There is a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, the
creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love.
When you learn to tap this source, you will fully have defeated age.
Sophia Loren
I want to have a long life. To be an old man with deep and crooked wrinkles but who can still think straight. Not the senile type that amuse themselves with their poops. But a geriatric with the erudition of former SC Associate Justice Serafin R. Cuevas, the memory of former Senator Juan Ponce Enrile and the wit and humor of George Burns.
Yes, I want to live longer. Who doesn't want to? However, given the average lifespan of a Filipino male, the Grim Reaper must be raring to put me in his waiting list. But I won't lose hope. After all 
the Lord of Death was patient enough to wait for people who took a long time to kick the bucket.
Besse Cooper (American, born August 26, 1896) lived for 116 years and 100 days; Jiroemon Kimura (Japanese, born April 19 1897) lived for 116 years and 54 days; Christian Mortensen (DanishAmerican, born August 16, 1982) lived for 115 years and 252 days; Maria Gomez Valentim (Brazilian, born July 9, 1896), 114 years and 347 days; Walter Breuning (American, born September 21, 1896) 114 years and 203 days.
Based on Biblical accounts people lived long in the ancient times. Patriarchs Methuselah lived 969 years, Noah, 950 years and Adam 930 years.
Then God declared, "I will not allow people to live forever; they are mortal. From now on, man will live no longer than 120 years" (Genesis 6:3).
Why did God decide to shorten human life?
I've yet to comb the pages of the Bible for the reasons. But this observation is enough for the moment. In spite of wars, famine and short lifespan the world is already saddled with a runaway population, a whooping seven billions to date. How much more if there are millions of Adams and their female partners living and procreating for almost a century? And they have the blessing of God who commanded, "Go to the world and multiply."
How did God do it? That is, abbreviating man's life.
Based on my readings on the recent advances in biochemistry and echoing the thoughts of experts, I would like to venture that maybe God allowed the universe to conspire to shorten human life, like massive cosmic radiation caused by supernova eruptions.
Whatever, man had further quickened his own senescence by tampering with the environment, resulting in the widening of the Antarctic ozone hole and mid-latitude thinning of the ozone. Depletion of the ozone allows more cosmic radiation and rapid climate change. What about industrial smog, smoke belching by motorized vehicles, improper disposals of toxic wastes and all the abuses that man had inflicted upon this poor planet?
Even the innocent bovine is not without fault. The large amounts of methane produced by cows are now a cause of concern and the subject of much scientific research. Experts say that the methane emitted by cows and other grazing animals has contributed to global warming.
With so much pollution, it's no wonder that in spite of the tremendous advances in medicines and the widespread access to health services and proper nutrition, the average lifespan in developed countries like America is still 80 years. It's lower in less developed countries.
Is it possible for humans to live for more than 900 years? Can there be a scientific explanation to the incredibly long lives of people as written in the Bible?
From the Internet I came across the amazing news that British scientists may have identified how humans could potentially live forever — and it's all about flatworms.
Experts at Nottingham University have been examining how two species of flatworms are able to regenerate themselves again and again — raising hopes that scientists could find ways of alleviating the effects of the ageing in human cells.
During the study, 20,000 new and fully-formed flatworms were created from just one original worm by splitting it into tiny pieces. The research team studied how the flatworms manage to replace aged or damaged tissues and cells in a bid to understand what drives their longevity.
There are two types of planarian worms; those that reproduce sexually and those that reproduce asexually by simply dividing into two. Both appear to regenerate indefinitely by growing new muscles, skin, guts and even entire brains over and over again.
Flatworm's immortality lays in its telomeres — tiny sections of DNA that cap the ends of chromosomes, protecting them from damage and the loss of cell functions linked to ageing.
Each time a cell divides the protective telomere "cap" gets shorter. When they get too short, the cell loses its ability to renew and divide. According to the study, an immortal animal would expect cells to be able to maintain telomere length indefinitely so that they could continue to replicate.
