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Top May 16, 1999
Karlsigma's Fitness Philosophy
Some observations on how to live long and healthy from someone
with knowledge and experience. Click on any of the topics in blue to get
to that item, and click on TOP to return to the top.
Click on the numbers in parentheses for
References that are given for all critical statements,
and the books can be accessed from your local library, and the papers from
Medline. Keys to
searching Medline or other
databases such as AltaVista can
be found in the
Tutorial
from U. Cal.
Diet
We eat largely from habit, having learned as an infant, and as adults we
are coerced by ads to abandon a naturally good diet for one that is unfriendly
to our good health. In many cases we are on the verge of malnutrition from
a diet of fried food and cola. We also are bombarded by an onslaught
disinformation in many best-seller books on dieting, often accompanied by
prepared foods sold as part of the diet program which promises quick and
painless weight loss. Lets get some facts straight. Mature adults with a
moderately sedentary life-style, for example, require about 2000 Calories
per day. We are known to require about 60 grams of good quality protein that
contain the 9 essential amino acids (isoleucine, leucine, valine, methionine,
lysine, histidine, tryptophan, threonine, phenylalanine), a minimal amount
of essential polyunsaturated fatty acids, namely 6 grams of linoleic acid
and 1.3 grams of linolenic acid, carbohydrate as a source of energy, water
soluble and fat soluble vitamins, major and minor minerals, fiber to aid
in elimination, and water. We usually eat excess carbohydrates, which the
body converts to fat (1).
We are descended from hunter-gathers whose diet consisted of fruit,
leaves, seeds and nuts, supplemented with large amounts of meat when the
hunt was successful. Their diet contained more protein, calcium, potassium,
fiber, vitamin C, and less salt, fat, and carbohydrate than our present average
diet, and was probably more healthful
(2). Several years ago, in connection with teaching
nutrition, I acquired a computer nutrition program, (Diet Analyst, Parsons
Technology). After analyzing my diet, I found that my calcium intake was
very low. I corrected this by taking 3 tablets of calcium carbonate 750 mg
each. These are readily available under generic brand names. The goal was
to increase calcium to a total of over 1 gram per day. Calcium carbonate,
CaCO3, molecular weight 100, contains 300 mg calcium per 750 mg tablet. When
the calcium carbonate enters the stomach, it dissolves in the dilute hydrochloric
acid in the stomach, ionizing to Ca++, Cl- and carbon
dioxide. Unfortunately, with age some people lose the stomach acid secretion.
If you have this condition, called achlorhydria, calcium in any form will
not be absorbed well. Calcium supplements are now widely advertized, since
it has dawned on people that most of us are calcium-deficient. Some forms
of calcium are touted as being superior to others, including calcium gluconate,
calcium citrate, or calcium lactate. The fact is, only the quantity of calcium
is important.
As a 67 yr old male, I exercise for about 1000 calories from walking
or workout in the fitness room, and I eat about 2500 calories per day, including
about 80 grams protein from meat, low fat cheese, skim milk, eggs, or beans.
Fat intake is largely from canola oil in homemade salad dressing, baked products,
and a fish oil capsule every day. I consciously try to keep the fat and
carbohydrates low. Generally I eat generous amounts of good quality protein,
fruits, and non-starchy vegetables. Breakfast consists of boiled egg, dry
toast, orange juice, one half of a low-fat sweet roll, and coffee. Lunch
is fat-free cottage cheese, chicken or turkey breast, and fruit, and dinner
is lean meat, chicken breast, or fish, dark green and yellow vegetables,
tomatoes, and a tossed salad. The remainder of the calories are from
dessert, cookies, or candy. I take a vitamin and mineral tablet that
does not contain iron, such as One-A-Day Men's or One-A-Day 50 Plus, vitamin
C 500 mg in a flavored chewable tablet, vitamin E 800 mg capsule, three calcium
carbonate 750 mg chewable flavored tablets , and a Fish Oil 1000 mg capsule
containing n-3 fatty acids. With this diet I have maintained a lean body
mass, 37 pounds less than the weight I was carrying around for several years,
and feel twenty years younger.
