"I think, at a child's birth, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother to endow it with the most useful gift, that gift would be curiosity." --Eleanor Roosevelt
I have been thinking about what traits keep me happy and positive. This is something to think about considering final exams are this week, and if you work it may be busy season due to the holidays, the new year, etc. Studies show that those who have more experiences, rather than material possessions are happier through life. What is a common characteristic that leads to most new experiences? I believe the answer is curiosity. Naturally, children are very curious and the world is theirs to learn. I always found myself asking my parents, aunts/uncles, grandparents countless questions about everything from the beginning of speech until my adolescent years. Curiosity leads to many new discoveries and changes the way we perceive our world. You could argue that aside from survival and reproduction, curiosity is one of the leading drivers of human progress and what we have come to as a civilization.
A few examples from my life. I remember the first time I heard that Charlie Brown Christmas tune by Vince Guaraldi. I wondered how he created that. Now I enjoy playing the piano in my spare time. When I was ten, my dad took me into a camping store. I picked up a Boy Scout handbook and wondered what I would look like with all the medals in the back of the book. I never got any of them, but I did become an Eagle Scout. When I was fifteen, I took a peek into my parents liquor cabinet, I wonder what Jack Daniel's tastes like? Not what I expected! Recently, I wondered what it would be like to climb the highest mountain on a continent. Two summers from now I am scheduled to climb Mount Kilamanjaro.
I think the best way to be curious is to let it come naturally, what is it that inspires you, intrigues you, gets you excited, is interesting? I find that most barren periods of curiosity are when I heed to conventional wisdom and let the media pundits push there tea leaves of glory on my eyes. But lets stay positive!
I will leave your own curiosity up to you. However, a year and a half back I found one of the best places on the web to be curious. Quora. You can follow interesting people, following your favorite topics and learn about everything. It is a question and answer website that is far superior to Yahoo answers. The community is great, check it out if you are curious enough to do so.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Monday, December 10, 2012
Anti-aging Research
Not to long ago, living to the early thirties was considered a good run. We saw tremendous progress when humans moved to an agricultural based economy (i.e. couple million to hundreds of millions of people walking on the planet). Progress was slow, but put into perspective probably as great if not greater than the industrial revolution. Then came the industrial revolution followed by globalization and wallah! human longevity doubled. Now, there are a few people that are trying to prolong our lifespan to several hundred years. I wanted to take the post to introduce two of the leaders in anti-aging research.
Before I do that I want to discuss a conversation I had with my cousin, who is a MD/PhD candidate in biology (or medicine something along those lines) at the University of North Carolina. At Thanksgiving dinner I asked my cousin what he thought of anti-aging research. His research is primarily in alcoholism (which is far more complicated than you might think), he said many of his classmates have a strange obsession with immortality. Some who pursue medicine do so because they think they can contribute to discovering human immortality. A few things that helped put the challenge and difficulties of anti-aging were:
1. Once we overcome one obstacle another is waiting. For example, we cure small pox, fever, polio etc. The next obstacle is heart disease/cancer. Once we cure cancer we have Alzheimer's/mind degenerative diseases, and it continues down the line.
2. While we can sequence the human genome (getting towards affordable for the masses) that is not the holy grail. DNA and sequencing it gives you a parts list. Then you have to understand how these parts interact with each other in different situations, etc. The task is daunting and to have a complete understanding of this, we have much work to do and many years to wait (speculation).
The two scientists that I found interesting in anti-aging research are Aubrey de-Gray and Cynthia Kenyon. Heres some information on them.
Aubrey de Grey:
Aubrey's work is focused on the plan "Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence (SENS)" In a nutshell defines 7 causes of aging and eventually death and his research aims to combat them:
1. Mutations in chromosomes that cause cancer due to nuclear mutations.
2. Mutations in Mitochondria.
3. Junk inside of cells (intercellular aggregate).
4. Junk outside of cells (extracellular aggregate).
5. Cellular loss (too few cells).
6. Cellular senescence (too many cells).
7. Extracellular protein crosslinks.
Cynthia Kenyon:
Her research prompted her to change her diet. "No desserts. No sweets. No potatoes. No rice. No bread. No pasta. When I say ‘no,’ I mean ‘no, or not much,’ she notes. Instead, eat green vegetables. Eat the fruits that aren't the sweet fruits, like melon. Bananas? Bananas are a little sweet. Meat? Meat, yes, of course. Avocados. All vegetables. Nuts. Fish. Chicken. That's what I eat. Cheese. Eggs. And one glass of red wine a day."
