To Live to a Healthy 120!

[Weems]

This thread is for people who want to read and discuss Chasing Life by Sanjay Gupta or any other book on anti-aging!...

[LizzyBennet]

I have started that book, and am on page 30. I expect it will be very current on the latest info. I drink green tea, a little red wine, and have started eating dark chocolate. I am looking forward to the info on supplements because I take tons! I need to exercise more....

[Weems]

I like dark chocolate too! I don't eat it often and I need an excuse to do it more! I do not ever drink alcohol but there are people in my life that I love who do from time to time, like special occasions, family gatherings and nice dinners out. I take supplements too and look forward to what is written about that. I currently take all the bioenergetics and supplements suggested in The Metabolic Plan. I've seen results in the past 4 months using them. Thanks for posting! are you the same Lizzybennet from Persuasion? If yes, then I'm happy to keep the thread open!!!...

[Weems]

I read to about 32. Digesting some of the comments about Okinawans and their longevity. Portion size is something I settled on a long time ago and I understand the whole concept of eating everything in front of you. Been there. Still trying to unprogram myself from that. I hate the portion sizes served by restaurants. Recently, I've gotten in the habit of ordering and asking the server to take half of whatever is on the plate a pre-box it to go. Then I feel better about eating what's left.

[LizzyBennet]

You sound like a smart guy, and you are probably very healthy! There is not as much detail yet as The Metabloic Plan, but it's easy reading. I'm around page 42.

[Weems]

ANd I got past 50 this morning. So far it is as you say: Not as much detail. I am not very smart but I can learn. The jury is still out on whether I am healthy.:flare:

[LizzyBennet]

I stopped at 51 last night. I thought that "Hormesis Hypothesis" was something I made up! I used to imagine in school that all the stress I was under was making my body able to withstand even more stresses that might come my way. And I worried that if I was under no stress, then when something major occurrred, my body would not be able to deal with it. I think it has to do with the cortisol production going on.
Who has time for 7 servings of fruits, vegetables and grains every day??!! I eat 3 meals and NEVER snack. I just don't have time for it, and I am too busy to even think about eating between meals.

[Weems]

I think that most things experienced a little at a time help build up resistance to something full blown. Take immunizations for instance. That's just what it is.

I think that in "community" (as a tool for longevity), though, the little things that stress a relationship don't make it easier to handle something bigger later. Handling anything "big" takes commitment, communication, belief in another person, and desire to be one with the other person.

I'm at page 79 and haven't really gotten any meat. There is a very brief mention of DHEA on 67 with nothing really positive to say about it, Rather flat.

I find the account of James Hammond to be motivating. He's in his 90's and started sprinting the 100 meter dash in competition at the age of 86 where he posted a time of 30 seconds. With determination and later, coaching, he got his time down to 18.3 seconds,

To me, this demonstrates a couple of things. First is that with time and attention a person can improve anything they want to. The second is that aging and ability are largely controlled by what goes on in a person's head.

I thought of this as I considered stopping my workout early so that I would have a little more time at home before leaving this morning. I finished my workout....:banana:

[Weems]

Stretching. This is a big deal to me. In my line of work I spend time in Retirement and nursing homes and also facilities for people transitioning through the final stages of life.

I have often observed the elderly in a fitness class where they sit in a circle and engage in a variety of stretches. I've seen few who are capable of much range of motion. Sanjay suggests at the end of 4 that stretching should be half the workout. My first thought was that that is excessive but I can see the value. I've been stretching regularly and have learned to love it. I might have already written that I stretch in the sauna starting at my feet or fingers and work toward my core.

I believe stretching is a component that will help me age healthier.

The proposal that the bench press is an important excersize for health also got my attention....

[LizzyBennet]

The workout I do, I think, is pretty complete. The problem is finding the time to do it, and then doing the whole workout. Sometimes I just run, and sometimes I do stretching and weights. I would rather do it all every workout. My problem with running has always been "the wall." I start and stop alot because of it. I am envious of people who can run long distances without stopping. Sometimes I think it's mental and sometimes my lungs and legs are just screaming at me. I would like some advice on how to build endurance and stamina if anyone has any suggestions. Thanks!

[Weems]

A lot of the physical aspect of conditioning is mental. Coaches extract more from individuals than the individuals are capable of on their own in large part to the coach's ability to see more in a person than they see in themselves.

