Maybe we should rephrase the question and ask how can I live longer better? According to David Suzuki, in his Nature of Things documentary: “Aging Well, Suzuki Style”, the key ingredients are :
Exercise: Now this being #1 doesn’t surprise you, right? Blood flowing, fresh oxygen to organs, muscles, cells, heart pumping, brain fog lifting, anxiety, depression reduced/minimized/gone; self-esteem/worth improved, sleep better, feel better…of course. According to David, simple walking is the best medicine. Harvard Health recommends 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, which translates to brisk walking – elbows bent, arms pumping!. Did you know they say the remote control contributes to 2 lbs a year of weight gain? Get up and move!
Maintaining a healthy diet: A European diet has always been touted as the best all-round diet to follow. Low in fat, lots of veggies and fruit, legumes, grains. I’m going to add: variety so you don’t get bored. Let’s not deprive ourselves and remember what our mamas said: ‘everything in moderation’.
Having a purpose in life: It was always important to feel like we mattered, so why should that change at a certain age? We need to feel like we still have a purpose in life. There is a conversation in The Crown Netflix series between Prince Philip and his mother, where she says: “It dawned on me when I turned 70, that one is no longer a participant but a spectator and it’s just a matter of waiting and getting in the way”. Old people are viewed in many societies as a cost, one that is ruining health care programmes. How can we feel valued and play a contributory role in society? That may dear friends, is up to us. Society is not going to deliver it up for us. Create that purpose, that value. Find a community to belong to and to participate in: a yoga community; a reading, music, garden, drama club; volunteer at a library, a daycare, a foodbank. What did/do you love to do? Start checking communities and clubs on Google. Figure out how to belong and participate. Mayor Hazel McCallion said at the 2019 unveiling of her Zoomer cover: “You have to encourage people to be active, to have a purpose in life. If you have a purpose in life, then you know where you want to go, you know what you want to try to accomplish.”
Maintaining a fire in your belly: Ahhh, this is it. The golden ring. Find a passion that drives you to remain active and engaged.
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