The End Of Illness?

[deepthroat]

So, has anyone else here heard about or checked out this guys interesting hypotheses?

http://www.theendofillness.com/

I heard him on a radio interview in Spokane last week. Here's my oversimplified synopsis:

Dr. Agis is an MD with a cancer specialty. In combing through various peer-reviewed published studies, he believes that the results indicate that taking vitamins INCREASES one's chances of getting a cancer diagnosis.

His belief is that the single most important supplements or medications one can take EVERY DAY are aspirin and statin drugs like Lipitor. That and an annual flu vaccine are his three key medications for a long life and good health.

He also believes that CONSISTENCY is the key to health. Having a regular schedule that you stick to religiously, such as a consistent sleep time and waking time EVERY DAY, a consistent eating schedule for all meals, and avoiding anything else that will create any sort of stress on the body - this he thinks is crucial.

Avoiding any causes of inflammation, even minor things like muscle aches can be crucial to avoid heart attacks.

Interesting stuff. Anyone else read any of his stuff?

My goal is to continue working/saving and creating new income streams for another 4-5 years so I can retire happily at at 55 or 56 and spend 6 months annually in the land of smiles. But to do so and enjoy it I want to try to ensure my health is good and I can continue to enjoy the LOS lifestyle into my 70's with ease, so stuff like this is of great interest.

Your thoughts?

[thaibound]

my thoughts:

-i agree with your doctor pharmaceutical recommendations and consume daily the two specific medications he recommends--lipitor and baby aspirin--okay, i'm *assuming* you mean 'baby' aspirin and not the full dosage adult aspirin which i would *not* recommend

(but then "I am not a doctor")

-and without even going further into his recommendations you can see how it's already tough to decide whom to believe, as the mere recommendation of "aspirin" may be great, or terrible, depending on nothing more than dosage--and in another thread you warn against nexium (does this doctor concur on that as well?) which i have taken (okay, i take the cheaper generic omeprazole variation) for over a decade with great success and little detriment of which i am aware, but if i'd been eating away my stomach lining with full-dose aspirin every day, i imagine my own acid reflux would put poor mr. duke's to shame (see d.d.'s trip rpt for fuller reference).

--and when he recommends "consistency" with regard to dining habits and hours of rest, well, then my hopes for a long happy life are just shot straight to hell--unless i can somehow reconcile my enjoyment of daylight with the vampire-nature of those i adore and figure out how to 'consistently' be in the sun while i sleep all day in an air-conditioned room (which reminds me of 'my dinner with andre' wherein a/c --and electric blankets--were condemned for the way they isolated one from one's environment and--oh, wait, this is about 'physical' health, not 'metaphysical' health--

or is it? -or is, perhaps, metaphysics at the heart of oncology?

-wait a week or two and the accepted medical consensus will change with regard to vitamins, diet soda, cardio workouts, hours of sleep recommended, jogging versus walking, which toothpaste to use, flossing vs. brushing, lube versus spit...the incomplete nature of our understanding is unlimited--but not complete.

-so, don't eat too much (of anything), don't fuck too little (of a good thing), don't take anything too seriously, don't put off your dreams, don't go to bed angry, don't watch fox news for more than a reminder of why you moved to thailand in the first place, do stretches every morning when you wake up, stay away from mean drunks and fast motorbikes (and especially mean drunks driving fast motorbikes), smile whenever possible (especially when you're really angry) and don't get too hung up on telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth if it'll hurt someone's feelings unnecessarily.

and learn to love yourself by practicing on those around you.

because you-know-who really does love me best.

[deepthroat]

Wow, I asked for input, but instead got an injection of wisdom.

Dr. Thaibound, that's what I'll call you now!

Seriously great stuff. I cannot answer any of your questions, as I've not read his book (only heard his PR interview on local radio) but your final paragraph is perhaps worth the price of his book. Put it on my tab for now.