Nir Barzilai: Longevity researcher

The concept of healthspan - the number of years that we enjoy optimum health - has come a long way, in recent years.  In fact, Dr. Nir Barzilai, founding director of the Institute for Aging Research at Albert Einstein College of Medicine,  believes we are "ushering in a future where the norm will be for people to be healthy, active and mentally sharp, during the last quarter of their lives."  In his new book, Age Later: Healthspan, Life Span, and the New Science of Longevity, he argues that aging can be "targeted, improved and even cured," and that it should be thought of as not "as a certainty but as a phenomenon."  In this LLAMA podcast episode, with Peter Bowes, Dr Barzilai, discusses his life's work studying some of the world's super agers, people who are enjoying active and productive lives well into their nineties and beyond. 

Read a transcript and show notes at the LLAMA podcast website.

Earlier LLAMA podcast in with Dr. Barzilai: Researching the genetics of exceptional longevity and drugs that could target aging

The Live Long and Master Aging podcast shares ideas but does not offer medical advice.  If you have health concerns of any kind, or you are considering adopting a new diet or exercise regime, you should consult your doctor.

Lee Gutkind: Writer

Lee Gutkind has spent much of his life denying his age. The Pittsburgh-based writer and teacher, renowned for his skills as an immersion journalist, has long been fascinated by the aging process and the insecurities that come with growing old. Now, aged seventy-seven, he has overcome his anxieties and age-related tensions. It followed a dark period of time, marked by the loss of loved ones and loneliness, when Lee decided to use his journalistic skills to perform a deep dive on himself. The result is a candid memoir, My Last Eight Thousand Days: An American Male in His Seventies, which documents the realities of aging and the transformation in fortunes that Lee enjoys today. In this episode, he explains how, despite a hugely successful career and a naturally outgoing personality, he reached a low point in his life; how he developed a new appreciation of casual friendships and the joy of connecting with other people. Described by Vanity Fair as the Godfather behind creative nonfiction, Lee also reflects on the frustrations that come with being pigeonholed as an old, soon-to-be-retired, man.  

Visit the LLAMA podcast website for complete show notes, including a transcript of the conversation.

This episode is brought to you by AgeUp, a new product that helps fill in the financial gaps that are often created once you’ve mastered aging and achieved an exceptionally long life. Small monthly payments to AgeUp stack over time to create a secure income stream for your 90s and beyond. Contributions to AgeUp are shielded from market swings, and once payouts begin at age 91 or above, they’re guaranteed to last for life. AgeUp is backed by MassMutual and sold by Haven Life Insurance Agency. You can find out more at Age-Up.com

Giovanni Dienstmann: Meditation teacher

Matters of the mind may be more important to us now, than ever before. The number of new coronavirus cases is continuing to rise in many countries.  The United States - as well as dealing with political uncertainty - is reporting over 100,000 infections every day and England has just gone back into lockdown.  There are encouraging exceptions, like Australia, which, earlier this week, recorded its first day without local cases in almost five months. But our lives have been upended like never before, and as we continue to battle the virus, the pandemic brings into focus our overall health and wellbeing. 

“When there’s a huge event like Covid, it’s a forced pause for all of us,” says Giovanni Dienstmann, a Sydney-based meditation teacher and creator of the blog, Live and Dare.

Is it time to re-think the way we live our lives and contemplate the future?

"Perhaps start a different life, perhaps start to focus more on family, on personal growth, on health and longevity and on service."

In this episode, we explore the power of meditation to get us through these difficult days.  Giovanni also discusses his personal journey, from troubled child to a place of contentment - and his regimented lifestyle, encompassing meditation, work, exercise, one daily meal, stoicism and family. 

Visit the LLAMA podcast website for complete show notes, including a transcript of the conversation.

This episode is brought to you by AgeUp, a new product that helps fill in the financial gaps that are often created once you’ve mastered aging and achieved an exceptionally long life. Small monthly payments to AgeUp stack over time to create a secure income stream for your 90s and beyond. Contributions to AgeUp are shielded from market swings, and once payouts begin at age 91 or above, they’re guaranteed to last for life. AgeUp is backed by MassMutual and sold by Haven Life Insurance Agency. You can find out more at Age-Up.com