Denying a Hershey's Kiss to live longer

"How much of what you're denying yourself is because you think you're increasing your life expectancy?" asked Rush Limbaugh on his radio show today.

He was discussing the fact that Prof. Chris Semsarian, a cardiologist in Sydney, Australia warned that energy drinks can trigger dire effects when consumed by young people who may not be aware of an underlying heart problem, or when followed by "a trip to they gym." The actual message of the doctor was prudent, but Rush was pointing out how news media ran with the story, headlining that "energy drinks 'can trigger heart attacks'" to satisfy reader/viewer hunger for anything that can prolong your life.

This story comes at the same time that the research "showing" that reservatrol, found in grapes and wine and touted to help the heart and slow aging, was found to be largely based on faked data. A 60,000 page report documents 145 "counts" of fraudulent data in the work of Dipak K. Das of the University of Connecticut's Cardiovascular Research Center, much published in peer-reviewed journals and the basis of the marketing of dozens of supplements.

People will latch onto anything "experts" say increases longevity or helps avoid serious illness.  Whether it's adequately proven or not.  At one time, I took 400 international units of Vitamin E every night, because the consensus was that this antioxidant could prevent cancer, Alzheimer's and heart problems--a consensus that has since been discredited. Before that was the Linus Pauling Vitamin C craze to prevent colds, since abandoned.  Now Vitamin D is the big fad, once again as a preventative to a raft of dreaded diseases, most notably cancer. The National Institutes of Health's exhaustive review, however, summarized, "Taken together, however, studies to date do not support a role for vitamin D, with or without calcium, in reducing the risk of cancer."

There are certainly some things that will enhance risk of death. Smoking, for example, though thousands of people have smoked like chimneys and had no ill effects, and some have even suggested that seeing our President--who earlier this year announced he'd finally quit--taking a drag might humanize his image.  Evel Knieval's jumping a motorcycle over lines of 20 cars might be considered a risky, "death-defying" habit, though he died from diabetes and a lung condition.

Mothers all over the world have admonished children fleeing the house sweaterless that they'd catch their death of cold, even if they'd taken enough Vitamin C to impress Linus Pauling.  The list of risks is limitless; might even be a pretty funny book.

But back to the quote I heard on the radio today that rang so true: How much of what you're denying yourself is because you think you're increasing your life expectancy?  In other words, how much do you deprive yourself of simple joys, or even more complex ones, out of fear induced by some "health" news story? I know someone who won't savor a Hershey's kiss because she's sworn off sugar, considering it "toxic."  I don't buy that one, and now, thankfully, the "experts" are saying the flavanols in dark chocolate provide anti-oxidants that validate my daily fix.

Since I'm immersed in writing a book whose underlying point is "to thine own self be true," regarding what your body tells you, I embrace the notion that our lives are too short and precious to over-ride its personal messages and pleasures.  If we just tune in to the activities and tastes that make us feel strong and satisfied, we're likely to be pursuing our individual best paths to health.

I asked my Aunt Bo, 105 years old and living in sin with her 104-year-old boyfriend, Frank, the secret to their longevity.  They replied in unison, "Keep breathing!" They both used to smoke, when it was popular. They both enjoyed their highball cocktails. They have great stories to tell...but they never took Vitamin C or D or went to the gym.

We don't really know much about what prolongs life best, or avoids this or the other disease, but if every day contains some pleasure, some discovery, some joy in this awesome world, it's a day of gain.  Certainly some effort and discomfort can pay off in health benefits, but at the same time, chronic deprivation, especially when it feels like a sacrifice, won't bring the quality of life that is more important than its mere quantity.

Beyond "The Base:" Open Up the Republican Party

Driving to the gym today, my radio was set to the talk station. Rush Limbaugh was going on with disdain for voters in "the squishy middle," who he called "moderates who don't know what they believe." He kept insisting that Republicans accept only the positions of their "base" and not "pander" to moderates just to expand chances to win elections.

Now, I'm pretty conservative in my views, but on several issues, I'm one of those for whom Rush would refuse to compromise. For example, while I'm strict about the economy--feeling the "bailout," and even more so the "stimulus package" thwarted our robust system's ability to self-correct--I'm rather "squishy" on environmental issues. And, given that I know and love some of them, I have sympathy for immigrants who left beloved children behind and endured arduous travels and risky starts to come to our land in order to work hard. Because of these and a few other views, I suspect Rush would disqualify me from the Republican "base" he extols.

Hearing a talk host I respect bash a whole amorphous category of voters got me riled. But even worse, it clarified why Democrats and Obama are riding high with the slogan "we're gonna help you," while the party that more closely reflects my positions seems to be contracting. And it's going to keep diminishing if touted Republican spokesmen continue spurning rather than welcoming people who mostly agree.

Frustration made me turn off the radio before I reached the gym, but an hour later, sticky and energized, I headed home and thought I'd give it another try. But it was as if no aerobics class had intervened--Rush was repeating exactly the same mantra: "We've got to stand on our core principles," he preached, "we can't move from our ideals just to include a wider group." Rush even said Jack Kemp, certainly a man of principle but also a man of magnanimity, emblemized not budging from his values.

I'm afraid we're in for some long-term Obama-izing of the system unless conservatives understand that inclusion is the name of the game. "The Base," whatever that means, will be there; it's us in "the squishy middle" who gravitate to the hospitable, the hopeful, the place flexible enough to offer both a "core" and some room for creativity and even indecision.

The other day I was talking to a friend who is a lifelong Democrat, but as she's gotten more comfortable with religion, has also moved in her values toward conservatism. She confided that while she now couldn't abide abortion personally, she didn't see why the government should prevent non-religious women in the early stages of pregnancy from having safe access. Government funding for them would be unacceptable to her; government neutrality in the first trimester seemed sensible. But the hard line against abortion by Republicans means she keeps voting contrary to her views on the economy, marriage and the war on terror--all much more urgent issues where conservatives could really use her support.

This friend agrees with Republicans on 80% of the issues, but can't jump parties because she feels shut out by hard lines. This does get depressing. Positions on social issues are shaped by all sorts of personal experiences and feelings, but the government, especially on a federal level, needs a "macro" role, and mostly, it needs to minimize any role at all. That should be what I hear on talk radio--characteristics to foster in government, not in members of a political party. We need to talk about positive ways to return government to its basics of protecting the country from harm and encouraging innovation and business prosperity.

This stuff about who's a "true conservative" versus who's intruding and polluting some kind of party purity turns me off. Sorry Rush, Ill turn my radio back on for the next host, the one who likes me just as I am.