In July 2009 I decided to get more professional input, and visited Dr Terry Grossman in Denver for a repeat of the tests, a few more besides, and more personal advice.

In October 2009 (OK – I dragged my feet a bit) I had a review, via Skype, of the results of the tests Terry had carried out for me.

Wow – Skype video! Fantastic. It was near to the effect of being in Terry Grossman’s offices.

Key Health Points

Key points were:

• My total cholesterol is high
• My genetic profile shows no particular inherited concerns
• My biological age is 19 years younger than my physical age – a near record for the clinic
• I need to enhance my exercise regime to keep up the good results I have had.

I am now starting my ‘new regime’. My main aim is to reduce my cholesterol – through diet  and supplements.

My Health – The Next Step is a post from: Living To 150

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1. My Health – Cholesterol
2. Feedback On My Health
3. Health Report Has Arrived

Blood sugar is a little higher than I would like. Homcysteine is higher than it was last year; that means increased heart disease risk so I will increase B vitamins and folic acid to deal with this.

My LDL cholesterl is even higher than last year. However, this time a VAP test (more in depth that the usual cholesterol test) reveals that many of these LDL particles are the worse, smaller kinds, which are more of a heart risk.

I will need to address this. How, I will know after talking to Terry Grossman for my follow-up consultation.

Apart from this news is good. Inherited factors are not bad; my ‘H-scan’ result places me at 38 years old biologically -  19 years younger than my physical age; and one or two environmental toxns need sorting out with a course of chelaton therapy.

After my telephone consultaton I will carry out Terry’s recommendations.Then he wants some repeat blood tests to monitor the hoped-for improvements.

So I will probably pop over to New York to have the retests. This seems crazy but is necessary for three reasons: 1. It’s good if the same lab does the tests – for comparison purposes; 2. Blood tests cost a fortune in the UK: 3. Sending blood to the States is very expensive – and if it’s delayed, it’s ‘dead’.

Anyway, it’s an excuse for a few days’ break in New York. I can go and see the stunning gospel choir in the Bronx I saw last time.

I also plan to try and get my parents to go over to have some basic blood tests at that time.

Question: Would you travel 3000 miles to get blood tests if you knew it would help you look after your health – and possible avoid cancer and heart disease? Leave a comment.

Health Report Has Arrived is a post from: Living To 150

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I am expecting my pack of results any day, and this will be followed by an hour consultation with Dr Terry Grossman – who I really like and trust, in fact.

What will it reveal? The blood tests hold no fear – as they are repeats of those done a year ago. So I know I am basically fine, but will get extra info on my high cholesterol level. This must be genetic – do I need to worry – and if so what can I do about it?

The other major factor is that I have genetic tests coming back. In other words, I will know some of the genetic diseases which I am more liable to get.

Anyway, I think I am in good hands.

Living to 150 is the (interim) aim – and I feel sure Terry Grossman can help.

I will report back when the results arrive.

Question: Would you spend £4,000 ($6,000) on a health assessment? Post a comment.

Feedback On My Health is a post from: Living To 150

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They were:

1. Avoiding glycation

2. Reducing the amount of sugar in my diet

3. Increasing exercise

In this entry I look briefly at:

3. Increasing exercise

My exercise regime a year ago was not great. I used to play racquetball once a week, and that had stopped. I would walk for half an hour or an hour sporadically. I was doing no weight training. I had started yoga and did this for 10-15 minutes most days.

I decided to get more organized!

1. I started to walk quickly for  20-30 minutes 2-3 times a week.

2. I joined the gym, just for the strength building exercise. I carried out a programme for 45 minutes 2-3 times a week.

3. I joined a tennis club and loved it, such that I played 3 times most weeks.

These were the changes I made after my blood tests in early 2008, which I managed to keep up pretty well to date.

I was now ready to review my lifestyle changes in the light of the recommendations of Dr Terry Grossman and his colleagues.

