The writing team of Ray Kurzweil and Terry Grossman have written a ground-breaking book, 'Fantastic Voyage' - sub-title: 'Live Long Enough To Live Forever'. I've posted on the Main Page about the impact reading this has had on my own approach to fitness and health, so I won't repeat that. Here's what the book's about and a brief profile of the authors.

Ray Kurzweil is a 'futurist', making his reputation particularly with the concept of the 'Singularity' - the point at which computers become genuinely smarter than human beings (a bit closer than you think). At this point, the game becomes a different one for all of us grunts. Ray's interest in advanced future techncology has led him to believe (and he makes a strong argument in this book) that we are close enough to a point where medical solutions and interventions will allow us if not to live forever (some hyperbole is allowed) but a LONG time - perhaps 1,000 years. Much os this technology is around (think of intraocular lens replacement, new knees) now and part of the path towards much wider use is for it to achieve a critical mass and get out of the lab and into the consumer; analagous to the early days of personal computing. The trick, says Kurzweil, is to live long enough to be around when then time comes for the technology to come together so you are here to live forever. This might not be too much of a stretch. But you need to have the tools at hand and the knowledge to know how to make it.

Grossman's part of this is to help us go through the basic science and understand enough biology and medical science to know what we should be doing while we wait for the technology to catch up. So after Chapter 1 has made the argument that "immortality is within our grasp" and Chapter 2 has explained that "we are in the early stages of multiple profound revolutions spawned by the intersection of bilogy, information science and nanotechnology" much of the remainder of the book is a hard look at some of the basic mechanics of the machine that we live in - the body. Chapter 4 deals with food and water,, Chapter 5 with carbohydrates and the glycemic load (which worried me A LOT); other chapters deal with fat and protein, the digestive tract, weight, insulin, heart disease, 'methylation' (yes, its important!) and so on right through the entire User's Manual (23 chapters in all). This is NOT an easy read and you may have to go beyond high school biology, but it IS worth the effort. In some ways you end up knowing more than you ever wanted to...and it does change your perspective.

The authors are obviously fanatics about their subject - they really want you to live forever, and they truly believe you can. But the effort to follow all their prescriptions is enormous and expensive - by the way Grossman runs a longevity clinic in Colorado (http://www.fmiclinic.com/) so he has something of an interest in being enthusiastic. But if you followed Kurzweil's regime (there are chapters describing each of the author's approach to life). you would be routinely testing dozens of blood levels; not cheap.

This seems to be a key issue the authors gloss over. The economics of living forever are a major hurdle. But of course this was true wit computing. even so, for a while it will be the rich in developed countries that are able to availa themselves of this techncology. whwre that goes is beyond the scope of this nevertheless excellent book.

.http://www.fantastic-voyage.net/#

MUSCLE LOSS OVER 40

A Special Report called “Fight Age with Muscle” by John Brandt (on msn’s Health and Fitness website – see link) provides a powerful set of reasons to get in the gym and start sweating!

Diminished muscle strength and mass (called “sarcopenia”) are linked to declines in the immune system and the onset of heart disease and diabetes, not to mention weaker bones, stiffer joints, and slumping postures. Muscle mass has also been shown to play a central role in protein metabolism, which is particularly important in the response to stress, and decreased muscle mass correlates with a decline in overall metabolic rate (muscle mass burns more calories at rest than fat does). Muscle mass has also proved to play a key role in more common, but no less deadly, conditions such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

The thinking about muscles and resistance training is reaching critical mass, and a major shift in the fitness paradigm is under way. Along with this increasing emphasis on resistance training, there is an increasing awareness about the nutritional factors that can complement muscle growth, namely increasing daily intake of protein. Check out the full Special Report on the link entitled Sarcopenia.

msn's Health and Fitness Site

msn health and fitness - This is a really powerful general health and fitness site but with some specific information for the BB Generation also included. Check out the Special Report “Fight Age with Muscle” (see the post) by reading the full report via the msn link. The Special Guides section on msn’s site has some really interesting stuff – I particularly liked the discussion on the pros and cons of pole dancing as the coming fitness trend! Some things the BB Generation probably has to avoid, but who knows!

You Look Great! What Happened?: The over-50 Guide to Health and Fitness

By R.D. Cain

Amazon $22.79 (October 2007 price)

Here’s the Amazon Editorial Review: “While living in Europe, I was amazed by the many seniors I saw skiing, climbing mountains, hiking and strenuous farming well into the autumn of their years. Compared to our European counterparts, Americans let age define who we are, how we should act and even whom we should love. Europeans have shown us that we can be as vibrant at 70 as we were at 40! The secret? Keep moving! Go to a gym, meet people and take up a sport that’s going to make you enjoy the things you can do with your body!”

Health and Fitness Over 50

By Bob O’Connor and Christine Wells
192 pages, First published 1999 Crowood Press (UK) (March 1999) ISBN-10: 1861262086

Amazon $22.95 (October 2007 price)

This seems a useful book that covers the general aspects of staying fit as we get older. Its content includes (among other things):

Theories of How We Age
The Diseases of the Blood Vessels
Cancer
Other Chronic and Degenerative Diseases
Proteins, Fats and Carbohydrates
Vitamins, Minierals and Fibres
Physical Fitrness for Endurance
Strength Exercising for Musclles and Bones
Flexibility and Posture
Coping with Stress

OVERVIEW OF THIS TOPIC

The written word, sometimes words written hundreds or even thousands of years ago, is a critical resource for building a healthy lifestyle. The mental approach to sport, exercise and lifestyle is critical.

So we've included book lists and reviews of those volumes that we've felt have helped with staying healthy in mind and body. In particular the spiritual aspect of life - of ALL religions - is catered for in this Main Topic. If you've come across a particular written or Web resource that you would like us to include, do please comment on the blog, or send an email with the reference or link to ........

P.S. The picture is from a great site called Peak Performance Sports, all about sports psychology and mental toughness. The older you get, the tougher you need to get - mentally as well as physically. Check out the link to these folks on the right of this page.

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