet. It is another of the few scientifically proven ways of extending lifespan. You can find out more about that here. Notice that little mention is made of what those calories should consist of, though I believe a more-or-less balanced diet is assumed.
In short, I think agonizing over food choices is not the complete story when it comes to having a good and active life. I think running over to pick up that extra box of food from a local organic co-op may be better spent going for a jog, or spending an hour talking to a friend over lunch without kids, (even friends with big mouths and dissenting opinions). Being healthy will always be important. Mainstream media or even mainstream science will never have all of the facts about the food we eat, and what is truly the best for us, especially if those facts are not favorable to big business or big pharmaceuticals. But I also think it is flawed thinking to put all of the burden on advances in food production when it comes to lowering our quality of life. After all, lifespan is vastly longer now than it was in the time when we didn't have pesticides and relied on raw milk.


I had fun watching this entire video so feel free to watch the rest of it at PBS.

Watch the full episode. See more NOVA scienceNOW.




Here are some more links I found interesting:

Longevity and Genes

101 Ways to Increase Longevity and Quality of Life

100 Year Olds are as Unhealthy as the Rest of Us

Longevity and Aging

I also found a lot of great information in Merchants of Immortality



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