Typical Dinners for us!

by noreply@blogger.com (Katie) @ Live Like Liam

Tue Jan 14 13:58:00 PST 2014

A lot of friends ask me what I fix for dinner all the time? Do I follow one Paleo book over another? Honestly I have adapted lots of my recipes to fit a Paleo lifestyle. I will have to do more post on individual recipes, but for now here is an idea of what we eat on a weekly basis. The key to dinners I always say is plan your week out. On busy days try to make a meal in the crock pot so its ready for you. Or prep ahead of time so you can just throw it together and eat right away. I am going to give you two ideas of meals on a given day. That way essentially you will see that there are two weeks of meals in this post. You could arrange them on any day or in any order.

Monday:  

1. BLT's without the bread and Sweet Potato Fries: Bacon wrapped in lettuce with tomato, possibly avocado. For Liam because he can't digest lettuce I just give him bacon with cherry tomatoes with some other veggie like bell pepper or cucumber. He also has a generous portion of Sweet Potato Fries. For the fries I leave the skins on so they some of it is crunchy.

2. Turkey and Beef Burgers with Sweet Potato Fries. I will have to post the recipe I came up with for my Turkey Burgers soon. They are amazing. Even my husband prefers them to beef.

Tuesday:

1. Crock pot Marinara with Sausage or Meatballs served on Spaghetti Squash, Zucchini or Rice Noodles. Rice Noodles are not Paleo, but my kids really prefer them. Its a balancing act and since they don't upset Liam's tummy I tend to be a little lenient with them. With the Main course we will have a mixed Salad and sauted Green Beans or roasted Asparagus.

2. Crock Pot: BBQ Chicken ( Put Chicken in Crock Pot and put Barbecue sauce on top, let cook all day) side note make your own sauce or in a pinch I use one from Trader Joes that does not have a bunch of nasty ingredients in it. Side dishes with this meal are coleslaw and cut up pineapple along with green beans or another veggie

Wednesday:

1. Herb Roasted Whole Chicken baked with roasted Sweet Potatoes. We usually have roasted cauliflower, roasted Brussels Sprouts or a salad with it. After we eat the whole Chicken I then put it in the crock pot over night and make broth.

Thursday:

1. Taco's: Taco meat (turkey and beef) with sauted bell pepper and onions. We cut up avocado, cherry tomatoes, limes, and cilantro. I use lettuce leaves in place of taco shells. Usually serve with fruit

2. Carnitas (click on it for the best recipe) and shredded salsa Chicken (throw chicken in crock pot and dump favorite jar salsa on top and let cook all day)  have the same ingredients as taco night.

Friday:

1. Lemon Chicken (Barefoot Contessa recipe is amazing) serve with favorite vegetable and Salad.

2. Dairy Free Chicken Piccata served with steamed Artichokes and Lemon Kale Salad

Saturday:

1. Cobb Salad: I put everything in separate bowls and let my kids make it themselves. Liam eats everything but the lettuce. Our Salad consist of Mixed greens, hard boiled eggs, bacon, onion, cucumber, tomatoes, carrots, grilled chicken, mushrooms, bell pepper, almonds and cranberries. I make my own balsamic dressing for all my salads.

2. Asian Salad: Chicken fingers, butter lettuce and romaine lettuce, carrots, green onion, cucumber, red bell pepper, almonds and Asian dressing.

Sunday:

1. Leftover night

2. Breakfast: Eggs, Bacon, Canadian bacon or Sausage, Fruit, and Grain Free pancakes

Hope this helps give you some ideas!

Post lyme disease treatment advice...diet, bpc 157 and or?

by @ ImmInst Active Topics

Sun Feb 11 17:35:26 PST 2018

Hey everyone,

Thank you in advance for taking the time to read and respond to my post. I’m a 23 year old (otherwise healthy) male who was diagnosed with lyme disease about two months ago. After undergoing an intense supplement/herbal/energetical therapy cleanse and detox, my docotor confirmed that the lyme had left my body. However, I am still experiencing all of my original symptoms, including random shaking, a neck tremor, intense brain fog, a really infammed gut/liver/kidneys, etc. I’m struggling to determine my next course of action — has anyone reading his post dealt with lyme? — have you tried dietary changes to help heal your system? I’m also curious if bpc 157 would be a good option for me? I already eat a fairly well balanced diet that is exclusively organic/non gmo, as well as taking about 15 relevant supplents a day (including probiotics). I guess, in general, I’m seeking any lyme, dietary, or other advice that you might have for me.

Thanks for your time,

-Braden

Nitric Oxide and AO+Mist Skin Probiotic at the Perfect Health Retreat

by Paul Jaminet @ Perfect Health Diet

Thu Apr 30 10:24:09 PDT 2015

Our May Perfect Health Retreat begins on Saturday, and we’re thrilled to announce a new partner: AOBiome. In January I blogged (“UBiome and the May 2015 Perfect Health Retreat”) about our partnership with uBiome.com. UBiome has contributed two gut microbiome …

Read more »

The post Nitric Oxide and AO+Mist Skin Probiotic at the Perfect Health Retreat appeared first on Perfect Health Diet.

Breakfast ideas

by noreply@blogger.com (Katie) @ Live Like Liam

Thu Oct 10 11:03:00 PDT 2013

A typical breakfast for us is eggs and bacon. Its nice to change things up a bit though so the kids don't get sick of it. Here is what we eat. I will try to post the recipes soon.

• Eggs: scrambled, fried in olive oil, or steamed with some water and a lid. 

• Meat: Bacon, Canadian Bacon, sausage patties all nitrate free. Sometimes I just cook up a bunch of meat and give them a fruit smoothie and they are good to go. 

• Frittata: I will take a 8x8 Pan and spray with coconut oil or Olive oil. I put left over carnitas, or ground sausage or turkey from tacos, ham, or bacon on the bottom. Next I take whatever veggies I have. For Liam I saute them so they are a little less crunchy. Don't saute too much because they will cook down in oven. His favorite is bell pepper, spinach or kale, and mushrooms. Savy my daughter loves all those too as well as asparagus, onions and garlic. After you layer the veggies on top on the meat you pour over beaten eggs. For our family its usually 10-12 eggs. If you have ramekin's you can make individual ones for your kids. Then just place pan in a 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes. Take a toothpick and poke the center, if it comes out clean then its cooked. I make this ahead and cut up into squares and store in a glass container and reheat in the mornings for school. 

• Smoothies: My kids love smoothies for breakfast. I make fruit ones, chocolate banana ones. I will post these recipes soon.

• Muffins: I make muffins up a head of time. Right now my kids are loving an almond flour blueberry muffin. click here for the recipe 

• Oatmeal: When Liam isn't feeling so great he still asks for Oatmeal. This would be a cheat he has that isn't Paleo. I let him eat it though because it seems to feel good on his tummy.

If you have any questions feel free to ask. 

