Let’s Talk About Aging

Written by: Dr. Kenneth Cheng

It’s true, we are all getting older.  Most of us know that eating right and keeping moving is critical to living a long and healthy life, but let’s dig a little deeper  on the subject of aging and what it truly means for each of us.  We spend a tremendous amount of time in our daily lives working, worrying about finances, family, friends, but how much time to we devote to planning our future health?  What do you want your body to feel like in ten years?  How active do you want to be?  What about in twenty years?

Critical to aging gracefully is being aware of the many factors you should manage on a daily basis.  Physical health, mental health, and emotional well-being can help all of us look forward to personal fulfillment and a long life.  Understanding that there is a large amount of information floating around on the subject, we thought it might be useful to break it down to a simple list that you can use when thinking about your health today and what you want it to be in the future.  Below you will find the top six things we recommend you do to help you live a long and energetic life.

 #1  Eat Well – Yes, we know, we say it over and over again.  What you eat probably affects your health more than anything else you do.  Eating a poor diet of fatty, processed, fried food and simple sugars greatly burdens your body and will lead to breakdown.  Educate yourself on what healthy eating really means and practice it every day.  A great book we like to recommend to get you started is Toxic Fat by Barry Sears, Ph.D.

 #2 Get Moving – Another given.  Healthy people, centenarians included, have one thing in common,  they lead an active life.  Exercise is essential for a healthy metabolism, proper circulation, and the disposal of wastes.  Being overweight and inactive will lead to rapid aging and disease.

 #3 Be Happy – Did you know that unhappy people are twice as likely to develop heart disease?    Unhappiness and depression negatively affects your physical health in many ways.  If you are feeling this way, find the source of your depression; find someone to talk to as soon as possible.  Joyful, happy people live longer and healthier lives. Happiness is a choice and for many takes practice and work to achieve.  Laughter increases the release of endorphins which give us a sense of well-being.  It’s time to laugh more!

 #4 Relieve Stress – Stress is a natural part of our very busy lives, but it can take a tremendous toll on your health.  Our “survival mode” gets turned on all too often these days.  Stress continually depletes your body of energy resources and can lead to exhaustion, broken-down immune system, weight gain, and disease.  Give yourself a break!  Take a deep breath, try to put things in perspective, and find ways to divert or relieve what is stressing you out. 

 #5 Get Some Sleep – The average adult needs seven to eight hours of quality sleep to maintain health, there is no way around it.  Your immune system drops by an average of 60% after just three nights of poor sleep.  Without sufficient time for your body to recover and heal every night, you are paving the way to disease.  

 #6 Get a Yearly Comprehensive Physical – Yearly screening is critical to early detection and helping you to live the life you deserve.  Visit your doctor at least once a year for a comprehensive physical, including blood screening.   Make sure to get the necessary tests required for your age and commit to following up with all issues. 

We hope you find these six tips useful and that you find the time to pay attention to your body and live a long, strong, and happy life.