The rationale for such a diet program is as follows: All studies to
date have shown that caloric restriction is the most important component
promoting long life
(3)(4)(5) High quality protein
is absolutely essential for maintaining body structures. All essential amino
acids are simultaneously required for protein synthesis in the body, and
they are found only in proteins such as meats, eggs, milk, or combinations
of different vegetable proteins such as beans and rice eaten at the same
time. Eggs have gotten a bum rap. They contain cholesterol, but eating eggs
increases the good cholesterol (HDL) in proportion to bad cholesterol
(LDL) (6) (7). Low
quality proteins including gelatin, or corn without beans, lack one or more
of the essential amino acids and therefore are useful only as a source of
energy (1a). Read carefully
the disclaimer on the benefits of gelatin before you succumb to the suggestion
that it will help you grow "strong fingernails". Green vegetables are rich
sources of vitamins including vitamin K, that promotes normal blood clotting,
and also strong bone growth
(8). Colored vegetables, particularly tomatoes,
contain carotenoids, particularly lycopene, which has recently been found
to be a powerful antioxidant, protecting against cardiovascular disease and
cancers (9-12). Adult males
do not require any excess dietary iron, and the vitamin manufacturers have
taken this fact into account in offering iron-free vitamin and mineral
supplements. Excess iron can lead to iron overload in adult males, and to
severe liver disease in the 1% of males that have the genetic disease
hemochromatosis. The rest of the vitamins and minerals are essential,
however (1b). Make sure
that your vitamin supplement contains at least 400 mg folate and 6 mg vitamin
B12, since a deficiency of these leads to excess levels of homocystine in
the blood, which is associated with cardiovascular disease. Vitamin C (ascorbate)
and vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) function as antioxidants that prevent damage
to tissue from free-radicals that lead to cardiovascular disease or
cancer (13). Recent studies
have shown that the intake of vitamin C could well be raised from the official
RDA to over 200 mg per day
(14). Calcium is critical for our health
in several ways, including promoting bone strength and preventing cancer
of the colon (15). Adequate
calcium intake has recently been found to reduce
hypertension
(16). Restriction of salt intake is not necessary
unless one has hypertension that is sensitive to sodium
(17). Perhaps of more practical importance in
reducing high blood pressure is adequate calcium and potassium
intake (18). The type of
fat that we eat can make a large difference in our well-being. Saturated
fats found in fast-foods and most baked goods are sources of energy if we
exercise, and sources of weight gain and atherosclerosis otherwise. They
are completely unnecessary in a diet, and the hunter-gatherer diet of our
ancestors was very low in saturated fats. However, polyunsaturated fats,
including the n-6 linoleic acid found in corn, soybean, safflower, sunflower,
or canola oils, and the n-3 or omega-3 linolenic acid found in cold-water
fish and some vegetable oils, are like vitamins. N-3 fat consumption is
associated with lower risk of heart disease
(19), immune disorders, infection, and
arthritis (20)
and cancer (21). In summary,
a diet containing all of the substances essential to health, and low in harmful
excess carbohydrates and saturated fats, seems to be the best for this person.
I was an ageing 60's male, moderately overweight, out of shape, low
on energy, prone to nap every afternoon, and ashamed to look in the mirror
after a shower. I had just passed the same point in my life where my father
died of heart failure after massive heart attacks and hypertension. This
got me to thinking about how to avoid his fate. I particularly grieved over
not having enough long talks with him before he died. I hope that I do better
with my children.
In previous decades I had taken up running, but a slipped disk and
subsequent operation, with pain on running, put that to a stop. Several months
ago I went on a body remodeling program. I was 37 pounds over the recommended
weight for my height, and I proceeded to lose 2 pounds per week over the
next 16 weeks. This was accomplished by increasing my exercise by 800-1500
calories per day by walking 6-8 miles, and spending an hour at the fitness
center at the city recreation center every day, at the same time eating 1000
calories per day less than I was expending. This was done by eating the protein
at each meal in full measure (egg for breakfast, 100-200 calories of nonfat
cheese or poultry white meat for lunch, and 300 calories of low-fat meat
or poultry for dinner), and all the fruit, green, yellow, and red vegetables,
and all the tossed salad that I wanted for lunch and dinner. When starch
or sugar was offered, I ate half of a serving, half of a candy bar, one cookie,
etc. The protein intake spared me from losing muscle mass during the relative
fasting yet allowed a fantastic loss of body fat, especially around my waist.
I had to buy new pants 4 inches smaller. I now look and feel at least 20
years younger, with stomach muscles in place of the bulge.
If you are in a similar overweight condition, I recommend a similar
appropriate adjustment. I call it body remodeling. If you would like inspiration,
go to the grocery store and look at the gallon tubs or jugs of lard, Crisco,
or vegetable oil. Look at yourself and visualize a gallon jug of lard gone
from your body for every 7.5 pounds lost.