Your probiotics could be causing thick blood

by lassesen @ CFS Remission

Thu Feb 08 21:36:10 PST 2018

A reader asked: “Do you still think thick blood is a common issue and do you still recommend getting the multiple labs for thick blood? Is there a viscosity test you recommend for seeing that the thickness is at any given time?” Given that I have been focusing on the microbiome  (mainly because it is actionable […]

Post lyme disease treatment advice...diet, bpc 157 and or?

by @ Health

Sun Feb 11 17:35:26 PST 2018

Hey everyone,

Thank you in advance for taking the time to read and respond to my post. I’m a 23 year old (otherwise healthy) male who was diagnosed with lyme disease about two months ago. After undergoing an intense supplement/herbal/energetical therapy cleanse and detox, my docotor confirmed that the lyme had left my body. However, I am still experiencing all of my original symptoms, including random shaking, a neck tremor, intense brain fog, a really infammed gut/liver/kidneys, etc. I’m struggling to determine my next course of action — has anyone reading his post dealt with lyme? — have you tried dietary changes to help heal your system? I’m also curious if bpc 157 would be a good option for me? I already eat a fairly well balanced diet that is exclusively organic/non gmo, as well as taking about 15 relevant supplents a day (including probiotics). I guess, in general, I’m seeking any lyme, dietary, or other advice that you might have for me.

Thanks for your time,

-Braden

Cryonics

by @ Articles - Articles

Tue Feb 21 13:06:47 PST 2012

The following is a quick overview on Cryonics.

 

NB: The information below is periodically reviewed for accuracy, but LongeCity makes no representations or gives any warranties whatsoever that the following information is accurate and complete at any point in time. LongeCity accepts no responsibility or liability for information contained on this page. The discussion of cryonics service providers and services in no way entails any endorsement on part of LongeCity. The lead author of this page, its editors and other contributors from time to time may be affiliated with one of the service providers mentioned below. Without qualification to the foregoing disclaimers, LongeCity strives to present the following information in an objective and balanced manner. If you feel that information on this page is inaccurate or imbalanced please contact the LongeCity Support Email.

 

INDEX

• Cryonics Overview
• Existing Cryonics Organizations
• Cryonics Services Offered
• Sizes of the Organizations
• Whole Body/Neuro Options
• Cryopreservation and Yearly Fees
• Human Cryopreservation Procedures
• Funding Cryonics by Insurance

Cryonics Overview

 

Cryonics is based on the idea that future medicine will have capabilities well beyond those of current medicine, including the ability to cure all diseases, rejuvenate and repair damage incurred in the cryopreservation process — through the use of nanotechnology and other technologies. Cryonics can be an ambulance or time capsule to future medicine which can allow us to live many thousands of years or longer in youth and good health. Stored at very low temperatures there will be very little molecular motion in cryonics patients for tens of thousands of years, although most of us do not believe that we will have to wait anywhere near so long for future medicine.

 

Although cryonics patients must be legally dead before cryonics procedures to reduce or eliminate ischemic damage and ice formation can be applied, cryonicists do not believe that cryonics patients are dead in an ultimate sense. Nearly all the cells of the body are alive for quite some time after the heart stops — including neurons. A standby team can be used to minimize the time between pronouncement of death and cooling, cardiopulmonary support, etc. Cryonicists believe that the anatomical basis of mind can survive much longer than six minutes after stoppage of the heart in the absence of cooling — despite the inability of current medicine to revive patients without neurological damage after more than six minutes of cardiac arrest. (See Quantifying Ischemic Damage for Cryonics Rescue for more details.)

 

Existing Cryonics Organizations

 

For most of cryonics history (which began in the mid-1960s), all of the cryonics organizations offering cryonics services have been in the United States. In 2005 a cryonics organization was created in Russia (just northwest of Moscow) and there are plans for another cryonics organization in Australia to offer perfusion and storage of cryonics patients within a few years. LongeCity does not endorse any particular cryonics organization. The data below is taken from the cryonics organizations without LongeCity attempting to verify the accuracy of their claims or the extent of the services they claim to provide. If you are considering utilizing any of these organizations, you should conduct your own investigation.

 

NAME	LOCATION	INCORPORATED	NON-PROFIT ?
Alcor Life Extension Foundation	Scottsdale, Arizona	1972	Yes
American Cryonics Society (ACS)	Cupertino, California	1969	Yes
Cryonics Institute (CI)	Clinton Township, Michigan	1976	Yes
KrioRus	Moscow, Russia	2005	No
Oregon Cryonics	Salem, Oregon	2005*	No
Suspended Animation, Inc (SA)	Boynton Beach, Florida	2002	No
Trans Time, Inc.	San Leandro, California	1972	No

 

Alcor Life Extension Foundation and the American Cryonics Society (ACS) are organized as 501©3 charitable organizations, whereas the Cryonics Institute (CI) is simply a non-profit corporation. Although Suspended Animation, Inc. (SA) is ostensibly a for-profit company, it is mainly engaged in research and development of cryonics capabilities financed by the principals of the Life Extension Foundation. By 2012 KrioRus had relocated to a facility closer to Moscow, but a newer facility is being built midway between Moscow and St. Petersburg.

 

Oregon Cryonics was incorporated in 2005, but accepted its first patient (a pet patient) in May, 2014. Jordan Sparks is the owner/operator, but he has plans for a Board of Directors or other mechanism to out-live him (to allow for the organization to continue).

 

Cryonics Services Offered

 

Not all cryonics services are offered by all cryonics organizations. Patient administration service is offered by cryonics organizations that sign-up Members who are to be cryopreserved upon legal death and maintain responsibility for those Members while they are Patient's in cryopreservation storage. Perfusion is the replacement of normal body fluid with cryoprotective solutions to reduce or prevent ice formation at cryogenic temperatures. Storage is the storage of a cryonics patient in liquid nitrogen. Standby/Stabilization/Transport (SST) involves standing by the bedside of a medically terminal patient destined to be cryopreserved, the application of a heart-lung resuscitator and ice-water cooling as soon as possible after declaration of death,and transport to a perfusion facility while tissues are still being stabilized at low temperature.

 

The following table represents the services which cryonics organizations say they provide.

 

*=simplification, see explanation

NAME	PATIENT ADMINISTRATION	PERFUSION	STORAGE	SST
Alcor	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
ACS	Yes	Yes*	No*	Yes*
CI	Yes	Yes	Yes	No*
KrioRus	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Oregon Cryonics	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
SA	No*	No	No	Yes
Trans Time	Yes	No	Yes	No

 

All standby cases done for Alcor Foundation outside of Arizona, but inside the continental United States are handled by Suspended Animation, Inc (SA). Alcor does standby for Alcor Members who are terminal in Arizona, Hawaii, and Alaska as well as in Canada. SA does not provide SST services outside the continental United States for any organization.

 

The American Cryonics Society (ACS) states that it mainly contracts with Suspended Animation,Inc. (SA) for perfusion and standby/transport, and contracts with the Cryonics Institute (CI) for storage. ACS also states that it has equipment, contractors and volunteers which are available for use in perfusion and standby in California should the need arise, although this is far less sophisticated and formal than what SA provides. ACS creates and manages individual charitable trusts for its patients. ACS regards these trusts as an important feature of the benefit gained by being an ACS Member.

