Podcast Summary
Measuring wealth by relationships: Wealth is not just about money or possessions, but the depth of relationships. Define wealth by the number of people you'd donate a kidney to.
The idea that wealth is not just about money or success, but rather the number of great people in your life. Dr. Peter Attia, the guest on the show, shared how he has prioritized bliss over financial opportunities throughout his life, leading to fewer material possessions but a richer network of relationships. He suggested defining wealth by the number of people you would be willing to donate a kidney to, as a way to measure the depth of those connections. This perspective on wealth challenges traditional definitions and emphasizes the importance of meaningful relationships in our lives.
Expanding Wealth through Relationships and Selflessness: True wealth encompasses relationships and selflessness, demonstrated by acts of generosity like donating a kidney. Shift from a zero-sum mindset to one of abundance to maximize both longevity and wealth.
True wealth goes beyond just having material possessions or financial resources. According to the speaker, there's a strong connection between wealth and relationships, and being willing to care for others selflessly can expand that wealth. The speaker uses the example of donating a kidney as a test of one's relationships, suggesting that those who would do so for many people demonstrate greater wealth. He also mentions the importance of shifting from a zero-sum mindset to one of abundance. The speaker is a physician focused on maximizing human longevity, which he defines as a combination of lifespan and health span. He describes a chart showing the relationship between these two factors, explaining that the average American's lifespan is around 80, and health span starts to decline around age 40. By age 70, one is generally halfway down the health span axis, implying a significant decline in capacity during the final decades of life. The speaker encourages deliberate efforts to maintain health and relationships to maximize both longevity and wealth.
Focus on daily decisions for improved health span: Making small, consistent improvements in nutrition, exercise, stress management, and sleep can significantly impact overall health and longevity. Health issues often don't develop overnight, so daily choices matter.
Improving health span, or living a healthier life for a longer period, is about making simple daily decisions that compound over time. This concept, known as compounding, is crucial in both health and wealth. The shape of the health span curve can be altered by focusing on various dimensions, such as nutrition, exercise, stress management, and sleep. It's essential to remember that many health issues don't develop overnight; they result from choices made over a long period. For instance, cancer can spend most of its existence undetected, and heart disease begins at birth. Therefore, making small, consistent improvements in these areas can significantly impact overall health and longevity.
Leveraging insights from centenarians to increase health span: Examining the habits and environments of centenarians can reveal patterns to optimize overall health and well-being through diet, lifestyle, and environmental manipulation.
Health span, which refers to maintaining good cognitive function, muscle mass, freedom from pain, and a sense of purpose and social support, can be influenced by various tactics. These tactics include diet, sleep, exercise, stress management, drug use, and avoiding harmful behaviors. Since we can't conduct experiments on humans to determine the effects of these tactics on longevity, we instead look to epidemiology, ecology, and the study of centenarians for insights. Centenarians, who make up only 0.4% of the population, provide valuable information about what contributes to a long and healthy life. By examining their habits and environments, researchers can identify patterns and make recommendations for the rest of us. The strategy for increasing health span involves manipulating multiple levers, including diet, lifestyle, and environment, to optimize overall health and well-being.
Genetic advantages of centenarians protect from diseases: Centenarians have genes that code for protective proteins against heart disease, Alzheimer's, and cancer. Caloric or dietary restriction, like intermittent fasting, may contribute to longevity.
Centenarians, or people who live to be 100 years old, have certain genetic advantages that protect them from common diseases like heart disease, Alzheimer's, and cancer. These advantages come in the form of genes that code for proteins that offer protection against these diseases. For example, a deficiency of APOC3 offers protection from heart disease, while having an APOE2 versus APOE3 or 4 offers protection from Alzheimer's disease, and having lower GHR or IGF offers protection from cancer. Additionally, research shows that caloric restriction and dietary restriction, such as intermittent fasting, can offer benefits across different species, including humans. While the specifics of how to implement these practices can vary, the consensus is that some form of caloric or dietary restriction, combined with a healthy diet, may contribute to longevity. The key is to find a sustainable approach that fits your lifestyle.
