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Whats the secret to living a healthy, long life? It was the big question on Daniel Kennedys mind when he set out to direct and produce his (aptly named) docu-series, Healthy Long Life. Besides wanting to know to inform his own personal habits, he had a stake in finding the answer for professional reasons too: As the CEO of Oasis of Hope Hospital in Tijuana, Mexico, helping people live well into old age is one of his great missions.

Kennedy decided to travel all over the world (this was pre-pandemic) to see if he could find the answer by learning from the worlds leading longevity experts. I was interested in going to the longevity capitals of the world, Kennedy says. Of course the research on Blue Zones caught my attention, but there are many other places where [living to be over 100 in good health] is common so I wanted to go other places too.

As of January 2020, life expectancy in the U.S. was 78.7 years, and is projected to increase to 85.6 by the year 2060 (although the ongoing coronavirus pandemic may affect that estimate). We have modern medicine to thank for this, but what modern medicine has failed to do is add more healthy years to life, Kennedy says. We are living longer because we are able to overcome infections and treat disease, but what modern medicine doesnt do as well is prevent disease. With that in mind, Kennedy says he wanted to learn from cultures outside the U.S. that value other healing traditions.

While he did visit a few Blue Zones regionsspecifically Sardinia, Italy and Okinawa, Japanhe traveled far and wide to unsung longevity hotspots too. So, did he discover the secret to living a healthy, long life? Kennedy says he definitely came back from the trip wiser. Here are some highlights of what he learned about longevity from five different countries around the globe.

Kennedy traveled to India to learn more about Ayurveda, a holistic medicine practice that has been around for over 5,000 years, and its potential to increase longevity. He spoke with some of the countrys leading health experts, including non-invasive cardiology pioneer Bimal Chhajer, MD, and spice expert Deepa Krishnan, to learn about how Ayurvedic principles play primary roles in many Indian peoples lives.

Traditionally, Ayurvedic practices are used to bring balance to the body based on each persons individual dosha (their emotional and physical constitution). Ayurvedic physicians and healers use your dosha to help identify, customize, and prescribe lifestyle changes and remedies that aim to balance your energies, prevent disease, and preserve health. In this way, doshas are used to personalize medicine. For example, a pitta dosha is linked to premature aging more than those with a kapha dosha. Ayurvedic healers in India use information like this to inform their health advice.

Kennedy also experienced the benefits first-hand of the pungent spices so prominent in Indian food (and in many cases, important to Ayurvedic remedies). Turmeric, ginger, nutmeg, and saffron, are just a few of the common spices used in Indian cooking that are linked to lowering inflammation, the root cause of chronic diseases and cognitive decline. In this way, what you eat can be directly tied to disease prevention and living a longer, healthy life.

What I learned from Dr. Chahhajer is how food is being used to promote healing, Kennedy says. He also works with patients in areas of anger management, forgiveness, and stress management. All of these ways, he says, inspire more balance, which he believes is essential to longevity.

Watch the video below to learn more about how turmeric is good for longevity:

Since Kennedy is the CEO of a hospital in Mexico (and he himself has Mexican roots), he decided to see what he could learn in his own country, too. In Mexico, he spoke with Mayan shaman Bartolome Poot Nahuat, Pedro Batiz, the co-founder of Divine Flavor, and various centenarians about their lives and practices.

Like in India, Kennedy says living a life of balance was something the experts he encountered spoke of, even if they didnt use Ayurvedic principles to inspire it. Kennedy says what he learned in Mexico was to be present. [Many of the people I met] dont focus on yesterday or tomorrow, they focus on today, he says. For many, being part of a close-knit extended family and community are key; life is lived together, not alone. To this point, a2019 United Nations report found that living with a child or extended family members was the most common living arrangement for elderly adults in Latin America.

Like Indian cuisine, Mexican cuisine traditionally uses lots of health-promoting spices. Cayenne pepper, garlic, cilantro, chipotle powder, and cinnamon are all common spices in Mexican cuisine that are linked to warding off chronic disease by lowering inflammation.

Watch the video below to learn more about the health benefits of garlic:

When you look at Israel on a map, its right in the middle between Africa, Asia, and Europe, so all the traders from these regions crossed through Israel and brought their healing traditions along, Kennedy says. Because of this, Israel is really a melting pot of wisdom from all three of these continents.

Kennedy says the biggest longevity lesson he learned from Israel was using food as medicine. (Yep, food, once again!) The food in Israel is so incredibly fresh. Fresh vegetables, fruit, and fish are a huge part of the culture. He learned first-hand about the longevity-boosting properties of the Mediterranean diet from experts including Ronit Endevelt, Ph.D., the director of the nutrition division for the Israeli Ministry of Health & School of Public Health and Haifa University, Ayala Noy Meir (a professional olive oil taster), and Uzieli Hazay, who runs the Etrogman juice bar in Tel-Aviv that sells many natural remedies.

Hundreds of studies have linked the Mediterranean dietwhich advocates for lean proteins, whole grains, seafood, and plenty of vegetablesto longevity. There have been studies upon studies that have shown that the Mediterranean diet can lower the incidence of heart disease by as much as 70 percent, Suzanne Steinbaum, DO, a cardiologist and the director of womens cardiovascular prevention, health, and wellness at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, previously told Well+Good. Its why the eating style popular in Israel (and other parts of the Mediterranean) is so often recommended by doctors here in the U.S.

Watch the video below to learn more about why the Mediterranean diet is linked to longevity:

The infamous China Study, one ofthe largest comprehensive studies of human nutrition ever conducted, is what drew Kennedy to China. The study, which collected data from 6,500 adults in 65 prefectures in China over the course of 20 years, was a partnership between Cornell University, Oxford University, and the Chinese Academy of Preventative Medicine. Kennedy spoke directly with lead researcher T. Colin Campbell, PhD, who wrote the book The China Study($15) to learn more about its findings.

Once again, Kennedy says one of the biggest lessons he learned was through food. Dr. Campbell shared with him that one of the major takeaways of the China Study is how plant-based eating can protect against chronic diseases, including cancer and heart disease. I saw first-hand what plant-based eating looks like in China by visiting the market, Kennedy says. I was amazed at the incredibly vast variety of vegetables there were. In the U.S., you might find three or four different types of apples and a few different types of mushrooms, but in China, I had seven different mushrooms in one meal and they have many more different types of apples. I saw carrots in a huge variety of colors! (Gastroenterologist Will Bulsiewicz, MD, previously told Well+Good that eating a wide variety of plants was the number one best thing you can do for your gut, which in turn affects your health as a whole.)

Kennedy also learned about how Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is ingrained in many peoples daily lives in China. Similar to Ayurveda, TCM focuses on bringing balance to the body. One principle of TCM is qi, which is life energy that runs through the body. TCM doctors and healers often focus on ways to maintain qi through herbs, acupuncture, meditation, and movement. TCM is used prominently to prevent and treat disease and is a cornerstone of longevity in China.

Japan is home to one of the seven Blue ZonesOkinawabut Kennedy also spent time in Tokoyo and Kyoto meeting experts including Akitsugu Moriyama, the president of the Cancer Control Society of Japan; Mikako Harada, MD, an oncologist and expert in anti-inflammatory nutrition; and Takafumi Kawakami, a mindfulness expert and the deputy head priest of Shukoin Temple in Kyoto, Japan.

Kennedy says that the importance of mindfulness was a lesson he took home from Japan, something he saw through the elaborate matcha tea ceremonies that are held as well as in the types of exercises that are commonly practiced in the country. Japan is also a culture that really celebrates growing older as opposed to in the West where its something thats often viewed as a negative, he adds. (Just take Respect for the Aged Day, a national holiday in Japan where the elderly are given gifts from their local government and families gather together to honor their older loved ones.) Age-specific terminology is used to address older people. This complex of linguistic and social practices contributes to the acceptance and appreciation of old age, the paper reads. Feeling appreciated and valued can lead to feeling happy, which is directly linked to longevity.

