THE SECRET OF LONG & HEALTHY LIFE

Don’t we all dream to have a long and healthy life? But don’t know how to let this dream come true? In fact, a long and healthy life is not a myth, and not a wonder. Rather, it is the secret of a lifestyle we find not only in wildlife but also in human cultures around the world. E.g., take the Hunzas (mountaineers in the Asian Himalaya region) with a life expectancy far beyond 100, or the peasants high up in the Andes of Ecuador in South America, working healthy in the fields with 110 years old and beyond. Just learn more... 

THE PHILOSOPHY BEHIND
 

Constance daRicci from Santa Monica, CA, asks:
When I turned 40 last month, my family asked which birthday gift I would love most? When I told them that a ‘blueprint’ for a long and health life would certainly be the loveliest gift, they quit… Doctor, is there any way to achieve a long and healthy life at all, or is it just a myth? 
 
Dr. Fritz:
 
Biologically, mankind’s life expectancy is more than 100 years. Just look, e.g.,  at the Hunzas (mountaineers in the Asian Himalaya region) or the peasants high up in the Andes of Ecuador in South America, working healthy in the fields with 110 years old and beyond.
 
Yet, not only is average life expectancy in the U.S. much below, ranking worldwide no. 53 with less than 80 years, below of Taiwan. Despite of its most modern medicine and highest medical spending in the industrialized world. Every year 2 million U.S. citizens die (premature and preventable) of chronic illness, and of those who survive, 50% have at least one (again: preventable) chronic illness, putting them on the brink of premature death. With heart failure, cancer and diabetes on top of the list.
 
Caused, according to U.S. governmental Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) by obesity (of which 35% of U.S. adults are marked) and other unfavorable lifestyle factors.
 
Fortunately, there is a way out of this vicious cycle. But it comes with a price. No, not in monetary terms (the Hunzas in the Himalaya region and the peasants up in the Andes are poor). Rather, the price is living in line with those natural laws our existence is based on.
 
In a nutshell, a balanced natural diet and physical activity are the basic pillars of a long and healthy life. Instead of ‘modern’ synthetic medication which, to be sure, only suppresses symptoms of disease, producing debilitating side effects, and premature death in many cases

BALANCED NATURAL DIET

What kind of ‘balanced natural diet’?
 
If you look at the ‘Supplement Facts’ of your ‘multi you will see that, obviously, your body needs at least 30 different nutrients in order to survive and function well, respectively.
 
But please make no mistake: just to swallow a ‘multi’ is not the answer, for 2 basic reasons. First, most ‘multis’ are not natural but man-made industrial products. Second, many of those are not ‘whole’ but extracts only. Third, if you look on the aforementioned ‘Supplement Facts’, the respective amounts are often much less than 100% of what DV or RDA requires). Which, to be sure, aggregates the fact that most citizens are deficient of essential nutrients anyhow. (E.g., 56% of the population are lacking appropriate amount of magnesium, the probably most important mineral for overall health.)
 
Instead, you need healthy – speak: a balanced natural - diet basically from fruits and vegetables containing those essential nutrients your body needs.
 
While it would go too far in this blog to name all those fruits and vegetables of importance, let’s at least focus on those ‘super foods’ containing most of essential natural substances as antioxidants fighting the so called ‘free radicals’ responsible for disease and premature death.
 
Scientifically validated by most renowned U.S. medical schools and research institutions, those ‘super foods’ are apples in first place. I am sure you know the saying ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’. According to, inter alia, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA, one apple a day may even lower the risk of lung/colon/mouth/throat/breast cancer.
 
Another ‘super food’ of high potency is nuts which according to recent research at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, TN, may cut death rates by 20%.
 
Equally important ‘super foods are avocados, wheat germ, broccoli, blueberries, oily fish, sweet potatoes, leafy green vegetables, and oatmeal.
 
In terms of healthy cuisines, according to the American Heart Association, Mediterranean diet (Greek, French, Spanish, Italian, etc.) is the best, along with Mexican, Japanese, Thai, Indian, Korean, and Lebanese.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

This ‘healthy diet’ needs to be bolstered by – preferably aerobic – exercise. (‘Aerobic’ in order to furnish your body with vital oxygen.)
   
According to a recent mega-study elaborated at the University of Sydney in Australia, involving more than 80,000 participants, racket sports like tennis, badminton or squash are the best life extending physical activities. Cutting down the risk of premature death in general by 47% and dying of cardiovascular disease (leading chronic illness in the country) even by 56%. Regular swimming lowers premature death risk by 27% in general and in terms of cardiovascular disease 41%; and riding a bike regularly cuts overall premature death risk by 15%.  

CONCLUSION

As you have learned from this Blog, a long & healthy life in most cases, is not a myth, and no wonder. Rather, it is a 'secret' for most of us, which we have not learned from our ancestors as it happens in wildlife and in some cultures around the world. To follow the above mentioned advice, gets you closer to this dream.

For further questions, contact Dr. Fritz.