This infographic, especially for us baby-boomers, is a great overview on what one can (or cannot) do as he or she ages. It also provides some great tips for staying healthy as we do age. [Read more…]
You Cannot be Happy Until You Let Go
The person in the mirror is not getting any younger.
We see our bodies change and hear ever louder the ticking of the clock.
It can be frightening.
Yet, part of what amplifies the fear and holds us back is attempting to hold on to that which is no longer there.
As another year fades into history, bid farewell to what has passed. Feel the loss if necessary, but say goodbye with dignity and grace. Remember fondly the better memories. Realize all you have done and all you have been through have given you tools you did not have.
Take a deep breath. Smile.
Then, turn and face forward.
Let a new year bring you boldly into your future.
Eat less; Extend Your Life
There is no more sought-after dream than that of eternal life.
Since Ponce de Leon set foot in the new world — and well before that — we have been seeking the fountain of youth, the ability to live longer in good health. “We’re so close to adding another 20 to 50 years to the human lifespan, that not only are we in the neighborhood, we’re on the block; we’re just looking for the right door,” I was recently informed. The key to the house remains hidden.
For yeast, flies, and rodents however, it’s time to party! Scientists have long known that dramatically cutting calories extends their lives. (Who knew that yeast even ate?) Alas, since we do not cavort among baking additives, we have been left out of such advances. Yet, there is hope.
In a recent report, it was discovered that rhesus monkeys, arguably more our kin than yeast, that have been put on a low-calorie diet live longer and healthier lives. Researchers divided 38 monkeys into two groups. One group was put on a diet with 30 percent fewer calories than the other. After two decades, five of the monkeys on the restricted diet had died of normal age-related causes, compared with 14 monkeys on the normal diet. Beyond that, the monkeys on the restricted diet were healthier overall, with no diabetes, and fewer cases of cancer or cardiovascular disease.
“The monkeys on a normal diet also looked visibly older, their eyes more sunken in and their coats thinner and posture cramped when compared with their dieting counterparts,” according to Ricki J. Colman, lead author of the paper.
It is assumed that since monkeys and humans are genetic cousins, such diets might slow aging in people, too.
However, due to the long lifespan of people and the rigors of the diet, studies of calorie restriction in humans are ongoing and have yet to show that people live longer. Nonetheless, thousands of individuals now follow calorie restriction diets, hoping to discover what de Leon did not.
In the interest of understanding what life would be like on a calorie-restricted diet, I did some research and found a typical “day in the life.” Here, soup to nuts, is the purported menu required for a longer time on this planet. [Read more…]
One More Reason to Stay Healthy
We all want to be in good health.
Equally true is that we often put off what we need to do to achieve that objective, needing reminders of what really matters. Many times they are unpleasant. Some times, we’re just fortunate.
Ever since I was old enough to live on my own, my place of residence has always been at distance from the remainder of my family. I didn’t dislike them and we (mostly) got along well. It’s just that — I don’t know — I guess I’m the one from my clan who was most inclined to strike out for new horizons.
I’m actually not very adventurous. So it came as no small shock to my parents when, after graduating college, I threw what few possessions I could call my own into my 1973 Mazda RX2 and drove across the 115 degree Nevada desert — without air conditioning — to establish myself as the afternoon drive DJ for KEYY AM in Orem, Utah. I held no particular desire to live in the Beehive State; it just happened to be where I landed my first gig. Upon arrival, they immediately demoted me to the all-night slot and fired me six weeks later.
Welcome to radio.
After that, I “played the hits” and spun classic vinyl throughout the west, eventually lighting on the Northcoast of California 30 years ago. I guess that qualifies me as “a resident,” and short of our airport, I love almost everything about this area and call it “home.” My family however still resides elsewhere.
In the past, it was always me, who at the end of a too-short visit, hugged my mother farewell, loaded suitcases into the car, and resumed my far-flung life, never successfully suppressing the wetness in my eyes.
The baton passes.
Finding Competition Where None Exists
At what age do men stop with the “hyper macho” routine?
I mean, really; there comes a time when women are no longer impressed, other men don’t care, and the most plausible outcome is you’re going to hurt yourself doing something dumb.
Before you think I’m talking trash about someone else, I’ll come clean; the question is rhetoric; I’m referring to myself. What makes this mystery more opaque is I’m not even a “macho” kind of guy; I’m more the “sensitive, touch-feely” type. After all, I watch Glee, I own several pair of shoes, I accessorize, eat tofu, and, truth be known, I’ve been know to shed a tear or two during “chick flicks.” (But I’ll try and hide it.)
Recently, I joined a gym so I could take Zumba classes.
(By the nature of the fact that the driving force to enroll was to attend Zumba instead of weight lifting ought to tell you a little something about my “macho score” also.) While examining the schedule, I noticed a Yoga class that fits in my day. I’m feeling a bit soft around the middle and stiff along the edges so I consider attending. (Yoga? Yikes! Yet another telltale sign of non-machismo…)
Admittedly, I was a bit put off — and intrigued — by the title of the class: Yoga for Stiff People. I mean, from a marketing point of view, it’s perfect. It sets up an image and it tells you what to expect. However, from an I’m an-aging-guy-who-lives-in-denial-and-refuses-to-admit-that-I’m-getting-older perspective, I considered it too easygoing. After all, my veins are coursing with testosterone, you know? I need a “challenge.”