Exercise of the cardiovascular type, the stationary cycle and walking, gets
your heart in shape and will reduce the likelihood of heart disease. Exercise
of weight bearing increases muscle mass, strengthens tendons, increases bone
strength, reduces fat content, and renders you more fit for the years ahead
by reducing the likelihood of falls and bone fractures
(22).
TOP
A difficult topic. What is the mind? Does it reside as a material
manifestation of the working of our living brain, or is it something separate
and nonmaterial? We still hear of the "mind vs. body"
problem (23)
(24). The German language does not have a word for mind, and
the closest words seele or geist imply a soul or ghost-like quality. The
concept of a spirit-like separate mind is all the fault of Aristotle, who
asserted that the psyche is separate from the body. This belief has been
woven into theological dogma, and has provided a source of priestly power,
since the soul lived on after death and under circumstances related to ones
acceptance of the priest's power. Thus we were persuaded to believe that
we possess a soul that will either rest contentedly in heaven with like-minded
believers, or else will endure an eternity in hell with all those who disagree.
In the course of the past 1000 years, mankind has widened his understanding
and knowledge in all spheres to the point that we have abundant evidence
for the idea that consciousness is due to neural
activity (25). Our
consciousness is what we really mean when we think of our soul. The mind
is connected to the rest of the body in two distinct ways: 1. The sensory
system, consists of transducers that convert light, sound, smell, taste,
pressure, temperature to neural signals. The two chemical senses of smell
and taste do involve input of a material nature, and the sense of smell is
the most primitive and probably is directly derived from an equivalent sense
in amoebae, essential for finding food. We require a nearly constant sensory
input in order to live, and it is how we handle the input that determines
our well-being and survival. The input is processed by the brain, with the
result that we are extremely susceptible to the nonmaterial messages directed
to us by others. We may be snubbed or verbally abused by someone, resulting
in a feeling of depression, inadequacy, or anger, or we may be the recipient
of strong positive signals, such as being selected to receive a prize, promotion,
or honor. The brain processes this purely nonmaterial input into a feeling
of happiness and well-being, and consequent change in overall health of our
body. 2. The motor system, in which the movements and functions of the body
are directed by the brain. Thus, when we are made to feel depressed, the
brain signals to the endocrine system including pituitary, gonads, adrenals,
thyroid to decrease production of certain hormones and increase others, resulting
in bodily changes that may be beneficial or detrimental to health. From our
analysis of nonmaterial sensory inputs, we may be driven to either violent
actions that are dangerous, or altruistic behavior that is health-promoting.
The digestive system likewise may be instructed to give an altered sense
of appetite. Even our immune system can be influenced by depression or elation
leading to illness or good health.
Thus, we have a situation where largely nonmaterial interactions from
our sensory system cause physical changes in the body via the control from
mind or more properly the brain. Our brain enables us to function as completely
self-governed entities. Only an isolated individual can think for him- or
herself, taking in outside messages in appropriate context and dealing with
them in a rational manner based on experience and knowledge. In the (usual)
absence of thought, the person will behave under the influence of others,
blindly obeying the sensory input from others without reflection. The height
of non-thinking belief was perhaps in the dark ages, when the priestly class
held power over king and commoner. As a result supernovae were ignored, to
be recorded by the Chinese, and population pressure of Europe was relieved
by the crusades. The priests held power over people because people believed
in the words told them, since they had no other source of knowledge. Hopefully,
our knowledge of the universe has increased since then, and as for beliefs,
I I believe that the creator gave us a brain, and we are meant to use it.
TOP
As far as can be determined, nothing about life requires the invocation
of nonmaterial concepts. A person is conceived by the union of the DNA from
the father's sperm with that of the mother's egg. Each parent thus contributes
an equal dose of genes to their offspring. The exception to this rule is
that the mother contributes all of the genetic material in the small organelles
in cells called mitochondria. The united DNA from the parents contains genes
that specify all the structures and patterns of the various parts of the
body, the biochemical apparatus that enables life to continue, and the subtle
differences in development of all of the features of the body that makes
the person an unique individual. Recent studies indicate that subtle differences
in the interactions of neurons in our brain that cause differences in response
to messages from other people, or differences in behavior, is likewise
inherited (25a).
After union of sperm and egg, the cell divides and differentiates according
to the program in the DNA, so that daughter cells ultimately become all of
the tissues and organs, including skin, hair, bones, muscles, connective
tissue, the lining of the GI tract, liver, spleen, pancreas, kidneys, adrenal,
the cardiovascular system, lungs, brain, peripheral nerves, sense organs,
all properly coordinated into a beautiful body. Growth and development require
the provision of food, oxygen, and an appropriate environment at all times.
