Centenarian Strategies: How to Stay Happy, Healthy, Fit, & Sharp Until You're 100

 

My Dad Would Have Been 100 If He Were Alive Today

Reading the New York Times with coffee - I'm 15 months old & it's 1951 - and at 62 I still start every day this way!

 

 

If you received this post via email click here to get to the web version with all the links & to leave a comment.

Next month I'll be presenting a talk at the Utah Library Association's 100th Anniversary Meeting in Salt Lake City.  My first visit to Utah and I can't wait.

And what better subject to speak on for a 100th anniversary than, "Centenarian Strategies: How to Stay Happy, Healthy, Fit, & Sharp Until You're 100"!

Right now I'm hard at work putting together my talk--which turns out to be the Best of the Best of this  "Medical Librarian's Adventures in Evidenced-Based Living".

Since January 2008 I've been reading and analyzing the medical research on wellness, nutrition, & exercise-- and then trying out the reasonable strategies on myself--and my husband, who's affectionately known as "The Lab Rat".   Yoga & prunes for bone health.  Chia for omega-3s.  Interval training, chocolate hummus, higher vitamin d,  adding b-12,  using a neti pot with Alkalol & saline, talking to strangers, oatmeal with turmeric & spinach....

 We've come a long way baby!  And I know a lot of you readers have come along for the ride.  As for me, my life has changed plenty since January 17, 2008--and at the start of this project I thought I was pretty healthy already.  Wrong!

 

Little did I know back then, that by 2012:

• I would be enthusiastically embracing a plant-based no-oil diet.  Never in a million years would I have guessed that one.
• I would become an avid plant-based recipe creator & tester--whose husband miraculously discovered he liked to cook.  My husband, a really good cook?  Never would have believed it.
• I'd be regularly spinning, lifting weights, building more muscle than I've ever had, & getting good at yoga--and, I'd even willingly get up at 6:30 am on a Sunday morning to fit in a yoga & a spin class. This one, I might have believed.
• I would have lost 15 pounds, wear a size 4, & not need to be on statins, blood pressure, or bone medications--and I'd even get a health insurance rebate.  Wouldn't have believed it!
• I'd be friends with Dr. Caldwell & Ann Esselstyn, and I'd have the opportunity to hear Dr. Dean Ornish, Dr. David Katz, Dr. Colin Campbell, Rip Esselstyn, Dr. Ed Hallowell and so many others, speak in person on health issues. 
• Many of my friends, family, relatives, & co-workers would be interested in following or at least exploring a plant-based no-oil diet--to varying degrees.  
• I'd still be blogging--and would have started a facebook page in early 2012, enjoying & sharing the "evidence-based healthy living"  ride with thousands of regular readers in almost 200 countries--and getting to know interesting, smart, & engaging people from all over the world--including many physicians.

Yikes, with over 500 posts written, and so much to share, I'm having a hard time cutting to the chase, getting to the nitty gritty--and deciding what to include--and what to leave out in this upcoming talk.

 

 

The plan was to touch on these key strategies, as well as share my own evidence-based experiences.

1. How a plant-based, no-added oil diet can prevent & reverse heart disease, and reduce your risk of dementia, strokes, diabetes, & some cancers.
2. How three different types of exercise can help protect you from dementia, bone loss, osteoarthritis, diabetes, & heart disease.
3. Beyond the body:  Why we need to stretch our brains beyond our comfort zone, make time for friends, fun, sleep, down time, relaxation--& invest our resources in experiences--not things.

 

I Need Your Help!

 

Many of you have been following along with me for anywhere from 4 years to a few weeks.

• What have you learned that's changed your health the most?   Or what's changed your mind?   Or what's changed how you feel, shop, eat, cook, spend your free time, or exercise?
• I'd really appreciate your suggestions about covering the topics that an audience will find the most helpful, the most engaging, the most health-changing, and above all--the least boring.
• What would YOU want to hear me talk about?
• Feel free to comment here (& scroll to the end of the post until you see the comment box) or via [email protected]

Please, give me feedback!  It will be so helpful!  And I'll be so grateful!  Really!

 

 

I'm Taking a Good Look at My 2011 Report Card & My Fifteen Month Plant-Based Diet Update--And You Can, Too

 

 

If you missed my most recent "Report Card" from August 23, 2011, here it is:

Fifteen Months Into the Esselstyn-Style Plant-Based No-Oil Way of Eating - The Healthy Librarian Spills the Beans - And It's All Good! Can't Wait to Compare Notes with Bill Clinton on Saturday

 

I'll probably have less time to post while I put this "Centenarian baby to bed"--but, I'll still try to post "what's new" in health care via Facebook.  And with this gynormous post, you'll definitely have plenty of reading material for weeks to come.

And speaking of what's new....

If you're not a facebook visitor, here's what you missed in yesterday's news.  Pretty interesting!

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

Here's it is! After analyzing the data from over 120,000 health professionals for over 26 years, the verdict is in:

Meat's not so good for your health. And it's just as bad for the environment.

“When you have these numbers in front of you, it’s pretty staggering,” said the study’s lead author, Dr. Frank B. Hu, a professor of medicine at Harvard. 

This is the first large-scale prospective longitudinal study showing that consumption of both processed and unprocessed red meat is associated with an increased risk of premature mortality from all causes as well as from cardiovascular disease and cancer.

An earlier study linked meat consumption to diabetes.

This "hot-off-the-press" study was accompanied by Dr. Dean Ornish's more readable editorial. If you must have meat--the authors advise sticking to less than half a serving a day. Paleo fans, take note!  You just might want to consider a diet re-do.

Even HeartWire billed the story as "The Carnivore's Dilemma" with an interesting lead:

"Long-term data from two large studies might have more people considering a switch to vegetarianism, with investigators reporting results showing that processed and unprocessed meat consumption is associated with a significantly increased risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, as well as increased risk of death from cancer."

Find the full article, here: http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/archinternmed.2011.2287?etoc

Here's the editorial:  Arch Intern Med -- Holy Cow! What's Good For You Is Good For Our Planet: Comment on "Red Meat Consumption and Mortality.

 

 

The Report Card on the Healthy Librarian's 2010 Simple Strategies for Staying Healthy and Happy - What's Working, What's Not, What's New for 2011? 

 originally posted February 5, 2011

December 31, 2010--Ending the Year Right--With Good Friends, Good Food, Good Music & Dancing

 

 

Last year on my 60th birthday, perhaps naively, I sat down to figure out if there was anything I could do to increase my odds for a healthy happy rest of my life.  My parents hadn't fared so well after they hit 60.

 

"Judging by my parents--that last quarter of life doesn't look so promising.  Which is exactly why I've been paying attention to exercise and eating right since I turned 30. 

That's when my dad had one of those massive debilitating strokes that left him unable to communicate, unable to read or fully understand speech, and eventually unable to walk or do anything.  He was 69 at the time--just when he was getting ready to kick back a little, work a little less, travel, and just enjoy life.  He spent 16 years living in this kind of post-stroke-limbo-state, spiraling downward.

My mom was 62 at the time, and my dad's stroke changed her life in an instant.  One minute she was planning all the trips they'd finally have a chance to take--and enjoying their new role as grandparents--and in the next she was jockeying the world of wheelchairs and therapists.

With the stress of full-time care-giving, and years of no exercise or attention to diet, by 72 she had developed severe coronary artery blockages, hypertension, kidney stones, osteoporosis and painful spinal fractures.  Then came the mini-strokes that finally added up to vascular dementia in her eighties."

 

So, on January 1, 2010 I wrote one of my favorite posts,  It's the Start of the New Year, the Start of the New Decade, and the Start of My Sixties. Some Simple Strategies for Staying Healthy and Happy. At Least I Can Hope!

It outlined the 12 things I planned to do to stay healthy--live long--and die short (hopefully)!   And evidenced-based librarian that I am, most of these strategies are backed by research--and tried out by yours-truly.

So how did I do?  What worked?  What didn't?  And most importantly, what new strategies did I learn about in 2010 that are now part of my daily routine?   

I looked over all of my 2010 posts to see what new strategies I've added to my original Top 12--and I was surprised to see how much I've learned--and how much I've changed this year. 

I'm including the links to my favorite "I'm now doing this daily" posts for 2010 so I won't have to bore you with the details.   And I'll follow it all up with a repeat of my Start of the New Year, Start of the New Decade, and the Start of My Sixties post--with notes on what worked, what didn't, for me.

 

And a huge thank you to everyone who takes the time out of their busy day to read Happy Healthy Long Life.  If not for all of you, I know I wouldn't take the time to carefully read & summarize research articles, pay as close attention to the details of the recipes I try out, and be so diligent with what I choose to eat. 

And because I really stuck with no-oil plant-based diet, I'm hooked, it's now a habit, cravings are history, and I feel great!   P.S.  I love hearing from all of you!  It makes my efforts all worthwhile!

 

Biggest Changes in 2010?