I've often pondered why, when I'm at the end of my physical endurance, I can't push myself further--coach myself, so to speak. When I test for physical fitness and run the two miles, I find myself struggling. But everytime, for the past 24 years, I tell myself that it will be over in 15 minutes. Push. Push. I tell myself that I control my body, not the other way around. Of course, this can get you in trouble as you age if you push too hard. Joints and ligaments can't handle what they could when I was 20. So I don't "Max" on weights anymore. 8-12 reps is a good goal to shoot for for most excersizes.

So, in many respects, I agree with you. It's a mental thing. But you must listen to your body too (but not to the point that it becomes a cop-out).

One technique you might try is to tell yourself that (as you reach the limit of your stamina) you will now push hard for another minute of running. The 60 seconds is a relatively short period of time and as you do this again and again your body and mind will become conditioned to that level of activity. I see this again and again. When I run a hill for the first time it seems huge. But as I do it again and again it seems shorter and more manageable.

I hope this is useful to you in your efforts to live to a healthy 120!!...

[LizzyBennet]

Thanks so much!!!!! I'll try it!

[Weems]

Chapter 8 is a perfect description of why I think it is so important to have a positive attitude. Lots of bad things happen in life to good people but "As we'll see, our mental life--how we perceive the world--can affect our body in significant and not always beneficial ways. A bleak outlook can have very real physical consequences." Read the first full paragraph on page 183 where it talks about a study of people who experienced trauma early in life, such as the loss of a parent [perhaps thru divorce]. THese people had a muted response to positive images and a heightened response to negative ones.

Otimism is not a sure-fire route to long life, but I beleive that just as a person programs themself to amplify the negative, so can they reprogram themself to amplify the positive and push the negative aside.

[Gracewings]

THese people had a muted response to positive images and a heightened response to negative ones.


This sounds very interesting! I'm curious to know if either of you have gotten to the point in the book where it deals with supplements, or more of the superfoods, such as the green tea mentioned. I haven't read Sanjay's book yet but having been reading alot of what Dr Perricone recommends pertaining aging.

[Weems]

Hello, Gracewings!

Regarding supplements, Sanjay recommends that supplements be used just for that. To supplement during times where you know you will be difficient.

My understanding hasn't "matured" yet to the point where I agree with him. He goes on in Chapter 9, I think, to talk of the future and writes of a scientist who has been doing a life experiment on himself over the past 15 to 17 years. Starting when he was 37 he began to believe that he could live to be a 1000 years old and takes approximately 250 supplements a day. He claims that he has biologically aged 2 years over these past 15 to 17 years (the book is upstairs and I don't want to be grossly wrong here, so I'm giving myself a range!)

I think supplementation is important and I follow the guidelines in the Metabolic Plan by Steven Cherniske. My work on this is not purely random or guesswork. Before I started any supplementation I had some bloodwork done to establish a baseline so that I could observe what my body is doing. That was Dec of 06. In April I had the bloodwork redone and charted the two differences. Then I added DHEA. Steven Cherniske stated that the DHEA levels in the body will naturally increase with the use of two supplements he recommended. B6 and Chromium. At the 2nd testing in April, my DHEA had gone from 195 to 221 (which is still deficient for me). In August or Sept I will retest. NOTE: Today is Nov 8, 2007. In April after my second test I began taking 25 mg of DHEA at night and 25mg of 7-keto DHEA in the morning. My test in Sept 07 put my DHEA level at 622. The range for a male in the prime peak of life (about 25 yrs of age) is 450-600 mcg/dL. So I've now cut my DHEA in half and will test again in April.

THe best place I've seen for understanding the qualities of green tea or any other tea is Teavana.com. They are a commercial site that sells tea but they explain the qualities of each of the different kinds of tea.

Regarding the superfoods, I don't know a lot about them yet. But this is what I THINK I know: They are made up of fruits and vegetables and give you a lot of servings and nutrients that most of us are difficient in. I will eventually learn more about this but since I'm not fanatical (just urgent!) I take new knowlegde in a little at a time.

[LizzyBennet]

I also take alot of supplements, regardless of what Dr. Gupta says. I would rather be safe, than sorry there. However, it's good to know the max levels of some supplements so you are not taking too much. There are some good websites at the back of the book that can give you more information.

