Does anyone know the secret to a long and healthy life?

My grandmother was over 90 when she died, not healthy exactly but still involved in the community and able to live on her own until she tripped and broke her hip. Her sister lived to be over 100, but she had dementia the last 10 years or so and lived in a long term care home. Now my mom is 96, and she was also doing pretty well on her own until she was 90, but now is physically frail and has dementia. Odds are that I will have a very long life, escaping physical and mental infirmity would be a nice trick!
The UCIrvine 90 plus study has posted some interesting conclusions so far, I like the ones that say it is better to be overweight in your 70's and drink moderate amounts of alcohol and coffee, I think that is something I could manage! ;)

Well that sounds good. I'll have to check out that study.

I drink one cup of coffee per day and cut my alcohol way down. I used to have a glass or two or wine most evenings, but I now just drink at socials a couple of times a year. I may have to revisit that decision.

I have a ways to go before I'm in my 70's, but I dare say, I will have a few extra pounds when I get there. lol

My dad is 78 and my mom is 75 years old. They have pretty good mental and physical health, except my dad had bypass 15 years ago! He stays very active, sees doctor regularly and takes his meds. He eats lots of cookies and ice cream, but I leave him alone. It's his choice at this point.

It's What you put into it, cook, really cook heathy food,

. Contact with people, eating healthy, keeping up with your MD appointments, and a positive attitude will help a great deal.

We have a good deal of longevity in our family on both sides. My 95 year-old mother has had dementia since she was 90. I'm trying to avoid that, of course, but for 40 years, my husband and I have exercised, eaten whole foods taken vitamins, and enjoyed coffee and alcoholic beverages. We pursue new activities and lots of reading and music. We hope that this healthy lifestyle will ward off dementia, but honestly, the quality of life now is so good because we live this lifestyle, the journey has become as important as the goal.

I think some of it is heredity. My mother's one brother lived to be 103, had knee surgery at 100. he was still driving at 99 to church down the road, but the doctor didn't feel it was safe anymore at 100. Her sister only lived to 80 something. my father is 91 but he has dementia. worked hard all his life, never smoked/nor drank. I think it just all depends on the persons own body make up.

THERE IS NO SECRET! Each day is a gift and you make it the best you can for yourself.

No

There is an acronym for long-term health: CARE. It stands for Circulation, Assimilation, Relaxation, and Exercise.

ASSIMILATION includes diet, but it also includes thoughts and emotions. In other words, we are what we absorb. There is conflicting advice out there concerning diet. You may want to research it and decides what makes most sense to you. (I personally favor the ketogenic diet.) Also, as we age we tend to have insufficient stomach acid, which we need to break down food and absorb nutrients. Betaine hydrochloric acid (HCL) in capsule form is a blessing for many. Apple cider vinegar in water also helps many. Alkalizers like Tum's give instant relief but lead to long-term damage, since they lower an already low level of stomach acid.

RELAXATION includes sleep as well as fun activities and socialization. For many, it also includes prayer and meditation.

CIRCULATION and EXERCISE are closely related. We need to work our brains as well as our bodies to stay physically and mentally healthy.

God bless!

I'm not sure we are in control of anything in this world, but I do look at my cousin, who suffered VD mixed with AD at age 63. I try to avoid what she did, just in case.

She had a terrible diet for many years. She refused to even consider fruits and vegetables, except for bananas. She ate a diet rich in processed foods for years. She had no social life and would only leave the house once a week for groceries. She was disabled due to arthritis. She stopped coming to family gatherings. And her father suffered from dementia in his 70's.

I'm related to her on her mom's side, who died in her 80's with no dementia. She was a Type I diabetic from a young age and survived to that ripe age with no amputations, no blindness and no kidney failure! (For many years there were no portable blood meters. She eventually passed away from cancer.)

My parents are in their mid-90's and they use to walk 2 miles a day, come rain or shine, for decades.

We know that aging well is partly genetic. However, there is a lot to staying active, & walking is recommended art least 30 min. per day. We also know that smoking , eating refined sugar, and gorging ourselves on fatty, deep fried foods is also not healthy. Being connected socially is also very healthy. Meditation is especially beneficial for our brains. In other words, it is our individual responsibility to seek health, have our regular medical checkups, and also to basically be sensible about moderation with all things in our lives.

