How to Live to a Ripe Old Age still Alive and Kickin’

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, centenarians are the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. population.   30% of a person’s longevity is determined by genetics. Which means the other 70% is up to us, determined by our lifestyle choices.

Unfortunately, that’s not the way a majority of American lives will go. The Centers for Disease Control predicts that over half of us will spend our final years in a nursing home, medicated and unable to care for ourselves.  Unless, that is, we make some changes to become better nourished, more active and less stressed.

Fact is, many of the simple decisions you make every day will determine whether your later years are marked by dependence, disease, and lack of mobility… or you are still dancing in your seventies, traveling the world in your eighties, and horsing around with the great-grandkids through your nineties.

That said, here are seven decisions you can make today that will help you make it to your big one-zero-zero birthday in fine shape:

1. Eat your fruits and vegetables, which are loaded with anti-oxidants.

Our bodies are constantly challenged by "free-radicals" – substances in the food we eat and the environment around us that cause the oxidation and breakdown of our cells.  Without the protection you get from antioxidants, these free-radicals can cause a domino effect of cellular damage that becomes the pathway for cancer, aging, and a variety of diseases.  A healthy diet that’s rich in antioxidants will help your body neutralize these free-radicals as they occur. There are plenty of excellent nutritional supplements on the market. But your best antioxidant protection, by far, comes from a diet that includes a variety of whole fruits and vegetables.

2. Eat an all-natural all organic Traditional Human Diet.

Whenever possible, choose foods that are grown organically, without the use of pesticides and herbicides, and avoid genetically modified foods. If you eat meat, insist on animals (free-range poultry and grass-fed beef and bison) raised on their natural diets.  Eat only grass-fed beef, free range chickens that are grown organically.  If you eat fish, eat only cold water fish and eat it only one time a week.  Avoid grains and all dairy food.  Add meat stocks to your diet.  Increase your intake of healthy saturated fats such as coconut oil and butter, make sure they are organic.

3. Get in motion.

There are many studies showing that resistance exercise (i.e. weightlifting and calisthenics) increases muscle size and strengthens bones. This is especially important as we get older, because the loss of muscle mass and bone density is a common "side effect" of aging. Resistance exercise also increases stamina, reduces fat, and rejuvenates the hormone systems.

Some health advocates recommend longer, controlled forms of exercise, but Dr. Al Sears – who specializes in anti-aging medicine – favors shorter but more intense workouts.

4. Stretch your joints.

In my personal experience, there’s nothing better for beating the aches and pains of an aging back, shoulders, joints, etc. than a combination of yoga and Pilates. To get the most from these popular programs, get instruction from an instructor who has therapeutic experience – and push yourself to become increasingly flexible.

5. Brain Cells; Use ‘em or lose ‘em.

The brain is often likened to a muscle in that it gets stronger with exercise. I’m talking about exercise like doing crossword puzzles (a personal favorite of mine), word games, learning a new language, keeping a journal, and working actively on a business or hobby.

Brain cells talk to each other through chemicals known as neurotransmitters. "Think of the chemicals as squirrels leaping from one tree to another," says Gene Cohen of the Center on Aging. "If the adjacent trees have more branches, it’s easier for the squirrels to leap from tree to tree." And, in fact, The New York Times cites studies indicating that if you stimulate your brain, you can increase those important contact points by as much as 20%.

6. Reduce your stress.

The simplest way I know of to reduce stress is to make a list of the 10 things, people, or situations that are aggravating you. Then decide to change your response to them, as that is all that you have control over.

7. Learn to relax and play…

I am not talking here about plunking down in front of then TV each night…  I am talking about the kind of relaxation that feeds our soul, truly relaxes us, enhances the quality of our lives….my choices are gardening, yoga, dancing, papermaking, fiber arts….  Get in touch with that list in the back of your mind, things you’ve always wanted to do..and make them happen…

Remember, the goal isn’t just to get to a ripe old age, you want plenty of energy to be able to play, dance, garden, be happy, give to others…