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This video was recorded on Saturday March 21st, and is our first effort.
Strengthen the Spartan Nation- Class 1 ‘The Debut’
Tom’s take-
So where are we going????
I love how David opens this section of the book with how younger people in his lab are continually pushing him to think. think about impact, the future, global health care, will ‘aging’ ever be considered a “Dis-Ease”???? Is aging going to be considered in itself a medical condition????
If you read just one piece of this section of the blog read ‘The Long Race’ section. If what Dr. Sinclair writes does not get you thinking hard about hard things, then step back and chill.
Or, jump to, “A Path Forward”, for some super cool thinking.
Personally I am all in on his philosophies!!!
Chapter 8- The shape of things to come
But the people that push me to think even harder are the younger people I teach at Harvard and other universities, and often even younger people I hear from via email and social media nearly every day. They push me to think about how my work will impact the future workforce, global health care, and the very fabric of our moral universe—and to better understand the changes that must take place if we are to meet a world of significantly prolonged human health spans and lifespans with equity, equality, and human decency. Pg 217
The 100 years warning. Pg 220
The 100 year politician. Pg 225
Social Insecurity Pg 227
What divides us grows greater Pg 231
Unless aging is designated a medical condition, initially only the wealthy will be able to afford many of these advances. Pg 232
Indeed, unless we act to ensure equality, we stand at the precipice of a world in which the uber-rich could ensure that their children, and even their companion animals, live far longer than some poor people’s children do. Pg 233
I remain optimistic about the potential of this revolution to change the world for the better. We’ve been here before, after all. Pg 234
To wend our way. Pg 234
Far more than any other lifestyle change or medical intervention, clean water and working sanitation systems have led to longer and healthier lives the world over. Pg 237
The problem wasn’t how many people lived in the city (London) but how they lived in the city.//But today, we can plainly see that the city is flourishing not in spite of its population but because of it, such that the capital and most populous city in the United Kingdom is home to a myriad of museums, restaurants, clubs and culture. Pg 238
But there is another way of seeing our future—one in which prolonged vitality and increasing populations are every bit as inevitable but not damning to our world. In this future, the coming changes are our salvation. But, please: don’t just take my word for it. Pg 239
A species with no limits. Pg 239
Positive views about the future aren’t as popular as negative ones. In rejecting well-meaning but imperfect estimates and arguing that there is no scientifically foreseeable limit to the number of people the planet can sustain, the environmental scientist Erle C. Ellis at the University of Maryland has taken a lot of heat. That, of course, is what happens when scientists challenge entrenched ideas. But Ellis has stood firm, even penning an op-ed for the New York Times in which he called the very notion that we might be able to identify a global carrying capacity, “nonsense”.
“The idea that humans must live within the natural environmental limits of our planet denies the realities of our entire history, and most likely the future,” he wrote. “….Our planets human-carrying capacity emerges from the capabilities of our social systems and our technologies more than from any environmental limit.” Pg 241
“Humans are niche creators,” Ellis stated. “We transform ecosystems to sustain ourselves. This is what we do and have always done”. Pg 242
People, People, Glorious People Pg 244
Pessimism, it turns out, is often indicative of exceptional privilege. Pg 248
Why do we live better even though there are more of us and more of us living longer lives? There are a great many factors, including the good that comes from networks of human capital of all ages. But if I had to explain it in just one word that word would be: “elders.”
The Long Race
“Every aspect of job performance gets better as we age,” Peter Cappelli, the director of the Wharton Center for Human Resources, reported after he began to investigate the stereotypes that often surround older workers. “I thought the picture might be more mixed, but it isn’t. The juxtaposition between the superior performance of older workers and the discrimination against them in the workplace just really makes no sense.” Pg 251
When we extend healthy lives, we exponentialize this investment. The longer people stay in the workforce, the better our return.//A lot of people worry about young workers will be ‘crowded out’ of jobs in no one retires. I don’t. Countries stagnate because they don’t innovate and don’t utilize their human capital, not because there aren’t enough jobs. Pg 253
The option to work at any age—if and when work is wanted and needed—will offer a sort of freedom that would have been unfathomable just a few years ago. The risk of spending one’s savings on fulfilling a dream, innovating, starting a business, or going on a new educational journey will not be such a risk at all; it will simply be an investment in a long and fulfilling life.//But ‘what if’ older people could work longer? ‘What if’ they were to use fewer health care resources? ‘What if’ they were able to conitune to give back to society through volunteering, mentorship, and other forms of service? Perhaps—just perhaps—the value of those extra healthy years would lessen the economic blow? Pg 256
Evidence suggests that if aging is delayed, all fatal and disabling disease risks would be lowered simultaneously.//Over 50 years, Goldman (Dana, USC Economist) estimated, the potential economic benefits of delayed aging would add up to more than $7Trillion in the US alone. Pg 257
With active people over 70 still in the workforce, imagine the experiences that could be shared, the institutional knowledge that could be relied upon, and the wizened leadership leadership would emerge. Problems that seemed insurmountable today will look very different when met by the tremendous economic and intellectual resources offered by prolonged human vitalitiy. That could be especially true if we’re all engaging in our world with the best version of ourselves. Pg 259
The Greatest of These
Chapter 9- A Path Forward
Aging is a disease, and it is not only a disease, but it is the mother of all diseases, the one we all suffer from. Pg 268
There are several ways to speed innovation to find and develop medicines and technologies that prolong healthy lifespan, but the easiest is also the simplest: define aging as a disease.// The first nations to define aging as a disease, both in custom and on paper, will change the course of the future. Pg 269