My Lifestyle Changes – Exercise is a post from: Living To 150

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They were, basically:

1. Avoiding glycation.

2. Reducing sugar – of all types – in my diet

3. Increasing exercise

In this entry I look briefly at:

2. Reducing the amount of sugar in my diet

After my last blood tests it became clearer to me just how much of my diet consisted of sugar. Bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, fruit, sweet vegetables – all had a high proportion of sugar. Juiced fruit is as sugar rich as soda (eg cola) without having the natural fruit fibre to slow absorption down. And a high level of sugar in the diet correlates with Metabolic Syndrome, diabetes, cancer and heart disease.

So I did the following:

1.  Virtually cut out potatoes, rice, pasta and bread in daily use.

2. Cut out fruit juices and smoothies with fruit.

3. Chose my cooked vegetables to reduce sweet ones – carrots, peas, sweet corn, swwet peppers, parsnips; and focus on none-sweet – greens, cauliflower, broccoli, green beans.

4. When eating the sweet vegetables, I tried to eat them raw, eg with humus.

This had the effect of my eating fish and salad or chicken and salad for many meals.

Next I look at My Lifestyle Change – Exercise

——————–

Question: What do you think about cutting down all starchy food in your diet? Potatoes, pasta, even rice? Post a comment

My Lifestyle Changes – Sugar is a post from: Living To 150

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The lifestyle changes I made after last year’s blood tests in Fort Lauderdale (April 2008) were as follows.

1. Avoiding glycation

2. Reducing the amount of sugar in my diet

3. Increasing exercise

After this year’s visit to see Terry Grossman, I will make further changes, no doubt. For now, let’s look at these factors one by one.

1. Avoiding glycation.

I reduced the amount of food I cooked at high temperatures. This was to avoid glycation.

For example, I substituted frying my salmon for poaching or steaming it. Stir-frys became a ‘quick fry’ followed by steaming in a little liquid.

I stopped frying curry onions and spices before adding the liquid – I just put it all together to cook.

When cooking in foil in the oven, I cook for an hour at 250 degrees F (gas mark 1.5) instead of a hot oven for 20 minutes.

The food still tastes great. I love poached or steamed salmon now. I like to poach it in vegetable stock, or wine, or just some water with a little soy sauce or Worcestershire Sauce. Add some flavouring to taste – onions, garlic, chili seeds, chopped peppers – and steam for 5 minutes a side.

In the oven – add the same vegetables, pour a little olive oil over. You can also add sliced courgette, mushrooms, etc. A fantastic meal when you add a side salad or a few extra steamed green vegetables.

I still occasionally have fried food – but rarely cook it  except for the quick start to my stir-frys.

Next I look at My Lifestyle Changes – Sugar

My Lifestyle Changes – Glycation is a post from: Living To 150

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I have signed up to a two day health assessment and series of consultations with Terry himself, his wife, a practitioner in nutrition and Chinese medicine, and others.

I want to build on the blood tests I had done a year ago, following which I have made lifestyle changes. These include dietary changes, exercise changes and devising a supplement plan.

I hope to have all these changes checked by the clinic.  Also, new blood and other tests will be carried out, and further recommendations made.

I am quite excited to hear what is recommended.

I think the clinic will also apply a test which shows an estimate of my ‘bodily age’ compared to my physical age. This will be a useful benchmark for future treatments to gauge their effects.

Denver is a lovey city, and has a great temperature in July. After my visit to the clinic, my partner and I will tour round the Rocky Mountains for 2 weeks before returning home.

Denver Anti-Aging is a post from: Living To 150

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(It’s said that the first person who will still be healthy at 200 is already living.)

So with that aim in mind I need to prepare myself for my trip to Denver, Colorado to see Terry Grossman, in July 2009.

What do I want to achieve?

Three main things.

1. Firstly, to have new blood tests taken, so that I can compare these with the ones I had done last year at Life Extension Foundation, and get the clinic’s views on them.
2. Secondly, to have a more detailed health assessment done, and so further review my health status.
3. Thirdly, to get the clinic’s views on my lifestyle, and how that is affecting my health, looked at against the backdrop of the blood tests.

