In the end, we're all terminal. But there is a relationship between healthspan and lifespan. This concept is explained in Peter Attia's book linked upthread. You don't have to be miserable and die early.
According to the sleep experts there is no realistic solution to the night shift problem, other than avoidance. Some of the other circadian disrupters can be alleviated by managing lightness/darkness artificially.This is why I never considered freight or long haul international as a viable career path. I have had jobs where I routinely worked nights. I always felt like crap. No matter how long I was on the schedule I never felt rested like I do sleeping at night. I still have to fly the occasional red eye and it takes a day or so to recover.
I do my share of the nights but I avoid it as much as possible.
Sounds kind of preachy to me. If you wanna have a talk about my physical condition maybe we should also have a talk about your spiritual condition. Oh, but that is none of my business is it? What about your finances? How much debt load are you carrying? You know you shouldn’t have above 25% debt to equity ratio. Do you carry any balances on your credit cards because you know that interest rate is insanely high. Oh, but again, that’s really none of my business.This seems to be a taboo topic, but I want to bring it up as it may inspire and help some people.
Too often I see pilots losing their medical due to a chronic disease or cancer. These are mostly preventable (or can be delayed by many years) with healthy diet and lifestyle (genetics plays a minor role). Diet and lifestyle are especially important in mental, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, cognitive and metabolic health, all of which are important for pilots.
The hardest part of this issue is that if you wait until you develop a disease, it's kind of too late. You really have to implement dietary and lifestyle changes as early as possible. Saying "it's not going to happen to me" has not worked for the vast majority of American adults.
Here are some general guidelines I wrote up for those interested:
Generally healthy diet and lifestyle
Here are some easy and quick dietary and lifestyle changes you can make to reduce the risk of developing a chronic disease or cancer. Diet: ...goodnewtimes.blogspot.com
Happy to hear your feedback.
Why do you care about the physical condition of other people.? You live your life. I’ll live mine. My father was an athlete all of his life. Spent all of his time on the tennis courts, at the gym. He lived to the age of 94. Died of complications due to Alzheimer’s. But because his heart and lungs were in such good shape. He spent the better part of the last 15 of years of his life in a dementia ward. Absolutely huge amounts of resources. Both family and governmental were consumed because his body didn’t know when to quit when his mind did.Your input is exactly the main reason that people don' eat healthy and get sick early in life. They justify their bad diet and lifestyle with a few examples from their lives. This is a very inaccurate argument. The article I wrote is based on very large and long-standing epidemiological studies. The recommendations will not work for everyone, but they will overall work for the population. When you are 30-40, you don't know if you are one of the lucky ones that can drink and smoke and still not get sick.
I offer a free advice to minimize the risk of losing your pilot's license due to a chronic illness. My advice is based on decades of scientific research.Sounds kind of preachy to me. If you wanna have a talk about my physical condition maybe we should also have a talk about your spiritual condition. Oh, but that is none of my business is it? What about your finances? How much debt load are you carrying? You know you shouldn’t have above 25% debt to equity ratio. Do you carry any balances on your credit cards because you know that interest rate is insanely high. Oh, but again, that’s really none of my business.
According to the sleep experts there is no realistic solution to the night shift problem, other than avoidance.
Why do you care about the physical condition of other people.?
The government sees fit for taxpayers to pay for bicycle paths, yet most don't ride a bicycle. The taxpayer pays for the airport that I fly out of, yet most people have never flown in a small plane.I could go on.Because our government has seen fit to make taxpayers foot the bill for a lot of people's health care, especially the demographic that doesn't seem to take an interest in their own health.
Is there a correlation between exploding health care costs and widespread preventable chronic diseases? My gut says yes.
“Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.”I offer a free advice to minimize the risk of losing your pilot's license due to a chronic illness. My advice is based on decades of scientific research.
I am sorry you have interpreted that as preaching. I am not asking anything of you.
