New Years’ Resolutions for Health and Wellness

It is just about the first of January so this might be a good time to think about New Year’s resolutions related to health and wellness.

But first where did the concept of resolutions begin? We know the Babylonians used them in about 2,000 BC during the spring planting time. In their system they promised the gods to pay their debts and to do well by others.

Many cultures worried that the sun would not come back after the winter solstice. Perhaps the days would stay short or even get shorter. So, they prayed to the various gods to have the sun return. 

Julius Cesar started what we know today as the solar calendar. January was the first month and it was named after the god Janus who was two-headed. He could see the year to the rear and the year ahead. He was the god of doors and arches because, again, he could see forward and back. He was also very importantly the doorkeeper to heaven. So, the Romans promised Janus with resolutions of good character and to be good to others. 

In the Jewish tradition in the past and still today one spends the time from Rosh Hashana (the Jewish New Year) through Yom Kippur (the day of atonement) in prayer and reflection. Is it a time to ask forgiveness and to grant forgiveness and to look toward how one can do better in the coming year. 

As the Roman Empire embraced Christianity, the Roman form of resolutions was discarded in favor of reflecting on past mistakes and resolving to improve over the coming year. In the middle ages, the knights took what was known as the “peacock oath” - to maintain the tenants of chivalry.

Today most resolutions are not a compact with a God but rather with one’s self; the resolutions are mostly secular and focus on self-improvement. 

One might think it easy to keep a resolution that you have created for yourself; but it is not. In a 3,000 person poll a few years ago, fifty-two percent said at the beginning of the year that they were confident that they could keep their resolution(s.) However, eighty-eight percent failed. One technique that did help with success was to tell the resolution to others, to make it public. 

Since most of us would like to remain as healthy as long as possible and with that perhaps live a longer time then may I suggest that you consider “The 7 Keys to Healthy Aging” that have been noted here and there in these posts. Remember that they all involve lifestyle modifications toward good nutrition, regular exercise, stress reduction, enhanced sleep, no tobacco, intellectual challenges and social engagement. For more see "Longevity Decoded - The 7 Keys to Healthy Aging"  

As a resolution or two, consider to eat modestly, eat a wide variety of vegetables and fruits, and cut way back on sugar and white flour. Do not forget that healthy fats are important; they can be found in foods such as fish, nuts and seeds, avocados and olive oil. Include a long period of time between the last meal of the day and the first meal of the next day. Breakfast is “breaking the fast” and if that fast can be at least twelve hours that gives time for the cells of the body to do repair and maintenance, a very important function. 

As for exercise, it is worth doing both aerobic and resistance exercises on a regular basis. Just walking for thirty minutes five or six times per week is sufficient for aerobic exercise and doing some form of resistance exercise two or three times a week rounds it out. Sone high intensity interval aerobics twice a week will further augment value. There are many resistance exercises that one can do at home such as the plank, sit-ups, push-ups, and squats but it is worthwhile going to a local fitness center to get a more well-rounded muscular work-out. Push your muscles to exhaustion by 12 to 15 reps; take a break and repeat three or four times. 

Reducing chronic stress is absolutely essential but under emphasized. Among the possibilities are meditation, yoga, tai chi, massage, exercise again and deep breathing. 

Most people do not get enough sleep. Adults need about seven and half hours per night, more as an adolescent. This is when your brain cleans out toxins and organizes memory and sort of tamps down the negative emotional issues of the previous day or weeks. Commit to getting good sleep and in part do so by keeping the bedroom dark and quiet with no light or sound interruptions by cell phones, TV sets, etc. In the time before going to bed, avoid overly stimulating movies or TV shows. 

It is essential to have no tobacco at all. Those who smoke have about a decade less longevity. IT is not just lung cancer but many cancers and especially coronary artery disease and stroke. For the 20% of you who still do smoke, look for a smoking cessation counselor who can give you the assistance you need. 

The five keys just reviewed go for all parts of the body. The brain however needs those five plus two more. These are intellectual challenges and social engagement. Like any other organ it needs to be used to be maintained and strengthened. This might be with music, art, dance, learning a new language, whatever, as long as the brain is kept active and stimulated. As to social engagement, humans need to interact with others in an effective manner. The simplest approach here is to make and keep your friends. 

So, there it is, some health and wellness ideas for you to consider for  New Year’s resolution(s). Remember – do not try to do too much. Do not set yourself up for failure. Maybe you want to commit to going to the fitness center three days a week. Maybe getting out more with your neighbors and by interacting in various activities. Maybe working on better sleep. Whatever it is remember to say it out loud to others that this is something that you are going to be focused on. Your success rate will be much better. Making progress on any of these will benefit your health now, assist in preventing the onset of disease in later years and add to your longevity. Best wishes for your resolution successes. 

Aging Gracefully – Part 2 Slowing The Aging Process

Can we slow the aging process?  The answer is a definite yes and it all has to do with our lifestyles and behaviors.  Here is a quiz.  What percent of Americans can answer yes to all five of the following statements?

 

Here’s a clue.  We know that about 20% of Americans smoke so the highest answer you can give to this question is that 80% could answer yes to all five.  The actual answer may surprise you.  It did me.  Only 3% of Americans can answer yes to all five! 