While all the places Kennedy visited while filmingHealthy Long Life have their own unique ways of life, there are a few commonalities. Living a balanced life and finding ways to manage stress is key. So is eating lots of plants and flavorful herbs. Being connected to others is another way of living each culture valued. So maybe there isnt One Big Secret to living a healthy, long lifebut rather a few habits and traditions to cultivate daily.

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Experts Unpack Longevity Secrets From 5 Different Cultures Around the Globe - Well+Good

If you were to describe LeBron James to a person who had never seen a game of basketball before, or no awareness of the sport, I am not sure you would be able to do it. Where do you start?

Oh, here's a guy built like an upright cargo jet with the footspeed of a wide receiver, the grace and poise of a gymnast and the deftness of touch of a sculptor. He has the same calm intelligence as a chess grandmaster, or a Number 10.

He's also 36, in his 18th season and has only ever suffered one major injury - a groin issue in 2018/19 that kept him out for... 17 games. That's it. That's the longest amount of time he's ever missed.

Beyond that, he's been as ever-present in the NBA as the hoops and the hardwood, averaging roughly 27 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists season in and season out. For some players, that stat line would represent the best night of their careers. For LeBron it's the minimum expectation, the same way you do not question whether the sun will rise in the morning. You know it will. You rely on it to.

It's something of a running joke now that he has not slowed down given, you know, the natural biological consequences of ageing and the fact James has played over 60,000 minutes of professional basketball, including playoffs.

To put that into perspective, you can combine the regular-season minutes of Lou Williams (34, 17th season) and J.J. Redick (36, 16th season), two other league stalwarts, and you would still have less than LeBron's regular-season total.

In fact, over the past three games LeBron has averaged 40 minutes and played four overtimes. The Lakers have won all three, including Wednesday night's 114-113 defeat of the Oklahoma City Thunder in which James hit the crucial three-pointer to send the game to an extra period, before then making a clutch steal on an inbounds play with four seconds remaining to secure the win.

Once again: this man is 36, in his 18th season, having played over 60,000 minutes in the NBA. There are paintings, fine wines, listed buildings and BitCoin traders envious of how LeBron James is ageing.

Yet, typically when we talk of an athlete's longevity, consistency and endurance, it usually comes at the cost of something else: the genuine ability to thrill. Take James Milner and Gareth Barry from the world of football for instance, two metronomes of the modern game but players who did not so much set the world alight as slowly and continuously drill right through to its core.

While they were undoubtedly exciting, dynamic and fearless in their youth, their permanence is what came to define them. The same for the likes of Tim Duncan, Jason Kidd, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Andre Iguodala in basketball. These are players we probably remember not for doing absurd things well into their 30s, but simply for still being there. Over time that tends to take on a remarkable quality in and of itself.

In our mind's eye we picture them as the grizzled veterans they became rather than the baby-faced destroyers of worlds they all once were during their ascendency.

LeBron James is different in many ways, but most startling is not that he can still do the things he has always done, from bulldozing straight through opponents to the rim or leaping out of the building to swat a shot into the rafters.

Most startling of all is that - somehow - he is still finding ways of improving on something already pretty close to basketball perfection.

This is probably the right moment to mention that LeBron is now one of the best snipers in the league, canning 39 per cent of his seven attempted threes per game. Those are almost Klay Thompson-level numbers. As per StatMuse, he is also averaging more points, rebounds, minutes, less turnovers and better field-goal, three-point and free-throw percentages than last season.

At what point do you give up waiting for the slump to come and just accept that this is it now, for eternity? That in a billion years when the Earth's surface heats, the oceans evaporate and all other life ceases to exist, only then will LeBron stop scoring 27 points a night, threading eye of needle passes and orchestrating another odd-parts and loose ends championship contender.

Tom Brady, understandably, has been the major talking point in the sporting world this week after winning his seventh Super Bowl at the age of 43. The most tiresome debate imaginable has once again reared its ugly head as the clickbait sites ask once and for all, until next month, who is the GOAT of the GOATs, the champion of champions. That misses the point of sport entirely. Brady's feats are staggering precisely because you cannot feasibly compare them to anything else that has happened before, in any sport, or even in any other aspect of life.

The same goes for LeBron. His career exists as a refutation of accepted truths. Of what the human body can do and what it can't. How long it can go on for. To contextualise him is impossible. You might wonder what the point is. Precisely that.

This is just another article, on another day, the morning after the night before when LeBron James put up 25 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists and won a game of basketball. Again.

Originally posted here:
LeBron James' longevity and consistency will define him in the end as Los Angeles Lakers push for another title - Sky Sports

The first thing I decided to make was an antioxidant-rich beverage filled with cranberries, red currants, cherries, raspberries, lemon, and honey. I mixed those ingredients in the food processor, then added the concoction to hot water. Not only is the drink delicious, but it's also a simple way to increase your intake of immune-supporting vitamin C.

For the first few days, I didn't have much of an appetite (though I did retain my sense of taste and smell), so I opted for nutrient-rich and soothing drinks instead of solid food.

Along with the berry beverage, I also drank hot ginger tea with lemon, turmeric, and honey.Turmeric and ginger are high in anti-inflammatory properties, while hot water with honey also has a range of soothing health benefits.

For protein and gut support, I drank bone brothand when my appetite allowed for it, I'd use the broth as a base for vegetable soup containing blended leeks, broccoli, onions, herbs, and spices.

After the first three days, I continued drinking tea and incorporating berries and other antioxidant-rich foods into my diet. I also started transitioning back to my traditional everyday diet of nutrient-dense meals, with protein like chicken and fish.

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I'm A Longevity RD & Here's How I Took Care Of Myself When I Had COVID-19 - mindbodygreen.com

Those albums helped lay the foundation for Cordaes own art and their influence on his musical DNA is all too apparent across the 15 tracks of his lauded debut. Released in summer 2019 via Atlantic, The Lost Boy resonated with a bevy of fans because of its contemporary approach to hip-hops classic elements. And while the project impresses with slick punch lines and heavy soul samples, its the storytelling that brings you back time and again. Much like his predecessors, Cordae showed a penchant for connecting with his audience by addressing his own demons and making them feel universal.

On Family Matters Cordaes vocals are buoyed by an uplifting bassline while he bares all, sharing the stories of family members grappling with domestic violence and substance abuse. On Thousand Words, the 23-year-old emcee frames our generations over-reliance on social media and the warped perception of reality that can result. The transparency that anchors his songwriting isnt employed without intention. Thousand Words, along with others on the album, he explains, were written from a real place. Fans can connect to it and it can help them, you get what I'm saying? It can inspire them to let them know, it's okay to not come from the best neighborhood. It's okay not to grow up having everything. It's okay to have family issues, that's normal.

His comment points to what really sets Cordae apart from his contemporaries -- an unflinching appreciation for the weight his pen holds if used for something greater. Its that awareness that placed 18-year-old Cordae at the center of a 2016 Black Lives Matter protest in Washington, D.C. In the video recently posted to his Instagram account, Cordae freestyles over a megaphone, his words moving the crowd of hundreds with a spirited plea, Please expose the truth to the world on a global view.

To this day, Cordae doesnt necessarily consider himself an activist. Instead, he clarifies, Im just always going to do what I feel is right and speak on what I believe in strongly. As such, it was no surprise to see Cordae last summer at peaceful demonstrations protesting the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, not because it was a shot at an Instagrammable moment, but simply, because it felt like its where he should be. It's not even a black or white thing, it's just right and wrong. He pauses for a moment before questioning, How can you not see what's going on in the world to Black people all around? I empathize with that.

