Living Longer

I’ve been traveling this old road of life for some time now. I’ve seen trends come and go and often masquerade themselves as the newest, the latest and the greatest. The ‘secrets to living longer’ seems to be the latest, abet not the newest, social media news trend on the horizon.

Brain supplements are multiplying, hair growth now comes in liquid and pill, cell and hormone replacements are common and it seems as if everyone over age 55 has had their knees, hips, shoulders, and other body parts replaced with titanium parts.

Maybe it’s the boomers looking to extend their stay on earth. The millennials and Gen-Xers might be looking for that proverbial ace up their sleeve to stretch out nature’s natural timetable on their existence. Whoever the audience might be, judging by the amount of news articles and advertising, a lot of folks are looking to extend their lives for as long as they can.

Dan Buettner made a name for himself as a National Geographic explorer when he popularized the concept of his ‘Blue Zones,’ described as those parts of the world where folks lived for a very long time like on the island of Okinawa in the Pacific or the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica.

Now he’s brought that home with his Blue Zones Project that has helped more than 50 U.S. communities (including Albert Lea here in Minnesota) to improve their own metrics of health and well-being.

Not long after reading about Dan’s ‘Blue Zones’, I came across a news article about a couple in their mid-30s who were looking to extend their lives by drinking strange concoctions, measuring body fat each day and fasting often. Of course, they were willing to share their secrets to successful long life with audiences…. for a price.

More recently, Tim Ferriss had a podcast with Dr. Peter Attia, a well-known physician, doing work in the areas of lean body mass, protein intake, hypertrophy and other doctor-specific areas of interest. I was lost after the first five minutes of listening to that ‘foreign language of body chemistry’ and quickly came to the decision that I didn’t have the time, interest, or energy to do the kind of research into the perfect body mass that Dr. Attia seems to have devoted his life’s research to.

As Dan Buettner likes to say: ‘When it comes to longevity and happiness, there is no short-term solution.’ It requires doing the right things and avoiding the wrong things for decades. I started running on a daily basis when I was around twenty-one. I kept up that regimen for over 45 years and still try to get my sorry old bones out walking on a daily basis. I haven’t touched hard liquor since getting smashed on that San Francisco beach back in 1964. Now both my kids continue to be active with running, climbing, winter sports and more. I couldn’t be prouder.

The Twin Cities owe a huge debt of gratitude to Theodore Wirth. Around the turn of the century, Wirth was a horticulturalist who designed our park system. His masterful design blanketed our chain of lakes in both cities with walking / biking paths, plenty of shoreline and associated amenities that have been enjoyed for over one hundred years.

In the end, all you can do is all you can do. Certainly, one of the most important things is moderation in all things liquid and solid. Exercise the body and mind equally. A positive mind set is important for balance in your life.

And take time to ‘smell the roses.’  As the old saying goes: You only have one life to live and this one is not a test, it’s the real thing. Enjoy it while you can.