"Calories are scientific measurements of how good food tastes. *None of those sound like fun to me, so I'm going for the option where I eat food that tastes good, including steaks, barbeque, and cheesecake to go with my vegetables, do physical exercise that I enjoy to keep me fit, and get the best sleep I can.
The way I see it, there's about four options, and you have only a very small chance of guessing correctly which one you will end up with:
1. Eat garbage, die early
2. Eat garbage, die late
3. Eat whatever is currently touted as healthy, die early
4. Eat whatever is currently touted as healthy, die late
None of those sound like fun to me, so I'm going for the option where I eat food that tastes good, including steaks, barbeque, and cheesecake to go with my vegetables, do physical exercise that I enjoy to keep me fit, and get the best sleep I can. Enjoying my meals and my life is more important to me than living a year or five longer.
The government sees fit for taxpayers to pay for bicycle paths, yet most don't ride a bicycle. The taxpayer pays for the airport that I fly out of, yet most people have never flown in a small plane.I could go on.
The younger people die the less money society spends. Fewer government subsidised nursing homes. Shorter stays in assisted living. If you die before taking social security, the government keeps all of the participants payments. If every one lived to 110 it would bankrupt the country.
Try again with actual reasoning.
Maybe they are fat because they have a medical issue. not because they lack willpower. the idea that they are at fault is very judgmental and outdated.What it says to me when someone is unfit and overweight is “I don’t care enough about my family to stay in shape to protect and take care of them.”
Sure, it’s probably a medical problem. One that has grown to pandemic levels and is spread by products loaded with sugar, white flour and ingredients that use the entire alphabet for each one and get washed down with Big Gulps. Definitely medical.Maybe they are fat because they have a medical issue. not because they lack willpower. the idea that they are at fault is very judgmental and outdated.
I’d guess the odds are better than 10:1 that obesity is a result of lifestyle choices, rather than a medical issue.Maybe they are fat because they have a medical issue. not because they lack willpower. the idea that they are at fault is very judgmental and outdated.
Perhaps they are just "big boned" ...I’d guess the odds are better than 10:1 that obesity is a result of lifestyle choices, rather than a medical issue.
You left out Keith Richards....
they used to put diabetics in mental institutions before they discovered insulin. but it’s real east to judge other folks.I’d guess the odds are better than 10:1 that obesity is a result of lifestyle choices, rather than a medical issue.
such toxicity in the otherwise happy pilots chatboard.
Has a new obesity disease sprung up in the last 50 years, or are people just eating more and exercising less? I’m a strong believer in the second case.they used to put diabetics in mental institutions before they discovered insulin. but it’s real east to judge other folks.
What it says to me when someone is unfit and overweight is “I don’t care enough about my family to stay in shape to protect and take care of them.”
It is good to be retired.Probably true.
I am quite convinced that the best thing I've ever done for my health was to retire. I'm finally getting around 8 hours of sleep at night, and I'm not tossing and turning with worry over some problem at work. The relief from work-related stress has been wonderful.
And it's also a stress relief to have lots of time to enjoy as I choose, without being so rigidly tied to a clock and calendar. Bad weather keeps me from going fishing or flying today? No biggie, I'll go tomorrow or the next day. Every day is a vacation.
It took me at least a year to decompress once I retired. There was a nagging feeling for a long time that I should be somewhere or working on something or frantically worried about some problem. It's finally faded away and I'm sincerely enjoying life.
Doctors should prescribe early retirement for all their patients.
I highly recommend it!It is good to be retired.
The only time I'm concerned about the physical condition of others is when I'm forced to fly commercial. Then, I sincerely hope that the PF/PM are both healthy and well-rested. And sober.Why do you care about the physical condition of other people.? You live your life. I’ll live mine.
Very well saidIn my line of work I see a lot of people at the end stages of life. Most people I see kick the bucket early simply didn’t take care of themselves and it’s evident. Yes, there are those outliers who are blessed with the genes that live a long life even with abusing their health. Genetics are only attributed to around 25 % of those who live a long life. Most times you see someone and it’s predictable how they got themselves in that condition.