Striving For a Healthy Long Life

[James Y]

Excellent document on life expectancy and mortality over the last few hundred years. A lot has changed. Even with my health issues, I'm hoping to hit 80+. I hope that all of you live a happy and long life too.

"Without public health measures and without effective medicines diseases were killing most people at a very young age."

https://ourworldindata.org/life-expectancy

Interesting stuff. I read parts of the article(s), but not all of it.

In terms of women living longer than men, I didn't finish the sub-article, but I can think of a few reasons why this could be. I'll bet a lot has to do with the comparative amounts of pressure and stress in life to succeed in providing for their families that men deal with in comparison. I'm not saying that women don't experience stress, but many men face stresses and pressures in life that they tend to internalize. Many men bottle up their emotions. This in turn often manifests in the form of diseases over time. Also, many family men have few male friends, or no friends at all, outside of immediate family, and maybe acquaintances at work. On the other hand, women in general tend to have support networks of female friends.

Another reason is that men take most of the physically hardest, dirtiest, and most dangerous jobs.

A third reason is that far more young men tend to engage in risky, stupid behaviors than women do.

Another reason is that in armed conflicts, the combatants are overwhelmingly men.

Males also have a much higher rate of self-deletion than women.

There are always notable exceptions, though.

My paternal grandfather lived from 1871 - 1951. My paternal grandmother died near the same time, but I dont know how old she was.
Must have been considerably younger than my grandfather, because my dad was the youngest of 8 kids, and when he was born, my grandfather was already 50.

My maternal grandfather lived from 1893 - 1986. My maternal grandmother passed away in 1957, at only 50-something years old, from a heart condition.

Both of my grandfathers lived longer lives than either of my grandmothers. The only grandmother I ever knew was my maternal step-grandmother.

I've heard that the generation of kids today will be the first generation whose life expectancies are going to be shorter than their parents'.

Jim

[Naperville]

Excellent document on life expectancy and mortality over the last few hundred years. A lot has changed. Even with my health issues, I'm hoping to hit 80+. I hope that all of you live a happy and long life too.

"Without public health measures and without effective medicines diseases were killing most people at a very young age."

https://ourworldindata.org/life-expectancy

Interesting stuff. I read parts of the article(s), but not all of it.

In terms of women living longer than men, I didn't finish the sub-article, but I can think of a few reasons why this could be. I'll bet a lot has to do with the comparative amounts of pressure and stress in life to succeed in providing for their families that men deal with in comparison. I'm not saying that women don't experience stress, but many men face stresses and pressures in life that they tend to internalize. Many men bottle up their emotions. This in turn often manifests in the form of diseases over time. Also, many family men have few male friends, or no friends at all, outside of immediate family, and maybe acquaintances at work. On the other hand, women in general tend to have support networks of female friends.

Another reason is that men take most of the physically hardest, dirtiest, and most dangerous jobs.

A third reason is that far more young men tend to engage in risky, stupid behaviors than women do.

Another reason is that in armed conflicts, the combatants are overwhelmingly men.

Males also have a much higher rate of self-deletion than women.

There are always notable exceptions, though.

My paternal grandfather lived from 1871 - 1951. My paternal grandmother died near the same time, but I dont know how old she was.
Must have been considerably younger than my grandfather, because my dad was the youngest of 8 kids, and when he was born, my grandfather was already 50.

My maternal grandfather lived from 1893 - 1986. My maternal grandmother passed away in 1957, at only 50-something years old, from a heart condition.

Both of my grandfathers lived longer lives than either of my grandmothers.

I've heard that the generation of kids today will be the first generation whose life expectancies are going to be shorter than their parents'.

Jim

I don't want anyone thinking the wrong thing. This isn't just about taking supplements and prescribed medications. I am changing my entire life. I am losing weight, around 40 more lbs to be exact. I lost 35lbs last year. I am looking at EMS(Electro Muscular Stimulation) Workouts too to get and stay in shape. I am also going to be walking as much as I can. Also hitting the weights....LIGHTLY, I cannot overdo the weights because I am a heart patient and had open heart surgery in late 2017 for a 3-way bypass and a new aortic valve. But I need to build a little muscle mass to get my metabolism up. This is as serious as death. I want to live!!!