Last August, Cordae channeled that empathy into a politically-charged feature on Stevie Wonders triumphant protest record, Cant Put It In the Hands of Fate, rapping: Mass confusion, people in power commit collusion/indoctrinated students, Im the leader of the movement/takes lifetimes, trying to duck the school-to-prison pipeline/disenfranchised, its amazing Im in my right mind.

Cordae might be unsure to what degree his next album will touch on social justice or 2020s bleak realities but he knows one thing for certain -- the quarantine-induced self-reflection hes engaged in will be a creative north star. Musics global shutdown offered Cordae the time to read, write and reflect in a way he hasnt been able to back to back years on the road. Hes not the same artist or person that he was when he released his debut and he wants his sophomore release to reflect that growth. It's a completely separate idea than The Lost Boy. It's not going to be a Lost Boy Two.

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With a Pair of Grammy Nominations in His Rearview, Cordaes Focus is Longevity - Billboard

News

Elizabeth Francis recently celebrated her 111th birthday.

(KTRK via CNN)

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- It's no longer unusual to know or hear about someone who's at least 100 years old these days. In fact, there were more than 90,000 people in the U.S. who were over 100 years old in 2020, according to the Census Bureau.

But a Houston woman has gone 11 years past the century mark.

Elizabeth Francis is now an incredible 111 years old. When asked her secret to longevity,she said: "The Lord just blessed me ... I say, 'Thank you Lord' when I wake up in the morning, and I thank Him when I go to bed."

ABC13 was there last year whenFrancis turned 110. She even had Mayor Sylvester Turner asa special guest at her party.

Francis was born in Louisiana in 1909. The Houstonian celebrated her 111th birthday on Saturday.

Francis gets proclamations from the city and state every year she reaches another milestone. As for what she eats to stay healthy, her response is: "Everything."

"No, I'm not on a diet," she said. "I just eat what I feel like eating, what I know I like."

Francis lives with her daughter, who is 92 years old. Her granddaughter, Ethel Harrison, keeps a watchful eye on both of them. Harrison said people don't believe her when she tells people her grandmother's age.

Harrison has her own theory about why her family members live so long. Francis's oldest sister lived to be 106, and her baby sister lived until she was 95.

"I think for them, it was the food that they ate," Harrison says. "They cooked everything, and it was fresh. My grandmother had a garden."

But there's a surprising twist to this story. Francis is not only one of the oldest people in Texas, she also worked at Channel 13 in the 1970s. She recently reconnected with old friend ABC13 anchor emeritus Dave Ward via Facetime to catch up on some memories.

Ward recalls when Francis ran the coffee shop, and remembered her for always closing on time.

When a former mayor wanted to order after close, Ward said, "One of the managers walked down to the coffee shop and said, 'The mayor would like a hamburger.' Miss Elizabeth said 'The grill is closed, the mayor don't need no hamburger.'"

Francis said, "I say what I want when I want."

Her life continues to be full these days thanks to her place of worship, Good Hope Missionary Baptist Church, and her family.

In addition to her daughter, she also has three grandchildren, four great-grandkids, and two great-great-grandsons.

The-CNN-Wire & 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.

Link:
111-year-old Houston woman shares secrets to longevity - - KTEN

researchers tested for options to power districts, including commercial and residential propertiesThough the Earths deeper layers have been raging at thousands of degrees for billions of years, new research involving Florida Tech has shown that tapping into that heat to produce geothermal heating for urban regions on the surface has a far, far shorter lifespan. (Florida Tech image)

BREVARD COUNTY MELBOURNE, FLORIDA Though the Earths deeper layers have been raging at thousands of degrees for billions of years, new research involving Florida Tech has shown that tapping into that heat to produce geothermal heating for urban regions on the surface has a far, far shorter lifespan.

Florida Tech astrobiology assistant professor Manasvi Lingam, along with Alto University researcher Eero Hirvijoki and University of Western Australia researcher David Pfefferl, recently published the paper, Longevity and power density of intermediate-to-deep geothermal wells in district heating applications in The European Physical Journal Plus.

The team explored how practical it to use geothermal heating in northern, colder latitudes, places like Boston, Toronto London and Helsinki, Finland.

The researchers tested for options that can power districts, including commercial and residential properties, not small-scale systems.

By examining the average amount of power requires per unit area for a city, the team has an idea of what will be required to power these places, thus helping guide their geothermal extraction research.

They have found that geothermal energy, after working well initially, weakens until after a generation or maybe a half-century, it becomes generally ineffective. This decline is due to shifts in the temperature gradient, a key element to geothermal heating.

Geothermal energy works by putting a pipe deep enough into the ground to tap into a warmer layer.

That could be 30 feet down, it could be hundreds of feet or even deeper. Using water or another fluid, that heat is brought toward the surface, where the temperatures are cooler.

These temperature differentials power the geothermal heating of cities and towns, and the gradient in temperature contributes to the energy that can be extracted.

However, over time, the warmer bottom region begins to cool down, and the upper regions warm up, causing the temperature gradient to slowly decrease, Lingam and the researchers found. The more the gradient declines, the less amount of heat can be extracted.

An option explored by the team is the use of multiple pipes, with the principle of taking advantage of extracting heat from different spatial locations and distributing it accordingly.

With the pipes extracting heat, temperatures would avoid becoming homogenous, thus allowing for the machines to run off the heat.

While Lingam noted this procedure would help to some degree, it would only be a short-term solution, as the temperature gradient would become homogenous vertically and horizontally.

This could work for a few decades, maybe even 40-50 years, but it wouldnt be continuously effective for more than a century or thereabouts, Lingam said.

They will need to need to start divesting off geothermal energy then more to solar or other forms of renewable energy.

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Florida Tech Researchers Discover Geothermal Heating May Have Limited Longevity on Urban Regions - SpaceCoastDaily.com

Exercise is longevity's lifeblood because it wards off numerous chronic diseases, such as heart disease. What's more, you don't have to do much exercise to unlock the benefits. Research suggests walking every day can extend your lifespan.

Several studies have linked the mild intensity exercise to longevity but a study published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) examined the association between time spent walking and life expectancy.

The authors followed up 27,738 participants aged 40 to 79years and prospectively collected data on their survival covering a 13-year-period.

The researchers found participants who walked one hour per day had a longer life expectancy from 40years of age than participants who walked less than onehour per day.

In addition to their longer life expectancy, participants who walked one hour per day required a lower lifetime medical expenditure from 40years of age than participants who walked less than an hour per day.

READ MORE:How to live longer: Tea with a slice of lemon could reduce cancer risk and boost longevity

In their concluding remarks, the researchers said: "Encouraging people to walk may extend life expectancy and decrease lifetime medical expenditure, especially for men."

Evidence suggests it is not only the duration of walking that counts but also the pace.

People who have a faster walking pace outlive those who walked more slowly, according to researchers who monitored the walking habits and deaths of nearly 475,000 people, most of whom were in their 50s at the start of the study.

Brisk walking was defined by researchers as walking at least three miles per hour, or 100 steps a minute.

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It is worth nothing that walking pace was self-reported by participants, who were asked to indicate whether they walked at a slow pace, steady/average pace, or brisk pace.

The study, published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, found that participants with brisk walking paces had longer life expectancies across all categories of body mass index (BMI).

BMI is a measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to adult men and women.

The survival is the same for fast walkers for a wide range of body mass index, from 20 to 40, Dr. Francesco Zaccardi, a clinical epidemiologist at the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom and the studys lead researcher, told Healthline.

This result indicates that physical function is a stronger determinant of longevity than body mass index, and also people with high body mass index but with a good fitness may survive longer."

Conversely, participants with slower walking paces had shorter life expectancies across all categories of BMI.

Researchers reported that women who walked more quickly had a life span of about 87 years compared to 72 years for women who walked slowly.

