Conference

Days 1 and 2 A4M Vegas Longevity

Just the highlights

And of course some things to think about.

Vegas A4M conference December 2023 focusing on Longevity. In other words, how to slow down the aging process so we can live a longer and healthier life.

Some people worry about lifespan. Lifespan being what it sounds like, keeping you alive as long as possible. But what if you are alive but unhealthy, always in pain with your quality of life diminishing?

At this conference we are more focused on healthspan. Healthspan is where we keep you healthy and vibrant as long as possible so you can enjoy your life to the fullest.

Think about that just a bit.

Big room for the main set of presentations.

There were also other large breakout rooms for afternoon presentations grouped into different topics. I usually go from room to room based on what I want to hear, usually something new I am interested in.

So while there were many lectures and presentations on Day 1, the one that stood out was by Dan Buettner.

Dan has been researching Blue Zones for over a decade, hence the blue background for his presentation. The Blue Zones are areas in the world where people on average live very long and healthy lives, usually into their 90s and even 100s. In case you are wondering, Southern New Jersey is NOT classified as a Blue Zone.

This is I think the 7th or 8th of these conferences I have been to. I enjoy them and learn new things but like everything in health and wellness, I don’t believe everything that is presented. My job is to hear what others present of their experiences, and determine if it is valid for what I do at the IMW.

So when Dan Buettner listed 8-10 items that the Blue Zones had in common, I had an issue. I like to correlate things together to make it even simpler. So I took his 8-10 and condensed it into those that I will now share. Let’s call it the IMW Formula for Longevity.

1- Avoid stressors, meaning keep stress low while always having a strong purpose in your life, and a reason to always look forward to getting up the next day to engage in the world around you.

2- Achieve balance in your life in as many systems as possible. If you have had your IMW Advanced Wellness Testing (AWT) review, you have seen that I break down your health into different systems such as Metabolic, Nutritional, Immune/Inflammatory and Hormonal. These are the top 4. The better in balance these top 4 systems are, the healthier you are.

3- Have a strong network of caring family and friends you can reach out to in need as well as you being there for them as well.

4- Lastly, avoid excesses as well as deficiencies. Kind of what I mean by balance in life.

Interesting how I don’t mention diet. That is probably because all of the Blue Zones had slightly different diets. But they were all just about entirely non-processed organic fresh food without any chemicals or preservatives. So I guess the pearl is to treat your body right. Try your best to avoid toxins whether they be in food, healthcare products or relationships.

So the Blue Zones were less about the diet wars of carbs vs fat, and instead more about clean food, balance, purpose, daily movement and a strong social support structure. I was surprised that social and mainstream media did not make their list 😂😎

Moving on, Day 1 I decided to do a fast. My brain works better and my energy stays more level when I fast. So my first meal was at 645PM PST. Now while I wanted to be full carnivore this trip, I succumbed to the french fries that came with my dinner. A 1/2 pound cheeseburger, no bun, with bacon, tomato, carmelized onions and a fried egg on top. It was actually very good. The eatery was the Black Tap in the Venetian hotel and casino. I guess I rationalized it as since I only had one meal, the fries won’t be too bad. I guess I will see when I get home and get on the scale.

Then back to the room to plan out Day 2.

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Day 2 began by waking up at 430 AM PST. That’s 730AM EST so I guess my circadian rhythm will remain as if in Jersey regardless of where I am.

Presentations today were OK with the exception of one by someone I disagree with who tends to cherry pick data to make his point.

In a smaller room I could have been one of those hecklers that annoy people, but I decided to be professional and just continually shake my head in disbelief most of the time. So I did the next best thing. I vented on Twitter or X or whatever it is called now. I did learn that no matter how learned you are, you can still be very gullible and believe things more because you want to believe as opposed to reality. FYI- the super super majority of my views are based on reality, watching people and their habits and seeing over time what actually improves their healthspan and lifespan. I’ve been practicing for over 30 years now and I’ve seen many patterns, both healthy and unhealthy. So I don’t believe I need government or industry health recommendations to follow blindly. I don’t quote from many research articles as most are biased to whoever funded them. Instead I read the research and ask myself, “Does this make sense and am I seeing this in practice?”  If the answer is Yes, then I dig deeper into the study and look for other studies that correlate as well as also reading those that play devils advocate. Then again, I look to see if it makes sense in true life or reality, as opposed only to some biased research or academic journal.

I spent quite a bit of time walking thru the extremely large exhibit hall.

Met and took a few pics with some other professionals and authors.

Mindy Pelz has fantastic online videos about fasting for improved health.

Sabine Hazan of Let’s Talk Shit fame was there as well and after chatting for a bit, I learned she likes our conversations on Twitter. She even let me take this shitty pic💩

Sabine has been an absolute warrior the past 3+ years not only with her research into the Gut microbiome but also in her approach to treating COVID mainly by focusing on and balancing the gut microbiome. If you have the chance look up her presentations over the past few years. It should open your eyes and your mind that the traditional Sickcare system needs help.

There were many book signings and while I hate to load up my suitcases with heavy books and go over the 50 lb airline suitcase limit, somehow as the books were free they ended up back in my hotel room. No idea when I will get to read them, but hopefully eventually….

The best part of the day so far was just lying down before dinner.

I decided to fast again on Day 2 and tonight had dinner about 615PM PST. Dinner was inside the hotel but it almost seemed like we were outdoors. Vegas is crazy.

I remained fully carnivore this meal.

Appetizer of salami and cheeses, I did not eat the olives or grapes. Followed by a NY Strip which was very good. I may now be torn between Ribeyes and NY Strip steaks as to what is my favorite cut. BTW, I did not touch the green stuff. I like to look at plants as opposed to eating them.

An after dinner walk to help clear the meal as well as to bring back a gift for the daughter and then back to the room to get ready to pass out and regroup for Day 3. Yes I went to sleep at 8PM PST. So while Vegas is known as one of those cities that never sleeps, I guess I am a contrarian. Unless it counts that I woke up at 330AM PST and decided to finish this post.

I will be discussing more about the Conference highlights at the IMW Zoom call on December 20th 7PM EST for all paid subscribers.

As always, comments and questions welcome.