When a doctor looks at a 50-year old person right now, his or her goal is to keep the patient “less sick,” not to ensure that he or she will be healthy and happy for decades to come.//There are two things that guide medical treatments more than anything else: age and economics.///Indeed our medical system is built on ‘Ageism’.//// The quality of medical care should not be predicated on age or income. A 90 year old and a 30 year old should be treated with the same enthusiasm and support.//// Everyone should be entitled to treatments and therapies that improve quality of life, no matter what the date on his or her birth certificate is. Pg 272
In 2018, Australia ranked seventh on the global human capital index, a measure of the knowledge, skills, and health that people in a nation accumulate over their lives, just behind Singapore, Korea Japan, Hong Kong, Finland, and Ireland. The United States ranked 24th. China ranked 25th. Pg 275
As the Australian example proves, when everyone is living longer and healthier, everyone does better. Pg 277
Open- Like most people, I don’t want unlimited years, just ones filled with less sickness and more love. And for those I know who are engaged in this work, the fight against aging isn’t about ending death; it’s about prolonging healthy life and giving more people the chance to meet death on far better terms—indeed, on their own terms. Quickly and painlessly. When they are ready. Pg 282
We Must Address Consumption with Innovation
We must invest in research that allows us to grow more healthy food and transport it more effectively. And please make no mistake: that includes accepting genetically modified crops, those engineered to include a trait in the plant that doesn’t occur in its wild form, such as resistance to insects, tolerance to drought, greater Vitamin A production, or more efficient use of sunlight to convert CO2 to sugar-as an absolutely necessary part of our food future. With more efficient plants, we could feed up to 200 million additional people, just from plants grown in the US Midwest. Pg 285
Longer, healthier lives will do us little good if we consume ourselves into oblivion. The imperative is clear: whether or not we increase human longevity, our survival depends on consuming less, innovating more, and bringing balance to our relationship with the bounty of our natural world. Pg 288
Going backward or even staying put is not a viable solution to the current crisis. The only path forward is one in which we embrace human capital and ingenuity. Pg 289
We Need to Rethink the Way we Work
The idea of connecting retirement to a person’s chronological age will be an anachronism soon enough. And just like Social Security, the structures that support labor pensions will need to be reevaluated. Skillbatacticals, which might take the shape of a government-supported paid year off for every ten worked, might ultimately become cultural and even legal requisites, just as many of the labor innovations of the twentieth century have. Meanwhile, those who believe they are happy and secure in their careers can enjoy what has come to be know as “a miniretirement”—a year off to travel, learn a language or musical instrument, volunteer, or refresh and reconsider the ways in which they are spending their lives. Pg 291
We Need to Get Ready To Meet Our Great-Great-Grandkids
This is what I want to change—more than anything else in the world. I want everyone to expect that they will meet not only their grandchildren but their great- grandchildren and their great-great-grandchildren. Generations upon generations living together, working together, and making decisions together. We will be ‘accountable’—in this life—for the decisions we made in the past that will impact the future. We will have to look our family members, friends, and neighbors in the eye and account for the way we lived before they came along.// We’re going to have to be more empathetic, more compassionate, more forgiving, and more just.
My friends, we’re going to have to be more human. Pg 293
What we are learning, hmmm, depends on what you are reading, let me tell you there is PLENTY to learn if you choose to! Since I have been a massive fan of what I call ‘sciencey’ reading this section of David’s book lines up a lot. DNA, genomics, epigenetics, when you start reading and boiling this stuff down it is really interesting and fun, that is if you are making the effort to pay attention.
Chapter seven, “The Age of Innovation”, probably had THE most notes of any chapter, certainly so far.
“Intentional Asceticism” But fasting—allowing our bodies to exist in a state of want, more often than most of us allow in our privileged world of plenty—is unquestionably good for our health and longevity. Pg 90
Levels of IGF-1 have been closely linked to longevity. The impact is so strong, in fact, that in some cases it can be used to predict—with great accuracy—how long someone will live. Pg 96
Some people are simply winners in the genetic lottery. The rest of us have some extra work to do. But the good news is that the epigenome is malleable. Pg 97
When researchers studied the telomeres in the blood cells of thousands of adults with all sorts of exercise habits, they saw a striking correlation: those who exercised more had longer telomeres. Pg 102
Exercise, by definition, is the application of stress to our bodies. It raises NAD levels, which in turn activates the survival network, which turns up energy production and forces muscles to grow extra oxygen-carrying capillaries. Pg 103
There is a difference between a leisurely walk and a brisk run, however. To engage our longevity genes fully, intensity does matter. Mayo Clinic researchers studying the effects of different types of exercise on different age groups found that although many forms of exercise have positive health effects, it’s high-intensity interval training (HIIT)-the sort that significantly raises your heart and respiration rates—that engages the greatest number of health-promoting genes, and more of them in older exercisers. Pg 104
Cryotherapy- being cold is hot right now. Pg 110
We teachers have done society a great disservice by making cool science boring. Textbooks and scientific papers depict biology as astatic, two-dimensional world. Once you understand how cells actually work, they are the most amazing things. The problem with conveying this wonder in a classroom is that cells exist in four dimensions and buzz around with speeds and on scales we humans cannot perceive or even conceive. To us, the second and the millimeter are short divisions of time and space, but to an enzyme about 10 nanometers across and vibrating every quadrillionth of a second, a millimeter is the size of a continent and a second is more than a year. Pg 118
Sehgal named that compound rapamycin. Pg 120
Recent results indicate high blood sugar can also speed up the epigenetic clock. Pg 123
Metformin, What place does a diabetes medication have in a conversation about prolonging vitality? Pg 124
SIRT1-Activating compound, or STAC. Pg 128
Resveratrol pg 130
The first paper on resveratrols effects on aging went on to be one of the most highly cited papers of 2006 and was widely circulated in the mainstream media. Pg 133
