The Monks of Athos longevity

Burt Blank

Burt Blank

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They are reputed to be some of the longest living men on earth. The media wanted to puff the long lives as a result of the Mediterranean Diet. The Abbot laughed at the suggestion and stated they are only allowed the key components olive oil, fish, fruit, veg etc 3 times a week and never more than two items in one meal. So when asked for the secret of their long life. He simply stated. We are a closed order so no women or bank managers are allowed in.
 
A while ago Readers Digest had a long read about the places in the world where people have most longevity. This article by the Time Magazine seems like an abridged version of the one I read. Diet plays a huge role but also level of physical activity and social ties. Mediterranean diet has been linked to longer longevity and better health since it favors fresh fruit and vegetables and healthy fats. Two out of the five regions mentioned are Mediterranean countries anyway.

Meat seems to be an offender. I used to vegetarianism, veganism etc as fads with limited scientific support but they start to grow more and more support. One of my coworkers spent one month in the hospital, her digestive system was full of ulcers. Ever since she changed into a vegetarian diet she never had any issues. She knows a woman who has the same health issues but she didn't change her diet. That woman is back in the hospital every now and then. My colleague was never hospitalized again and it's been 5 or 6 years since that episode.
 
LissaC said:
Meat seems to be an offender
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The macrobiotic diet was developed in the 1920s by a Japanese philosopher called George Ohsawa. He believed that by eating a simple, healthy diet, we could live in harmony with nature. He also believed that his macrobiotic diet could cure cancer and other serious illnesses. He died quite young at 72 of a heart attack. My Mum lived till she was 99 yrs old. From her twenties to fifties she smoked a pack of un tipped gauloises cigarettes a day. 2/3 meals a day included meat. My Dad lived to 93 years he loved Sunday roasts, either Beef, Lamb or Pork. Saturday lunch was either Fillet Steak and chips or Steak Hache and chips.
These are the foods the hospital nutritionist told me to stop or minimize eating when I had kidney stones.

Foods high in oxalate include:

  • Beans.
  • Beer.
  • Beets.
  • Berries.
  • Chocolate.
  • Coffee.
  • Cranberries.
  • Dark green vegetables, such as spinach.
  • Nuts.
  • Oranges.
  • Rhubarb.
  • Soda (cola).
  • Soy beans.
  • Soy milk.
  • Spinach.
  • Sweet potatoes.
  • Tea (black).
  • Tofu.
  • Wheat bran.
The surgeon said what a load of bollocks blasted them and put me on medication I have taken for twenty kidney stone free year.
 
Burt Blank said:
We are a closed order so no women
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So they live a long time, but they're pretty, um, bored, I'd guess... :wink:

I think a lot of long life just comes down to genetics. Yes, some foods are healthier than others, and it's probably a good idea to get a bit of exercise now and again, but like probably everyone here, I can look at my own family and point out that health nut who dropped at 59, and that other one who had every vice known to humankind, and made it to 101.

My philosophy: you get one life. Enjoy it, but everything in moderation, for the most part.
 
My last three generations have been meat n 3 veges. Fathers side all live to 80s , mothers side the same except my mum and her mum. Both 66 but smoking killed them. No vegetarians either side.

Burt Blank i had one kidney stone once, the pain had me on the bed for most of the day in excruciating pain. I'm convinced it was a stone?

Russ
 
rascal said:
@Burt Blank i had one kidney stone once, the pain had me on the bed for most of the day in excruciating pain. I'm convinced it was a stone?
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Russ mate, according to the consultant I'm not a very good example as I have a very high tolerance to pain. The recon because it's because I had a lumbar puncture at 13 months old. For me it was painful but nothing like reported. Whilst waiting for Mr Shirgill to zap them he asked me to try and collect one by peeing into a sieve. Christmas morning I passed a stone that was bigger than the diamond in my earring. I took it in, they tested it and adjusted there plan of attack. After they zap them its nasty.
 
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Folks on my mom's side all make it to their mid-80's, generally, but on my dad's side, 96-102 is the norm. His mom lived to 96, his uncle 101, his grandmother 102, another uncle is still alive and about to turn 90. I don't how old his other aunts and uncles lived to. These are/were all hardcore Kentucky hillbillies - "healthy diet" was/is an unknown term to them. :)

Dad is 82, and I'll be surprised if he makes it past 85. A lot of his problem actually seems to be mild depression, a sort of moodiness over his health and loss of usefulness, as he sees it. His sister is 86, and I'll be surprised if she doesn't make it to 100.
 
rascal said:
My last three generations have been meat n 3 veges. Fathers side all live to 80s , mothers side the same except my mum and her mum. Both 66 but smoking killed them. No vegetarians either side.

