Health

15 Ways to Live in Vitality Well into Your Nineties

Recently I visited a friend, let’s call him Mark, as he was unpacking a brand new flat screen TV. He ripped off the box, threw away the instruction manual and set it on a flimsy table on his patio. It got wet and was exposed to direct sunlight and wind gusts all day, causing it to fall occasionally. A fortnight later he texted me, saying he was upset that his brand new TV stopped working. Mark was never the smartest tool in the shed but if he had read the operation manual, he would likely still be enjoying his TV.

It is my proposition that 90% of us humans treat our bodies like Mark’s TV because we are not curious about our individual instruction manuals for healthy living. To be sure, one manual does not fit every human model but the recommendations that follow can’t be far off. We must become active stewards of our health.

The foundation supporting these recommendations come from this doctor’s philosophy that the body is perfectly capable of a robust self defense from its immune system against bad bacteria and viruses. But one has to treat it correctly. It also comes from the philosophy that one must maintain and support the vascular integrity of all sized vessels, such that delivery of blood and oxygen is maximized to each of our cells. In other words; The Pursuit of Perfect Perfusion.

Disease begins at the cellular level when there is dysfunction of the tiny “power plants” all cells have (mitochondria). Too many cells get dysfunctional and the organ is affected. Too many organs get dysfunctional and our life span is shortened by chronic progressive disease. This doctor maintains, that the root of the problem is chronic unrelenting inflammation. All efforts made to reverse or reduce chronic inflammation will pay healthy dividends.

Here is my human “instruction manual” listing 15 ways to live in vitality well into your 90’s! Lifestyle Modifications;

Don’t start, and if you have, quit smoking yesterday.
Heavy alcohol consumption has no benefit. The sweet spot (depending on weight) is somewhere between 1-2 glasses over three days. (I recommend red wine because of the resveratrol, polyphenols and flavonoid content).
Intelligent exercise. Do what you can, but do something daily which takes you outside and makes you sweat and/or breathe deeply. Movement in the sunshine is essential. Riding, racquet sports or brisk beach walks are great. If there are painful joints find a pool and workout.
Don’t pressure your doctor to prescribe unnecessary antibiotics as there are useless against viruses. The damage done to the beneficial gut bacteria is tremendous when treating a viral infection. It’s ok to challenge him or her in asking which infection is being treated.
Seek out and give love and appreciation to family and friends. Those who live the longest in health have a network of social activity where they interact with loved ones daily. Immerse yourself in the currency of loving and caring and being loved and cared for.
Meditate. Pray and be conscious within your divinity.
Boost and stimulate your microvascular circulation with approved electromagnetic field exposure. A new device called, BEMER, achieves this. The smallest blood vessels are most susceptible to chronic inflammation thus decreasing oxygen and nutrient delivery.
Sleep is a vital restorative function especially for the brain. The metabolic brain waste is dealt with during sleep and accumulation of this waste between neurons leads to dementia. Get at least six hours, more is better.
Dietary Modifications
Eat a mostly plant based diet as free from pesticides as possible. Colourful leafy vegetables and most fruit are fantastic. Limit animal protein consumption.
Engage in deliberate calorie restriction. We as humans don’t need to eat nearly as much as we do. Try to eat and snack in a definitive time window of about 5 hours.
Intermittent fasting is a healthy practice. Twice a week of perhaps 16-18 hours of fasting is one of the best gifts you can give your body. Putting your body under this stress is beneficial and releases growth hormone and stem cells when done properly.
Throw away highly processed, high sugary foods which encourage chronic inflammation such as; vegetable cooking oils, cereals, cakes, white bread, sodas etc.
Do not fear healthy fats (as in the ketogenic diet) and cholesterol. They have been wrongly identified as dietary culprits and this is not the case. Eggs are healthy along with extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil and real butter. Margarine has little nutritional value.
Add supplements to your diet. A list of my most favorite is;
- Resveratrol – anti-inflammatory
- CoQ10 – heart and overall mitochondrial health
- Vitamin D3/K2 – directs calcium from soft tissue to bone
- Magnesium
- Curcumin/Turmeric – anti-inflammatory
- Sulfurophane (broccoli sprout extract)– anti-cancer
- Omega3 fatty acid fish oils
Coffee and Green tea are helpful because of the high polyphenols and flavinol content.

Written by Dr. Derek B. Thorpe
Dr. Thorpe is a nuclear medicine and functional medicine physician with post graduate degrees from Cornell School of Medicine and the University of Florida. He mentors clients through the ketogenic diet and treats pain and injury through optimisation of blood flow.

Health

More Nurses Arrive From Ghana

Barbados’ nursing complement has been boosted with the arrival of 155 nurses from Ghana at the Grantley Adams International Airport, yesterday.

The nurses, who were accompanied by Ghana’s Deputy Minister of Health, Adelaide Ntim, were greeted by Minister of Health and Wellness, Senator Dr. The Most Honourable Jerome Walcott, and other officials.

This is the third cohort of Ghanaian nurses to be dispatched to Barbados since 2020, to address the local nursing shortage. Ninety-five nurses came in the first group during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, while 120 more arrived in 2022, some of whom are still employed here and have made Barbados their home.

Minister Walcott explained that the nurses would be assigned to various specialty areas of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and the Ministry of Health and Wellness’ primary care facilities. These areas include cardiology, accident and emergency theatre, midwifery, psychiatric medicine, and geriatrics.