New Blood Tests

It will be interesting to see how my blood test have changed compared to last year.

My main concerns with the blood tests were:

• High cholesterol. My total cholesterol was 235 mg/dl. This is about 6 in the UK measurement, and so about 30% too high. LDL and HDL were similarly high. However, my total cholesterol/HDL ratio was pretty good. Triglycerides were also good, at 72 mg/dl. (What is cholesterol?)
• Blood sugar. Fasting blood sugar was 102 mg/dl, or 5.6mmol/l in UK terms. Optimal is between 70 and 85.  So 102 is high. However, haemoglobin A-1 C was 5.6%, which is good. This is a measure of blood sugar over the past three-months. Also, fasting insulin was good at less than 2 mIU/dl.
• Hormones. My free testosterone was measured at 9.1 pg per millilitre. This is within the recommended range, but low within the range. Thyroid hormones again, were low within the normal range.

I will be looking to see whether the new blood tests reflect similar values to the old ones – from a year ago.

It will be interesting to hear the clinic’s personal recommendations. Last year I had only support via the telephone, which was not ideal. This one-to-one advice will be more helpful.

Preparing for My Health Review is a post from: Living To 150

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Terry heads one of the leading anti-aging clinics in the world. I met him last November at Convergence08, and was impressed by his knowledge and demeanour.

The 2-day programme is not cheap; but it is comprehensive. It is different from the blood tests I had done in Fort Lauderdale last year in that there are extra tests; and there is a lot more interpretation. The clinic’s approach seems to be more ‘here’s how to develop a programme for life yourself’.

The Grossman Wellness programmes

It’s a long way to go, but I am creating a number of travel websites and will make Colorado the focus of one of them, thus killing two birds with one stone.  By all accounts Colorado is a beautiful state – especially in July.

Over the next few weeks I will highlight some of the treatments I will be having.

Visit To Colorado Anti-aging Clinic is a post from: Living To 150

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Inflammation is shown, in this image, affecting some of the major joints. We all know and understand this type.

But Generalised Inflammation is something that we all need to be aware of – whether or not we have aches and pains.

Generalised Inflammation is present in many people – and they rarely know about it.

This insidious type of inflammation is implicated in all major degenerative diseases:

• Heart disease
• Artery disease
• Some cancers
• Alzheimer’s Disease
• Diabetes

In other words, many studies have shown that a significant number of the people suffering from these diseases

have generalised inflammation, demonstrated by blood tests.

As these diseases occur more as we age, I think we can usefully add:

• Aging

to the list of diseases which inflammation causes.

Measuring Inflammation

Inflammation can be detected by testing the blood for c-reactive protein (molecule pictured left) and fibrinogen. If the levels of these two are high, bringing them down can usually be fairly easily achieved through the right vitamins, nutritional supplements and herbs.

More Information

As well as my more detailed article on Inflammation, here are links to some books on the topic from Amazon UK:

Stop Inflammation Now!
The Inflammation Syndrome
The Inflammation-Free Diet Plan

Essential To Address If We Are To Get – And Stay – Healthy

Inflammation is a crucial issue to address to slow down aging and the onset of degenerative diseases. I find it fascinating that this issue is:

• Easy to measure (through blood tests)
• Usually easy to treat
• Therefore within our individual control

And also that it is:

• Talked about by hardly anyone who is charged with looking after our health.

Inflammation Kills is a post from: Living To 150

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The reason I hate to report it, is because many people will be as shocked as I was – or even disbelieving – when first hearing that their morning ‘health’ drink could actually be unhealthy.

But it is true.

The Whole Fruit, Nothing But The Fruit

All fruit juices are similar to sugar water. True, the sugar is not glucose; it’s fructose. But it still spikes up blood sugar after drinking it.

