What it Takes to Defy Aging

We all want to just be able to take a pill and feel, look, and be younger. I also would like to buy a lottery ticket and win millions. The pill may happen in your lifetime. But in the meantime, the solution is a little more complicated. My take is that you need a four-pronged approach:

1. Target your Weakest Link
Ask yourself, "If I were to develop a health problem that is life threatening or compromises my quality of life, what would it be? That is you weakest link. For example, about fifteen years ago I was having a lot of problems with herniated discs and the problem kept getting worse. I decided to do whatever it takes to resolve the problem. I consulted with several posture experts who showed me exercises to improve my posture. I haven't had any significant back problems since then. If you have a family history of cancer, you need to study up on it and take preventive measures. If you have a family history of heart disease, you need to pay special attention to prevention. If you have chronic sinus problems you may need to frequently irrigate your sinuses. Just as a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, your weakest link is what will do you in.

Sometimes sports or exercise can be harmful. Jogging, for example, can be good exercise, but not if it destroys your knee cartilage. Head butting a soccer ball is an invitation to subtle brain damage. If you have had injuries from sports in the last five years, you should question whether the sport is really healthy for you.

3. Healthy Eating
This is the most controversial area as expert advice is often very contradictory. There is some consensus. Virtually all the experts agree that keeping blood sugar levels as stable as possible promotes health and prevents diabetes. That's why so much attention is being given to the glycemic index of food. Virtually all of the experts agree that most Americans need to eat more fruits and vegetables. It is important to ask what health problems you are at risk for and make sure your diet helps combat the problem.

Because you cannot count on our food giving us the vitamins and minerals you need, almost everyone should take a good multiple vitamin. Increasingly, better products include anti-oxidants. A comprehensive vitamin should be a foundation and makes sure vitamins and minerals are in balance. For example, just taking calcium for stronger bones may be ineffective if you do not have the vitamin and minerals (and hormones) that help your bones absorb and use the calcium. Once you have the foundation of a comprehensive vitamin, ask if there are any other supplements are indicated. For example if you tend to have urinary track infections, you might want to drink cranberry juice or take a cranberry juice supplement. Finally, if you are taking medications, check to see if they deplete certain vitamins or minerals, e.g., statin medications deplete CoQ10.

4. The Mental Game
The marketplace tends to ignore the mental game as it isn't a profit center. That's a shame because this is one of the easiest to change of the four areas-if you know how. How you think has a profound effect on how you feel, look, and function. Let me give an example. Only one-third of Americans say they want to live to 100. Why? Many imagine a hundred as being in a wheelchair in a nursing home, with your mind rotting away with Alzheimer's disease, and nursing home food being the highlight of the day. If that were the future, I wouldn't want to live to 100 either. Knowing that it is possible to be healthy, active, and enjoy life in your hundreds motivates us to take care of ourselves now. As Satchel Paige put it, "If I had know I was going to live so long I would have taken better care of myself."

The mental game is about our ABCs-Attitudes, Beliefs and Coping Skills. Attitudes include optimism, gratitude, dealing with problems, and embracing lifelong learning and change. I have identified 36 beliefs that foster growing young and living with purpose. One is thinking of yourself as someone who makes new friends at every age and acting on that belief. Otherwise it is depressing to have your circle of friends shrink as you outlive them or lose touch with them. Coping skills include always having a sense of purpose and effectively dealing with friends and family dying.

Like a weakest link, ignoring any of these areas can greatly compromise your longevity and the quality of your life. Attending to them gives you a good shot at living a long, healthy, happy life well into your hundreds. 

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Dr. Michael Brickey, The Anti-Aging Psychologist, teaches people to think, feel, look and be more youthful. His is an inspiring keynote speaker and the Oprah-featured author of Defy Aging and 52 baby steps to Grow Young. Visit www.NotAging.com for a free report on secrets for being more youthful and a free newsletter with practical anti-aging tips.