How do you maintain a healthy life ?

[Nicebus]

I am a 70 year old male living in Thailand's Isaan area.

I have been here for 5 years.

I have a Thai wife who has been with me for 15 years.

I take no prescription medication.

I keep busy cycling , riding and maintaining a big Honda , bit of gardening and site seeing.

I drink about 4 cans of beer each evening.

Each morning I take 3 tablespoons of Apple Cider vinegar in a glass of water.

Each evening i take 2 teaspoons of metamucil in a glass of water .

I'm as regular as clockwork each morning if you get my drift.

I eat most foods that are home prepared.

I consider myself fit and healthy.

I go back to my home country 3 times ayear.

Am i in the average category ?

Cheers

 

 

 

Edited December 2, 2017 by Rimmer
Font corrected

[Coconut Kidd]

You also have very good eyesight.

[Gruff]

I think to some extent that your lifestyle can be a little irrelevant when you reach 3 score years + 10. You can be healthy but suddenly have a nasty fall or accident and you will be worse than your similar age neighbour who hasn't cycled since he was a teenager and drinks 20 cans per night.

[Kwasaki]

 

1 hour ago, Nicebus said:

How do you maintain a healthy life ?

I just live each day so don't think about it.

 

[thaibry]

I am a 70 year old male living in Thailand's Isaan area.
I have been here for 5 years.
I have a Thai wife who has been with me for 15 years.
I take no prescription medication.
I keep busy cycling , riding and maintaining a big Honda , bit of gardening and site seeing.
I drink about 4 cans of beer each evening.
Each morning I take 3 tablespoons of Apple Cider vinegar in a glass of water.
Each evening i take 2 teaspoons of metamucil in a glass of water .
I'm as regular as clockwork each morning if you get my drift.
I eat most foods that are home prepared.
I consider myself fit and healthy.
I go back to my home country 3 times ayear.
Am i in the average category ?
Cheers
 
 
 

What do your biannual health checks tell you. Blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol, kidney disease are all hidden until they hospitalise you or kill you.



Sent from my ASUS_Z010D using Tapatalk

[Shaunduhpostman]

Sounds to me like you must be pretty healthy. If you feel good I would keep up that routine and adjust as needed.

 

If metamucil is what I think it is, psyllium husk flavored with artificial orange stuff in a small envelope that you mix with a drink or yogurt, I wouldn't take it because they put aspartame, an artificial sweetener, in it and aspartame has been linked to many many health issues according to some studies. Instead I use just plain psyllium husk for constipation, which is difficult but not impossible to track down in Thailand. Sunshine Supermarket on Sukhumvit Soi 22 has 100 gram bags of it for 150 baht or so, its supposedly organic and without any unhealthy additives that I can tell. You use it in the same way as Metmucil, just put a teaspoon of it in with your food or drink. Sunshine Supermarket also take orders online and ship anywhere in Thailand, tho I haven't ordered from them so I don't know how well they handle all that, but they seem on the ball, nice well run shop that I drop into and buy my aryuvedic health supplements from whenever I am in Bangkok, bulk turmeric and psyllium.

 

To answer the question, how do you maintain a healthy life, I figure that as with most things the key is just paying attention on a consistent basis, be willing to face whatever is going on and deal with it  as it arises and do your best to be reasonable. Do what you can do and feel comfortable with regarding your health and if you feel pretty good and have no major issues, then that's most of it.

 

My aim is always to try and stay well clear of doctors if at all possible, I don't think it is paranoid to say that few if any have any interest in your health and in many cases are just angling for ways to  take your health away so that they get your business. Again maybe I am paranoid but I get the sneaking suspicion that most of the doctors I have been to see in Thailand are holding out on me, that they simply keep to themselves whatever they find with me and could help me prevent certain minor issues I have from developing but they would rather wait and hope I get worse in hopes that they can harvest a whole array of acute issues down the road. The doctors of course are not all bad, but there are some certifiable sociopaths at some of major hospitals here, so for me that is key and a real problem and issue I have living here. When I went to a certain large and well known international standard hospital in Bangkok for a bothersome issue with my foot , the doctor tried to tell me that all the bones in my foot were broken into tiny pieces and that I probably needed to have my foot amputated all the while giggling and going through this clearly contrived mock surprise and shock routine. My wife went into a semi-supressed rage, tugging on my sleeve insistently and whispering into my ear, "This guy isn't a doctor! Lets get out of here! He's crazy!" You really have to be on your toes if you are going to see a doctor here. 