NAD was discovered in the early 20th century as a alcoholic fermentation enhancer. We began to realize in the 1990’s that NAD wasn’t just keeping things running; it was a central regulator of many biological processes, including aging and disease. That’s because Shinichiro Imai and Lenny Guarente showed that NAD acts as fuel for sirtuins. Without sufficient NAD, the sirtuins don’t work efficiently: they can’t remove the acetyl groups from histones, they can’t silence genes, and they can’t extend lifespan. Pg 134
Meanwhile, on a parallel path, researchers, including us, were homing on a chemical called nicotinamide mononucleotide, or NMN, a compound made by our cells and found in such foods such as avocado, broccoli, and cabbage. Pg 135
Researchers in my lab at Harvard showed we could make the mitochondria in old mice function just like mitochondria in young mice after one week of NMN injections. Pg 136
My father has always been a skeptic. But he is insatiably curious and was fascinated by what he heard from me about what was happening to the mice in my lab. NMN isn’t a regulated substance; it’s available as a supplement. So he tried it out starting with small doses. He knew quite well, though, that there were very big differences between mice and humans. At first he would say to me and to anyone else who asked, “Nothing has changed. How would I know?” So the statement that came about six months into his NMN tryout was telling. “I don’t want to get carried away,” he said, “but something is happening”. Pg 142
Dad used to say he wasn’t looking forward to getting old. He isn’t outgoing or optimistic by nature; more like Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh. He expected to have a decent ten years of retirement, then go into a nursing home. The future was clear. He had seen what had happened to his mother, He had watched helplessly as her health had declined in her 70’s and 80’s and she suffered from pain and dementia in the final decade of her life.//With all of that fresh in mind, the idea of living much past his 70’s wasn’t very interesting to him. In fact, it was pretty scary. But he’s pretty happy with how it’s turning out and wakes up every morning with a deep-seated desire to fill his life with new, exciting experiences. To that end, he faithfully takes his metformin and NMN (Sandy and I are now both testing this, stay tuned) each morning and gets nervous when they start to get low. The turnaround in his energy, enjoyment of life, and perspective on growing old has been remarkable. Pg 143
I remain very proud of my father, an average guy who grabbed life by the horns in his late 70’s to start his life anew—a shining example of what life can be like if we don’t accept aging as “just the way it goes”. Pg 144
Once you recognize that there are universal regulators of aging in everything from yeast to roundworms to mice to humans….and once you understand that those regulators can be changed with a molecule such as NMN or a few hours of vigorous exercise or a few less meals…and once you realize that it’s all just one disease…it all becomes clear: Aging is going to be remarkably easy to tackle. //Once we understood what the problem was, it was and easy problem to solve. Pg 148
You might recall that one of the key hallmarks of aging is the accumulation of senescent cells. Pg 149
Senescent cells are often referred to as “zombie cells,” because even though they should be dead, they refuse to die.// And that’s scary, because when we have lots of these senescent cells in our bodies, it’s a clear sign that aging is getting a strong grip on us.// Inflammation is also a driving force in heart disease, diabetes, and dementia. It is central to the development of age-related diseases that scientists often refer to the process as “inflammaging”. Pg 150
We’re plagued by senescent cells, which might as well be radioactive waste. // A class of pharmaceuticals called senolytics may be the zombie killers we need to fight the battle against aging on this front. Pg 153
I have little doubt that cellular reprogramming is the next frontier in aging research. One day it might be possible to reprogram cells via pills that stimulate the activity of the OSK factors or the TETs. Pg 172
And if we can help children live longer, healthier lives, do we have a moral obligation to do so? Pg 173
Dr. Mark Boguski has spent a long time thinking about people such as Lawan (patient mentioned in previous paragraph) and about how modern medicine has long failed so many people like her, especially later in life.// “ In the most common manner of medical thinking, Lawan was getting the right care,” he told me one day. “Her doctors in Thailand were top notch. But that’s the thing about how we do medicine.” Pg 176
Most doctors, he said, still rely on early- twentieth-century technology to diagnose and treat life-threatening diseases. Take a swab and grow it in a petri dish. Bang the knee and wait for a kick. Breathe in, breathe out. Look to the left and cough.
When it comes to cancer, doctors note where a tumor is growing and cut out a tissue sample. Then they send it to a lab, where it is put into wax, cut into thin slices, stained with red and blue dyes, and looked at under the microscope. That works—sometimes. Sometimes the correct medicine is given.
But sometimes it isn’t. ( I interrupt my notes from David’s book here to emphasize the importance of understanding what is coming, this science, tech, and knowledge gleaned, in this ‘hyper-personalized’ world is all about stepping up our games and being our own best advocates) That’s why, the way I see it, looking at a tumor in this way is the equivalent of a mechanic trying to diagnose a car’s faulty engine without plugging into the vehicle’s computer. It’s an educated guess.
“What we call ‘good medicine’ is doing what works for most of the people most of the time, “ Boguski told me. “But not everyone is most people.
He coined the term precision medicine (I have used “hyper personalized” on the radio show/podcast for a long time, if the shoe fits, put it on and train) to describe the promise of next-generation health monitoring, genome sequencing, and analytics for treating patients based on personal data, not diagnostic manuals. We’re moving into a world in which treatment decisions no longer have to be based on what is best for most people most of the time. Pg 177-8
Immuno-oncology// There are hundreds of immune-oncology clinical trials underway. Pg 179
They had simply done what doctors all over the world do, follow the empirical process of diagnoses and intervention that leads to positive outcome in most people most of the time.//We can prevent a lot of unnecessary deaths by giving medical staff more information, just as Lawan’s doctors were able to get her onto a new treatment regimen once they better understood what they were dealing with.// There is hope for all of us. We know that humans , both male and female, are capable of living past the age of 115. It has been done, and it can be done again. Even for those who reach only their 100th year, their 80’s and 90’s could be among their best.