Men who walked quickly had a life span of about 86 years compared to 65 years for men who walked more slowly.

Thats a 15-year average difference for women and a 20-year average difference for men.

Eating a healthy, balanced diet is an important part of maintaining good health, and can help you feel your best.

The Eatwell Guide shows that to have a healthy, balanced diet, people should try to:

"If you're having foods and drinks that are high in fat, salt and sugar, have these less often and in small amounts," adds the NHS.

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How to live longer: Walking every day promotes longevity - the amount you need to do - Express

Longevity swap pricing is expected to remain attractive through the coming year, as reinsurance capital to support large pension risk transfer deals remains abundant and slower mortality improvements feed into reinsurance pricing, according to Willis Towers Watson (WTW).After a busy year in 2020, when the market for longevity swaps and longevity risk transfer hit forecasted levels of activity and we listed just over 24 billion of longevity swap deals in our Directory, WTW is forecasting market conditions to remain conducive for the year ahead.

One of the drivers for this has been a general slowing in mortality improvements, the company explained, something that now could be exacerbated further by the COVID-19 pandemic and how that effects mortality rates.

Even before the pandemic hit, the slowdown in mortality improvements seen in recent years has been factored into the reinsurance pricing offered to support longevity swaps, WTW explained.

The result, is the lowest pricing relative to pension scheme reserves on record, the company noted.

On top of this, increasing competition in the market for longevity reinsurance deals is also helping to pressure pricing and keep reinsurers keen.

With the end result being the driving down of longevity swap and bulk annuity pricing, as well as pricing of capacity for pure longevity reinsurance deals, something WTW believes is set to persist.

As a result, the broker expects 2021 could see 25 billion of UK longevity swaps.

Ian Aley, Managing Director in Willis Towers Watsons Transactions team, explained, The pensions de-risking market has proved itself to be incredibly resilient and, while uncertainty will remain in 2021, we dont see this denting the desire and ability for pensions schemes to complete risk management transactions.

It remains to be seen what impact COVID-19 will have on longer term expectations for mortality rates. For many schemes, the market pricing of longevity will currently look very attractive relative to their funding reserves. We therefore expect schemes will continue to look to lock into assumptions which are affordable against their current funding target to reduce future uncertainty as part of their wider hedging programmes.

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Longevity swap pricing to remain attractive in 2021: WTW - Artemis.bm

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In a year marked by so much uncertaintyeven far beyond a certain 43-year-olds future as a professional quarterbackone constant has remained: Tom Brady is playing in the Super Bowl.

Over 21 years in the league, there isnt much he hasnt achieved. A 14-time Pro Bowler, three-time MVP, and six-time Super Bowl champion, Brady has at one time or another led the league in touchdowns, passing yards, expected points added, defense-adjusted yards above replacement, total quarterback rating, passer rating and any other statistical category you can conceive. Hes been recognized as the Offensive Player of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year, Super Bowl MVP and 1st Team All-Pro.

If you can win it, Tom Brady probably has.

And on Sunday, hell have his chance at illustrious ring number seven, but first, hell have to get through Patrick Mahomes, his presumptive heir apparent as league standard-bearer.

To fully grasp Bradys longevity and consistency (and to see whats changed since he flew south to Tampa), its useful to see his achievements alongside his contemporaries. While others may rival his individual, per-game statistics, its hard to believe that anyone will ever amass the sustained dominance and jaw-dropping rsum that Brady has accrued over the course of his career.

Regardless of outcome, Sundays appearance will put Brady alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the only American professional team athletes in the last half-century (1971-2020) to play in 10 league finals and win more than half of them. In fact, no other NFL player has been to more than six Super Bowls (Stephen Gostkowski, Mike Lodish).

In addition to his regular attendance to the biggest game of the season, Bradys consistent yearly production over two decades has prompted some to wonder: If you chopped his time in the NFL into twoor even threechunks, would they each be individual Hall of Fame careers?

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Expected points added (EPA) measures how much better or worse a teams position on the field is from one play to the next; it provides meaningful units to measure a players total contribution to his team. As you can see in the chart below, Bradys seasonal EPA trajectory resembles that of Hall of Fame contemporaries Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers if they happened to share one career.

But whats even more stunning about this season is that after two decades with the same coach, owner and home field, Brady joined a new organization in an abbreviated offseason, learned and embraced a new passing philosophy and still managed to rise to the top.

From 2019 to 2020, Brady significantly reduced the frequency of his short throws (<11 air yards)the same ones completed at a league-leading 0.22 EPA/attempt during his time in New Englandand turned to Bruce Arians fabled vertical passing attack. Over the course of the regular season, Brady threw 21 more long passes (25+ yards from the line of scrimmage) than any other player in the league.

Not only is he throwing deep in a way we havent seen before, but hes doing it well; since Week 13, Bradys averaging 0.83 EPA/play on throws 15+ yards from the line of scrimmage, good for fifth in the NFL in that span and just ahead of likely MVP Aaron Rodgers (0.82).

In short, Tom Brady has taken a rsum the size of War and Peace and penned yet another chapter.

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Measure of The Man: Tom Bradys Career Numbers Show His Longevity, Versatility - Yahoo Sports

Lewis Hamiltons contract extension for 2021 was one of the least surprising developments of Formula 1s off-season but already some have suggested it may be his last dance. But is that really likely?

Lewis Hamiltons presence within Formula 1s record books is already cemented: most titles (currently held jointly with Michael Schumacher), most wins and most poles, with those figures likely to trickle into triple digits by the summer.

He is continuing to perform at an extraordinary high level as witnessed on a number of occasions in 2020: take your pick from the wet Styrian pole lap, triumphing on three wheels at Silverstone or the drive to seal the title at a grip-less Istanbul Park. There were other less memorable races, such as at Spa, Barcelona or Portimao, at which he merely pulverised the opposition.

Yet there are other statistics that are striking.

Hamilton is already Formula 1s seventh-most experienced driver, his Covid-enforced Sakhir absence concluded the longest streak of appearances at grands prix, while in claiming the title in 2020 he became the oldest champion since Damon Hill in 1996.

The focus, particularly in recent years, has been towards youth. Formula 1s youngest ever champions Fernando Alonso, then Hamilton, then Sebastian Vettel have been followed by its youngest entrant and race winner Max Verstappen whose very arrival prompted a re-writing of the regulations.

Verstappen, who debuted aged 17, is a special case but not quite an anomalous oddity. Contemporaries on the grid, Lance Stroll and Lando Norris, were the second- and fourth-youngest starters in history, while Esteban Ocon comes in at number 11, Charles Leclerc 18 and Carlos Sainz 20, out of the 767 to enter a race. Ferrari has placed its faith in Leclerc, the same age as Verstappen, while George Russell 23 next week has two years under his belt with Williams.

But all still need to displace the mercurial Hamilton, who has previously commented on how he relishes the challenge from the youngsters, from his plinth and there is no reason to expect the World Champion to walk away any time soon.

Every athlete is different but we are in the era of some of the greatest talents in any sport prolonging their astonishing careers beyond what has been widely anticipated some even into their fifth decade. They are special talents, incredible athletes, intensely focused, with an unrelenting rage to win, aided by advancements in science and technology such as a greater appreciation and understanding of elements such as nutrition, training and sleep management. No one path has been the same but the end result has been a train of success.

On Sunday Tom Brady claimed a record seventh Super Bowl title, having transferred from the New England Patriots to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, aged 43. He has won in three different decades and now has more individual success than any franchise. Last October LeBron James, just nine days older than Hamilton, led the LA Lakers to their first NBA title in 10 years, as well as becoming the Finals MVP.

At our age, we can still dominate our sport, James is quoted by Lakers Daily last month, when referencing Brady. We have one common goal and thats to win and win at the highest level.