Her research focuses on killing specific cells in worms, which has shown to prolong there life. Her research aims to keep you young to fight off disease and degeneration. She founded Elixir Pharmaceuticals, with the goal of creating a pill that has the same affects on prolonging human life as the worms in her research.
Check out their TED talks here:
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Mangan's: Walk, or Lift, Don't Run
Mangan's: Walk, or Lift, Don't Run: An article from the WSJ, One Running Shoe in the Grave , tells of the increasing evidence that distance running can be positively detrimental to your health.
I read this article and found it interesting. The author talks about how distance running actually hurts/destroys your heart and longevity.
The author says, "The really sovereign exercise is weightlifting, which is practically the fountain of youth, directly counteracting some of the main correlates of aging."
I read this article and found it interesting. The author talks about how distance running actually hurts/destroys your heart and longevity.
The author says, "The really sovereign exercise is weightlifting, which is practically the fountain of youth, directly counteracting some of the main correlates of aging."
Healthcare Regulation
A year ago I went to the angel venture forum in Washington, D.C. Startups pitched their companies to investors. There were two rooms, one for Biotech/Life Sciences companies and one for everyone else. I sat in on a few of the pitches from the biotech/life sciences guys. Several of them spoke about current regulation in the healthcare industry, but more importantly the coming regulation in the industry. This regulation provides opportunity to get a slice of the pie. For example, one startup specialized in electronic documents for specific category of wounds. Very niche, but the ability to obtain large contracts. The reason they were pursuing this venture, was because by 2014 all hospitals were be required to keep certain patients documents exclusively in electronic format.
I also watched Peter Thiel say, "given current FDA regulations, the cure for Polio would not pass if it were being introduced today." Slightly paraphrased quote. He also noted that many of the profits from BigPharma come from a handful of medicines. New breakthrough and medicines are hard to introduce to the public. They have to go through multiple clinical trials/human testing. Of course, this is regulated because it involves life and health. This made me think, are we over regulated? Is regulation an opportunity or a hinderance on society?
I really don't know the answer but I did do some research on the healthcare industry and the regulations it abides by.
Our present regulatory structure is not uniform or consistent. Regulations are developed and enforced by the federal, state and local governments as well as private organizations. Usually, they are not coordinated, many healthcare professionals feel that they spend more time with compliance rather than their work.
To understand how complex it can get, lets look at an example, marketing a new drug. The first step is, pharmaceutical companies must obtain a patent from the Patent and Trademark Office. Then it must receive permission from the FDA to perform clinical trials. After the trials, an advisory committee of scientists review the results. Permission to market the drug is granted by a New Drug Approval (NDA), which the company must abide by its restrictions. The manufacturer of the drug needs to get a PBM (Private Pharmacy Benefit Management Company) to administer reimbursement plans for selling the drug. The drug cannot be sold still, unless it is prescribed by a physician and distributed by a licensed pharmacy, both of which are influenced by many more regulations. As you can see, it is complicated and requires lots of time (years).
Think for yourself: What are the regulations that need to be overcome by those who want to practice medicine? (School, exams, residencies, programs, etc.)
Does regulation make our healthcare system inefficient and limit progress? Or does it support and drive progress? I think these are important questions to think about.
I also watched Peter Thiel say, "given current FDA regulations, the cure for Polio would not pass if it were being introduced today." Slightly paraphrased quote. He also noted that many of the profits from BigPharma come from a handful of medicines. New breakthrough and medicines are hard to introduce to the public. They have to go through multiple clinical trials/human testing. Of course, this is regulated because it involves life and health. This made me think, are we over regulated? Is regulation an opportunity or a hinderance on society?
I really don't know the answer but I did do some research on the healthcare industry and the regulations it abides by.
Our present regulatory structure is not uniform or consistent. Regulations are developed and enforced by the federal, state and local governments as well as private organizations. Usually, they are not coordinated, many healthcare professionals feel that they spend more time with compliance rather than their work.
To understand how complex it can get, lets look at an example, marketing a new drug. The first step is, pharmaceutical companies must obtain a patent from the Patent and Trademark Office. Then it must receive permission from the FDA to perform clinical trials. After the trials, an advisory committee of scientists review the results. Permission to market the drug is granted by a New Drug Approval (NDA), which the company must abide by its restrictions. The manufacturer of the drug needs to get a PBM (Private Pharmacy Benefit Management Company) to administer reimbursement plans for selling the drug. The drug cannot be sold still, unless it is prescribed by a physician and distributed by a licensed pharmacy, both of which are influenced by many more regulations. As you can see, it is complicated and requires lots of time (years).
