Gladys McGarey, MD is the author of The Well Lived Life; A 102-Year-Old Doctor’s Six Secrets to Health and Happiness At Any Age. In it she describes seven strategies for living a long healthy and productive life…
Three of these strategies include walking when walking isn’t easy…move even when you sit. Yes, there are mobility challenges as one ages but that should not be an excuse to become sedentary. Dr. McGarey walks 3,800 steps a day with a walker and she rides an adult tricycle rather than a bicycle. She states that she is often in motion even when she is not going anywhere such as wiggling around in a chair and not being totally still. Certain studies show that habitually sitting for more than seven hours a day increases mortality risk.
Another strategy involves eating a diet that leaves you feeling healthy but don’t deprive yourself of foods that you love. Find what foods make you feel your best. There is no secret ingredient or diet supplement that unlocks a long healthy life. The key is to pay close attention to how you feel when you are eating a particular way. Settle on foods and portion sizes that make you feel physically at your best. There are things that she enjoys that have no real health benefits which are Ok in moderation and don’t make one feel noticeably worse.
Another strategy involves getting in touch with people through touch. Physical touch is comforting and good for our health. A research study from Carnegie Mellon University found that hugging reduces the odds of contracting respiratory infections, perhaps because physical contact reduces stress and stress can harm the immune system. If daily hugs are not possible, get a pet or even a house plant. Full body massages are also excellent for managing stress and they stimulate the lymphatic system which plays a prominent role in keeping the body healthy. Even a single massage session can improve the lymphatic system .
I will talk about the remaining findings for living a long and healthy life in a future blog post. Stay tuned!
If you need to live a more healthy lifestyle and are interested in hypnosis or life coaching, please contact me at 361.442.9590 or [email protected]