Longevity – Do You Have What it Takes?

Greetings!

Longevity – Do You Have What it Takes? As I work with my clients who are over 60, I’ve learned one thing – getting older is not for wimps! Longevity, living a long life in good health, requires commitment and dedication. I have good news and bad news. The good news is that we can extend our life AND maintain our health so we can enjoy it. The formula isn’t hard. In fact it’s surprisingly simple. The bad news, it requires work. If you are willing to put in the work, then as our friend Spock says, Live long and prosper! The question is – are you willing to do it!

So, how hard is it? Really? What does it take to live a longer healthier life? Life is afterall a crapshoot… right? Life is going to happen to you, no matter what you do. As the saying goes, Sh*# Happens. Well – that is true. Things like cancer or some other disease may overtake you at some point in your life. BUT – when you look at the leading causes of death there are a few leading candidates that put you more at risk for dying early or having poor health starting as early as 40! You know what these factors are. I know you do. Peter Atilla, a Stanford/Johns Hopkins/NIH-trained physician focusing on the applied science of longevity, has an interesting post here on Longevity.

The Enemies of Longevity

  • Obesity
  • Diabetes
  • Cardiovascular Disease
  • Poor Nutrition
  • Sedentary Lifestyle
  • Lack of Sleep
  • No Plan!

Now that you know the enemy – will you do what it takes to beat them?

Longevity at the highest level, is not complicated.

  1. Develop a Plan – AND – stick to it. This plan could span 40 years!!
  2. Lose weight if you are overweight or obese (80% of Americans are!)
  3. Control how much you eat, what you eat and when you eat
  4. Get enough sleep
  5. Exercise 3-5 times a week for 30 minutes

Note: High Blood Pressure, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disease and Alzheimer’s can all be made worse if you don’t do the above. Yes, sometimes you can just get these due to genetics but these are more likely a result of not taking care of your body.

These five steps are not hard, but our culture of abundance and gluttony doesn’t support this simple formula. Many people want to lose weight, but just don’t have the heart. They don’t want to count calories. They try things like Intermittent Fasting for a few months and then give up. They don’t want to exercise. They don’t want to limit their deserts, BBQ or wine (you only live once!). I went out to Baskin and Robins the other day with my grandkids and had a kidde scoop. I looked up and saw several people with obesity eating two GIANT scoops of ice cream in a LARGE cone.

So here’s the question – Do you REALLY want to live longer and healthier? Are you willing to do what it takes? If the answer is yes, than you are on your way to a healthier you. If the answer is no, I can just about write your obituary, and it’s not a pretty sight.

Today we lost a friend. She loved life to the fullest and everyone enjoyed her company and bright spirit. When she was forty she was diagnosed with High Blood Pressure and was advised by her doctor to watch her weight. She controlled her High Blood Pressure with medication and went on diets every other 6 months but was never successful. During her 50s, she was diagnosed as Pre-diabetic and her doctor prescribed exercise in an effort to control her weight and her High Blood Pressure. In the middle of her career, she could never find time to go to the gym and she hated exercise anyway. She was overweight and too embarrassed to go to the gym. Her weight began to increase which caused her back and hip pain. The doctor referred her to a Physical Therapist, but she never did the exercises. As she entered her 60s she now was diabetic, had High Blood Pressure and also mobility issues caused by her hip and knees due to inflammation. She just had and EKG done because she was often short of breath and was diagnosed with arteriosclerosis. Sadly, things just got worse as she moved into her 70s and she needed knee surgery and a hip replacement. While she lived to 85, the last 15 years of her life were not enjoyable due to all her health conditions and the limitations it gave her.

As Morpheus once said… Choose Wisely.

Remember – you are Built For More!

JT

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