I am turning 70 on Monday. I guess that makes me an official senior citizen. I don't feel like a senior citizen. Inside my head, I feel like I am about 36. I have passed the young and stupid/adventurous phase of life, but I am still insatiably curious about everything. I haven't figured everything out yet, but I still have hope that one of these days it will all make sense. I have come to appreciate that old phrase The more you know, the more you know you don't know. The ignorance of youth and my illusion of imminent understanding is a glorious memory of bygone days. Life really seemed simpler back then. Was it?

I recall back when I turned 65 I had to come to grips with the reality that I was no longer on the climb to my peak. Peak had already come and gone and now I was in the sliding down the hill phase of life. A couple of years later I decided to kick back a bit at work, so I reduced my hours to half-time. Strangely, I don't seem to have any more free time than I did before... what's with that? I have not slipped down to the old person pattern I frequently see of only being able to accomplish one activity per day. But on the other hand, I discovered Youtube and that wastes an hour or two very easily each day. Lately, I have been researching the best methods for growing sweet potatoes. Yeah, what does that tell you? 

One of the weird things that starts creeping into your consciousness as you age is a concern for losing quality of life due to health issues. Gone are the days of invulnerability. Now you start to feel the consequences of doing too much. Joints start to complain far too easily from doing things that used to be no problem. Right now I am noticing folks I know that are manifesting various health concerns that are serious. A couple of years ago, Dr. Fisher whom I used to trade adjustments, up and died on me without so much as a farewell note. He just went to bed one night and did not happen to wake up. I have had many old patients that have passed on as well. That is just weird to me. I will never see them again.

Last week Ellen and I watched a good documentary series on Netflix called The Blue Zones. I recommend it. It was looking at the lifestyles of folks that live in areas of the earth where people have a tendency to live a long time. Initially, the author was looking for what the magic food or herb was that conferred this longevity. But as he traveled from one place to another, he discovered that food was not the major factor, lifestyle was. Psychological factors were more important than what they ate. This reminded me of some feedback I got many years ago from one of the dietitians who ran the extensive Dr. Ornish program for reversing coronary artery disease in the Bay area. The interesting piece I got from her was that of the many people who followed the dietary program of whole plant-based foods for reversing heart disease, the only ones who got good results were the ones who also attended the weekly support meetings and engaged the mind-body techniques that were offered. The program got such good results that eventually even Medicare started paying for the program. But at the time all that was promoted in the press was the diet. In truth, it was the support group participation that made the difference.

The importance of connection to friends and family is one of the major factors that determines our health as we age. The other really big point made in the Blue Zone program was the importance of having a purpose for being alive. People who live into their nineties and hundred plus, keep on working in some way till the very end. They might be working their farm, volunteering, helping to raise grandkids and great-grandkids, or engaging in meaningful participation in their lives. They had reasons to stay alive that involved contribution. One thing that I really noticed in every culture this docuseries visited was how much these older people laughed and enjoyed participating with others. We have become very isolated in this country. Fifty years ago the average person had 4 or 5 good friends they saw regularly. Twenty-five years ago that number had dropped to 2 to 3 good friends. The latest poll has shown that that number has dropped to maybe one but more commonly zero friends people get together with regularly. With our hearts being so starved for connection, it is no wonder that heart disease is our number one killer.

The third big factor in staying healthy is movement, regular easy movement. We were doing better during the Covid lockdown. I was seeing all sorts of folks walking the streets whether they had a dog or not. Now all those walkers have disappeared. One of the Blue zones in Greece noticed that longevity seemed to parallel the elevation. The higher the elevation the longer people lived. The key here appeared to be how steep the streets were that everyone was walking up and down. Most Blue Zones generally appear in rural small-town areas where most people walk to and from town to do everything. Few people who live a long time have cars. The obvious message here is to keep moving. Sitting around ages you faster and makes your joints get cranky.

The last part of the health equation showed up in the diet. Food consistently was made fresh daily from simple whole ingredients. What those ingredients were varied with each area studied so there was no magic longevity food they all ate. Many areas were predominately plant-based because meat was expensive and unavailable. But cheese and wine were enjoyed in most areas. I recall the interviewer asking one old woman what the best herbal tea was for longevity. Her answer was Wine!  

Well, I can see I have a lot of work to do to pump up the factors for longevity. Basically from my viewpoint, this series showed us that everything we are doing in this country is heading us toward a shorter less fulfilling life. This probably explains why for the first time the average life span in this country has gone backwards. We are not living as long today as we were even 10 years ago. One piece they mentioned was old-age facilities. Old folks put in a retirement home die 2 to 5 years sooner than those kept in a family member's home. We can improve food and exercise clinically, but having a sense of meaningful purpose comes from our participation with those we love. This culture has no value for old folks. They are a bother so we put them aside in happy boxes to finish out their days. This is not the choice I have for myself. That is why I don't foresee myself retiring for at least eight more years. I need to do what gives me joy and connection to all the patients I care about. Service is my purpose.

So what am I doing to promote healthy aging? The first step was one I took 46 years ago by choosing to pursue a profession that involves almost zero sitting. I am moving all day long. The longest I ever sit is when I am writing one of these newsletters... oh yeah, there is now the vice of information gluttony YouTube offers me. I have been tinkering with my diet since I was 16 years old. I cook all my food fresh every day from raw ingredients. The ability to cook (or live with someone who does) seems to be a crucial tool in aging successfully. Sadly when the author revisited some of these Blue Zones 20 years later, the creep of Western junk food had wormed its way into these cultures and their long lifespan had been cut short. Sorry, if what you want to eat comes in a package with a list of ingredients, it is cutting your life shorter.

One step that is improving my longevity that I can thank Covid for is the use of video-conferencing on the computer to rebuild my relationship with my family. Every Friday night I have a Zoom call with my sisters, brother, and mother, and on Sunday morning I have another Zoom call with my two boys. Everyone is living all over the country at this point and these weekly calls help bring us back together. I created a spiritual support circle that meets regularly to discuss how a chosen spiritual principle has been playing out in our lives over the past few weeks. Back in the old days, we would meet for dinner at a restaurant for a meal first. But that dropped away during the pandemic. Maybe we could get that part started back up again.

For me, I am just starting on this path of senior consciousness. Many of you have a head start on me. Maybe you can share your secrets for a happy senior life on your next visit.

Thanks,  

David 

 
Ellen 

Ellen got a new pair of shoes last month and two weeks ago she decided that she wanted to be able to put them on without my help. Her left leg gets very swollen since the stroke making getting her shoes on very difficult. She did not find that shoe horns were any help, even the 2 foot long ones. However I was able to find a clever gizmo on Amazon that acts like an attached shoe horn with a very long slide for the foot to go down into the shoe. It took a couple days practice, but now she is shoe wearing capable.