Tennis icons Serena Williams and Roger Federer, born seven weeks apart, will turn 40 later this year and both continue to strive to add to trophy cabinets that are overflowing with riches. Federer may currently be recuperating from surgery, and Williams has also struggled with injury, but neither is yet throwing in the towel.

Ive seen players in the locker room, the Legends tour, and at some points I was older than them and I was wondering if I should be there, joked Williams in 2017 on her longevity.

Said Federer recently, to Swiss broadcaster SRF, I like to play tennis for life. In the last few months I have given a lot in rehab. I had to go through it, but I always enjoyed it. I want to celebrate great victories again. And for that, I am ready to go the long, hard road.

Federers long-term rival, Rafael Nadal, is a 13-time French Open champion yet at 34 still hurtles around the court like a caged animal. World Number 1 Novak Djokovic plays with the elasticity of someone a decade younger than his 33 years.

Italys Serie A may not be the most fast-paced of Europes leading football leagues but at the top of the goalscoring charts are Cristiano Ronaldo, 36 exactly a month younger than Hamilton and the enigmatic Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who is 39. Across the Mediterranean the ferocious Luis Suarez, 34, is fronting La Ligas charts. In golf Tiger Woods has not had the sustained success of those just mentioned but his perseverance paid off in 2019, ending an 11-year wait for another major, by claiming the Masters aged 43.

None of this it to say that the athletes in their twenties or even teens and early thirties are lacking in ability, passion or technique. Bradys opposite number on Sunday, Patrick Mahomes, was 24 when he spearheaded Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl triumph in 2020. NBAs MVP for the last two years, is the Milwaukee Bucks 26-year-old Giannis Antetokounmpo. Naomi Osaka, 23, is already a multi-Grand Slam champion of a talented generation seeking to emulate Williams. Collin Morikawa was 23 when he won last years PGA Championship. In Formula 1 Verstappen and Leclerc who was born on the same day as Osaka have already underlined their credentials. It is a special generation.

But sports GOATs are still going strong and showing little sign of slowing down those who adorned front covers and billboards in the 2000s (or even late 1990s) are still there in the 2020s, pushing away notions of retirement. Moving it closer to home Hamiltons two predecessors as World Champion are Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen. The returning Alonso, 39, has signed up to compete for Alpine for the next two years while Alfa Romeos Raikkonen, 41, continues to race on, 20 years after their respective Formula 1 bows. Scott Dixon, crowned IndyCar king for a sixth time, is 40, and among his team-mates this year will be NASCAR convert Jimmie Johnson, 45. Valentino Rossi, while no longer a potent front-running force, is still in MotoGP, revered worldwide, and next week turns 42. WRC champion Sebastien Ogier is 37 albeit insisting 2021 will be his swansong.

Hamiltons one-year extension was slightly surprising, given all his past deals have been multi-year arrangements, but there is reason for the relative brevity.

Because we left it very late we wanted to discuss the contract at the end of the season between the Bahrain races and then obviously Lewis didnt feel well, said Mercedes boss Toto Wolff on Monday.

At the end we started our conversations just before Christmas and it was important to get it done as soon as possible and in that respect we thought lets postpone the discussion about 2022 and onwards to a later stage in 2021.

As long as he enjoys racing, I think hes very capable of going longer. He develops as a driver, he looks after himself in terms of physical training and mental preparation side, so I dont think in terms of ability that ends in 2021, but at the end its [his career] his decision.

Hamilton has more to his life than merely Formula 1, most notably his interests in fashion, music, and more recently the push for diversity and equality the campaign for which is more effective the longer he is present. Inevitably, at some point, there will be a generational handover of the baton whether through choice or by circumstance. But his contemporaries have underlined that the older guys can still cut it.

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Hamilton, sports GOATs, and the era of longevity - Motorsport Week

When it comes to health, we are all constantly on the lookout for ways to boost our health and overall wellness. Often, we look to food as a means by which to achieve these goals. That seems to make logical sense. Were all constantly told you are what you eat. If that is indeed the case then it is vital that we take a long, hard look at what were putting into our bodies. One food which seems to have an outstanding track record when it comes to health benefits is garlic. Garlic has long been held in high esteem. In fact, the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates apparently used to prescribe garlic for all manner of health conditions. These benefits are not just based on ancient history. Modern science has since confirmed that garlic does in fact benefit the body.

Many of us enjoy the addition of garlic in meals like pizza, pasta and stir fry. But the benefits of adding garlic to your food might be more far-reaching than simply making your food taste good.

Garlic, relative to its small size and calorie content is incredibly nutritious. According to Healthline, just one clove of garlic contains:

And this same amount contains just 4.5 calories 0.2 grams of protein and 1 gram of carbs. It seems that garlic contains a little of almost every single nutrient which the body requires. This means that garlic is nutrient-dense without being calorie-dense. Making it one of the few options for adding flavour without excess calories.

Garlic, mostly in the form of supplements have long been used to boost the immune system. This is something we could all benefit from in 2021 whilst

Heart attacks and strokes are currently some of the worlds leading killers. These diseases are largely causedby high blood pressure (hypertension). Garlic, again in supplement form, seems to have a significant impact on reducing blood pressure. One study found that 6001,500 mg of aged garlic extract was as effective for reducing blood pressure as the drug Atenolol over a 24 week period. The dosage to achieve this effect is quite high and equates to about 4 cloves of garlic a day.

There are two types of cholesterol, one is good and one is bad. LDL is the bad one and HDL is the good type of cholesterol. In sufferers of high cholesterol, taking garlic supplements reduced the total and/or LDL cholesterol by up to 15%. Garlic appears to have a direct impact on LDL cholesterol and works to lower it but has no effect on the good HDL cholesterol.

Garlic is full of antioxidants that aid in supporting the body to protect against oxidative damage. Oxidative damage comes from free radicals and contributes to the ageing process. Garlic supplements have been shown to increase antioxidant enzymes. They also reduce significantly oxidative stress in people with high blood pressure. The combination of reducing cholesterol and blood pressure alongside the antioxidants is hugely important. Studies have shown that it may be beneficial in reducing the risk of brain diseases such as Alzheimers and dementia. It is worth mentioning however that again, these benefits only come from a high dosage of garlic supplements.

The addition of garlic or garlic supplements into the diet seems to have an overall beneficial impact on humans. However, its almost impossible to prove that garlic helps you live longer. What it does do is decrease risk factors such as high blood pressure and high LDL cholesterol. The fact that it aids the immune system also seems to indicate that overall, garlic can have a beneficial impact on the body which may help you live a longer, healthier life.

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-proven-health-benefits-of-garlic#TOC_TITLE_HDR_4

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/265853

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Could garlic help to increase your longevity? - Longevity LIVE

Healthy lifestyle: Physical activities abound on college campuses like William & Mary. These healthy habits are among the benefits of college education that contribute to health and longevity, according to a study led by W&M Assistant Professor of Economics Peter Savelyev. Photo by Jim Agnew

by Nathan Warters | February 4, 2021

A study led by William & Mary Assistant Professor of Economics Peter Savelyev and funded by the National Science Foundation argues that college education leads to healthier and longer lives.

The study, Understanding the Mechanisms Linking College Education with Longevity, was published in September in Journal of Human Capital.

Researchers around the world still debate whether education affects health. Savelyev and his team support the claim that education improves heath by demonstrating the mechanisms behind this effect while using state-of-the art statistical analysis.

In our paper, we show that education increases health and longevity though healthier lifestyles, superior earnings and better work conditions, he said.

Savelyev and his co-authors examined data obtained from men and women who graduated from high school in Wisconsin in 1957. This specific timeframe was important to allow for data collection on at least a partially deceased U.S. cohort.

