Nearly all mainstream magazines feature articles about how to achieve a healthy lifestyle. Most of these articles do this by dangling the promise of good health, happiness, and longevity in front of us. The author of “adding better health to you life” (Healthy Cooking by Taste of Home Magazine: April/May 2011), wisely admits that living longer may not be all that it is cracked up to be. The goal, the author assures us, isn’t merely to live long, but to live longer in good health. She emphasizes and uses the term “long health.”
The goal of achieving “long health” simply means that you want to be vibrant, creative and energized at whatever age you happen to be, whether you are 44, 58, 85 or 90 plus. The focus is in working hard and taking care of yourself so that you can live a healthy, happy and purposeful life right up to the end.
The good news is that all of the harmful habits and activities of your past can be turned around, even now. The key is not in a magic formula that will make you live forever, but in using a common sense approach to healthy living and achieving “long health.”
- Worry less about weight loss. I can buy into that suggestion, how about you? Finally, someone has wised up the that fact that drastic food-cutting, scale-watching and diets can actually set you up for bone fractures, weak muscles and weight gain in later years. Rather than eating to lose weight you should focus on eating foods that will keep you strong and prevent or control chronic diseases. What this means is that you should eat more food but fewer calories. Yes, this means more fruits and veggies and fewer chocolate squares.
- Fight age with exercise. You can’t get away from this one. There isn’t a physician or therapist alive that will tell you that being a couch potato is okay. Nothing new about that. Physical activity is good for you, so get out there and move it.
- Stay busy. Get out of the house unless your studio or office is the hub of your busyness. Doing something that interests you offers big mind-body benefits as you age.
- Keep in touch. Being alone ramps up stress hormones and this is bad for your health and wellbeing. Connecting with friends, family and even with your pets is the best medicine out there.
- Love your life. This sounds simplistic but it isn’t. Wake up with a smile and be ready to face the day. You aren’t working anymore so you have no excuse for being grumpy. An up-beat perspective does more than put a smile on your face; it cuts your risk of illness and speeds recovery if you do succumb.
Sound advice and it comes from a cooking magazine. Eating is something we do best, so let us figure out some ways to make it the formula for health at any age.
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