1.  I've lost 13 pounds since June 21, 2010 (in 7 1/2 months) by adopting Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn's "Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease" approach to eating--just by cutting out added oils in my cooking & in the groceries I buy, ditching all nuts (except very small amounts of walnuts), chocolate (not cocoa) & avocados (except for occasional small amounts).  It effortlessly did the job.  I also reduced my body's percentage of fat by 5%.  (Update 2012:  15 pounds & that's enough for me.)

Back in March 2008 I had cut out all animal protein (dairy, meat, fowl, ate fish only rarely) and sugar & desserts (mostly) from my diet--and I used whole grains.  But, I never lost one single pound until I cut out the oil, chocolate, nuts, & avocados, in spite of exercising regularly!   To be fair, I wasn't trying or expecting to lose weight on the Esselstyn diet--I was more interested in the health benefits.  I didn't expect to shed more than 4 or 5 pounds--but I'm thrilled with the results!   Belly fat is gone--and the butt has shrunk!  Don't be fooled that olive oil, chocolate, nuts, & avocados are health foods.  There are far better choices out there--that are far less addictive--and more nutrient-dense.

2. Health Means Money Where I Work.  Thanks to eating Esselstyn Style, I qualifed for hefty health insurance rebates from my hospital employer at the start of 2011.  I got a 9% rebate off of my 2010 premiums, and I locked into the 2009 rates for 2011--another hefty 17% rebate.   Why?  Because my borderline hypertension is now history, and my lipids are now looking great.  My weight is a comfortable 118 pounds for my small 5' 3" frame--and my BMI is 20.9.  No medical conditions.  No prescription meds.  Woo Hoo!  Lower insurance rates!

 

Why This Plan Works--A Picture & a Graph Tell the Story

Here's why I feel full and can eat whenever I'm hungry.   My belly can only hold 400 calories of high-fiber, high-nutrient plant-based food at a time!  It's that simple. 

 

 

This chart makes it clear as day where you're going to find the best nutrient bang for your calorie dollar!

Source:  T. Colin Campbell, PhD.  The China Study.  Dallas:Benbella Books, 2006, pg. 230.

 

The Healthy Librarian's New "Evidence-Based Living" Strategies for 2010

 

The Exercise Changes I Made This Year

• Kicked it up a notch with the aerobics:  This year's research convinced me that at middle-age I needed to "kick it up a notch" when it comes to heart-pumping aerobics.   I've added higher-intensity intervals to my spinning workout and I've noticed a reduced resting heart rate--an increased aerobic capacity and calorie burn. Read more here and here and here
• Yoga to strengthen your bones & improve core strength, balance & flexibility:  When I learned that yoga is one of the best things you can do to strengthen every bone in your body (not to mention the chill-out factor)--I decided to rearrange my work schedule so I could fit in 3 classes a week.   I never enjoyed yoga that much, nor saw any flexibility improvements until I increased the number of times from once a week or less, to 3 times a week.  Now I'm a huge yoga fan. Read more here and here
• Weight-lifting/Strength-training for the brain & bones:  Weight-training was last on my agenda when it came to exercise--but this year's research showed a double-header benefit for  improvements in both the brain & bones  deparment when you weight-train at least 2 times a week.  This was too hard to ignore.  I now "lift" twice a week--and my husband promises to teach me an easy-to-do-at-home kettle bell routine that can be done in just 10 minutes.  Read more here and here and here  (2012 Update:  I now strength train 3 days a week with an ever-changing routine that engages every muscle & is aerobic at the same time.  It involves using the lower & upper body at the same time, varying the weights, the reps, & the speed of the movement.  Plus lots of push-ups, planks, & ab work. It's challenging & fun.)
• My typical weekly routine: Yoga 2 times a week, spinning 4 times a week, weights/strength training  3 times a week.  One or two days off a week. I can get in this many workouts in each week because twice a week I exercise for 2 hours.    (New for 2012: If you keep strength training all your life, you won't lose muscle--click here & here.  And as we age--we need to add flexibility & strength training to our aerobic conditioning.  Click here)

 

This Research Convinced Me to Make These Supplement/Diet Changes in 2010

• Omega-3s Lengthen Telomeres--slowing down biological aging.  Who can resist that?  I'm not as regular as I should be, but I do take both a molecularly-distilled pharmaceutical quality fish oil capsule, along with a plant-based DHA supplement.  Although this study only looked at the benefits from fish oil--2 other studies in 2010 showed that plant-based omega-3s (ALA)--that's the  the kind found in high amounts in flax & chia--and in smaller amounts in berries & greens--work just as well as fish oil.  Read more here   (2012 update: I regularly eat 1.5 to 2 tablespoons of chia a day & a take a DHA algal supplement-125 mg.  High levels of omega-3 are associated with the best brain health, as we age, click here)  Stay tuned for my update on getting enough omega-3s on a plant-based diet!  Very interesting positive news!
• Vitamin D for So Many Reasons--in spite of the Institute of Medicine's October 2010 guidelines I'm sticking to the advice of Dr. Bruce Hollis and Dr. Michael Holick and taking 2000-4000 IUs of vitamin D--but, it's rarely daily--& my doc tracks my vitamin D levels.   Read more about Hollis & vitamin D here.  I'm also following Dr. Angelo Licata's research that found that absorption increased by 50% or more if you take your vitamin D with your heaviest meal of the day.  Read more about Licata's research here  (2012 Update:  With Rainbow Light Sour Lemon Vitamin D gummies I NEVER miss a day of vitamin D!  I stick to 4000 IUs a day--with my doctor's blessing, but it's time to get retested)
• I'm eating the fruits & vegetables with the highest amounts of antioxidants.   Check the ORAC Index or the Fuhrman/Whole Foods ANDI (aggregate nutrient density index) rankings for the foods with the most bang for the buck.  Read more here
• Low-glycemic whole grains--no exceptions (well hardly any exceptions)--Whole grains (like oats, guinoa, grainy/kibbled breads) reduce the dread & dangerous belly fat & prevent insulin-resistance (think type-2 diabetes).  Cool news to me--the way refined high-glycemic carbs can affect our genes:    "But after the high-glycemic carb meal, insulin shot up, and 62 different genes that are linked to the stress response, insulin-signaling and cytokine-mediated immunity were turned on." Read more here
• B-12 Everyday 1000 mcg/a day:  If you're eating plant-based take a B-12 once daily--that's the only way you'll get enough.  Even if you're eating meat--many medical conditions, prescription drugs, as well as just plain aging can impair the absorption of B-12.  This year's research pointed out the need for adequate B-12 for brain health as we age. Read more here and here
• Rethinking calcium requirements & calcium supplements.  I've decreased my calcium supplement to just 1 a day for 315 mg of calcium--and follow Dr. Walter Willett's advice about the total amount I need--just 700 mg/a day compared to the DRI of 1200 mg/a day for the over 50 set.   I eat a lot of greens that provide highly absorbable calcium, and I use calcium-enriched soymilk in my oatmeal every day.  New this year--2 Australian studies found an increase in cardiovascular events with calcium supplements.  Read more here

Dr. Amy Lanou's Slide from her Wellness Forum Lecture Novembr 2010

 

• Nitric Oxide Boosters to Prevent Alzheimers & Dementia--the blood vessels of the brain need adequate nitric oxide to stay healthy--and increased nitric oxide also prevents dread amyloid plaque formation--and guess what increases it?  That's right, lots of greens & exercise.  I can do that!  Read more here  (2012 Update:  The greens have the highest amount of the nitric oxide building blocks--and arugula is NUMERO UNO!)  Which vegetables are highest in nitrates?  Click here to find out.
• Ditch Vegetable Oils & Nuts (walnuts, excluded)--they are the highest sources of inflammatory omega-6s.  A groundbreaking meta-analysis published in the British Journal of Nutrition pulled the plug on the theory that polyunsaturated oils are good for heart.   Nuts, especially peanuts are off-the-charts high in omega-6s, too!  It took years for the polyunsaturated oil study to surface, so despite research to the contrary, I'm still not convinced that eating 2.5 ounces of nuts a day is a wise health move!   I'm staying away--except for walnuts.  Read more here and here  (New for 2012:  Walnuts are the TOP NUT for heart health.  Click here--& scroll half-way down the page & look for: If you're going to eat nuts, stick to walnuts for so many reasons)

 