Several of the supplements that I take reduce inflammation and the buildup of cortisone in the body. There are many things that we do throughout our life that result in inflammation and cortisone, namely being obese and stress. Now, I'm not saying to take supplements and do not deal with your weight problems or stress, but you need to do both, deal with the issues and take the supplements to alleviate these issues because they will kill you, give you cardiovascular issues or a heart attack down the road, and Alzheimer's Disease!

I know that it is a lot of work....I'll do it, I'll go back through all of my supplements and tell "the reader" what they are for. These are all good supplements and will help you live longer, it is almost guaranteed.

I am speaking with my heart doctors and general practitioners in the first 2 weeks of May about my supplements and if they can put me on acarbose and rapamycin, which have extended the lives of mice by more than 30%. It isn't just life extension, these two meds have been found to prevent cancer. There are doctors that will give these to me, but maybe my std every day doctors will hem and haw at the idea.

I went to the portal for my hospital/doctors and let them know about all of the supplements that I am taking and they were surprised! Well, that was last week, now I'm adding 5 more supplements. They want me to bring the supplements in and discuss them so I am writing up a paper for them. I'll just post what I have for them here too so everyone can read along.

I'm going to keep taking the supplements no matter what my doctors say. The only issue is affording them, and getting doctors that I typically visit with will proscribe the remaining 2 or 3 for me to extend my life.

[Naperville]

Within the next 5 days, I'll be taking 5 additional supplements that I am not taking now.

I take almost all of the following, 2 times per day, some I take 3 times per day. The medications that were prescribed...most I take just once per day.

I take around 35 pills in the morning, 10 before eating dinner, and another 35 at around 9:30PM.

So far I've spent around $1,000US. I have a drawer that I am filling up too, for backups. Most of these bottles have 2x the amount of supplements in them, than when they were sold to me. I bought additional supplements and emptied them into the current bottles to save counter space.

[Naperville]

I just updated the first post!

[cabfrank]

That is a lot of stuff to take every day. Are there risks or side effects?

[Naperville]

That is a lot of stuff to take every day. Are there risks or side effects?

No sir, not that I am aware of.

I'll post up what these supplements do tonight after I complete searching for the information on each supplement. Tens of millions of people take these supplements globally. What is unusual is that I am taking as many as I am. Some may take a few, I am going to end up taking around 40 to 50, 2x a day.

I am cutting out most if not all sugars and trying to reduce cholesterol and in blood glucose so that I do not have very high spikes in my blood glucose readings. I quit drinking pop almost 4 years ago. Now about the only thing that I drink that has added sugar is a glass of orange juice, cranberry juice, ...I try to cut everything down/out having to do with sugar.

[Naperville]

This is a document that I am reading today on a review of diets. I am still working on what to eat. I eat too many carbohydrates and they turn into sugar in the body.


The Effect of Nutrition on Aging—A Systematic Review Focusing on Aging-Related Biomarkers

https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/3/554

[cabfrank]

Just be careful, and try not to overdo it. (I have no medical or nutrition background, by the way).

[Naperville]

Just be careful, and try not to overdo it. (I have no medical or nutrition background, by the way).

YES, 100%!

I have all of my DRs at Loyola University Hospital and I see them frequently.

MAY, 5TH - I see my cardiologist.
MAY, 10TH - I see my general, and his boss! They both want to talk to me about the supplements that I am taking.

I put all of my supplements on the hospital web portal about 10 days ago and asked them to look them over. They told me to bring them all in and get ready for a discussion. I am writing a document for them that will be in triplicate over all of the supplements. I read for 2 to 4 hours every day on what I am or am planning to take.

I admit it, I am making myself into a test vehicle. But, I have taken supplements, dieted and exercised as an athlete for a good 20+ years of my life. I'll be 63 on the 3rd of May. The last 20 years I've done NOTHING, and it shows.

I get a lot of info off of Twitter and the following site:
https://www.rapamycin.news

[Naperville]

EXCELLENT NEWS!