 

Personally I don't take well to others' advice, never seems to work for me. For example, another Thai doctor told me I was obese and scolded me for eating McDonalds and pizza all the time, which I don't, and  I clearly am not obese either, just somewhat over weight 6 foot 2 and 93 kilos and he said to me it was imperative  that I needed to stop eating large meals and  change to an eating style where I eat little snacks throughout the day to feed myself. I went to him regarding a foot issue, he and 5 other doctors I have seen in Thailand don't seem to know what the problem is. That said his advice, reducing pressure on my foot by reducing my weight has helped and two other westerners independent of one another who have the same problem that I do with their feet have said it sounds like  I just have a case of whats called Plantars fascia which is sharp pain in the bottom of your foot or an uncomfortable feeling that there is a stone in your shoe and results from standing around on your feet a lot or from too much pressure on your feet due to weight or other issues.  I did reduce my weight, and that has helped relieve the symptoms to  a tolerable level, but I prefer to eat regular meals, not become a snacker as seemingly advised by the doctor which to me sounds like a recipe for becoming seriously unhealthy.

 

Of course, you have to get checked for things you can't check yourself. As much as I don't trust doctors, in theory it is not impossible that they can benefit you and so you have to do your level best to weed out the legions of bad apples out there and go to the best you can track down for checkups etc. I think in Thailand not only is a second opinion from a second doctor a must but a 3rd, 4th and even 5th opinion, especially if you are getting contradictory stories as to your condition or see signs that you are talking to a guy who doesn't know what he's talking about, or cannot communicate, or who even is plotting your road to ruin the minute you start your consultation.

 

 

 

 

Edited December 2, 2017 by Shaunduhpostman

[Bang Bang]

2 hours ago, Nicebus said:

bit of gardening and site seeing.

That should be sight I thought - a minor misspelling. Then I thought, wait a minute, I am on the computer, like millions of others, at least 5 hours a day. Doing what? Exactly. Site seeing. Awesome, yee haa, woo hoo.

 

Back to the OP. Good on  you. You sound incredibly fit, I would say more so than the average 70 year old.

 

A lot of health issues are from the mind though. I met a gentleman recently from Norway who knocked me over when he said he was a retired 69 year old. He didn't look a day over 45.

 

Then I figured, yep, Norway, Scandinavian high-taxation socialist utopia. Health insurance worries? No. Education costs? Zip. Unemployment fears? Fully covered. Old age concerns? See health insurance. Crime? Low. Why? See all of the above.

 

Peace of mind, the lack of which wreaks havoc on the body as can be seen from the average older American who looks like he's looking for the nearest place to lay down and die.

[dapperdan]

1 hour ago, Shaunduhpostman said:

Sounds to me like you must be pretty healthy. If you feel good I would keep up that routine and adjust as needed.

 

If metamucil is what I think it is, psyllium husk flavored with artificial orange stuff in a small envelope that you mix with a drink or yogurt, I wouldn't take it because they put aspartame, an artificial sweetener, in it and aspartame has been linked to many many health issues according to some studies. Instead I use just plain psyllium husk for constipation, which is difficult but not impossible to track down in Thailand. Sunshine Supermarket on Sukhumvit Soi 22 has 100 gram bags of it for 150 baht or so, its supposedly organic and without any unhealthy additives that I can tell. You use it in the same way as Metmucil, just put a teaspoon of it in with your food or drink. Sunshine Supermarket also take orders online and ship anywhere in Thailand, tho I haven't ordered from them so I don't know how well they handle all that, but they seem on the ball, nice well run shop that I drop into and buy my aryuvedic health supplements from whenever I am in Bangkok, bulk turmeric and psyllium.

 

To answer the question, how do you maintain a healthy life, I figure that as with most things the key is just paying attention on a consistent basis, be willing to face whatever is going on and deal with it  as it arises and do your best to be reasonable. Do what you can do and feel comfortable with regarding your health and if you feel pretty good and have no major issues, then that's most of it.

 

My aim is always to try and stay well clear of doctors if at all possible, I don't think it is paranoid to say that few if any have any interest in your health and in many cases are just angling for ways to  take your health away so that they get your business. Again maybe I am paranoid but I get the sneaking suspicion that most of the doctors I have been to see in Thailand are holding out on me, that they simply keep to themselves whatever they find with me and could help me prevent certain minor issues I have from developing but they would rather wait and hope I get worse in hopes that they can harvest a whole array of acute issues down the road. The doctors of course are not all bad, but there are some certifiable sociopaths at some of major hospitals here, so for me that is key and a real problem and issue I have living here. When I went to a certain large and well known international standard hospital in Bangkok for a bothersome issue with my foot , the doctor tried to tell me that all the bones in my foot were broken into tiny pieces and that I probably needed to have my foot amputated all the while giggling and going through this clearly contrived mock surprise and shock routine. My wife went into a semi-supressed rage, tugging on my sleeve insistently and whispering into my ear, "This guy isn't a doctor! Lets get out of here! He's crazy!" You really have to be on your toes if you are going to see a doctor here. 