The secret is inside of all of us.God designed us to adapt everything we are involved in.
God has given us the human tools to strive and keep alive,in your life.And these rules are very simple.For examples: if you were a car,you would need to maintain this machine,so it can operate correctly.On the inside,you would keep it clean,neat,wiping down the windows and vacuum the seat and floor.On the outside,you would go to the car wash,give it a waxing,check for scratches and dents,and so.Under the hood,which is the heart of this car...there are numberous areas to check....so it runs smoothly.
We,as humans need to do the same thing.On the inside....we eat good and healthy foods,drink a lot of water,milk and juices,don't smoke or do drugs,(that's really not necessary for living), and take medications,if need be.Do puzzles for your brain,do exercise for your body,take long showers to cleanse all toxins from your day,and take a walk for your lungs and legs.Be apart of life!!!! For your outsides...wear lovely clothes,( it will pick up your spirits),use gentle shampoos and get your hair styled,stay out of excessive sun,and lose weight,if need be.And don't forget to pray.Bring God in your life and become a heart and soul member with him.Go on outings with friends,join social groups,do well at your job and accomplish positive attitudes and goals.Go to adult colleges and join a class about something new to learn.Meet new people.Sleeping is very important for a healthy body and mind.Remember when your parents taught you manners...like say please and thank you....well it still applies today,as adults.Keep kindness as a rule and do it! Basically,the secret is no secret.It doing good everyday and loving life,so you can continue your life for another day.Now,there are some that can't follow these rules,due to physical &/or mental limitations.And we hope they are not alone to strive for themselves.We hope their Caregivers,Parents,Teachers,Babysitters,
Siblings,and other people to this person,can help them experience a good life as well.
That's it! Stay true to yourself.And don't forget to smile! M : )

The sad thing is that some people do all the right things and then get hit with AD or cancer out of nowhere. It's so cruel. I can't see why that makes sense in any universe

We live in a fallen world and such are decaying and will experience death at some point. Rains on the righteous and unrighteous alike. Having said that, I do think the poster who mentioned CARE along with others are onto something. Beyond good genes, I do think how well we eat, exercise, meditate, pray, read scripture for those inclined and protect our thought life and emotions are paramount to living well and managing stress.

The stress part is the biggest for me and something I work on, especially breathing. Getting better at watching my breath when under stress. I work on my laptop for work all day but I get up about every hour or sooner and walk/pace around for about 10 minutes. This is in addition to working out in the mornings which helps get my mind and body in gear in the right direction.

My parents are often negative and yet they are well into their 80s which is beyond me sometimes. Both they both have longevity genes too I think. After mom developed Type 2 diabetes it has been a struggle though she has done well to get to 86 years. She ate A LOT of carbs, processed stuff and rarely exercised at all except for yoga on occasion. Dad did better but stubborn and often would not follow up with his doctor so it took a crisis to get his attention.

My husband was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago (desmoid tumor in the stomach) at 43. It was too big to operate or treat too aggressively, so he's been on low dose of tamoxifen and sulindac, but really cleaned up his diet, take his supplements and rests well. In that time the oncologist is still stunned at how rapid the tumor has shrunk. Said with the meds alone it normally takes 3 to 4 years to see the level he's at now. Started out the size of a duck-pin, now the size of a lime. Just never know.

Sunnygirl1: Generally, long life goes hand in hand with your genes, e g. I didn't take after my father's genes as he died when he just 50 of a massive coronary. I tend to have my mom's genes as she lived to be 94.

My brother was just 16 when our dad died and although he cut out salt, became a vegan and a 26 mile marathon runner, he was faced with a quad bypass at age 50 (bypasses weren't available in 1967 for my dad).

Sunnygirl1: Good genes are your strongest assest.

Many good suggestions here. I would just add my own personal and adamant concern about the extent of processed foods proliferating in the food chain, the myriad chemicals added not only to food but to everyday items such as household furnishings and some building materaisl, the use of toxins and pesticides on crops (read up on glyphosate and see what it does), the trend toward communicating electronically instead of the positive energy shared by in person contact, the loss of self sufficiency mechanisms and tools (and I don't consider running around on a survival show self sufficiency).

Lastly, avoid listening to political candidates, especially in a pre-election year.

Heredity plays the biggest factor...Diet, activity and just generally being upbeat seems to help. My grandmothers both lived independent lives well into their 90's. Taking care of yourself, loving a lot of people and being interested in everything! Luck. Don't smoke. Sleep! Eat some chocolate every day. Just my opinion.