I signed up to take rapamycin, which at this time is the only known longevity drug. They have to review my overall health and they may deny/accept at that point. Hundreds of thousands of people take rapamycin daily as a "transplant anti-rejection" medicine, but it is showing promise for life longevity. So, I thought that I would take a chance.

Rapamycin in lab tests on a variety of animals reduces cancer and adds 30% to the overall longevity of all tested. I'll let you know if they take me a a test patient.

https://agelessrx.com/

[Naperville]

I updated the 1st post to reflect what I'm taking now and will for the next week or more.

I have to go back through the list of supplements now and see what the experts say to take in mg. People that I follow, like Bryan Johnson, may take more than what I take and he has a team of doctors working for him. The guy is spending $2+ million to nail down what it takes to stretch life. I'm not just relying on him but a number of doctors.

I had a blood draw today. 4 vials. The samples get analyzed and the data is posted on AgelessRx's website. They are going to make a determination on whether or not they will ship me rapamycin, which is currently the best age defying, age stretching supplement that you can take.

I bought a weighted jump rope, 3LB for exercise. I am going to depend on the weighted jump rope for exercise. I do not own any weights and they may be frowned upon by my cardiologists. I'd ride my Kreitler bicycle rollers and Serotta bicycle, but the wheels on the bike will not support my body weight at the moment. I'll start riding the rollers when I hit 180lbs or less.

As I posted in the 1st post just now, I upgraded my Samsung phone to a 23S and the Samsung Health app has a step counter, which I will make use of for walks.

[Naperville]

#1) I just cancelled my subscription to monthly Rapamycin from AgelessRx. I received an email back from The Buck Institute which studies longevity and they said to be careful. That is all that they had to say, and I was shook!



It's a serious thing to volunteer to be a guinea pig! It's my life, so I'll continue to research this and if I change my mind, I'll go back and get the Rapamycin. Yep, I'm a chicken! Hahahahaha....

Rapamycin is an immuno-suppressant, it is nothing to goof with. I knew that, but when I had The Buck Institute review my supplements they were not "ecstatic" if you know what I mean.

The field is rapidly growing and I'll continue to study, and walk/exercise, and diet. I probably smell like a garlic clove at the moment!!!



#2) I started to look at the number of supplements that I am taking in pill form, and weighed taking bulk supplements from worthy natural foods grocers/producers. Again, it makes sense to do this as naturally as possible. Taking 40 to 50 pills in the morning and at night is not my GOAL, my goal is to have a healthier life and to see if I can extend it. So to that end, I'll be taking fewer supplements and consuming natural foods.



QUIT TAKING
- ashwaghanda
- spermidine
- Psyllium husk Metamucil PILLS, it is not cost effective
- GNC Fish Oil caplets, again, not cost effective

START TAKING, most of the supplements
- Psyllium husk that you buy in bulk and mix in drinks, no more pills
- Literal FISH OIL 3x a day by tablespoon

[James Y]

I was wondering about the number of pills you were taking. Taking a total of 80 to 100 pills a day is A LOT. It's hard for me to imagine there wouldn't be at least some potentially risky side effects from combining so many drugs in your body.

Jim

[Jazz]

Become a vegan. Either you take the time for health, or you will take the time for sickness. Good for you, the world, and all the innocent, tortured animals. Probably not making any friends with my comments, but I’m 100 % serious. I’ve been vegan for 3 1/2 years now. I love it. Food even tastes better. Watch “The Game Changers”, “Forks Over Knives”, and “Dominion”. I’ll still die, but I’ll be healthy longer than if I wasn’t vegan, and feel great about my choices. Not better than anyone, just feeling I’m doing some good. I wasn’t always vegan obviously, so I know things taste good. Doesn’t mean they are good, though. You get all the nutrition you need from a nice variety of plants. Yes, that includes a lot of protein. What do you think gorillas, rhinos, and elephants eat? Anyway, take it or leave it. I hope y’all are healthy for a long time.

[TkoK83Spy]

The amount of supplements you're taking in a day is mind boggling, and no way can be healthy. I've never seen anything like it, borderline scary.

A healthy diet with exercise, as well as regular checkups with your DR is a much better route than this. No way does the average, middle aged man need all this stuff.