Helping more people reach that potential is a matter of bringing costs down and using emerging treatments, therapies, and technologies in a way that truly puts individuals at the center of their own care. Pg 180 (If there is one sentence, one thought, the previous sentence is in the top three things to keep in mind in my opinion)
Knowing Thyself
Since the new millennium, we’ve been told that “knowing our genes” will help us understand what diseases we are most susceptible to later in life and give us information we need to take preventive actions to live longer. That is true, but it is only a small part of the DNA-sequencing revolution that is under way./// Increasingly, it can also tell you what foods to eat, what microbiomes to cultivate in your gut and on your skin, and what therapies will work best to ensure that you reach your maximum potential lifespan. And it can give you guidance for how to treat your body as the unique machine it is. //It is common knowledge that we don’t all respond to drugs in the same way. Pg181
Some mutations sensitize people to particular foods. If you’re a G6PD carrier, for example fava beans can kill you. And while gluten is usually a harmless protein that comes in food rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals we need, for those with celiac disease, it’s a poison.// The same is true of medical interventions: our genes can tell us which are better for us and which could do more harm than good. That’s changing the game for many breast cancer patients.// Ever since female mice have been regularly included in lifespan experiments, thanks largely to NIH stipulations, large gender differences in the effects of longevity genes and molecules have been seen. Treatments that work through insulin or mTOR signaling typically favor females, whereas chemical therapies typically favor males, and no one really knows why. Pg 182-3
One of the most promising uses of genomics is predicting how drugs will be metabolized.// In the future, a patients epigenetic age will also be determined and used to predict drug responses, a new field called pharmacoepigenetics. Pg 183
We cannot keep prescribing medicines as though we all respond to them the same way, because we don’t. Pg 184
And vitally, with genomic information aiding our doctors decisions, we won’t have to wait to become sick to know what treatments will work best to prevent those diseases from developing in the first place. As Julie Johnson, the Director of the University of Florida’s Personalized Medicine Program, has pointed out, we are about to enter a world in which our genomes will be sequenced, stored and already red-lighted for treatments that have been demonstrated to have adverse effects on people with similar gen types and combinations we have. Likewise, we will be green-lighted for treatments that are known to work for people with similar genes, even if those treatments don’t work for most other people most of the time. Pg 184-5
Right now, when people fall ill, especially older people, they often wait to see if things just “work themselves out” before making an appointment to see a doctor.// The problem isn’t how we pay for care; the problem is that we’ve set up doctors as the only conduits to diagnosis and often, in the case of primary care physicians, as the only people who can refer a patient to a specialist. Pg 185
The backlog could clear soon, thanks to technologies that give doctors the ability to conduct video home visits. Within a decade, using a device the size of a package of gum and possibly disposable, it will be technically feasible to collect the samples your doctor needs at home, plug the device into your computer, and look together at a readout of your metabolites and your genes.// All of this means we’re on the way to a fundamental shift in the way we search for, diagnose, and treat disease. Our flawed, symptom-first approach to medicine is about to change. We’re going to get ahead of symptoms. Way ahead. We’re even going to get ahead of “feeling bad.” Many diseases, after all , are genetically detectable long before they are symptomatic. In the very near future, proactive personal DNA scanning is going to be as routine as brushing our teeth. Pg 186
Your biometric vitals will be the bellwether for your body. Pg 189
The most critical daily decisions that affect how long we live are centered around the foods we eat.//Biometrics and analytics already tell us when and how much to exercise, but increasingly they will also help us monitor the effects of our exercise—or lack thereof. And our levels of stress. And even how the fluids we drink and air we’re breathing are impacting our body’s chemistry and functionality. Increasingly, our devices will offer recommendations on what to do to mitigate suboptimal blood biomarkers: to take a walk, meditate, drink a green tea, or change the filter on the air conditioner. This will help us make better decisions about our bodies and lifestyles. Pg 190
Biotracking will also help us stop acute and traumatic preventable deaths—by the millions. Pg 191
It won’t be long before medics routinely ask for a download of your most recent biotracking data to aid them in making what could be life-and-death decisions. Pg 193
Each new discovery creates new potential. Each minute saved in the quest for faster and more accurate gene sequencing can help save lives. Even if it doesn’t move the needle much on the maximum number of years we live, this age of innovation will ensure that we stay much healthier much longer. Not many of us, but all of us. Pg 209
In every relationship, whether with lovers, friends, family, professional peers, and strangers alike, we are offered the opportunity to be seen. The risks that are taken and the worthiness that is cultivated every time that we allow ourselves to be vulnerable are writing our story of victory or victim! My thoughts go to many of the books that I have read on the subject of vulnerability and the lack of it that exists in our culture today. My question is do you feel that space within that longs to be felt, and constantly asks to be seen, and do you allow it to come forth? In my humble opinion, I believe that our mental, physical and spiritual health depend on it. The gift is not just our own, but everyone that we come in contact with gets the best that we can be, the truth of who we are, and this will create a life that feels aligned and purposeful. Relationships change, confidence rises, and courage roars!
The pressures of this culture and the mass marketing message is that we are not enough, we are too this or not enough that, and this message alone can keep us dimmed and stuck in self doubt. If you look deeply, and spend a few moments connecting to your inner voice, it is likely that the chatter is less then empowering and loving. Working with clients over the years to shift their current experiences, we often sit looking at each other as they come to realize that their greatest enemy is themselves. That inner critic that keeps saying that you are not ______enough, fill in the blank (pretty, skinny, smart, successful, wealthy, deserving, etc.) . I am here, right now, to tell you that it is not real and that you can begin to show up and heal this issue, with honesty and courage. As I began to grow my own awareness to my own fears of beings seen, I had many moments of terror! That terror was there to teach me that I was scared of being seen, being criticized and being ridiculed. It taught me that I was being brave and that this new way of expressing my truth was courageous. It was there to show me that my fear was suffocating me. It was there to remind me that no matter what anyone else thought of me, I had to trust myself and show up. My whole life depends on it now, as I could not accept anything less with this understanding. My inner critic will show up, but no longer does it have any power over me. I have learned that it’s an old voice of irrational fear. The realest fear I have now, which motivates me daily, is that I would ever stop risking being seen.
We can be honest, courageous, and vulnerable with others when we are able to practice this with ourselves. The willingness to accept that vulnerability and being seen is in fact our path to solid, strong, and valuable relationships is one key. The willingness to know that we are worthy and that we matter is the second key awareness in being truly seen. The willingness to look at our lives and know that if we are feeling exhaustion, anxiety, fear, unworthy, worry or even feeling physically ill, we do have the capacity to change these experience, one moment at a time
. Every room you walk into, every conversation you enter, every letter you write, every person you encounter, is the perfect space to practice showing up, being authentic, being seen and stepping into the courageous active energy of being loved, or disliked for who you are. What we choose to do in our moments is what matters the most. What we choose to express in this world is up to us, and when you look at statistics, the most positive, inspiring, and influential people are those that have dared to showed up, courageously, and have walked their talk, and shared their journeys, because they knew it mattered!
