Category: Health Tips

Just measured my RHR and found it was lower than it had been so I queried it. This was Grok’s response:

A resting heart rate (RHR) is the number of beats per minute your heart makes when you’re completely at rest (e.g., first thing in the morning, sitting quietly after waking). Your recent measurement of 50 bpm at age 73 is exceptionally low — well below the typical adult range of 60–100 bpm — and it’s a strong positive marker given your training background.

Here’s a clear breakdown of the benefits of a low RHR (especially in the 40–60 bpm range for fit older adults), based on major studies, meta-analyses, and guidelines from sources like the American Heart Association, Harvard Health, and long-term cohort research.

Key Benefits of a Low Resting Heart Rate

Stronger Cardiovascular Efficiency & Fitness
A lower RHR means your heart pumps more blood per beat (higher stroke volume), so it doesn’t have to work as hard at rest. This is a direct sign of excellent cardiorespiratory fitness — the heart muscle is stronger and more efficient, just like in endurance athletes.

At 50 bpm, your heart is functioning at an elite level for your age (top percentile for 70+), reflecting the impact of your consistent HIIT (Wingates/Norwegian), weighted sessions, and overall activity.

Lower Risk of Cardiovascular Events & Mortality
Numerous large studies show an inverse relationship: higher RHR is linked to increased risk of heart disease, heart failure, sudden cardiac death, and all-cause mortality.

Every 10 bpm increase above ~60–70 bpm often raises all-cause mortality risk by ~8–13% and cardiovascular mortality by ~8–17% (meta-analyses across tens of thousands of people).

In mid-life and older adults, RHR >75–80 bpm doubles or triples early death risk in some cohorts.

Conversely, lower RHR (especially under 60–70 bpm in fit individuals) is protective — associated with reduced risk of heart failure, stroke, and premature death.

Your 50 bpm puts you in the lowest-risk category for these outcomes.

Marker of Longevity & Healthspan
Across mammals (including humans), species with naturally lower RHR tend to live longer. In humans:
Lower RHR correlates with better overall lifespan and reduced age-related decline.

In very old cohorts (85–95+), lower RHR is tied to greater survival odds and preserved function (independence, cognitive health).

While extreme bradycardia (under 40–45 bpm) can sometimes signal issues (e.g., conduction problems), 50 bpm in a fit, asymptomatic person like you is a positive longevity signal, not a red flag.

Reduced “Wear and Tear” on the Heart
Fewer beats per minute over a lifetime means less mechanical stress on the heart muscle and arteries. This contributes to slower progression of atherosclerosis, lower inflammation, and better autonomic balance (higher parasympathetic tone = better recovery/stress resilience).

Other Indirect Perks
Better metabolic health (lower risk of insulin resistance, diabetes).
Improved autonomic nervous system function (more parasympathetic dominance = calmer baseline state).
Reflection of high aerobic capacity (VO2max), which is one of the strongest predictors of longevity and reduced frailty in older adults.

Important Caveats for Age 70+

Normal RHR for most older adults is 60–80–100 bpm; yours at 50 bpm is athlete-level, not “average elderly.”

Very low RHR is usually beneficial only if asymptomatic (no dizziness, fatigue, fainting, shortness of breath, or chest pain). If any symptoms appear, get checked (e.g., for conduction issues or medication effects).

In the very elderly (85–95+), the protective association with very low RHR sometimes flattens or disappears in some studies — but you’re not there yet, and your fitness context makes 50 bpm a win.

Bottom Line for You
Your 50 bpm RHR is a fantastic biomarker — it’s evidence that your training (HIIT + weighted strength + daily activity) is delivering profound cardiovascular and longevity benefits. It means your heart is efficient, resilient, and working far less hard than average at rest. Keep tracking it (morning, same conditions); sustained low RHR like this is one of the clearest signs your protocol is supporting both strength preservation and healthspan extension.

If it ever drops below ~45 bpm or you feel off, mention it to your doctor — but right now, this is a massive green flag.

Keep owning those sessions, mate. You’re building elite-level cardio resilience at 73.
— Coach Grok

(Tom: Seems like it is a very good marker to keep track of and aim to improve.)

For centuries, breastfeeding mothers and arthritis patients have used Cabbage Leaves to reduce swelling. Doctors dismissed it as a “placebo” or just a “cooling effect.” They were wrong.

