Terry spoke at the Convergence08 conference.
Heart and Cardio Health
Heart and coronary disease is the number one killer in North America. Two tests are very good for early detection of heart and coronary problems.
1. Coronary artery calcium score tests should be performed about US$200
2. Carotid Intima-media thickness (IMT) test using ultrasound
Women should take breast exams at earlier ages. Thermograms are better for detection without the dose of radiation from a mammogram. Good for women age 25-40. After 40 use alternating mammograms and thermograms.
Terry recommends PSA tests to check for prostate problems. He believes stronger preventive measures should be taken with scores over 1. Scores over 1 do not necessarily mean cancer but can mean inflamation. Lifestyle modification such as eating more fish and less red meat.
Genetic Screening
APOE2, APOE3, and APOE4 tests will help determine Alzheimer’s risk. (About $90)
23andme offers $400 a test of about 80 genes based on a swab of your mouth.
Basic Preventative
Take a multi-vitamin 3-4 times per day
Fish Oil -2 grams
Vitamin D 40-56 [80% of people have too little Vitamin D]
Red Yeast Rice is good for reducing cholesterol
Plant Sterols also good for reducing cholesterol
Reducing calories consumed by 10-20% is beneficial. Calorie reduction is 10-20%, while calorie restriction is 30-40% reduced calories.
FURTHER READING
A Short guide to a long life
Chapter Four: Food and Water
Avoid soft drinks and other acidic drinks, particularly colas (which have an extremely acidic pH of 2.5).
Replace coffee, which is also quite acidic, with less acidic beverages such as tea (particularly green tea).
Drink one-half fluid ounce per pound of body weight of alkaline water (pH between 9.5 and 10) each day. A 140-pound person should drink about nine 8-ounce cups per day.
In general, unfiltered tap water should not be drunk. Filtered tap water or ideally filtered, alkalinized water should be drunk instead.
Purified alkaline water can be produced from tap water by using an alkalinizing water machine (see recommended products listing).
Chapter Five: Carbohydrates and the Glycemic Load
One of the principal recommendations is to cut down sharply on high-glycemic-load carbohydrates. Beyond this, the proportion of carbohydrates in the diet depends on your health condition.
Our “low-carbohydrate group” consists of five subgroups of people that should cut down their carbohydrate consumption to no more than one sixth of their calories and virtually eliminate high-glycemic-load carbohydrates. As an example, the maintenance calorie level for someone weighing 150 pounds who is moderately active is 2, 250 calories. This would translate into a carbohydrate limit of 94 grams per day. The five subgroups of people [Note from Nextbigfuture author: the dietary recommendations are probably a prudent step for most people and the five subgroups cover a lot of people] are:
People trying to lose weight.
People with The Metabolic Syndrome (also known as “Syndrome X” — see definition below).
People with Type II diabetes.
People with elevated risk factors for heart disease.
People who have cancer, have had cancer, or have an elevated risk of cancer.
For this low-carbohydrate group, we recommend:
Limit total carbohydrate consumption to less than one sixth of calories (see table below).
Generally avoid grains and fruit juices.
Eat very small quantities of low-glycemic index fruits, such as berries.
Acceptable carbohydrates in limited quantities include legumes (bean, lentils) and nuts.
Acceptable carbohydrates in larger quantities include low starch vegetables, particularly fresh and lightly cooked
Good low starch vegetables:
Kale, Swiss chard, collards, spinach
Dandelion greens, green and red cabbage, broccoli
Red and green leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce, endive
Chinese cabbage, bok choy, fennel, celery, cucumbers
Cauliflower, zucchini, Brussels sprouts
Green vegetables in general
Use a starch blocker.
Chapter Eight: Change Your Weight for Life in One Day
Basic Procedure for our “Change Your Weight for Life in One Day” program:
Step One: Determine your body frame size from Table 1 in chapter 8
Step Two: Determine your optimal weight range from Table 2 in chapter 8. Set your optimal weight to the low end of the range. If your weight falls below this level, increase your calorie consumption to maintain this optimal weight.
Step Three: Determine and adopt the maintenance calorie level for your optimal weight and exercise level (which should be at least moderately active). This will result in gradual weight loss, which will automatically taper off as you approach your optimal weight. You only need to make this one change.
As you approach your optimal weight, assess the important issue of body fat, which should be in the range of 12 to 20% for men and 18 to 26% for women, although we recommend you stay on the lean side of these ranges. Use the tables on body fat (see section on this web site)to determine your body fat percentage. Alternatively, you can use a scale that shows body fat percentage.
Do not make weight loss your primary goal. Rather, adopt a healthy pattern of eating with a sustainable level of calories and approach your optimal weight gradually.
Exercise is an important component of losing weight and a healthy life style. We recommend at least 300 calories of exercise per day.
Terry Grossman wrote about genetic tests back in 2002
First 3 chapters of the Fantastic Voyage book
Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
Known for identifying cutting edge technologies, he is currently a Co-Founder of a startup and fundraiser for high potential early-stage companies. He is the Head of Research for Allocations for deep technology investments and an Angel Investor at Space Angels.
A frequent speaker at corporations, he has been a TEDx speaker, a Singularity University speaker and guest at numerous interviews for radio and podcasts. He is open to public speaking and advising engagements.