Think for yourself: What are the regulations that need to be overcome by those who want to practice medicine? (School, exams, residencies, programs, etc.)
Does regulation make our healthcare system inefficient and limit progress? Or does it support and drive progress? I think these are important questions to think about.
Bulletproof Coffee
Everyday the world consumes around 3 billion cups of coffee. It takes from beginning to end, 37 gallons of water to produce 1 cup of coffee. Those are just some fun facts. I know I enjoy drinking coffee and you probably do to. Lately, I have been trying Bulletproof Coffee. It was created by Dave Asprey. Lets take a look at what his "superior" coffee has to offer.
Coffee Source:
1. The beans are from Guatemala and grown 1250 meters above sea level. Altitude is an important factor in growing the highest quality beans.
2. It is a Passive Organic farm that is family owned that does not contain any chemicals/pesticides.
3. The beans are hand picked.
4. The beans are mechanically processed after picking using clean cold water, rather than letting them sit in the sun to dry. This is important, because it prevents mold and bacteria from entering the beans, which is common in most coffee beans we consume.
5. The beans are roasted in small batches.
The science behind the coffee:
Dave Asprey has researched coffee for years and says that coffee contains mycotoxins. Mycotoxins are toxic chemical products created by fungi, commonly referred to as mold. The ingestion of mycotoxins can have acute and chronic health effects on humans.
Asprey claims:
1. 52-91.7% of green coffee beans are contaminated with mycotoxins. 50% of brewed coffee are contaminated.
2. Mycotoxins cause cancer, brain damage, hypertension and kidney disease.
3. Coffee is the number one source of antioxidants for Americans and one of the largest sources of mycotoxins. Bulletproof Coffee allows you to receive large quantities of antioxidants, without mycotoxins.
4. Caffeine improves mental performance.
5. Caffeine influences gene expression in a way that protects your brain.
6. Caffeine coffee antioxidants can help prevent Alzheimers.
Grass Fed Butter:
Dave Asprey also recommends you include grass fed butter in your cup of Bulletproof Coffee. The butter makes you feel alert, energized and focused all day. It also helps you lose fat and gain muscle. This is because it contains good cholesterol and fats, from MCT oil.
If you are interested in purchasing your own Bulletproof Coffee check out the link.
1. The beans are from Guatemala and grown 1250 meters above sea level. Altitude is an important factor in growing the highest quality beans.
2. It is a Passive Organic farm that is family owned that does not contain any chemicals/pesticides.
3. The beans are hand picked.
4. The beans are mechanically processed after picking using clean cold water, rather than letting them sit in the sun to dry. This is important, because it prevents mold and bacteria from entering the beans, which is common in most coffee beans we consume.
5. The beans are roasted in small batches.
Dave Asprey has researched coffee for years and says that coffee contains mycotoxins. Mycotoxins are toxic chemical products created by fungi, commonly referred to as mold. The ingestion of mycotoxins can have acute and chronic health effects on humans.
Asprey claims:
1. 52-91.7% of green coffee beans are contaminated with mycotoxins. 50% of brewed coffee are contaminated.
2. Mycotoxins cause cancer, brain damage, hypertension and kidney disease.
3. Coffee is the number one source of antioxidants for Americans and one of the largest sources of mycotoxins. Bulletproof Coffee allows you to receive large quantities of antioxidants, without mycotoxins.
4. Caffeine improves mental performance.
5. Caffeine influences gene expression in a way that protects your brain.
6. Caffeine coffee antioxidants can help prevent Alzheimers.
Grass Fed Butter:
Dave Asprey also recommends you include grass fed butter in your cup of Bulletproof Coffee. The butter makes you feel alert, energized and focused all day. It also helps you lose fat and gain muscle. This is because it contains good cholesterol and fats, from MCT oil.
If you are interested in purchasing your own Bulletproof Coffee check out the link.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Kale Shakes
When I analyzed my diet I realized that it was lacking in vegetables. As a college student my diet is mostly on the go and dining out. I thought about where I get my veggies and it is usually lettuce/tomatoes on a sandwich. Not the best source. I follow an interesting personality on twitter named Joe Rogan, I also listen to his podcasts. He was the host of Fear Factor and is involved with the UFC; he started drinking Kale Shakes a while back and immediately felt the difference.