Scientists predicted that planarian worms actively maintain the ends of their chromosomes in adult stem cells, leading to theoretical immortality.
My desire to live longer led me to my own quest for the fountain of youth and the legendary restorative water. In practical term, how to slow down the aging process?
My genes represent potentials, both good and bad. Most diseases, including many cancers, are the results of lifestyles; not genetics. By improving my lifestyle, i.e., diet, nutrients, exercise and stress reduction, I initiate positive genetic outcomes and limit the negative genetic possibilities. This is borne out by many studies.
Future researches on flatworms may find applications to human beings. If that happens, Ill surely be long gone and eaten by earthworms. Let scientists play God by tampering with life forms, including the homo sapiens, but for the meantime here's what Ill do to live a bit longer.
Take food supplements. I'm a drug addict when it comes to this one. I regularly take supplements designed for senior citizens. These pills provide the proper nutrients, vitamins and minerals badly needed by my ageing body. I ate and drink organic food supplements rich in antioxidants.
Exercise regularly. Normally sedentary, this poses a problem but I'll try to maintain a modicum of aerobics, starting with my morning walks. Studies show that jogging can add a few years to our lifespan. So I also jog. (I wrote this essay in 2014 when I was 69 years old. Nowadays, at the age of 79 I do my daily exercise in our porch. I do the neck, hands, hip and leg exercises to decrease muscle stiffness and increase range of motion, to reduce muscular tension and enhance muscular relaxation and to increase blood circulation. I also add early morning sunbathing to help my body produce vitamin D that protects me against inflammation, improves memory, protects against cancer and inflammation. Vitamin D is made from cholesterol in the skin when it's exposed to the sun).
Cleanse the body of toxins and excess salt by sweating. My sweat glands are not very active so I do hard labor like grass cutting, weeding, digging and masonry. I might buy this contraption shown on TV where you can perspire copiously while watching television, or reading the scriptures, thumbing through a sleazy magazine or contemplating how many angels can dance on top of your thumb.
Eat less meat. This entails so much discipline and commitment but it can be done indirectly by avoiding fast foods, parties, and by not stocking the refrigerator with pork, chicken and beef.
Eat more vegetables and food rich in fibers. People of the previous generations like me are fortunate. We learned to eat vegetables early in life. Children nowadays have no love for vegetables. Their food preference or eating habit is a sad reflection of our growing fast food culture. No wonder my grandchildren detest vegetables and worship fried chicken, spaghetti, burger, French fries, hotdogs, pizza and ice creams.
Eat plenty of fruits. That's the beauty of having an orchard. We have year-round fruits (papayas and soursop) and seasonal fruits (mangoes, avocado, mangosteen, marang, lansones, rambutan and durian). Other fruits like bananas, pineapples and watermelons are sold year round in local fruit stands.
Avoid foods loaded with additives and preservatives. TV ads may say otherwise but that's the point, people are eating junk foods because of unmitigated and irresponsible advertising.
Avoid salty foods. I've been eating salted fish since childhood, so I find it hard to resist the lure of ginamos and bulad. Thoughts of impending heart attack and the high cost of antihypertensive pills are deterrents.
Stick to rice and fish diet. I can live with this. Fish is low in saturated fat and high in healthy omega 3 fatty acids. Tinola is preferred over fried fish. Frying would negate the health benefits.
Maintain normal body-mass index. I'm not the obese type so this is easy. My waistline is steady at 31 inches. For the overweight, there are interventions to reduce your waistline such as increasing physical activity and reducing food intake.
Stop smoking. Studies have shown that smoking cigarettes reduces life expectancy and quality of life. It's a major cause of lung cancer and cardiovascular disease. Smokers have also a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. I stopped smoking 42 years ago. I want to teach by example and I'm happy my children don't smoke.
Stop or limit drinking. I used to be a hard drinker but not anymore. By force major. My stomach can no longer stomach excessive alcoholic drinks. I only drink moderately, that is, a glass of wine or a shot or two of rum, brandy or whisky.