The machinery of the cell converts the food and oxygen into carbon dioxide
and water, and utilizes the energy thus released for metabolism and growth.
Thus the cell becomes a person with the passage of time, with all the appropriate
developmental steps in between. Everything we know about living organisms
indicates that they consist of nothing that is not compatible with the laws
of physics and chemistry
(26). When we feel happy, it is associated with
a change in levels of chemicals in the central nervous system. Rage, fear,
anger, feeling of need to conform, contentment, altruism, parental instinct,
love for another, are all due to electrical impulses transmitted along the
axons and dendrites of nerve cells, and by secretion of neurochemicals. The
person is the end result of growth and development programmed by DNA that
has evolved by natural selection through eons of time. We know this, because
the structures and functions of the stretches of DNA called genes are analogous
in all living organisms. There is a universal alphabet for the DNA coding
of proteins in all terrestrial organisms. Life began as single cells, and
we are the descendants of previous life forms, since we are composed of cells,
the same as every other living thing. The person is important because, in
the final analysis, that is all there is to him or her. I may mate with another
and repeat the reproductive cycle, but I am born as a single being, and when
I take my last breath, die alone as a single being. Life consists of the
time between these moments, in which I am buffeted by the advice, admonitions,
teachings, and persuasions of others, and likewise administer the same to
others, interacting with others through nonmaterial communications in much
the same manner that pairs of electrons interact with each other by continuous
exchange of photons. My mind is occupied by concern with the esteem that
I perceive from others, and pays but the slightest attention to the health
of my body, over which only I really have control. Only I, not others, by
my choices can exert control over the health and longevity of my body. I
can neglect my body by eating too much or eating harmful foods, not exercising,
misbehaving, taking in toxic substances, letting my mind be controlled by
others, or I can exert positive control over my intake, exercise, behavior,
and response to others. No one else can do this for me, therefore I, the
person am of prime importance.
TOP
Why was I born? Why am I here? What am I doing here? Well-- What is
your answer? Have you even thought of the questions? Why should you think
of these questions? When you get to my stage in life, you may start thinking
of these things. My purpose in life has evolved as I grew up, matured, and
aged. As a child it was to have fun and excitement. I enjoyed playing baseball,
touch football, kick the can, eating ice cream from the truck with the bells,
building forts in the woods, taking apart old radios, building toys, building
a crystal set. In high school it was basically doing my best in school with
the fear in the back of my head that survival was at stake, tempered with
the need for fun and excitement. Major interests included teaching the chem
lab and experimenting with chemicals and electronics. Later, college was
more study for survival leavened with fun. Three summers working in a commercial
chemical and engineering research lab proved of utmost value in my learning,
and my college, medical school, and later graduate school equipped me with
the knowledge and credentials to survive in the academic research world.
This I have done until my recent retirement, leaving me free to do things
like write this. I am still working on a research project, collaborating
with still-active colleagues in the lab, hoping to improve medical treatment
in one small aspect. My purpose in life, then, is to leave the world in a
better shape than I found it. I have been lucky to have been given the chances
to do things that have been fun and possibly beneficial. You might not have
the same scientific bent, and may have other interests and abilities entirely.
I say, use your abilities to the utmost for the purpose of leaving the world
a better place than you found it. Not only will such a behavior improve the
world, the good feeling of satisfaction will be associated with better health
for you. Our generation is extremely lucky-- living after penicillin and
before the oil runs out. One of the projects that you might think of committing
to is: How do we solve the tragedy of the commons? (In English towns a common
grassy area was used for livestock grazing. Each family calculated that they
could add one more sheep and reap a little extra profit. This kept on until
the commons was over grazed, with loss to the whole village.) The problem
to be solved is: What will our great-grandchildren do when the population
exceeds the carrying capacity of the earth
(27).
TOP
What man does not want to live to be 100? (I use the male sex in the generic sense.) One hundred years may seem a bit forbidding, since the likelihood of terrifying mental loss increases markedly with advanced age, so how about at least 85-95? That goal is within reach for a sixties man, if he wants it. Given the typical set of circumstances for a mature man, he will be characterized by one or more of the following: overweight, sedentary, spending most of his waking hours in stressful interactions with others, prone to eating foods that are deleterious to his health, drinking perhaps a little too much, and smoking. It is amazing that he is still alive at 65, considering all that we know about the relation to the above characteristics with health. Exercise and diet are covered in other parts of this discourse.
Helpful Websites include Senior's Health, Third Age, and as a precautionary for those who believe in radio advertisements, QuackWatch.