I drink at least one cup of green tea a day. As far as Perricone, I use some of the face products, but not the supplements.

What I need to work on is my ATTITUDE!! It helps to surround yourself with people who naturally lift you up and stay away from the downers!

[Weems]

I have been experiencing joint pain over the last year or so and it kinda moves around from shoulders to wrists to elbows to knees. Gluc & Chondroitin hasn't helped but I've recently heard of Hyaluronic Acid which is on my next supplement order. What has HA done for you?

[LizzyBennet]

I have never tried Gluc and Chond without HA, but since I have started using it, I have no pain in my right knee anymore. Coincidence? I think not!

I just read about a new Guiness record holder, a man who is 111. Incidentally, the oldest woman is 114. Both are Japanese. The article said in the last 10 years, the number of Japanese reaching and living beyond 100 has quadrupled to 28,000. They attribute it to diets rich in vegetables and fish! I'm going to eat more veggies and fish!!

[Weems]

I've never HAD G&C with HA. I'm going to be taking it as a separate supplement and will post a reply here as to how I think it worked. Regarding the age record, Sanjay speaks of a woman who lived to 122. Did you read about that? He also spoke of Okinawans who have the most Centurians. He attributes that to diet and lifestyle and how they do not have a word for retirement in their language. They continue to work well thru what we consider retirement age.

He also predicted that the number of Centurians per 100,000 in Okinawa will drop bc of the influence of the military there and the introduction of fast food. He said that Okinawans who move to Western cultures do not enjoy the longevity because they adopt our lifestyle.

[Weems]

One of the things mentioned in the Metabolic Plan is that they typical American only gets 11 different kinds of foods. From a grain standpoint he states that most of us only get wheat, in all it's various forms.

Most mornings I prepare a fruit smoothie that I affectionately refer to a "barf beverage" bc when I started this 2+ years ago my nutritionist put me on an elimination diet that included a medical food that I mixed with some fruit. I learned how to make it taste ok and now I use a 100% juice base, usually cranberry blend bc it has a bite to it, whey protein, aloe vera gel, flax seed oil, blueberries and some other fruit, and either rolled oats or whole wheat flour. So my grains consisted of just those two.

So in a quest to add different grains to my diet I got 5 different ones I am trying out. Barley Flour was first then Dark Rye. Soy FLour so far tastes the best of the three. Tomorrow is Amaranth Flour and Friday is Brown Rice Flour. Each taste better than whole wheat which I will leave in the rotation along with Oats. So I feel pretty good about adding the 5 grains for a greater variety....

[Mortis Anarchy]

One of the things mentioned in the Metabolic Plan is that they typical American only gets 11 different kinds of foods. From a grain standpoint he states that most of us only get wheat, in all it's various forms.

Most mornings I prepare a fruit smoothie that I affectionately refer to a "barf beverage" bc when I started this 2+ years ago my nutritionist put me on an elimination diet that included a medical food that I mixed with some fruit. I learned how to make it taste ok and now I use a 100% juice base, usually cranberry blend bc it has a bite to it, whey protein, aloe vera gel, flax seed oil, blueberries and some other fruit, and either rolled oats or whole wheat flour. So my grains consisted of just those two.

So in a quest to add different grains to my diet I got 5 different ones I am trying out. Barley Flour was first then Dark Rye. Soy FLour so far tastes the best of the three. Tomorrow is Amaranth Flour and Friday is Brown Rice Flour. Each taste better than whole wheat which I will leave in the rotation along with Oats. So I feel pretty good about adding the 5 grains for a greater variety....

Do you use wheat germ? I do the same thing...sort of...I make a smoothie for myself in the mornings and use a lot of the stuff you use...I've never used aloe vera gel...what exactly does it do?? does it affect the taste?

[Weems]

Stephan Cherniske writes about the healing and health benefits of Aloe Gel in his book "The Metabolic Plan". I have noticed no difference in flavor by adding it. I also take Aloe capsules.

I don't use wheat germ. The reason is that from a grains standpoint most all grains I get are some form of wheat. I had been adding either oats or whole wheat flour, but now I have 5 additional grains in flour form that I add to help me get a better variety.

[LizzyBennet]

Can you tell me what the benefits are of the grains? For fiber? And why does it matter what type of grain it is? Besides taste. Also, I am skeptical about the Aloe. I know it has benefits for external use, but not sure about internally. Thanks!