 

Cryonics Institute (CI) Members who reside in the continental United States have the option of contracting directly with SA if they desire professional SST.In some cases volunteers or paid funeral directors have provided these services to CI Members. SA will keep records of CI Members who have arranged to have SA SST, but does not continue any administrative responsibility after the patient has been cryopreserved.

 

Trans Time is currently storing patients, but (despite what their website says) is not currently seeking new Members or Patients.

 

Sizes of the Organizations

 

There are various ways by which organization size could be measured, but for the purposes of this section size is represented by the number of Members in the organization, the number of patients currently being stored in liquid nitrogen and the number of full-time paid staff in the organization. The figures below are for April 2017, and are based on the statements of the organization in question.

 

*=simplification, see explanation

NAME	MEMBERS	FUNDED MEMBERS	PATIENTS	STAFF
Alcor	1,639*	1,132*	150	9*
ACS	?*	?*	20*	1*
CI	1,384*	?*	151*	3*
KrioRus	N/A	N/A	52	7*
Oregon Cryonics	8*	N/A	6	5*
SA	N/A	N/A	N/A	3*
Trans Time	?	?	3	1?

 

The Membership statistics reported above are for living Members only. Both Alcor and CI patients are Members (except for the ACS patients at CI). The American Cryonics Society (ACS) has an organizational policy against publishing the number of Members it has in its organization. As of April 2017 the 20 ACS patients were all in storage at the Cryonics Institute (CI). ACS has had one part-time clerk to do office work and has otherwise relied on volunteers. Alcor has 9 full-time staff, 1 consultant, and 1 regular volunteer. The 151 patients in storage at CI includes 20 ACS patients. KrioRus has no Membership program, and the method of counting patients is odd — a few are not stored by KrioRus. KrioRus has 4 full-time and 3 part-time employees as well as numerous volunteers.

 

CI is a subcontractor for storage of 20 ACS patients. CI has three paid staff (two full-time and one part-time), a few contractors and many volunteers. Accounting is done by CI Treasurer Pat Heller (a CPA) with auditing by another CI Director. Trans Time does not report its Membership numbers. Suspended Animation (SA) is a subcontractor which provides Standby/Stabilization/Transport (SST) only to other cryonics organizations (ACS, Alcor and CI), so it has no Members or Patients — so the reporting of Members or Patients for SA is "Not Applicable" (N/A). SA makes extensive use of subcontractors when needed.

 

As of April 2017, CI reported 136 pets, Alcor reported 58 pets, KrioRus reported 21 pets, and Oregon Cryonics reported 2 pets in cryopreservation.

 

Alcor and CI member numbers are not directly comparable because the word "Member" has different meanings for the two organizations. Membership in CI provides the privilege of obtaining cryopreservation services: pet, DNA or human cryopreservation. Many join CI only to store DNA or pets or to support CI, including some Alcor Members. Some Alcor Members have even made arrangements to use CI as a "back-up". Alcor does not allow its Members to have Alcor as a "back-up". Prior to April, 2012, all Alcor Members had made arrangements (ie, funding and contracts in place) for human cryopreservation and SST, but in April 2012 the Associate Alcor Member program was introduced. Associate Alcor Members do not have any cryopreservation arrangements with Alcor.

 

ForApril 2017, Alcor reported 1,639 living Members, 1,132 of whom had made arrangements for human cryopreservation, and 357 of whom were Associate Members. Of the 1,384 CI Members in April 2017, 212 of those had made arrangements for both human cryopreservation and standby/stabilization/transport (all with SA). In September 2015, CI ceased reporting how many of it Members have funding and contracts for cryopreservation. Historically, less than half of CI Members have been funded (prior CI statistics). Since 2006, CI offers a 'partnership' arrangement for CI Members for SA SST.

 

As noted in the previous section, Trans Time is currently storing patients, but (despite what their website says) is not currently seeking new Members or Patients.

 

In 2011 and 2012 SA reorganized its staff to have more part-time employees and contractors, and for much of 2012 and 2013 SA was re-organizing to have facilities in both California and Florida.

 

Oregon Cryonics has an owner (Jordan Sparks) and four other full-time employees. OC has 9 Members, but is no longer accepting new Members..

 

Accounts of patient histories and membership growth can be found at:
--Cryonics Institute (CI) Patient Details
--Cryonics Institute (CI) Statistics Details
--Complete List of Alcor Cryopreservations
--Alcor Membership Statistics

 

Whole Body/Neuro Options

 

The term neuropreservation (or "neuro") generally refers to the practice of cryopreserving only the head rather than the whole body. A "neuro" is usually a whole head, not just the brain, but sometimes only the brain is cryopreserved. Keeping the whole head to preserve the brain is convenient for both perfusion and storage (the skull protects the brain). In some cases, however, "neuros" are brain-only. The following represent options various organizations say that they offer.

 

*=simplification, see explanation

NAME	WHOLE BODY	NEURO
Alcor	Yes	Yes
ACS	Yes	No*
CI	Yes	No
KrioRus	Yes	Yes
Oregon Cryonics	No	Yes
SA	N/A	N/A
Trans Time	Yes	Yes

 

Alcor states that its Members have the option of having their whole body cryopreserved or only their head ("neuro") — with different fees applicable to each choice. In April 2017, Alcor reported having 93 neuro, 54 whole body, and 4 neuro+whole bodypatients, whereas KrioRus reported 25 neuro and 27 whole-body patients. Trans Time has one whole body and two brains.

 

All CI Members with human cryopreservation arrangments are "whole body". ACS states that it does not have a policy against neuropreservation, but as long as it only uses CI as its subcontract or for storage it cannot offer neuro-cryopreservation as an option. Suspended Animation (SA) is a subcontractor which provides Standby/Stabilization/Transport only to other cryonics organizations, not storage, so the question of storage options with SA is "Not Applicable" (N/A).

 

Oregon Cryonics only stores heads and brains. As of February, 2016 Oregon Cryonics was chemically preserving three human brains, and cryopreserving one dog brain.

 

Cryopreservation and Yearly Fees

 

Comparing fees for human cryopreservation and yearly Membership or Emergency Responsibility is difficult to summarize in table form because the policies, procedures and options between the cryonics organization are so different. A great deal of explanation is required. Note that the high prices for human cryopreservation are generally covered by life insurance policies. The following represent the fees that the following organizations state that they charge.

 

*=simplification,see explanation

NAME	WHOLE BODY	NEURO	YEARLY FEES
Alcor	$200,000*	$80,000*	$620*
ACS	$155,000*	N/A	$376*
CI	$28,000*	N/A	$120*
KrioRus	$36,000*	$12,000	None
Oregon Cryonics	N/A	$25,000*	None
SA	N/A	N/A	None
Trans Time	$150,000	$50,000	$96*

To Alcor's yearly fee of $620 annual dues, those living in the United States and Canada must add $180 yearly SST fees for a total of $800 per year. A lifetime payment plan is also available. SST service is not available to Alcor Members outside of the US and Canada, but a $15,000 surcharge is added to whole body and neuro prices in the United Kingdom, and a $25,000 surcharge is added to the prices paid by those living in other countries. For details on Alcor pricing, see Schedule A: Required Costs and Suspension Funding Minimums.

