For gays who will be seniors one day - A Steve5380 Topic!

[Steve5380]

2 minutes ago, Guest Sure said:

and often followed by the products they recommended you to buy, with link provided.  Very convenient. 

 

You are right,  often some promotions are included with the information.  Typical case are the videos by David Sinclair and others.   This should awake our caution, skepticism,  before we may eventually lay them to rest as we know more about them. 

 

Free is death and the air we breathe.  One has to become a senior to realize that deception is rampant.  So, let's proceed with caution, before becoming too cynical. 

[Guest Victim]

54 minutes ago, Steve5380 said:

 

 One has to become a senior to realize that deception is rampant.  So, let's proceed with caution, before becoming too cynical. 

It is easier to get rid of junk food than with deceptive people, liar, narcissistic and emotionally immatured people in your life.  Dealing with humans can be very damaging to our health, spiritually and emotionally, sometime even at monetary cost too.

[Steve5380]

28 minutes ago, Guest Victim said:

It is easier to get rid of junk food than with deceptive people, liar, narcissistic and emotionally immatured people in your life.  Dealing with humans can be very damaging to our health, spiritually and emotionally, sometime even at monetary cost too.

 

This is very true when we are young and inexperienced.  One of the benefits of preserving a clear mind and acquiring experience, sometimes at a high cost, is that we become less vulnerable, less of a victim, and as we are older we get more solidly established and we can interact with humans with much less risk and be more sociable.

[Guest CLOSE IT]

Can we close down this chat , it seems unjustifiable that this chat is catered for one person 

[singalion]

6 hours ago, Steve5380 said:

For those of us who are attentive to good health and looks,  to know about nutrition should be of high interest. 

 

The science of nutrition turns around the topic of metabolism.  It is complicated, but we all can know the necessary to make smart decisions.

 

The Internet is full of videos about nutrition, from a variety of sources, more or less original and trustworthy.  It takes some experience watching YouTube to be able to "separate the wheat from the chaff",  and a good guide are the qualifications of the authors.  

 

One interesting topic of metabolism is the understanding of the lipids and the liver.  Here is a video by a doctor who has excellent credentials and explains his topic in a clear and pleasant way.  I think that watching it is worth our time:

 

 

 

Dr. Rob Lustig makes a good case of why a person may be fat and healthy, while another is slim and sickly. It explains clearly why the health of our liver is super important,  how we can estimate it from the data of the "CHOLESTEROL PANEL" that is included in most yearly physicals,  and how we can improve it.  His solution is simple:  stay away from sugars, highly processed foods, and do intermittent fasting.

.

 

 

Lustig's statements regarding fructose as a "poison" and the primary cause of weight gain have been disputed because claims of fructose toxicity are unproven.

 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24666553/

 

Misconceptions about fructose-containing sugars and their role in the obesity epidemic

Vincent J van Buul  ¹ , Luc Tappy  ² , Fred J P H Brouns  ¹

 

 

Published online 2015 Sep 17. doi: 10.3109/10408363.2015.1084990

PMCID: PMC4822166

NIHMSID: NIHMS771653

PMID: 26376619

Sugar consumption, metabolic disease and obesity: The state of the controversy

Kimber L. Stanhope

 

Is Sugar Toxic?

It doesn’t hurt Lustig’s cause that he is a compelling public speaker. His critics argue that what makes him compelling is his practice of taking suggestive evidence and insisting that it’s incontrovertible.

 

So the answer to the question of whether sugar is as bad as Lustig claims is that it certainly could be. It very well may be true that sugar and high-fructose corn syrup, because of the unique way in which we metabolize fructose and at the levels we now consume it, cause fat to accumulate in our livers followed by insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome, and so trigger the process that leads to heart disease, diabetes and obesity. They could indeed be toxic, but they take years to do their damage. It doesn’t happen overnight. Until long-term studies are done, we won’t know for sure.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/magazine/mag-17Sugar-t.html

 

 

 

Reading all this, while Dr. Lustig may point into the right direction, but I never get rid of the feeling that such doctors just try to make money out of something.

 

It won't be sugar itself alone.

 

Also, many fruits and vegetables contain higher levels or fruit sugars also...

Dr. Lustig is not talking about this impact.

 

In general , nowadays everyone knows that sugared soft drinks are bad for health and containing acids damage the stomach or digestive system...

 

While I personally avoid overconsumption of sugar, there is still that colleague that runs around with "must try" cookies or things... And who doesn't like a chocolate cake?

 

I would appreciate if plenty of food manufacturers reduced the sugar content.

Read a baked beans can, probably 21% to 35% sugar.

Yes, there are sugarless baked beans, but not available in Singapore...

 

My best example is Milo.

Read the content of sugar in Milo sold in Malaysia... and compare the sugar content with other countries.

 

But there is good news: Milo has now a zero sugar option...

All-new MILO^® Gao Kosong
In line with the national agenda to reduce sugar intake, MILO^® unveils the world’s first MILO^® powder with no added table sugar.
 

The bad thing is, such sugar less options are mostly much more costly then the one with sugar...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 9, 2023 by singalion

[Steve5380]

7 hours ago, singalion said:

 

 

Lustig's statements regarding fructose as a "poison" and the primary cause of weight gain have been disputed because claims of fructose toxicity are unproven.

 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24666553/

 

Misconceptions about fructose-containing sugars and their role in the obesity epidemic

Vincent J van Buul  ¹ , Luc Tappy  ² , Fred J P H Brouns  ¹

 

 

Published online 2015 Sep 17. doi: 10.3109/10408363.2015.1084990

PMCID: PMC4822166

NIHMSID: NIHMS771653

PMID: 26376619

Sugar consumption, metabolic disease and obesity: The state of the controversy

Kimber L. Stanhope

 

Is Sugar Toxic?

It doesn’t hurt Lustig’s cause that he is a compelling public speaker. His critics argue that what makes him compelling is his practice of taking suggestive evidence and insisting that it’s incontrovertible.