The whole fruit contains fibre which slows sugar absorption down. The juice has most or all of the fibre removed so that the passage of sugar into the blood stream is rapid.

The Path To Diabetes (type II)

The 3-step pattern leading to diabetes can then emerge:

1. Sugar in the blood demands insulin, from the pancreas. Insulin influences ‘receptors’ in the cell walls to allow sugar to pass inside.
2. Over time the cell wall receptors become less responsive to repeated insulin insults. The pancreas has to produce more and more for the same result.
3. The overworked pancreas becomes can’t keep up with the demand for insulin. Blood sugar builds up and diabetes is present.

Avoid Diabetes – And Delay Aging

A feature of diabetes is that sufferers get aging diseases much earlier than the rest of us.

This is why diabetics tend to get problems with heart and arteries, kidneys and eyes at a relatively young age. Control of the diabetes is essential; and for most, perfectly possible.

Control Through Diet

Although input from an experienced practitioner is always helpful, one of the main approaches to dealing with Type II diabetes (also called ‘maturity onset’ diabetes) is through a rigorous diet.

This is the same diet as a ‘healthy aging’ diet, but with more care taken to keep blood sugar low.

This means reducing intake of sugar and starches (mainly potatoes, pasta, rice and bread) dramatically such that your blood sugar remains at a low-normal level – not just a moderate level.

Blood sugar can be monitored through regular blood tests.

A practitioner can advise on supplements to be used. Also see:

• Life Extension Foundation – diabetes for a great article
• Life Extension Magazine August 2008, p67 "Metabolic Disease and Heart Attack, which is very relevant. 
• www.meta-syndrome.com for information on Metabolic Syndrome.

Finally, here is:

• A report of the Orange Juice study

Orange Juice Gives You Diabetes is a post from: Living To 150

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However, this ignores the main functional problem produced by  wrinkles; they don’t just affect the face, but affect the whole body. In fact, the main problem with wrinkles is that they reduce the flexibility of organs which need to be flexible. Facial wrinkles are just the external indication of the main problem; glycation.

By reducing the flexibility off the brain, heart, kidneys and eyes glycation promotes aging.

So, to help you keep looking young externally, and also to help you keep young internally, addressing glycation is a key issue.

The Main Causes Of Glycation

The Main causes are:

1. Blood glucose, which is too high.
2. Eating foods cooked at temperatures which are too high

1. High Blood Glucose

A continually high level of blood glucose promotes glycation. The main solution, for most people is dramatically to cut down the amount of starch in the diet; bread, pasta, rice and potatoes. Ideally, don’t eat any. Practically, reduce to a bare minimum.

Preferably, monitor blood glucose level with blood tests.

2. Food Cooked At High Temperature

Food cooked at temperatures above 250°F promote glycation. To avoid this, avoid frying, grilling, roasting, [and broiling]. Prepare foods uncooked [salads], and use slow cooking, steaming, simmering, stews to prepare your food.

Ideally, make sure all the food you eat is prepared in this way. Practically, only eat foods cooked at high temperatures on rare occasions, such as when visiting friends.

Practical application

When eating out, it’s a fairly simple matter to choose foods which follow these guidelines. Salad-and-something is a common option; or or a protein choice plus mixed vegetables – hold the potatoes.

As in all things, don’t strain too much to avoid glycated foods 100%. But 95% is great – and it will help your skin, long term.

How To Avoid Aging Wrinkles is a post from: Living To 150

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It needs to offer a good range of tests – eg including Haemoglobin A1c – as well as the more usual ones; and preferably be a reasonable price.

Any suggestions gratefully received as I not only want them myself, but other people I talk to want them too. Understandably, not everyone is prepared to go to America as I did.

Please leave a comment if you have any ideas.

Where To Get Blood Tests In UK is a post from: Living To 150

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Systemic inflammation is when there is general ‘background’ inflammation without pain or symptoms – at least initially. For this reason it is insidious as it can just creep up on you. The joints and muscles can slowly degenerate without you realising it.

