HI All

When you attend weddings or 21sts birthdays, it is quite common, in these parts of the world, for the MC to propose a toast to the hosts with words to the effect of “Wishing you both live a fit and healthy life to a ripe old age”. One could add phrases like “with a reasonable source of wealth”, or “with a lifelong partner” or “forever surrounded by good mates” or “being mentally alert to the very end”.

We all hope we can finish our days in this life having ticked most of those boxes. Most of us are, though, caught up in life’s rat race, seldom taking time to reflect on the chances of still achieving that “Ripe Old Age” status. Then others are having too much of a good time to really care.

I’m keen to stick around this earthly home for many years to come, so I’m always interested in people or books that give ideas on how best to achieve that. One highly recommendable publication that I bought recently is called “Outlive” written by one very fit Dr Peter Attia, who has presented a well-researched masterpiece based on his own experiences as a surgeon, a gym bunny and a racing car enthusiast. 

Peter’s premise is that, since the introduction of Antibiotics, the medical world has been practicing Medicine 2.0. Essentially, this means fixing things that have gone wrong for their patients – mending broken limbs, wiping out infections or writing out prescriptions for all sorts of drugs and medicine. He believes it is now time to advance to Medicine 3.0, whereby physicians encourage people to take the necessary steps to avoid what he calls “The Four Horsemen:” “Heart Disease, Cancer, Neurological disease, or type 2 diabetes and related metabolic dysfunction”

The risk of heart disease is, for example, greatly reduced by keeping aerobically fit, and there are numerous ways to reduce the chances of being ridden with cancer (e.g. Less sugar and reduced stress). Most importantly, he writes about “Healthspan” along with his suggestions on how to maintain the quality of your later years. One notable subject that he discusses is Sleep, claiming that sleep is a time for the brain to clean out all the cobwebs, giving you the ability to think more clearly the next day. 

But should you really care? Well, that’s your prerogative. 

Reflections on my Life here in Zimbabwe

As my flight back from Australia landed at Harare airport a few weeks ago, I had time to reflect on why it’s always so good to be living in this part of the world: – home is always special and living amongst folks that come from a similar background is far more relaxed and energising. I thought about those peers of mine that had left for faraway lands so that they can benefit from what they feel are better medical facilities.

I’m not sure that is totally true anymore, but even so, I would rather enjoy my time here with mates and take my chances. After all, being happy surely increases the chances of staying healthier for a longer period. Here’s to your good health. Mike G.