Brain Booster Changes Based on 2010 Research

• Berries, baby!   The research is nothing but good, good, good for berries & the brain.  In fact, now we know a little bit more about how they do their magic on the brain.  They "activate the brain's natural "housekeeper" mechanism, which cleans up and recycles toxic proteins linked to age-related memory loss and other mental decline."   Like mini-brain-maids these cells clear out brain junk.  I have berries daily in my Green Smoothies, and either on top of my oatmeal, or mixed in plain soy yogurt.   Lower cost organic mixed berries are at BJ's.  Read more here and here.  (New for 2012: Go for the Berries--latest review on the subject will convince you.  Click here)
• Reduced my belly fat.  It's definitely bad for the brain!  Read more here and here  (New for 2012: At 62 my belly fat is mostly history--I credit my diet, & ditching the added oil & sugar)
• Increased my aerobic exercise & cleaned up my diet--the better the cardiac index the less your brain's volume shrinks.   What's good for the heart is unquestionably good for the brain, according to the latest Framingham study and a University of Pittsburgh study that demonstrated sizable increases in brain volume in the seniors who walked the most!  Read more here and here 
• Keep learning new things daily to grow brain cells & connections.  The only way to keep building brain cells & new connections is by continuously engaging in serious, challenging learning for the rest of your life.  It requires effort, and it has to be something that's important and interesting to you!  It requires intense focus.  Dr. Michael Merzenich is the go-to-guy in this arena.  I'm certainly hoping that putting together this blog is doing something for my brain!  Read more here  (New for 2012:  Why it's important to learn new things as we age.  Click here and here)

 

Favorite Wisdom of  2010 - It Works for Me

• Alkalol & saline solution to prevent colds.  I'm talking about neti pot nasal irrigation with 1-2 TBS of Alkalol, a cup of warm water, 1/2 tsp. of salt, & a 1/4 tsp. of baking soda at the first inkling that a cold is brewing.  1/2 cup through each nostril.  Honestly, this works for me.  Haven't had a cold in a year--in spite of close calls.  What's Alkalol?  It's a solution invented in 1896 by a Massachusets pharmacist, that's made with methol, eucalyptus, thymol, camphor, and oils of wintergreen, spearmint, pine, and cinnamon.  Its "an alkaline saline solution specifically formulated to clean and moisturize the nasal passages, dissolve mucus, kill germs and bacteria, and provide natural relief from the symptoms of sinusitis and allergies."   Better than the now FDA-banned Zicam.  It's sold at my hospital pharmacy, CVS, Drug Mart & Walgreens, but you'll probably have to ask the pharmacist for this low-marketing-budget product.   Read more here  (New for 2012: I now use distilled water & the premeasured packets of salt/baking soda sold at the drug store.  I also wash my neti pot with hot water & soap after every use--& regularly sterilize it in the microwave.  Read more here.)
  
• Make time for fun!   Away from computers & technology.  Hey, I got this message directly from my mom, who passed away in 2003!  This is one of my favorite (& weirdest) posts!  Read more here  And here
• Sister power.  They can be the flesh-and-blood kind--or the best-friend kind.  It doesn't matter.  We all need someone with whom we can share our most insignificant day-to-day things with--and who can give us a reality check.  I count my blessings in this department!  I've got two--Beth & Lisa.  Read more here
• We get our greatest happiness from the experiences we share with our friends & family--not from expensive consumer goods.  "We know that the best predictor of human happiness is human relationships and the amount of time that people spend with family and friends."  Spend your time & money wisely.   Dr. Dan Gilbert swears by this research-backed advice.  Click here  for Gilbert and here  and here  and here for my year.
• "When in doubt, do the positive."  This was Jeanne Marie Laskas' mother's favorite saying and a rule I try to live by.  It's a handy one when you're faced with life's big dilemmas.  "Remember?  The positive is the active thing.  Can't decide whether you're qualified for that new job?  Just apply.  Can't decide whether to go on that first blind date after a divorce or sit home in your pajamas?  Go on the date."    Click here for more

 

Life on the Esselstyn Style Diet

In May 2010, when I found out my cholesterol wasn't as outstanding as I had expected, in spite of a mostly plant-based diet, I asked Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn for advice.  He invited me to be a guest at the day-long session he runs once a month at the Cleveland Clinic, along with this wife Ann.

He challenged me to try eating and cooking with no-added-oils for 4 weeks & see how it works out for me.  I attended the class on June 18th, 2010, and started eating Esselstyn-style on June 21st, 2010.   I haven't looked back & now it's just, "how I eat".   I feel wonderful, I've lost weight, I've got lots of energy, I feel mentally sharp, and my digestive system is AMAZING!  Any nagging hip or joint pain I'd had in the past is long gone--not sure if I can credit the elimination of the inflammtory omega-6s with this surprising occurence or not.  (Update 2012:  knock on wood--hip, finger, joint pain--it's history!  Bill Lands, PhD, a pioneer in omega-3 & omega-6 research says that's no surprise at all.  When you lower your omega-6 load by eliminating the foods that are highest in omega-6, like oils & nuts, you have less inflammation)

 

You can read all about the day long session, and my Esselstyn-style cooking adventures in these posts:

Oops! Take It From Me - Half Dietary Measures to Lower Your Cholesterol Will Result in Half Measure Improvements

The Great Kitchen Cholesterol Clean-Up - Parchment Paper, the No-Oil Saute, and Munching on the Top Cholesterol-Cutting Foods

What I Learned From Dr. Caldwell and Ann Esselstyn's Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease "School"

Week Two on Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn's Heart Disease Prevention/Reversal Diet Challenge. The Rules, Tips, and Tricks to Enjoy Plant-Based Oil-Free Eating

Can a Plant-Based No-Added-Fat Diet Survive "Real Life"? My Fourth of July Trial on the Esselstyn Diet - House Guests, Restaurants, Road Trips, and Dinner with Friends. Let the Numbers Speak for Themselves.

Everyone Can Do This! Breakfast & Lunch on the Esselstyn Plant-Based No-Oil Diet Challenge. Fast, Hearty, Healthy and Delicious.

Some Q & A about the Esselstyn Diet Challenge. Why Do It? What about Oil & Fat-Soluble Vitamins? What About Omega-3s? And My Top Recipe Picks of Week Three

Plant-Based Eating Confusion! Omega-3s, Omega-6s, Glycemic Index, ORAC Index and More. A Picture, a Chart, and the ANDI Rankings Help Clear the Confusion.

Final Week on the Esselstyn Plant-Based No-Added Oil Diet Trial. What's Changed? What Have I Learned? Tips and This Week's Favorite Recipes

My Esselstyn Plant-Based Diet Trial Results Are In. Understanding the Numbers and Why No Oil or Nuts Makes Sense. Think Weight Loss, Lowering the Omega-6s, Healthy Arteries, and Energy

More from the Healthy Librarian's Plant-Based Kitchen Lab: The Restaurant Scene, Staying Fueled, PB2 the Nut Butter Substitute, and Chia Fresca for Omega-3s

Wolf Blitzer's Interview with Bill Clinton's Diet Gurus, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn and Dr. Dean Ornish - What the Interview Didn't Have Time to Explain about How to Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease with a Plant-Based Diet

Painless Calorie Restriction for People Who Love to Eat - Lessons for Health, Longevity, and Disease Prevention from the NIH CALERIE Study

Follow One of Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn's Patients - Q & A on the First Three Months of a Diet to Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease

My Favorite Healthy Kitchen Pantry Staples: For Quick, Easy & Delicious Plant-Based/Vegan Meals

 

My Top Food Discoveries/Additions for 2010

• Hot Mexican Cocoa, Fruited Steel-Cut Oats (now made with pumpkin! or savory), & Air-popped Popcorn  Read more here.   (2012 UPDATE: Chocolate Oatmeal   Chocolate Hummus & More Treats & Teeccino, a caffeine-free herbal coffee substitute)
• PB2 "Peanut Butter" and Chia "Fresca" Water  Read more here  I top my morning with oatmeal with chia daily!  Go Chia Seed for omega-3s!
• I can easily "Esselstynize" any recipe in my fave cookbook--Veganomicon, by Isa Chandra Moskowitz  Read more here  Just cut out the oil, nuts (or sub smaller amounts of walnuts), vegan margarine, vegan mayo, & vegan cheese.
• Keep vegetables, especially greens & herbs fresh a lot longer with Kinetic Go Green BPA-free storage containers.   These are truly AMAZING!!  Read more here
• Here's a list of my favorite kitchen pantry staples  
• Homemade Raw Chocolate Chia Walnut Energy Bars beat Larabars for their taste & they pack a nutrient wallop!  Read more here
• Spiced Pumpkin Fruited Steel-Cut Oats is my new breakfast fave--brimming with alpha & beta carotenes  Read more here  Top it with a tablespoon of chia seed & you won't be thinking about lunch for hours!
• Sami's Pizza Crusts--whole grain millet & flax, no-oil & delicious.  Order from Sami's Bakery in Florida & receive them in 2 days--it's really not a big deal.  Can't live without these.  Just received an order for 16 to divide among 3 of us.  With delivery it comes to $5.00 per crust--not cheap--but it's fast--whole grain--and feeds my need for pizza.   Read more here
• Appetite for Reduction, by Isa Chandra Moskowitz--my current go-to favorite cookbook.  I could use it everyday.  She's finally cut the fat, calories, eliminated the vegan junk stuff & included nutritional info.  I highly recommend it!  Read more here

 

Best Science-Based Diet Information for 2010

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Losing Weight, Exercise, Stress, and Cardiovascular Risk from an Expert, Dr. Sharon Alger-Mayer. The Best Diet, How Much Exercise, the Hormone Stress Connection, the Best Phytonutrients, and the Healthiest Carbs

Dr. Hiromi Shinya, the Physician-Inventor of the Colonoscopic Polypectomy: What He's Learned About Diet and Health From Over 300,000 Colonoscopies

The Healthy Librarian's Holiday Overindulgence Tool Box: Some Abstinence Inspiration, the Exercise Cure, a Holiday Video, a Company-Worthy Recipe, along with Sara Moulton's Favorite Chocolate (coronary) Cookie Recipe

Dr. Michael Roizen's Straight Talk About Chronic Disease - Lifestyle Changes Can Control Them and Bring Health Care Costs Down. Roizen's Thirteen Pearls of Wellness.