 

So the answer to the question of whether sugar is as bad as Lustig claims is that it certainly could be. It very well may be true that sugar and high-fructose corn syrup, because of the unique way in which we metabolize fructose and at the levels we now consume it, cause fat to accumulate in our livers followed by insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome, and so trigger the process that leads to heart disease, diabetes and obesity. They could indeed be toxic, but they take years to do their damage. It doesn’t happen overnight. Until long-term studies are done, we won’t know for sure.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/magazine/mag-17Sugar-t.html

 

 

 

Reading all this, while Dr. Lustig may point into the right direction, but I never get rid of the feeling that such doctors just try to make money out of something.

 

It won't be sugar itself alone.

 

Also, many fruits and vegetables contain higher levels or fruit sugars also...

Dr. Lustig is not talking about this impact.

 

In general , nowadays everyone knows that sugared soft drinks are bad for health and containing acids damage the stomach or digestive system...

 

While I personally avoid overconsumption of sugar, there is still that colleague that runs around with "must try" cookies or things... And who doesn't like a chocolate cake?

 

I would appreciate if plenty of food manufacturers reduced the sugar content.

Read a baked beans can, probably 21% to 35% sugar.

Yes, there are sugarless baked beans, but not available in Singapore...

 

My best example is Milo.

Read the content of sugar in Milo sold in Malaysia... and compare the sugar content with other countries.

 

But there is good news: Milo has now a zero sugar option...

All-new MILO^® Gao Kosong
In line with the national agenda to reduce sugar intake, MILO^® unveils the world’s first MILO^® powder with no added table sugar.
 

The bad thing is, such sugar less options are mostly much more costly then the one with sugar...

 

 

Your skepticism is well taken.  We all remember the days when FAT was the horrible poison.   Today, we accept that some fats are healthy. 

 

If I remember well, Dr. Lustig's poison is sugar,  sucrose,  the mixture of glucose and fructose.  Even when the fructose in the sucrose is metabolized differently from the glucose, and appears to be absorbed slower,  in the end the liver has to convert it in glucose.  I am sure that Dr. Lustig recognizes that the fructose in fruits is less harmful due to the presence of fiber.   All in all,  it is not erroneous to consider sugar in general as the enemy. 

 

And yes, so many doctors, specialists, experts try to make money with their publications and videos.  Everybody tries to make money in this world!   This, by itself,  does not disqualify the information they provide.

 

If it is true that the damage from sugars to the liver takes years to develop,  this is an interesting proposition.  It means that the younger the gay who will be senior is, the more important it is to restrain sugar consumption,  while for an older man like me, who only expects to live 20 or so years more,  it its not so important.  Hurrah! for me,  I can now justify my consumption of chocolate ice cream with the sugar it contains,  yummmmm

[Steve5380]

On 2/9/2023 at 12:03 AM, Guest CLOSE IT said:

Can we close down this chat , it seems unjustifiable that this chat is catered for one person 

 

"Catered for one person" ???   A topic with 28,400 reads and 855 replies ???

 

You have an absolute right to not read this topic if you don't like it.  But for God's sake,  learn to live and let live.

[Steve5380]

On 2/9/2023 at 2:29 AM, singalion said:

 

So the answer to the question of whether sugar is as bad as Lustig claims is that it certainly could be. It very well may be true that sugar and high-fructose corn syrup, because of the unique way in which we metabolize fructose and at the levels we now consume it, cause fat to accumulate in our livers followed by insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome, and so trigger the process that leads to heart disease, diabetes and obesity. They could indeed be toxic, but they take years to do their damage. It doesn’t happen overnight. Until long-term studies are done, we won’t know for sure.

 

 

The reference you posted earlier about 

Misconceptions about fructose-containing sugars and their role in the obesity epidemic

has some interesting writings.  It says: "it certainly could be", and then "we won't know for sure".   This seems to imply that the misconception is not something tangible but it is simply that "we won't know for sure". 

 

What is not sure is WHO is the "we" who doesn't know.   It does not include Dr. Lustig.  This man is an expert who can be trusted.  An endocrinologist originally,  he was brought into the topic of obesity in relation to metabolism by the discovery of the hormone LECTIN.  This was revolutionary.  Before lectin, the theory always circled around the idea that people are obese...  because they eat too much.  Today we know that this is false,  but the old idea persists. 

 

There is a YouTube video that is very educative:   Dr. Lustig interviewed by Dr. Perlmutter.  I have posted earlier a video by Dr. Perlmutter, who is also highly expert in the subject of nutrition.  In this video we learn that Dr. Lustig is retired, and he draws no money from the food industry, a good sign.  He is entertaining,  and in between the understandable he touches items that are more specialized, beyond we common readers.  This does not hinder that he is easy to follow.  I recommend watching this video...  to realize how important it is to know what we should eat and what not to eat.  How a failure to lose weight can be avoided,  how a majority of chronic illnesses can be avoided.

 

 

YOU young gays who will be seniors one day,  and everybody else,  watch the video at 45:00.  Here Lustig talks about how to check our health status based on the regular tests we all get...   and some test we should regularly get but we don't.   Also watch at 1:00 where Dr. Lustig does the epilogue of his preaching,  quite interesting! 

[Guest As simple as that]

Eat what Japanese ate and you are safe.  Eat what America ate and you are fucked. 

 

Going for my sushi lunch later.

[Steve5380]

I just found a book that is amazing.  It is called:  GLUCOSE REVOLUTION,  by author Jessie Inchauspe.  

 

This book seems to be ideal for any gay who wants to be healthy,  and mandatory for any gay who wants to lose weight.

 

And when I looked it up on Amazon, I discovered that its Kindle edition is offered at the incredible price of US$1.99  I have no idea how long this price will stay, but I would advice any of you who have an Amazon account to rush to buy it for this ridiculous price. 