 

The prices given for the American Cryonics Society (ACS) are intended to reflect comparable service to what Alcor provides. In fact, ACS has a very wide menu of options and prices available, including reference to a "California Procedure" which is intended to be distinguished from the"Michigan Procedure" offered by the Cryonics Institute. The yearly fee for an ACS Member is $376 for the first four years and $300 per year thereafter. For details on ACS options and fees, see:www.americancryonics.org.

 

The Cryonics Institute (CI) charges $28,000 for perfusion and storage of a Lifetime Member and $35,000 for a Yearly Member. These prices do not include funeral director costs or shipment to CI for non-local cases. (When CI was begun it was imagined that every state would have at least one cryonics service provider.) The Lifetime CI Member has paid a one-time $1,250 fee and the Yearly CI Member has paid a $75 initiation fee and is paying a $120 yearly fee. Discounts for additional family members and underage family members apply only to Lifetime Memberships. For service more comparable to what Alcor provides — including Standby/Stabilization/Transport (SST) — a Lifetime Member pays $88,000 and a Yearly Member pays $95,000. For details on CI pricing see Membership andDetails Concerning SA Standby and Transport for CI Members.

 

For $49,000 KrioRus states that it offers Russians (Europeans?) the option of shipment and storage at the Cryonics Institute in the USA.

 

Oregon Cryonics charges $25,000 to cryopreserve a whole head, $18,000 for a brain with braincase, and $14,000 for a brain without the braincase. Oregon Cryonics will chemically preserve a brain for as little as $1,000 (see Oregon Cryonics Service Fees for details).

 

As noted in previous sections, Trans Time is currently storing patients, but (despite what their website says) is not currently seeking new Members or Patients.

 

Suspended Animation (SA) is a subcontractor which provides SST only to other cryonics organizations, not Membership or storage, so the question of these options with SA is "Not Applicable" (N/A).

 

Human Cryopreservation Procedures

 

Human cryopreservation procedures are much too complex to be summarized effectively here.

 

Alcor's procedures are summarized on a page of the Alcor website called Alcor Procedures. But is it also very helpful to read actual case reports of Alcor patients in the Cryopreservation Case Reports section of the Alcor website library.

 

CI has a summary of its procedures on its website calledGuide to Cryonics Procedures. CI procedures do not include Standby/Stabilization/Transport (SST), though CI will advise Members on obtaining assistance through local funeral directors. CI Members residing in the continental United States who wish to obtain SST can do so by subcontracting with Suspended Animation, Inc. (SA).

 

Although the American Cryonics Society (ACS) has equipment and volunteers which could be used if necessary, ACS basically relies on SA for Standby/Transport and CI for Perfusion/Storage.The human cryopreservation procedures of Trans Time and KrioRus are not documented on their websites.

 

Funding Cryonics by Insurance
The cost of cryonics is many thousands of dollars, but most cryonicists cover these costs with life insurance policies that name a cryonics organization as beneficiary. Premiums of life insurance policies are most affordable for those who are young and healthy. It is not prudent to seek life insurance in old age or after a terminal illness (when life insurance may be unobtainable). Nor is it prudent to believe that cryonics arrangements can be made efficiently or successfully when in a terminal condition.

 

Rudi Hoffman sells the great majority of cryonics life insurance policies. It makes good sense to take advantage of Rudi's considerable expertise in matters of cryonics and life insurance. (A sincere and unpaid plug for Rudi.)

Pittsburgh Datasheet

by @ Roosh V Forum - All Forums

Sun Feb 11 18:06:34 PST 2018

Note:
I want to be clear that I found the Yinzers in Pittsburgh to be a great bunch of people. I'm just not wild about the ones who chose to move to DC.

TL;DR:
Given what I have heard elsewhere and have experienced with their sisters in DC, women in Pittsburgh are surprisingly attractive and have decent attitudes. The potential for setting up good logistics via airbnb is quite good. However it is not as affordable as advertised. While definitely worth visiting for some gaming and the very high quality tourist sites, one should be careful before considering moving there.

Introduction:
I visited Pittsburgh on Veteran's Day weekend (mid November) of 2017.

I had a few motives:
I wanted to get out of town.

I also wanted to see a new city that I had never been to in order to explore it.

But most importantly, as a DC native, I wanted to find out why Pittsburgh has caused me so much heart ache and heart break over the last 16 years.

Many people from Pittsburgh and Cleveland have moved to DC over the last 20 years.

"How many?" you might ask. Enough that there were at least allegations in the local DC papers that the back when the Washington Capitals were mediocre they used to automatically decline website purchases with credit cards having Pittsburgh zip codes because they were sick and tired of playing away games at home due to all the Penguins fans in the stands.

The women who have moved from there and other places in the inner rust belt (Syracuse, Buffalo, Detroit, but especially Cleveland and Pittsburgh) contribute greatly to making gaming and dating in DC a lousy experience with their mediocre looks and their energy sucking attitudes. As well, the many Pittsburgh girls who end up in DC are often 5s who are chubby enough to become 4.25s.

Even the forum's founder, Roosh, has at least indirectly mentioned this (go to 3:28).





While the picture in the video focuses on northern Ohio and Cleveland, it becomes obvious to a DC native that Cleveland and Pittsburgh share many similarities due to so many girls of both moving to DC who have similarly poor characteristics and often mention having close relatives in both cities.

While Roosh complained about girls from NJ as well in the linked video, in my experience while they might be boring, they are at least fun, not quite as fat, and will at least eventually get to physical stuff, if not right away.

In addition to my and other DC mens' bad experiences, former major league baseball player Lenny Dykstra on the Adam Carolla Show told a story about how generally unattractive Pittsburgh women were in his playing days.

I wanted to discover what made Pittsburgh generate so many women low quality women and then send them to DC.

Pittsburgh surprised me.

Then I discovered that the forum did not have a Pittsburgh datasheet. So, I decided to make one. It might not be the best but I hope that it is at least a good start.

So let's get to the part everyone wants to hear about.

Girls:

Looks:
Pittsburgh is much more white than many American cities. As well, the girls are much more attractive than I had been told before visiting. While I did not see any stunners like I did in Nashville, there are definitely a lot of 6 to borderline 8 brunettes and blondes. They were noticeably more attractive than the women I saw in Kansas City.

As well, Asian girls are significantly more attractive than I am used to seeing in American and Canadian cities. If one were to strictly use the boner test (0 = no boner, 1 = boner), I'd say they were somewhere between 15 and 20 percent more attractive than average.

If the sisters are you thing, I have to say that I wasn't impressed and would recommend one look elsewhere to cities like Atlanta or Charleston, SC.

There are Indian Sub continent girls but I did not see any attractive ones.

I have no recollection of seeing any Latinas, Middle Eastern-West Asians, or other races at all.

