How old are you, really?

    I am asked that question infrequently now, and usually by someone who has not yet learned they should never ask a woman how old she is, after a certain age.  Personally, I don’t mind all that much, but the truth is sometimes, well sometimes,  I lie.  If and when I do reveal my chronological age, I am usually met with disbelief,  so why bother? Telling your birthday, like your weight, should not be common knowledge. And besides, there is the disturbing prevalence of “ageism”, just as harmful as racism and all the other societal “isms”.

  My preference is to consider one's true age, rather than relying on the date printed on a birth certificate, by consulting the test results provided by a whole-health physician, such as the respected Dr. Oz or Dr. Weil. They assess all the diverse factors to determine your actual age. They look at your mind,  your body,  and your lifestyle, and then come up with a marker for your “real” age. Chronology might say you are sixty, but your physical health could reveal you to be much older or younger, depending. Your mind may show you how much you have aged when you are no longer thinking clearly. Your attitudes may reveal you to be old-fashioned and inflexible or, hopefully,  you have accepted and grown with the changing times in which we now live.

  You might ask yourself, “What are my assumptions about aging?” Do you feel old? Do you believe you are already “over the hill”, or fast approaching that part of life?  Do you assume, with age, you are likely to become depressed, diseased, decrepit, and then die?

   Only one thing is predetermined,  and no getting around it;  each of us will die, but in the meantime, we may live a life of vitality and joy. Longevity may not be a universal goal for everyone; there are growing numbers who do not hold a long life in high regard... unless it a life with some degree of high quality.  We boomers, more than past generations, are looking at our late-in-life choices and considering just how do we stay young and healthy. Good health depends on many different factors, starting with the genes, but our inherited biology is just one part of the equation. I look at my own family of origin. Folks tended to get sick and die younger than they might have. However, they all had a sedentary lifestyle and ate high-fat diets. It is with relish I remember my grandmother’s noodle pudding made with two pounds of white noodles, a pound of butter, equal amounts of cottage cheese and cream cheese. That family dish was delicious, it is true, but down the road they each became sick with cancer and heart conditions.

   The scientific evidence is in. It is almost always suggested if we want to stay in good health, we need to pay attention to our diet and the supplements we take. A Mediterranean diet, primarily fresh organic vegetables and fruits and nuts and legumes is often recommended. Should we decide diet matters, we can let go of certain foods and eat more of the healthy choices, but as one wise elder once told me, “ Its not what you eat,  its what’s eating you.” If stress eats away at you, it doesn’t matter what foods or supplements you ingest. You still may very well become ill. Living with constant stress can be regarded as the number one destroyer of our life.

  All the research has also show us we need to have a regular program of exercise  Of course, you may resonate with  Phyllis Diller who said, “My idea of exercise is a good brisk sit. “ But should you decide to start a serious exercise program, you need to have three parts  to your routine....

1. Flexibility  training (the Yogis say, ”You are only as young as your spine is flexible”,
2  Strength training for the muscles and bones.
3. Aerobic exercise to keep the heart and lungs strong.

   It is also suggested that we need to exercise the mind, doing puzzles or learning a new skill. Researchers are working nonstop to prevent dementia, so rampant in this aging population, but we have to do our part to help prevent the loss of our minds.

   Other factors in slowing down aging include having a strong social network and a sense of being relevant still, by contributing to having a job to do,  whether paid or as a volunteer

   Is there room for improvement in your life? As Dylan Thomas reminds us, "Rage, rage against the dying of the light", or do you prefer to give up and give in by going gently into that good night?