 

The way I came to know this author is through a YouTube video where she was interviewed.  I was impressed by the simple tips she gives about how to avoid glucose spikes and consequent insulin spikes caused by our diet.  ( and the bad effect that such glucose and insulin spikes have ).   I will start immediately to drink some water with apple cyder vinegar before my two meals,  to eat my fruits at the end of the meals,  and to "dress any naked carbohydrates I might snack on, ha ha."  And I care for the order of foods in a meal:  fiber first, protein and fat second, starches and sugars last. 

 

Meanwhile, I continue totally satisfied with my intermittent fasting, that keeps me free of hunger and (nearly) free of temptations for snacks.  Life is good!

 

 

As usual, open this long video clicking on "Watch on YouTube" and then click on "More" in the description,  to be able to enter directly into your topic of interest,  and read other interesting info about the author. 

[Steve5380]

There are many Asian role models of graceful and long aging.  Takishima Mika is amazing,  what she is able to do at 92 years old!  And she didn't start until the age of 65!   She is REAL PROOF that 65 y.o. is a viable age to start exercising and improving one's health.  And it is not only a fully functional, healthy body.  She also radiates happiness!

 

 

Edited February 23, 2023 by Steve5380

[Guest Guest]

There are coffee and 4 type of cup range from gold .silver bronze and paper cup.All cup are snap  up left only paper cup  nobody want But what u need is just coffee .

[Guest Stress free]

The biggest cause of health problems is stress. We already have lots of stress living in this world, we certainly must not add more.

Fasting is a big stress. See how animals get weak when hungry. See how humans get gastric when the body secrete stomach digestive juices that digest the stomach linings instead of food.

If fasting is good for you then Africans are the healthiest people in the world.

 

I don't believe in fasting. In fact as kids, we are always warned to eat regularly to avoid gastric. 

 

But I do believe in eating only 70% full because we have food easily nowadays so we don't need to eat 100% full in case we don't find our next meal and be stressed by hunger. 

 

Of course guess without saying exercises etc are important.

[Guest Home library]

On 2/19/2023 at 4:10 AM, Steve5380 said:

I just found a book that is amazing.  It is called:  GLUCOSE REVOLUTION,  by author Jessie Inchauspe.  

 

This book seems to be ideal for any gay who wants to be healthy,  and mandatory for any gay who wants to lose weight.

 

I already have hardcover of this book. I bought it for USD15 at a discount. How many health books do u have?

[Steve5380]

3 minutes ago, Guest Home library said:

I already have hardcover of this book. I bought it for USD15 at a discount. How many health books do u have?

 

I am glad that you take good care of your health and keep reading about nutrition.  I read the Kindle edition of this book, attracted by the low price of two dollars.  I find that the video covers most of the topics of the book, so for many to watch it can be sufficient.

 

I have many health books, accumulated for decades.  Lately I like to collect the e-book editions, that don't take away space and can be read anywhere.

[Steve5380]

13 hours ago, Guest Guest said:

There are coffee and 4 type of cup range from gold .silver bronze and paper cup.All cup are snap  up left only paper cup  nobody want But what u need is just coffee .

 

You are right that the best use of coffee is to drink it black, without cream or sugar.   And the best place to drink it is at home or at work, made with a simple drip machine, and drink it from a ceramic cap.  Fancy "starbucks" coffees should be avoided.

[Steve5380]

5 hours ago, Guest Stress free said:

The biggest cause of health problems is stress. We already have lots of stress living in this world, we certainly must not add more.

Fasting is a big stress. See how animals get weak when hungry. See how humans get gastric when the body secrete stomach digestive juices that digest the stomach linings instead of food.

If fasting is good for you then Africans are the healthiest people in the world.

 

I don't believe in fasting. In fact as kids, we are always warned to eat regularly to avoid gastric. 

 

But I do believe in eating only 70% full because we have food easily nowadays so we don't need to eat 100% full in case we don't find our next meal and be stressed by hunger. 

 

Of course guess without saying exercises etc are important.

 

Yes, stress is a health problem,  together with others that are smaller and bigger.  The best way to avoid stress is to control it with our head,  more than through our nutrition.

 

Fasting should not lead to hunger or stress.  After a short adaptation, our body gets used to intermittent fasting and all hunger disappears,  together with any weakness for snacking.

 

Last night I ended a 48 hour fast that I had planned,  because this afternoon I will join my Aikido group for practice.  So I fasted for 24 hours instead,  and I did not feel any hunger during this time.  On the contrary, I was thinking:  "I wish that I could live without having to eat,  because I would have more free time".  To cook and eat takes away a chunk of our diurnal time that is not insignificant. 

[Guest Home library]

10 hours ago, Steve5380 said:

 

I am glad that you take good care of your health and keep reading about nutrition. I have many health books, accumulated for decades.  Lately I like to collect the e-book editions, that don't take away space and can be read anywhere.

I purchase physical books for aesthetic reasons, such as to have something attractive on the shelf that can be shared.
It felt more like having physical sex than watching online porn.   I don't buy books regularly, only through 2nd hand store or flea market where I can easily get some discount.   Any other recommendation of books worth reading?

[Steve5380]

On 2/23/2023 at 7:43 PM, Guest Home library said:

 

   Any other recommendation of books worth reading?

 

 

I find it difficult to recommend some books within the thousands that are worth reading.

 

It is like being recommended to give a book for a present, and one says : " what for?  he already has one "  😄

[Steve5380]

So many videos on YouTube, and I found another cute Asian guy who preaches calisthenics.  Something useful to watch when one is not so young anymore:

 

 

 

Another of his videos, reminds me that I should soon start taking cold showers again now that the winter is nearly over. I already know the benefits of cold shower he mentions,  but I see a new one taking the cold showers with him! 

