Posts from — March 2008

More people are reaching that 100th birthday than ever before. My grandmother passed on not too long ago and was just over a year short of the century mark and was in very good health until near the end. A remarkable achievement considering her humble beginnings. We still have not figured out her secret, however. She never drank eight glasses of water per day or worked out; she followed no special diet; or did any of the numerous things we are told to do today.

She lived in the same place in St. Ann her whole life. She knew a lot of people, had a good sense of humor, went to church often and was very outspoken.

Maybe without realizing it she was on the caloric restriction (CR) diet.  She ate sparingly and took her time eating.  A habit she probably developed from the lean years in her early life. Now scientists are telling us that experiments in the lab show that animals that are fed half the normal calories or their species live considerably longer than those fed the regular amount of calories and  humans could live extended periods if put on such a diet.  Some people have joined the experiment by embracing this CR diet.  How long will they live? The verdict is still out.  But even if they were to live a very long life, would it be really be any fun when depriving yourself of so much?

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On the news recently there was a video of a US soldier in Iraq throwing a young puppy over a cliff and then laughing about it. The army promised swift punishment. Meanwhile back in the US a once popular football player is currently in prison being punished for his role in a dog fighting operation. His fall from grace once his involvement in the mistreatment of dogs was publicized was immediate. People have a deep love for dogs, that’s evident but it’s interesting that when they dislike another person they won’t hesitate to call him–usually it’s a woman calling a man–a dog. I guess some dogs are better than others. From the movie The Thin Red Line we have the well known line about war turning men into dogs. I guess that how we get the dogs of war.

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