Stay Younger Longer

By now you may have given up on finding the fountain of youth. You may have even resigned yourself to the idea that each year you should look and feel and act a year older. Well, a lot of us aren't buying that one. Just look around you. So long as we continue to inhabit these imperfect bodies in this corrupt old world we will continue to age. But WELLNESS AFTER 50 is one place that you won't find such complacent people, just sitting around listening to their own exhalations while waiting for the other shoe to drop. Much research as well as anecdotal evidence indicates that we can be a lot happier with our lives if we remain "engaged", and take steps to keep ourselves healthier and more fit, both mentally and physically, and even emotionally. So here are just a few more things you might want to consider. For most of them you don't even have to talk to your doctor.

1. Eat a small handful of nuts every day. If you have allergy issues, of course DON"t do this. Otherwise, keep it to a small handful, about the size of your palm, and be sure to have a variety including hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds, etc. In fact, you can go look up my article about nuts in the "other" blog, thenew50@blogspot.com

2. Tell them to cut it out. If you live in the same house with a smoker, their habit is carving years from your life expectancy. Smoking is such a foolish way to die. It's not just their habit, it's your life.

3. Get off the couch. Couch potatoes eventually all tend to look like their namesakes, potatoes! You may have also noticed that potatoes, while not terribly fragile, do have a limited shelf life, and often you don't know they've gone bad until they really begin to stink. Get up and go do something...anything!

4. Just write it down. Seems that we adults tend to lose our ability to remember things in the short term long before we forget how to read. Simple? Just write it down. If you are going to the store to pick up a few things for the wife, don't be too proud to make a list. That way you won't have to be embarrassed when you come home without the main thing she sent you out for in the first place. Doing this will help keep you calm while still sailing smoothly.

5. Keep track of who you are, what day it is, where you are, and once in awhile, even give a thought to WHY you are where you are. Couch potatoes, on the other hand, don't have a clue about any of this. Some folks seem to think acting all befuddled is somehow cute as they get older. It isn't. Trust me. Some think it is their right to be helpless and confused. NOPE. So long as you have the ability to be aware and engaged, make the effort. People will actually want to spend some time with you, talking with you, being with you, instead of working around you and pretending you aren't there at all.

6. Speak up! By this I mean don't sit there in pain and fear if something isn't working quite the way it usually does. It might be important! An amazing percentage of the time it is something that can be coaxed back into normal operation, or patched up well enough to be mostly good enough to suffice. The point is, in this life pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional. If you can't take yourself to get some medical attention, speak up to someone who can, and should, and probably will. In fact, they are more likely to get a bit peeved if you DON'T speak up. No matter how much we might WISH for someone to read our minds, it just isn't going to happen.

7. Drink up!!! Drink a lot, and drink pretty often. Now I'm talking about water and tea mostly, but slip in a nice glass of some red wine once in awhile as well. If you don't drink now, don't start. But if you do have a drink once in awhile, then a single daily glass of the red stuff can probably do you a lot more good than harm. If you have some condition that rules that out, then don't drink and know that you have my deepest sympathies. Otherwise, start your morning with a glass of water. Have a cup of coffee later or maybe a cup of tea. Any kind will do, but green tea is a winner. Then have another glass of water. Just dont drink anything, especially cold things just before, with, or right after a meal. Want to clog up all your pipes? Pour grease in your drain then run some cold water. Same thing with your body. When you are eating, don't drink. When you are drinking, don't eat. Simple.

8. Well, maybe that's enough to think about for now. If you just do these things every day until you don't even have to think about it, then you might be ready to add a few more. By then you might also see that it is making a difference in the way you feel, and the way you sleep. And maybe a few other things as well. I hope you'll find your way back here to tell us about it. Let's make that number 8. Share an encouraging word or experience. Lots better than whining and complaining.