Friday, September 11, 2009

HOW TO LIVE TO A HEALTHY 100

There was a time when I would skip the obituary pages in the newspapers. No one in my social and family network would be there. That was what I thought. Then my beloved sister passed away at 55 of a heart attack. It happened early in the morning while she was getting ready for work. That was three years ago. Since then I have lost several friends and family members. None of them died of old age.

A few days ago, my cousin suffered a fatal heart attack. He was only 43. It was a wake-up call for the younger generation in the extended family network. I am glad my adult children are taking their health more seriously now

Singapore's Teresa Hsu at 100, and at 111 today with Anthony Robbins at last weekend's 
"Unleash the Power Within" event in Singapore. (Photo credit: Belle Lee)

Young people in the prime of their lives often assume that ill health and disease affect only the elderly - until someone in their age group is struck down. Healthy living should start right now, and we should get our children and grandchildren actively involved before they wind up addicted to fast food, junk food and fizzy drinks.

Here are some health tips based on Dan Buettner’s “Blue Zones”.

1. Stop eating when you’re 80% full. There are NO obese centenarians.
2. Opt for a plant-based diet that includes nuts and whole grains.
3. Treat yourself to a glass or two of red wine a day. Asians prefer tea. It is a good anti-oxidant too.
4. Know your purpose in life and be driven by it.
5. Have in place a belief system - spiritual or religious.
6. Learn to relax and enjoy life.
7. Keep physically active.
8. Be part of a healthy social network.
9. Maintain good family ties.

Do check out this video clip from National Geographic. Most informative and a re-affirmation of what most of us already know, but lack the discipline to follow through.

Time for me to dust off the cobwebs on my weights and dig up those vegetarian cook books. I am 61 going on to a healthy 100 and beyond, God willing.....

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3 comments:

ellizie said...

do u really want to live that long??

seniorsaloud said...

Why not if I can see my grandchildren getting married and can play with my great grand-children. Of course, I must be in good health and physically mobile, like some of the centenarians in the video clips.

But if God dictates otherwise, I'm ready to go anytime. I had a couple of close calls before and know how precious life is. I wouldn't want to live a day longer if I am causing much physical, emotional and financial pain and distress to myself and my loved ones.

God gives and God takes away.

Anonymous said...

When my mom was younger, she used to tell me and my siblings that living to a 100 would be a nightmare. But now that she has 3 grandkids who she loves to bits, she keeps reading about longevity and a better quality of life. We live in Colorado and friends referred us to this website that sells organic, non-toxic antioxidant supplements: https://purebellavita.com/

I was hesitant at first because there have been products that promise amazing results but all turn out to be just the run-of-the-mill snake oil. But then I did a little research and was overwhelmed with the research done on products like it. So I decided to let my mom try their black seed oil variant. Basically, the supplement I mentioned has carbon 60 in it and it's supposed to have powerful antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties that should help slow down cell death. I came across this video of two scientists who explained some of the benefits really well: https://youtu.be/BUEKHbdkiOU

Right now, my mom has so much energy and her joints haven't been bothering her as much. I guess their products really work.