Page 60 - CAO 25th Ann Coffee Table Book

MICHAEL MOL
MEDICAL DOCTOR AND EXECUTIVE TELEVISION PRODUCER
28 August 2019
Keynote address delivered at the 2018/2019 Annual General Meeting.
Let us test the CEO’s premise that today’s fast changing world requires us to learn, unlearn and relearn. Let’s start with some unlearning. How many of you can honestly say that you floss your teeth regularly?
The next question is: Why do you floss your teeth? I’m sure your dentist told you to only floss the teeth you’d like to keep. Well, let me tell you that science, not opinion, says that flossing has zero impact in preventing gum disease or cavities.
So, you’ve been flossing all your life because your mother and your dentist told you to floss your teeth. Now I realise I don’t have to floss because
it has no benefit. A food trap is maybe a different story. The point is, you don’t have to floss your teeth every single day.
In fact, if you have been doing it for the last 60-70 years, you would have wasted 45 days flossing, that is, you’ve been doing something you don’t need to do. So, the next time your dentist asks you if you are flossing, say ‘Are you reading your science, Doc, because flossing is pointless’.
Right, now you know. How cool is that?
What about eggs?
Are we eating eggs or not eating eggs? Are eggs good
or bad for you? What about cholesterol? Did you know that, in 2016, after 40 years of advising us to limit our egg
intake to avoid raising our cholesterol levels, the American Heart Association changed its mind? After 40 years of teaching one thing, they suddenly say, ‘sorry people, we’ve realised that the number of eggs you eat has nothing to do with your cholesterol level, so you can have as many as you like. So, stack up on the eggs including the yolk because it is so good for you’.
What about coffee, is it good for you or not? You’re right, coffee is good for you. An extensive study showed that coffee has a strong correlation with longevity. It protects us against diabetes, Alzheimer’s, cancer, etc. OK, if it’s so good for you, how much should you drink? Science says six cups a day BUT no milk and NO sugar. Isn’t it cool? So many of us want to live long but we forget how to live well and that’s key. Do you know what life expectancy is in SA? Global life expectancy is 72-73. In South Africa, depending what you eat it’s 57-58, way
off the mark. We have some work to do to push up our average life expectancy.
Another study shows that longevity is 20% genetic and 80% your lifestyle. Just the other day a well-known young man died at the age of 23 of an aneurysm. He was healthy, fit and happy. But, just because you’re not sick, doesn’t mean you are healthy. So, how do you proactively pursue good health? The basis of being healthy is eat, sleep and move.
When it comes to eating, people are confused. Yet, there are some basics that have never changed and the most important thing is simply, EAT MORE HEALTHY FOOD AND LESS JUNK FOOD.
What about sleep? As adults you need at least seven hours sleep every 24 hours; anything less damages your body.
Then finally move - exercise. Of the three, this is the
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