New York Times Magazine: Billionaire David Murdock's Die-Later Diet - He's On a Mission to End Chronic Diseases Through Better Diets

 

Photo:  Jeff Riedel for The New York Times

David Murdock, the Vibrant, Healthy 87 year old Chairman of Dole

 

"Because many cancers have environmental links and the one she got didn't run in her family, he suspects that lifestyle was a culprit, and is convinced that if the two of them had eaten better sooner, she would have been spared the surgery, the radiation, chemotherapy, the wheelchair, the year and a half of hope and fear and pain."  Frank Bruni, NYT Magazine

"If I had known what I know today I could have saved my wife's life.  And I think I could have saved my mother's life too."   David H. Murdock

 

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Don't miss this Sunday's New York Time's Magazine story, "The Billionaire Who Is Planning His 125th Birthday,"  by Frank Bruni.  It's a not-to-be-missed delightful & inspiring pleasure to read--for healthy food lovers.  This post is only a summary.

It's all about Dole's (the fruit company) chairman, the 87 year old David Murdock who is on a mission to make it to his 125th birthday--fueled by healthy food & exercise.  You can't help but be inspired by his energy, health, philanthropy, and what his company is serving at their cafeteria--it's all good.  This dynamo stands at 5-foot-8-inches and weighs in at 140 pounds.

Murdock's a man to be reckoned with.  He's on Forbes' list of the 400 richest American's--no. 130, to be exact--with an estimated net worth of $2.7 billion, which includes his vast real estate holdings.  $4.2 billion before the recession hit.

 

How Does a Penniless Dyslexic High-School Dropout Become One of the Richest Men in America?

 

Make no mistake, Murdock came from humble beginnings--a true rags-to-riches story.  His dad was a traveling salesman with a shaky income--and his mother took in laundry & scrubbed floors to help the family out.

He was dyslexic, could only manage to make D's in school, was considered an imbecile, and dropped out of high-school.  And it gets even worse.  After military service he was penniless and homeless.  

But through a chance meeting with a loan officer at a greasy spoon, Murdock was able to raise $1200 in loans, and then hit the ground running.  He went from building affordable housing, to office building construction, to acquiring International Mining, then Occidental Petroleum, and finally to taking over Dole in 1985.

How does a penniless high-school drop-out go from homeless to billionaire?  As Murdock sees it, his lack of formal education turned out to be a gift.  He had to overcompensate for his lack of education & that made him an avid voracious reader.  And, because he was learning "out of school",  he benefited by reading  "without the narrowness of focus that he notices in many conventionally learned people." 

So, there he now sits, a high school drop-out heading research board meetings where everyone, except him,  has either a Ph.D. or an M.D.

 

The  Diet & Health Interest

 

Murdock's Healthy Food Philanthropy

Murdock's a tell-it-like-it-is champion for the idea that good diet equals good health--and he's putting his money where his mouth is--contributing millions to help fund research on the benefits of diet for disease prevention & reversal.

This includes $500 million to build the North Carolina Research campus near Charlotte, "dedicated to his conviction that plants, eaten in copious quantities and the right variety, hold the promise of optimal health and maximal life span."   The Research Campus is a cooperative effort of eight universities all working together for the benefit of health and longevity. These include Duke University, UNC Chapel Hill, NC State University, UNC Charlotte, North Carolina Central University, NC A&T State University, UNC Greensboro and Appalachian State University.

The North Carolina Campus now has Mary Ann Lila, a world-renowned blueberry expert, on their staff--lured away from the University of Illinois.

Here's a short-list of what's currently being studied at the NC research facility:

• The benefits of blueberries--they believe that known & unknow compounds in blueberries help combat several diseases, including obesity.
• Quercetin--the anti-inflammatory compound found in apple skins (*I remember reading about NC studies on quercetin last year!)
• Chia seeds--are they as useful a source of omega-3 fatty acids as halibut or salmon?  I can't wait to hear the answer to this one!
• A certain type of fermented Chinese tea--can it lower bad cholesterol?

Note:  I know what you're thinking--Dole & fruit research?--but you're wrong.  Murdock's fortunes aren't tied to Dole--he's got plenty of other business interests.  Nutrition is just his mission--not a profit-center.

