Monthly Archives: July 2023

In My Hands Today…

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Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity – Peter Attia with Bill Gifford

Wouldn’t you like to live longer? And better? In this operating manual for longevity, Dr. Peter Attia draws on the latest science to deliver innovative nutritional interventions, techniques for optimizing exercise and sleep, and tools for addressing emotional and mental health.

For all its successes, mainstream medicine has failed to make much progress against the diseases of aging that kill most people: heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and type 2 diabetes. Too often, it intervenes with treatments too late to help, prolonging lifespan at the expense of healthspan, or quality of life. Dr. Attia believes we must replace this outdated framework with a personalized, proactive strategy for longevity, one where we take action now, rather than waiting.

This is not “biohacking,” it’s science: a well-founded strategic and tactical approach to extending lifespan while also improving our physical, cognitive, and emotional health. Dr. Attia’s aim is less to tell you what to do and more to help you learn how to think about long-term health, in order to create the best plan for you as an individual. In Outlive , readers will discover:

  • Why the cholesterol test at your annual physical doesn’t tell you enough about your actual risk of dying from a heart attack.
  • That you may already suffer from an extremely common yet underdiagnosed liver condition that could be a precursor to the chronic diseases of aging.
  • Why exercise is the most potent pro-longevity “drug”—and how to begin training for the “Centenarian Decathlon.”
  • Why you should forget about diets, and focus instead on nutritional biochemistry, using technology and data to personalize your eating pattern.
  • Why striving for physical health and longevity, but ignoring emotional health, could be the ultimate curse of all.

Aging and longevity are far more malleable than we think; our fate is not set in stone. With the right roadmap, you can plot a different path for your life, one that lets you outlive your genes to make each decade better than the one before.

In My Hands Today…

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The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder – David Grann

On January 28, 1742, a ramshackle vessel of patched-together wood and cloth washed up on the coast of Brazil. Inside were thirty emaciated men, barely alive, and they had an extraordinary tale to tell. They were survivors of His Majesty’s Ship the Wager, a British vessel that had left England in 1740 on a secret mission during an imperial war with Spain. While the Wager had been chasing a Spanish treasure-filled galleon known as “the prize of all the oceans,” it had wrecked on a desolate island off the coast of Patagonia. The men, after being marooned for months and facing starvation, built the flimsy craft and sailed for more than a hundred days, traversing nearly 3,000 miles of storm-wracked seas. They were greeted as heroes.

But then … six months later, another, even more decrepit craft landed on the coast of Chile. This boat contained just three castaways, and they told a very different story. The thirty sailors who landed in Brazil were not heroes – they were mutineers. The first group responded with countercharges of their own, of a tyrannical and murderous senior officer and his henchmen. It became clear that while stranded on the island the crew had fallen into anarchy, with warring factions fighting for dominion over the barren wilderness. As accusations of treachery and murder flew, the Admiralty convened a court martial to determine who was telling the truth. The stakes were life-and-death–for whomever the court found guilty could hang.

Recipes: Apple Pickle or Chutney

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The other day, I had about 5-6 green apples in the fridge which would go bad in a couple of days. I didn’t feel like eating the apples, and when S asked me to make something with them, I decided to make this fusion chutney, thokku and chunda. I was cooking on the fly, but knew that if not good, at least the recipe won’t be bad. But it astounded me. I really enjoyed the result and this combination of chutney and pickle is so versatile. It can be used as a pickle, or as a spread, or even as a dip. Go ahead, try it and let me know how it tasted.

Apple Pickle or Chutney

Ingredients:

  • 5-6 green apples
  • 5-6 tbsp oil
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • ¼ tsp asafoetida
  • ½ tsp turmeric powder
  • ¼ tsp cinnamon powder
  • 3 tsp (or more) red chilli powder
  • 3 tsp (or more) powdered jaggery
  • 2 tsp (or more) salt

Method:

  • Peel the apples and grate them. Once you have grated them, put the grated apples in a colander and salt them and let them sit for about 30 minutes.
  • The apples will start to ooze water. Once the water has drained out, remove it from the colander and keep it aside.
  • In a pan, heat the oil and when the oil is smoking hot, add in the mustard seeds.
  • Once the mustard seeds pop, add in the asafoetida and turmeric powder and stir.
  • Add in the grated apples and saute for about 2-3 minutes.
  • Once the apples soften, add in the red chilli powder, mix well and cook covered until the apples are cooked.
  • You may need to add more oil at this stage and continue cooking until the oil starts to ooze out.
  • At this point, add in the powdered jaggery or brown sugar and check for seasoning. Add what is missing and if need be, add some more oil.
  • Once the jaggery has combined with the apples and the apples start to look brownish-red and glossy, add in the cinnamon powder and combine well.
  • Mix for about a minute and switch off the gas. Cover and let the chutney cool. Transfer to a container and enjoy your meals.

Note: You can use any oil, but I used a combination of canola olive and gingelly oils. You can also make this with a combination of red and green apples. In that case, reduce the jaggery powder otherwise it will become too sweet.

2023 Week 29 Update

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Today’s quote by the 1952 Nobel Peace Prize winner and Alsatian polymath, theologian, organist, musicologist, writer, humanitarian, philosopher, and physician, Albert Schweitzer reflects a profound perspective on the relationship between success and happiness. Schweitzer suggests that achieving success in the conventional sense, like becoming wealthy, famous or having high social status, does not guarantee genuine happiness. People pursue success with the belief that it will bring them happiness, but often, they find that material accomplishments alone don’t lead to lasting fulfilment. Instead, true success comes from finding happiness and contentment in what one does and how one lives their life. When one are genuinely happy, they tend to be more motivated, enthusiastic, and energetic, which can lead to increased productivity and effectiveness in their pursuits. When one is passionate about one’s work or the activities they engage in, one is more likely to put in the effort required to excel and this contributes to personal growth and achievement, thus leading to success. Schweitzer’s quote suggests that happiness should be prioritised over the pursuit of conventional success. By finding joy and passion in what one does, one creates a positive cycle where happiness leads to success and, in turn, success enhances one’s happiness even further. It encourages individuals to align their pursuits with their passions, making success a byproduct of their contentment and fulfilment in life.

GG is coming to the end of her summer internship and will have a two-week break before she starts university. She is at the same time excited about this new chapter in her life as well as apprehensive as she will have to do a lot of self-study if she wants to achieve the goals she has set for herself. Please send some positivity her way, if you can. BB is enjoying life until he too, starts a new chapter, with the Singapore Armed Forces.

That’s all from me this week. Sending positivity your way, so keep smiling!