 

 

 

 

[Steve5380]

Now I start finding videos of this cute guy.  Here is one where he shows exercises one can do at home.  Nothing difficult, no equipment or weights needed,  something for gays who find the excuse of lack of a gym to avoid exercising.  But this is not necessary,  exercising can be fun.  This video even inspired me to install a pullup bar in one of my door frames.

 

Of course, there is nothing wrong with choosing a gym to work out.  I recently added a third gym I am member of.

 

 

[Steve5380]

I worked out in the gym this morning,  doing heavy sets of 14 reps with 270 pounds on the leg press machine.

 

Then I found another video by this cute guy from Upright Health: "Leg strengthening workout for beginners" that caught my attention.  I expect that all the gym experts here will laugh at me for paying attention to this beginner's stuff.  These exercises are not for me ( yet )  but I find that they can be very helpful for...  yes, beginners, or fragile people whose legs have lost strength.  If some Senior in our family is in this situation,  by helping him/her to start with these exercises this will significantly extend his/her lifespan.  Few things are more important for old people than strength in their legs.

 

Also any gay of any age who does not have easy access to a gym or time to exercise can find a few minutes to do these squats, that only require the help of a chair or similar support.

 

 

 

 

Another excellent leg exercise for beginners and experts is the lunge.  With the same chair from the previous exercise for support, or even two chairs one on each side,  there is no age limit for doing stationary lunges, or more advanced walking lunges if strong enough.  This is my choice of leg exercise at home, with dumbbells in my hands.

 

 

[Steve5380]

Hopefully you are smarter than I was and you start practicing a martial art earlier than I did.  But, like they say,  better late than never...   And some martial arts don't have a limit of how old you can be to start practicing it.

 

A good art for all ages is Aikido.  I may be biased, but I don't know of any other that is so good for the body and for the spirit. Especially for those who are timid and somewhat fearful like we gays can be,  Aikido is a non-competitive defensive practice that appeals to men and women big and small, slim and fat,  strong and weak.  

 

Have a look of this video, which is a show of how much "art" is in Aikido:

 

 

Be assured that normal Aikido practices are not as intense as seen in this video.  We older men would not survive, ha ha...  I am the oldest in my group, joining the Aikido practitioners of 80 years and older, of which we are not such a rare occurrence.  And we do everything the younger guys do.

 

Watching this, is one of the very few occasions when I wish I were 50 years younger.  To have a chance to become as good as the Sensei here,  Shirakawa Ryuji.  This young man is a 6th Dan, a very high grade in Aikido,  and while he effortlessly dances continuously throwing down people,  he applies many different techniques that have become a second nature to him.

 

A normal Aikido dojo will accept all decent beginners,  no matter gender or age,  as long as there are no physical impediments to do the work. There is no discrimination on sexual orientation.  The practice is VERY SAFE,  I don't remember any peer getting injured in the many years I have been practicing this.  Although there are participants who have trained in other martial arts like Karate, Jiu-jitsu, Taekwondo, etc. and they are taking care of injuries suffered earlier.  With proper knowledge, the probability of injury is nearly zero. 

 

Just imagine...  if you are full of insecurities, lack of self esteem, fears,  and you manage to build the perseverance to get a black belt in ANY martial art,  you emerge transformed,  fully confident and able to look the most fierce guy in the face,  not with aggression but with friendliness.  Not aggressively, because you know in your mind that, if necessary, you can throw him down and pin him to the floor.   Unless he is an expert fighter of some sorts or has a gun...

 

Here is another video where Shirakawa Ryuji gives some explanation of what he is doing.  It's all spoken in Japanese, but fortunately the video has subtitles in many different languages:

 

 

Edited March 12, 2023 by Steve5380

[Steve5380]

It is quite typical for gay men to reach their 40s  and be convinced that the best part of their lives is behind them. They find that they are middle-aged "uncles" and all they can look forward is a steady decline into old age, which they think starts in the 60s. There are of course many examples of such elders disabled and suffering from illnesses. 

 

This idea is strongly contradicted by Seymour Bernstein,  an American concert piano player turned into teacher, coach, pedagogue.  In a video of an interview of him when he was 90 years old,  he declared that "for me, life is beginning at ninety".  Today, he is 95 and on his way to becoming a centenarian.  

 

 

Surely sex is not part of his life, yet he feels that his life is now at its fullest and still improving. The reality is that our values change with time, and the decline of sex does not leave a void but enjoyment, pleasure can come from other sources.  From many, many spiritual, intellectual sources in older age. 

 

For this to happen, which nowadays is increasingly the case, a preparation that is not a hardship can start as early in life as possible.  It starts with an early recognition that old age is a period of life worth investing in.  One main ingredient in this preparation is optimum preservation of health through smart nutrition.  To know what to eat and not to eat, how often and seldom to eat, information that is exploding today with a modern understanding of our metabolism.  Another important ingredient is preservation of our mental health by cultivating positive feelings, avoid stress, control and reduce our fears.   And not less important, is the smart development and preservation of our physical body. 

 

Young gays who hopefully will be seniors one day,  who don't have to invest all their time in a family of wife and many children, are the most indicated to start early this investing in older age.   Ideally, this should be taught in school, like many other things teenagers should learn in school if they would be able to have more than 24 hours in their days.

[Steve5380]

I found a video by a Singaporean doctor who speaks with a cute Singlish accent,  so dense that it can be cut with a knife, ha ha.  This video is about arsenic in rice. 

 

Although I am not a rice eating Asian,  I like to eat it in moderation together with beans or lentils to form a complete protein.  I had already found ways to diminish its high glycemic index,  but now I remember the concern about its high arsenic content.  

 

This good doctor reveals a way to cut down on the arsenic:  cook the rice with much, much extra water, that is removed after cooking.  This drained water takes with it a 50% or 60% of the arsenic.   I like this!!  I already cook the rice with more than the recommended water and for shorter time, because I don't like rice to be as sticky as glue.  