 

Murdock's Own Funded "Framingham" Study

It gets even better.  Murdock is out to somehow save the world by creating a well-funded study that hopes to enroll 50,000 Kannapolis-area residents (where his NC campus is located), "taking full blood work from them, storing it in a refrigerated warehouse with backup generators and annually monitoring  the residents'  health."  The goal is to "help determine what biological markers today can tell doctors about the onset of disease decades later."  Don't worry, the results won't be owned by Dole.  Murdock's Mission:  to end diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.

 

 

Why Murdock Cares So Much About Food & Health

 

Murdock's obsession with diet, heath, and longevity comes first from the memory of losing his mother to cancer when she was only 42 and he was 17--but mostly, it comes from the death of his wife--the love of his life--who died of advanced ovarian cancer at age 43 in 1985.   During Gabriele's treatment at the Mayo Clinic, Murdock was determined to find a way to heal her.   That's where he first began his nutrition research mission--trying to figure out if there was anything Gabriele could eat, or a lifestyle practice, that might make a difference to her disease.

 

"Because many cancers have environmental links and the one she got didn't run in her family, he suspects that lifestyle was a culprit, and is convinced that if the two of them had eaten better sooner, she would have been spared the surgery, the radiation, chemotherapy, the wheelchair, the year and a half of hope and fear and pain."

"If I had known what I know today I could have saved my wife's life.  And I think I could have saved my mother's life too."

 

Murdock's Personal Diet Transformation

For a few years after losing his wife in 1985, Murdock was in black fog--no energy for anything--including work.  And then he got energized--reading everything he could get his hands on in the medical literature--and making friends with top medical and food nutrition experts.  He learned from them--and they learned from him.   In the late 1980's Murdock finally started on his own health transformation.  I guess that put him at 62-64 when he started to eat right.

 

The Murdock Diet Philosophy

 

"He doesn't count calories or believe in extreme caloric restriction as a way to extend life.  But he does believe that excess weight is a sure way to abbreviate it, and reprimands friends, acquaintances and even strangers who are heavy."

 

He had no problem telling one of his construction/demolition contractors--who was 5-foot-11 & weighed about 285 pounds,  "You're probably going to die before this job's done, because you're so fat and unhealthy, and your family's going to wind up paying extra money for an extra-large coffin!"

At a restaurant, he'll push away the butter dish, and ask the server to, "Take the death off the table!"

 

What's David Murdock Eating?

 

1.  Lots of fruits & vegetables--all different kinds--including pulverized orange rinds & banana peels--he's all about variety.  There's nothing eccentric about eating the rinds--USDA lab experts say that most of the anti-oxidants are in the peels & rinds of fruit. (better make sure they're organic)

2.  He drinks a fruit & vegetable smoothie three times a day "to keep his body brimming with fiber & vitamins"

3.  No dairy, no poultry, no red meat

4.  Protein sources:  Beans, nuts, legumes, seafood & fish, and egg whites

5.  No alcohol, no sugar, no salt

6.  He does use a little olive oil & honey

 

What Kind of Exercise Is This 87-Year Old Doing?

 

1.  He weight lifts several times a week

2.  Brisk walking on a treadmill

3.  Working on his five homes (call it functional fitness), which include 500 acres of meadows & woods in North Carolina, a 2,200 acre ranch in California, and a home in Hawaii--and lots of animals to help care for.

 

How's the Diet & Exercise Working For Him?

 

1.  His doctors say this 87 year old has ideal blood pressure

2.  His arteries are clear

3.  His muscle tone is good

4.  Never has a backache.  Never has a headache.  Never has anything else.

5.  He's careful to get some daily sun exposure--but not too much--because of skin cancer  (but a little is all you need)

6.  Gets to sleep no later than 11:00 pm--and gets more than six hours of sleep every night

7.  He does have some hearing loss.

8.  His one questionable belief:  he rejects all medicines--took no anesthetic for a precancerous facial growth--no aspirin--no throat lozenges, for him--ever.

 

Will He Make It to 125?

 

Dr. Robert Califf, the Duke University cardiologist who is on Murdock's research board, has serious doubts.  He thinks Murdock's diet isn't a "provable longevity booster".   "But knowing whether eating a food actually causes you to live longer than not eating that food: the answer to that will only come with a study of an entire generation."  Who could argue with that one?