 

Personally I don't take well to others' advice, never seems to work for me. For example, another Thai doctor told me I was obese and scolded me for eating McDonalds and pizza all the time, which I don't, and  I clearly am not obese either, just somewhat over weight 6 foot 2 and 93 kilos and he said to me it was imperative  that I needed to stop eating large meals and  change to an eating style where I eat little snacks throughout the day to feed myself. I went to him regarding a foot issue, he and 5 other doctors I have seen in Thailand don't seem to know what the problem is. That said his advice, reducing pressure on my foot by reducing my weight has helped and two other westerners independent of one another who have the same problem that I do with their feet have said it sounds like  I just have a case of whats called Plantars fascia which is sharp pain in the bottom of your foot or an uncomfortable feeling that there is a stone in your shoe and results from standing around on your feet a lot or from too much pressure on your feet due to weight or other issues.  I did reduce my weight, and that has helped relieve the symptoms to  a tolerable level, but I prefer to eat regular meals, not become a snacker as seemingly advised by the doctor which to me sounds like a recipe for becoming seriously unhealthy.

 

Of course, you have to get checked for things you can't check yourself. As much as I don't trust doctors, in theory it is not impossible that they can benefit you and so you have to do your level best to weed out the legions of bad apples out there and go to the best you can track down for checkups etc. I think in Thailand not only is a second opinion from a second doctor a must but a 3rd, 4th and even 5th opinion, especially if you are getting contradictory stories as to your condition or see signs that you are talking to a guy who doesn't know what he's talking about, or cannot communicate, or who even is plotting your road to ruin the minute you start your consultation.

 

 

 

 

Orthotics would help with plantars fascitus. See a podiatrist. If not take gauze pads under the arch of your foot, raising it to take the pressure of that planters connection to the heel. Most important is to rest the foot and not walk too much. It's probably an inflammation that will go away. Taking a laxative every day doesn't seem like a good idea.

[Lucky mike]

Take mixture of acv (organic), raw honey, garlic,ginger and lemon juice every morning, firtst thing.  I normally have banana and low fat yogurt with muesli.  Happy home with great active partner do a bit in garden and swim..teach a little English to young monks at temple.....live one day at a time !  Be thankful every day....

[sandy102uk]

Yes I think you are about normal but maybe you worry too much

[Spaniel]

Since you made it to 70 and in apparent good health it's hard to fault anything you are doing although    one thing I would suggest would be to cut out those 4 daily beers.       I'm 73 and consider myself in pretty good shape too.   I walk 2 hours per day, about 12 km,   eat lots of salad and fruit, no red meat and try to limit fried foods.     Exercise and diet are a big factor to good health.    

[sanmyn]

 

Yeah, I guess I'm pretty healthy and lucky.

 

I'm retired from San Francisco, have lived here single (Naklua) for 22 years. Wow, that doesn't seem possible. 

I am 82 this year. No health complaints. I still drive my Honda, fast walk the treadmill slightly uphill 3 times a week, only make myself maybe one drink a week. I have never smoked. 

But I tire easily now,  generally feel a lack of energy, but never see any Thai doctors. I do try to have an exam once a year or so. 

My blood pressure is low, cholestral borderline low, blood sugar a little high but OK. 

I have enjoyed my life living alone in Thailand. Don't go back to the States much anymore, maybe every 3-4 years. 

I cook my own meals, eat out a couple of nights a week, and have a housekeeper who comes twice a week.

 

I enjoy several old movies (TCM), not much for the newer ones, and love the NFL Games. 

A good life, so far no aches or pains and no medication......

 

 

 

 

 

[Wake Up]

No medications at age 70. Congratulations that is great. Assuming you have a checkup with blood work yearly I think you are in the top 5 percent of adult men in terms of health. Keeping active and not gaining lots of excess weight and not taking pills is my goal in my fitness life. Sounds like you are doing great. 

[xylophone]

5 hours ago, Gruff said:

I think to some extent that your lifestyle can be a little irrelevant when you reach 3 score years + 10

I think you could be right there, at least to a certain extent.

