Excerpts
Everything About Happy Longevity
Evidence-based Medicine, East Meets West
by Dr. P. Albert Chan
Most people would prefer to have a long life. However, in my view, just having an extended age should not be the only goal. Everyone should shoot for a healthy, happy, long life with independence and … stamina. Longevity is the goal. This book is designed to guide you to achieving the goal of Happy Longevity.
To prevent dying young, you need to try everything to avoid heart diseases, strokes, cancers, diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure), dementia, and major injuries. It is true that most of these major diseases have a genetic component. However, decisions you make throughout your life can greatly affect your health. You are not a total prisoner of your genes!
A common misconception is that a heart attack or a stroke is something to do with fate, that it is an ‘act of God’. Not so! There have been many advances in cardiovascular care in the last few decades. The most significant one now is how to prevent the disease. With 6G (6th Generation) medicine, cardiovascular diseases are absolutely preventable.
Strokes and dementia are devastating and horrifying diseases affecting our longevity. Most strokes are preventable. Emergency treatment may abort a stroke and maintain full function of the brain and the rest of the body. Dementia is still the most intriguing disease. The causes are still elusive.
In simple terms, a cancer is a normal human cell that undergoes a mutation causing it to multiply rapidly and incessantly; and the cancer cells may spread to other parts of the body.
The first defense is to prevent cell mutations. The second defense is to build up the immune system to kill the cancer cells at an early stage. The third one is to detect the cancer as early as possible.
There are many proven anti-aging remedies – exercise, diet, stress reduction, weight reduction, smoking cessation, and happiness. Stick with them now while you are waiting for the miracle drug(s).
Exercise is the cheapest and most effective anti-aging ‘medicine’. It provides good health, happiness, strength, and stamina for independent longevity.
Sufficient healthy sleeping habits are crucial to Happy Longevity. It should be part of your Exercise Plan. Don’t do strenuous exercise before bed. Sleep deprivation can cause obesity, metabolic dysfunction, dementia, mental diseases, inflammation and a weakened immune system. It can also increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. A lack of sleep can also make you feel too tired to exercise.
A perfect diet should help us to maintain an ideal weight, avoid hypertension and diabetes. It can also improve our immune system, muscle strength and stamina, and decrease heart attacks, strokes, cancer, and dementia. Eating the food we enjoy can also increase our happiness.
No one diet is perfect for everyone. The best diet should be the one you like, that keeps you at your ideal weight and provides sufficient vitamins and minerals while helping prevent all the major diseases.
You have a much better chance of succeeding if you change your diet gradually. You still can consume some of the food at the middle or bottom of the list occasionally. Indulgence brings joy. Joy improves longevity.
Maintaining the balance — yin and yang, not too hot, not too cool — is the key to longevity.
Metabolic health is essential to Happy Longevity. It plays a major role in the health of every organ in our body. Diabetes can be part of the metabolic syndrome or a disease on its own.
Diet control and exercise should still be emphasized as the first step to treat diabetes. Lowering the weight, blood pressure and bad cholesterol (LDL-C), and quitting smoking should be the second key step. Controlling the blood sugar (hemoglobin A1C) is the third step. All three steps are important.
There are lots of things the East and the West can learn from each other on Happy Longevity.
Japan is ranked #4 in the world in terms of longevity. In 2023, 43% of the Japanese population was above the age of 60. More than 10% are now aged 80 or older. They must have some secrets that other people can learn from.
Singapore emphasizes scientifically proven medical care. There are strict rules and regulations on the healthcare providers, medicine, diagnostics, and treatments. They set up research projects to investigate the efficacy and side effects of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The goal is to identify the active chemical compounds and manufacture them in pure forms. This may be able to prove and advance TCM uses.
Adopting some diet ideas and attitudes on life, reducing dependency on cars, and lowering the obesity rate may help the West to improve life expectancy.
To achieve ultimate happiness, there are 5Fs. Fitness, Family, Finance, Fame, Fun. Enforcing the five Fs is the beginning of a Happy Longevity.
Longevity without happiness is futile. Among all the factors contributing to longevity, happiness is the most important one, but also the most difficult to achieve. Everyone is different. Your happiness depends on a lot of self-determination and help. Happiness engenders longevity. Longevity requires happiness.
Disclaimer
The content of this book only reflects the opinions and ideas of its author. They are not meant to substitute for the advice of your healthcare providers. Readers should always consult their own doctors and other medical professionals for all the medical advice and assistance. The author and the publisher specially disclaim all responsibility for any damage or loss that the reader may incur as following the suggestions given in this book.