Murdock's other doctors say that even though his diet is laudable, he started his "healthful ways" too late--in this 60's--and they think genetics trump lifestyle.  Hmm.  To that, I'd say,  "How many 87 year olds do you see with his kind of good health, vigor, and energy?"  Who cares about making it to 125.  It's all about staying healthy and vital while you're alive!

 

A Day in the Life of Murdock's Die-Later Diet

 

Be sure to check out what David Murdock eats in one day.   Looks delicious.   Total calories:  1545  (But he's not counting!)

Gorgeous food photos by Dana Hursey.  Click here for the photo essay

 

Breakfast (8-9 a.m.)

Cold whole natural grains with fruit and almond milk, accompanied by an egg-white omelet and a smoothie that includes up to 20 different kinds of fruit and vegetables.

Lunch (1 p.m.)

Vegetable soup (recipe) made from organic vegetable broth, fresh vegetables and fresh herbs; salmon with steamed vegetables and whole grains.

Afternoon Snack (3-4 p.m.)

Crackers with natural peanut butter or almond butter and fresh fruit.

Dinner (6:30-7 p.m.)

A salad dressed with olive oil, accompanied by vegetable soup and white fish with steamed vegetables and grains.

Snack

Chocolate cookies made from dark cocoa and walnuts (high in antioxidants) and honey.

 

 

Comments

[MG / PGYx]

I want to know what he puts in his smoothies! I fantasize about having a garden like his. Seems tough to use commercial citrus since even many of the organics include a resin coating. I wonder if it would come off with soap and scrubbing, since that should still take less time than peeling.

I do think at least some of the posted calorie counts are underestimates unless his salads include less than 1 tsp of dressing and he is eating very small portions.

My diet has taken a tumble lately and I feel the difference. This post and the one before re: sugar have convinced me to return to whole foods cooking, even if time necessitates very simple meals. It would be awesome to have kitchen staff who would cater to my every healthy whim!

[Tuck Donnelly]

Aunt Margaret died in 2009, at 92 years old. She lived a full life -- Phd (Vassar professor), family leader, community activist (Los Angeles), and philanthropist. Her last request was for a gin and tonic. She was happy, energetic, engaged, involved, interested, and competent to the end. In midlife she smoked at least two packs a day. By the time she died she was down to about half a pack a day. She had sherry every day before lunch, celebrated cocktail hour as if it were a religion, loved roast duck and plum pudding and had scrambled eggs and bacon for breakfast almost every morning.

I only mention this because, when I see an article about 'What Mr. Murdock is eating', as if it makes a difference, it reminds me, and reinforces my own belief, that it's what's inside that leads to a long, healthy and productive life. If Mr. Murdock makes it to 125, it's because he's a very cool guy and not because he eats fruits and nuts.

Tuck Donnelly

[elvira]

He's also a good role model. In addition to all the amazing things he can teach us, there are also lots of things--to avoid.

He forgot about the relationship piece from Dean Ornish and the "Younger Next Year" suggestions for a full long life.

He seems to have no one around him who loves him or CARES that he live a long life. No wonder he is alone.

I hope that, in spite of following a healthy lifestyle and having some money, I can continue to care about people around me and be kind--avoiding the rudeness of pointing out that someone has not finished his soup and that certainly I will live longer than THEM! How omnipotent!

I wonder if the people around him wish him a short life.

He seems amazingly narcissistic and arrogant. Death and chronic illness can come from other sources than food intake and lack of exercise. He could have a fall, a cerebral bleed, a car accident.

Sad for the old guy, really.

[The Healthy Librarian]

Tuck & Elvira,

I totally agree with both of you!! What's the point of living longer without having people to care for & who care about you. Don't forget--Murdock did once have a long loving marriage, before his wife died.

Murdock's an interesting guy, IMHO, given his early years & the obstacles he overcame. When one is able to overcome huge hurdles--it's hard to understand why others aren't able to make simple lifestyle changes that will only benefit them.

He's clearly narcissistic, rude, and arrogant--but guess what--it's his choice to invest millions into research that can have real benefits to others.

Perhaps, he knows from experience that people don't change behaviors when you just suggest nicely that there's a better way to eat.

And Tuck, your Aunt Margaret is an anomaly in this world--not too many of Aunt Margarets in the U.S. In all my years I know of very few people who make it into their late 80's & 90's without serious health problems--who are living active lives on their own.