Let’s return to bone mineral density.  The way to slow BMD decline is to exercise and to eat a nutritious diet.  (Vitamin D supplements may also be necessary for those in temperate climates who get little sunshine on their skin.) So instead of a 1% decline per year it can be more of a ½% decline per year.  On the other hand for couch potatoe that decline won’t be 1% but it may be more like 1½ to 2% per year.  The same goes for cognition.  There are certain adverse factors such as vascular conditions and the metabolic syndrome (a precursor to diabetes) and also the chemicals released through chronic stress that speed up cognitive decline.  But there are also protective factors which we can control ourselves.  These include being physically active, intellectually challenged, and socially engaged.  It may be a surprise that physical activity is important for cognition but it has been clearly demonstrated to be critical.  Intellectual challenge is different than reading a book, even a complex book.  That’s not a challenge.  But if you belong to a book club and have to actively defend your perspective and point of view that then becomes a challenge.  Socially engaged means being involved as a human being with other human beings.  This is something that is frequently lost during older years if isolation develops due to limited mobility, inability to drive, etc. 

So the essential steps of slowing the aging process are: Avoid tobacco and remember it’s never too late to quit.  Reduce chronic stress because the chemicals released from stress have a very adverse effect on many physiologic systems such as immune function.  Eat a nutritious diet.  Do cognitive exercises which challenge your intellect.  Remain socially well connected. Physical exercise should include aerobic activity of about thirty minutes five days per week (just simple walking is adequate); resistance or weight training 2-3 times per week and balance exercises 2-3 times per week. 

 

To summarize, there is a steady slow loss of physiologic function in most of our organs over time. It is possible to slow this 1% decline and with it the ultimate functional impairments. It is also possible to avoid or certainly delay age-prevalent diseases.  But in both cases it’s up to us.  It’s up to us to adjust our lifestyles and we preferably need to do so beginning at a young age. That said, it is never too late to begin a preventive program.  We can slow physical decline with exercise, diet and reducing stress.  We can avoid many diseases by not smoking. We can slow cognitive decline with physical activity, intellectual challenges and social engagement.  It’s worth it.

Next post – The importance of comprehensive primary care in managing the aging process.

Aging Gracefully – Part 1 The Normal Aging Process

It is possible to slow the aging process.  No there is no Fountain of Youth and no, there is no pill that’s been discovered.  It’s all about lifestyle and this means starting at an early age and sticking with it through the years. 

I was recently invited to give a talk to a group of about 100 individuals contemplating moving to a continuing care retirement community.  The topic - is it possible to slow the aging process?  I titled it “Aging Gracefully.”  Here are my thoughts divided into three major categories:  the normal aging process, slowing the aging process, and (in a post to follow) obtaining the very best comprehensive health care.  The talk was picked up by the Howard Times of the Baltimore Sun; the reporter’s article is available at this link:  http://bsun.md/1AtQW7E

 “Old parts wear out.”  That’s normal aging.  It’s universal, it’s progressive and, at least as we know it today, it is irreversible.  Most organ functions decline by about 1% per year.  Fortunately our organs have a huge redundancy and so we can afford the declines without illness.  But eventually if we live long enough and the process continues at the usual rate a point is reached at which functional impairment or actual disease presents. 

Let’s use bone mineral density and cognitive function as examples.  During our childhood and teenage years our bone mineral density increases and with it our bone strength.  It reaches a peak at about age 20 and plateaus and then by age 35 starts a slow but inexorable decline of about 1% per year.  Should we live long enough we will reach a point which we can call the “fracture threshold” meaning that if we fall it’s possible to break a leg or a bone in our back.  Of course that 1% decline per year is an average.  Some people decline faster and some people decline more slowly.  We’ll come back to that point.  The same goes for cognitive function.  We’re at a peak at about age 20 and then there is a long plateau with a slow decline such that by the time we’re in our 80’s or 90’s most people have some noticeable decline in cognition. 

There are certain impairments that come with aging such as reduced vision, reduced hearing and reduced mobility.  We might not consider these as true diseases.  However there is also an increased prevalence of chronic illnesses such as heart failure, cancer, chronic lung and kidney disease and diabetes.  They often manifest in older ages but they actually originated many years ago.  For example coronary artery plaque buildup begins in childhood but may not manifest itself as a heart attack until the late 60’s.  Similarly lung cancer is on average diagnosed at age 72 but the cause began way back as a teenager when the person first went back behind the garage for a smoke. (BTW, not all lung cancers are due to smoking but for those that are, it was a long slow process over time.) 

These chronic illnesses are largely due to our adverse behaviors, our lifestyles.  The four big behaviors that need to be addressed are nutrition, exercise, chronic stress and tobacco.  We could add other factors but especially inadequate dental hygiene and excessive alcohol. All too many of us have poor nutrition (e.g. packaged and processed foods, lack of fresh fruits and vegetables, etc.) and at the same time we eat too much of it.  Most Americans don’t get an adequate amount of exercise.  It seems that everyone has some level of chronic stress and 20% of Americans smoke. 

To summarize, there is a normal aging process wherein organs reduce their function by about 1% per year. This rate of decline is related, in part, to our lifestyles beginning when we are quite young. There are also age-prevalent chronic diseases that are also life style driven. Our personal agendas need to include attention to healthy living so that we can preserve wellness.

Next time – Slowing the Aging Process