Gerontology?
That my friends is the study of aging. It is something we don’t even have to try, it just happens. Everyone ages very differently, we are uniquely individual. Our hereditary and our lifestyle play a big part in how fast or slow that we age. All of us eventually will grow old; it is healthy aging that we want to achieve.
I love the quote from Michael Pritchard, “You don’t stop laughing because you grow old. You grow old because you stop laughing.” Having as little stress in your life as possible and laughing a lot will help keep you healthier longer. There are two ways to measure aging chronological and biological. Chronological is the date you were born. Biological age is how old your body is. Living a healthy lifestyle can lower that biological age while living less than healthy and bump that age above your chronological age.
Healthy lifestyle habits include eating organic foods. Fruits, vegetables, meat, wild caught fish, low stress and getting enough sleep is really good for your health and your aging. Unhealthy habits like smoking, fried and fatty foods, farm-raised fish, beef and chicken with antibiotics and hormones, foods that are genetically modified and genetically engineered and little causes aging to no exercise will age you. Your life expectancy will be lower. The average life expectancy is around 71 years old.
There are many different theories as to what exactly causes aging. We know that there are genetic factors, environmental factors, and life choices. Let’s just take your skin, for example, if you don’t take care of it, cleanse it, moisturize it, and get enough sleep it will show. Your face will begin to get wrinkles, and your skin will lose that healthy glow. All of this is part of the aging process, but you can slow it down by taking care of it.
Your DNA can become damaged, and it can repair itself. Every time that you get an X-ray your DNA is damaged. Your cell determines the damage and then figures out how best to restore it. Everyone is always talking about exercise and that it is good for you. Why is it good for you? Exercise can help your body to repair.
There are simple things that we can do to help ourselves. It isn’t fair to blame another human being for your problems. Overcoming problems and learning to healthily deal with them will help the aging process. Mindfulness is a great way to help.
Mindfulness is thinking about what you are doing and why you are doing it. Simple right? Add to that how do I feel about what I am doing? Is this good for my health or bad for my health? I always say a busy mind is a happy mind, but you do need downtime. You need to have fun and laugh. Many people when they think of having downtime their mind immediately goes to food and beverages.
When you go out for a night of fun, practice mindfulness. When you get to the restaurant and sit down look around at the atmosphere. See how nice the table looks, smell the food smile at the server. Think about your order, will it fill you up with good nutrients? Will you regret your choice? What would be the best thing for you nutritionally? As you wait for your food, don’t chow down on bread or dinner rolls. Do not even let them bring them to your table. If you have chosen to partake in an alcoholic beverage choose one that is not filled with sugar. Sip on it. Be mindful again, savor the flavor, the atmosphere, this precious moment in time that you will never get again.
Mindfulness, in what you speak. Be encouraging, kind, and laugh, enjoying the evening. When that well anticipated moment arrives, and you receive your food use all of your senses. Look at how nice the plate looks, smell the awesome aroma, enjoy every bite being mindful to take your time so that you can notice when you are full. You do not have to eat it all, that is what takeout boxes are for. Being mindful will cause you to slow down, make better choices, and enjoy life. This will slow down the aging process. Laughing, nutritious food, and less stress. Take the time to take care of yourself. You are the only one who can really do it, and this will lead to a happier life and a longer one.