 

( I take this opportunity to express my opinion that Asian gays should not be sticky-rice but instead stick to Caucasians, ha ha )

 

 

 

From now on I will soak the rice overnight and cook it with 10 times as much water.  I will also after cooking store it in the fridge for a good time to make its starch resistant.

 

I further read that arsenic in rice is low when it is grown in California.  So from now on I will buy  Lundberg California Basmati rice, Or even Lundberg Wild Rice blend.

 

As a young man I never imagined that there is so much to know about nutrition.  But even as ignorant as I was I managed to live as long as I have.  But I would not trust my luck if I were young again, ha ha.

[Guest Cho]

Let me tell you a story about Harold whom I worked part time for 3 years as nurse when I was in Washington.

 

Harold lives alone in a small house in the countryside. He had outlived all of his family and friends, and he was waiting to die alone.

 

Harold had never been married, and he had no children of his own. He had spent his life working hard and saving his money, but now he was alone and had no one to share his wealth with.

 

He spent most of his days sitting in his old armchair, staring out the window, watching the world go by. He had no hobbies or interests, and he had grown tired of reading the same books over and over again.

 

As the days turned into weeks and the weeks turned into months, Harold became increasingly isolated. He stopped answering the phone, and he rarely left the house except to pick up groceries.

 

Harold knew that his time was coming to an end, and he didn't want anyone to see him die. He had always been a private person, and he didn't want to burden anyone with his passing.

 

One day, a young woman knocked on Harold's door. She was a social worker, and she had been sent to check on him. Harold was reluctant to let her in, but she persisted and eventually convinced him to let her inside.

 

Over the next few weeks, the social worker visited Harold regularly. She brought him meals, cleaned his house, and listened to him talk about his life. Harold slowly began to open up to her, and he realized that he had been lonely for a long time.

 

The social worker encouraged Harold to get involved in the community, to volunteer at a local charity, or to take up a new hobby. Harold was hesitant at first, but he eventually agreed to give it a try.

 

As Harold began to interact with others, he realized that he had something to offer the world. He started volunteering at a local soup kitchen, and he made new friends. He even discovered a passion for painting, and he began to create beautiful works of art.

 

Harold's perspective on life began to shift. He no longer felt like he was waiting to die alone. He had found a new purpose and a new joy in life. When he eventually passed away, he was surrounded by friends who loved him and appreciated the impact he had made on their lives.

 

Harold had learned that it's never too late to make a difference in the world, and that no one has to wait to die alone.

 

I moved to Missouri 2 years ago and sometimes make a call to Harold. He has more positive outlook in life. 

[Why?]

On 3/7/2023 at 5:29 AM, Steve5380 said:

Another excellent leg exercise for beginners and experts is the lunge.  

 

Interesting.  I always wonder what is lunges.  IF HE TAKES HIS SHORTS OFF, with unnecessary "obstruction" out of the way,  I can understand the entire basic exercise better.🧐

Edited April 9, 2023 by Why?

[Steve5380]

8 hours ago, Why? said:

Interesting.  I always wonder what is lunges.  IF HE TAKES HIS SHORTS OFF, with unnecessary "obstruction" out of the way,  I can understand the entire basic exercise better.🧐

 

Good that you noticed.  If you now do plenty of lunges and other exercises,  you may start looking a little as attractive as the guy in the video   

[Steve5380]

I think that we can agree that for you younger gays, there is nothing more important than your butt.    And maybe equally important is the butt of those you are attracted to.

 

We older gays feel of great importance that we are sitting around on the muscles of a strong butt, and not on the bones of our pelvis.   So, regardless of age, butt is important!

 

This cute Asian guy thinks the same,  and so he did put out this video:

 

 

I checked that his exercises feel effective,  although I find that lunges, squats, leg presses can be done with much heavier loads on the glutes for the best results.  But these are good  "Glutes 101" exercises to begin with.   And they can be done at home with no special equipment.

.

Edited April 13, 2023 by Steve5380

[Steve5380]

On 4/8/2023 at 12:24 PM, Guest Cho said:

 

One day, a young woman knocked on Harold's door. She was a social worker, and she had been sent to check on him. Harold was reluctant to let her in, but she persisted and eventually convinced him to let her inside.

 

Over the next few weeks, the social worker visited Harold regularly. She brought him meals, cleaned his house, and listened to him talk about his life. Harold slowly began to open up to her, and he realized that he had been lonely for a long time.

 

The social worker encouraged Harold to get involved in the community, to volunteer at a local charity, or to take up a new hobby. Harold was hesitant at first, but he eventually agreed to give it a try.

 

As Harold began to interact with others, he realized that he had something to offer the world. He started volunteering at a local soup kitchen, and he made new friends. He even discovered a passion for painting, and he began to create beautiful works of art.

 

 

I like your story of Harold,  the way a young woman with kindness and empathy turned his life around at a later time.

 

There is no guarantee that every man whose life becomes isolated and antisocial will receive the visit of such a young woman.  But a question is,  can the man have his life turned around without the intervention of a young woman?

 

What is important is to gain confidence that a life can be turned around for the better,  and Harold proved that this is possible. Today we find many similar stories,  and the internet is full of testimonials of people who had their lives turned around.  Together with this comes the information on HOW they did it.  We alone can BOOTSTRAP ourselves little-by-little into better states, and when we start seeing some positive results after a little patience,  this is sufficient to take up with enthusiasm a new cause of self-improvement. 

 

If we start from a state that needs much improvement,  our slow bootstrap into an ever better state can be much stronger than the natural decay of our state with advanced age.  And so, against all traditions,  we can experience improvements in our physical and emotional, spiritual life AS we age...  instead of simply decaying WITH age.   And this opens a new era of increased satisfaction, with a desire to live as long as possible.

[Steve5380]

I found a decent video with which I can continue preaching...

 

For gays who will be seniors one day  (or who are seniors already) I like to preach the importance of exercise, so that one is not caught at old age with the pants down  with a musculature and a skeleton and their ligaments down.  This is very ugly, and it is what has been happening to a majority of seniors in society.

