Health

How To Live Longer

I won't lie, I am afraid of dying. I'm afraid of what comes next. The worst possible option is "nothing" although I'm leaning that way if I have to make a bet. I'm pretty agnostic, and maybe even a little athiest, but I never stop wondering about how the big bang got going. Newtonian physics must not apply because a system at rest is not inclined to suddenly stop being at rest. Or maybe that's what we like to call God and imagine that a being that can create this entire universe would be interested in the comings and goings of some bugs on a beach. As such, I am always interested in how to live a longer, healthier life. This is not to say I don't eat bad foods, and skip working out, and lose sleep, often, but it is aspirational at the very least. I'm still hoping that eventually some kind of Upload-like capability is available. And the goal is to live long enough to see that option become available. Even the low-data people.

There are so many tools, products, and services on the market to manage health. I grabbed a few and tried to organize them and provide a brief summary about what they do or which one is the “best” at present along with any associated costs (in NYC) and such as of the time of the writing. I am fortunate to be able to consider some of these treatments for my immediate family but many of them are approachable for just about any middle-class American. Be sure to discuss anything you're going to do with your doctor first so you don't inadvertently do more harm than good to your body.

Exercise

Probably the cheapest thing you can do to improve your health is exercise. It often only costs time, although there may be fees for gym memberships, fitness classes, swimming pools, or other needs. Proper exercise will help you lose excess weight and build muscle.

Diet

Then you need to manage your diet:

Supplements

And a special callout to supplements: Choosing Supplements Worksheet

Gut Health

And then you can measure your gut health (and colon cancer prevention):

Wearables

Wearables are a great way to keep track of things:

Drugs

We have “what kinds of drugs should I have available at home” and of course some of these are easy enough to get OTC or a prescription from your doctor. Some others are going to be very tough or even nearly impossible to legally possess. That said, these are the things that have been shown to save or greatly improve lives. Some of these are only a few dollars, but others can be up to hundreds of dollars per dose. This will vary depending on whether you can get a prescription, what kind of insurance coverage you have, if any, and if you have “a guy who can get you things” available. Many of these also have a limited shelf life, so you’ll need to renew them every two or three years.

Body Scans

Full body MRI-based scans, all sorts of special differences, you really have to look at each one. Prenuvo is by far the best, but anything, even the cheapest of any of these, is worth looking into.

DEXA Scans

Clinical Medical Devices

Home Medical Devices

Longevity Clinics

Multiple Options

Blood Testing

DNA Testing

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