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Advice from a 104-year-old PhD student [video]

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Re: Advice from a 104-year-old PhD student [video]

#61
post #4

Eat fruit and take cold showers. The last time this was posted, someone said cold showers were the secret to looking young forever. I can't find much convincing official research (just blogs) to support that cold showers are beneficial to skincare, but I've been taking them nonetheless, and honestly, my pores have looked better :)

It is easier in tropical countries like Colombia, where “cold” is basically “warm”. In colder (northern) countries, I tried this but it is very hard because “cold water” (i.e., non heated) is way too cold (like minus temperatures).

I'm in south-eastern Canada. Just now I checked the temperature of the water from my city water company I measured it at 8C. The current outside temperature is -1C. The water couldn't be lower than freezing or pipes in homes would freeze.

I agree cold, hot, warm are all relative. Somewhat related I've seen people from hot countries worry about "cold weather". To them ~20C is cold compared to 35C hot day and was blamed to be the cause of colds and flu. Often perpetuated in movies and TV too a tired old trope. So yes to someone in a hot country a "cold" shower may be considered warm to someone from a cold climate.

Re: Advice from a 104-year-old PhD student [video]

#62
post #52
post #29

You can trial the cold shower experience by just a washing your face with cold water after you wake up every morning. Growing up in Bulgaria that was a standard practice for my whole family. It does wonders for the skin and is very refreshing.

There seems to be a lot of benefits from it https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diving_reflex

Guinness World Record holder Stig Severinsen just did an AMA on reddit - single breathe 22 minute swim (physical exertion).

https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/kppxkn/i_just_set_the...

Re: Advice from a 104-year-old PhD student [video]

#64
post #60

Fruit and cold showers! Every interview with a centenarian asks "what's the secret of your longevity?" They answer and we all nod and stroke our chins and think maybe there's something to that cold shower thing after all . Or whatever. If his secret had been that he drinks three Dr. Peppers a day, or that he does a headstand for five minutes every morning at sunrise, our response would be the same. He no more knows t…

The inventor of Twinkies lived to 88 and attributed his health to eating them regularly (I thought I’d read one every day ever since inventing them, but https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-07-03-me-10272-... says ≥ 2 packets per week).

Re: Advice from a 104-year-old PhD student [video]

#65
post #4

Eat fruit and take cold showers. The last time this was posted, someone said cold showers were the secret to looking young forever. I can't find much convincing official research (just blogs) to support that cold showers are beneficial to skincare, but I've been taking them nonetheless, and honestly, my pores have looked better :)

Just googling for RCT, I found one convincing example: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5025014/

Ah, this doesn't provide details on its effects on the skin.

Re: Advice from a 104-year-old PhD student [video]

#66
post #45
post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> minus temperatures Nitpick: it is difficult to take a shower with water in solid form (ice).

> > minus temperatures > Nitpick: it is difficult to take a shower with water in solid form (ice). Nitpick: having a temperature below zero does not necessarily mean that it is in a solid form; for example, it could be at a high pressure or not have a nucleus to freeze around (supercooling).

I’d like to see a video of this hypothetical subzero shower stream turning to a block of ice around an unsuspecting nucleus.

Bonus points if you can scale it up to a mannequin.

Re: Advice from a 104-year-old PhD student [video]

#67
I watch these types of videos and I can't help but wonder if we transcended the need for elderly advice or we just grown as a youth centric society.

It could also be a matter of language, and words can't convey the elders experiences as effectively as it could in simples times, where symbols did not need to account for vastly different experiences. So when someone says "I don't regret working hard" in the context of a village, where hard work is essencial, It could mean something else completely to someone who grew up with absent parents, who devoted their lives to work and didn't pay attention their children. And theses discrepancies permeates the entirety of the discourse.

To rescue the value of elderly advice I suggest more context is needed, at least more than a 4 minutes video could possibly convey.

Re: Advice from a 104-year-old PhD student [video]

#68
post #64
post #60

Fruit and cold showers! Every interview with a centenarian asks "what's the secret of your longevity?" They answer and we all nod and stroke our chins and think maybe there's something to that cold shower thing after all . Or whatever. If his secret had been that he drinks three Dr. Peppers a day, or that he does a headstand for five minutes every morning at sunrise, our response would be the same. He no more knows t…

The inventor of Twinkies lived to 88 and attributed his health to eating them regularly (I thought I’d read one every day ever since inventing them, but https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-07-03-me-10272-... says ≥ 2 packets per week).

I love that. Lesson: Keep talking your book right to the end!

Re: Advice from a 104-year-old PhD student [video]

#69
post #29

You can trial the cold shower experience by just a washing your face with cold water after you wake up every morning. Growing up in Bulgaria that was a standard practice for my whole family. It does wonders for the skin and is very refreshing.

Or you can start by turning on the cold water for couple of seconds at the end of your regular shower. Holding your breath helps. Gradually you will be able to stay in the cold water for longer and longer and it won't hurt. A neat side effect to this is that you won't feel cold when you get out.

This is Wim Hof’s advice.

Re: Advice from a 104-year-old PhD student [video]

#70
post #4

Eat fruit and take cold showers. The last time this was posted, someone said cold showers were the secret to looking young forever. I can't find much convincing official research (just blogs) to support that cold showers are beneficial to skincare, but I've been taking them nonetheless, and honestly, my pores have looked better :)

There very likely is zero correlation. But potentially, people who take cold showers represent a biased subset of the population, which is statistically more inclined to look young. This applies to pretty much EVERYTHING that is not done via high quality double-blind studies published in reputable, peer-reviewed journals. Point being: Repeating single actions of successful people statistically does not make you succe…

Correlation can arise without necessarily having a cause and effect relationship. In this case it is quite plausible to have a correlation between longevity and cold showers, but that could be because people prone to cold showers are also more likely to face discomfort and lead more active lives, which in turn has direct correlation with a reduced risk of heart disease and diabetes. Then the point changed entirely, where once the focus was on the showers, now it is on something far deeper, like the hability to be comfortable with discomfort.
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