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LIVE
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1993-02-10
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LIVE HAPPIER AND LONGER
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Within the next few minutes you will learn how you can
enhance and lengthen your life. The second segment is about
free radicals and what to do about them. At the end of this
section, you will find a brief summary.
Doctors are beginning to unlock the secrets of longevity.
These days, it isn't enough to live longer, people also want
to live fuller, more vital lives. How is that done? Well,
it's never really "done." It's a life-long process. There
are many factors you can work with. The strongest changes are
made within your own mind. Changing your attitude and diet
and beginning to exercise can give you tangible and
noticeable results within a few weeks. It takes a heartfelt
desire and a total commitment to achieve optimal health.
Also, it takes patience, and a willingness to allow yourself
the time you need to make the changes necessary to have a
fulfilling life.
Allow yourself and loved ones to be who and where they
are now. Give them unconditional, not possesive, controlling
"love." Someone once said that help was the sunny side of
control! Encourage them to help themselves.
If you find yourself wanting to control your friends or
loved ones, consider changing yourself. There are many
support groups that are offered at no or very low cost. You
can find out where and when these groups meet in your local
weekend newspaper. Often times, a layperson, a minister or a
friend that will listen to you is all you need. There are
many counselors who specialize in short-term therapy. Get a
referral from a trusted source.
Changing Yourself
Studies have shown that people who learn, grow and have
passionate interests and goals live longer. No matter what
your age, It's even possible to raise your I.Q. just by
exercising regularly! It probably has something to do with
increasing nourishing blood and oxygen flow to the brain.
And, you can grow biologically younger at any age by
building muscle and dropping fat. Furthermore, various
studies have shown that those who are severely under or
overweight have the shortest life. Those whose weight is
just below average live the longest. The best health
insurance is to play, create and be productive every day! It
is well worth the effort to invest in yourself - read on and
see why.
It's Not Too Late:
* Six days before he died at age 89, Michelangelo was
carving the Pieta.
* Verdi was 85 when he composed "Ave Maria".
* At age 80, Grandma Moses had her first one-woman show.
* Sportswoman and author, Marion Hart, learned to fly at 54
and made seven nonstop solo flights across the atlantic,
one in 1975 when she was 85!
* Until she was 75, Martha Graham performed. She
choreographed her 180th work at age 95.*
* Reprinted with permission from the May/June, 1992 of
Delicious! Magazine, a publication of New Hope Communications
in Boulder, Colo.
The people mentioned above, didn't even have the benefit
of the knowledge we have today about nutrition, attitude,
safety, and so on! There's no telling how long you can live!
According to recent research, doing what you love to do,
not what everyone expects you to do, can add years and
happiness to your life. Doing what you want will not only
bring you joy, it will give you energy. The energy you need
to create the life you REALLY want. Not only will you be
happier living the life you love, you will be healthier!
One banker in his mid-fifties found this out in a
dramatic way. He was dying from leukemia. One day, during
a therapy session, he told the psychologist that as a child
he had dreamed of becoming a professional violinist. His
father vehemently told him no. He told his then young son
that it was "too feminine." Near death's door, the banker
began to play the violin, and his leukemia mysteriously went
into remission.
Take a hint from our banker friend - express yourself!
Live with a passion! You'll be a lot healthier for it.
Live the life you want to live. Learn to play your favorite
musical instrument. Sing the song you've always wanted to
sing. Say the words you've been longing to say. Join a
theatre or singing group, take a dance class, go out
dancing or just dance around the house, roller skate, write
a song, write a story, begin that novel, travel to your dream
destination, take up juggling, check out your local community
center for art, sculpture, pottery or other crafts classes,
check out your YMCA for coed volleyball and other fun and
beneficial activities, try playing ping pong, badminton,
softball, tennis, basketball and other sports without scoring
- it's much more fun that way! Run on the beach or through
the woods, enjoy a sunset, roll down a green grassy hill,
climb a tree, wade in a creek, bang on a drum, jump rope - do
whatever delights the child in you. Be outrageous! On the
scientific side - recent studies have shown that there is a
direct relationship between one's physical activity level and
actual life span.
Live Longer With a Pet
Petting an animal can lower your blood pressure and
relax you. By reducing your body's manufacture of
adrenalin, it causes the heart to pump with less force.
Thereby, your pet can have much the same beneficial effect on
your system as meditation. Pets can reduce stress and
alleviate depression. They can help people become more
confident and communicative by being non-judgmental
listeners.
For those living alone, pets provide companionship and a
sense of safety. They give people the experience of
unconditional love and acceptance. Also, animals give a
person something to nurture and care for. And they ignite
feelings of joy and amusement. Pets can bring out the
playful child in you. They're also great for teaching young
people basic responsibility and more importantly, about being
kind and gentle. Pets are powerful for seniors, too.
