The Most Important Principles for Staying Young: Avoid the Wild Bunch

Our basic premise is that your body is amazing.  You get a do-over. It doesn’t take that long, and it isn’t that hard if you know what to do.  In these notes, we give you a short course in what to do so it becomes easy for you and for you to teach others. We want you to know how much control you have over both the quality and length of your life.

Recently, one piece of medical news about diet and children’s learning grabbed our attention…

In Sam Peckinpah’s 1969 classic Western, The Wild Bunch, Pike (William Holden), Dutch (Ernest Borgnine), and Deke (Robert Ryan) were former members of a bank- and train-robbing gang in the late 1800s. But the Wild West changed. By 1913 Deke was a bounty hunter pitted against his old gang. Bullets flew when Pike and Dutch tried one last heist. A pretty wild bunch for sure. But why the animosity, Deke?

According to researchers in Germany, what we eat has a lot to do with how we interact socially. For instance, they found a breakfast loaded with refined carbohydrates and few proteins increases “social punishment behavior.” Well, a morning donut might explain why Deke went after Pike and Dutch for trying to rob a bank. Maybe the conflict between old friends was a consequence of a Wild BRunch.

This new insight into the relationship of diet and behavior highlights the importance of a well-designed meal for school-aged children. It’s why healthy food efforts that promote meals that are low in simple carbohydrates, high protein, and contain more whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and only low-fat milk and less cheese and processed meat products should be championed, instead of challenged. Healthy meals are one way to help kids achieve productive social interactions, avoid conflicts, and display what the researchers called “fundamental expressions of cognition.”

 So, if you want you and your kids to have more positive social and cognitive interactions, ditch the wild brunch and go with a better lunch.

Thanks for reading. Feel free to send questions to AgeProoflife@gmail.com

Dr. Mike Roizen

PS: Please continue to order the new book by Jean Chatzky and myself, AgeProof: Living Longer Without Running Out of Money or Breaking a Hip.

NOTE: You should NOT take this as medical advice.

This article is of the opinion of its author.

Before you do anything, please consult with your doctor.

You can follow Dr Roizen on twitter @YoungDrMike (and get updates on the latest and most important medical stories of the week).  The YOU docs have two newly revised books: The patron saint “book” of this column YOU Staying Young—revised and YOU: The Owner’s Manual…revised —yes a revision of the book that started Dr Oz to being Dr Oz.  These makes great gifts—so do YOU: ON a Diet and YOU: The Owner’s Manual for teens.  

Michael F. Roizen, M.D., is chief wellness officer and chair of the Wellness Institute at the Cleveland Clinic. His radio show streams live on http://www.radioMD.com Saturdays from 5-7 p.m. He is the co-author of 4 #1 NY Times Best Sellers including: YOU Staying Young.