I will say this, I noticed a change in my energy levels. We are always hopped up on caffeine and sugar, so the Kale Shake is a good change of pace. I also noticed I was happier and more optimistic, although this could be purely psychological. The ingredients in Kale Shakes are high in antioxidants, the number one fighters against free radicals (cells that cause bad things to happen like cancer). Usually the greener the veggie the more antioxidants and kale is a dark dark green. Lets take a look at the ingredients
Ingredients for Kale Shakes:
1. 4 celery shoots
2. 1 cucumber
3. 4 large slices of pineapple
4. 4 large leaves of organic kale (if small leaves eyeball 3 handfuls)
5. 2 cups of coconut milk (you can also use water)
(other recipes found online will contain ginger, garlic, etc. feel free to add that if you like).
Of course you use a blender, I found it was best to rotate between grind/blend. Usually it took 2-3 minutes to blend it into a purely liquid state.
Kale is rich in antioxidants, Vitamin A, C, and K, calcium and iron. It also contains protein! It truly is a superfood and is one of the most nutrition dense foods. Many experts believe that kale is a great way to prevent certain cancers and inflammation.
I will say this, I noticed a change in my energy levels. We are always hopped up on caffeine and sugar, so the Kale Shake is a good change of pace. I also noticed I was happier and more optimistic, although this could be purely psychological. The ingredients in Kale Shakes are high in antioxidants, the number one fighters against free radicals (cells that cause bad things to happen like cancer). Usually the greener the veggie the more antioxidants and kale is a dark dark green. Lets take a look at the ingredients
Ingredients for Kale Shakes:
1. 4 celery shoots
2. 1 cucumber
3. 4 large slices of pineapple
4. 4 large leaves of organic kale (if small leaves eyeball 3 handfuls)
5. 2 cups of coconut milk (you can also use water)
(other recipes found online will contain ginger, garlic, etc. feel free to add that if you like).
Of course you use a blender, I found it was best to rotate between grind/blend. Usually it took 2-3 minutes to blend it into a purely liquid state.
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Grass Fed Beef
This fall I started to eat grass fed beef. Whether I was cooking at home or eating out, anytime I had beef I made sure it was grass fed. The primary reason for this is grass fed beef is healthier for you and natural. Cows were meant to eat grass, not starch/corn, however many farmers feed their cows with starch because they fatten up quickly and it is cost efficient.
Grass fed beef is lean meat, meaning it has lower calories and can even lower your LDL cholesterol. Consuming grass fed beef gives you healthy fats in the form of Omega-3 fatty acids. Believe it or not fat is good for you and necessary to everyones diet. Fat is one of the best sources of energy for the body. Omega-3 fatty acids are considered brain food, they help the body respond to stress and control multiple metabolic processes.
Now, on the flip side grain/starch fed beef are essentially being fed junk food (for cows), so how does this turn them into healthy food for humans? It doesn't, grain fed beef contains the wrong fatty acids, hormones that cause obesity and mycotoxins(biotoxins caused by mold).
Grass fed beef is not a exotic meat, nor is it reserved for the 1%, it is just not as common in the food we purchase today because farmers have a large demand for beef with population increases. Grain fed beef is a quick way to produce fat cows. Not to worry below I will list several ways to obtain grass fed beef.
In the D.C./Maryland area if you want grass fed beef when you are eating out:
1. Elevation Burger
2. Busboys and Poets
If you want to order in bulk online:
1. LogicMeatLocker
I hope this was informative to you and wish you the best in exploring grass fed beef. It truly is the healthier choice!
Grass fed beef is lean meat, meaning it has lower calories and can even lower your LDL cholesterol. Consuming grass fed beef gives you healthy fats in the form of Omega-3 fatty acids. Believe it or not fat is good for you and necessary to everyones diet. Fat is one of the best sources of energy for the body. Omega-3 fatty acids are considered brain food, they help the body respond to stress and control multiple metabolic processes.
Now, on the flip side grain/starch fed beef are essentially being fed junk food (for cows), so how does this turn them into healthy food for humans? It doesn't, grain fed beef contains the wrong fatty acids, hormones that cause obesity and mycotoxins(biotoxins caused by mold).
Grass fed beef is not a exotic meat, nor is it reserved for the 1%, it is just not as common in the food we purchase today because farmers have a large demand for beef with population increases. Grain fed beef is a quick way to produce fat cows. Not to worry below I will list several ways to obtain grass fed beef.
In the D.C./Maryland area if you want grass fed beef when you are eating out:
1. Elevation Burger
2. Busboys and Poets
If you want to order in bulk online:
1. LogicMeatLocker
I hope this was informative to you and wish you the best in exploring grass fed beef. It truly is the healthier choice!
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