We need a new conversation around aging that includes the word “thriving.” In this period of history, we are in an aging revolution. We are living longer.
Over 70 million baby boomers are living out this fact. It’s time to reimagine aging as a period of thriving instead of declining.
We can’t stop aging but we can control how we age. Otherwise, we are leaving much of our lives in the hands of fate. So, it’s time to take charge of our health and life!
Healthy aging is the result of a healthy lifestyle, plain and simple.
Most people agree that “healthy” is important. But how exactly does “healthy” happen? And what does “healthy” really involve? I propose that most people don’t know what healthy means in today’s world, let alone how to control their health. I didn’t.
I am not a celebrity or a medical professional, just someone who found a way (in my sixties) to thrive more than decline. I drew a line in the sand and said, “No More!” I am going to do this my way. I will figure it out!
Losing my family to cancer and Alzheimer’s disease (lifestyle-related chronic diseases that could have been avoided), I knew there had to be a better way to age. So, my search began, and Aha! moments came marching in.
I watched the Forks Over Knives documentary. It convinced me that I, not the medical establishment, was responsible for my health! This was an Aha! moment. And I needed to take charge! My health was too valuable to give the responsibility over to someone else, like my primary care provider, and take the recommended prescription drugs.
It was time for me to rethink the entire aging process. And my research began.
You don’t have to be a victim of the: aging process, the Standard American Diet (fried foods, sugar, oils, dairy, processed foods, processed meats, animal and fowl meat, and refined grains), or the American lifestyle. Instead, you hold the power to age, thriving one day at a time.
You have control over the small choices you make every day:
- What you eat and drink
- Your thoughts and how you react to stress
- The amount of quality sleep you get
- How and when you exercise
- Your friends and support group
- Your environment
- Living out your purpose (I got help from MEA on this!)
And all the above affects your immune system. A healthy immune system is critical to your overall health and wellness.
I also learned that your genes constitute only up to a 20% risk of inherited disease(s). How we decline is up to us.
As a result of my research and the subsequent changes I have made, I lowered my cholesterol to a healthy range within six months. My biometric numbers steadily improved, so much that one of my doctors commented we wished he had them. I cleared up migraines and digestive issues that harassed me for years. I lost over 30 pounds and have kept it off to this day.
And I continue to feel the best I have ever felt, with enormous energy. And I am healthier and fitter in my seventies than in my forties.
So, while it is tempting to blame genetics, the medical establishment, or anything else, it is best to be honest.
What is holding you back from living the healthiest and best life you can have?
-Debbye
Debbye is passionate about health and wellness and has worked in numerous health organizations. She co-wrote the book, Thriving Moving Forward. A Guide to Healthy Aging, and she can be found at DebbyeOmlie.com.