The same inflammation is a major cause of a host of other diseases including heart and artery disease; some cancers; Alzheimer’s disease, as well as conditions due to thickened blood such as angina and clouded thinking.

Systemic inflammation can be indicated through blood tests for C-reactive protein (CRP) and fibrinogen. If both of these are low, this is a good sign that systemic inflammation is not rampant in your body.

My own measures for these two are: CRP – 0.82 mg/L, and 149 mg/dL of fibrinogen. The ‘reference range’ (range within which the lab suggests the results are ok) for CRP is 0-3 mg/L and for fibrinogen 193-423 mg/dL.

This makes my CRP within the good range; but I think .5 is even more desirable than .82 (says Philip Miller).

My fibrinogen level is lower than the reference range. The lab’s doctor says this is a good thing. I wonder why it is so low. High fibrinogen thickens the blood; low fibrinogen should thin the blood. This might be expected to make me bleed more easily, which I do not experience – at least not yet  

Systemic inflammation is one of the 4 key ‘-ations’ identified by Philip Miller (Life Extension Revolution, Ch 7) as being crucial to address if you wish to achieve healthy aging.

Treatment is simple; change your diet to exclude inflammatory factors (such as Omega 6 fatty acids) and take a mixture of herbs including:

• Nettles
• Circumin (Turmeric)
• Ginger

and supplements, including:

• DHEA
• Vitamin K
• Bromelain

Then you need to retest the blood to see if what you did worked. A lot of hassle, but it’s worth it to help avoid degenerative diseases.

Afterwards, an annual blood test will check everything is still ok. This should be part of a regular health routine.

Arthritis and Inflammation is a post from: Living To 150

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I have taken Life Extension Foundation’s Life Extension Mix (a very special multi-mineral/vitamin mix) for around 6 months. I did this on purpose prior to taking the blood tests. This may well have boosted levels of certain blood components up to their current good levels.

Eg, chromium, zinc and selenium are often found to be deficient; my chromium and zinc were fine; the selenium I don’t know because that was the one test which did not come out for technical reasons.

My 3 aims for treatment now are:

A reduction in fasting glucose levels. (Because of the generally damaging effects on the body of any more than a low level of blood glucose)

A reduction in total cholesterol. Mine is 235mg/dL (6mmol/L), and the target is around 180mg/dL (4.6mmol/L).

A reduction in C-reactive protein (CRP). Mine is good at .82mg/L; ideal is less than 0.5mg/L. CRP is a strong indicator of low-grade inflammation in the body which promotes heart and artery disease, cancers and arthritis.

Next – my programme to achieve these aims.

Aims Of Treatment For Longevity is a post from: Living To 150

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Kidney and liver show no malfunction. There are good to very good signs that cancer, heart disease and arthritic tendencies are not present. Prostate signs are good.

Thyroid indications are good. Vitamins B12 and D are good. Glycation level is good. (If bad, this causes faster aging by speeding up wrinkling of the skin and throughout the body)

Two Areas In Need of Attention

1. Blood glucose is at the beginning of the high range. This is not a great cause for concern; as the insulin tests shows the pancreas is working well; and the are good signs that metabolic syndrome is not present to any degree. However, I would be happier if the level was lower.

2. Both LDL (‘bad’) and HDL (‘good’) cholesterol are high. This means that the ratio between them – which is key – is good. Triclyceride levels – fats in the blood – are good, which lends weight to he view that the fat and cholesterol situation is not dangerous.

However, I would like the LDL to be lower.

Conclusion

LEF say that these two high results could well involve genetic factors. This is strengthened by the fact that my diet is low in carbohydrates and dietary cholesterol, and that no liver malfunction is indicated.

These tests have been extremely useful. I have been able to use some test results to check the implications of others. I feel I have had a very good assessment of my general level of health. Keeping a regular check – say, annual – should help highlight any problems early, for relatively easy treatment.

Tomorrow I will talk about my next steps.

