This month marks my third annual boost for the Men’s  MOVEMBER cause.

Oh, how I wish that all gents have smiley faces like this moustachio’ed icon.

Sadly, that wish is far, far from the truth.

“A reduction in the quality of social connections can significantly impact on the health of men, leading to social isolation and loneliness, which have been identified as risk factors for suicide, depression, and anxiety”. 

It is NO joke that one man commits suicide each minute.  Yup – 60 men check out every hour of every day. This is more than 500,000 (global) suicides in a year.

Two of every three suicides are men’s suicides.  As you might expect, the tragic suicide rate is not uniform by country, state, zip code or ethnic background.

As a public service pile-on, please consider a charitable contribution to this very worthy cause.

Ride Captain, Ride

As documented in my weblogs and IG posts, I was honored to raise money for charity in part of October’s 1200-mile GulftoGoat ride by a group of USNA septuagenarians.

70 years of age, ~70 miles ridden per day…

My many lessons learned on an inaugural multi-day hajj will be shared in posts @strongtosave.blog.

(L to R) Kelly, Butch, your scribe, and Chuck as we entered the Peach State. 

Nine other riders enjoyed an epic ride from Apalachicola, FL., to Savannah, GA.

• 11 Riders completed the entire 1200-mile ride in 20 days!

Your scribe is shown riding a rented bicycle named “Wally”. 

I picked up the nicknames “Lost Boy” and “Long Cut” for my creative, miles-added itinerary.

Shifting from Road to Rowed, I was again honored to fill a seat with the North Dakota Indoor (:)) Rowing Team for the 60th Head of the Charles Regatta last month. This was a year for rowing on the port side (I am the oldest guy, sitting fourth from the top of the image).

From Top to Bottom: Steve, David, Ned, Your Scribe, Tim, Conlin, Andrew, and Michael.  Brad, our coxswain isn’t shown.

• Many thanks to my crewmates for an excellent 3-mile “Head” Race.  Yes, we re-qualified for the 2026 event…

Then, my frenetic month of October shifted to the US Naval Academy.  I felt that it was appropriate to apply CHAMOIS Butter to the Naval Academy’s GOAT mascot statue to commemorate the finish of the GulftoGoat journey 🙂

As shown here, a healthy number of crewmates from the wayback competitive season of 1972 rallied as a 50th Reunion highlight.

Beaver Moon – it’s a Supermoon this month

You may now, if you are a regular member of our big KAHUNA movement, know that I pay homage to things larger than ourselves.  This month on Wednesday, November 5th, Earth’s moon will loom as the “biggest” and brightest Supermoon of 2025. Just how heavenly objects in and beyond our solar system impact our lives is something of a mystical topic. Yet I do believe that our moon has a circalunar effect on organisms, 

Citation: Google Gemini

And, circadian rhythms triggered by our sun definitely affect our daily lives, longevity and healthspan too. 

“Disruption Accelerates Aging and Disease

You can trust these expert findings!

“A loss of a strong, synchronized daily rhythm—often seen with aging, shift work, or chronic disease—is associated with an increased risk of age-related decline and illness.

• Metabolic Dysfunction: Circadian rhythms tightly regulate metabolism, including glucose and lipid processing. Disruption can lead to metabolic syndrome, obesity, and an increased risk of Type 2 diabetes.
• Impaired Immunity and (increased) Inflammation: The clock controls the rhythmic activity of immune cells. Disrupted rhythms can impair the immune response and promote chronic inflammation, a key driver of aging and many chronic diseases (e.g., cardiovascular disease, neurodegeneration)”.

Self Scans and Wellness Checks (part 1)

I cannot overemphasize how vital it is for us to “sense and respond” to physical findings for our bodies and minds.  Sure, this section is a wellness-focused piece, rather than fitness-targeted.  Yet your and my endgames have superior results when clear and present conditions are noted and checked. I sincerely mean this: know your body and be attuned to its changes that seem unusual or are beyond “normal” aging shifts.

I begin to highlight observations from my 73rd lap around the sun (in calendar years – that is).  Let’s approach symptoms for a body region in a bottom-up fashion over the next few Monthly Newsletters:

1. Feet
   1. Heels

Are your heels cracked and resembling “alligator” rough skin?  Dry, callused conditions can lead to cracks. You can significantly improve your heel(s) smoothness and avoid deep fissures by softening and moisturizing the regions with gentle abrasion.

1. It may be just a case of dryness or abrasion.
2. Or, those cracked heels may be symptoms of something worse… “f your cracks are deep, bleeding, painful, swollen, or show signs of infection (redness, warmth, pus), you should consult a doctor, dermatologist, or podiatrist. This is especially important if you have diabetes or any other condition that affects circulation or sensation in your feet, as even minor cracks can lead to serious infections.”
3. Toenails and Toes
   1. The prevalent problem with our toes is fungal infection. 