Exploring alternative paths to longevity beyond caloric restriction: Rapamycin, a drug discovered from bacteria, targets the TOR pathway to promote repair over growth. Studies on genes like DAF-2 in C.elemans and their human analogs reveal similar longevity genes. The future of aging research focuses on targeting senescence and progenitor failure with drugs like metformin.
Caloric restriction may not be the only key to longevity, as seen in studies with monkeys on a "real monkey diet" not experiencing benefits. Rapamycin, a drug discovered from bacteria on Rapa Nui (Easter Island), is one of the most significant drug discoveries in understanding longevity and nutrient sensing. The TOR (Target of Rapamycin) or mTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin) pathway is crucial in deciding growth versus repair. Research on genes like DAF-2 in C. elegans (a worm) and their human analogs, such as IGF, reveals that all genes offering longevity in humans have similar counterparts in animals. The next frontier in aging research is targeting senescence and progenitor failure through strategic interventions, such as drugs like metformin, which could be repurposed based on a deeper understanding of nutrient sensing pathways.
Effective tactics for improving health: eliminating sugars and glutens, practicing intermittent fasting: Eliminating sugars and glutens and practicing intermittent fasting can help repair the body and improve health according to personal experience. The concept is similar to autophagy, but the best way to induce it is unclear.
Eliminating sugars and glutens, and practicing intermittent fasting were the most effective tactics for improving health and feeling better, according to the speaker's personal experience. The speaker discovered these strategies through the paleo and CrossFit lifestyle. The importance of these tactics lies in the body's need for repair, which can only begin after digestion is complete. This concept is similar to the idea of autophagy, a process where the body recycles and replenishes cells during periods of famine. However, the optimal way to induce autophagy, such as through intermittent fasting or specific meal patterns, is not yet clear due to the lack of a reliable method to measure autophagy in humans. The speaker expresses a desire for a way to measure autophagy in order to optimize these practices and ensure they are being done effectively.
The history of health-related issues and public perception: Scientific understanding and public perception of health issues can change over time, influenced by scientific discoveries, industry propaganda, and societal norms. Future generations may view current practices regarding calories and muscle mass with astonishment.
The history of scientific understanding and public perception of various health-related issues, such as sugar consumption and smoking, can undergo significant shifts over time. These shifts can be influenced by various factors, including scientific discoveries, industry propaganda, and societal norms. For instance, the link between tobacco use and lung cancer was not widely accepted until decades after the evidence existed, due in part to industry efforts to downplay the risks. Similarly, our understanding of nutrition and exercise is constantly evolving, and it's likely that future generations will look back on current practices with astonishment. For example, the notion that all calories are equal in nutritional terms may soon be viewed as absurd. Additionally, the importance of maintaining muscle mass through weightlifting is becoming increasingly recognized for its numerous benefits, beyond just looking and feeling good. These benefits include improved metabolic health, enhanced functional ability, and even increased longevity.
Maintaining Optimal Health through Exercise and Balanced Diet: Exercise, especially strength training, helps maintain a strong body, reduce injury risk, and improve metabolic health by minimizing insulin spikes and effectively processing glucose. A balanced diet and regular exercise are crucial for optimal health and longevity.
Regular exercise, specifically strength training, is essential for maintaining a strong body and reducing the risk of debilitating injuries later in life. The benefits extend beyond physical performance, focusing on metabolic health and glucose disposal. By prioritizing a balanced average and small standard deviation of glucose levels, we can minimize insulin spikes and improve overall health. Exercise plays a crucial role in this equation, as it helps the body effectively process and store glucose. The difference between a healthy and unhealthy glucose level is minimal, but the liver's capacity to buffer and process glucose is finite. Therefore, regular exercise and a balanced diet are key to maintaining optimal health and longevity.