While Pittsburgh has an obesity problem like everywhere else in the USA, it did not seem out of line with the American average.

Attitudes:
Again, I was surprised by my visit. DC is notorious for being a mecca of white girls from the Cleveland-Akron-Youngstown-Pittsburgh (CAYP) corridor with
absolutely rotten attitudes that contribute greatly to the city's miserable dating environment. I did not get any bad attitudes and even got some mild IOIs. I did a few openers, which didn't go anywhere but at least they were neither unpleasant nor energy sucking like opening CAYP girls in DC.

While their attitudes do not match the ones of girls in Dallas, they were at least OK.

The Competition:
If you're hoping to see 6's with trolls in Pittsburgh, you're going to be disappointed. There are a lot of tall good looking guys in Pittsburgh. That being said, I did frequently see very cute girls with average looking guys of average height. As well, those tall good looking guys tended to be a lot more friendly towards me than I am used to, which hinted to me that the competition is not too bad.

Given that I was expecting Pittsburgh to be Toronto-Lite, a nightmarish land of tall handsome intelligent men forced to develop game 1.0 and mediocre to sometimes breathtakingly ugly women, I was over all pleasantly surprised.

Where to find the girls:
The neighborhoods where I found the girls were:

• Market Square - a pedestrian square downtown
• Oakland - home of the University of Pittsburgh, the Carnegie Institute, and Carnegie-Mellon University
• Lawrenceville - a residential neighborhood several miles NE of downtown
• South Side Flats - a night life neighborhood south of downtown across the Monongahela river
• South Hill Villages Mall - a shopping mall many miles south of the city.
  

Market Square (Downtown):
There is not that much game wise in Downtown Pittsburgh except for Market Square. It's definitely worth a stop to day game girls at places like the Starbucks. I wouldn't bother with any of the happy hours there or nearby. If I was just visiting, I would make it part of seeing the downtown architecture, Point State Park, and the inclines on Mt. Washington.

Oakland:
This is a few miles east of downtown. It is where the University of Pittsburgh, The Carnegie Institute, and Carnegie-Mellon University are. While CMU is notorious for its women for it being the school for the nerds not quite bright enough to get into MIT (they test self driving robots on the footpaths - no I'm not kidding), Pitt has surprisingly attractive girls. If classes are in session, it is definitely worth stopping by for day game. I didn't do any night game there so I can't definitively say if its worth staying there.

Lawrenceville:
This was described to me as Pittsburgh's answer to DC's U St. While I'm not sure that's how I would describe it, I would definitely check it out. It's a residential neighborhood with a lot of bars and restaurants and reasonable talent.

South Side Flats:
This is the biggest night life area of Pittsburgh. It's south of Downtown across the river. This was definitely the place that I saw the best night talent. I don't know how great it was for opening because it was really cold and I was tired when I was there.

South Hill Villages Mall:
This is a typical American shopping mall that is south of Downtown Pittsburgh. I actually had to buy some stuff on a tight schedule when I went, so I didn't get to do any gaming. However, there was definitely significant talent there. Interestingly, the only people I really spoke to there, were a white couple where the girl was from Western New York but had lived in DC for the last 10 years. I made a point to be polite but to end the conversation first.

I stayed in Bloomfield while I was there, which is between Lawrenceville and Oakland. I do not recommend it for gaming. The talent did not measure up to the other places that I went. I picked it because of its location. Since I wanted to explore, I do not regret my choice but probably would stay in South Side Flats next time.

Boring but important stuff:

Getting there:

Flying:
Pittsburgh has a major airport with significant service from low cost carries such as Southwest and Spirit. However, it has very few international flights. If you are coming from another country, you're probably going to have to change planes after arriving in the USA to get to Pittsburgh.

If you do fly, make sure to take the 28X bus into town and back to the airport. Uber is expensive while the bus is $2.75. Traffic can be very bad on the airport highway, especially once you get close to the city and the tunnels going under Mt. Washington. The bus uses an exclusive Bus Rapid Transit road for the part near the central city. The bus leaves about every 1/2 hour.

Also, when you leave, remember that there is an oddly located second security line. There are signs for it that will get you there. Follow them carefully because it is not in an intuitive location.

Train:
There are a couple of Amtrak trains that go to the city. However, unless you use the Philadelphia train (The Pennsylvanian), I would skip using the other train since it arrives in the middle of the night.

Driving:
Many interstate highways intersect at Pittsburgh, so if you live within 400 miles you should consider driving there. Pittsburgh has surprisingly good roads for Pennsylvania, a state which normally has infamously poor designs and endless road work. However, be warned. Yinzers drive very fast for the USA and Canada east of Chicago, and very aggressively by USA standards overall. Unlike farther out west, which has broad straight roads, Pittsburgh highways wind and are on the narrow side, especially in the central city. It can be a little terrifying if you're not used to it.

Also, make sure if you drive that wherever you stay has parking. I give an explanation for why in the next section.

Getting Around:

Driving:
I do not recommend driving to get around the city. The roads are extremely confusing due to the geography of rivers and mountains. Waze seemed to work, but I'm guessing you would still have problems if you were not familiar with the area.

Parking is also scarce due to the geography making the streets unusually narrow for the USA. Street parking is some of the worst that I have ever seen in a major American or Canadian city. Pittsburgh street parking difficulties match if not exceed those of cities such as NYC, DC, SF and Boston. I joked that there are probably ancient Italian cities with better street parking than Pittsburgh.
While I did not check, I suspect paid parking is very expensive.

Uber:
I did not see a single taxi while I was in Pittsburgh, including at the airport, so you'll have to use ride sharing. Uber is very pricey given the economy of Pittsburgh, somewhat exceeding even DC on a per mile basis. While Uber is testing self driving cars in Pittsburgh, I only saw one while I was there and did not get to use any of them.

Public Transport:
Pittsburgh buses are surprisingly good for the United States. The buses have routes that are fairly direct, do not stop multiple times per block, are clean, and generally arrive on time. They have somewhat high fairs at $2.75 a ride, so look into getting a day pass. By using the public transit function on google maps, I found using the bus to work very well during the day.

There is a street car, but it's slow. It's pretty much only useful for getting from downtown to the stadiums north of the Allegheny River and to the South Hill Villages Mall. Only if you have time to kill and are curious about what the Pittsburgh suburbs look like, would you might want to take the streetcar south. If you have a certain mindset, though, it is actually pretty interesting. Most American suburbs depend on an abundance of flat land so the modifications that the Pittsburgh metro area require are very unusual.

Where to stay:
Do not stay in Downtown. While it is not as bad as it used to be according to reports, it is largely a 9 to 5 ghetto, clearing out at night and on weekends. I would try to stay in Lawrenceville or the South Side Flats. Oakland might also be a good idea but only if Pitt is in session. Airbnb makes these places accessible, since these areas generally do not have hotels. However, be aware that the airbnb may be in poorly built housing.