  Credit: Mayo Clinic Guide to Self-Care

It is my experience with aging and these fungal infections that topical fungicides are inadequate to banish my thickened, you-gu-ly toenails. 

Can a homeopathic regimen of Sulfur help with ugly toenail conditions? Well, in my case, I assert that Sulfur did work better over time than a prescribed Ketoconzanole topical ointment. 

• I shied away from pill-taking as an anti-fungal treatment, as side effects can be notable.

Supplemental?

Sure, I am on the bandwagon of maximizing micronutrients from our prudent, anti-inflammatory and non-processed lifestyle diets.  Yet, my bandwagon allows me to “play” or experiment with natural micro-supplements that just might help me. Some are time-honored,  having been consumed by millions of folks before modern medicine and Madison Avenue subsumed us…

If our diets were sufficient in America, I ask why a majority of us Americans are deficient in key micronutrients like Magnesium, and Vitamin D(3). 

Although these credible summary data are from decade-old information, I suspect that the histograms of this decade paint a similarly sad story for immunity-building “micros”- – – 

Table 1. Nutritional Inadequacies of Key Immunity Micronutrients from Food and Supplements

                               inadequacy 

Micronutrient  Percentage of Adult Population

Vitamin C 33% 

Vitamin D 65% 

Vitamin A                          35%

Vitamin E                          60%

Zinc 11%

Conversely, more than 90% of Americans consume excess sodium daily.  This is not good at all!

You probably realize what contributors has painted us into this unhealthy and preventable corner for killing ourselves softly – – – 

1. Processed and ultra-processed foods (definitely not whole or healthy foods)
2. Lifestyle (we don’t often cook in iron cookware – do we? Excessive alcohol, caffeine).
3. Soil Depletion 
4. Medications and/or health conditions.

In this Football season and in all seasons, I ask you to enforce Prevent Defenses for these four faulty factors!

Although our Food and Drug Administration does not regulate standards for supplements, I argue that many of us who lead vigorous active lifestyles can indeed benefit from prudent dosages of micronutrients.  By prudent, I mean third-party-tested products sold in reputable “natural stores”.

And no, I am not a fan of “multi-vitamin” dosages to fix these individual inadequacies.

For both men and women, I highlight Calcium (CA) for your consideration.  Credible research studies stress that forty-four (44!) percent of Americans do not absorb the recommended 1 gram of Calcium per day.

“Dietary surveys show that many Americans are not meeting the dietary requirements for calcium, especially older children, adolescents, and women (including pregnant women), and some older adults. “

Dairy products are a good source of food-based Calcium absorption. What was the CA reading in your last laboratory blood draw?  Bone health and addressing osteoporosis/osteopenia are key reasons for absorbing a regular diet and supplemental sources of this vital mineral. 

A Gentleman’s Wager

Since my calendar age 71 (mid-2024), and after finding Lipoprotein(a) as my kryptonite for coronary artery disease, I just made a gentleman’s agreement with my Cardiologist.

The good Doctor deferred my detailed metabolic and lipid blood draws until January 2026…

Why?  

The six-week Holiday periods for Americans are generally unhealthy and fatty.  As in unhealthy gains of 2-5 pounds of white fat that rarely gets shed when the revelry is over. We can and will chinwag about abandoned New Years resolutions later...

You know the factors, don’t you? Less exercise, more partying and snacks, plus possibly more adult beverages coupled with less sleep in Bowl and football playoff season…

If ever there was a timeframe to check one’s lifestyle measures – it is early in our new calendar year.

I committed to my same or lesser body weight and similar lean mass when those future lab draws are analyzed in ~19 weeks. What am I doing to chase a “win” for this wager with my MD?

1. I am cracking down on social drinking
2. I am trying 24-hour “fasts” or time-restricted / caloric-reduction periods 2 days a week.
3. I commit to consuming less processed foods when I break my fasts and TRE period (I am increasing my 18-hour TRE days each week..
4. I am trying to grab more quality sleep
5. I intend to increase the volume of my aerobic training, with added higher-intensity interval work twice each week.

You are hereby appointed as my “tough love” guides in this healthy pursuit.

(As with almost every lifestyle intervention, fasting can lead to manageable side effects like constipation).  More late in my strongtosave.blog posts.

For now, please support MOVEMBER fundraising and perhaps join me in daily PLANKSGIVING regimens.  Prepare for healthy Holidays, too!

Stay well past forty,

Dave F.

Your Healthitude Guide

ps – Have your joined our movement to Keep America’s Healthspan UNAbated?