A very random post… I considered responding to a tweet by an old friend and former colleague, the journalist Marika Sboros, but thought it would be too long. My response was intended to be only anecdotal and lighthearted. To the extent that there are some insights that may be gleaned, I have none. My response was going to be on the discussion in the screengrab, below.
Let me make the point, again; I have no insights, and the following is anecdotal (and intended to be a bit funny).
So, both my parents died in their early 90s and late 80s. As far as I can remember, both my maternal and paternal grandfathers died aged between 93 – 97. Both my parent smoked for more than 65 years, I never saw, or don’t know of either one of them ever playing sport, or doing an exercise whatsoever. They (we) also ate mainly meat and potatoes (mainly curries and so on), with some dhal as a staple – we were piss poor. My mother drank disgusting tea with condensed milk and with loads of sugar. I don’t remember seeing broccoli, spinach, lettuce or any salad on the dinner table at home. We lived in sparse conditions so “dinner table” is pushing it. I don’t recall the family ever seated around a dinner table.
I don’t smoke, I try to eat vegetables, I played high intensity and adrenaline sport, I ran, but never enjoyed it, loved kayaking, mountain bike riding, skiing, and I have hiked, or walked along trials in places as far apart as Kalimantan, Aberystwyth and Northern California…. I have drank loads of green tea – and one or two other herbal teas like mint – without milk or sugar for the past 35 years. I try to eat salads, I make egg-white omelettes as often as I can, and eat lots of beans and pulses. I have never followed a diet. I enjoy meat, multi-grain bread, but also bagels, fish, especially salmon. I love South Asian breads. Drink lots of water. In other words, I live a “healthier” lifestyle than did my parents, and I assume their parents…. Yet, I really, really doubt that I will reach the age of 75 or 80.
PS: I know that genetics may have something to do with it, but that’s a completely different story.