According to psychologist Judith Siegel, a public health
professor at UCLA, seniors with pets see the doctor less than
those that don't have pets.
We can gain some very comforting benefits from living
longer. Those 55 and older have fewer episodes of depression,
according to Margaret Gatz, Ph.D., a University of Southern
California psychologist. Also, there's typically more time
to pursue hobbies and interests you didn't have time for when
you were working 40 or more hours a week. It's a wonderful
time to get more in touch with your inner self and it's
needs.
There is also a wisdom and a freedom to be more of who we
are. We no longer obsess over what other people think of us.
We have learned to accept ourselves. We live our lives more
honestly and openly then. We conduct our life from our inner
truths rather than from the demands and "truths" of those
around us. Here's another plus - research reported in
Executive Edge newsletter says that mid-life crisis has been
far overrated!
"What About Free Radicals?"
Even though oxygen is our very breath of life - it is
also responsible for aging since it oxidizes in the body.
The free radicals in our body are mostly toxic oxygen
molecules. They are molecules that bind to and destroy
cellular compounds. They can contribute to aging and
disease. Free radicals can critically damage cells. Dietary
antioxidants like beta carotene, flavonoids (in fruits and
vegetables), vitamins C, E and minerals like zinc and
selenium and amino acids, and taking other health measures
could deactivate free radicals and may lengthen your lifespan
by as much as 35 years. In addition to these, the following
herbs can be especially beneficial to people 50 and over:
echinacea, gingko biloba (improves tissues blood and oxygen
supply to the tissue) garlic, astraglus, and ashwagandha work
to maintain a healthy liver and central nervous,
cardiovascular, and immune systems.
Free radicals are generated by environmental pollutants
and toxic elements like second-hand smoke, cigarettes, lack
of "proper" nutrition, alcohol, coffee, fried food (simply
heating polyunsaturated oils to a high temperature can
hydrogenate them - thus turning into a free radical),
barbecued and charbroiled foods, rancid or stale oils,
pesticides, solvents found in some household cleaning fluids,
paints, furniture polish, car exhaust, acid rain, hazardous
wastes, toxic fumes, petroleum-based products, radiation
(including x-rays and microwave), excess sun, physical
overexertion (especially in cities) frequent illness,
anesthetics, chronic infection, emotional stresses such as
worry and depression.
If you live in a rural area, you're likely to be safer
free radical-wise than if you live in a heavily
trafficked area.
Although free radicals are a minor factor in aging -
improper diet, lack of exercise, negative thinking and
unhealthy lifestyle contribute in a major way. So, eat,
think, live "better" and enjoy a long and happy life! Please
refer to "Nutrition" on the main menu for further information.
Life Extension
In one particular food, blue green microalgae, Japanese
biochemists have found a factor responsible for an increase
in sustained physical and mental energy, and for rebalancing
cellular metabolism. It's called the "controlled growth
factor." The growth factor is not only a general tonic which
especially seems to affect the body's upper glands such as
the thymus, but has specifically evidenced power as a tonic
for life extension, increasing the life span of laboratory
mice by 50%. Again, see Nutrition on the main menu for more
information about blue green algae.
In another well-documented study, researchers fed rats
only 60 percent of the food they would eat if they were
allowed all they wanted, and they lived 40 percent longer
than normal. Also, the National Institute of Aging put
rhesus and squirrel monkeys on a diet containing two-thirds
of the calories fed to control monkeys. After four years of
calorie chopping, the leaner monkeys were healthy and
matured slower than the well-fed group. This suggest that
thinner primates, and probably thinner people, age more
slowly.
Along the same lines, experts state that a vigorous
digestive system is crucial for a long, healthy life. Colon
cancer is second to lung cancer for leading cause of cancer
death in the U.S. Three out of 100 people over 75 have colon
cancer. A healthy colon is easy attainable by following a
common-sense eating and exercise plan. You do not need to
eat a lot to take care of your colon, it's what you eat that
matters. Lots of roughage, found in greens and whole grains,
helps keep this part of your body healthy. For more details,
I'll refer you to Linda Berry, D.C.'s book - "A Practical
Guide to Colon Health, Botanica Press.
Summary
All of the information we have covered within this disk
relating to nutrition, exercise, relaxation, prevention,
positive mental attitude, laughter and play ALL contribute to
longevity and a better quality of life. Be encouraged, every
step you take will be richly rewarded.
NOTE: For more information on longevity, look to
"Longevity" - a magazine and practical guide to the art and
science of staying young. available at your local library
and bookstores.
End of file.