William & Mary News recently spoke to Savelyev about this study. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Variables related to healthy lifestyles that proved to be important are participating in physical exercise, maintaining a healthy body weight and abstaining from smoking tobacco. We also study the role of extremely dangerous work conditions, such as cutting trees or being exposed to infectious diseases. Educated people are less likely to face such jobs. The work conditions mechanism does not necessarily imply diminishing job-related risks for the general population, but it is a personal benefit for those who study hard and receive advanced degrees.

It is well known that many essential life determinants emerge early in life. Later in life, things are harder to change. College education is a powerful contributor to human development that increases health and longevity, among many other good effects, and it should be supported in situations when free market solutions do not work well enough.

Our simulations demonstrate that major health differences created by college education are hard to close later in life, even by strong hypothetical policy interventions, such as greatly increasing taxation of cigarettes.

Partly, this is because the effect of education is strong, and it works through many different mechanisms. It is not easy for an intervention that targets just one specific mechanism to overcome a strong effect created through dozens of mechanisms. Also, some policies, such as taxation of cigarettes, affect behavior of both the college-educated and those who did not go to college, so the effect on the difference between these two groups is small.

We find that obtaining a bachelors degree leads to about three additional years of life for men. However, we could not find any effect of college education for women, who live longer than men regardless of their education status. We identified from our data two mechanisms that partly explain the gender difference. One is that men tend to take more dangerous jobs than women. Another is that educated women of this historic cohort born in late 1930s in Wisconsin were less likely to be married, which created a negative contribution to their longevity that masked a positive contribution related to higher income. Marriage is good for your longevity. Since a negative effect of college education on marriage no longer takes place for more recent cohorts of women, we can expect a stronger effect of college on their longevity, as confirmed by our simulations.

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Study examines why college education leads to healthier and longer lives - William & Mary News

A total of 1trn of defined benefit (DB) pension longevity risk will be insured through de-risking transactions by the end of 2031, Hymans Robertson has predicted.

According it the firms 2021 Risk Transfer Report, buy-ins, buyouts and longevity swaps have insured 0.3trn of risk from DB pension schemes since 2007. This is expected to increase by 0.7trn between now and the end of 2031.

Around 180bn of the 0.3trn came through buy-ins and buyouts, while approximately 110bn was insured through longevity swaps.

Hymans Robertson estimated that around 450bn of the 0.7trn of growth up to 2031 will be driven by buy-ins and buyouts at an average of over 40bn per year.

The remainder of the increase is expected to come through longevity swaps.

Commenting on the findings, Hymans Robertson head of risk transfer, James Mullins, said: 1trn of insurance would be equivalent to around half of the value of all gilts currently issued by the UK government or around half the value of all of the companies in the FTSE 100.

Indeed, with the level of growth in pension scheme buy-ins and buyouts that we are projecting, we can expect to see several insurance companies become some of the largest companies in the FTSE 100 over the next 10 years.

Our analysis projects when each individual DB pension scheme in the UK is expected to be able to afford to insure its pension promises.These projections show that we expect demand from pension schemes for buy-ins and buyouts to average at over 40bn a year during the next decade.

This is due to a combination of factors such as funding requirements meaning that sponsoring employers will need to fund pension schemes to a higher level and the cost of insuring deferred member liabilities having reduced materially in recent years. These points mean that the additional money a pension scheme needs to get to buyout is less than it has been in the past.

This gap will reduce further as pension schemes mature, as more contributions are paid in and as investment risk is reduced further.

Mullins added that the longevity risk associated with around 17 per cent of all DB liabilities in the UK has now been insured, up from around 1 per cent 10 years ago.

During 2020, approximately 54bn of DB pension risk was transferred to insurers, with around 30bn coming form buy-ins and buyouts, and approximately 24bn from longevity swaps, making 2020 the second-highest total on record, after 2019.

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DB pension de-risking expected to total 1trn by 2031 - Pensions Age

There are three hormones in your body specifically important for healthy aging and longevity. Although for many it seems we shouldnt focus on healthy aging when we are in our 20s and 30s but before you know it, the daily decisions that you are making matter and have a long-term impact on your health.

Many age-related conditions appear out of nowhere. They silently grow inside you before they are apparent and hard to ignore. Thats why regular check-ups and looking underneath the hood once in a while is important.

Well, all hormones matter for healthy aging but here we are going to focus on the three most important hormones for longevity and a healthy lifestyle.

Three Hormones to Focus on for Longevity and Healthy Aging: Which Hormones Matter for Healthy Aging?

Many experts would agree that cortisol is one of the most important ones. Its crucial for your health to keep the level of cortisol low. When your cortisol level is constantly high, it can have many causes namely inflammation, chronic stress, poor sleep, weight gain, and many other reasons. A high level of cortisol is an indicator that you are in a vicious cycle of issues and problems that are accumulating daily.

Cortisol can affect our muscle mass. The important part of healthy aging is keeping your muscles and bones strong. When the level of cortisol is high, it can have an impact on your muscles and bones as well as your overall health.

There are many ways of lowering the level of cortisol. You need to get enough sleep, exercise, learn to relax through methods that suit you from meditation to walking, and learn how to deal with stress. The most important thing is to have more fun in life, less stress. You can also lower the level of cortisol by taking certain supplements such as fish oil but overall healthy lifestyle habits will take you to longevity, healthy aging, and low cortisol levels.

This hormone is crucial for building muscles. When the level of testosterone is low it can be linked to age-related diseases. Older men with a low level of testosterone can have a high risk of death from heart disease. Its important to stress there is a link between testosterone and age since every man loses anywhere between 1% and 2% of testosterone during his life span. If your testosterone level stays higher with age you are in theory younger compared to your peers.

Most of the research on testosterone has been done on men since women naturally have a lower level of testosterone. However, testosterone is important for both genders especially in link with cortisol.

We need to find a way to keep a level of testosterone high as much as possible while keeping the level of cortisol low. In that case, you have better chances to build your muscles and stay healthy.

It seems like a logical question to ask, especially if you are a woman. How to have a higher level of testosterone without growing a mustache? Well, you can start with exercise and lift weights, eat more proteins, carbs, and fats. If you minimize stress and have a low level of cortisol, you will have a higher level of testosterone.

Vitamin D is essential for almost any function from regulating the production of thyroid hormones to helping the immune system and managing inflammation. When we talk about the immune system, some research has been done indicating that vitamin D can help manage the risks of COVID 19. However, we need more research to find a clear connection.

Vitamin D is so easy to take. Sometimes all you need is one supplement a day. Other things that can help include spending more time in the sun or consuming more seafood and fatty fish such as tuna, oysters, sardines, and mackerel. Your diet matters for vitamin D, so eat more eggs, mushrooms, and seafood. The majority of vitamin D supplements come from animal sources so if you are vegan opt for D2 supplements to get enough vitamin D.

There is much that can be done to keep healthy and to optimize your health over the years and keeping track of these hormones is a crucial part of it.

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Three Hormones to Focus on for Longevity and Healthy Aging - Gildshire Magazines

Thanks to our new, 20-second hand-washing practices, our hands got a lot of attention this year. But while most of us know how important it is to keep them clean (cough, cough: very), you may not realize that its also important to keep them strong using hand exercises. In fact, it could even help you live longer.

According to research, grip strength might be an indicator of longevity. A 2018 study found that there is clear evidence that shows low grip strength is associated with a range of poorer health outcomes, and authors told Reuters that grip strength showed a stronger association with cardiovascular disease than blood pressure and physical activity. According to Phaeleau Cunneen, CPT, this is likely attributed to the fact that people with high grip strength lead a generally more active lifestyle, but theres still value in integrating grip-strengthening hand exercises into your routine.