 

Finally, the Original Start of My Sixties Simple Strategies for Staying Healthy & Happy

 

January 2, 2010

It's the Start of the New Year, the Start of the New Decade, and the Start of My Sixties. Some Simple Strategies for Staying Healthy and Happy. At Least I Can Hope!

Author Dan Buettner has scoured the Earth — not for the fabled Fountain of Youth — but for the key to a happy old age. He spent five years visiting areas of the world where people tend to live longer, healthier lives, areas he calls "Blue Zones."

Buettner says he has identified four things people can do that can potentially increase life expectancy:

• Create an environment that encourages physical activity
  
• Set up your kitchen in such a way that you're not overeating
  
• Cultivate a sense of purpose 
  
• Surround yourself with the right people.

"These are long-term fixes that have been shown over and over to add not only more years of life, but better years of life."

-NPR story, "Can 'Blue Zones' Help Turn Back the Biological Clock?", June 8, 2008-

If you're reading this through via email, click here to get to the more readable web-version.

 

It's the start of the New Year. 

It's the start of a new decade.

It's the day I turn sixty.

Look, I'm not a big-birthday-celebration-kind-of-person.  They come and go and I don't even think about the years.  But turning 60 is different.  It's the last quarter of life, with no guarantees on what that quarter is going to look like.

Judging by my parents--that last quarter of life doesn't look so promising.  Which is exactly why I've been paying attention to exercise and eating right since I turned 30. 

That's when my dad had one of those massive debilitating strokes that left him unable to communicate, unable to read or fully understand speech, and eventually unable to walk or do anything.  He was 69 at the time--just when he was getting ready to kick back a little, work a little less, travel, and just enjoy life.  He spent 16 years living in this kind of post-stroke-limbo-state, spiraling downward.

My mom was 62 at the time, and my dad's stroke changed her life in an instant.  One minute she was planning all the trips they'd finally have a chance to take--and enjoying their new role as grandparents--and in the next she was jockeying the world of wheelchairs and therapists.

With the stress of full-time care-giving, and years of no exercise or attention to diet, by 72 she had developed severe coronary artery blockages, hypertension, kidney stones, and painful spinal fractures.  Then came the mini-strokes that finally added up to vascular dementia in her eighties.

And unfortunately, this scenario is all too common.  "[M]ost elderly Americans – more than two-thirds of current 65-year-olds, according to a detailed 2005 projection by a team of health policy analysts — at some point will need assistance to cope with daily living, either paid help or unpaid, at home or in a facility."

So, sixty seems kind of scary to me.

Which is exactly why I'm ready for a more "Conscious Aging" plan.  We already have all the evidence we need to stay healthy.  It's not about adding more years to our lives.  It's all about adding more life to our years!

Just a sampling of the evidence.

• The 52 country INTERHEART study was very clear.  There are 9 easy-to-modify risk factors that are associated with 90% of heart disease.  This was a huge study--30,000 people from every inhabited country--and the results were the same for all races, all sexes, all countries.  All 9 of these risk factors are within our control--and would eliminate 90% of heart disease, regardless of one's genetics. 1. Keep lipids (cholesterol & triglycerides) down; 2. Stop smoking; 3. Prevent or control hypertension; 4. Prevent or control diabetes; 5.  Reduce belly fat; 6.  Find ways to control psychological and social stressors; 7. Increase fruit and vegetable consumption; 8.  Moderate alcohol consumption is protective; 9. Get regular physical exercise   Lancet 364:937-952, Sept. 11, 2004.

• The Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study.  "The largest and longest study to date, done as part of the Harvard-based Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study, included almost 110,000 men and women whose dietary habits were followed for 14 years.  The higher the average daily intake of fruits and vegetables, the lower the chances of developing cardiovascular disease...[F]or every extra serving of fruits and vegetables that participants added to their diets, their risk of heart disease dropped by 4%." Harvard School of Public Health

• The China Study.  This is Dr. T. Colin Campbell's mammoth 2006 study on the effects of a plant-based diet on health--citing over 750 studies.  The conclusion: People who ate the most-animal-based foods got the most chronic disease.  People who ate the most plant-based foods were the healthiest and tended to avoid chronic disease.  According to Campbell, "Good nutrition supported by exercise, clean water, and sunshine is greater than the sum of its parts.  It's a biological symphony.  My introduction to Dr. T. Colin Campbell

• The Longevity Personality.  From the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, April 2009 comes this conclusion: Those who live the longest are more outgoing, more active, more easy-going, more empathetic, and more agreeable than those who live a normal life span. The Blue Zones calls it, "likeability".

Here's My Strategy for Staying Out-of-Trouble After Sixty

Some of these are long-time habits, and they're easy for me to follow.  Some of these I don't do as regularly as I should.  Some of these are new goals.  But this much I do know:  If I don't have a plan, if I don't do these consciously, and if I don't carve out time to make them happen--they won't.

1.  Stick with 7-9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day.  The Green Smoothies make it easy.  I get 6 servings in a 27 ounce Klean Kanteen that I divide over breakfast and an afternoon snack.  I calculated the nutritional info on my daily 27 ounce serving that includes, 2 1/2 cups kale, 8 mini-carrots, 1/2 cup pomegranate juice, 1/2 apple, 1/2 orange, 1/2 kiwi, and 3/4 cup frozen black raspberries.  Check out the nutrient content for 27 ounces:

 2012 Update:  My Green Smoothie has grown up since this post.  These days, it's  mostly vegetables--and not very sweet--but loaded with vitamins & minerals.  

The Green Smoothie Controversy - To Smoothie or Not? The Argument for a Greens & Vegetable Heavy Smoothie  1/24/12

Nutrition Facts The Healthy Librarian's Green Smoothie-kale,blackberries,carrots,orange,kiwi,pom juice,apple
Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories	342
Total Fat	2.2g
Saturated Fat	0.2g
Trans Fat	0g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	140mg
Carbohydrate	82.1g
Dietary Fiber	13.8g
Sugars	49.1g
Protein	8.9g
Vitamin A 729% Vitamin C 485% Calcium    35% Iron 28%

 

Then throw in some veggie-based soup, a salad, a veggie-based dinner entree, some fruit for dessert, and I'm good to go. 

This eating plan is the same as the DASH Diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension)--guaranteed to stop hypertension.  The Cache County (Utah) Study on Memory shows it also prevents cognitive decline.   Dr. Amy Lanou and Michael Castleman, authors of Building Bone Vitality claim it will build and strengthen bones--because the 17 nutrients necessary to build strong bones are all found in a diet high in fruits and vegetables.  I'm still sold on eating 7-9+ fruits or veggies a day.  Still drinking that old-stand-by Green Smoothie--but I keep experimenting--using less fruits, more vegetables.

2.  A balanced exercise plan.  It's not just about cardio--there are 4 areas that need attention: Cardio (spinning-my fave), Weight-training, Flexibility & Balance (yoga-my fave), and Core Strength.  No, you can't just walk and think you're in good shape.  I'm super regular with my cardio, and not as regular with the weight training and yoga.  Click here to see what my workout looks like. As for core strength--that's pretty much non-existent.  And when it comes to weight-training, according to Randy Raugh, the Canyon Ranch physical therapist, and author of the excellent Prime for Life--Functional Fitness for Ageless Living--to get the maximum benefits you need to do it for 3 non-consecutive days a week--2 at the minimum.  Unfortunately, I often weight train only 1 day a week.  If you want to build strong bones and prevent osteoporosis, and maintain your muscle strength as you age--weight-bearing exercise for the lower body, and weight-training for the upper body is a must-do!  Yoga, helps with balance, preventing future falls, and building strength.  As for core strength, I'm upping my game with Dr. Stuart McGill's routine, and my birthday-present to myself is the physical therapist-designed Pelvicore exercise ball. 
Upped my exercise efforts this year--it now includes 3 days of yoga (smart move) & 2 days of strength-training (that made a difference).  Yoga also develops core strength with the plank pose & others.  Haven't done much with my Pelvicore exercise ball--but I should.