 

The presenter Ed is a physical therapist who has put out a series of videos aimed at seniors who need some help to do the right thing.  ( if you watch the video on a separate page and click on "more" you will see a list of his videos ).  So this video will not do much for the expert gym rat, but will give inspiration to those who don't have a gym, don't want to bother too much, but are conscious of their health.   I myself got from this video an idea to use rubber bands to do pulling exercises at home.

 

 

 

[Guest Me Cute]

The finest senior regime is to be as cute and adorable as possible. Excessive activity and intense exercise might make one appear older than their age. I've seen people become skeletons after pushing themselves to the limit with high-intensity training, followed by almost not eating or eating just bland foods out of dread of not doing the correct thing.

[Steve5380]

23 hours ago, Guest Me Cute said:

The finest senior regime is to be as cute and adorable as possible. Excessive activity and intense exercise might make one appear older than their age. I've seen people become skeletons after pushing themselves to the limit with high-intensity training, followed by almost not eating or eating just bland foods out of dread of not doing the correct thing.

 

Yes, I agree that the best regime should be the one that makes one as cute and adorable as possible. But... which such regime will be sufficient for a senior? 

 

For seniors, a much stronger than sexual appeal is the need to remain strong and functional.   What will a senior do with "cute and adorable" if he cannot walk straight or is confined to a walker or chair?  

[practease]

 

[Steve5380]

On 4/28/2023 at 7:35 AM, practease said:

 

 

This video shows so clearly that "old" means "not young" or "not recent".    Many misinterpret "old" as run down, not functional, worthless, close to the end.   This is why "old man" is not a clear definition.   To be like the man in the video should be very desirable.  And it could still be so even if he does not bring workout to such an extreme.

[Steve5380]

I spend some time every day watching YouTube, and I am familiar with the thousands of videos about nutrition and health. There is a lot of repetition in them.  It is like each person who has some own or acquired expertise about these topics wants to create a "channel" where he exposes his truths and want us to "subscribe" to his channel.😄 

 

We can be cynical and dismiss all these videos as nonsense, some can be helpful but others could be harmful.   Maybe this thread is also dumping too much of what I think is "helpful information", and I am one more of these pushy individuals, ha ha.

 

But instead of being cynical I am understanding.  What motivates the pushy individuals to flood the Internet with their advice is the enormous disastrous social crime perpetrated by the food industry.  There is a vast variety of stages from the agriculture to the supermarkets  that supplies humanity with food that is poisonous.  Their wealth gives them political power that fights any attempts to correct the situation.   Therefore...   all these videos on YouTube, ha ha.

 

I have found one video that left me impressed.   It is an interview of a heart surgeon,  Dr. Philip Ovadia.  I have spent some time investigating the credentials of this doctor,  to make sure that I don't refer you to a "quack".   On the contrary, he is a serious physician who can be trusted to be honest.  I am amazed how well his ideas match my experience...

 

 

This video is not all about cardio,  its tile may serve to attract attention.   It's a small detail, but to relay on cardio to lose weight is certainly wrong.  More interesting is what he says about metabolism.    The video is long, but worth to spend the time to watch it all, even with some dumb interruptions by the black guy who does the interview.

 

Experience makes us smart,  to the point that without being cynical and giving up on them, we become reserved and skeptical of traditional nutrition and medicine.  Knowledge evolves, and establishments are slow to change.  

[Guest Steve]

It has been several weeks since the episode in a New York subway where an unruly black guy, Jordan Neely, entered the train and started shouting,  and a young fellow, "marine veteran" Daniel Penny approached the black man from behind, made a chokehold around his neck, and held him on the floor enough time for him to die.   From this reckless behavior, the "marine veteran" has been charged with manslaughter and released on bail.

 

An unexpected chokehold, like the one the "marine veteran" did with the combination of an arm around the neck and the other hand/arm holding the first one firmly around the head,  is very likely to become deadly in short time.  We should never experience such a hold,  of course,  but neither did the black man expected this.   There is plenty of evil in this world, we can all risk to be assaulted and be grabbed from behind in a most unexpected way. 

 

Aikido offers several techniques against grabs from behind,  called "Ushiro", and videos about them are plenty on YouTube.  One in particular against chokeholds is called "Ushiro Kubi Shime", when one arm does the choking and the other hand holds one wrist of the victim.  This attack is not even as bad as the two-arm/hand choke.

 

I found a video that shows a great technique to break free from the worst choke,  and it looks easy and successful.

 

 

This is really easy.   If we are held in a chokehold, we identify from which side the choking arm is coming, we lift sideways our arm on this side, and then twist down to this side swinging  the arm between us and the holding person, while turning around without problem.    Not shown on the video is that our other arm we can use then to beat the hell out of the attacker or do some technique.

 

Another defense against a standing chokehold is to move back and down, towards our knees, and make the attacker roll over our body and crash on the floor in front of us.   But this may not be always possible if the attacker is strong and heavy,  and the technique in the video is the best solution.  Let's practice it a couple of times in our imagination,  so that if ever necessary, we will remember it immediately.  A chokehold leaves us only a short time to free ourselves.

[Guest Sexy Skinny legs]

5 hours ago, Guest Steve said:

 

 

This is really easy.   If we are held in a chokehold, we identify from which side the choking arm is coming, we lift sideways our arm on this side, and then twist down to this side swinging  the arm between us and the holding person, while turning around without problem. 

Not simple. The two guys must be both strong and muscular for it to work. If the victim is a weaker, more slender person who is already aware of the counterattack strategy, he or she will lack the strength to resist the stronger aggressor. It is best to have bear spray on you and to use it on the aggressor in the eyes followed by a hard kick in his balls. 

