79 year old living in a cave and doing great: Three reasons Why

In reply to:  Argentina:  man lives in cave for 40 years
Granted he is living a rough life, but he is free. Looks like he is in remarkable shape for a guy almost 80. I am impressed with this man. He needs to write his own SHTF book.
-Martin
Hi Martin. Thanks for the comment.
I did notice that as well. Let me say this just in case anyone has any kind of doubt regarding where I stand: NO, I don’t say move to a cave. I have no doubt it’s a miserable life. In Mr. Pedro Luca's own words, he wishes he would have done things different in his life (check the previous post) I also doubt this man is getting much in regards to proper medical care, but more on that later.
Having said this, I’d also like to point out three factors that probably explain why this man is looking better than most 79 year olds we know, that haven’t been living in a cave in the middle of nowhere.
1)Food & Exercise. This man is obviously on a very lean diet. The kind of staples he eats, combined with his chicken and whatever it is he hunts makes for a diet better than what 99% of Americans eat. A key aspect here is quantity. This man hasn’t got much wealth and has to ration his food carefully. I’ve written before about the advantages of a low caloric diet which considerably slows down ageing and extend life by 20-30%. If you’re reading this for the first time it may surprise you, but what will blow up your mind is googling the topic and finding out this has been proven to be true beyond doubt. Eating 20% less calories than the recommended amount for your size extends your life by pretty much the same percentage. This man clearly walks a lot as well. The article mentions him going on three hour treks to reach the nearest settlement. I’m sure he walks a lot checking his traps and hunting as well. This along with tending his fire, carrying water, caring for his animals and carrying supplies back to his cave keeps the 79 year old in good shape. Check the link below and see the video, he moves surprisingly well for a man about to turn 80.
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2016/07/31/argentine-man-has-lived-in-cave-for-40-years.html
2)No excessive medication and treatments. I’ve also written before about the problem with the corrupt medical practice around the world. I wont deny the marvels or modern medicine but I have little doubt that half of the surgery, treatments and drugs sold are pure nonsense and only done so as to make money out of the victi.. I mean patients. This has been my experience with both doctors and dentists and numerous reports and studies support such tendencies.  I bet a thousand bucks that 90% of the drugs sold around the world can be completely avoided by eating more frugal amounts of food like this man does and walking more. Lets keep it real as well. This man may drop dead today from something that if checked once a year by a doctor could have been prevented. Moderation and common sense folks.
3)This man may feel very lonely at times. Living in isolation means depression is a real risk, and even in such location it can (ironically) develop stress. Then again he does go to the nearby town somewhat often and according to the article and video he seems to be liked and respected by locals. He even gets visited by tourists, all of which he seems to enjoy so he probably has enough social interaction to keep him mentally healthy as well. I bet he’s not nearly as stressed as many people are with their nine to five routines, talking with a dozen people they cant stand each day just because they share an office.
Living a stress free lifestyle is as important as eating right. A few days ago I was reading about the countries with the best life expectancy.
According to the World Health Organization, Spain ranks #4 (Behind Japan, Switzerland and Singapore, in that order). A lot of that is attributed to the Mediterranean diet and good healthcare, but living here I assume the easy going lifestyle also has a lot to do with it. The “work to live rather than live to work” mentality takes a bit of getting used to but eventually you see that it’s the healthier attitude.
FerFAL
Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”.