When my youngest daughter is 30 years old I am going to be 75! If I want to be around to see her get married and give me grand children I had better stay in good shape! More than that… I consider it my absolute duty to look after my health and wellness so that I can be there for my little girl and enjoy all the wonders of seeing your children go forth in the world!
I was listening to a podcast the other day from arguable the leading longevity geneticist on the planet from Harvard University (David Sinclair, an Aussie). What he said made me rethink our reasons for optimising our health as we age. He said “my goal is to remain in great health throughout my life so as not to be a burden on my children’!
This is profound! Not I want to live long and healthy so that “I can have a wonderful life” but “so that my kids are not stuck looking after me for my last 20 years”.
How many of us have ailing parents that got to their 70’s & 80’s (or earlier like my mum) and their health went downhill! It seems we are always taking them to one doctors appointment or another. Always some new drug or pill to add to the list. Always some hospital procedure on the horizon. Or worst of all dealing with the onset of neurological issues such as alzheimers or Parkinson’s!
And how many of us think and say “this getting old business sucks!”?
Nearly all of us assume that all these issues are just part of the deal of getting past retirement age!
Well you are wrong! What you should be thinking and saying is “I wish my mum or dad had known about all the things they could have done to look after their health. I wish they could have still been in good mental and physical health!”
Because they could have had they known what we know now, what you probably know now… acted upon it!
The fact is that as much as 90% of all the known diseases such as heart disease, dementia, obesity, depression, autoimmune, arthritis and yes even cancer are preventable if you look after yourself throughout your life! Of course the sooner you start the better but it is never too late”!
“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the second best time is now!”
My point of all this is that your health, wellness, vitality, capability and lack of disease and illness in your old age is almost entirely up to you! Of course old age makes it harder as our bodies immune, detoxification and cellular regeneration pathways naturally become less efficient & effective but you can seriously slow the process if you choose!
So next time you want a really good reason to look after your health, think about your kids! Do you want them to be doing for you, what you are most likely doing right now for your parents!
Sometimes you just get unlucky no matter what you do but you will never know what you are capable of and just how long and healthy you can live if you don’t try!
I’m all in! If I don’t see my little girl ‘blow out the candles’ on her 50th birthday it will be through no fault of mine! Sometimes in life ‘shit happens’!
Remember, a wonderful life is to “live long, live healthy, be happy & die fast!”
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