For those of us working from home, our hands have likely started to suffer due to less-than-ideal work setups. A poor home ergonomic set up can contribute to repetitive stress injuries, muscle imbalances, and pain, says Cunneen, which could explain why your fingers are suddenly cramping after a long day of typing on your laptop. This is where hand exercises come in.

Any exercises that increase grip strength, like strength training, will help engage, activate and improve your hand muscles, says Cunneen. Thats important because you want your hand muscles to function optimally so that you can perform day-to-day movements. When you grip heavy objects essentially you are training the muscles in your hands, adds Katie Kollath, ACE, CPT and co-founder of Barpath Fitness. If your grip strength becomes weak, you are setting yourself up for risk of injury and worst-case scenario arthritis in the hands and wrists down the line.

If youre already lifting weights as a part of your regular routine, theres good news: That process, in itself, helps to strengthen your hands because it requires you to hold onto a few extra pounds (think: swinging a kettlebell or curling a dumbbell). And in fact, even doing bodyweight exercises, like planks, can aid in making your grip stronger. Just holding external loadsincluding your body weightwill improve your grip strength and will carry over to most exercises you do in your programming, says Kollath.

If you still find your hands feeling weak or like your muscles are cramping, try putting them through one of the targeted hand exercises below.

To build strength and mobility in your hands, touch your thumb to the tip of each of the four other fingers on the same hand, moving from your pointer to your pinkie and back again.

If you want to increase the range of motion in your hands, put them through a small strength-training circuit. Start with your palm flat, then curl all five of your fingers down at the knuckle. Next, extend your fingers out at a 90-degree angle from your palm, and finally squeeze them into a fist (the harder you squeeze, the better it is for your grip strength). Repeat the process in reverse, then start again from the beginning of the circuit.

Think of this as a resistance band workout for your hands. Place a rubber band around the backs of your fingers, and open your palm as far as you can to try to stretch it out. The added resistance that the band provides will help to strengthen your phalanges.

You know that stress ball you received at the company holiday party last year thats been sitting in your top drawer ever since? Well, its finally going to come in handy. Place it in the palm of your hand, squeeze as hard as you can, and hold for a few seconds before releasing.

To strengthen your hands during your regular workout routine, youll just need to make one tiny tweak to the moves youre likely already doing. Instead of placing your hands flat on the floor during high planks and push-ups, place your fingers in a tented position so that theres a small space between your palms and the ground. This will require your fingers to do the brunt of the work and will build strength in them in the process.

This weighted move will work your hands, wrists, and forearms. Grab a five- to 10-pound dumbbell and hold it vertically in one hand. Seated in a chair, place your forearm on top of one thigh with your wrist and hand out slightly past your knee. Move your wrist up and down slightly, gripping the weight as you move, and try to cycle through three sets of 20 reps on each side.

This move is similar to the lateral wrist extension but challenges your hands in a different way. Staying seated with the same five- to 10-pound weight in your hand, place the back of your forearm against your thigh with your wrist three to four inches over your knee. Flex and extend your wrist to curl the weight (the motion is similar to your usual bicep and tricep curls), and be sure to work through the full range of motion.

Flip your seated dumbbell wrist curl in reverse for this forearm, wrist, and hand strengthener. Place the inside of your forearm on top of your thigh with your wrist three-to-four inches over your knee. Use your wrist to curl the weight up and down (ideally for three sets of 20 reps), which will help you prevent future injury in the areas youre working.

From the same starting position as the seated dumbbell reverse wrist curl, hold a weight in your hand with your palm facing up toward the sky. Allow the weight to roll down to the tips of your fingers (but stop it before it rolls off of your hands and onto the floor), then grab it with the tips of your fingers and curl it back up to start.

Another spot youre probably not giving the love it needs? Your feet. Follow along with this stretch sequence, below.

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Grip Strength Is a Good Indicator of LongevityHere Are 9 Hand Exercises to Keep Yours Strong - Well+Good

THE relentless pursuit of the elixir of youth has spurred anti-ageing research in attempts to achieve the triple goals of life extension, namely, the triumvirate of healthy lifespan, rejuvenation and longevity.

Sirtuins are a family of cellular enzymes that are powered by a chemical compound called nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). They play an important role in preventing diseases and even reversing some aspects of ageing.

Studies have shown that increased sirtuin activity in mammals has been associated with a delayed onset of age-related diseases and increased longevity.

Increased sirtuin activity appears to inhibit nerve degeneration and reduces the development of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases (such as diabetes mellitus and abnormal lipid levels).

Hence, if sirtuin activity can be increased using compounds that can boost its activity (STACs or Sirtuin Activating Compounds), the use of STACs can potentially help a person stay healthy longer, even if longevity is not affected.

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Resveratrol

Resveratrol is a natural plant phenol STAC found in the skin of red grapes and other fruits such as blueberries and cranberries. Contrary to common belief, red wine contains very little of it. Resveratrol has been shown to have life-extending properties in studies on lower-order species such as yeast and nematodes, but this effect has marginal reliability in higher-order species. Nevertheless, it has been shown to have potentially beneficial effects.

Before you start taking large doses of resveratrol, you may be surprised to know that it is a Janus-faced compound. Low dietary doses may suffice to elicit the biological responses required to optimise the body's defence mechanisms against incipient disease. But at high doses, it behaves in a contrarian manner.

At low doses, resveratrol induces responses that overlap with the female hormone oestradiol. Low-dose effects seen in animal and human studies include beneficial metabolic effects such as more efficient glucose reduction in diabetics, reducing the development of obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, protecting against arterial degeneration, delaying development of neurodegeneration, and improving motor and cognitive functions.

At high doses, resveratrol has an anti-oestrogen effect which suggests that it may reduce the risk of oestrogen-dependent cancers. This Janus-faced hormetic effects of resveratrol may partly explain the French paradox, where there is a reduced incidence of cardiovascular diseases and certain types of cancer in some populations despite their consumption of high-fat diets.

NAD

NAD is an important molecule that is essential for over 500 enzyme reactions in the body which impact metabolism, ageing, cell death, DNA repair, and gene expression. Hence, NAD plays a pivotal role in human health span and longevity and is a necessary substrate for sirtuin enzymatic activity.

In mammalian cells, NAD is mainly generated by the conversion of nicotinamide (a soluble form of Vitamin B3) into nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) followed by its combination with another molecule to form NAD. There is also another precursor, nicotinamide riboside (NR), that is converted by enzymes to NMN in the cells. As this pathway is safe and also the most efficient route for production of NAD, NMN or NR supplementation has been used to increase NAD levels.

Animal studies have shown that NMN supplementation can ameliorate the age-related reduction in NAD production in cells and improve the body's cardiovascular response to ageing. Age-related decrease in arterial elasticity means that the aorta is less able to expand and buffer the increased blood pressure generated each time the heart pumps. With ageing, the production of a pressure-bearing protein, type 1 collagen, in the arterial wall increases, whereas the main protein responsible for the structural integrity and elastic properties of the arterial wall, elastin, decreases. Studies in mice have shown that NMN supplementation was able to reduce stiffness in large arteries by reversing the accumulation of type 1 collagen in arterial walls and improving elastin content.

From the age of 40 years onwards, there is a gradual decline in perfusion of the body tissues resulting in gradual deterioration in body function towards the last decades of life. A consequence of this is cognitive decline.

Optimal brain function is dependent on adequate oxygen and nutrient delivery via minute brain blood vessels (cerebral microvascular circulation). This modulation of brain blood flow in response to increased brain activity is impaired with age, contributing to age-related cognitive impairment. Studies in aged mice given NMN have demonstrated an improvement in the modulation of cerebral microvascular circulation. Animal studies have also shown that NMN can prevent age-related cognitive decline by reducing cell death in areas of the brain that control short- and long-term memory.