Take a moment today to look in the mirror and really look at the eyes looking back at you. This person that is staring at you is dependent on your bravery and your courage. This person deserves for you to get real about what matters and what doesn’t. This person matters. This person wants you to show up and be seen. Breathe.
Angela N Jospeh
Wellness & Lifestyle Coach
Today more than ever, we are bombarded with marketing, opinions, statistics and labeling that are confusing the simple truth of food nutrition. We are one of the wealthiest nations, and yet we have the highest levels of chronic disease and obesity. People are mislead, confused, and addicted to the chemical arsenal in the grocery aisle. It is so simple that it can become maddening as we attempting to filter the lies from truth.
I am a promoter of an 85/15 diet. These numbers are meant to be a guide, making it easy to establish a relationship with the food on your plate. The 85% represents the amount of whole food nutritional content ingested, while the 15% is the allowance for coffee, occasional alcohol, desert, or otherwise. When working with clients, I do not force huge change. In my opinion, its a set up for failure. We begin with looking at a 60/40 or 70/30 and work our way to the better. If you come from an 30/70, this 60/40 will make an undeniable change for the better and will naturally motivate you to take it further for your own personal wellbeing. That is the way it works, momentum builds. We want to leave room for play! What is life without freedom to roam?
The way that this will look is easy when you consider your plate like a pie. Half to three quarters of your pie should be organic, fresh vegetable produce. Focus on adding healthy portions of your protein source and carbs. As this way of eating becomes more habitual, you will begin to fill more of your plate with this living, highly nutritional food. Steadily, you will push out more of the highly processed foods that make up the SAD (Standard American Diet). You will be increasing whole, living, and healthy fleshed foods, while decreasing dead food, or processed sugar, refined starches and grains, high saturated animal fats, and added stimulants lacing processed foods. Your body will shift from an acidic and inflamed stated to an alkaline and thriving state.
The beauty of adopting an 85/15 diet, is that your body remembers what health feels like and it will be miraculous to your body. You do not have to be extreme. Aim or 60/40, 70/30 and just begin the process. Your body and your mind will thank you! Eating whole foods and living a healthy lifestyle is the greatest investment you can make in your life. You are worth it, your family is worth it, and when you are ready, you will do it!!!
Tom Matt’s Boomers Rock Radio Talk Show is on WKAR 870 AM from the campus of Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan.
Recently on the radio program I interviewed Colin Milner, CEO of the International Council of Active Aging, and I threw this new idea I had to him as he has been a great influencer, friend, contributor and guest for quite some time now. I said, “Colin, I have this new idea about changing the term ‘getting older’ and turning it into ‘growing older’, it is a whole lot less negative. I get tired of people blaming a sore back or knee or whatever else on the mindset and accepting all of this because I am ‘getting old’”. Colin liked it, asked if he could use it and of course I said yes.
Another guest on the radio program, author Ashton Applewhite of ‘This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism’(great book) shares that the worst offenders of the perpetuation/proliferation of an ageist mentality and culture are, drum roll please, OLDER PEOPLE!
Who would have thunk it?
This culpability belongs to a phenomenon I describe as the ‘Social Conditioning of Growing Older’. All of these ageist activities are a product of limited mindsets, beliefs and bigoted short-sighted acceptances of the 21st century. We are living longer, so there are a lot more older people to continue to think this way.
Hmmmm,
The time has come to redefine our cultural principles.
From the ‘MiddleLiving Economy’ and the ‘Mama Bear Mentality’, to the ‘Mindset of Exceptionalism-ness and of course the ‘Vuja de Effect of MiddleLiving’ I have written many blogs and shared over 1,000 one hour radio talk shows sharing the love for growing older and the compelling ‘HOW’.
It is up to each of us to figure out our own compelling ‘WHY’!
Think about this-
When we admit that our judgment is clouded, believing older adults are able to ‘still’ drive, or ‘still’ work out, or ‘still’ go to school, or ‘still’ make love this creates and perpetuates an ageist cultural mentality. Acceptance of such norms are an impediment to our societal and personal growth and progress, young and old. Understanding how this is a limiting belief we can redefine the old school social conditioning that ‘getting older’ is much different than ‘growing older’.
Every time the ‘still’ mindset is used it diminishes the societal worth of all older adults!
Accepting that a mindset of an older person being able to ‘still’, for example, attend a granddaughters basketball game or ‘still’ attend grandsons dance recital is a positive attribute is frankly insulting.
Dr. Bill Thomas, an author and geriatrician whose book, ‘Second Wind’ (totally badass) describes how the world can redefine aging. He writes that the word ‘still’ describes the subculture of what he calls “Realists”.
Dr. Thomas thinks baby boomers (I use the term MiddleLiving and SuperiorSeniors) fall into one of three categories:
Dr. Thomas believes that ‘still’ fits Realists because they cannot see the value of life beyond earlier stage adulthood. It is a conundrum which traps them in a distressed and eventually hopeless effort to continue living as they did when they were younger.
Realists hold the belief that older people are worthy only for what they offered in their earlier life. They accept ‘still’ as a positive attribute. Which is total bullcrap!
A Denialist just does not accept the notion of getting older at all. Another steaming pile of horse manure!
An Enthusiast will embrace ‘growing older’ as an opportunity to do just that, grow! Now we are ready to party!
As we all are living longer the statistics across the board point to all of us discovering that living healthy can be a turning point. Ponder these-
Limitations are only as deep as an individual may perceive. It is the cultural conditioning and said acceptance of those limits that determine the depth of the pool.
I like to think that an individual’s halo is as bright and strong as they choose. If your personal WHY is strong then your HOW will become second nature, I promise. The social conditioning of growing older can be a rocket (enthusiast), a Packard (realist) or a stagecoach (denialist), what’s your preference!
Inspiration + Inclination= Motivation
and
Choice + Challenge= Change
The serendipitous law of attraction (I love this term), can be a strong halo, use it to bring awesome people and activities into your life. You can than leverage your life’s experience’s to give back to those less fortunate and watch and live the magic, it can and will be some kind of road trip!
I like it.
peace
Tom Matt’s Boomers Rock Talk Show can be heard on WJRW 1340 AM in Grand Rapids.