3.  A plant-based diet with minimal added fat.  I'm nearing the 2 year mark on eating plant-based, so this is the easy part. I've got this down pat. I still use a little olive oil for cooking and in salads, and very occasionally eat some seafood or dairy when eating with friends.  I'm convinced.  If you want to lower your cholesterol, reduce your risk for type-2 diabetes, lower your blood pressure, reduce your risk of heart disease & stroke, and reduce your belly fat--this is the way to go.  Dr. David J. Jenkins of St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto is one of the pre-eminent researchers on the benefits of a plant-based, low-glycemic diet (like beans, nuts, oats,& quinoa) for improving diabetes control, lowering cholesterol, and preventing cardiovascular disease.  Click here for Jenkins research.  And that's not all--keeping your blood sugar stable with low glycemic plant-based foods and exercise will preserve your brain.  Click here.  And as for too much fat--not only is it bad for your belly--it's bad for your brain--so just ditch it Click here.  I Finally ditched the fat starting 6/21/10.  Don't miss it a bit.  The benefits are too numerous to mention!

4. No time urgency.  This is what keeps the Okinawans calm, relaxed, and living longer.  I'm really working on this one--which goes hand-in-hand with flexibility.  Things don't always go as planned--you either go-with-the-flow or get stressed and anxious.  My favorite 2 words, "Oh well."  Life goes better when you stay in the moment, chill, and don't worry about getting there fast.  When our Christmas Day trip to New York City was aborted because of an ice storm, we checked into a hotel at noon, and enjoyed a dinner of cranberry nut mix, Larabars, Cliff Bars, and clementines.  All the restaurants were closed in this Pennsylvanian town.  Oh well.  We had a good time, and made it to New York safe and sound the next day.  I've used this "slow down", "oh well", "why get yourself in a tizzy" self-talk approach throughout the year.  It helps--I could be better--but I'm better than I was!

5. More Dancing, Singing, Laughing, Playing, Schmoozing, and Mahjing.  What's the point of staying healthy without having fun?  That's the reason we work at staying healthy. Cool fact: There's a little organ deep in the ear, called the sacculus--and it gives us a great sense of pleasure and well-being when it's stimulated.  But, it can only be stimulated through singing!  So, bring on the Singstar Karaoke!  Click here.  I say "Yes!"  to fun things to do, trips, visits, outings, meeting new people, and dinners whenever I possibly can--without making myself crazy by overbooking or overcommitting.   I'm almost always glad for it!   Haven't signed up for dancing lessions yet--but it's on my to-do list--and definitely need more Maj-time!!!  OK, gal pals, when's the next game?  Frannie we miss you!

6.  The Supplements.  I'm really bad at regularly taking supplements.  I'm good at counting them out, taking them to work, and bringing them back home with me.  Truth is, there are some supplements worth taking because there's no easy way to get enough of them through diet alone.  Here are my favorites:  Omega-3s (I use Omega-Brite), DHA, (an omega-3 for brain health), Magnesium, Citracal, Vitamin D (I'm up to 3000 IUs), Curcumin (also known as turmeric, the yellow color in curry), and Juvenon (the combo of acetyl l-carnitine & alpha lipoic acid) developed by Dr. Bruce Ames.  Click here to read more about what I take, and what some prominent physicians take.  I'm not an everyday person with supplements, and try hard to get them from real food, but I still take a plant-based DHA, magnesium in am & pm, 1/2 the Citracal I used to take, curcumin occasionally, Juvenon occasionally, vitamin D (2000-4000 IUs), and a daily vitamin B-12 (1000 mcg), and I've added 1/2 of a whole foods multivitamin ("Mega Food Women Over 40 One Daily") twice a day based on Dr. Roizen's recommendation.

7.  Eliminate the time-wasters from my day.  Except for watching "The Middle" or "Glee", TV watching always leaves me bored and unsatisfied.  So, why bother wasting the precious time?  The same goes for my mindless internet cruising, checking in more than necessary with email, the NYT, and other favorite sites.  Enough already!  Except for writing this blog, doing research, or writing/reading emails I'm no longer cruising the internet.  I just don't have that much extra time in the day--with a long commute & everything else.  TV doesn't interest me much--unless it's at the end of the day & I'm too tired of reading.

8.  Maximize my peak energy times of the day.  Over a year ago I blogged about getting in sync with our natural energy ebb and flow throughout the day.  It works--and I intend to start planning my day around them, when possible.  For instance, 9-11 is the peak time for brain work-creativity-and analytical work.  On days when I don't work I would usually use this time for exercise & errands.  Poor use of brain time.  Better to exercise between 3-6.  To read more, click here:  Maximize Your Energy-Match Your Tasks to Your daily Energy Levels.  This really works & I try hard to follow it.   I've changed my work schedule around so I can fit in exercise on workdays--and on days off, I do brain work before anything else--when I can.

9.  Give a gift a day for 29 days a month.  When 36 year old Cami Walker of LA learned she had multiple sclerosis, her spirits flagged.  She was tired, in pain, and had the prospect of a debilitating disease ahead of her.  When a holistic health educator gave her the prescription of giving 29 gifts a day for a month she thought it sounded it crazy.  Nothing big (and that's the point)--something like making a supportive phone call or saving a piece of yummy cake for her husband.  Of course the prescription didn't cure her,  but it had a startling effect of helping her cope with her illness and gave her a more positive outlook on life.  I love this idea.  It's a planned regular way to just think about kindness.  No big acts, just something little-done everyday.  To read more, click here.  Sorry, to say, this hasn't become a regular habit--but I do look for opportunities to do that "little something more" or favors throughout the day.  I know it makes me feel much better--need to make a more conscious effort with this one.

10. Cultivate my garden of friends and family.  Regular phone calls, visits, dinners, outings, and celebrations.  At 60 there's no time to delay any of these.  It's the glue that keeps us together and makes life worth living.  I really try hard to keep this one at the top of my list!  Can't help but think of the extra time I'd have to accomplish this if I ditched writing this blog, though, but read #11!

11.  Once You're Through Learning--You're Through.  This is the philosophy of John Wooden, the 97-year-old retired (he died in June 2010 at 98) UCLA basketball coach.  No doubt about it, learning and sharing what I learn is my purpose in life.  I'm lucky to have a job that gives me access to learning about health and medicine, and a hobby that gives me a chance to share what I learn.  Not a day goes by that I don't work on this one--but it doesn't feel like work to me!  Well, at least most of the time it doesn't feel like work.

12.  Start Eating Less.  OK, I'm ready to shed a few pounds, and I know from past experience that writing down exactly what I eat, and how much I've exercised, really works.  I use something called MyFoodDiary.com and it's set up with all my favorite recipes.  Unfortunately, I haven't used it in quite some time.  The new year is a great time to start!  To read more about this tool, click here.  Well, this strategy  sure played out big-time in 2010!  I'm eating far fewer caleries, shed 13 pounds, but I eat whenever I want.  You all know this story--I won't repeat it!  And yes, I do use MyFoodDiary for my recipes & to keep a check on how balanced my diet is--but not daily or weekly.

For some good reasons to eat less, read:  CALERIE: The NIH Calorie-Restriction Experiment. Lessons for Health, Slowing Down the Aging Process, Longevity, and Disease Prevention 

 And my updated version: Painless Calorie Restriction for People Who Love to Eat - Lessons for Health, Longevity, and Disease Prevention from the NIH CALERIE Study

 

My new goals for 2011: 

1.  Resume a regular meditation practice--so many good reasons to do so, including its positive effect on some 2000 genes: those that control aging, inflammation, & metabolism.  Read more here

2.  Start playing around with the  Dr. Michael Merzenich's Brain Fitness Auditory software that I received for renewing my local NPR affiliate membership.  I'm a huge fan of his work! 

3.  Figure out some way to have more unscheduled do-nothing time:

"La dolcezza di non fare niente!" 

Italian for "The Sweetness of Doing Nothing"

 

Time to end this list.  I've more than maximized my 9-11 brain time and written this post.  It's now time to make my smoothie, do some core exercises, take those supplements, answer birthday phone calls, enjoy a birthday lunch, followed by an evening out with friends who all share the same wedding anniversary--if we can just make it through our foot of snow!

I'd love to hear from anyone who is 60 or over with advice, tips, and wisdom about maximizing life in the sixties, seventies, and more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Daniel Groleau]

Funny... my dad would have been 100 this year too.. (same date as the Titanic).
First.. Thank You for being there for us. I've been Vegan for 374 days now .. (oil free .. 3 months. I've learn to cook Vegan .. to improvised .. even to created new receipes. But, for me, the most amazing thing is that i can almost feel my blood running "freely" in every single veins in my body .... and, my skin is soooo soft... unbelievable!
So... with your help .. i will be a centenarian .. "Keep Talking..I will listened"
Regards,
Ho!... I bought the Marsala today.. I will try "The Ruben" tomorrow. (wish me luck)...and excuse my english ... i'm a french speaking person.