Use of NMN was also associated with decrease in the neurodegenerative changes seen in Alzheimer's disease and age-related retinal changes. This age-related decrease in the production of new vessels and a gradual decrease of blood vessels in the microcirculation also result in reduction in muscle mass and diminishing exercise capacity with age. Mice given NMN were able to demonstrate an increase in the production of new vessels in the muscle and an increase in density of small vessels, thereby improving exercise capacity.

Caloric restriction

Caloric restriction (CR) which involves calorie reduction without causing malnutrition, has been associated with an increase in lifespan in some animal studies. In these studies, dietary CR was associated with increased lifespan and reduced disease incidence, especially cancers. However, some studies did not show benefit and, in some mouse strains, CR was associated with shortened lifespan.

Observational studies on humans who have practised extreme CR over many years showed low levels of risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Similarly, a human study on CR, the CALERIE study, found that CR participants had lower blood pressure and lower cholesterol.

The study was too short to examine the impact of CR on lifespan. The current conclusion from the National Institute of Aging in the United States is that there is not enough evidence to recommend CR as a therapeutic measure for life extension. Although CR was associated with lower risk factors for cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, caution is urged as in a study using mouse lemurs on prolonged CR, MRI studies showed that there was more widespread age-related grey matter atrophy in CR animals while only a few regions in the brain showed atrophy in those not on CR.

Life extension

Globally, heart disease and stroke are the two main causes of death in most high-middle and high-income countries. Hence, the first cardinal principle in life extension is to control the risk factors such as blood pressure elevation, cholesterol elevation, sugar elevation and smoking.

The second principle is to have a healthy lifestyle such as keeping the weight within the healthy range and exercising regularly. Both physical exercise and dietary CR result in a significant increase in NAD production and increase sirtuin activity. CR may be an option as part of a weight-reduction regime to keep the weight optimal.

The third principle is to see your doctor regularly to control risk factors.

Finally, among the supplement options, scientific studies favour the use of low-dose resveratrol or NMN as they may potentially provide many health benefits via increased sirtuin activity, although more studies will be required to understand their efficacy in human life extension.

Originally posted here:
Life extension health, rejuvenation and longevity - The Business Times

#PopVultures Ep 39: GOT7 and longevity of pop idol groups

34:01 mins

Synopsis: The Straits Times examines the ins and outs of pop culture in the Asian entertainment and Hollywood industries.

In their first episode of 2021, #PopVultures Jan Lee and Sam Jo discuss some K-pop news - the exodus of GOT7 members from their management agency JYP Entertainment. They recap the details of the GOT7 exit, discuss the social media shadiness that went down, and ponder the future of GOT7.

Covering the examples of J-pop boy band Arashi, the changing cast of UK girl group Sugababes, the not-so-harmonious Fifth Harmony, the tragic tale of TLC, and the reunion of Taiwanese boy band 5566, the #PopVultures examine the longevity of pop idol groups, the factors crucial for groups with staying power and reasons for an early demise.

Produced by: Jan Lee (janlee@sph.com.sg)& Yeo Sam Jo (yeosamjo@sph.com.sg)

Edited by: Muhammad Firmann

Subscribe to #PopVultures Podcast series and rate us on your favourite audio apps:

Channel:https://str.sg/JWad

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Website:http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Feedback to:podcast@sph.com.sg

Follow Jan Lee on Instagram:https://str.sg/Jbxc

Read her stories:https://str.sg/Jbxp

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#PopVultures Podcast: GOT7 and longevity of pop idol groups - The Straits Times

A new, large-cohort study led by the University of Oxford used accelerometers (wrist-worn devices) to accurately record the activity of more than 90,000 participants over a five year period.

The researchers on the study found that physical activity is not only associated with lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease, but the greatest benefit is seen for those who are active at the highest level.

Over the five-year follow up period, 3,617 of the participants were diagnosed with cardiovascular disease (3,305 nonfatal and 312 fatal).

This included 2,220 men and 1,397 women. In the participants, as the amount of moderate and vigorous physical activity increased, cases of cardiovascular disease decreased, with no threshold where the effects of exercise stopped improving cardiovascular health.

READ MORE:How to live longer: Drinking too much can cut your life short by 28 years

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How to live longer: The duration and intensity of exercise that best promotes longevity - Express

Aley: We don't see uncertainty denting demand

Pension risk transfer volumes this year will look similar to those in 2020 as market volatility creates opportunities for schemes able to act fast, according to Willis Towers Watson.

In its annual de-risking report, published today (19 January), the consultancy predicted that buy-in and buyout volumes would top 30bn in 2021, while longevity swap deals would approach 25bn.

Around 24.2bn of bulk annuity deals for 2020 have so far been announced, although Willis Towers Watson said it was aware of at least 26bn announced or that it had advised on, while another 4bn are set to be confirmed within the coming weeks.

Willis Towers Watson said market volatility seen in 2020, which led to "incredibly attractive" insurer pricing as credit spreads widened, could be repeated in 2021 amid continuing pressures from the pandemic and Brexit.

On a similar note, lower than expected rates of mortality improvement in the years to 2020, as well as a growth in the number of reinsures in the market, has contributed to reduced costs of pensioner longevity swap pricing, a trend the consultancy expected to continue.

Managing director in transactions Ian Aley commented: "The pensions de-risking market has proved itself to be incredibly resilient and, while uncertainty will remain in 2021, we don't see this denting the desire and ability for pension schemes to complete risk management transactions.

"It remains to be seen what impact Covid-19 will have on longer-term expectations for mortality rates. For many schemes, the market pricing of longevity will currently look very attractive relative to their funding reserves.

"We therefore expect schemes will continue to look to lock into assumptions which are affordable against their current funding target to reduce future uncertainty as part of their wider hedging programmes."

Willis Towers Watson also predicted an "acceleration" in the superfund or defined benefit consolidation market following the introduction of an interim regulatory regime last year, particularly as Covid-19 financial support unwinds and corporates enter distressed scenarios.

Originally posted here:
Exclusive: Market volatility to spur 30bn of buy-ins and buyouts in 2021 - http://www.professionalpensions.com

A new health book is expected to reveal evidence supporting that Greek Australians are among those living longest lives on the planet.

Author Dr Norman Swan brought up the example speaking about the upcoming publication to 9 Channels Today show.

I started writing this book for millennials because they have a lot of questions to ask about their health[] theyre really interested in nutrition, Dr Swan said before revealing that first generation Greek Australians are the second longest lived people in the world after the Japanese.

But he says the reasons go beyond the benefits of the Mediterranean diet, speaking of a package of stuff.

They have their own herb garden and vegetable garden, theyre cooking fresh and cooking turns out to be really important because its a chemistry set to actually make you fell healthier.

READ MORE: Foraging Greek grandparents gardens for good health

Religion also plays a role, he contends in influencing diet.

What elderly Greek Australians do is they fast about a 100 days a year, but its a vegan fast no meat, or eggs, or dairy and they do live a long time.

Marketed as the ultimate health guide from Australias most trusted doctor, his upcoming book covers a wide range of health topics including nutrition and sex, with the aim of debunking common myths and making it easier for people to lead a healthy living.

Our minds have been filled with things to worry about from insomnia, to screen addiction, to guilt about not eating a paleo diet, to when will my eggs clap out and when will his sperm, to what really can make us live longer better? My aim is to get you to worry less and give you the information thatll allow you to make sensible decisions, whether youre 25 or 75, the author promises.

Dr Swan is a doctor and award-winning journalist with nearly four decades of experience in reporting medical news in Australia.

In the past year, his voice became familiar to millions as the host of the ABCs Coronacast, a podcast breaking down latest news and research on the novel coronavirus, reaching up to 3 million downloads monthly.

READ MORE: Adding life to years: Cooking in Ikaria, the Greek island of longevity

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Greek Australians have second highest longevity in the world, says Dr Norman Swan - Neos Kosmos