“So, we’re looking for these nurses to help improve the overall delivery of our healthcare,” stated Dr. Walcott.

Ms. Ntim said Ghana had a surplus of nurses, some of whom were not even employed. She said she welcomed the partnership with Barbados.

The Deputy Minister of Health added that nurses from the previous cohorts proved that they were more than capable of doing their jobs, and expressed confidence that the most recent cohort would also “deliver”. (PR/GIS)

Caption: Minister of Health and Wellness, Senator Dr. The Most Honourable Jerome Walcott, in discussion with Ghana’s Deputy Minister of Health, Adelaide Ntim, at the Grantley Adams International Airport yesterday. Senator Walcott was on hand to welcome 155 Ghanaian nurses to Barbados

Health

CHANGES TO HEALTH CARE SYSTEM

The Ministry of Health will soon roll out a number of changes to the island’s primary healthcare system, in order to drastically address the high numbers of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) seen among the Barbadian population.
This announcement was made by Senior Minister of Health and Wellness, the Most Honourable Dr. Jerome Walcott, as he presented a token of appreciation to Dr. Trevor Hassell in recognition of his outstanding efforts in educating Barbadians on the importance of addressing non-communicable diseases NCDs.
Walcott said, “I have a personal mandate that we should try to reduce the premature adult mortality from NCDs by a third. It is not impossible, it can be done, and in the course of the next few weeks, you will gradually see a roll out of parts of this process.”

He stressed “You will see the plans for primary healthcare; everybody is focused on QEH and tertiary healthcare, but the fundamentals of healthcare have to do with primary healthcare. The ability of early prevention, detection to get better health outcomes. We are looking at that in a project to be discussed soon.”
The Health Minister also revealed that additional screening for a variety of NCDs and cancers will also be made available.
“Within the ministry we are looking at a number of screening processes. We are looking to roll out before the end of this month a colonic screening process initially in two polyclinics, and thereafter we expand. We are looking at a cervical cancer screening process; we are looking at providing mammography services within the QEH again as was previously done up until 2008 where persons can have access to mammograms again for early detection and treatment for cancers.

Health

BMCLA Hosts Inaugural Bajan Cannabis Conference

Barbados is forging ahead in the medicinal cannabis industry with innovative solutions, despite the challenges being faced.

Acting Minister of Agriculture, Food and Nutritional Security, Wilfred Abrahams, stated this last Friday, while addressing the inaugural Bajan Cannabis Conference, at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre, Two Mile Hill, St. Michael.

Noting that this country is charting an exciting future for the sector, with a focus on transforming healthcare, empowering local entrepreneurs, and embracing digital innovation, he said this will allow Barbados to position itself as one of the leaders in the Caribbean in this lucrative and fast-evolving global industry.

Mr. Abrahams disclosed that “11 applicants, representing 33 licences”, had been approved to date. He added: “And we are committed to moving this industry forward. This announcement marks a major step in Barbados’ drive to develop a thriving medicinal cannabis industry that will contribute to both healthcare and wellness tourism.”

The Minister praised the Barbados Medicinal Cannabis Licensing Authority (BMCLA) for its efforts in assisting local entrepreneurs to join the growing industry by introducing a flexible payment plan. “This plan allows licensees to pay 60 per cent of their licence fee upfront, with the remaining 40 per cent paid in instalments over the first three years, … either monthly, quarterly, or annually,” he stated.

Meanwhile, acting Chief Executive Officer of the BMCLA, Shanika Roberts-Odle, pointed out that the industry continues to face significant challenges, particularly with the banking sector’s reluctance to support cannabis-related businesses.

To deal with this and other issues, she said three Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) were signed, which sought to overcome key hurdles and advance the development of the medicinal cannabis industry in Barbados.

The CEO noted that one of the most pressing challenges has been the lack of banking solutions for businesses in the medicinal cannabis sector, not only in Barbados but globally. To address this, she said the BMCLA partnered with M Money, a digital banking platform, to develop solutions that will facilitate local transactions for cannabis businesses.

Ms. Roberts-Odle pointed out that traditional financial institutions have been hesitant to support the industry due to regulatory concerns, and this had slowed investment and growth.

“While we haven’t completely solved the banking issue, this brings us closer and allows us to move money locally. Banking has been one of the biggest stumbling blocks, particularly in terms of facilitating investment in the industry,” she said.

The CEO disclosed that the BMCLA had also entered into a collaboration with Export Barbados, which is designed to support the marketing, testing, and manufacturing of medicinal cannabis products, ensuring that products are developed to the highest standards and marketed internationally. “It’s not just about growing the plant; it’s about marketing these products internationally and manufacturing them to the highest standards,” Ms. Roberts-Odle explained.

Also recognising the need for regional collaboration, she said the BMCLA signed an MOU with the Caribbean Cannabis Forum, which reinforces the need for a united Caribbean approach to cannabis policy, particularly when dealing with international regulatory bodies such as the World Trade Organization and the United Nations.

“Barbados has always recognised the importance of moving together as a Caribbean region. It has been crucial in protecting our interests on the international stage,” said Ms. Roberts-Odle.

She noted that the partnership also ensures that Barbados and its Caribbean neighbours continue to advocate for policies that reflect their unique relationship with cannabis, while also promoting responsible usage and industry standards.

She added: “We recognise the frustrations that people have expressed, but the transition from growing cannabis informally to producing medical-grade cannabis for immunocompromised patients is a vast leap. The BMCLA is committed to ensuring that our industry meets these high standards.” (PR/GIS)