Aging Well

Joanne Neweduk

How often have you heard or perhaps uttered yourself…

“My knee hurts, I’m getting old.”

“My back hurts, I’m getting old.”

“I have diabetes, I’m getting old.” “I’m getting fat, I must be old." Growing older has become the convenient scapegoat for all sorts of ailment but the reality is that there is a difference between aging and illness. Yes, as you grow older, you are more susceptible to certain conditions but lifestyle, and undo wear and tear, are more often to blame than aging alone. Let’s look at how aging and illness are different and why it is important to understand these differences. Aging, refers to the inevitable physical and mental changes that will happen to everyone as they grow older albeit at different rates. “Illness" (representing a wide range of conditions) only happens to certain people. Age being only one contributing factor, while lifestyle usually being the major one.

Why is it important to know?

Well, if you understand what is natural verses what is illness, you can seek proper treatment for yourself and loved ones. You can make lifestyle changes like improved: exercise, eating, stress management, and positive thought actions in order to take charge of your health,

possibly even reverse conditions often blamed on age. I support women do this through my Fabulous Fresh Start programs all the time. They overcome conditions they thought were just part of aging and menopause then go on to live a more healthy and vibrant life doing the activities they love.

When you understand your body and your mind, you can take action to slow down the aging process but most importantly you DO NOT need to put up with ailments and conditions that are not inevitable.

For example, let’s look at general aches and pains. This is the most common ailment blamed on age. It’s true that wear and tear from age can contribute aches, but more and more it is evident that many aches and pains are from general inflammation caused by the convenient western diet. Typically, people consume excess carbs and processed foods with too little whole foods such as vegetables and high quality protein. My clients are shocked and delighted when they have far less general aches and pains after only a couple weeks of proper eating. How about knee pain? My friend who is a chiropractor shared a story that has really struck home for me. When a client states they have a painful knee and they are upset at getting old she playfully asks how much older their right knee is compared to their left. Hmmm. This is and eye opening thought. She further explains that most knee pain is from injury or wear and tear over time from improper alignment. Correct the alignment early enough and the pain resolves. Wait to late then management is harder. The point is though that the pain is from injury not age.

So many of the conditions that are blamed on age, are really a lifestyle condition, significantly impacted by stress: abdominal obesity, Type 2 diabetes, mental health issues, high blood pressure and the list goes on. Eating styles, insufficient activity, unchecked stress and the list goes on as to contributing factors. All of these types of illnesses and conditions leave people feeling aged and vulnerable with a lack of energy. I could easily go through every system of the body to list what is typical with age and what is actually a manageable condition.

Interestingly though, many have the same advice to reduce the rate of aging and the risk of illness. Aging well techniques shall we say.

“Do not complain about growing old. It is a privilege denied

to many." Mark Twain

(continued from page 37...)

Here are 5 to focus on:

Eat Well - I call it high octane eating. Lots of vegetables (about half of your plate) good quality protein (quarter plate) the last quarter can be a starchy carb plus some fruit for dessert. Of course drink lots of water between your 3 meals a day. You might notice this is back to our grandparents advice of 3 square meals a day. I have to agree. It works. I am happy that the newest Canada food guide promotes this type of eating too.

Sleep Well - Sleep is so very important. Get 7-9 hours a night to be at your healthiest. Your body repairs and resets at night so it needs adequate time to do this. To sleep this much is not lazy, it’s smart.

Think Well - Your subconscious believes what you tell it. Be mindful of your thoughts to keep them healthy. There are so many resources out there to support you with this. Pick at least one to practice regularly. Eg: mindfulness, mediation, positive thought coaching, Belief Re-patterning and more. Move Well - The best way to wreck a car engine is to leave is sitting for long stretches of time. It will siege up! Your body does the same thing. Keep it moving!. Walking has been shown time and time again as one of the best exercises.

Live Well - The best way to make a difference in your health, rate of aging, and positive impact on the world, is to grace the world with your, unique you. Be kind to yourself and others. Choose friends of likemindedness. Do things you enjoy. Find a moment to be playful and mindful on a daily basis. And use gratitude to infuse energy into all you do. Create your own joy for no reason, but to simply be.

I shall end this article with the famous quote from Mark Twain “Do not complain about

growing old. It is a privilege denied to many."