Ask HN: Longevity for your parents, what to do? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Longevity for your parents, what to do?

#101

Post by kleer001 » Mon, Aug 08, 2022, 3:42 PM UTC

ETH_start wrote: post #92

minhmeoke wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Another thing people have been consuming for millennia are fermented foods (eg: yoghurt/kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut, kimchi without preservatives). Perhaps a healthy gut biome is the secret to avoiding obesity by increasing gut microbiome diversity and reducing inflammation: https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2021/07/fermented-foo...

The secret to a healthy biome seems to be higher fiber intake, as fiber is consumed by probiotics in the gut.

... a good balance of soluble and insoluble fiber and not too much of either at any one time

Re: Ask HN: Longevity for your parents, what to do?

#102

Post by kleer001 » Mon, Aug 08, 2022, 3:45 PM UTC

minhmeoke wrote: post #73

The easiest approach is probably to avoid or reduce obviously harmful habits and behaviors that result in chronic diseases (eg: cardiovascular disease, diabetes) - Avoid smoking and hard drugs - Avoid excessive alcohol consumption - Avoid fast food, excessive salt and sugar, deep fried dishes - Avoid excessive stress and worrying Besides that, focus on the basics: - Consistent and restful sleep - Healthy, balanced di…

> Purpose: a reason to wake up in the morning

That's a big one.

From what I hear, people with active and stressful yet compelling lives/jobs tend to fall apart if they go straight to trying to relax in retirement with nothing to do.

Re: Ask HN: Longevity for your parents, what to do?

#103

Post by Apfel » Tue, Aug 09, 2022, 2:43 PM UTC

dominotw wrote: post #54

Apfel wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was always struck when I lived in China how young, happy and active the elderly all seemed, even though they were much the same age as elderly folk where I grew up (the UK). I had a feeling it must be at least partly due to their increased role in child rearing among most families. This is partly just traditional Chinese culture but probably also comes in part due to the awful working hours most Chinese people tend…

> China how young, happy and active the elderly all seemed probably because they haven't been exposed to a lifetime of processed foods like here in the west.

This was in a major city (Guangzhou). I think China has its own issues with food safety and additives. Very little regulatory action has led to some very nasty stories about adulteration and gastric problems.

I think when I was in China I was basically in a perpetual state of food poisoning for several years.

Re: Ask HN: Longevity for your parents, what to do?

#104

Post by DiabloD3 » Thu, Aug 11, 2022, 9:53 PM UTC

agent008t wrote: post #96

DiabloD3 wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Metformin did pan out, but the research seems to indicate One Meal A Day would have to be employed with it, as Metformin seems to interfere with autophagy. Lack of autophagy seems to be the biggest cause of the effects of old age, as the Western Diet pounds 3 meals a day, which means our insulin levels never drop to the autophagy activation level. If you want that "one weird trick that doctors hate", OMAD alone is al…

Is OMAD also a good idea if you struggle to maintain/gain weight even with 3 meals a day? Is it consistent with making progress in sports, i.e. getting stronger/faster/increasing endurance? Is it consistent with outdoor activities like walking/hiking ~25km/day?

OMAD might help with it. OMAD just dictates when you eat your food (once a day instead of splitting up into three times a day) but may make it easier for you to track your calories/macros.

Athletes have been employing OMAD to increase their athletic performance, and have reliably been doing so, so I guess the answer to your other questions is yes, OMAD plays well with those goals.