We call 50 midlife. If you interpret that literally, it means you expect to live to 100. Statista, a data research company states: “In 2016, there were 82,000 centenarians in the United States. This figure is expected to increase to 589,000 in the year 2060.” That’s a lot of growth.
The big question to me is: what will we centenarians look like? (I plan to be one of them.) Will our minds be intact? Will we be able to care for ourselves? Will we be happy to be in this elite group or will every day be a slog?
Let’s circle back to 50. Or even earlier than 50. In our younger years, we can get away with a lot. We can skip a good night’s sleep a few nights a week. We can grab and go our food. We may have ignored self-care in all its aspects and still rolled along feeling pretty good.
But if you are turning 50 or are well past that number as I am, look around at the 50 year olds you know. Some look 50, while others easily pass for 40, and others look 60. Why is that? It’s the difference a lifestyle can make. It’s not all by choice, but much of it is. The thing is, there’s no more wiggle room by the time you reach 50 - how you look and feel by midlife is a reflection of what’s happened so far in life. You lifestyle will be reflected in your appearance, your energy and your overall health. The grace period for unhealthy lifestyle os past - now it’s time to make changes if you want that hundredth birthday to be one that’s welcomed.
MY STORY
I was a slowly eroding mess by age 50. I had gum disease that required deep scalings, with a prognosis that I would need to repeat the nasty procedure annually for the rest of my life. My triglycerides were through the roof. I ate regular meals but didn’t know much about nutrition back then. White flour foods and sweets were a part of my every day life. I had a long commute and did work that wasn’t the best fit for me and I was tired all the time.
While none of these things were immediately life-threatening, I share this with you because most of us don’t get very ill suddenly; for most of us it is a gradual process. A few extra pounds year after year, a quick diet to shed a few, and back they come. A medication for high blood pressure, leading to two or three more if that’s all we do to correct the problem. A statin, an anti-depressant, something for stomach acid, and a few more pounds. And while it’s rarely too late to improve your health, changing your lifestyle in your 50s is an ideal time to do it because usually your specific health risks have emerged by then.
The start of my health improvement happened when I learned that I could eat fresh fruits. All my life I thought I was allergic to them because I got hives in my mouth when I ate them. A colleague introduced me to organically grown fruit and to my surprise I didn’t get any hives. The culprit was not the fruit; it was the pesticide residue that remains on conventionally grown fruit. This was life-changing for me. The daily sweets were replaced with natural fructose from fresh fruits. Along with all the nutrients and fiber that came with the fresh fruit, eating them compensated for the refined sugars I’d been eating and I actually stopped craving them. It was magical to me, so much so that I had to learn more. I enrolled in nutrition school in the early 2000’s and learned how food is cultivated, in good ways and harmful ways. I also learned that a mindful approach to food and to how we are living are both keys to good health.
These changes in my personal life have given me a healthier, happier future. I’ve not had a deep scaling for more than 20 years, my triglycerides remain in normal range. The best part is that eating healthy is not a burden. It’s a way of life. In those earlier years I was not aware of how crummy I felt until I changed my food and started feeling better. My diet is far from perfect because I think perfection creates too much stress. Pleasure is an important part of life, so I aim for 90% quality food and relax on the rest.
HOW TO STAY HEALTHY TO 100
To remain healthy, it is especially helpful to take an honest assessment of how you are feeling. You live in your body. It’s your home. Stop and notice how you are feeling. Where do you need to make course corrections so when you look toward the rest of your life, you won’t be saddled with medications and aches and pains that limit your ability to enjoy the years ahead.
Our health care system is really a sick care system. It looks for what’s wrong. If you want to be well, you need to educate yourself. Read books on nutrition, not on weight loss. The Blue Zones, Eat for Life, Healthy Eating for Life for Women, (vegetarian) Food Becomes You. Take the life expectancy calculator designed by Thomas Perls, MD. Attend virtual webinars on health and wellness. The Marion Foundation has a terrific monthly program called Biobites with guest speakers covering all ways to manage your health. The more you give time and attention to topics related to health, nutrition and longevity the easier it will be for you to make any lifestyle changes you need to make.
If you can’t afford all organic fruits and vegetables, look to ewg.org for the list of produce that holds the least amount of pesticide residue. If you are a meat eater, avoid any meat containing antibiotics and added growth hormones, Make vegetables the main event on your dinner plate. Prepare your food yourself as much as possible and buy fresh. For anything packaged, look carefully at the ingredients panel - in many ways that’s more important than the calories per serving. You want to avoid enriched (white) flour, additives and chemicals and choose a packaged food that has whole grains and few or no chemical additives.
All of these little actions add up to big benefits.
Care about yourself enough to invest in yourself. Your being healthy will benefit everyone in your life.