Daniel Groleau

[claire]

good luck with your presentation!
i think one thing to focus on would be to dispel the notion that this way of eating (of being!) is difficult and drab. For me, refining my diet from veganish to no added oil/no sugar completely changed not only my well-being but my taste buds and cravings. as a former sugar/fat addict, i'm still amazed that these things hold no appeal for me any longer. even unsweetened dried fruit seems overly sweet for me. having said that, i've never eaten better!
people need to be educated not only about the health and environmental benefits, but also about the deliciousness of this way of life...

[The Healthy Librarian]

@Daniel--I love your accent--which comes through. Thanks so much for writing--helping me out with the presentation. I know exactly what you mean about feeling like your "blood is running freely". Great skin, too! I hope that Reuben is a success for you. Just make sure there's enough gluten in the seitan when you knead it--you'll know by feel.

@Claire--fabulous suggestions--I totally agree with you, and I completely forgot about that important piece. Tastes change. You really get used to no sugar or fat. Crazy, huh?

[Jerry B.]

You are amazing!....a wonderful model and source of great information!
Please keep it up!....if I must critique, I would only say, as a guy, to net it out where you can...but, that's nit pickin!!!
I'm 67 and appreciate your tips and modeling very much...
So, "THANK YOU FOR BEING THERE!!!"
Love,
Jerry

[The Healthy Librarian]

@Jerry: Thanks so much for all the compliments! I can be dense sometimes--what does the expression, "Net it out where you can" mean? Something about fishing nets? Explain to this dense lady, please.

[linda mandel]

For your presentation:
I like the outline you presented-
How a plant-based, no-added oil diet can prevent & reverse heart disease, and reduce your risk of dementia, strokes, diabetes, & some cancers.
How three different types of exercise can help protect you from dementia, bone loss, osteoarthritis, diabetes, & heart disease.
Beyond the body: Why we need to stretch our brains beyond our comfort zone, make time for friends, fun, sleep, down time, relaxation--& invest our resources in experiences--not things.

But...what I find really powerful is personal experience. So many of us have parents with the litany of disorders yours had, and this is a big motivator to be different. You evolved from just plant-based to no oil, and have learned how to make this way of eating exciting! You could pepper the research data throughout talking about your journey, flashing citations on the screen if doing powerpoint, or on a handout.

Anyway, this is just an option for you to consider.

My Dad would have been 100 this November as well, and I am 62. So great to have a "sister" out there!

Linda in Calif.

[Stacey]

Hey! This is my first comment, but I am happy to help out. I find I read your blog more for information, less for what to actually do in my life. I also look at the Engine 2 blog, and the Healthy Girls Kitchen Blog, along with Happy Herbivore, and Whole Foods Vegan Momma. I started this journey about four years ago. I am 33. I do not want to call myself Vegan per se because I am not for the animal ethics point of view, however, I discovered this way of eating for the health benefits. Ever since I was a kid, I had really frustrating chronic constipation. My Dad had to have surgery for issues relating to it when I was 15, and when I was in college, I got tired of only going once a week. So, I started to do research, and the first thing I gave up was cheese. I then read one of Neal Barnard's books on a Christmas break, and I was mentally convinced. However, dealing with dorm cafeterias, and traveling, you can be mentally vegan all you want, but putting it into practice 100 percent is challenging. My first positive experience though was moving into my own apartment, and cooking for myself. My GI system got really happy then. It was amazing. I felt like I had a new lease on life. I did still include oil in my diet back then, and occasionally yogurt. But, my most recent transformation was in the last couple of years. I finally successfully gave up oils, and it is amazing how much it affects the GI system in a positive way. I have discovered Green smoothies thanks to the Happy Herbivore. I have increased my raw veggie consumption thanks to the No Meat Athlete Blog. Like Rip says, my GI system is like a Swiss train. Every morning it happens. I attribute it to the increase of raw foods, and no oil. I also discovered my limitations due to human nature. I am unwilling to give up desserts right now due to a stressful relationship and living situation. And I use considerable amount of nuts for training energy. But, the positives of being able to "GO" every morning and have that help my training( I run and bike, and do core), and it indirectly helps my Bassoon playing. It is amazing. Truly. I will never go back to "regular" eating. I had no idea, several years ago, that I would be willing to make these changes. And, I always said to myself, if I could just go every day. It is a dream come true. I encourage everyone to try it. Stacey

[The Healthy Librarian]

Linda, your suggestions are very helpful. I definitely am most motivated by speakers who tell me their personal story--not just hearing a bunch of research or facts. Yes, I will be using Keynote--ike Power Point. Like your suggestion about including my story within the context of the research. Brilliant. I want this to be research-backed--but, not boring. You gave me chills to hear your dad would also be 100 this Nov. & that we're the same age. And Daniel's dad, too. Yes--nice to have another "sister" out there. I agree.

[The Healthy Librarian]

@Stacey: Can't thank you enough for your candid comment. Totally understand that constipation issue--and the misery it can cause--and how I never knew either, how easy it was to fix with plant-based eating. Back when I was 33--the conventional wisdom was that "Not everyone goes daily. For some people it's every three days, or even once a week. That's normal." Not! Even traveling--never a problem now. I think the Green Smoothies make a huge difference in that arena, though. I for one notice the difference. Rip's comment about the Swiss train totally resonated with me. I really appreciate your comments--and it was interesting for me to hear about the other blogs you are reading. Re the nuts: I notice I crave them on days that I exercise a lot--especially with weights. I'm fine sticking to walnuts, though. Lucky you--to have started on this path at age 33 (close to my kids' ages)--you'll really reap the benefits in your fifties & sixties. Thanks, again.

[Ginger]

Likely, your target audience is the same religion I am. You might want to talk about the religious like with the Loma Linda study. You might want to talk about until the 1980s members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had similar statistics, but since then the incidents of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, etc have sky rocketed. Why? American LDS for the most part have moved away from their dietary values and adopted SAD. The dietary values are vegetables, fruits, and grains with meat used only in times of winter (when many plant food were scarce in the 1800s) or famine. Most have kept the ideas of no tea, coffee, alcohol, or tobacco but have lost their plant strong ways.

[Betsy]

I didn't read every single word of this post so maybe you mentioned this. I guess you sort of implied that you didn't start eating no oil vegan straight off. You came to this way of eating over a period of years. I think that's important for people to hear. Interesting how your Green Smoothie changed. You did have much more sweet in your original, I remember. You're an inspiration, HHL! Good luck with your talk. Hope you enjoy Utah.

[The Healthy Librarian]

@Ginger: Brilliant! Thank you so much for explaining this to me. I had no idea. I recently learned about the no coffee, alcohol, & tobacco--but didn't know about the original plant-strong roots. Also, recently learned about an LDS tradition of once-a-month fasting, which was recently studied--because it has health benefits. Early on I was thinking I have to do some research on this subject--but it fell by the wayside.

You guys are SO HELPFUL!!

@Betsy: How could anyone read all that--especially in one sitting--it's a month-long venture. You're absolutely right--the no-oil & no nuts piece took me a long while to get to. I cut it down--but not out, at first. I do eat walnuts now--& some cashews or peanut butter in cooking, occasionally (full disclosure). You're right--it is important for people to understand. Not everyone can everything in one fell swoop.

[ed nelson]

Thanks for the chance to comment. I'm very grateful for your work. It's given me reinforcing rationales for some of the things I was doing (exercise, weights) and direction(s) for doing some things differently - notably eating. As a practical matter, I'm 65, and on this date in 2010 I weighed 228.2 pounds, in 2011 it was 227 and today, at the gym, 213.1. Yes, I keep track. I'm not exercising any more than I was, but started eating the way you suggested using the recipes you recommended. I think that's made the difference. I haven't seen numbers like that since 1990 or before. I had your sister's chili tonight with some spinach. Excellent! Tomorrow: organic steel cut oats with walnuts, soy milk, fruit. I'm not a full on Vegan but I do eat in that direction. Thinking of the future - I'd look at the 'happy' part of a long life - delve into what positive psychology has to tell us. It's not 'new' but it's worth revisiting from time to time - social connectedness, meditation, spirituality, gratitude, giving. And then just on-going support to keep doing what we're doing - if that parses. In the event, I have found this MOST useful - I'm waiting for the book and/or movie. Thank you. Ed

[Mitzi]

What I get from your blog is encouragement to keep up the fight, more than anything. In a medical school, getting a Ph.D., I never heard what you post so regularly. At work, it's all about discovering-and commercializing- the Next Blockbuster Drug. Ask people- would they like to lower their risk of diabetes by 93%? How about all the other chronic diseases? Would I eat anything, do any exercise, not to wind up in a recliner waiting to die for the last decades of my life like some of my recent ancestors? Absolutely.
Then to learn (first from Ornish, then Pritikin, then Esselstyn, then you) that all I have to do is learn to cook differently, and live a balanced life doing what my body is designed to do! No cocktail of drugs, no miracle surgery can help me as much as this lifestyle. Good food, good exercise, good sleep- all things my 90-years-in-a-cabin great-grandmother would have approved. Thanks for the links, the research, and the recipes. Present what you know, from the heart, and if it is half as interesting as your blog, you'll have them hooked.

