Preserving Our Health Starts Now

Have you sat at the bedside of your loved ones in a hospital or nursing facility feeling helpless and frustrated? How many of us have heard our loved ones say the following? “I press the call light and wait forever. I am in pain…..I lost my dentures…. I cannot find my robe….. My rosary beads are gone…. The alarm goes off every time I try to get out of bed on my own…”  If you don’t want this for your future, now may be the time to think about preserving your good health.

It’s a good idea to plan ahead, establish good health habits early in life, and consider what will happen to your body and mind if you fail to pay attention to them.
            We know our cars won’t run without gas, and if the oil isn’t changed regularly, we’ll have car trouble. Somehow we don’t make the same connections with our bodies as we do with our cars. Preserving good health has become a major challenge for Americans and a huge moneymaker in this country. Yet the solution is so simple: eat right (gas up the car), exercise (oil for the car) and stay engaged in life (it’s you that drives the car). When we don’t do this, many of us are caught off guard, surprised, or even frightened when something goes wrong – our back gives out, our blood sugar rises abnormally, our joints hurt, or we feel depressed. Since the MacArthur Foundation studies of aging were done in the 1980s, we now know that lifestyle and environment have far more impact on our health than genetics.
            Unlike our cars, we can’t trade in our bodies for new ones, so we need to develop good habits to preserve our health. We are also living longer – much longer. According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) there were well over 70,000 people 100 years of age or older, living in the U.S. in 2014. By the year 2050 the projected figure is over 800,000. A major concern for older adults is quality of life – living out our lives as healthy as possible and not being dependent on others. Unlike some societies where families are expected to take care of their elders, our solution, as an independent society, is often placement in nursing care facilities. Unfortunately, it’s a place most people want to avoid. Although there are quality nursing facilities, few places are better than home. Data collected by the CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) has addressed the trend of large private investment groups purchasing public nursing homes. Some of these facilities have been investigated and CMS has discovered that they are making profits at the expense of the clients by drastically cutting back nursing staff and allowing shortcuts to safety regulations. The complex corporate structures are so convoluted that it has become difficult to determine which part of the organization is legally responsible for the health regulations and the care of the patients. Meanwhile, there are limited choices for the care of the elderly in this country. It is also expensive and causing serious economic challenges with families.

            Since our bodies don’t come with warranties, a good solution to successful aging is preventative health practices. A popular trend in studies of centenarians has given us clues to the “secrets of a long and prosperous life” (After the Okinawa Centenarian Study, the National Institute of Health, the U.S. National Institute on Aging, and Harvard’s Long Life Family Study –to name a few – have followed suit). Preventative healthcare entails a balance of our mind, body and soul. Basically, the body wants good food to keep its engines running, a balance of rest and physical activity, and no intake of toxins such as nicotine or harmful chemicals. The body’s frame and inner organs cannot tolerate too much weight; it causes strain on the systems. Our mind needs a balance of relaxation and stimulation in order to function well cognitively and to preserve memory. Our spirits need to seek inspiration, live a life of hope and confidence and be future oriented. We’ve known about the mind-body connection and its relationship to good health, but there has been a revival of what is called “psychospiritual health.”  It goes back to the ancient Greeks: Plato even advocated that physical exercise helped to develop the spiritual side. We are also social beings, so we need connections with others and a community. In summary, we’re healthiest when we are engaged in life, physically, mentally and spiritually.

            The solutions are simple. According to the outcomes of many studies on successful aging, we benefit most from a “modest” approach to life.

• Some solutions for improved nutrition are to go back to eating whole foods, to eat local foods, and to borrow cultural traditions, such as Mediterranean-style consumption of fish, whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and wine. Along with exercise, a healthy diet, full of vitamins and minerals, helps to boost the immune system to fight off diseases.
• Eating is not always about hunger; “mindful eating” helps us pay attention to our eating patterns, to focus on slowing down, and to appreciate what we eat by practicing “some kind of prayer or ritual before eating.” These approaches to the way we eat also contribute to our wellness.

• Not that long ago, people easily put in 30 - 60 minutes of walking per day just to complete their activities of daily living. We now know that walking adds years to our life expectancy. Years ago we carried out heavy labor or did chores around the house; now we do weight-training, but often find excuses to skip it. Taking 10 minutes per day for back maintenance helps to prevent back problems. Let your dog or cat be your guide; watch how they stretch each day. The body was not designed to sit or stay in fixed positions for long periods of time. A simple walk does wonders for our constitution, our arthritis, our state of mind and the list goes on. If you are able to walk, go for it. If not, substitute walking with a physical activity, such as swimming or cycling, that is favorable to you. Make it a routine in your life.
• Preserving our mental and cognitive health can be simple as well. There is a saying: “Take Two Tunes and Call Me in the Morning.” Take the time to listen to music, laugh, deep breathe, read, or play a game of cards. In addition to being fun and relaxing, it is good for the mind and soul.

            Overall, develop a healthy routine that is “doable,” maintain a modest approach to life, socialize, and choose to have a positive perspective. Although not impossible, it is very difficult to change habits later in life.  So start early in life and develop good habits that become a way-of-life. Maybe you too will be a “centenarian” some day, and a healthy one at that!