Results Of My Blood Tests For Longevity is a post from: Living To 150

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I will get as far as I can in improving my test results, and then consult a life extension specialist to go further.

The Tests Which Were Done

I’ve had just over about 60 tests carried out by Life Extension Foundation. These are to test:

• The sugar in the blood/insulin response
• Kidneys
• Liver

• Electrolytes
• Cholesterol and triglycerides
• Homocysteine (heart and artery health)
• Prostate
• Some hormones – Testosterone, DHEA, Estradiol
• C-Reactive Protein (indicates ’systemic inflammation’)
• White and red blood cell numbers and shapes
• Thyroid hormones – 3 tesets
• Vitamins B12, D
• Hemoglobin A1c (test for ‘glycation’ – which causes wrinkling of skin and vital organs)

I will talk about the results next post.

Blood Tests For Longevity – Details Of Mine is a post from: Living To 150

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…we know that the key to beating disease is to respond to early signs of cellular dysfunction, long before the first sign or symptom appears. While full-blown disease is often unstoppable, the cellular mechanisms that begin the disease process are relatively easy to influence. By quenching these tiny sparks, we can prevent the fires from igniting.

The value of blood tests is in the early warning they can give before signs and symptoms turn into diseases.

Interpreting the results might be easier than you think. For example, the results of my first blood test surprisingly identified high cholesterol. The lab made it simple for me by putting the desired range in one column, and writing ‘high’ next to it for me to see clearly.

And now I know it is so, I can do something about it before it produces heart and artery disease.

Why Excellent Blood Tests Are So Important is a post from: Living To 150

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Life Extension Foundation (LEF) in Ft Lauderdale, Florida, offer very reasonable prices for blood tests. In addition, every year they have a sale when prices are even cheaper. LEF can arrange to take your blood all over the USA.

Living in the UK, I searched around for labs who offered a similar analysis, but with little luck. I later heard of one which probably could do; but I have no doubt they would be much more costly. LEF charged me less than £250 ($500) for around 50 tests.

They seemed to take a ton of blood – 6 vials of the stuff; but I didn’t stagger out of the lab, so it obviously was not too much.

While I was in Florida I thought I should allow a few days rest to adjust to the jet lag. I enjoyed the lovely warm weather, the local bars, and learned to scuba dive.

The test results have now arrived by post. And yes – there are some concerns as well as some reassuring signs.

My plan is:

1. Interpret the results as best I can, using books, Internet, and LEF’s free telephone advice service.
2. Devise a treatment plan
3. Retest and re-assess.

When I come across something I cannot improve, or when I have done all I can, I will seek professional help. I am currently leaning towards consulting Philip Miller (author of Life Extension Revolution) in California.

Good Blood Tests are Vital is a post from: Living To 150

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4 of the main ways we are slowly killing ourselves are:

1. By allowing blood homocysteine to be too high
2. Not addressing low level inflammation in the body
3. Having an excess of glycotoxins (these cause wrinkles – inside the body and out), and
4. Too many free radicals (and too few anti-oxidants to mop them up)

All 4 factors produce aging; and they create disease – especially cancer and heart disease. They can all be addressed.

The first 2 are easily measured by appropriate blood tests. They are usually successfully treated with supplements and herbs. A re-test after a few months will show the progress being made.

For numbers 3 and 4 on the list, the treatment is to change lifestyle and diet to prevent additional free radicals and glycotoxins being formed; and to take supplements to reduce the levels which are present.

For example, sun-bathing creates huge numbers of free radicals so should be avoided; bar-b-q cooked meat is high in glycotoxins and similarly should be avoided. A large amount of fruit and veg in the diet always helps; as does a dramatic reduction in the intake of starchy food.

For supplements, common anti-oxidants include vitamins A, C and E; and to counteract glycation, carnosine is a powerful aid.

Longevity: Staying Healthy While Aging Is One Thing; But Living To 150….? is a post from: Living To 150

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