Understanding Muscle Capacity for Efficient Glucose Disposal: Muscle capacity significantly impacts glucose disposal efficiency. An oral glucose tolerance test assesses this ability, with minimal glucose uptake and low insulin requirements indicating ideal response. Diet and muscle reservoir size control muscle input and output, debunking the calories in, calories out equation's simplicity.
Muscle capacity plays a significant role in how efficiently our bodies dispose of glucose. An oral glucose tolerance test, though old-school, is crucial for assessing this ability. The ideal response is minimal glucose uptake and low insulin requirements. Muscle is all about disposal, with input controlled by diet and output determined by muscle reservoir size. The myth of calories in, calories out as a simple health equation has been debunked, highlighting the importance of good calories and how dietary changes can impact mood, energy levels, and overall feel. Progress in science, like in any field, is often made in increments, with new ideas and advancements emerging after the retirement or death of established figures. However, in the era of rapid information dissemination, companies may have the ability to influence population health through their views, potentially bypassing the traditional scientific consensus-driven approach to policy and behavioral change.
Societal changes contributed to reduction in harmful behavior: Scientific knowledge alone doesn't drive change, societal forces like regulations, economics, and cultural norms also play a significant role in reducing harmful behaviors.
The reduction in harmful behavior, such as smoking, is not solely due to scientific knowledge but rather a combination of various societal changes. The default environment shifted from smoking being the norm to it becoming less accessible and socially unacceptable. This change was driven by a mix of factors including advertising regulations, economics, and cultural norms. As we strive for better health, it's important to recognize that scientific knowledge may not always be the primary driver of change. Instead, it's the combination of scientific understanding and societal forces that can lead to significant improvements. To avoid getting too attached to old beliefs, it's essential to remain open-minded and consider new evidence. Mentors and role models can also play a crucial role in shaping our perspectives and guiding us towards new insights.
The importance of mindset and the right people in shaping who we are: Having a growth mindset, being open to new ideas, and letting go of ego can lead to progress and mastery, ultimately resulting in a sense of being most alive.
Having the right mindset and being surrounded by the right people can significantly shape who we are and how we approach problems. The speaker shares his personal experience of working with a mentor who instilled in him the importance of being open-minded, willing to learn, and able to let go of ego. He emphasizes that facts have half-lives, and being anchored to being right can hinder progress in fields like science and investing. Instead, the speaker suggests focusing on growth and mastery, which can lead to flow states and a sense of being most alive. The speaker also shares his own background of physical feats of performance, which he attributes to his obsession with mastery and inability to do anything in moderation. Overall, the conversation highlights the importance of having a growth mindset, being open to new ideas, and being willing to let go of ego in order to learn and grow.
The Joy of Mastering New Skills: The speaker derives immense satisfaction from learning new skills and improving in various areas, even if they don't have practical applications or external value.
The speaker is driven by a deep desire to master new skills and push personal boundaries, even if they don't have practical applications or external value. This can be seen in his past work in credit risk modeling and his current hobbies, such as swimming and cycling. He finds great pleasure in the process of learning and optimizing every aspect of these activities, even if others may not find it important. However, he acknowledges the potential health consequences of pushing himself to extreme performance levels and feels the strain in his body despite being relatively young.
Transitioning from endurance to auto racing: Recognizing the driver's role and mastering the art of being at the edge are crucial in racing, regardless of the type of car or commitment level.
While pushing oneself to high levels of performance can lead to great experiences and mastery, it often comes at a cost. For some individuals, the decision to step away from one pursuit and explore another can lead to new discoveries and growth. The speaker shares an experience of transitioning from endurance racing to auto racing after deciding to retire from the former. He emphasizes the importance of recognizing the driver's role in racing and the significance of being at the limit of the tire's grip. Racing is about mastering the art of being at the edge, and the best racers are those who excel in this skill. The speaker also mentions the high costs and time commitment involved in racing, leading him to spend most of his time in a simulator. Despite the differences between cars, the driver remains the constant factor in determining speed. This evolution and continuous learning are part of the appeal of racing for the speaker.
