The Science and Art of Longevity
Book Byte #381
Curious Quotes from the Author
“The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance—it is the illusion of knowledge. —Daniel J. Boorstin”
“One macronutrient, in particular, demands more of our attention than most people realize: not carbs, not fat, but protein becomes critically important as we age.”
“Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.”
“There comes a point where we need to stop just pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out why they’re falling in. —BISHOP DESMOND TUTU”
“Another, related issue is that longevity itself, and healthspan in particular, doesn’t really fit into the business model of our current healthcare system. There are few insurance reimbursement codes for most of the largely preventive interventions that I believe are necessary to extend lifespan and healthspan. Health insurance companies won’t pay a doctor very much to tell a patient to change the way he eats, or to monitor his blood glucose levels in order to help prevent him from developing type 2 diabetes. Yet insurance will pay for this same patient’s (very expensive) insulin after he has been diagnosed. Similarly, there’s no billing code for putting a patient on a comprehensive exercise program designed to maintain her muscle mass and sense of balance while building her resistance to injury. But if she falls and breaks her hip, then her surgery and physical therapy will be covered. Nearly all the money flows to treatment rather than prevention—and when I say “prevention,” I mean prevention of human suffering.”
“Unfortunately, in today’s unhealthy society, “normal” or “average” is not the same as “optimal.”
“I am increasingly persuaded that our 24-7 addiction to screens and social media is perhaps our most destructive habit, not only to our ability to sleep but to our mental health in general. So I banish those from my evenings (or at least, I try to). Turn off the computer and put away your phone at least an hour before bedtime. Do NOT bring your laptop or phone into bed with you.”
“Each night, when I go to sleep, I die. And the next morning, when I wake up, I am reborn. —Mahatma Gandhi”
“I never won a fight in the ring;
I always won in preparation. —MUHAMMAD ALI”
“The single most powerful item in our preventive tool kit is exercise, which has a two-pronged impact on Alzheimer’s disease risk: it helps maintain glucose homeostasis, and it improves the health of our vasculature”
“The study reported a 24 percent relative increase in the risk of breast cancer among a subset of women taking HRT, and headlines all over the world condemned HRT as a dangerous, cancer-causing therapy. All of a sudden, on the basis of this one study, hormone replacement treatment became virtually taboo. This reported 24 percent risk increase sounded scary indeed. But nobody seemed to care that the absolute risk increase of breast cancer for women in the study remained minuscule. Roughly five out of every one thousand women in the HRT group developed breast cancer, versus four out of every one thousand in the control group, who received no hormones.”
Cognition of the Books Big Idea
While a balanced diet that includes protein, healthy fats, and calorie restriction can help you retain muscle growth and general health, exercise enhances circulation and cognitive function. Making sleep a priority and establishing a regular schedule improves both cognitive and physical performance. Just as important is your emotional health, and dealing with problems like trauma or depression can improve your general wellbeing. You can strive for a happy, active, and healthy life by concentrating on each of these areas.
Until Tomorrow,
Jason Ziebarth (Founder Club255)
JZ#396