Matt Metzgar

Positive Thinking and Aging

By chance, I saw this article in USA Today over the weekend.  It discusses how Ruth Peale, widow of Norman Vincent Peale, just turned 100 years old.

Norman Vincent Peale is, of course, one of the fathers of positive thinking.  The article mentions how Norman died in 1993 at the age of 95.  Ruth was asked how she lived to the 100 year milestone and responded, "It's all about thinking positive.  Norman and I always were positive about everything, in our marriage, in our work, in our whole lives."

A Positive Attitude

Just as science is showing that stress accelerates aging, I believe that one day soon science will show that a positive attitude in life produces tangible, physical benefits.  This is another one of those things that most people would intuitively guess, but seeing the empirical proof is always of value.

I think science will show that a positive attitude affects the body at a cellular level, just like stress.  And this means a positive attitude can literally affect everything about the body, including the internal organs, skin, hair, etc. 

But why wait until the proof comes in?  Due to the information overload of modern times, it's too easy to get caught in "paralysis by analysis."  I know I've fallen in that trap myself.  Lately, I've tried to "tune out" a lot of information and listen to my natural instincts more. 

The idea that having a positive attitude is good for you, both mentally and physically, is just plain obvious.  There are many things that are good for us that won't be "proven" during our lifetimes, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't be tried and implemented. 

Making Changes

I'm fairly certain my neighbors are alcoholics.  Twice a week I see their trash can out front loaded with empty beer bottles.  Whenever they're out on their porch, I hear the clang of beer bottles. 

Do people like this ever change?  And how did they end up down this road in the first place?  You read about Alcoholics Anonymous and how it helps people.  But a couple of years ago I dug a little deeper and found this not to be true.  Though the media promotes AA as successful, the numbers say otherwise.

One thing I do remember reading is the process of people who were successful in cleaning up.  It was often a gradual process, where the person would drink less and less, and still occassionally have a few beers.  But these people were successful in bringing their drinking down to a normal, social level. 

I think the idea that alcoholics should stop drinking cold-turkey is flawed.  It may work for some, but it probably fails for most.  It's very reasonable to make changes in small, measured steps.  To completely remove an ingrained habit is not only difficult, but the burden of trying to do it all in one fell swoop may make it virtually impossible.

Crime is Not News

I'll make a prediction about what will be the lead local story on the news tonight: a violent crime was committed in northeast Las Vegas.  Any time I watch the news here, the stories are exactly the same - only the names change.  Northeast Las Vegas is the "bad" part of town, and there are crimes there most every night.

I honestly don't know why the news even reports on it.  It's completely predictable, and it's not like the news is offering a solution to these problems.

The news leads with violent stories because it strikes a chord within our stone-age-wired minds.  In caveman times, if something good happened, that was all well and good.  But if something bad happened (like someone got killed), the antennaes went up because this was information that could directly impact one's physical survival.

Nowadays this isn't true.  The thugs are usually pushed into one part of town, and the normal, peaceful citizens are mostly insulated from them.  That's why reporting on crime in northeast Las Vegas is of no interest to me; they might as well be reporting on crime in South America.  In overpopulated cities that lack cohesion, crime and apathy are natural outcomes.    

Stress and Aging

A found this article talking about a cool study that links stress and aging.  Most people would guess that chronic stress in a person's life would accelerate the aging process.  Now science is starting to show that this is indeed true.

This study is unique because it shows how stress accelerates aging at the cellular level.  This could lead to ways for a person to be tested for premature aging, and of course, then take steps to control this.

Priceless

I recently received an offer to have a company put ads on my blog and pay me a small sum.  It surprised me to receive the offer, but it made me think a little more about the blog and its purpose.

I decided against taking the money for a few reasons.  First, as I've blogged about before, money can easily distort motives, and I'd prefer to stay with "natural" motivation for the blog.  Second, I already go to work to get money; I don't want to devote my spare time to making money as well.

A blog can have many objectives.  For me, it's an outlet for expression, but also a chance to hopefully help people in the area of health.  I don't want to put a price on any of that.

Guru-less

I think one of the hardest things to do in modern life is to listen to your own internal promptings.  With the internet and other modern forms of media, there is so much information and countless points of view.  I would think a century ago a person's possible influencers were much fewer.

One of the worst parts about the internet is that you can find "sources" to back up whatever viewpoint you like.  Take running for example.  I can find sources that show how healthy it is, and I can find sources that say the contrary.  It's just too easy to rationalize what you do by only looking for supporting evidence.

Not only can you find whatever evidence is convenient for your truth, you can find a guru who espouses it.  It seems the world has an infinite supply of people who are short on knowledge but long on confidence.

Our natural instincts, while not always correct, have guided us properly through millions of years of evolution.  It should be obvious that they are more valuable than the sales pitch of some charlatan. 

Stress and Testosterone

Here's a fascinating article that talks about the relationship between testosterone, stress, and the immune response.  For years, researchers have thought that elevated testosterone levels led to a suppressed immune system.  Now it is hypothesized that the immune system is merely redistributing its resources, mostly to the skin.  I love these types of biological theories that attempt to explain things from an evolutionary point of view.

Vladimir Chubinsky

I've been getting a lot of hits on my blog related to my earlier post on Vladimir Chubinsky.  This tells me that I'm not the only one who thinks his theory might have legs.

I have been searching for more evidence to bolster his hypothesis.  I am seeing some connections between adrenaline and inflammation but I haven't put it all together yet.  Hopefully I will soon, I really think there is something to his ideas.

Inflammation and Meditation

Inflammation is at the root of many chronic diseases.  The causes of inflammation are many, including diet, lifestyle, and stress.  Chronic stress has the potential to cause inflammation in the body, and lead to serious health problems.

A recent study looked to see if meditation could be helpful in reducing stress and hence, reducing inflammation (including arthritis).  The protocol was successful, with meditation reducing arthritis activity by 11 percent and reducing nonspecific inflammation by 35 percent.

All this is just more evidence for the mind-body connection.  How we deal with stress on a daily basis has a powerful effect on our body and its health.