[Weems]

From The Metabolic Plan by Stephen Cherniske, M.S.

Thanks for your question about the benefits of aloe. "...current research shows that drinking aloe can produce anabolic and anticatabolic benefits throughout the body by supporting: Immunity, Healthy cell proliferation, collagen production, Detoxification, Antioxident activity and Intestinal health." Pg 87.

"...as we age, fibroblasts start producing a lot more collagenase than collagen, thus contributing to the breakdown of the vital elastic material that keeps skin soft and flexible. Just another piece of the catabolic puzzle. You already know...that aloe vera (topical or injested) has the remarkable ability to stimulate fibroblast collagen production and so does DHEA." Pg 123

"...protecting collagen becomes a top antiaging priority." pg 86

I hope this helps!!...

[Thatch]

I'd like to quote Dr. Emanuel Lasker from his book Lasker's Manual of Chess:


His thought became at once fertile when he insisted on knowing wherein an advantage could consist, and hazarded that the answer was not only in a single important advantage but also in a multitude of insignificant advantages. For instance, if my Bishop has four squares to move to, the hostile Bishop only three squares, I hold, ceteris paribus, an advantage, which, it is true, is minute, but by accumulation of such minute advantages at last a big plus is collected.

Directly this can be applied to life and to overall health. Not simply grain or aloe, but by the "multitude of insignificant advantages" you gain a well balanced body. Here is another piece to the puzzle that I find interesting: Biological Adaptations (http://www.iol.ie/~creature/BiologicalAdaptations.htm)
Cheers...

[Weems]

Thanks for your input! I think I'm with everyone else who studies nutrition, health and longevity when I agree with you that it's not simply grains and aloe. Thanks for pointing that out.

I started the article you recommended and printed it out. Looking forward to reading the rest of it!

[LizzyBennet]

I have only skimmed the article, and am looking forward to a more thorough read. It is obviously pro-vegetarian, but I will keep an open mind.

[Thatch]

It is obviously pro-vegetarian, but I will keep an open mind.
And as you read, you will notice they don't advocate a vegetarian diet, but rather a diet rich in fruits, as our stomachs are designed for.


Or are we frugivores who can thrive on a diet of raw fresh bananas, grapes, apples, oranges, or melons meal after meal?

The biological equipment of humans is such that the body is most capable of obtaining complete and optimal nutrition from plant foods. Actually however, we are NOT true vegetarians either.
I find it all rather interesting.

[Weems]

I've added a green supplement to my nutrition plan. I'm getting my fruits but I don't feel I'm getting my vegi's. Here is my start point: I ordered Miracle Greens from nutritionexpress.com . It claims that it surpasses the raw food nutrition of 5 servings of fruits and vegi's. I tried it in OJ last night after my BJJ class and it turned it green but was not at all repulsive in flavor. If my eyes were closed I would have enjoyed it more.

I will add it to my barf beverage in the mornings and consume it thruout the day. A 90 day supply was $70. It's a powder and the serving size is one tablespoon.

What I will do is research how it is processed. Steven Cherniski in TMP sates that if it is processed at low temps (like 80 deg) it won't lose nutritional value like green foods do that are processed at hight temps....

[Weems]

"Osteoporosis is fundamentally a metabolic disease". The Metabolic Plan p238.

"..there's only one way that nature could maintain an extraordinary, living, and dynamic structure like your skeleton over a lifetime. After all, bone gets old and has to be replaced just like every other part of your body. So you have cells known as osteoclasts, which excavate old bone (catabolic), and osteoblasts, which fill in new bone (anabolic). This works extremely well until the anabolic signal generated by DHEA, testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, and growth hormone weakens, resulting in excessive osteoclast breakdown and insufficient osteoblast repair. Thus, osteoporosis is fundamentally a metabolic disease.

"Oh, I know, you thought it was a calcium deficiency."

Read on on p238 about the calcium connection. It's just a couple of pages that may help a person understand bone loss and bone density issues later in life....

[LizzyBennet]

Fosamax is a med that not only prevents further excessive breakdown of bone, but also reverses the process and stimulates new bone production.

It seems to be reversing the course I was on towards osteoporosis. I get a bone scan yearly to monitor it.

