I recently took an
Internet test to see what my life expectancy was.
It asked a lot of
questions about life habits, history of disease in the family and even
education. After I’d answered all the questions I clicked the
Calculate-Life-Expectancy button at the bottom of the page.
Barring any
accidents, I could live to be 94.3 years old. That is way longer than I
expected as I’ve always thought I’d leave this planet at 85. The question is
not only how long can I live, but, how can I live a long and healthy life.
Want
to Have a Long and Healthy Life? Here Are Some Sobering Statistics
The sobering part of
this is that by age 80 we have a 30% chance of getting dementia and by 85 it’s
almost a 50% chance of getting some type of dementia whether it’s from
Alzheimer’s (AD), Huntington’s, Parkinson’s, Creutzfeldt-Jakob, vascular
dementia or other diseases.
That’s pretty scary
to me since my husband, Bob, had Alzheimer’s for 14 years. He passed away
unable to feed or toilet himself, walk or remember our life together. He could
barely speak and when he did he mostly made no sense at all.
The Alzheimer’s
Association states that someone in the US develops Alzheimer’s every 66
seconds. The report also says that 5.5 million people in the US are living with
the disease, and two-thirds of those are women. So not only are women the major
source of unpaid family caregivers but we are more likely to develop
Alzheimer’s.
Embracing
our Brains
Despite these
statistics, I find dwelling on them makes for too many anxious or sleepless
nights. For me, it’s important to know the facts but not be controlled by them.
Instead I choose to live with a positive attitude and a healthy lifestyle. How
about you? Are you motivated to make changes in your lifestyle to stave off
dementia? Not sure how to do this?
The Alzheimer’s
Organization suggests ways to give yourself a better chance of doing just that.
And the number one item is not a surprise. Here it comes (and I know you might
not want to hear this) – exercise.
I’ve been reading
more and more articles on the importance of exercise in our elder years. No, I
don’t like that word either, so how about in our “wisdom years.” And scientific
studies show an association between physical activity and reduced risk of
cognitive decline.
You don’t have to go
to the gym like I do. You can choose whatever you like as long as it gets your
heart rate up for 30 to 45 minutes at a time several days a week. Start out
slowly, but start!
And work your way up
to the optimal time. I find it so difficult to get myself out of the office and
to the gym because there’s always work to do and I love my work, but once I get
there I feel great – especially when the workout is over!
While I’m on the
elliptical and treadmill, I study a foreign language and so I’m exercising my
brain as well as my body. It also takes the tedium out of going nowhere fast.
And learning something new happens to be another recommendation of the
Alzheimer’s Organization for staving off AD.
A third benefit of
aerobic exercise is that if you’re a caregiver for someone with dementia you’ll
be taking care of yourself by getting some respite and energizing yourself to
go back to the care giving grind.
If you’re under a
doctor’s care, be sure to check your exercise regime with the doc and remember
to start out slowly.
Food,
Glorious Food
Another measure the
Alzheimer’s Organization suggests is eating a heart healthy diet that not only
helps your brain but also reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease and
stroke. One of the best ways to do this is to eat more vegetables. I’m not
talking about plain steamed or boiled veggies but deliciously prepared
vegetables, satisfying vegetables.
I’m a firm believer
in not denying myself the food I love but rather in lowering the portion size,
and of course eating those vegetables. Some of the recipes from Food Glorious Food, my column in the Bali
Advertiser, might give you some ideas.
Dishes like Caponata
Siracusa, a delicious Sicilian eggplant dish,
Roasted Pumpkin with Onions and
Sage,
or Fennel, Potato and Arugula Salad. These and many more recipes can be
found here.
A few of the other
suggestions for loving your brain are to quit smoking, get enough sleep, reduce
stress and stay socially engaged. These suggestions have been shown to help us
buoy our cognitive function.
If I’m going to live
to that 94.3 years, I want to do it with style, verve, energy, a continuing
desire to learn new things, a sense of wonder and, oh yes, with humor.
Embracing my brain, cherishing it and treating it right go a long way to attaining
those goals.
What
are your favorite forms of exercise? What ideas do you have to motivate
yourself to eat a heart healthy diet? How do you embrace your brain? What do
you think are the keys to a long and healthy life?
Note: I originally wrote this post for 60 and Me .