The show is broadcast Saturday at 3pm and again Sunday at 7am.
You need a primer for your resolution or life change?
One thing you never want to do if you are hiking through the woods and come upon a cave is startle a mama bear and her cubs. It could end very badly!
Using this thought as a launching pad for self-improvement (which is my thing as everyone knows) I hereby Christen the New Year and everyone’s resolutions and accomplishing those goals- “The Mama-Bear Mentality”.
First lets define the characteristics of a mother bear and substitute cubs (babies) with self-improvement, goals, dreams and desires.
To start, she has babies (Goals). She keeps them in quiet places and is always close to her cubs (dreams). She is wary of all animals and is incredibly protective of her cubs (negative influences). She will generally always attack any animal that she believes is a danger to her young babies (staying focused on the end game). Beyond that she teaches her cubs (Life-Long learning) how to survive on their own; how to hunt, fish, and prepares(physical fitness, mental clarity, nutrition) them to leave her and hopefully reach adulthood.
What are the characteristics of a mother bear?
What is she like? What does she do?
While this is a true description I thought it would be worthwhile to explore the attributes of the real grizzly bear mom.
Mother bears are affectionate, protective, devoted, strict, sensitive and attentive with their young. Not unlike people, bears can be empathetic, fearful, joyful, playful, social and even altruistic.
Sounds a lot like humans huh!
We are all (bears and humans) individuals and have unique personalities. And we all desire feeling positive and a contributor to society, not some giant narcissistic taker right (unless you are a Grizzly and then you are allowed narcissism because no one is going to mess with you or change that bad ass personality)!
Much like humans mother bears have many very solid qualities and then some, did you know that Bears are fast; (as are human mothers when you mess with her kids), they can run more than 60 kilometers an hour (37 mph) – that’s twice as fast as an Olympic sprinter, (you ever seen a really pissed off mom?). In fact, a bear can outrun a race horse over short distances, but has little endurance (kinda like me, quick for about 10 meters). To put their speed in perspective, bears can run 15 meters per second (50 feet per second). To understand that speed Usain Bolt can cover 12.2 meters per second.
Don’t mess with ‘Mama-Bear’ unless you are looking for trouble!
I want to develop my own ‘Mama-Bear’ mentality. Since self-improvement is the daily objective I have decided to protect my personal objectives. You could also apply this mentality to your new you, whatever you have decided do.
In my ‘Mama-Bear’ mentality being a staunch protector and advocate for my cubs (self-improvement) if any part of my life does not benefit the goal, to the curb with you! Of course everything in moderation and small steps but I think you catch my drift here right. The ‘Mama-Bear’ mentality is all about helping facilitate growth, independence and self-sustaining behaviors that will help in my quality of life and happiness.
How I cope with change and deal with controversy in my life is all on me, and with my new ‘Mama-Bear’ mindset nothing will interfere with my mission. You mess with my cubs (life) and you are in for a big ass whoopin!
As one of my favorite bands (get some on your gym playlist) ‘The Beastie Boys’ sang “You Gotta Fight for Your Right to Party”!
Life can be one huge and fun party, you just gotta have the right players on your team! That’s why ‘free-agency’ came to be! Players, yes they can be traded and or released!
So from the ‘Mama-Bear‘ perspective everyone I gotta protect myself, my goals, my dreams, my self-improvement, and I hope you will as well!
(For more hilarity from my boys the “Beastie Boys” here you go!)
Happy New Year
peace
ps-
Remember this one? Tone loc, “Funky Cold Medina”
The definition of a commando is ‘a soldier specially trained to carry out raids’. The synonym to soldier is a serviceman or servicewoman. 
We need more aggressive, proactive members of our communities to build a sense of urgency to overcome the national despair and outrage that continues to proliferate in our great country.
A mindset is needed that takes a desperate situation and makes it better. I like the term Community Commando to lead the charge!
This Community Commando will exhibit a tenacious attitude to help the tribe, our community, lead and teach. To lead by example, to lead by hard work, to lead by an undying love for others and community. A leader of unparalleled integrity, a person who exhibits the effort and obstinate attitude of giving to our children by teaching the correct way to grow up and to respect others, their property and families.
The Community Commando does not care about his or her own pain, because they know that through pain, growth can occur. Walking the proverbial walk is not enough. Talking the proverbial talk is just the beginning to lasting self-improvement. The love to teach and give back permeates their soul, an unquestionable and unquenchable thirst that drives them to the brink of quitting, but they never do. Instead they persevere, they learn new strategies, they work the system to benefit their personal body of work, gaining valuable hard earned knowledge.
A Community Commando knows that no one is perfect, that we all need to live each day to its fullest and to live for incremental self-improvement. That by waking each day with a sense of purpose you can improve, you can gain traction and control of your life. And through this positivity you can change others perceptions and beliefs. By small acts of kindness and a service mindset you can have a major impact on your neighborhood, your city, your state and your nation.
A Community Commando builds a synergistic team, one that covers for each other even in the darkest of moments and times. A symbiotic relationship, deeper than a sister or brother where words are not needed to energize and uplift. Actions speak volumes, actions solve issues, actions of pristine leadership are the Community Commando’s rule book.
A Community Commando understands that the comfort zone must be stretched, that growth will only occur with an attitude of gratitude. The most successful people posses learning agility and the willingness and ability to learn new and difficult 
competencies in order to perform at an even higher level. In situations of difficult even impossible situations, where many would give up, the Community Commando never quits until the job is complete, and the job has new challenges every day, so the job is fuel that fires the engine, and the job is the reward.
David Hornak is a Community Commando, his love for his community, students, family and job is unparalleled, and I am blessed to know him and call him a friend.
We need more people like David, he is a caring and driven educator who has never quit learning and continues to give to our schools, we are lucky to have him and his talent and heart.
We all can learn from David’s tireless efforts to help our children, and if you ever have a chance to talk to him, thank him for all of his positivity, it is infectious!
peace
Getting both types of fiber is a big win for your body, and there’s another benefit: fiber can also aid weight loss. It helps you feel full and satisfied.