 

I don't know that I could call my current lifestyle healthy as it does entail about half a bottle of red wine a night plus a large glass of sweet sticky stuff, along with an average of about three cigarettes per evening with this.

 

Having said that I do most of my own cooking and try to keep it reasonably healthy, using the likes of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and not eating too much red meat.

 

Any illness that I've had has not been as a result of anything other than things out of my control (BPH, for example) and no doubt a few broken bones I've had during my time of playing sport won't have helped with other aches and pains. As a result of the BPH which led to a few bladder neck problems later on, and then an antibiotic resistant bug caught just recently in hospital here, I was sick, but again nothing I could do much about and not as a result of an unhealthy lifestyle.

 

I think much of this comes from previous years when I was a very active youngster, leading onto a keen footballer who would train twice a week and would play three or even four times in an eight day period sometimes. Even though I worked overseas on and off, I always tried to keep up some sort of sport on my return. I played up until I was 45 and then decided to call it a day after breaking my nose for the sixth time.

 

Then came the tennis for 15 years and a 90 minute practice during the week and then at weekends a maximum of 60 games on a Saturday afternoon although 40 to 50 was the norm, and I can tell you I was absolutely shattered after that.

 

Where is all this leading? Well I'm a great believer that keeping fit and active in my younger years has resulted in where I find myself at the moment and that is with average cholesterol and average blood pressure, a resting pulse rate of around 52/54 and a physique which although a couple of kilos more than I want to be, is not in the "fat" bracket, "stocky" yes!

 

I'm not doing a great deal out of the ordinary to "maintain a healthy lifestyle" as I've sort of come to the conclusion that at 70 years old I should be able to indulge in a few things without being too strict on myself.

[JLCrab]

With my late parents, if you asked my Father "How are you?" you would get a very clipped "Fine!"

 

If you asked my Mother "How are you?" you would get a 10-minute prognosis.

[Altalake]

Good stuff Mate! The biking-exercise is a Key I think. Keep it up - they say 2 beers is the daily "limit" but what the heck. You enjoy it - so go for it!

[Aussieroaming]

Keep it up, you are 70 years young.

[Dap]

5 hours ago, Gruff said:

I think to some extent that your lifestyle can be a little irrelevant when you reach 3 score years + 10. You can be healthy but suddenly have a nasty fall or accident and you will be worse than your similar age neighbour who hasn't cycled since he was a teenager and drinks 20 cans per night.

I agree with you "to some extent", but ... (as long as you're proposing "what-if's", ie. "a nasty fall or accident") a 30 year old neighbour might just as easily get nailed by lightning, I think anyone that tries to take care reasonable care of themselves at any age, is more than likely extending their life span in an intelligent manner. Just my 2 cents :) 

 

[Nicebus]

4 hours ago, thaibry said:

What do your biannual health checks tell you. Blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol, kidney disease are all hidden until they hospitalise you or kill you.



Sent from my ASUS_Z010D using Tapatalk
 

I have no annual check ups ...why ???

They cant tell me more than I feel at age 70 .

Some of my friends get checked / run to the doctor every time they feel a bit off.

I tell them forget it . Most times the symptoms go away .

Some dont believe me ...some have had treatment and the knife , unfortunately most have died . I dont trust doctors . Most on an ego trip to keep the patient ( you ! ) alive for their own ego.

[Nicebus]

4 hours ago, Bang Bang said:

That should be sight I thought - a minor misspelling. Then I thought, wait a minute, I am on the computer, like millions of others, at least 5 hours a day. Doing what? Exactly. Site seeing. Awesome, yee haa, woo hoo.

 

Back to the OP. Good on  you. You sound incredibly fit, I would say more so than the average 70 year old.

 

A lot of health issues are from the mind though. I met a gentleman recently from Norway who knocked me over when he said he was a retired 69 year old. He didn't look a day over 45.

 

Then I figured, yep, Norway, Scandinavian high-taxation socialist utopia. Health insurance worries? No. Education costs? Zip. Unemployment fears? Fully covered. Old age concerns? See health insurance. Crime? Low. Why? See all of the above.

 

Peace of mind, the lack of which wreaks havoc on the body as can be seen from the average older American who looks like he's looking for the nearest place to lay down and die.

 

[Nicebus]

34 minutes ago, Altalake said:

Good stuff Mate! The biking-exercise is a Key I think. Keep it up - they say 2 beers is the daily "limit" but what the heck. You enjoy it - so go for it!

Thanks digger.

As you say enjoying is the key.

Lot of miserable know alls in the cemetary.