Apparently one of the most significant factors associated with
longevity is a sense of power over one's environment. Everyone is under stress,
and studies have shown that how one handles stress determines his survival.
A sense of being in control, or a perception that the stress is controllable
relieve the effects of stress
(2a). Continued activity, working at something
to which one is committed, learning, social involvement all are associated
with continued mental vigor
(23a). One of the most humorous, short, and useful
books on ageing , that by George Burns
(28) strongly endorses humor, a sparse diet, and
sex as keys to longevity. Although George did not quite reach 100, he
nevertheless nearly reached it, and moreover had a rich, full life. His
old adage, "Use it or lose it" applies as we enter the afternoon of our lives.
References Click on the
number to get back to the same place in the text.
(1) (1a) (1b)Briggs GM, Calloway DH: Nutrition and Physical Fitness. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1984
(2) (2a) Samuels M, Samuels N: The Well Adult. New York: Summit Books, 1988
(3) Sohal RS, Weindruch R: Oxidative stress, caloric restriction, and aging. Science 273:59-63, 1996
(4) Rogers A, Zeisel S, Groopman J: Diet and carcinogenesis. Carcinogenesis 14:2205-17, 1993
(5) Lane M, Baer D, Rumpler W, et al: Calorie restriction lowers body temperature in rhesus monkeys, consistent with a postulated anti-aging mechanism in rodents. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 93:4159-64, 1996
(6) Schnohr P, Thomsen O, Riis Hansen P, et al: Egg consumption and high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol. J Intern Med 1994 Mar;235(3):249-51 235:249-61, 1994
(7) Ginsberg H, Karmally W, Siddiqui M, et al: A dose-response study of the effects of dietary cholesterol on fasting and postprandial lipid and lipoprotein metabolism in healthy young men. Arterioscler Thromb 14:576-86, 1994
(8) Weber P: Management of osteoporosis: is there a role for vitamin K? Int J Vitam Nutr Res 67:360-6, 1997
(9) Clinton S: Lycopene: chemistry, biology, and implications for human health and disease. Nutr Rev 56:35-51, 1998
(10) Gerster H: The potential role of lycopene for human health. J Am Coll Nutr 16:109-26, 1997
(11) Giovannucci E, Ascherio A, Rimm E, et al: Intake of carotenoids and retinol in relation to risk of prostate cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst 87:1767-76, 1995
(12) Pastori M, Pfander H, Boscoboinik D, et al: Lycopene in association with alpha-tocopherol inhibits at physiological concentrations proliferation of prostate carcinoma cells. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 250:582-5, 1998
(13) Hennekens C: Antioxidant vitamins and cancer. Am J Med 97:2S-4S, 1994
(14) Levine M, Cnry-Cantilena C, Wang Y: Vitamin C pharmacokinetics in healthy volunteers: Evidence for a recommended dietary allowance. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 93:3704-9, 1996
(15) Barger-Lux M, Heaney R: The role of calcium intake in preventing bone fragility, hypertension, and certain cancers. J Nutr 124:1406s-1411s, 1994
(16) McCarron D: Role of adequate dietary calcium intake in the prevention and management of salt-sensitive hypertension. Am J Clin Nutr 65:712S-716S, 1997
(17) Luft F: Salt and hypertension at the close of the millenium. Wien Klin Wochenschr 110:459-66, 1998
(18) Barri Y, Wingo C: The effects of potassium depletion and supplementation on blood pressure: a clinical review. Am J Med Sci 314:37-40, 1997
(19) Albert C, Hennekens C, O'Donnell C, et al: Fish consumption and risk of sudden cardiac death. JAMA 279:23-8, 1998
(20) Alexander J: Immunonutrition: the role of omega-3 fatty acids. Nutrition 14:627-33, 1998
(21) Rose D: Dietary fatty acids and cancer. Am J Clin Nutr 66:998S-1003S, 1997
(22) Waltzer K: Simple, sensible preventive measures for managed care settings. Geriatrics 53:65-8,75-7,81, 1998
(23) (23a) Restak RM: The Mind. New York: Bantam Books, 1988
(24) Changeux J: Neuronal Man, The Biology of Mind. New York: Pantheon, 1985
(25) (25a) Wilson EO: Consilience. New York: Knopf, 1998
(26) Rothman MA: Discovering the Natural Laws. New York: Dover, 1972
(27) Hardin G: Living Within Limits. Ecology, Economics, and Population Taboos. New York: Oxford University Press, 1993
(28) Burns G: How to Live to be 100 or More. New York: New American Library, 1983