My parents were shining examples of people who were well-loved, kind, generous, & who loved-well--it's so sad that they didn't have the knowledge nor opportunities to change the way they ate & exercised--and perhaps have a better last 20 years of their lives.

Joe Rollino, of NYC, who died at 104 when he was hit by a minivan, falls into the class of people who lived right--in all ways--but still, not w/o his own quirks--like all of us. http://www.happyhealthylonglife.com/happy_healthy_long_life/2010/01/vigor-quest.html

[Steven Rice Fitness]

I say "Bravo!" for his personal commitment and generous funding of research to help others. Almost anyone can emulate his diet, and those of wealth would do well to emulate his charity.

[DPS]

Thanks for this posting. It made me think.

Murdock is quite the showman. He just throw 125 years out there as a goal. It doesn't mean that he is going to live that long. I hope he attains his goal, but it is not all about longevity.

There is not alot of detail about his diet. As I read the post, I kept thinking about how closely he is adhering to a low-fat plant-based diet.

My strategy for living a long life is continually being refined by sites like this one. My starting place is to look at the CDC data revealing the types of things that people are dying from and then I read research-based authors that address these causes of death. The numbers don't change that much from year-to-year. Here are the top 7 (of 15) listed causes of death that I obtained from a table at page 5 of http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr58/nvsr58_19.pdf

Cause of Death and Percentage of Total

1 Diseases of heart 25.4%
2 Malignant neoplasms 23.2%
3 Cerebrovascular diseases 5.6%
4 Chronic lower respiratory diseases 5.3%
5 Accidents (unintentional injuries) 5.1%
6 Alzheimer’s disease 3.1%
7 Diabetes mellitus 2.9%

Authors with strategies for preventing and reversing hear/stroke/vascular disease and cancer grab my attention. In part because it where the greatest percentages of death occur. But also, they relate to my family and personal history. My goal is to keep the big hitters at-bay and die of old age.

Alzheimer's disease wasn't on my radar screen untill I read a few postings by the Health Librarian. I noticed a recent article that may change the way the scientific community views amyloid accumulation and deposition. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health/Liver-not-brain-a-source-of-Alzheimers/articleshow/7626085.cms

[CB]

Regardless of his lifespan, he feels better eating the way he does than not paying attention to his diet. He's conscious of what makes him feel and function better. I notice quite a difference in energy level and overall "lightness" after tending more towards a similar diet.

[Cynthia Bailey MD, Dermatologist]

I think the more the better for healthy diet spokespeople. Folks relate to different personality types and Mr. Murdock will inspire an important segment of people, one that might not be inspired by more usual, veganish diet devotes. I love the plant-based, no vice enthusiasm of this successful and feisty 87 year old tycoon who puts his money where his mouth is. Right on sir!

[Hank]

PS, I"d be real curious to know more about his reasons for avoiding anesthesia completely. After what I've been reading lately, I feel the same way.

It's very hard (if you aren't a billionaire, I guess) to get a doctor to even consider alternatives for anything they normally handle using anesthesia.

But egad! Look at what they're saying:

http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&q=anesthetic+anesthesia+cognitive&as_sdt=0%2C5&as_ylo=2011&as_vis=0

[Scott D'Andrea]

I would like to know more about this fermented Chinese tea that lowers LDL?
Can you provide details?

[Betsy]

Murdock claims not to eat sugar but did you look at his Chocolate Walnut Cookies recipe? It calls for 3 cups (!) confectioners' sugar -- isn't that one of the most processed forms of sugar? I was so looking forward to learning how honey is used to make these cookies. In the article, it sounds like he's scarfing these things down, having them for dessert and snacks. I keep thinking though of your previous post about Lustig and the dangers of sugar and other sweeteners like honey. I guess they don't hurt Murdock much since he seems. And I'll probably give these cookies a pass.

[The Healthy Librarian]

Betsy,

I never saw the cookie recipe until after I posted--and I was shocked to see 3 cups of confectioners sugar in it! Crazy. I wouldn't touch it with a ten-foot pole. Besides, the more sweets I eat the more I want--I'm "weigh" better off just avoiding the stuff--and not encouraging my sweet tooth!

