Aging is Not a Disease

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Episode 490 of the Paul Truesdell podcast. It is Monday, October 6. Let's begin, Paul take it away.

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Well, good morning, good afternoon, good evening. Welcome to another edition of the Paul Truesdell podcast. This is not the Clarence McKee Gil McGillicuddy podcast, but Clarence McGee McGillicuddy, yeah, he has his own podcast, so we're not going to jump in on that. Listen. Let's get started with something I've talked a lot about and talk a little bit about Aging. Aging is not a disease. Now, I've talked with a lot of you about this. Do not check out. Okay, don't check out. Aging is a process, okay? It's one that we can influence more than most people realize. Now, living longer, living happier and well, living healthier, begins with understanding how the body and brain evolve with time, and how to make those changes work for us instead of well, working against us. Now I'm in my 60s, of course, and growing older begins shifts. We have a shift in our strength, our speed and our recall. And sometimes younger people get angry at us when we don't recall something. But you know, and I know, that if you say a word, sometimes, well, what comes to mind are three or four different things. Yeah, someone might say the word recall, for example. Well, we might think of Total Recall or a recall. When you were in the military, you had to get called back to service or being laid off, and you got recalled. So when someone says, I want you to recall something again, that word has multiple meanings, but it also aging. Growing older brings wisdom, calm and perspective. At least it should. The mind becomes less reactive and more balanced. Emotional storms fade into quiet clarity. The challenge is not to stop aging. That's not going to stop but to change the way we look at it. We want to age with purpose, with discipline, to take an active role in shaping the years ahead. Denying it is not good. Okay? Just embrace it now. Modern neuroscience, that's a big word, right? Neuroscience reveals that the human brain remains adaptable throughout life. It does this. Adaptability is called neuroplasticity, which simply means that we can learn new skills, we can change habits, and we can strengthen positive traits well into the later decades. Oh, it's not easy, but can be done. Personality, by the way, is not fixed. It's not really, isn't patience, curiosity and conscientiousness can actually be developed with well, deliberative effort. And these traits, well, directly correlate to a longer health span. Does now aging well, starts with behavior. One Stay curious. One of the things I would encourage you to do is to attend one of our casual cocktail conversations. We put these on, really for people who are curious. People are looking to try something new. They want to talk to new people. They want to continue to build associations make more and spend less. You know, things do change and get better over time, because, well, a connection, in various connections, what they do is they keep the brain and the body alive now a flexible, open minded mindset, yeah, it lowers stress hormones. It protects the heart, it stabilizes the mood. I said one time to a group of single, widowed and divorced ladies, predominantly, I said, Don't get into a rut. Don't continue to stay with these grief groups, because they become pity parties. Oh, that's upset. One lady who was the head of the group. I knew that was going to happen, but I had to be said, okay, because you have to stay flexible, you have to be open minded, and that's how you lower your stress hormones, and you'll live longer without heart issues and your mood. You'll be a lot more fun to be around. Now, those who remain socially and mentally engaged consistently show lower rates of disease and cognitive decline. They just do, sit in the house, watch news channels, do not exercise, eat cruddy food. Watch what happens now. Nutrition also matters, and you've heard me say on a daily basis, engage in strength, endurance and flexibility, training with natural keyword, natural nutrition, hydration, everything in moderation, okay, but that's not the way social media and fads suggest No. The real foundation is moderation. Eat real food, control your portions, and you know, things like olive oil. Oil, fish, vegetables and good protein for bone strength. You know, it just works. Stay hydrated, avoid the trap of chasing these miracle diets, avoid carbonation, avoid excessive alcohol, really, and just simply restrict calories. A little bit, a little bit here, a little bit there, makes all the difference in the world. So awareness of what you eat has proven to really support longevity. No fans or buts about it. So effectively, it's about having a cleanse, just being clean with what you eat. Now, let's talk a little bit about medicine. I don't know about you, but I'll make it really simple. In medicine, keep it simple. For example, walking consistently improves cardiovascular function. It stimulates creativity. I get up and walk every single day. Rarely do I get less than 10,000 steps. I walk with a notepad. I walk with my phone. I make notes, I think I'm connect the dots. That's my time when I connect the dots. So here's what I want you to do, engage in the parts of the brain that are tied to coordination and memory. When's the last time you did a jumping jack? When was last time you did a squat? How about those Up Downs? Remember we did those in the high school or in college, for those of you played pro ball, when's the last time you did that? How about lifting some weight? About doing a little bit of a jog? I don't have the whole lot. Maybe just running from one end of your house to the other. If you haven't done that in a couple years, maybe you might want to try that. When's the last time you stood on one leg? When's the last time you basically stretched out every possible body part you have, it's about staying in motion. If you don't use it, it's going t