Burt Blank i had one kidney stone once, the pain had me on the bed for most of the day in excruciating pain. I'm convinced it was a stone?

Russ
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I've had multiple stones with the last requiring "surgery" to remove them all. Haven't had one since. I also have a pretty high pain tolerance, but those were pretty bad. The last one was 7mm and was not coming out on its own, thus the "surgery".
 
My mom had kidney removal surgery this March, she had a stone so large the kidney wasn't functioning anymore and she had a permanent infection. She's fully recovered and living a regular life now.

My mom's side of the family doesn't live long or in good health, they have issues with chronic diseases like diabetes, lupus, Parkinson, high blood pressure. My grandfather was chinese and we all have low tolerance to alcohol, sadly. My dad's side of the family lives long and healthy. But they lived many years in Angola where they had to grow pretty much everything they ate, to this day they still eat a lot of fruit and fresh ingredients, few processed foods. And they have good genes no doubt. Well into their 90's my great grandparents were relatively healthy and mentally alert. My great grandmother is 98 I think, every time the doctor sees her blood tests he says she's healthier than him :D
 
JASOH1 said:
In my family the meaner they are, the longer they live. I have one sister who is probably going to live to be 120.
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It's funny, but the long-lived ones on my dad's side...mean as hell, and really mean, like mean for the sake of being mean, they took real joy in cutting down others. Just real a-holes, through and through.

Hey, another word with different interpretations between here and the UK - mean as in cheap (UK) and mean as in vile and obnoxious. caseydog would be proud.
 
TastyReuben said:
It's funny, but the long-lived ones on my dad's side...mean as hell, and really mean, like mean for the sake of being mean, they took real joy in cutting down others. Just real a-holes, through and through.

Hey, another word with different interpretations between here and the UK - mean as in cheap (UK) and mean as in vile and obnoxious. caseydog would be proud.
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My Aunty who died last March in mid 80s was a wool spinner, known world wide and travelled to al parts of the world, they own a farm worth $4 million. Her and her husband stayed in backpackers and other cheap places around the world. They stayed here in Chch about 10years ago,they stayed in a motor camp. No electricity, just a cabin..they showed up at my work about 15 mins from where they stayed. To use our sink so her husband could have a shave. That's what we call tight here, tight as a nuns $&@$, or fishes $&@$. Her two sons have the personality of walnut.
My wife always says I'm too generous, and I know I am. But I'm ok with that.

Russ
 
TastyReuben said:
It's funny, but the long-lived ones on my dad's side...mean as hell, and really mean, like mean for the sake of being mean, they took real joy in cutting down others. Just real a-holes, through and through.

Hey, another word with different interpretations between here and the UK - mean as in cheap (UK) and mean as in vile and obnoxious. caseydog would be proud.
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A lot of the time that trait goes hand-in-hand with the other. The sister I speak of is both. She's never been generous with anything. And I could probably think of a few other people who fit the bill from my past...it's unfortunate. My other four siblings are (mostly) normal. At least they are positive people for the most part. It's always lovely that we can choose our friends. It's nice when they are part of your family already.
 
JASOH1 said:
A lot of the time that trait goes hand-in-hand with the other. The sister I speak of is both. She's never been generous with anything. And I could probably think of a few other people who fit the bill from my past...it's unfortunate. My other four siblings are (mostly) normal. At least they are positive people for the most part. It's always lovely that we can choose our friends. It's nice when they are part of your family already.
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When my great uncle died (and he was the worst, just a jerk from the word go), I went to his funeral, and was that something.

He was very involved in his church, and I was expecting the preacher to do the usual platitudes, but he didn't. He laid it right out what a pure miserable old bastard he was, and then, all the people who spoke, they backed him.

His four kids by his wife trashed him, then his seven or eight kids by various other women around town dumped on him some more. It was a surreal service, but he reaped what he sowed. He was a terrible, horrible person, just seemed to hate everyone.

Remember when I mentioned the work my mom went to tracking down her FIL's long lost brother? He was the long lost brother, and it's why he'd been shunned by his family - everyone hated him because he was such a jerk. Stole, lied, cheated, abandoned his wife and kids, just an awful, awful person.

Good funeral, though, because it was an honest one.
 
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