Page 25 - April - June 2023 Edition

recently I just love it. I avoided reading the label doctor. Even the BCC on my neck I’m treating
just in case.) I think it’s true though: we should myself with the cryo.
avoid eating from packets and jars. Eat real
food, as fresh as possible, nothing processed. Which brings me on to: Don’t self medicate.
Doesn’t living in Africa make eating real food so When I was working everyone was on vitamins or
much easier! We try and eat it fresh as it comes, supplements. The fashion went from vitamin C to
even better grow it yourself. Meat from the D to zinc. What for? I believe God created
butcher, fish from the fishmonger, fruit and veg everything we need for long healthy lives and
recognisable as what it looked like when it was put it in our food. It seems some people think He
growing. I’m sure those of us who avoid forgot to put in enough vitamins in a banana so
processed food and eat fresh have a much he created pharmaceutical companies to put
lower risk of cancer. I gave up salt too, when I right his mistake. It really is true that supplements
was a medical student. I have never added salt, just give you expensive urine. Remember the
even when running on the equator, and my vitamin D hysteria that was exposed years ago. It
blood pressure is still under 120. Elephants was all a bit of a puzzle at first: no one could
apparently go looking for extra salt, cattle use make money from D supplements. Then it
salt licks, but humans do not need it. Studies that became clear: they made it from testing. Scare
show reducing salt doesn’t drop blood pressure is people into getting tested and selling tests for
because they are reducing from 4 x more than vitamin D assay became a nice little earner. The
you need to twice. I see mounting acceptance tests didn’t even measure vitamin D, only a
that adding salt to food is a bad practice, we marker. I had patients coming in who were told
don’t need any more salt then we get in normal they had low D levels from their home countries,
food. Why not try giving it up? Food will when they are out in the sun playing golf in short
eventually taste better as you get used to it, your sleeves on the equator twice a week. The
blood pressure will come down, and one side publications promoting supplements stood truth
effect you’ll not read in any text book is you will on its head. The truth is some illnesses cause low
recognise an Islay single malt from a highland or D, but it doesn’t follow that low D caused the
Spey side from the salty taste. disease. I just refused to test, the scam was so
blatant. Remember omega 3? Get a fish, smash
Keep your mind alert - My memory is shot. I was it into a pulp, squeeze out the oil, isolate the
forgetting names long before I retired, now I omega 3, put it in a capsule sell it in a
have to stop and concentrate to remember all pharmacy. Why not just eat the fish? It will move
sorts of words that I just can’t find. So if you are on. Like a number 63 bus, another health
sitting, then do crosswords, sudoku, read books, fashion is always coming.
anything to keep your mind active. Of course,
losing your memory keeps you fit. If I go out I go So those who live to extreme old age, what do
upstairs to get my phone, see something I need they say? I never read that any of them credit
and go back down. Then I realise I didn’t get my their supplements. Madame Calvert who lived to
phone so go up again. Then I remember I need be 122 said it was because she took a glass of
the car keys and have left them upstairs too. So I red wine every night. Others credit keeping on
go up and down 3 times instead of once. Those working. At best supplements are just plain silly,
who live in 2 story houses live longer, even at worse they might even cause poor health.
though falling downstairs is a common cause of Excess vitamins and minerals have to be pee’d
death. All that climbing is a great way of out and our kidneys must give a groan every
staying fit. So in case I forget, you’re all invited time they see us taking them. Take a look at
to my 80th in 2033. those celebrating their centenary. They are thin,
they are active, they mostly live in the country
Don’t ignore symptoms or delay seeing a and eat fresh food, often that they grow
doctor. If you think something’s wrong go and themselves. They are usually part of a tight knit
see a doctor on time. Waiting and hoping it community that look after each other, with
will go away is a great way of getting a friends and family all around. I heard of one
delayed diagnosis of something that might island full of centenarians where there are no
roads: so they walk a mile or 2 to the local
have been curable. All around me I see hostelry for their tipple every night. I intend to
people with cancer or heart disease and I enjoy being retired for 30 years: see if I can beat
wonder was it because of delay. Doctors Prince Philip by a year. If you disagree with how
themselves are the worst and I know I’ll I’m doing it, ask me in 20 years. Or if I’m wrong
struggle to admit it when I need to see a ask my heirs.

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