It’s Not Over Until It’s Over

A young woman often asks, “How can I put old on hold?” She’s understandably annoyed if I tell her to read my book. The questioner usually expects a quick and easy magic answer.

It’s easy if you start early in life and follow through with a growth-oriented mindset,  diet, and lifestyle. But Before anything else, you have to ask and  answer  some essential questions:

1. Do you think it’s possible to put old on hold? Most people would answer “no”. If you can’t believe it’s possible, that’s the end of the discussion. You will accept prevailing cultural norms that will eventually end in traditional decline. Your chronological age is not the culprit. It cannot change or do anything except keep track of dates of events in our lives. It’s a calendar that can’t cause a decline. It’s what goes on in your brain and subconscious mind that matters.

Nasty genetic issues often surface later in life. Frequently, they can be mitigated with the right mindset, lifestyle, and sheer determination. I was born with severe scoliosis, which is now making itself known. However, I will not allow it to rule or ruin my life. I’m availing myself of the fantastic help currently available.

2. 2. You must want to do it because you see the value in the effort. Do you have a positive “can do” attitude/personality that motivates and boosts your determination? Even if you don’t think you do, you probably have more “get up and go” than you think.
3. If possible, you must start early, preferably by your thirties. It’s going to take constant work, education, and determination. It’s not easy — be prepared to live and be different from your family, neighbors, and friends. This is difficult, if not impossible, for most people.

 When I started my put old on hold journey, there was just one health food store in my area – Lindbergs – where I discovered delicious Tiger’s Milk bars. Simple supplements like  Kelp, Rose Hips for vitamin C,  and Dolomite were the rage. Health food stores were yet to dot the landscape. I read “Prevention” magazine when its originator, J.I. Rodale, was at the helm. Today, Prevention magazine carries ads from Big Pharma. J.I. Rodale must be spinning in his grave.

4. You must develop a new way to think and live. You will learn to eat better – not more- than everyone else- not just once in a while, but consistently as a way of life. Many people eat for entertainment today, and constant over-eating eventually causes various problems, starting with obesity. You will read books such as “Lifespan” by David A. Sinclair and teach yourself about the necessary food supplements. Your supplement choices will change as you learn about new anti-aging research developments.
5. You will engage in some exercise consistently and drink lots of water. Coffee and coke don’t count. Exercise is critically important. Over the years, I have purchased almost every piece of exercise equipment advertised on T.V. I still have and use Tony Little’s Gazelle. You can’t beat a Total Gym if you can buy and use one.
6. At retirement age, you must decide on ONE OF TWO OPTIONS FOR YOUR FUTURE that most people are unaware of. It’s like the best-kept secret that only a few understand.

This is what happens if you choose Option # 1 to retire into a “normal” leisure-oriented retirement lifestyle:

All psychological, physiological, mental, physical, emotional, perceptual, and hormonal processes undergo a significant downward shift to accommodate a new reality you are entering. In other words, your body starts to shut down -decline-  in anticipation of your chosen, more leisurely lifestyle.

If you choose Option #1, the decline begins so slowly and relentlessly that you don’t realize it’s happening. ” It culminates in the “usual ” decline you see in older years.

It’s entirely different if you choose Option #2:

If you are tired at retirement age, you take six or more months to help recuperate from the stress of the work years. Then, you get on with something productive or creative you might want to do, other than live a leisure -oriented lifestyle for the rest of your life. With Option #2,  “NORMAL” OLD AGE DECLINE WILL BE INFINITELY DELAYED. You will stay healthier, stronger, and more alert for far longer. Without question, you will be an anomaly. I can say that because I chose option #2 when I stopped working at age 76, not because I wanted to, but because I wanted to take care of my ailing husband.

At age 92, I had an epigenetic test to determine my biological age. This test determines the health and vitality of your body’s organs and cells. It showed my biological age was 74. I also had a telomere test, and it determined that biologically,  I was 70. Learning about epigenetics and telomeres and getting a test for yourself would be advantageous. (See  TruDiagnostic.com) How I have lived since my thirties and the productive lifestyle I followed for so many years is paying off.

The beautiful thing about all of this is that you have free will. You can make changes if you want to. If you chose a leisure-oriented lifestyle at retirement age, but ten years later, you are still relatively healthy but bored and dissatisfied with your life, you can decide to live a productive lifestyle at some level of activity and to some extent. Remember, it’s not over until it’s over! You have more power and control over your life than you imagine. It may take some guts and fierce determination — just do it, or at least try. It’s a matter of how much you want to enjoy life, free of retirement-induced  “old age ” decline. YOU can do it!