[Guest Steve]

On 5/14/2023 at 8:38 PM, Guest Sexy Skinny legs said:

Not simple. The two guys must be both strong and muscular for it to work. If the victim is a weaker, more slender person who is already aware of the counterattack strategy, he or she will lack the strength to resist the stronger aggressor. It is best to have bear spray on you and to use it on the aggressor in the eyes followed by a hard kick in his balls. 

 

We must be very fearful to walk around everywhere with a can of bear spray in our hand.   If this is your line of defense, I might suggest some other items in the following video:

 

 

But the reality is that an unarmed slender weaker person can put up a good defense against a much stronger aggressor.

 

Our bodies,  weak or strong,  have many vulnerabilities.   You mentioned the balls, for example.  In Aikido we learn about these vulnerabilities and ways to exploit them.  In the video I posted above, even a slim girl in a chokehold can make the technique that allows her to easily rotate around and get the attacker in front of her instead of behind,  and if she knows how, she can thrown down a big muscular attacker.

 

As an example of our unrealized strength,  have a strong friend hold your hands together from behind, and It seems impossible to free them.  But if you hold your arm against the body and slowly bend it at the elbow moving it to the side,  your friend won't be able to resist your force.  When your hands are high enough, twist to the side and pass your head under your bent arm, and voila!...  your friend is now in front of you,  and you can throw him down with some technique.

 

In Aikido, Jiu-jitsu, and perhaps other martial arts,  we use a set of hand and arm grabs that easily twist the forearm (with bones radius and ulna) so as to produce intense pain.  The aggressor will then do whatever he can to avoid the pain, and we can thrown him down and pin him on the floor.  If he puts up with the pain, he may end up with a broken wrist, something that renders the strongest guy helpless.  We also know how to bend an arm so that the attacker may have it dislocated or broken if he resists.

 

Aikido also uses a technique called Kokyunage, "breath throw",  that applies "breath power",  an esoteric connection with the attacker that makes him more easy to handle.   Have a look at this page:

 

https://www.stenudd.com/aikido/kokyunage-aikido-technique.htm

 

This technique cannot be learned from a book but must be practiced with a partner.  This is how Aikido is learned, not by throwing punches and kicks,  but by friendly practices with a partner.  Then we apply what we learn by being attacked by multiple partners in a free style sparring ( Randori ).  

 

If you ever try Aikido, you will discover that besides being a useful exercise,  it is fun!  And self-confidence building  

 

  

[Steve5380]

We keep hearing about fellow gays who are depressed because they have landed in a dead-end job,  which they can perform with very little effort, but which offers nowhere to go.

 

See THE POWER OF EDUCATION.   One hears often opinions that the Internet is a huge collection of crap, most of it falsities,  that may serve to hook us up in stupidities that make us waste our daily time.   But reality CAN BE different.

 

Not everyone can afford an expensive University education in pursuit of a degree.  And some degrees are the key that opens some doors to good jobs.  But employers are increasingly looking beyond degrees, some which don't mean much, and are instead looking for job applicants that have SKILLS, or at least KNOWLEDGE.

 

There are plenty of free online courses offered on the Internet,  in particular on YouTube.  If I were stuck in a dead-end job where I use only 10% of my mind,  I may explore ways to apply the rest of the mind to acquire skills that could allow me to escape such a job.  We gays who don't have a wife and 5 kids to feed should have plenty of time to study with an online course and acquire new skills. 

 

One of the best courses I have found is the Harvard CS50.   Maybe I am biased because I am an engineer and programmer, but the knowledge of computer science can be very useful today.  It's too late for me,  and I know all this stuff already, but if I were a young gay with just a high school education, I may jump into this:

 

 

This video is just a sample of many,  there are more recent versions of this same course of many lectures, where the instructor has done away with his mask.  Search "Harvard CS50" on a separate window and see all the options.

 

We hear about the international fights over semiconductor chip manufacturing,  in China, Taiwan, USA,  and the fortunes allocated to open new facilities.  The US has approved many billions of dollars to bring manufacturing places back to America.  What is in short supply is: ...   ...  competent technical individuals.  There is a shortage of skills everywhere, something China is facing,  and the Taiwanese youth is studying hard to find employment at TSMC!  

 

Here is an interesting video that illustrates the possibilities of an expertise in computer science  (  as opposed to business administration or sociology,  ha ha )

 

 

Not everyone is interested in computer science,  computer programming,  but can this post help to inspire interest in learning this or other subjects as a way to find new opportunities in life?

 

[Guest Pieter]

When you die, what are you going to miss most ?

[Steve5380]

3 hours ago, Guest Pieter said:

When you die, what are you going to miss most ?

 

Interesting question.  I will answer it after I die.

[Steve5380]

The next three days are the long "Memorial" weekend celebrated in the US  ( to honor those who perished defending the land ).  In practice,  it is an opportunity to travel and visit friends, family, vacation places. 

 

Many Americans on holidays spend some idle time watching long spectacles or games,  like endless baseball, football, basketball games  (  zzzzz... ) or a Miss Universe contest.  So should I allow myself to watch some Asian Olympic Diving events?  Here is one I just caught this morning on YouTube:

 

 

 

 

Don't worry, they all seem to be adults.  I can watch them for a good while, maybe not the full 1.5 hours,  and I feel better entertained than watching a tennis competition  ( without my neck getting tired moving between left and right with the ball...  Also I don't think that any God will find my action objectionable and sinful.

 

All these divers seem to be young adults.  They have excellent bodies,  good examples for a Senior man.  What should an old man get from these guys who seem to be of a completely different species?...    NOT SO FAST!

 

They are still good motivating EXAMPLES.  It must take much discipline to maintain a perfect body AND to reach their level of diving skills.   Let's briefly leave aside the work of diving training.  Let's concentrate on the discipline to maintain their perfect bodies.   

 

Why should young gays who will be seniors one day not  maintain bodies like these ???  You Asians start out with the same genes,  and we Caucasians are not much different.  Of course at 80 years of age one cannot pretend to look anyway close to these guys.   But this is... for the EXTERIOR, the looks.   How about the INTERIOR? Isn't this equally important, if not more? 