The Weather:
It's said that in Pittsburgh you can experience all 4 seasons in one day. That's not much of an exaggeration. If you are going to game, make sure it's a time of year where you won't mind the temperature straying as much as 20 degrees in either direction from the annualized average. It was supposed to be in the 50s when I was there but was instead in the mid 30s, which even with the correct clothing really hurt my game.

Costs:
Pittsburgh has a reputation for being very cheap. This must be for paying rent or mortgages, because the expenses for being a visitor were surprisingly high.

Uber costs slightly more than DC. An uber from the airport to one of the eastern neighborhoods is over $40. I am not sure if this is due to Pittsburgh's awkward geography or dealing with the taxi commissions or some combination of the two.

Hotels were not outrageously expensive but I saw no deals either like I got in Atlanta. I ended up paying over $120 a night to stay in an airbnb that while very large was essentially a slum.

Gas in the Bloomfield neighborhood of Pittsbugh was $2.89 a gallon on Veteran's Day weekend 2017. In Arlington, VA, across from DC, it was 40 cents less when I looked a week later. This is in the city that literally invented the petroleum industry and has significant oil infrastructure.

Minus chick free dive bars, restaurants serving alcohol are just as expensive as DC.

The only place where I saw savings were hole in the wall restaurants that did not serve alcohol. Their prices were about 30% less than DC.

Do not expect to get any deals beyond mom and pop sandwiches while you are there. Though it was nice to finally be able to go to proper dive bars again, since they have been pretty much eradicated from the DC area.

Food:

Primanti Bros Sandwiches:
Primanti Bros is a Pittsburgh sandwich chain that is noted for putting the fries on the sandwich. I feel bad saying this, but these are really only meant to be enjoyed drunk, for which they are great.

Hours:
A lot of the places that sell traditional Pittsburgh food close at 5PM, so do not plan on having dinner at them. I was sadly not able to have either Polish food or chip chop sandwiches as a result.

Seeing the Sites:
Pittsburgh is physically spectacular. It is a major American city that has been buried and blasted into 3 mountain ranges. If the city had not had the perfect combination of natural resources and navigable waterways at the exact right time of the American Industrial Revolution, no one would have ever built a city there. But they did and the result, a massive metropolis built around 3 rivers, cliffs and crevices, is really something to see.

If you have ever been to Chongqing, China, Pittsburgh is the American version of that city, at least before the 3 gorges dam finished filling.

It is absolutely worth taking the time to go up and down the two inclines on Mt. Washington south of downtown both during the day and at night. You should also take the time to walk around Point State Park.

Because of the wealth that Steel, Oil, Banking, and Ketchup brought to the city by 1900, there are a lot of beautiful buildings. It appears that because of collapse of Steel in the 1970s, the city did not have the money to build new buildings when other cities were having their historical architecture obliterated for brutalist eye sores, so things got preserved. Downtown has a lot of pretty buildings.

Make sure to go to Oakland where Pitt and the Carnegie Institute are. The architecture is spectacular, including the Heinz Chapel, a tiny gem of a gothic church that rivals many in Europe, and the Cathedral of Learning, which is a skyscraper styled like a gothic cathedral. The Carnegie Institute has a Natural History Museum which matches DC's and exceeds New York's, as well as an art museum which has one of the world's best collections, including one of Monet's water lilies.

I would skip CMU, which has surprisingly dull architecture.

Make sure to at least see the inclines, Mt. Washington, downtown, and Oakland including its museums while you're there.

The Vibe:

While Pittsburgh fared better than many rust belt cities during de-industrialization, it still got hit very hard.

White urban working class and white urban poverty:
Poverty isn't just a minority thing in America. There are plenty of poor whites as well, of whom you'll see a lot in Pittsburgh. Tough jobs that one is used to seeing being performed by minorities in other US and Canadian cities, such as restaurant work, public transport, construction, and road work, are often done by whites in Pittsburgh.

Really rough on the edges:
While there are spectacular buildings and churches in Pittsburgh often built on hill crests, they are often surrounded by neighborhoods where the housing stock is of very low quality. I stayed in an old neighborhood with old houses called Bloomfield. Those houses were poorly built sometime before WW II or possibly even WW I. No amount of renovation could make them very nice.

The street lighting is shockingly poor for an American city, especially once you get off main thoroughfares. I walked through neighborhoods at night in the eastern part of the Peninsula where I had to strain my eyes. When I was Ubering down highways along the rivers at night, I was surprised at how few lights I could see on the other side.

The Collapse of the Airport:
I remember changing planes a few times at the airport in the later 90s and early 2000s. At the time, it was hailed as a shining example of good airport design and for good reason. It was a bustling place that was well built and well managed.

When I flew in this time I was stunned.

I knew that USAir abandoning the airport as a hub had hurt it but I did not realize how badly. When my plane landed before 9 PM, the airport was already a ghost town. Almost all the stores were closed in the terminal. What looked bright and new in 2002 now looked faded and in need of a renovation in 2017.
The arrivals pick up area was utterly deserted at 9PM on a Thursday night. When I flew out on a Sunday afternoon, the airport felt largely empty, with few customers at the stores and many boarding areas deserted or blocked off. Out of the window I saw an entire side of one of the airports piers that had absolutely no planes parked at it. I read later that they had even demolished its once very nice commuter plane terminal.

If you want to understand how Donald Trump flipped PA red and won the election, you would make a wise choice by visiting Pittsburgh and its surroundings.

Civic Pride: Why it's not all bad for Steeltown, USA:
Despite its problems, Pittsburgh has a lot of civic pride, and not just for the Steelers and Penguins. Yinzers love their city's colors of yellow and black and insist that many of their bridges across the 3 rivers be painted that way to the point of spotlessness. This has a big side benefit that Pittsburgh bridges do not have anywhere near the amount of rust I am used to seeing on most American bridges.

As well, they are fighting for their airport. While it may be having hard times, it is clean and everything works. They bothered to create a regular and reasonably direct bus route to and from the airport, which is far from guaranteed in the USA. A few European budget airlines like Condor and Wow now fly there. If you fly out of there, use the alternative security that I mentioned above. I at least was struck by how clever it is.

Pittsburgh still has a lot of fight in her.

Should you go?

Should you go there to game?:
Probably. It definitely should not be your first, second, third, fourth, fifth, or even sixth choice if you are considering the entire United States but if you are within 6 hours driving distance or can score cheap plane tickets then I think that it would be worth trying. Thanks to airbnb and the nature of Pittsburgh's housing stock, it would not have the logistics problems that I have run into in otherwise more promising cities like Dallas.

Should you move there?:
That seems iffy to me. I'd be very wary of wages not matching the cost of living even after one considers housing prices. As well, the quality of much of the housing stock is very poor in the neighborhoods where you would want to live in order to game. The girls, while much better than I expected, do not justify making sacrifices to your career and/or material well being.

Should you go as a tourist?:
Absolutely. The city is a wonder to see. It's filled with breathtaking views, great museums, architecture, and other sites while providing a true slice of Americana. The nightlife, while not earth shattering, was quite solid. However, go when the weather is reliably warm.