I agree genes are the #1 asset. After that don't fret about the length of life but the quality of it.
Celebrate every moment of life now, rather than planning on extending it. Don't put off doing things that are important to you until a better time. If they are in your head make this the time.
My late partner & I were together 20 years, he then proposed in December with a beautiful ring he designed and commissioned. Absolutely not his usual thing to do :~) Because he was 19 years older than me we decided to wait to marry until I turned 50 which would be 2 months later in Feb. So we set the date for Feb a year on just before my 51st birthday. We had such fun planning our wedding and a month long honeymoon traveling in Ireland.
He died unexpectedly in April exactly 4 months after we got engaged. That was 7 years ago and yes, I do regret that we waited. I was his wife in every way except for a piece of paper that sadly the absence of has caused my life to be very different to our plans.
So now I don't worry about a long life, just about doing what's important now.

Such a secret does not exist except in the idealistic seekers after an ever elusive fountain of youth which never did and does not exist.

I say this because by my junior year of college, I had reached a level of health via exercise and healthy nutrition that my dad described as semi Olympic. However, I wasn't training for anything. It was my way of dealing with stress in my life and I liked being in such good shape.

That same year I almost died from an almost fatal bicycle accident cause by a freshman not looking before he crossed the street where I was going down the hill and he stepped out from between two parked cars. My neurologist said that my pre accident health did help me, but he considered my living and living without any but the slightest degree of brain damage was a miracle. . It is a mystery to me why the very sick baby who the same group of folks who were praying for me were also praying for the baby, yet the baby died and I lived.

There are just too many variables of things that can go wrong in this fallen world.

Sometimes, we create our own bad experiences by our bad choices and poor judgement that leads us to make mistakes. Those actions are often not without some impact on others either directly or indirectly.

Likewise, somethings that happen to us are caused by the bad choices and poor judgement of others.

There are things that I consider about as pure an accident as one could be. My example is the death of my second cousin. She was doing her job of delivering the mail and suddenly dropped dead at the door when I random bullet hit her in the head and killed her instantly. Where did the bullet come from? A policeman's gun. Why was the gun fired? Because he was shooting at a criminal feeling the site of a crime. I'm sure the policeman felt bad and likely guilty, but it was not his fault. I don't believe that God caused this because God needed another angel in heaven. For one thing, people don't become angels.

Another cause of suffering and evil in the world which we in the west tend to deny comes directly from the evil one himself, Satan, who has always come to steal, kill and destroy.

So, long life is only a probability in light of things we don't have control of like heredity and other events in our lives caused by any of the four listed above, plus things we do have control of like the care we give to our bodies and minds over the years.

Also, a lot can be said for preparing for old age by the way we live now so that we have a sense of a life well lived instead of a sense of total despair. Overall, it matters more how we chose to respond to what takes place in our life than the events themselves. I often tell my young sons to seek to live well with the choices they make as they decide things and as they respond to what life throws at them. I believe that more important than just how long we live is how we are living when we reach old age.

So, I think it is better to aim at living well so that one reaches old age with a sense of contentment with one's life overall instead of seeking to just see how long one can possibly live.

Well, that's probably enough deep thought for several weeks! :)

Keep having birthdays.

One word prayer

20% of our health is due to genes. 80% of our health is due to epigenetics, which is how our life style effects gene expression. We can break the cycle of "inherited" chronic ailments through life style changes. But for many people, life style changes are the hardest adjustments to make. It takes commitment to eat right, think right (includes prayer and meditation), exercise, and even socialize.

A friend of my mother's is 95, lives alone, continues to work (she's a painter of some distinction) and is not even deaf. There's hope for us all.

whether you believe in the Almighty or karma or whatever, each one of us has a purpose in life and the length of our life is determined the day we are born. Why does a baby die and why does someone survive a horrible accident? We are just fulfilling our purpose. sometimes we are lucky enough to see what that is and sometimes we never know. we need to believe that we are here for a reason and do our best everyday. a friend of mine became pregnant when her children were in college. she was amazed but of course welcomed the child. Several years later she discovered she had a brain tumor and died very quickly. her husband has always said that the late in life child helped him focus and get thru the tragedy. that was the purpose.

I believe having a sense of purpose, I don't think it is all predetermined. That's too fatalistic for me.

If prayer were the sole answer then monks and nuns would be outliving everyone.

I agree with you; good observations and insights.

I think you can do everything in your power to stay healthy and follow all of life's good principles and still die young. And vice versa. I believe in Karma. What you do and how you treat people will come back to you tenfold.

I'd rather live a short happy life than a long sad one.