| IVL Products Health Watch - What Are The Secrets Of Aging Well? |
| The Official IVL Products Health Blog |
Dear Reader,
We
don’t quit laughing because we grow old; we grow old because we quit
laughing. That sage advice is gaining momentum as baby boomers climb
into their senior years. They are learning that a sense of humor,
common sense and a healthy lifestyle can go a long way toward
increasing their chances of longevity. The
record holder for human longevity is Jeanne Calment of France, who died
in 1997 at the age of 122 years. Though a life span that long is rare,
improvements in medicine, science and technology during the last
century have helped people live longer, healthier lives.
A
hundred years ago, only three million people in this country were over
the age of 65. Today, more than 36 million Americans are in this age
group and that number is expected to grow during the next 25 years to
70 million as baby boomers age. The older adults of the future will be
more racially and culturally diverse. And contrary to what some
believe, loneliness, depression, inactivity and chronic pain are not
inevitable consequences of aging.
Consider these facts:
In the hunter-gatherer culture of East African Hadza people, hardworking grandmothers in their 80s and 90s spend up to seven hours a day gathering food for their families.
We
lose muscle mass and gain fat as we age, but this trend is reversible
with exercise. Even a long inactive 90-year-old woman can build muscle
and gain strength with strength training, (But it is quicker and easier
to start sooner!)
Nerve cells in the human brain and muscle cells in the heart have the capacity to last more than 100 years.
When
not affected by disease, the heart of an older person pumps as
efficiently as that of a healthy young adult. Some individuals at 80
have the functioning heart of a 40 year old.
Humans
have three times more vocabulary at 45 than at age 20. The human brain
has four times the information at 60 as it has at age 20.
There
is a common assumption that, if you’re older, it’s too late to reverse
the damage brought on by smoking, drinking, fatty foods and lack of
exercise. The truth is that it is never too late to initiate a healthy
lifestyle. For example, if you quit smoking now, your risk of heart
disease begins to drop almost immediately. If
you begin a moderate exercise program you will be amazed at how quickly
your muscles begin to strengthen. Trade in a high-fat diet for
nutritious choices and you will look and feel better.
Injury
prevention is another key to aging well. Falls are the most common
cause of injuries to older adults. More than one third of adults who
are 65 years of age or older fall each year and of those who fall
20-30% suffer moderate to severe injuries that decrease mobility and
independence. Identify potential hazards in your home and the places
you frequent and watch your step!
Last,
but not least, never lose your sense of humor. Extensive research has
been conducted on the effects of humor and laughter on our health. The
effects are enormous and include boosting our immune system, reducing
stress, relaxing muscles, lowering blood pressure, increasing our
tolerance for pain, and hastening the healing process. It has been
shown that our attitude is more important than our physical health in
determining how long we live. That is, senior citizens with a good
sense of humor and a positive attitude, but poor health, survive longer
than those that are in good health but have poor attitudes. Another way
of expressing this is to say that what jogging does for the body, humor
and laughter do for our emotional, mental, and physical health.
While
we can’t change our genetics or all environmental exposures, there is
much that we can control that will help us live longer and healthier
lives: Eat well, live actively, laugh often and love with all your
heart.
Yours in good health,
Sheila McCormick
Editor, IVL Health Watch
|
Visit our Health Forum and ask a question of one of the country's leading experts in nutritional medicine. |
| Dr.
Mikles is a Board Certified Internist, and is the Medical Director of
Choices Integrative Healthcare Clinic in Sedona, Arizona. For more than
30 years, Dr. Mikles has been engaged in the study and practice of the
therapeutic effects of diet and nutrition, making him one of the
country's leading experts. |
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