[Weems]

Can you elaborate on the course you were on? You seemed to indicate that you know you were headed toward osteoporosis. Do you have numbers to track your bone density? Are you asking yourself "What is normal for someone my age?" If you are, you might consider asking this question: "What is normal for a healthy 20-30 year old?" Then your efforts should be focussed on meeting that standard.

Try looking at this site for more info on bones! http://www.betterbones.com/bbbb_charts/caffeine.htm

One of the nutrients listed is copper. I had a copper bracelet, but it broke. I feel kinda naked without it and I miss wearing it. Plus, chicks dig it (or so I'm told!). I'll get a new one, but it seems like I should be replacing it about every year....

[LizzyBennet]

Yes, I've had 2 bone scans. The first showed osteopenia in all the sites that were measured (spine, hip, etc). The sequence is Normal bone density-> Osteopenia-> Osteoporosis. So, I started the Fosamax for 1 year, stopped for one year, and then had a new scan. All sites except one had returned to normal. The one low site (don't remember where) was improved, but still in the osteopenia range. My doctor advised me to resume taking Fosamax. I've been back on it for one year, and will be getting a new scan in the next month or so. It should be interesting to see the changes.

[LizzyBennet]

Also, I don't drink any coffee or soft drinks, but I do drink green tea and one iced tea per day. I take tons of calcium supplements!

[Weems]

I am a believer in base line testing for my body. When people don't take tests then it's impossible to know what is going on. I applaud your efforts to follow the changes in your body. I guess the next question is were the results normal for someone your age or were they normal for a person in their prime peak of life? Normal for your age means that you are right on schedule for dying at the average age of 76 or so.

[Midas]

To me, this demonstrates a couple of things. First is that with time and attention a person can improve anything they want to. The second is that aging and ability are largely controlled by what goes on in a person's

All I can add to that is the stress on certain words. First 'want' - here it has to equate with burning desire No ifs or buts but sheer determination until you don't have to think about it.

Second The mind. It has to be properly focused. Hold a magnifying glass between the sun and say a sheet of paper. Move the glass magnifier until the spot from the sun is a pin point (fully focused) and the paper will burn, Move it away - first it will take longer, then eventually as you make it less focused it won't burn, or you would get too tired of waiting.

Nothing has changed - only the intensity brought by the focus.

It seems simple, and it is in theory. It is just that people forget, or think it is not all that important. It is the key.

This is where it starts and ends.

The in-between part is eating less. Most of us eat far too much, it overworks the system. Obviously this is balanced by work we do and how we burn up the fuel (food). But this is common sense - or should be. We should not need a book to tell us.

Certain foods like fruit, or juices, and cereals help to keep the bowels open and free to expel waste. But that also is common sense. Try blocking the exhaust on your car - stick a potato in the end and see how it runs (or fails to)

Youth looks forward, Age looks backward. As we get older we become (if we are not careful) disgruntled and we complain easily. Why? Mainly because we are taking too much for gtanted. We have lost the excitement of life, we have lost hope.

Boredom, also is a killer, as is stress. It burns the life out of your battery.
all the negative act and react upon each other and can bring on depression.

Give it a good recharge. Wake up in the morning, go to the window and shout 'Good Morning World'. Find something, ANYTHING, that makes your life worth living. This can be 'different strokes for different folks'.

Stop listening to that dreadful news that pours all that is negative into that wonderful mind of yours. I keep a number of DVD's of those situation comedies that are pure fun. I have a good DVD library of comedy discs. Sometimes I just play part of them before I fall asleep but they make me feel life is fun and worth living. For you Americans here (I'm a Brit) I love those old 'Honeymooners' with Jackie Gleeson. Always pure clean fun.

As that other poster said whose quote is above - IT IS ALL IN THE MIND.

I will close this by relating something which intrigued me some years ago.

I was at my wife's parents. They had a small terrier dog and it was very old. I guess, in our terms about 80ish (is that really old today?) Anyway, it would waddle slowly around the room as though it was on its last legs.

If you tapped the sofa seat and encourage it to jump up and sit beside you like it would when younger, it would try. It would try to get into its spring position and make effort but it was just too much.

However, when my wife's mother to whom it was very attached would go out
it would get restless but still moving slowly until it detected she was on her way back (that's another thing, it knew long before anyone else).

