...getting your articles every day now, and your item by item coverage of chemical interactions with the body seems fertile subject material. But I'm more a big picture guy and I'm wondering if we can ponder the following (as I'm considering my next articles):
A) There is Big Pharma and their expensive remedies that partially work at great cost, sold in part by the complicit medical establishment looking for quick fixes.
B) There is the "snake oil" industry that sells "natural" or exotic remedies favored by the non establishment, which are cheaper but also of questionable efficacy.
C) Fortunately, it turns out that the main drivers of health (especially in old age) are diet and exercise, and those two things are pretty cheap and available to just about anyone.
D) If those don't work its probably your genetics, and these days there's little you can do about that anyway
E) So if its all about diet and exercise, what kind of diet and exercise? Very simply, I'd say portion control and fiber, 3 hrs a week but don't hurt yourself.
F) Here's a question for you...it turns out that we generally get enough protein without really trying, and in old age, protein promotes inflammation. We also generally get enough carbs and fat w/o trying. I'm thinking its not WHAT you eat as much as HOW MUCH AND HOW FAST YOU EAT, and the game is to fill your stomach every day with about 1800 calories and 30 gm/fiber a day. Since most good veggies/fruits are largely fiber and water, a big salad is basically 15 fiber grams of nothing! (which is in little pieces which makes you eat it slow) But it sits awhile in your gut, makes your bacteria happy, gives you the requisite vitamins/minerals, and is most importantly, satisfying hunger while moderating inflammation. Am I right to ask "why all the dialog about proteins, carbs, fats when its all about the portions and fiber?" (granted this is more true for old people, less so for growing bodies)
G) The sloth eats nothing but veggies and digests it very slowly. Is it any accident that they live and long time and don't get cancer?
H) As such, as a 66 yr old I can forget about most meds, supplements, and Red Bulls (don't take away my Ibuprofen though). Done right, diet and exercise are all I need, and I can feel them working!
I) It is speculated that in evolution, humans traded longer intestines for bigger brains, and thus have to be more careful about what they eat (ie cooking for quicker digestion), part of the "Omnivore's Dilemma"?
J) I eat a ton of mushrooms and onions...they seem to be good for us and I never get sick of them. What supplements (if any) do you suggest for the elderly with a good diet/exercise regimen?