Exploring unrelated passions for holistic mastery: Embrace diverse passions, focus on mastery through daily enjoyment, eliminate goals, and strive for holistic mastery in relationships.
Pursuing excellence and exploring the upper part of our capabilities often involves embracing seemingly unrelated passions and activities. This was highlighted in the discussion about racing a Formula Renault 2000 car and the joy of skeet shooting. The speaker emphasized the importance of understanding the entire journey, not just the instant gratification or perceived "overnight success." In their personal and professional life, they focus on mastery through daily enjoyment and eliminating goals. When working with others, the focus is on holistic mastery, which can take various forms. The speaker also touched upon the concept of hyperbolic discounting and the challenge of truly understanding and experiencing compounding.
Focus on incremental improvements for sustainable health: Embrace unique journeys, aim for progress, not perfection, and consider new practices like fasting for enhanced health
Sustainable health improvements require a long-term perspective and a reasonable approach. Dr. Fung emphasizes that everyone's journey is unique, and it's important not to compartmentalize or aim for extreme behavior changes. Instead, focusing on incremental improvements is more likely to lead to lasting results. He also shares his personal experiences of trying to follow strict diets and sleep patterns, acknowledging that he couldn't maintain them long-term. Therefore, he encourages people to try new habits, but also to understand that it's okay if they don't reach perfection. The goal is to make progress, not to be overly restrictive or stressed about it. Additionally, he suggests that people should be open to new practices, like fasting, as tools to enhance their overall health and well-being.
Understanding distress tolerance and its impact on handling stress: Increasing distress tolerance through practices like meditation, sleep, exercise, and emotional honesty can help manage stress and handle high-pressure situations effectively.
Our ability to handle distress, or deal with stressors in our lives, varies greatly depending on individual factors. Dr. Paul Conte, a psychiatrist and friend of the speaker, introduced the concept of distress tolerance to the speaker. According to this model, each person has a certain threshold for distress, and our reactions to the same situation can differ significantly based on this tolerance level. For instance, something that may not bother us under normal circumstances might set us off when our tolerance is low. The speaker emphasized that increasing distress tolerance is crucial for managing stress, and various practices like meditation, sleep, exercise, and emotional honesty can help in this regard. The speaker also shared a memorable day from his career when he led a team to overhaul credit risk models during the 2007 financial crisis, and the unexpected opportunity to present the findings to the bank's leadership. This experience underscored the importance of resilience and adaptability in handling high-pressure situations.
The power of empathy and leading by example during challenging situations: Empathy and leading by example can lead to better communication outcomes, even during difficult situations. Underestimating losses and not setting a positive example can negatively impact results.
Empathy and leading by example are powerful tools for effective communication, especially during challenging situations. The speaker shared an experience from his past where he had to deliver devastating news to a bank's head about significant financial losses. He delivered the news factually and unemotionally, but the bank's response was disbelief, leading to a realization of the underestimation of the losses. The speaker reflected on this experience as a privilege and a reminder of the importance of deep work and mastery. Another memorable moment in the speaker's life was when a patient's husband sent him a model of the Golden Gate Bridge after his wife's death. This simple yet thoughtful gesture moved the speaker and highlighted the power of kindness and setting an example. The speaker emphasized the importance of the pull version of leadership, where leading by example and setting a positive influence can achieve more than pushing people to do things. Overall, the conversation left the speaker inspired and wanting to improve in various aspects of health span.
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Patrick O'Shaughnessy, the host of Invest Like the Best podcast, encourages listeners to expand their knowledge through various means. He invites them to explore the full investor curriculum on his website and join his book club to receive monthly recommendations. Additionally, he suggests following him on Twitter for updates on the podcast and related topics. Lastly, he kindly asks for listeners to leave a review on iTunes to help spread the word about the show. In essence, Patrick is dedicated to providing valuable content and fostering a community of continuous learning.