Scott,

Yes, I wanted to know more about that tea, too. I'll report back!

[Frank Cording]

I too read the article and it prompted me to view his piece with Oprah Winfrey.

During this video segment he was shown doing 50+ "pushups". How many 87 year-olds do you know who can do that, was the question.

Unfortunately, the truth is, personally none, but he wasn't either. He was just moving his hips up and down, not doing a pushup in the accepted sense.

Now, I'm absolutely behind his diet and approach to life. It all sounds good.

But, if there is inaccurate information about one of his "achievements" how much else is suspect?

[Colin]

I'm not sure what this post tells us except that here's an apparently healthy 87 year old who eats well, invests in research and wants to spread a message. It certainly does not tell us that how he lives now (and since the age of 62) accounts for his present health.

Additionally, the statement:

'Murdock's other doctors say that even though his diet is laudable, he started his "healthful ways" too late--in this 60's--and they think genetics trump lifestyle. Hmm. To that, I'd say, "How many 87 year olds do you see with his kind of good health, vigor, and energy?"'

seems a bit odd.

On the one hand you estimate that he didn't start eating healthfully until around 62 at the earliest. At that time he owned one of the largest beef corporations in the US and enjoyed their products!

If his genetics are trumped by lifestyle, then how do we account for his present condition after six decades of poor eating? I don't buy a diagnosis that says eating healthily only after your sixth decade will maintain health on its own.

It's far more likely, I would suggest, that a combination of his genetics and his healthy lifestyle late in life have helped. Not meaning to be rude, but it seems like you're trying to have it both ways: six decades of bad lifestyle is counter-acted by 2.5 decades of healthy lifestyle late in life.

[DPS]

I have to give credit to Murdoch for being one of the few people that meet all the markers for having a healthy heart. The numbers in this link are depressing. http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/07/us-heart-health-idUSTRE7260GN20110307

One aspect of Murdoch's health regime is that he gets a daily dose of sunlight. I assume that he winters on his 2,200 acre ranch in California or at his home in Hawaii. Either way, he get more of the sunlight needed to make vitamin D than I get here in Pittsburgh. It seems that one can survive without a daily dose of sunshine, but that high levels of vitamin D are needed to thrive.

Some recent work at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Creighton University School of Medicine in Omaha, suggest that we need even more vitamin D than one might think. see: http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/650258.html

I like the information about vitamin D at: http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/

If you have the time or the desire, The University of California has posted some great (but lengthy) videos. see

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=videos&search_duration=long&uni=3&suggested_categories=27,25,28&search_query=vitamin+d

[The Healthy Librarian]

DPS,

Thanks for sharing all 4 very important links. Totally agree with your conclusion about vitamin D. Interesting that my physician--who also teaches at a top med school) told me that more is better--especially in "light" of recent researcher showing women breast cancer survivors who had the highest levels of D, had the fewest recurrences. Her recommendation to me: 4000 IUs a day--which is the IOM's safe limit.

[DPS]

I am glad you like the links. Sunshine/Vitamin D is an important natural defense for preventing (and treating?) cancer. One of my favorite videos on this topic deals with the synergy of some of these natural/free defenses. Fast forward to 30 minutes into the video. The entire video is worth watching, but the impact of the synergy is best if you skip forward. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaDt3AJQ98c

Not surprisingly, there is nothing really new in the video. It's great for keeping me on track with diet, exercise and meditation. I have generalized the information in the video about breast cancer to be relevant to prostate cancer. Dean Ornish research on prostate cancer show the same types of benefits. see http://www.pmri.org/publications/Lifestyle_Changes_and_Prostate_Cancer.pdf

[The Healthy Librarian]

DPS,

Interesting that you mention, meditation. A topic I want to write about soon. Latest research shows it increases melatonin (benefiting sleep), reduces oxidative stress of exercise, increases the size of parts of the brain, turns off genes related to stress and aging, and as it that's not enough--also increases nitric oxide production, which explains the heart and hypertension benefits. Thanks for the video link--wish I had twice the free time that I do!

[cookieman]

Where is the chocolate cookie recipe??

[The Healthy Librarian]

@cookieman: here's the chocolate cookie recipe: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/06/magazine/06murdock-recipe1.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=david%20murdock%20recipe%20for%20chocolate%20cookies&st=cse