It would then come alive. It's gate was quicker as it kept going to the door, or window. Then, and here is where the miracle happened. As she approached the door, the dog - yes, this old 'on its last legs' little mutt, would run round the room jumping on and off the chairs and sofa like a two year old.

Same dog. What had changed? No pep pills or vitamins. No drugs. Just sheer happiness. So happy, it forgot to tell itself it was too old.

Be happy, and good wishes to all. there is no other era of history I would swap for today. And, I look to tomorrow to see what more excitement it will bring.

As the Talmud says - 'the sun will go down without our assistance' So let us enjoy this wonderful opportunity of life.

[Weems]

Midas! I loved your comments! They had me leaning forward in my chair! Thanks for quoting me on the time and attention and the effects the mind has on the body!

[Weems]

I think supplementation is important and I follow the guidelines in the Metabolic Plan by Steven Cherniske. My work on this is not purely random or guesswork. Before I started any supplementation I had some bloodwork done to establish a baseline so that I could observe what my body is doing. That was Dec of 06. In April I had the bloodwork redone and charted the two differences. Then I added DHEA. Steven Cherniske stated that the DHEA levels in the body will naturally increase with the use of two supplements he recommended. B6 and Chromium. At the 2nd testing in April, my DHEA had gone from 195 to 221 (which is still deficient for me). In August or Sept I will retest.

Today is Nov 8, 2007. In April after my second test I began taking 25 mg of DHEA at night and 25mg of 7-keto DHEA in the morning. My test in Sept 07 put my DHEA level at 622. The range for a male in the prime peak of life (about 25 yrs of age) is 450-600 mcg/dL. So I've now cut my DHEA in half and will test again in April.

[Weems]

Yes, I've had 2 bone scans. The first showed osteopenia in all the sites that were measured (spine, hip, etc). The sequence is Normal bone density-> Osteopenia-> Osteoporosis. So, I started the Fosamax for 1 year, stopped for one year, and then had a new scan. All sites except one had returned to normal. The one low site (don't remember where) was improved, but still in the osteopenia range. My doctor advised me to resume taking Fosamax. I've been back on it for one year, and will be getting a new scan in the next month or so. It should be interesting to see the changes.

Did you ever get your bone scan in December? If yes, what were the results?

[LizzyBennet]

Coincidentally, my bone scan is scheduled for this Friday the 15th!! Thanks for your concern!

You guys have me re-focussed. I think for the past 3 months, I have strayed from my regimen. It IS easy to do when other things in your life take center-stage. Thanks for all the inspiration!

[Weems]

I think supplementation is important and I follow the guidelines in the Metabolic Plan by Steven Cherniske. My work on this is not purely random or guesswork. Before I started any supplementation I had some bloodwork done to establish a baseline so that I could observe what my body is doing. That was Dec of 06. In April I had the bloodwork redone and charted the two differences. Then I added DHEA. Steven Cherniske stated that the DHEA levels in the body will naturally increase with the use of two supplements he recommended. B6 and Chromium. At the 2nd testing in April, my DHEA had gone from 195 to 221 (which is still deficient for me). In August or Sept I will retest.

Today is Nov 8, 2007. In April after my second test I began taking 25 mg of DHEA at night and 25mg of 7-keto DHEA in the morning. My test in Sept 07 put my DHEA level at 622. The range for a male in the prime peak of life (about 25 yrs of age) is 450-600 mcg/dL. So I've now cut my DHEA in half and will test again in April.

March 25th, 2008. My DHEA tested at 349. Almost half of the results from the last test in Novemeber. I have felt it. I've been frequently tired and I do not feel as good. I will increase it to 83% of the dose I was taking before the November test. So where I was taking it 1 out of every 2 days, I will be taking it 5 out of every 6 days. And then I'll post the results here in the Fall.

[Weems]

March 25th, 2008. My DHEA tested at 349. Almost half of the results from the last test in Novemeber. I have felt it. I've been frequently tired and I do not feel as good. I will increase it to 83% of the dose I was taking before the November test. So where I was taking it 1 out of every 2 days, I will be taking it 5 out of every 6 days. And then I'll post the results here in the Fall.

October 14th, 2008 DHEA tested at 523. Up as I suspected, but I still feel tired. I noticed that while the normal range for my iron is 10-300 ng/mL, mine has come in in three tests between 60.7 and 81.6. The latter on the 14th. I will take an iron supplement and see if it makes a difference.