Oatmeal is a good breakfast whether you make it simple or dress it up with lots of fruit and nut toppings. But here’s the other beautiful thing about oatmeal. If you eat one and one-half cups of it each day, you can lower your cholesterol by 5 to 8 percent.
It contains soluable and insoluable fiber, two types that your body needs. Insoluable fiber, which is also found in the skins of many fruits, helps keep us regular. Soluable fiber, which is also found in beans, oranges and pears, helps prevent disease and lower cholesterol.
It has been exactly one month today that I had my meniscus surgically repaired, and tomorrow I can go back to work.
Working, ahhh that great escape from being a limited invalid, so liberating!
The first week was not bad at all, until I took a fall in our living room when my crutches got tangled up in the blanket that had become my ever present companion. That tumble did not affect the knee whatsoever, I was smart enough, or nimble enough to gracefully hit the floor. It was my now sore back that would be my nemesis.
Gotta love recovery time!
The key to the successful first week, other than the above boneheadedness, was that skill I have been accused of not possessing, listening.
I listened to my doctors, my nurses, and most importantly Sandy. All of this added to staying situated in my chair for three days straight, taking my medication, which the nurses were very clear about, take your meds don’t be a hero!
Not being a fan of medication, toughing it out was definitely on my agenda. Good thing I now have great listening skills. The medication is prescribed for a reason, do what they say and all will be good!
Perhaps you are like me, who have never really been injured before you lack that wisdom and knowledge. Be advised, stir-craziness starts to set in about the second and third week.
Being a pretty active fellow leads us to the I want to get up and get around phase. Thank goodness strategic planning on my surgeons part. I was back to see him ten days into the whole round two of the process helping a soon to be crazy person see the light.
Liberation was clearly right around the corner, or so I thought.
Stiches removed, doctors next round of advice, take it really slow and get into my physical therapy.
Cool, physical therapy will be just like working out, right?
Wrong!
Physical therapy is another round of slowly building back your strength, without damaging yourself and wrecking everything you have been working toward. My guy was Robbie Williams, of Orthopedic Rehab Specialists, excellent facility, and my man Robbie very knowledgeable and smart.
When you think you know everything, which sometimes I lead myself to believe I do and really don’t, having a new face and coach, trainer, motivator is awesome. For the next two weeks I would see Robbie six times, and he would evaluate my knee twice in amongst those visits.
Tip for you if you find yourself in this situation.
Schedule your appointments as early as possible, most of mine were 6:30am. This will get you back into some kind of semblance of normalcy with your sleep and this is really important. It is very easy to fall into crazy sleep patterns, and when your circadian rhythm gets messed up it sucks. I have never had a problem sleeping, going to sleep has been easy for me. When you lose that ease with something you take for granted, like sleep habits, it’s terrible.
I found myself unable to fall asleep, having never experiencing this makes you really appreciate something you just took for granted.
Robbie had me doing some really simple, yet somewhat difficult movements. Balance stuff, one footed heel tap squats, band work, BOSU etc. He had my number and I was sweating!
By the time we finished I looked at this as my workout of the day, as Cross Fitters would say. In the end I may not have been 100%, but I was feeling pretty darned good. Nice job Robbie!
Man that listening stuff, it really does work!
Oh and did I mention watched the entire five seasons of Board Walk Empire? 
Bless the person who invented On-Demand. Man am I glad to be going back to work
Peace,
T
We at Boomers Rock Media have always understood that Quality of Life (QOL) is comprised of many different components. We are here to share the love of life and knowledge. Everyone deserves to have the best chance, and the best odds so our topics are listed below and separated for easy and quick access.
With hundreds of experts there is a lot of information to help you!
With 345 recorded and archived podcasts to choose from we want to make finding your specific topic as easy as possible. Following the bulleted list will lead you to the category you are searching for-
Season four is going strong and our momentum is growing. It is our plan to build a platform so helpful, so easy to navigate and so full of great information that you will become part of our collective family. If you like our site please share with your closest friends. Please sign up for our newsletter and our email list so you never miss anything new and exciting in 2015.
I look forward to hearing from you, make this your one stop site for Middle-Living and Superior-Seniors.
Peace,
Episode Description
This week’s combination of topics will include Kerry Hannon and her always fun and informative topics of finding those ‘Great Jobs for everyone over 50’. Kerry Hannon has spent more than 25 years covering personal finance for Forbes, Money, U.S. News & World Report and USA Today.
And our Grand Haven ‘Boomers Rock Local’ guest is the owner of On the Path Yoga Sandy Parker. With a Bachelors of Science in Health Education and a lengthy career spanning over 25 years, both of our guests bring expertise to the talk show.
Kerry Hannon is always informative and fun! Sandy Parker shares her passion for ‘restorative exercise’ and instructs us all on the fact that “we do not have to hurt” and how ‘inflammation’ is tied to ‘pain’.
Broadcasted Saturday November 29th, on WGHN 1370 AM, Grand Haven, mornings 9-10, airing throughout the western shore cities of Lake Michigan, inspiration and education begin here.
In this weeks episode we discuss-
Listen to Tom Matt’s “Boomers Rock” Radio Talk Show Season 4 Episode 6 below…
https://www.boomersrock.us/podcast/interview-with-kerry-hannon-and-sandy-parker/
Peace,
Tom Matt
Host and Founder of Boomers Rock Media
Phillipa Burgess, (if you don’t know her you want too, believe me!)
Founder of Media Brand Workshop and her
dated 8/31/2011
I often get a multitude of questions about what supplements I use or recommend from friends, family, and clients. There is so much false information and Broscience on the Internet about supplements that people have no idea where to start! Below is a list of what I feel are the top supplements to use on a daily basis to help you become your best.
~ 1-2 Tablespoons daily
~ 2 Tablespoons daily.
~ 1-2 Tablespoons daily.
~ 2-4 Tablespoons daily.
~ 2-4 Tablespoons daily.
~5-10 grams daily post workout.
~ 3-20 grams daily.
~ 5 Grams daily.