[Nicebus]

6 hours ago, Gruff said:

I think to some extent that your lifestyle can be a little irrelevant when you reach 3 score years + 10. You can be healthy but suddenly have a nasty fall or accident and you will be worse than your similar age neighbour who hasn't cycled since he was a teenager and drinks 20 cans per night.

Cant agree with you my friend.

Irrelevant lifestyle choices at 70 ??? 

I think you must worry about the "what if " , rather than the " how lucky I am to make it this far , now whats next " 

[Nicebus]

2 hours ago, sandy102uk said:

Yes I think you are about normal but maybe you worry too much

Why do you think I worry too much ???

 

Just making statements about my situation and asking what others do .

 

Would you care to elaborate ?

[Nicebus]

4 hours ago, Bang Bang said:

That should be sight I thought - a minor misspelling. Then I thought, wait a minute, I am on the computer, like millions of others, at least 5 hours a day. Doing what? Exactly. Site seeing. Awesome, yee haa, woo hoo.

 

Back to the OP. Good on  you. You sound incredibly fit, I would say more so than the average 70 year old.

 

A lot of health issues are from the mind though. I met a gentleman recently from Norway who knocked me over when he said he was a retired 69 year old. He didn't look a day over 45.

 

Then I figured, yep, Norway, Scandinavian high-taxation socialist utopia. Health insurance worries? No. Education costs? Zip. Unemployment fears? Fully covered. Old age concerns? See health insurance. Crime? Low. Why? See all of the above.

 

Peace of mind, the lack of which wreaks havoc on the body as can be seen from the average older American who looks like he's looking for the nearest place to lay down and die.

Peace of mind

Well done , encompasses the situation . Thanks 

[bikerlou47]

I know the simple fix to your foot problem... difficult to write the fix. Let me know if you are interested.

Sent from my SM-G360HU using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Nicebus]

2 hours ago, Spaniel said:

Since you made it to 70 and in apparent good health it's hard to fault anything you are doing although    one thing I would suggest would be to cut out those 4 daily beers.       I'm 73 and consider myself in pretty good shape too.   I walk 2 hours per day, about 12 km,   eat lots of salad and fruit, no red meat and try to limit fried foods.     Exercise and diet are a big factor to good health.    

Cutting the 4 beers could be hard .

The missus spends heaps on make up etc . I asked her why ..She said to make me look beautiful for you darling ... I said no need ...After my 4 beers you always look beautiful .

Me and the dog been a bit hungry lately in the kennel.

[1FinickyOne]

Seems the people that I know who bike a lot are quite fit... Good for you for being healthy and in good shape at 70...

 

You forgot to mention proud. Many of the people who have health issues are not genetically well mapped or have had accidents. I have had many friends die in their 40s and 50s... they were nice people. 

 

Enjoy your health. 

[Nicebus]

10 minutes ago, kenk24 said:

Seems the people that I know who bike a lot are quite fit... Good for you for being healthy and in good shape at 70...

 

You forgot to mention proud. Many of the people who have health issues are not genetically well mapped or have had accidents. I have had many friends die in their 40s and 50s... they were nice people. 

 

Enjoy your health. 

Very good point 

Proud yes we all should be

Thank you for your positive reply 

[Rc2702]

4 cans of beer a day every day.

 

5 years in and 4 a day, my question. Has this been gradual 2 cans etc 3 cans.

 

Seems like you could decrease that intake.

 

 

[tryasimight]

3 hours ago, sanmyn said:

 

Yeah, I guess I'm pretty healthy and lucky.

 

I'm retired from San Francisco, have lived here single (Naklua) for 22 years. Wow, that doesn't seem possible. 

I am 82 this year. No health complaints. I still drive my Honda, fast walk the treadmill slightly uphill 3 times a week, only make myself maybe one drink a week. I have never smoked. 

But I tire easily now,  generally feel a lack of energy, but never see any Thai doctors. I do try to have an exam once a year or so. 

My blood pressure is low, cholestral borderline low, blood sugar a little high but OK. 

I have enjoyed my life living alone in Thailand. Don't go back to the States much anymore, maybe every 3-4 years. 

I cook my own meals, eat out a couple of nights a week, and have a housekeeper who comes twice a week.

 

I enjoy several old movies (TCM), not much for the newer ones, and love the NFL Games. 

A good life, so far no aches or pains and no medication......

 

 

 

 

 

Aha.. So that's the secret.... A housekeeper who  only comes twice a week.  Mine comes three times a day and is prematurely aging me!

I'll have to have a word with her!