[Georgia Kinninger]

I'm sure your talk will be a huge success as they will all feel the love and enthusiasm you so freely share. My suggestion to you comes from my own experience in trying to share with others: tell them HOW to do it. We who are beyond child bearing and mostly retired can approach this as a sort of new adventure or hobby and learn as we go. It wasn't too hard. But people are busy, or have kids to accommodate or feel they need the convenience of pizza and hamburgers. A comment I've often heard is "Oh, I could never give up my cheese!" If there is a way to address, or sympathize, or offer attractive alternatives, that might help keep your presentation within the "realistic" realm for some, they may get more from it. I've share the FOK DVD with many and if they ask how to do it, I generally steer them to the Engine 2 Diet book as a start.
I wish I could be there to hear you! Thank you for all you've given us.

[CB]

I read your blog for inspiration and ideas. My Dad would have been 100 on January 13 (he lived to be 92). My mother is still alive at 91 and moves very well, and her blood tests are remarkable. She should donate her body to science. A smoker and fond of bourbon. No interest at all in a healthful diet, and didn't exercise. She does move fast, as do many in her family. Too thin at this point, but never overweight.

Neither was concerned about healthful habits and made fun of my dietary concerns (I was heavily influenced by reading Adele Davis at age 19). My Dad didn't live to 94 as his mother did, but then she never drank any caffeine, alcohol, or smoked. She started her day with warm lemon juice (the lemon came from her back yard). She did end her day with a bowl of ice cream, if it was available. A broken hip at 94 started her decline.

When my doctor looks at my lab test results, she dismisses them as "good genes," although paying attention to what one eats and exercising has to make a difference! A mostly plant-based diet with low oil and minimal sugar got my cholesterol down 30 points, and my LDL is mostly fluffy. C-reactive protein off-the-charts low, even before more extreme diet change.

My TSH number was approaching the new reduced normal (and my doctor thought my concern was odd...it's very common and all one has to do is to take a generic thyroid pill every day).

Instead, I took the Hashimoto's test (negative, not an immune deficiency disease, for which I would be the first in my direct family), and I read how my diet was conducive to low-iodine intake (no processed foods that could have iodized salt, no added salt, and flaxseeds, for example). Starting adding four drops of kelp to my water in the morning, and low and behold, a normal value for TSH now! My medical office wasn't interested in passing this on, as I suggested. I was just told to continue doing what I was doing.

I do notice a difference between myself and my parents. I look much younger than they did at the same age, and I have a lot more stamina. Neither would have been ever seen at a gym, or ha specific d aerobic exercise as an adult.

My father developed a slight case of Type 2 diabetes in his 80s, and my mother has short-term memory issues.

[Maria]

I love your blog. So much information and you are so enthusiastic, it's contagious.
At the same time, I get overwhelmed by the amount of information you provide each time. I must confess, I don't have the patience to read everything you write.
I always promise myself to go back and finish reading everything, but then never seem to do so. If ther were a way to shorten what you wrote; or even better - post several, smaller blogs?
Thank you!

[Sandra Burt]

Having the blogs out there really help for motivation. My one big problem is living in rural France (not a problem really!!) and being able to buy the produce / groceries for the amazing recipes that I can find out there on the web. Vegetarianism is not "big" over here, let alone veganism, let alone oil free! So I have to adapt recipes, this is the biggest hurdle, plus living with a husband who finds the whole process very strange! So I have had to learn to take the middle path, which I find dispiriting at times. So my point is, the web is a huge resource to be used at its utmost to inspire and drive you on, luckily most of us at 60 are able to access it, use the tools available to you and use the blogs as motivators. Love to read all you write. Thanks and keep up the good work!

[Amy]

I, too, read your blog regularly, for information and inspiration. That said, I've not been able to make the switch to eliminating oil or dairy completely from my diet. I'm not sure why not, but having struggled and lost so many food and eating battles all my life, I've lost the strength to make yet another change.
If I were in the audience for your talk, I'd want to hear HOW you made the changes, what were the challenges, how did you do it incrementally, etc. One issue I would also reference is cost. Although I know you do a lot of buying at Trader Joe's which tends to be less expensive, I know that since I moved to a much more plant-based diet, my food bill is signficantly higher. Produce is not inexpensive; I'm willing and able to pay more, but it can be a show-stopper for some.
Please keep writing your blog for those of us who don't do Facebook. I rely on your clear, concise, and thoughful explanations of the myriad studies and I continue to seek inspiration from your experiences to move to a more healthful diet.
Good luck with the presentation,
Amy

[Lisa Austin]

Love your blog. You have been our inspiration. My husband and I were both somewhat overweight with high lipids. Dr. wanted to put him on statins. We did not want to do that. Also he is 2x cancer survivor. And both have heart disease in family history. Our path started last yr.(April) at Whole Foods health start here program. We were doubtful that we could stick with diet based on Neal Barnard's 21 day weigh-loss kickstart. We had meetings once a week for a month. The group support and samples from Whole Foods encouraged us. Then, I found your blog last spring. What joy! I am also a special librarian and research everything. I love the wide range of topics. Also the links to the research. Our results have been fantastic, although we thought we were pretty healthy before. Now we both lost 25lbs each without effort, our numbers are way down. I have to admit we are not 100% compliant. Christmas set us back a bit. I am doing sprint Triathalons to keep fit and cross train, we both play tennis. My biggest disappointment is that none of my friends who comment on how great I look and want to lose weight will try this approach. I would love to have your success with family & friends. Although they will eat my food and say they enjoy it. I think this approach to living & health could help solve so many issues in our country and the world...our health & insurance crisis, the environment, energy just to start. Keep blogging. I get cranky if I don't see a post every 2 or 3 days. Still use your archives alot also. P.s. got inspired by Thanksgiving Reuben story - I did one with Portobello mushrooms marinated in Corned unbeef spices & since I don't like sauerkraut I just sauted red cabbage & onions with cide vinegar so it was crunchy - everything else like yours. Its very good.

[George Pollock]

Hi,

After reading this blog, I sent my wife the following e-mail:

Hi Dear,

I just read a great piece by the Healthy Librarian about living a happy, healthy, life, which in itself is by far the best ongoing, research-based writing on the subject. My E-book on the same subject has the same words in the title(but in a different order), but is mainly one old, semi-crazy guy's quirky, fantastical take. I hope you can find the time to read it because it offers an intelligent, fact-based, beautifully written prescription for what we both want in our own life. If you refuse to read this, I will immediately institute divorce proceedings*.

*NOT!

P.S. I love you.

As if the above were not enough, the piece was also deeply personal. That photo of you and your dad with The New York Times was precious and resonated with me. For over 50 years I have also started my days off with the Times and coffee. When you shared with us that your dad had a massive stroke at 69 that resulted in 16 years of non-life for him and even more such years for your caretaker mom, that also said a great deal about why you write with such passion.

So, if I may, let me also get personal. I'm an old man, turning 74 on May 2. (Please keep this to yourself.) What makes me admittedly strange, however, is that I think that I am a kid, quite naturally act like one, and do so without apology.

Just yesterday, when my wife and I arrived here in Seattle, from Massachusetts, to visit our daughter and to welcome a new grandchild, our 10th, this was the scene. Our daughter with a new baby in her arms and three other grandkids came running to us for long, joyous hugs. And then, the kids immediately expected me - not my wife - to play with them, which I did. While the adults talked like grown-ups of the real world, we kids played.

With my grandkids, I play monster and chase them around trying to eat their fingers and ears. I look into their ears and tell them I see a little monkey munching on a banana and crying for his mama. Telling them that they have been "bad," I grab them and pretend to throw them out the window. Or I might put a grandkid, who totally gets the game, on my office chair and spin the kid happily to the moon.

They love it and so do I. Is such kid behavior in an old guy okay? I won't say that it is for everyone, but I know it is for me. My thoroughly adult wife understands this kid in me and why it should be allowed to come out, and is even healthy.

You see, I never had a chance to be a kid. I lost my father at six and my toxic, self-obsessed mother immediately handed me and four younger siblings over to the state of Massachusetts. We all grew up abused and unloved in serial institutions and foster homes.

Awful, but all five of us, entirely on our own somehow managed to build, successful, happy, healthy lives that we could only have dreamed of as kids. I wrote about this in my E-book, "Last Laughs."

I have been an adult all my life. I ran away at 17. From being completely alone on the streets, I still went on to college, graduate school, teaching three years in Africa, and a long career in educational publishing and writing.

I think I have earned the right to be the kid that I never was. It is good. It is healthy. And being a kid playing with other kids who happen to be my grandkids is a big reason that these days, when I should be planning for death, I feel that my life is just beginning.

You wrote of Dan Buettner's Blue Zone and its four requirements for a long healthy, happy life -- physical activity, setting up a healthy kitchen, sense of purpose,the right human beings around you -- and I think I have them all.