Vital Advice: The Activation:

Source: The Clinical Journal of Pain, “Efficacy of Cabbage Leaf Wraps in the Treatment of Symptomatic Osteoarthritis”, Randomized Trial.

Raw, whole garlic does not contain Alicin (the magical anticancer and antibiotic compound). Garlic contains two separate ingredients: Aliina (protein) and Alinase (enzyme). They are in separate compartments. Only when you crush or grind garlic, you break cellular walls and allow the two to mix. They need to react chemically to create the Alicina. This reaction takes a while. And more importantly: Alinasa enzyme dies of heat.

The Common Mistake: You chop garlic and throw it in hot oil in 30 seconds. Heat kills the enzyme before it had time to create the Alicina. You eat delicious garlic, but medically useless.

Hack Tip to Vitalize Garlic:

Chop or crush the garlic, leave it on the cutting board then wait 10 minutes. During this time, the reaction occurs and the maximum amount of Alicina is created. Once created, Alicina is heat resistant.

Now you can cook it. This simple step of patience turns your dinner into a preventative chemo session.

Source: Journal of Nutrition, “The influence of heating on the anticancer properties of garlic”, Biochemistry Study.

My observation is that this institutional bias is a common paradigm working to preserve the status quo and not alienating corporate sponsors. It takes a disappointingly remarkable level of integrity to stand against the corruption.

You may have heard the old saying, “He who has the gold rules.”

In order to achieve the best results for you and yours you need to listen less to self-proclaimed experts and authorities and look to see what is actually there.

You’ve been there. After a period of indulgence in ultra-processed convenience foods, fast food, or sugary treats, your body signals its distress with fatigue, bloating, mental fog, or inflammation. Modern industrial diets are an assault, deliberately overloaded with toxic pesticides, genetically modified ingredients (GMOs), artificial additives, and inflammatory seed oils. [1][2] These substances challenge our liver, kidneys, and digestive system, creating a toxic burden that corporate food systems and pharmaceutical giants are all too happy to exploit.

Yet, here is the liberating truth: your body is not broken. It is a masterpiece of biological intelligence, designed for resilience and self-repair. Moving forward is not about guilt or subscribing to another punishing fad. It is about empowering your body’s innate healing systems with the right, clean tools. This natural reset is a testament to the body’s inherent wisdom—a philosophy worlds apart from the symptom-suppressing, dependency-creating mindset of Big Pharma and the processed food industry. It’s time to reclaim your health sovereignty.

Keep reading: https://food.news/2026-02-01-how-to-reset-your-body-after-unhealthy-eating.html

For decades, we thought Alzheimer’s was just “bad luck” or “amyloid plaques.” Now, a growing body of evidence suggests it is primarily a Metabolic Disease.

Just like your muscles can become insulin resistant (Type 2 Diabetes), your brain can become insulin resistant. When this happens, neurons can no longer absorb Glucose efficiently. Even if your blood sugar is high, your brain cells are starving to death. This starvation leads to cognitive decline, memory loss, and eventually, the death of the tissue.

The “Hybrid Engine” Solution
If the “Gasoline” (Glucose) line is clogged, you can switch to the backup fuel: Ketones. Ketones (produced during fasting or a high-fat diet) do not require insulin to enter the brain. They cross the blood-brain barrier and feed the starving neurons directly.

Studies show that when Alzheimer’s patients are given MCT Oil or a Ketogenic diet, their cognitive scores often improve because the lights turn back on.

Vital Advice
The Brain Fuel Swap: You don’t have to be fully Keto, but you must protect your brain’s insulin sensitivity.

Cut Liquid Sugar: Soda and juice are neurotoxins.

MCT Oil (C8): It converts directly into ketones in the liver, providing instant brain fuel even if you eat carbs.

Exercise: It restores insulin sensitivity in the brain.

Source: Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, “Brain Energy Metabolism, Glucose, and Ketones”, Type 3 Diabetes Hypothesis.

(Tom: A great many plants have properties that help regulate blood sugar. So much so that I recall reading of two separate researchers who reported people eating raw food for 30 days lost their classification as diabetics.)

Dr Eric Berg On Beetroot

One reason beetroot features in my Liver Detox Blend: https://www.healthelicious.com.au/NutriBlast_Liver_Blend.html