Avoid colas. I'll not be swayed by the media hype that cola drinks add life. Colas can increase my blood sugar and my stomach acid but not my life.
Limit coffee. Coffee has been found to age-proof the brain and to lower the risk of heart attack and stroke so I drink a cup or two of coffee a day.
Maintain healthy teeth. I can boast that at 67 I've a healthy gum and a strong set of teeth with only one tooth missing. I'm lucky I was not exposed to antibiotics in my childhood. Then, the "poor man's diet" was rich in minerals. Fish, clams and shells were plentiful and we got them in the rivers and seas, not in the market. I brush my teeth before I go to bed and in the morning when I'm going out. No need to do it more frequently since I need to protect my gums. I floss and gargle mouthwash every after meals. I visit my dentist once a year to de-plaque my teeth and to detect dental problems.
Practice relaxing and manage stress. I'll take it easy. I won't over-burden my heart and my grey matter. Whistling and singing in solitude can blow away the drafts of pains and heartaches. I listen to soothing music. I play with my grandchildren to cope with stress. Tending the plants and flowers in the yard is soothing to my mind and body.
Don't take things personally. This is not easy to do but if you learn to ignore the negative opinions and actions of others, you won't be a victim of needless suffering. What others say or do is the projection of their own self, not yours. Don't take them personally. Grudge is a heavy yoke to carry, let it go.
Use the senses. Biologically and psychologically, the human organism was designed for intense experience in a richly sensual world. Unfortunately, we've deprived ourselves of the uncensored sights, sounds, smells, textures, tastes and other elemental experiences absent in our highly "sanitized" environment. For this I need to feel the coarseness of dry clods, smell the stink of dung, see a rotting carcass, behold the cascade of waterfalls, and other sensual experiences.
Engage in stimulating thoughts. Deep thinking is the best way to train and exercise our brain. I read and write. I'm exploring other avenues to stimulate my mind.
Maintain a sense of humor. Be generous with jokes and light remarks. A joke a day drives the doctor away. It's better to be corny than killjoy. I laugh at the jokes of other people even if they're not very funny. I enjoy a good laugh. I read jokes and political satire of professional hecklers in the internet.
Smile a lot and maintain a happy disposition. You need less muscle to smile than to frown. Smiles are contagious and you get them in return.
Avoid broken bones and strains. I'm accident prone so I better be careful. Many old people who were bedridden due to fractured or displaced hips never left their beds except to transfer to their coffins.
Go to bed early and have ample sleep. To me that means 7-8 hours of sound sleep. Late and fitful sleep is an invitation to nightmares. My biological clock dictates that I must be asleep at 9:00 p.m. Past that I need to count a million sheep to put me to sleep. My biological clock also dictates that I wake up at 5:00 am.
Maintain a healthy social life and concern for others. I'm an active member of two lay or religious organizations and three civic organizations.
Explore traditional medicines and home remedies. I share the observation that doctors and modern medicines may be of little or no help on some chronic illnesses of aged people. So, instead of solely relying on doctors and expensive medicines that could produce more side effects than cures, I tried home remedies and natural medicines. Herbs are helpful in preventing and curing many illnesses by boosting the body immune system and by negating the effects of free radicals. The herbs and fruits I found very useful are lemon grass, garlic, turmeric, ginger, lemons, cucumber, soursop, papaya, banana and pineapples. I prefer foods with lots of ginger, onions, tomatoes, lemon grass and garlic. Moringa is a regular fodder in the house. I drink a glass of warm water before breakfast. Gurgling warm salt water and warm compress for tonsillitis and foot immersion in warm water for colds are remedies that I can rely on.
I want to live longer. These are the things I’ll do in my single-minded quest for the fountain of youth.
But there’s another thing more important. It is said that "man proposes but God disposes." So I pray that God grant my desire to have a long life.