Should Roosh go?:
The forum's founder made the problem of DC women known world wide. A very big reason for this is the seemingly endless swarms of frumpy fives from the Cleveland-Akron-Youngstown-Pittsburgh (CAYP) corridor who move to DC.

If Roosh wants to pull a Jason Bourne, he could come back to this part of America to have his V Ultimatum, where he investigates the heart of the rust belt (CAYP) in order to discover a significant part of what created him.

I do think that a very big reason of what makes the DC dating scene so bad is hidden somewhere around the 3 rivers and the shores of Lake Erie. My inability to gain any insight into why during the trip disappointed me greatly in what was otherwise a great weekend getaway. My only thought is maybe CAYP women have to go through 4 years of SJW-Cultural-Marxist nonsense at Penn State, Ohio State, or colleges like Oberlin to become the refuse sent to DC. However, that's just me guessing.

While I would love to see Roosh go, I'm not sure it could be easily done. Unlike Toronto, which smacked him in the face within hours of his first arrival, just staying for a few days or even a week I doubt would be enough time to figure it out. He would have to stay for at least a month in either Cleveland or Pittsburgh in my estimation while trying to make connections to the CAYP diaspora in DC and also make contacts at Penn State and Ohio State. Essentially, he'd have to be willing to put in the work and resources necessary to write both "Bang Pittsburgh" or "Maybe(?) Bang Cleveland". I'm not sure that's something he would really desire to do or even find feasible. That being said, if he ever wants to fully understand DC and his origins, a big part of that lies at the source of the Ohio river.

Conclusion:
Pittsburgh girls are no where near as bad as some have described. Physically, they are generally at least OK to reasonably good and their attitudes, while not the greatest, are decent. Their sisters who have moved to the DC area are not a good reflection of them. While there is competition that can't simply be dismissed, I suspect that a decent study and practice of game is enough. Pittsburgh certainly has none of the severity or brutality of Toronto-Occupied-Ontario or Denmark.

At least in the USA, the city is easy to get to and the cost of visiting, while not cheap, is quite bearable. Using airbnb, good logistics for someone visiting should be possible, but be aware of the general low quality of housing. One should be cautious about moving there for the long term due to possible hidden costs that might not be immediately obvious.

If you want to see a really spectacular place with some exceptional and uniquely American sites while gaming as well, Pittsburgh would be a great choice, but go when it is reliably warm.

... And somewhere hidden in the hills and mountains along the 3 rivers lies part of the making of RooshV ...

Where I shop

by noreply@blogger.com (Katie) @ Live Like Liam

Mon Sep 23 13:22:00 PDT 2013

Many people ask me in daily conversations where I do my shopping. Many said it would be helpful if I posted on my blog, so here it is:

Costco: 

Monthly shopping- 

• Frozen Organic Chicken Breasts
• Fresh Organic Chicken thighs and drumsticks
• Organic Ground Beef (Costco told me it was grass fed)
• Grass Fed Organic Steak
• Sometimes they will carry frozen ground turkey. I always checking to see if they have brought it back. If not then I buy ground turkey from Foster Farms.
• Organic brown eggs- 3 of there 18 count 
• Organic fruit (this is seasonal)
• Coconut sugar
• Coconut oil
• Avocado oil
• Chia seeds
• Annie's fruit snacks
• Fruit leathers
• Frozen fruit for smoothies
• Nitrate free salami
• Organic vegetables:  salad mix
• Nitrate free Hot dogs
• Dark Chocolate Chips
• Lara Bars
• Honeyville Almond Meal...They finally are selling it and I don't have to get online anymore
• Organic Olive Oil

Trader Joes:

Weekly Shopping Depending on my weekly menu-

• Nitrate free bacon- but mostly I get this at Target now
• Nitrate free Hot dogs if Costco is out
• Olive oil potato chips (treat for my kids on occasion)
• Coconut milk
• Almond Milk
• Coconut yogurt
• Raw organic nuts (cashews, almonds, pistachios, pecans, sunflower seeds)
• Organic Romaine
• Organic salad mixes (kale, spinach, leafy greens)
• Organic Carrots, Celery, Broccoli, Cauliflower,Sugar Snap Peas, Green Beans, Asparagus, Onions, Garlic, Avocado ,Tomatoes, Zucchini, Cucumber, Bell Peppers etc....
• Bananas
• Spaghetti Squash
• Artichokes
• Organic Fruit (Apples, Grapes, Pears, Plums, Peaches, Nectarines, Strawberries, Black Berries,   Raspberries, Kiwi, Pineapple etc...)
• Chicken breakfast sausage
• Italian Sausage
• Organic Marinara
• Pasta noodles- gluten free treat for my kiddos
• Frozen Fruit
• Lara Bars
• Kind Bars
• Organic Ketchup
• Organic Mustard
• Artichoke Hearts in a jar
• Hummus
• Olive oil
• Sunflower Oil
• Grape Seed Oil
• TJ's barbecue sauce because it does not have corn in it
• Odds and ends depending on week like spices and such.

Some Probiotics Have No Effect On Sinusitis

by Sima @ Lacto Bacto

Thu Jan 18 12:23:21 PST 2018

A recent study tested a variety of probiotic (beneficial) Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria species of bacteria as a treatment for chronic sinusitis. Unfortunately, it found that the microbes tested had NO effect on chronic sinusitis symptoms. It was a nice study conducted in Sweden, with 21 people with chronic sinusitis (but without nasal polyps) randomly assigned ...continue reading "Some Probiotics Have No Effect On Sinusitis"

Why do some turtles outlive humans?

by @ Articles

Wed Feb 08 16:45:06 PST 2017

(⇒ write for LongeCity )


The oldest human recorded in modernity was Jeanne Louise Calment, she died in the age of 122 years and 164 days [1] .

There are rumors that the oldest tortoise called Adwaita (Aldabra giant tortoise) died in the age of about 250 years [2] or that it was 188-year-old radiated tortoise named Tui Malila [3] , or that the highest verified age of 177 years had Galapagos giant tortoise Harriet [4] . The oldest currently living turtle is considered to be Jonathan (Seychelles giant tortoise), estimated to be over 180 years old these days [5] . Although all aforementioned numbers are estimations, it seems these turtles were older than human supercentenarians.

All previously mentioned species are terrestrial tortoises, a group with longest lifespans among turtles. The most famous of them, well-researched Galapagos giant tortoise, was observed by Charles Darwin when he was forming his well-known theory of evolution by natural selection [6] . There is only one freshwater turtle known to be able to outlive human, it is the common snapping turtle estimated to live up to more than hundred years [7] . While being considerably less researched, recorded maximal lifespan of sea turtles is usually shorter, not exceeding 80 years, however, it is believed that the green sea turtle can live up to 100 years. [8]

It is a difficult question to answer why these reptiles can outlive us because even to determine the actual age of animals with a long lifespan is complicated – partially due to the fact that it takes such a long time to study. Furthermore, many turtles are endangered species [9] so there may not be as many organisms to hand as needed for proper statistics. Nonetheless, we can still claim that turtles are among the most long-living vertebrates on earth [10] . Why?