These are the main supplements that I consume on a daily basis. Some of these are somewhat expensive and also reflective of the amount of strength training and cardio exercise I perform on a weekly basis. There are also a few other food supplements I consume like Wheatgrass and Spirulina/Chlorella that I will devote a post to in the coming weeks. Start to do your research and take this list to help provoke some thought on what supplements may help you reach your peak performance levels. Feel free to e-mail me at Regie@GRTFitness.com with any questions you may have!
Here’s to a fitter and healthier tomorrow…….-> R’s
How did this whole thing start, from the dream to start a business with my wife and best friend, that’s how, and now, well it’s Boomers recap time. Pretty crazy, use it as an example that anything can happen if you just dream big dreams, let’s start this week-
Monday lucky 7/11
My buddy David Lorenz was back as usual, Mr. Consistent, that’s why we are blessed to have such a great leadoff hitter, Mr. Clutch. We chatted it up on the Michigan Festival scene, and more specifically David talked about doing a brew tour of our state. Well kind of anyway, we talked about the ever growing micro-brew craft and the 80 or so breweries that are now scattered all over Michigan.
The micro-brew craze started over 25 years ago, actually in 1985 by a gentlemen named Larry Bell . Did you know that we have guided brew tours in Detroit? I mean David always brings in the coolest ideas and fun adventures.
So check this out-
A Sip of Michigan – Birthday Bash Friday, July 15 8:00p at Rattlesnake Club, Detroit, MI
Put this one on your calendar for next year-
We also talked tall ships and Bay city, don’t forget to check out the doubletree hotel, another summer spot to explore and see, renovated and reborn, Bay city has it going on.
Next week we talk about the Pure Michigan 400, that’s Monday at 6:22pm est on of course the world’s first all fitness radio FTNS.
Next up on a very busy Monday was our friend Jo-Anne Lema, the very busy lady who is the founder of After Fifty Living made a visit to the show. Great topic as we discussed Betty Ford and her immense impact on people’s lives as a influencer and leader. Her honesty about addiction and breast cancer has pioneered the openness that we now enjoy in society, she was a wonderful lady.
Jo-Anne told me that 4 million boomers suffer from addiction issues, and that by 2020 that number will double. We need to stick together boomers, that is a lot of people who will be suffering, we all need to step up and figure out some way to be involved and help.
Addiction is a lonely and insidious issue, life is tough enough, let’s try and make this problem better in some small way.
Thanks to both David and Jo-Anne for stopping in and sharing-
“Hi Daisy”! 🙂
Wednesday 7/13
Newbie, first timer Meghan Merchant came on the show, and her energy and knowledge was outstanding. I really do enjoy everyone of our guests, it is what is making the “Boomers Rock” phenomenon work, it is all about the collective, the knowledge base. That and I feel that if all of these nice, very knowledgeable peeps want to share their time we must be doing something right, right?
Meghan gave her background, Bachelors and Masters degrees, trainer, dancer wife and mom to two daughters, yes she is a busy lady. Meghan had a really interesting take on this interview, tools to make your measuring your exercise more clear cut. Specifically, pedometers, how knowing your output daily utilizing such a tool can actually relieve stress.
We also chatted about how Meghan had Thyroid cancer when she was 19, how it was very treatable and how the thyroid is an energy regulator in your body, that even if you have had a condition such as hers life goes on, normally and happily, if you take care of yourself. Meghan will be back to expand on her expertise, take the time to read this New Mexico moms journal on her website where she shares a ton of good info.
Tim Kissman made a journey into the land of “Boomers Rock, you know Tim, the editor and founder of “Healthy and Fit” magazine. Great to have Tim, as we like to discuss this month’s issue of the magazine which included articles on-
Tim and I discussed the pitfalls of living vicariously through your children’s athletic accomplishments. Being a former coach, and Tim still coaching, and being athletes growing up we discussed how important it is to remember the one key component to youth athletics, let them have fun, and understand they must have the desire to play.
Tim’s magazine is growing, and if you are interested in reading and or advertising with him visit their website or email Tim directly- tim@healthyandfitmagazine.com.
Friday 7/15
This was by far the most emotional show for me so far, dealing with addiction and substance abuse is a very sincerely difficult topic and one that I take very seriously, being very close to the subject through my own experience.
I have Teri Murgia’s permission to print her letter here, I think this sums it up-
This question was asked to a member of Addict’s Mom, Teri Murgia. She is a recovering prescription drug addict and the mother of an addict who now dedicates her life to helping others who are suffering. It is a powerful lesson she shared about enabling, and how her mother’s decision to walk away changed her life.
Question: When your Mother found the courage to stop the enabling process by walking out on you when you were facing uncertain death how did that make you feel in your heart?
The day my Mother found the courage to walk out of my hospital room was the day I had made another personal attempt to end my life. She just couldn’t do it anymore.
My Mother had already lost two children by this time, her heart was broken into a million pieces and all she could do was fall to her knees and cry out to GOD! My first thought when she walked out of the room that day was, it confirmed what I was feeling, even my own Mother couldn’t love me.
Then all the feelings of anger, bitterness and sometimes even a bit of hatred flooded my thoughts. What kind of Mother could walk away from their only daughter, how could someone be so cold and unfeeling?
Her last words to me that day were, “ I AM NOT GOING TO SIT BACK AND WATCH YOU KILL YOURSELF ANYMORE, IF YOU WANT TO DIE THAT’S YOUR CHOICE , BUT I WON’T BE HERE TO WATCH IT!!” And she left.
It was that day when my long and difficult journey towards recovery began. You see my Mother made the ultimate choice that day, she chose her life. She knew her life was worth something and she was no longer going to allow my addiction to destroy it!
She was no longer going to be a victim of my destructive behavior. Today I live my life grateful she had the courage to walk away, as it was the very thing I needed to begin my recovery.
Thank you MOM, I love you!
Teri Murgia
In families where addiction effects multiple members of the immediate family, and none of them are willing to seek professional treatment, how is it possible to maintain those family relationships? What process for recovery do they use? Do they believe in the “disease” model of addiction? What supports do they provide/suggest for the family members?
This interview was awesome, and I plan on continuing with this topic, bringing great people like Barbara and Teri on as guests just reaffirms in my mind how important this show and these words are.