 

What about the 80 year old heart, liver, kidneys, lungs, brain, pancreas, whole digestive system,...  and back, core, arms, legs, feet...  ?    Cannot they be nearly as functional as the insides of these young divers?   I can give you personal assurance that they can,  the same way as a 29 year old car can ran nearly as good as a brand new one.

 

I seems to be a matter of good planning, with good cultivation of discipline and persistence.  These diving guys have it.  Now take away the hardship of their training, leaving only their need for a healthy lifestyle that maintains their excellent bodies.    Why cannot anyone persist with a healthy lifestyle, without having to do the diving?  

 

With all these thoughts in mind,  I found another video that can give answers:  this is one of several videos of 21 principles on "The Way of Walking Alone".   This does not mean that we should live alone in solitude,  but that our path through life is ours alone and this ownership should get most of our attention and prevail over anything else.

 

 

Edited May 26, 2023 by Steve5380

[Guest Goeffry]

On 5/25/2023 at 2:38 AM, Steve5380 said:

 

Interesting question.  I will answer it after I die.

How does our soul find our loved ones after we pass if millions of people have passed before us? Half joking it must be kind of crowded up there.

[Steve5380]

21 minutes ago, Guest Goeffry said:

How does our soul find our loved ones after we pass if millions of people have passed before us? Half joking it must be kind of crowded up there.

 

Good question.  Up there the crowd must be much larger than down here,  considering the billions of humans who have already existed.  Here we are 8 billion now, and up there...   wait a second!  If there is reincarnation, there are not necessarily more people up there than there are down here.  

 

And down here,  how do we find our loved ones?  If I travel to Asia I will be just one among billions...  why I don't get lost and lose contact with my family and friends?    Maybe in the afterlife we also get addresses and identity cards,  half joking I must say...

[PlayersGroup]

I find the topic fascinating but I'm not sure I agree with the way he goes about finding his answers. He's not really asking either. He will only be satisfied, when validates his own answer, that there is life after death, and there is a way for him to continue to be him.

 

Neither was he listening to any of the people he interviewed. As I listened to them, I felt they are all alluding to a similar thing, in different semantics. Life carries on, in a different form. You have always been changing and the continuity we sense is not the whole truth, we will not be the same form after we die, but we will not disappear. I don't find it hard to accept.

 

Edited May 27, 2023 by PlayersGroup

[Steve5380]

12 hours ago, PlayersGroup said:

I find the topic fascinating but I'm not sure I agree with the way he goes about finding his answers. He's not really asking either. He will only be satisfied, when validates his own answer, that there is life after death, and there is a way for him to continue to be him.

 

Neither was he listening to any of the people he interviewed. As I listened to them, I felt they are all alluding to a similar thing, in different semantics. Life carries on, in a different form. You have always been changing and the continuity we sense is not the whole truth, we will not be the same form after we die, but we will not disappear. I don't find it hard to accept.

 

 

I also don't agree with the position taken by the narrator Robert Khun in this video I posted at the beginning of this thread,  but this may not be the way he thinks.  I find that the five individuals he interviewed are highly intelligent people, like we are, and I can agree with all of them.  All this is nothing but SPECULATION.  No one knows.  This is what keeps me so comfortable in my position of agnostic. I assign to life after death a good probability,  but it can take different forms. 

 

Now that we live in an era of computers, I like to associate our persona with them.  When we throw away a computer, all the memory in it is lost.   But the essence of the CPU persists in thousands of other "living" computers.  The same can be said about its ROM, the BIOS.  Even the operating system hasn't died because it is also replicated in thousands of other computers.  But when we turn on a new computer we have to enter a completely new set of personal data. After this, a same "soul" of X86 instructions and BIOS and operating system software starts to run,  and acquires a new personality in its memories.  ( this is no more than a humorous analogy, ha ha ).

 

As interesting as these speculations are,  I find that there should be nothing to worry about in this topic.  We just live our life, with a good set of rules like the 21 precepts of the Dokkodo I posted above,  and exist in spiritual peace. 

.

Edited May 27, 2023 by Steve5380

[PlayersGroup]

8 hours ago, Steve5380 said:

We just live our life, with a good set of rules like the 21 precepts of the Dokkodo I posted above,  and exist in spiritual peace. 

 

It's to be grounded in some basic principles. Personally, I found the 21 precepts a little repetitive. Letting go of attachment and sensual pleasures seems to cover half of it. I find the Buddhist summary of an Eightfold Path simpler and more elegant.

 

That said, I don't think I've let go of sensual pleasures enough, so I'm still in Samsara.. haha..

 

[Steve5380]

49 minutes ago, PlayersGroup said:

 

It's to be grounded in some basic principles. Personally, I found the 21 precepts a little repetitive. Letting go of attachment and sensual pleasures seems to cover half of it. I find the Buddhist summary of an Eightfold Path simpler and more elegant.

 

That said, I don't think I've let go of sensual pleasures enough, so I'm still in Samsara.. haha..

 

 

Well... the old warrior Miyamoto Musashi lived in Japan, so he had no contact with the Eightfold Path.  And so he had to invent his 21 precepts.  Also he was a warrior and not an enlightened prophet, so he was not so elegant.

 

I think that the precept "everything in moderation" should take precedence over other precepts.  So "letting go of sensual pleasures" should also be done in moderation, preserving some good sex here and there.   

 

I am sorry that you have to be still in Samsara.  I don't need to,  since I am not a Buddhist.  I simply "am alive". 

[PlayersGroup]

20 minutes ago, Steve5380 said:

 

Well... the old warrior Miyamoto Musashi lived in Japan, so he had no contact with the Eightfold Path. 

 

The guy's a Buddhist la... Buddhism was introduced to Japan from China since Tang Dynasty. His precepts were largely in accordance with Buddhist teachings.