Firstly, turtles, like all reptiles, benefit from being ectothermic organisms. They do not maintain body temperature and thus save a lot of energy. But that also means they are less flexible: it is crucial for their lifespan to be in natural temperature environment of daily cycles with night-time temperature drop [11] . If they do not live under these conditions in captivity, metabolic pathways change and turtles die much sooner. [12]

Turtles are well-adapted in other ways: their famous shell – the carapace –is good protection against natural predators. Most of hatchling turtles with a soft shell do not survive the first year [13] . A research of natural populations of freshwater turtles showed that only one per cent of them can celebrate the twentieth birthdays, but once the adulthood is reached, mortality rate drops and remains constant throughout the rest of life [14] .

Some turtles can survive under extreme environmental conditions, such as freezing [15] or lack of oxygen for months [16] . They can even undergo hibernation and anaerobic metabolism and therefore deal with hypoxia and anoxia, it was also proposed that the same genes can play a role in longevity itself [17] and also in oxidative stress resistance [18] that further promotes longer life [19] .

Turtle’s bones and shell are used as lactate buffer lowering metabolic acidosis caused by anaerobic glycolysis during the period of lack of oxygen [20] ; [21] Their organism is protected by strong innate immunity compensating slow acquired immune reactions [22] .

Because turtles have very slow metabolism as well as growth, their bodies do not need to deal with excessive metabolic heat and byproducts as mammals [23] . Their natural diet is very simple but also necessary for their longevity. [24]

According to the evolutionary theories, staying alive is less important after menopause. Galapagos giant tortoises achieve sexual maturity late (around the age of up to forty years in the wild, and between twenty and twenty-five years of life in captivity [25] ), then staying fertile until death [26] .

The Hayflick limit is said to determine how many times a cell can divide [27] . The Hayflick limit of Galapagos giant tortoise was said to be about 110 divisions [28] , approximately twice as many as 50 of human cells [29] . Studies in this context have highlighted the importance of telomeres, the protective end sequences of chromosomes, that get shorter with each cell division [30] , can play at least a partially role in life expectancy. It was observed that telomeres in European freshwater turtle’s cells are of the same length in both embryo and adult organism [31] .

Thus, it was believed that turtles are negligibly senescent organisms [32] . In other words, the cells do not age and no age-related diseases appear, which is very different cell behavior than in human bodies [33] and probably the key to any natural longevity. However, evidence now suggests that turtles may not be really negligibly senescent because of observations of survival and reproductive senescence in late age in the painted turtle population [34]

As we can see, turtles have some advantages in the lifespan field. Some of these might inspire researchers to increase lifespans in humans.

The Best Probiotics and Prebiotics: Understanding the Microbiome

by Alex Swanson @ TheHealthBeat.com

Tue Jun 13 05:01:09 PDT 2017

The post The Best Probiotics and Prebiotics: Understanding the Microbiome appeared first on TheHealthBeat.com.

Why do some turtles outlive humans?

by @ Articles - Articles

Wed Feb 08 16:45:06 PST 2017

(⇒ write for LongeCity )


The oldest human recorded in modernity was Jeanne Louise Calment, she died in the age of 122 years and 164 days [1] .

There are rumors that the oldest tortoise called Adwaita (Aldabra giant tortoise) died in the age of about 250 years [2] or that it was 188-year-old radiated tortoise named Tui Malila [3] , or that the highest verified age of 177 years had Galapagos giant tortoise Harriet [4] . The oldest currently living turtle is considered to be Jonathan (Seychelles giant tortoise), estimated to be over 180 years old these days [5] . Although all aforementioned numbers are estimations, it seems these turtles were older than human supercentenarians.

All previously mentioned species are terrestrial tortoises, a group with longest lifespans among turtles. The most famous of them, well-researched Galapagos giant tortoise, was observed by Charles Darwin when he was forming his well-known theory of evolution by natural selection [6] . There is only one freshwater turtle known to be able to outlive human, it is the common snapping turtle estimated to live up to more than hundred years [7] . While being considerably less researched, recorded maximal lifespan of sea turtles is usually shorter, not exceeding 80 years, however, it is believed that the green sea turtle can live up to 100 years. [8]

It is a difficult question to answer why these reptiles can outlive us because even to determine the actual age of animals with a long lifespan is complicated – partially due to the fact that it takes such a long time to study. Furthermore, many turtles are endangered species [9] so there may not be as many organisms to hand as needed for proper statistics. Nonetheless, we can still claim that turtles are among the most long-living vertebrates on earth [10] . Why?

Firstly, turtles, like all reptiles, benefit from being ectothermic organisms. They do not maintain body temperature and thus save a lot of energy. But that also means they are less flexible: it is crucial for their lifespan to be in natural temperature environment of daily cycles with night-time temperature drop [11] . If they do not live under these conditions in captivity, metabolic pathways change and turtles die much sooner. [12]

Turtles are well-adapted in other ways: their famous shell – the carapace –is good protection against natural predators. Most of hatchling turtles with a soft shell do not survive the first year [13] . A research of natural populations of freshwater turtles showed that only one per cent of them can celebrate the twentieth birthdays, but once the adulthood is reached, mortality rate drops and remains constant throughout the rest of life [14] .

Some turtles can survive under extreme environmental conditions, such as freezing [15] or lack of oxygen for months [16] . They can even undergo hibernation and anaerobic metabolism and therefore deal with hypoxia and anoxia, it was also proposed that the same genes can play a role in longevity itself [17] and also in oxidative stress resistance [18] that further promotes longer life [19] .

Turtle’s bones and shell are used as lactate buffer lowering metabolic acidosis caused by anaerobic glycolysis during the period of lack of oxygen [20] ; [21] Their organism is protected by strong innate immunity compensating slow acquired immune reactions [22] .

Because turtles have very slow metabolism as well as growth, their bodies do not need to deal with excessive metabolic heat and byproducts as mammals [23] . Their natural diet is very simple but also necessary for their longevity. [24]

According to the evolutionary theories, staying alive is less important after menopause. Galapagos giant tortoises achieve sexual maturity late (around the age of up to forty years in the wild, and between twenty and twenty-five years of life in captivity [25] ), then staying fertile until death [26] .

The Hayflick limit is said to determine how many times a cell can divide [27] . The Hayflick limit of Galapagos giant tortoise was said to be about 110 divisions [28] , approximately twice as many as 50 of human cells [29] . Studies in this context have highlighted the importance of telomeres, the protective end sequences of chromosomes, that get shorter with each cell division [30] , can play at least a partially role in life expectancy. It was observed that telomeres in European freshwater turtle’s cells are of the same length in both embryo and adult organism [31] .

Thus, it was believed that turtles are negligibly senescent organisms [32] . In other words, the cells do not age and no age-related diseases appear, which is very different cell behavior than in human bodies [33] and probably the key to any natural longevity. However, evidence now suggests that turtles may not be really negligibly senescent because of observations of survival and reproductive senescence in late age in the painted turtle population [34]

As we can see, turtles have some advantages in the lifespan field. Some of these might inspire researchers to increase lifespans in humans.