Have you ever seen an ad saying by word or picture, eat this or do that
and you will live years longer?
It is against the FCC and FTC rules and 99% false advertising.
So when the New York Times devotes an entire page to discussing the
one secret of longevity, living a longer life, inquiring minds must pay attention.
Answer
It is not a magic herb or bottle of vitamins, though Folic Acid has recently been
shown to increase sharp thinking and good heart function. This well researched
Times article concludes that staying in school, education and learning are the answers.
What is the single factor in every major country leading to longer life?
Answer: the amount of your education.
Health insurance is nice, being rich cannot hurt, long-lived ancestors is a plus,
but the Killer Ap (application) is the length of your education. It has proven to
be the nexus between dying at 67 and procrastinating up to 87 years of age.
Studies by the National Institute on Aging explicitly say education is the single contributing factor that extends life and improves health in your senior years.
Weird.
The writer (me) admits to being a life-long skeptic always searching for the hidden
motive and finding it. Let me recapitulate, education and learning cause two
results, more years and better health. If that is not weird and unexpected then we will vote for Bush in '08.
Skeptics, see January 3, 2007 page 1 and A16, New York Times. Read the international chart from Adriana Lleras-Muney, Princeton University, World Bank
and National Health Survey, Harvard University.
Inquiring Minds Want to Know
A City University of New York, health specialist is quoted in answering the question, What affects health and longevity? His answer, First on my list is education.
The Education Effect never wanes, more learning improves health and length of life.
One extra year of school adds up to one and one-half extra years of life down here. Double weird.
Many scientists search for reasons why the Education Effect occurs; they have not the foggiest idea. It just statistically a fact.
Lisa Berkman, professor at Harvard, School of Public Health believes the
magic clue lies in strong social networks. She reports that being isolated, the
opposite of having social network support groups, produces 2-5 times as many
deaths as having people who know you exist and care about you.
Philosophy
There are four core approaches to life, see if you agree.
a) Determinism, it is all written in a big book when we are born and we
are puppets following a defined path. Fate or genes run the show.
b) Retribution, you get what you pay for, and if you break it you bought it.
Causing pain produces pain for you later. Karma.
c) Reciprocity, cause and effect, trial and error; your works produce
measurable results. Tit for tat means you have free choice, so take
responsibility. We produce our own security, control and certainty.
d) Chance, there is no certainty in an uncertain life. You exercise 4x a week,
do not smoke and eat nice, but you get hit by a Mack truck.
Would you agree that all of the above have a degree of truth in explaining the meaning (purpose) of life?
Fact: genes have little effect on life span; perhaps less educated folks do not
plan as well for the future and require immediate gratification of their desires.
Delayed gratification offers better expectations than betting it all on one play of Blackjack.
Profound fact: not genes, but education and learning produce better health and
more years. It sounds counterintuitive but it aint.
Continuing Education
Public Admission, we are biased and believe consistent cognitive use of your 3 pound coconut lubricates your neural pathways so your thoughts remain lucid and
crisp.
Speed learning has a primary goal to 3x your reading speed and 2x your long-term memory. Our secondary goal is to synchronize the balance between your left and
right hemispheres and to change your brainwave rhythms (EEG) from high Beta
(stress, anxiety and worry) to low Beta (alert-relaxation) and Alpha-Theta.
The University of California at Irvine reported in January 2007 that Alzheimer is reduced by consistent learning and information gathering. We believe that learning and using new skills and knowledge creates a Firewall around your brain to defend against many forms of dementia.
Suggestion
The more you read with comprehension and save in long-term memory, the healthier your cognitive neural networks. Learning physically changes the function
and structure of your coconut through neuroplasticity and neurogenesis.
Do not scratch your head, Google these two terms.
Would you have the competitive-edge in school and career, and land in the
fast-track by reading 3x faster and improving your memory by 2x?
Use it or Lose it.
Just as the answer to health and longevity is learning, continuing education through
Speed Learning will make your life fun and enjoyable. You need knowledge not just
information.
You have repeatedly heard the expression, use it or lose it referring to physical exercise. You brain requires cognitive exercise or it atrophies from disuse and permits Alzheimers among others brain damage.
Last point, we have been contacted by a U.S. health care organization with over
9 million members to offer speed learning techniques to their Senior Citizens.
Funny thing, as long as we are alert and vertical, we want to enjoy life and
not vegetate. We suggest checking out speed learning strategies to do the trick.
See ya,
copyright © 2007
H. Bernard Wechsler
http://www.speedlearning.org
hbe@speedlearning.org
Author of Speed Reading For Professionals, published by Barron's; partner of Evelyn Wood creator of speed reading, graduating 2 million including the White House staffs of four U.S. Presidents.
Interviewed by the Wall Street Journal and Fortune Magazine for major articles.
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