[cabfrank]

I was too subtle, I guess, but hinted a couple times above. It seems like too much. The bad could outweigh the good at some point.

[Naperville]

I was wondering about the number of pills you were taking. Taking a total of 80 to 100 pills a day is A LOT. It's hard for me to imagine there wouldn't be at least some potentially risky side effects from combining so many drugs in your body.

Jim

Yep, that is why I'm moving to the whole foods, the natural foods that are equal to the supplements. I'm finding it a bit cheaper too.

I've only been doing this a little over 1 month. It is quite the chore to go through the bottles and get the pills ready to take. I swallow all of them in 3 gulps washed down with water from a faucet. Bryan Johnson(worth $800 million after the sale of Braintree) is doing this too but he has staff that count out his pills, make his meals....the guy has a full time staff and doctors working with him. For a jamoke like me, you learn a few shortcuts. I'm thinking of buying some small bottles with lids for the pills, and I can count out 5 days all at once, easier than I can 5 days 1 day at a time.

I got back my labs after taking all of the supplements for 1 month, and they do not look like they have greatly improved. I need to access the recent labs again this week, open up the hospital portal, and compare the results to past labs. It does not make sense if I am taking the supplements at the wrong time or they simply do not work.

I am taking supplements to reduce cholesterol, triglycerides, blood glucose levels(within reason), body weight, and extend longevity(reduce cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer's disease) - which are next to impossible to calculate with what money I have.

[Naperville]

Become a vegan. Either you take the time for health, or you will take the time for sickness. Good for you, the world, and all the innocent, tortured animals. Probably not making any friends with my comments, but I’m 100 % serious. I’ve been vegan for 3 1/2 years now. I love it. Food even tastes better. Watch “The Game Changers”, “Forks Over Knives”, and “Dominion”. I’ll still die, but I’ll be healthy longer than if I wasn’t vegan, and feel great about my choices. Not better than anyone, just feeling I’m doing some good. I wasn’t always vegan obviously, so I know things taste good. Doesn’t mean they are good, though. You get all the nutrition you need from a nice variety of plants. Yes, that includes a lot of protein. What do you think gorillas, rhinos, and elephants eat? Anyway, take it or leave it. I hope y’all are healthy for a long time.

I am down to eating a whole grain cupcake with coffee for breakfast and just 1 meal a day most days to lose weight until I start exercising daily. I rarely eat anything considered a snack. Haven't lost much weight yet but this effort so far is all short term. Once it gets warmer and I start walking and exercising I think I'll be able to shed 35 more lbs.

Right now my vegan supplements are Metamucil psyllium husk, and 4 pills that are stanols and sterols. These are supposed to reduce my cholesterol. Have to check the results of the labs to see if the numbers improved. May do that later today.

[Naperville]

The amount of supplements you're taking in a day is mind boggling, and no way can be healthy. I've never seen anything like it, borderline scary.

A healthy diet with exercise, as well as regular checkups with your DR is a much better route than this. No way does the average, middle aged man need all this stuff.

I'll be 63 May 3rd. Thank you for the compliment! I did not know I was still middle aged but I guess that I still qualify. Wish that I was 25 again. Never had a mid-life crisis, but I guess this qualifies.

Yep, the pills are sort of nutz! I'll agree with you there. My DRs on the 11th of May want to chat with me about what I am doing. They will be happy to hear that I am transitioning to whole/natural foods.

Went to the store today and bought 8 oranges, 4 apples and 2 huge containers of blue berries that I plan to eat with steel cut oatmeal this week.

[Naperville]

I was too subtle, I guess, but hinted a couple times above. It seems like too much. The bad could outweigh the good at some point.

I take pretty comprehensive blood panels every month as a heart patient so I'll be looking at the numbers and if this does not work, I'll pull the plug on the supplements immediately.

I do plan on walking every other day as long as it warms up a bit and my spinal stenosis doesn't create any issues. I also plan to start exercising indoors. Bought a weighted 3lb jump-rope. GPT-4 tells me that jumping rope for 30 minutes is as good as running for cardio.

I am using every tool I can to get this just right.