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SPECIAL EDITION

Does it Work?

What if you could live to be 115 and still be mentally sharp and enjoy life? Think it’s impossible? Think again.

Do you have your doubts about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle?

It’s okay if you do. I see patients all the time who wonder if taking vitamins is really important or if it’s a waste of money, or who question whether or not exercise is all that beneficial…or don’t see just how critical weight control is.

It’s normal to have doubts, especially when the benefits of what you’re doing build so slowly that they’re not immediately obvious. But I promise you, making good lifestyle choices really does have a positive impact.

It certainly did for Edna Parker. She lived in a small town in Indiana and reached the impressive age of 115. She wasn’t an invalid either. After her husband died in the 1930s, she lived alone until she was 100. She stayed active and sharp right up through her 115th birthday.

So what’s the secret to living to 100 and beyond?

As her 115th birthday approached, reporters asked Edna and her family why they thought she lived so long. Edna didn’t want to speculate, but her family had plenty of ideas.

She didn’t smoke. She stayed thin. She didn’t worry about things. She stayed physically active. And she strove to continually learn new things.

That sounds like a recipe for success to me.

Don’t Smoke

Not smoking is an obvious step toward better health. The chemicals in cigarettes are very inflammatory. They damage your lung tissue and your arteries. Long-term studies show that smokers die ten years earlier than non-smokers, on average. Not only that, but non-smokers enjoy a much higher quality of life in their later years than smokers do.

 

Stay Thin

Your body weight has a big affect on how long you’ll live and how healthy you’ll be as you get older. Older adults with a normal body weight live longer, suffer from fewer disabilities and generally have a better quality of life.

Don’t Stress

Stress can dramatically decrease your life expectancy and suck all the joy out of life, as well. Chronic stress can increase your risk of heart disease, it can trigger weight gain, and it can disrupt your sleep patterns.

Be Active

Staying at a normal weight isn’t enough. To live a long, healthy life you also need to stay physically active. This will keep your body fit and strong and help cut down on injuries. Research has found that the more physically fit you are, the longer you are likely to live and the less likely you are to develop a chronic disease like heart disease.

Challenge Your Mind

Staying mentally fit is just as important to your quality of life as staying physically fit. Studies show that people who engage in mentally challenging activities—who strive to learn new things on a regular basis—are less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia.

The wonderful thing about Edna Parker’s approach to life is that it doesn’t just make your life longer, it also makes it better. Keeping your stress levels low, staying physically active, and learning new things will bring joy to your life. And really, what’s the point of living to 115 if you’re not having a good time?

I say “Bravo” to Edna Parker. Her life is worth much more than just a statistic in the Guiness book of records, or a news article.

Edna should be an inspiration to us all. I hope we all remember her success as we proceed with our daily lives, which sometimes seem overwhelming.

As always, remember to talk to your doctor about any changes you plan to make to your diet, exercise, or supplement routine. Until next week…

  1. Strandberg AY, et al. “The effect of smoking in midlife on health-related quality of life in old age: a 26-year prospective study,”
  2. Arch Intern Med 2008; 168(18): 1968-74
  3. Yang Z, et al. “Convergence of body mass with aging: The longitudinal interrelationship of health, weight, and survival,” Econ Hum Biol 2008; 6(3): 469-81
  4. Castillo-Garzon MJ, et al. “Anti-aging therapy through fitness enhancement,” Clin Interv Aging 2006; 1(3): 213-20
  5. FRatiglioni L. “Psyckosocial risk factors,” Presented at: 9th International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders; July 18, 2004; Philadelphia, Pa