Outlive – The Science and Art of Longevity Book Review
Houston, we have a problem. Our genetic make-up cannot keep up with our environment.
According to Outlive – The Science and Art of Longevity, by Peter Attia with Bill Gifford, an imbalance of what we are genetically made up of and our modern environment has led to an increase in chronic diseases like cancer, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Our bodies are not equipped to handle all the processed foods that we are consuming at alarming rates.
Take fructose, for example. Fructose used to be our friend when our consumption of it was limited to fruit and honey.
Unfortunately, now, there’s an overabundance of fructose in so much of the processed food that we consume. Our bodies are struggling to store more fat than we need.
On top of this, we are not exercising as much and we’re exposed to lots of pollutants. In other words, our environment has changed but our genes have not kept up.
Doctors are seeing higher rates of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease than ever before.
In order to combat these health issues, the book stresses that it’s important for us to make conscious choices about our lifestyle.
This includes eating a balanced diet rich in whole foods, engaging in regular physical activity, and reducing our exposure to harmful toxins. By taking control of our health and making positive changes, we can help bridge the gap between our genes and our environment.
Outlive – The Science and Art of Longevity outlines a number of pillars that we can focus on to improve our health and well-being. Here are four of them. They are; exercise, nutrition, sleep and emotional health.
What works for one person might not work for another so it’s important to experiment and see what works for you with the ultimate goal of living longer and better. Let’s examine these four pillars.
Exercise
Exercise is good for our body AND our brain. When we exercise, our brain produces a molecule called BDNF, a brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which helps with memory.
Should you do weights? Should you do cardio? If so, how much? Don’t stress. Again, it’s different for everyone so experiment until you find out what works for you. I hate doing weights but I try to walk 10,000 steps everyday – pretty easy to do when you have a dog!
Even small daily exercise routines can have a lasting impact.
If you started from doing nothing to doing some form of exercise 90 minutes a week, did you know that you could potentially lower your risk of dying by a staggering 14 percent?
There are three types of exercise; aerobic, endurance and efficiency, strength and stability.
Unfortunately, we have to do all three if we want to stay in shape. I say, unfortunately, because I hate doing anything aerobic and I hate doing weights. But I will try to take a page from this book and start out small in both areas. Hopefully, I can work to a moderate intensity which by definition means 60-70 percent of my maximum heart rate.Attia says this means you should be able to ‘work out’ and still carry on a conversation. My heart rate is usually near zero so 60-70 percent of that shouldn’t be too hard.
Diets are SAD
Many North Americans consume a SAD diet -which is an acronym for STANDARD AMERICAN DIET. The SAD diet is overloaded with sugar, refined carbs and processed oils. Typically, if someone tries to break from the SAD diet, they do one of three things- they try caloric restriction, dietary restriction or time restriction (intermittent fasting).
There are pros and cons to each method.
The book suggests that consumers should focus less on what they shouldn’t be eating and focus more on what they should be eating.
First up is protein. Protein builds and maintains muscle, especially as we get older.
One should aim to consume 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight daily. Spread your protein intake throughout the day. Eating enough protein can also help you feel full.
Next up are fats. We need a mixture of fats saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, with a focus on omega-3s for heart and brain health. Choose extra virgin olive oil, avocados and nuts, while cutting back on butter, lard and omega-6 rich oils like corn, soybean and sunflower.
Sleep
Studies show that we need between 7 1/2 -81/2 hours of sleep per night.
Sleep helps to keep our metabolism in check and reduces the risk of health issues like type 2 diabetes, heart disease and obesity.
There are some staggering studies and statistics that show what the lack of sleep can do.
One study showed that sleeping less than 7 hours a night can increase your risk of dying prematurely by 12%!
Sleep-deprived drivers cause around 20% of all car accidents, and sleep deprivation also leads to more workplace accidents and medical mistakes.
Emotional health
Everyone’s emotional health is different.the author delves into the benefits of mindfulness, self-reflection and something called dialectical behaviour therapy or DBT, just to mention a few. It also stresses the importance of speaking to the right person if you need help.
Sometimes we don’t know why we feel sad, angry, frustrated, stuck, etc. There are no quick fixes but if you feel like you are struggling, you should reach out to a professional. Addressing issues like depression or trauma can contribute to our overall well-being. Our emotional health is just as important as our physical health.
So — live long and pro$per (literally)
Over time, our environment has changed faster than our genes can keep up. Chronic diseases like cancer, heart disease and type 2 diabetes are on the rise at alarming rates.
In order to combat these health issues, Outlive – The Science and Art of Longevity gives us some tools to make conscious, good choices about our lifestyles. These choices are built around a number of pillars including; exercise, diet, sleep and emotional health. By taking small incremental steps in the right direction towards these pillars, we face a better chance of bridging the gap between the environment and our genes. Mentally, physically and emotionally, we will be better for it.
Until next time folks laugh long and prosper.