But you, what you offer in this one blog with all its great links, takes Dan Buettner's wisdom to the highest possible level-- by filling in the details. He gives us the general mindset; you give us in one amazing blog all the authoritative information we need to be old old and healthy healthy.

You are so, so grown-up.

Now I wait for my wife to read this and lay down some new rules for healthier living. Let's face it, I'm immature for my age and need adult supervision. I hope she doesn't say that I can't play with the other kids.

P.S. I amazed at the quality of your writing. In this blog, as in all your writing, I could not find one awkward phrase or grammatical slip or incomplete thought. I know that when my wife reads what I have just written, she'll find plenty wrong -- and I'll agree with her.

P.P.S. If you need me to be a "lab rat," let me know.

[Silvia]

I love your long posts even better than short ones (wanted to tell that because of Maria's comment).

But to the subject: I learned from your blog that plant strong oil free eating is not only doable but actually it is quite easy!
I believed (and the people around me still do, unluckily) that it is a really difficult thing. I think it cannot be told enough that this is not so. And I think your personal experience and what you saw in people around you like fellow librarians and neighbours can be really encouraging.
The combination of studies and anecdotal evidence is really impressive and in my opinion there lies your strength! Good luck with the talk!

[CB]

You asked for ideas from post-60 year olds for your talk. First, your very appearance and energy will be compelling. You'll need to focus, as you know, on the basics of lifestyle that effect longevity and even change gene expression and refer people to your blog and a few key books for more. For someone living in the current American mindset, even in Utah or California, your ideas might seem radical and seem undoable. The sheer amount of information can be overwhelming, but the basics are few--I refer to my dietary approach as mostly plant based, low oil, low sugar, which equaled minus 30 pounds. Although a complete switch is necessary for reversing heart disease, even a meatless Monday is considered progress, or avoiding fast food! Librarians are better informed, of course. Making one significant change can be the start of a whole new life. It does seem that the heart healthy habits spread into all aspects of life, such as retaining mental functioning, maintaining a more positive attitude, more engagement, and so forth.

[Carol]

Wow. I don't always make the time to read all the comments, but I did today, and I'm so glad. Sooo inspiring and encouraging. I was especially touched by George Pollock's story - in our family, grandpas like that are called teasers and spoofers, and the kids just love them. Those memories will warm them forever.

P.S. My dad would have been 100 last summer, and I'm also 62. Must have been a good year! He had the exercise piece, having been a life-long tennis player, but grew up eating fat-back bacon every single day, and I'm convinced must have had narrowed arteries from an early age. He died from artery disease at 78, with several years of confusion before that. And just a few months ago, we lost my 69 year old brother to a completely unexpected heart attack in his sleep. He had played tennis that morning, and seemed fit and healthy. So keep talking about the food - obviously the exercise alone is not enough.

Thanks again for all the great info, even if I sometimes feel like I'm drinking out of a fire hose......

[G]

I have been half following this plan since last Sept. and have been really following it for about a week. I am totally sold on its' many merits, but I do wonder if it's too late (I am 61) for all the benefits of a plant-strong no-oil diet to help stave off the problems most of us get as we age. I think I would do this anyway--my BP has already gotten better and I just feel better in general--but it would be helpful to know if any research has addressed this topic (i.e., benefits of late start Esselstyn-type diet in aging population). Thanks!

[Lisa Austin]

Our Drs. don't give credit to diet, just to weight loss. We explain its because of the diet. I don't understand why Drs. don't believe in diet - its a biochemical reaction or process just like drugs. Very frustrating. They say we're very disciplined and motivated. Other patients won't do it. We tell them its really easy. It just like Dr. Esselstyn says there is no encouragement to follow plant based diet.

Have you heard anything on high HDL? My husband just got tested again and HDL is 75. LDL is 98, TG is 52 these combined make his total high. Still working on that LDL. But according to your other posts - he must have fluffy particles. So combined number is not bad.

My LDL was down to 82 but came up with TG around Christmas. Indulged in too many sweets,etc. around holidays.

Have seen an idea on Engine 2 diet forum - that as you change diet - "stuff" circulates in blood then eventually goes away or is flushed out. I really messed up this explanation.

[Pascale]

I'm a 53 years old French woman living in Ireland and have been a keen follower of your blog for the past 18 months. I want to thank you for your contribution to my life, your expertise and enthusiasm.
For your talk, would you consider the motivation factor as a key point to address? I read your blog daily and I keep asking myself why I don't do everything I should do to have optimum health now and in my old age, why I find it so hard to stick to a healthy diet? And I think it's for the same reason I found it so hard to give up smoking (I gave up 18 months ago and am now in the next stage of my healthy life plan ie a plant based diet).
I think you are a truly remarkable person - the vast majority of people would not get up at 6.30 on Sunday morning to fit in everything they intend to do on their day off. I really think you are far more drive, positive attitude and energy than most people, and hence are part of a small minority - so if I was attending your talk, I would love to hear about how all the strategies are part of a long-term, life-changing goal and somehow, and this is the crucial part, one has to make the decision to start the process and never look back.

A support system is essential to sustain these major lifestyle changes and your blog is for me an essential part of that.

I hope that makes sense and that it is helpful.
Pascale.

[Ken Fogle]

I'd like to see you help in the "hunting and gatheing" phase of the process. I.e. brand name foods and stores for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Your one time tour of a few grocery stores with my wife made the variety of our meals go up. She is not one who likes to cook (she has other skills) but is happy to make meals ahead on weekends if i cut and chop (which I like to do) That guidance would help us as we expand our vegan base. As i said to you once a long time ago every tells you what you can't eat but no tells you what you can. You do. thanks

[Jennifer]

Another grateful fan here. Just wanted to let you know about this lecture series that took place last month at the University of Arizona College of Science on Living Beyond 100: http://cos.arizona.edu/beyond/.

I had been a lacto-ovo vegetarian since 1983 (convinced by Francis Moore Lappe's Diet for a Small Planet), yet I had a real stumbling block with veganism. Somehow changing the terminology to plant-based or plant-strong helped me overcome that. Veganism seemed too difficult inside my kitchen, socially, and it seemed unnatural. The B12 argument really bothered me. I had enough trouble over the years defending my choice to be lacto-ovo. I didn't want to be seen as even weirder and more difficult.

However, I was swayed by all the evidence in favor of a plant-based diet regarding cancer and brain health. And on the B12 issue two things overcame my "unnatural" objection: 1) I started supplementing with vitamin D, so why not B12? and 2) vegans are not the only ones who are B12 deficient today.

I found that it wasn't as hard to give up cheese and eggs as I thought it would be. It really just requires developing new habits so you don't have to think too much. Just what I told people about giving up meat (which wasn't hard for me), but I had to learn it for myself to be plant-strong! Tofu, premade baked tofu, tempeh, canned beans, peanut flour, flax (for eggs in baking), chia and hemp went into higher rotation in my kitchen. Getting rid of oil has worked for me as a gradual process.

Socially, it hasn't been that hard either, as it turns out! I find that people are quite receptive and I find that I can often just fly under the radar anyway these days.

[The Healthy Librarian]

Thank you everyone!! I wish I could individually thank all of you--your suggestions, comments, personal stories, kind words to me and beyond all my expectations! I can't thank you enough.
I'm planning to use so much of what you have suggested--and wish I had time to write to each of you personally.

@Jennifer: I look forward to looking at the Arizona link--and the crazy thing about B12 in animals--is that it's just from the bacteria they pick up from the ground--not something that's endemic to meat. Our ancestors also got B12 from the ground before we so carefully washing all our food. Interesting.

@Ken: Thanks. Good suggestions. Happy to help with a "kitchen show and tell" or "grocery store" walk, any time. Happy to see your comment! Enjoy next week--the Lab Rat has some tips on plant-based restaurants.

@Pascale: I'm not unusual at all! Inside I'm a lazy slug! It's exactly as you said. I've just made the decision to eat right, and fit in the exercise--and I've stuck with it long enough to see the benefits The reward for getting up on Sunday is getting a chance to chill out in a wonderful yoga class, have the opportunity to visit with an amazing plant-based pediatrician who is also there, kibbutz with gym buddies, get high on fun-spirited spinning music & the whole group exercise experience. It's not a chore--it lifts me up, every single Sunday--and also burn about 650 calories.

@Lisa: I agree--don't know why doctors don't credit diet--when they know that diet causes the problem. Thank G-d for Dr. Esselstyn having the courage to speak out--and save the lives of so many people. There is just no downside to this. If someone is already on drugs--they stay on them as they also eat plant-based--and lower their dose as their numbers improve. It's the synergy of eating high-nutrient, low-inflammatory, high-anti-oxidant foods--nothing that harms your arteries! They Mediterranean Diet they recommend doesn't do the job! They don't know that nuts & seeds & olive oil are loaded with
inflammatory omega 6's.