I know I'm a little late with this newsletter, but for good reason.  My 94 year-old mother-in-law, Margaret, passed away a few weeks ago.  My wife, Melinda, and I were at her bedside during her last week, and since then, we've been knee-deep in planning her memorial service and wrapping up her affairs.  Given her age, her passing wasn't a surprise, but we nevertheless miss her and mourn her loss.

During the past few years, we've marveled at her long life and have wondered, in a curious way, about what has kept her going.  In many respects, Margaret set a good example regarding what we've learned from the substantial research on healthy aging, which I'll share here. 

She Did Most Things Right

The most current research reveals that keeping your weight at healthy levels, consuming a nutritious diet, getting moderate exercise, and having a positive outlook on life can significantly enhance your health and increase your expected lifespan.  Margaret had all of these healthy habits and characteristics.  She took regular walks in her neighborhood, ate the right amounts of food and the right kinds of food--plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and modest portions of meat.

She had a strong religious faith and remained active in her church community for most of her life.  Her deep faith--coupled with her optimistic personality--helped sustain her through the inevitable heartaches that occurred during her long life.  

On the negative side, Margaret smoked for many years, but she stopped cold turkey at age 87 because she was determined to eliminate this one, last bad health habit.  And even at that age, her family could see obvious improvements in her appearance and energy level after she quit.  She was living proof that it's never too late to change unhealthy habits!  

The Most Compelling Example

Margaret had an extraordinary ability to give and receive love.  Over the years, she kept in constant contact with her extended family; she has many devoted children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, in-laws and outlaws!  When she could no longer drive to see her friends and family (at age 86), she kept in touch with long phone conversations.  She babysat grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and attended as many family gatherings as she could.  In her last years, when my wife Melinda took her for walks in the park, she'd stop to chat with anybody but particularly families with babies and cute dogs.  As her world shrank, she retained and expanded her ability to give and receive love.  Again, research supports this as a powerful way to enhance both your lifespan and healthspan.

Margaret kept using her body, mind and spirit for as long as possible, factors which certainly contributed to her longevity: Research supports the "use it or lose it" theory with respect to our physical and mental health.  (For my personal story on this subject, see this month's video highlight at the top of the right-hand column.)

And she didn't die of a major illness; it was simply frailty and old age that took her from us.  In her later years, she didn't incur substantial medical expenses, but she did need expensive long-term care, and at the end, she used hospice services, which were a real blessing.

What Would I Do Differently?

Knowing what I understand from the research and my experience, would I have done things differently?  Certainly the answer is "yes" with respect to smoking.  But the answer is "maybe" when it comes to the other issues.  Ideally, I would do more strength conditioning, rely less on lifelong maintenance prescription drugs, and would have kept working as long as possible.  I would have taken more measures to avoid expensive long-term care in my later years (more on this subject in future issues of this newsletter).  But it's easy to say this now in my 50s; I simply don't know what it's like to be in my 90s.  And I have to remember that Margaret lived to age 94, which is success by any measure.

What Should You Do?

So what does the research and Margaret's example suggest that you do?  Here are a few ideas from the experts that will help improve your lifespan and healthspan:

• Eat the right amounts of food, and consume lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. This helps keep your weight at healthy levels, reduces unhealthy fats, and gives you powerful nutrients that can help stave off chronic disease.

• Have a "plant based" diet vs. a "meat based" diet.  Many studies show that we're eating way too much meat, giving us too many unhealthy fats and crowding out fruits and vegetables that give us a variety of nutrients.  You don't need to eliminate meat entirely, although some may choose to do so.  You can simply eat meat less frequently, and when you do, eat smaller portions.

• Keep your weight at a healthy level. Not only does this reduce the threat of heart disease, cancer and diabetes, but you'll put less strain on your back, hips, knees and feet, reducing the odds of needing costly repairs and enabling you to stay active.

• Get plenty of exercise.  Substantial amounts of research show again and again that exercise improves your physical health, while recent research reveals that regular exercise reduces the odds of Alzheimer's and dementia.

• Learn how to manage your stress.  Chronic stress is a significant contributor to heart disease, cancer and other chronic, expensive conditions.  Since money worries are one of the top generators of stress, here's one reason to do a good job managing your finances in your retirement years.

• Maintain a robust social life, with plenty of contacts with all generations.  In his book Healthy at 100, John Robbins makes the point that loneliness kills more people than cigarettes! 

• Remain productive and useful to your community for as long as possible.  Use it or lose it!

If you want more details about any of these life-prolonging suggestions, visit the Resource Center on my website www.restoflife.com for lists of helpful books and websites.

Worth the Effort!

There are many benefits to adopting this suggested lifestyle.  To start, you can reduce the odds of contracting the major chronic conditions of old age--heart disease, cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's and osteoporosis--by 50% or more.  This reduces the odds of needing expensive medical care or long-term care.  And, on average, you can add five to seven years of healthy living to your lifespan.  This convinces me that investments in health are just as important as investments in a 401(k) plan, not only for enjoyment of life, but for your financial health as well.

And if you need to work in your later years to make ends meet, you'll have the health to do so.  In fact, there's research that suggests that working in your later years can actually improve your health and increase your lifespan--another example of use it or lose it.

Some people think adopting such healthy measures is a deprivation:  You're not eating your favorite foods, exercising takes time away from watching TV and other favorite activities, and it can be a lot of trouble to reach out to family and friends.  But I've adopted this lifestyle and heartily disagree.  For me, it's not deprivation; it's simply a better way to live.

Margaret's Legacy

The hard part, of course, is getting around to making the necessary changes in our lives.  However, our eating and exercise habits are simply habits, and we can change these habits if we really want to.  And that's where Margaret's example is so helpful.  Research on behavioral change shows that one of the best ways to improve your lifestyle is to be around people you respect and love and who provide great living examples.  If you need to make changes in your lifestyle, seek the "Margarets" in your life and hang around them for awhile.  They're sure to teach you a thing or two.

The legacy that Margaret leaves to her friends and family is a powerful one, and it's inspiring to realize that I can leave the same legacy.  I hope you'll join me.  By investing in your health and setting the same example, you can reduce your part of our country's significant healthcare challenges.  Together, we can make a huge difference in the health and well-being of our communities! 

 

PS.  Stay tuned for the July newsletter, where I'll explain the link between your health and your finances.