How can you avoid becoming "old"?

[stan4]

Genetics.
Smoking.
Diet.

My parents are 67 and 74. I have patients in their 40s and 50s who look more beat up than them...mostly bc of poor lifestyle choices.

[jaminhealth]

I am a young LOOKING 77 yr old. I've been taking Pycnogenol and then got on Grape Seed Extract for going on 21 yrs. Started on Pycnogenol at 57. These OPC's address so many health conditions and are anti aging antioxidants.

My downfall is advancing OA and a mess of a hip replacement in 2010....I've aged from this replacement MESS but overall I look young, skin is youthful and I've never smoked. And these days I don't drink alcohol. I take many supplements and my MAIN one is the OPC class of antioxidants. DHEA starts to decline at 20-30 yrs of age, so I've been supplementing with DHEA for over 15 yrs under guidance of integrative MD. J

[Calvert Hall '62]

Originally Posted by warren zee

Forgetting genetics which we cant control, this is what I have read -

1. At least 30 minutes of exercise a day - break a sweat every day.

2. Drink lots of water.

3 Avoid deep fried food - except as a treat.

4. Avoid red meat.

5. Drink lots of water. No sugary drinks.

6. Take supplements - vitamins and minerals.

7. Take yoga or dance.

8. Avoid negative people.

9 Do not be a hermit - get involved with activities in your community.

10. Keep a circle of good, supportive, friends.

11. Do things to help others.

12. Don't live in a state of fear or paranoia.

13. Die anyway.

[jaminhealth]

True you are gonna die anyway, but work to go there in best health you can. The OPC's do wonderful things to our bodies.... Do your best to avoid doctors, they really don't care about us.
We are in charge and control of our lives and knowledge is powerful.

[Arushan]

I think we're getting closer and closer to a "fountain of youth", of sorts. There are the various studies showing telomerase activation, David Sinclair's study - boosting of cellular NAD+ levels using Nicotinamide Monunucleotide, glycine treatment of cell cultures, and the Baati study with rats administered C60 diluted in olive oil (They lived 90% longer than controls). By combining these and others, maybe we'll get somewhere.

[katie45]

My friend's parents are both 100 years old and still live in their own home. Their daughter lives with them to help with shopping, cooking, transportation.

The wife has a mind that is still sharp as a tack; her only issue is her vision is failing. She otherwise gets around very well and still does housework.

The husband has more medical issues and spends a good portion of the day sleeping.

The son is in his 70s and has more medical problems than his parents.

[John7777]

Genetics plays a large part, but it also helps if you don't abuse your body. Most of my relatives were active and running around well into their 80s. One of the great uncles lived to be 106. I'm not sure any of these people did anything special to keep from becoming "old." Still, at some point you begin to slow down. It happens to everyone, I'm afraid. Why worry about it? Just live your life the best you can.

I'm 64, but I guess that fact has yet to sink into my head. I can still do anything I could do when I was 24. Right now, I'm in the middle of trying to fix up a house to sell, but in a few months I'll be off again on some sort of very long vacation. I was even thinking about a trek to the Mt. Everest base camp.

[TiffaNYC]

Originally Posted by John7777

I'm 64, but I guess that fact has yet to sink into my head. I can still do anything I could do when I was 24. Right now, I'm in the middle of trying to fix up a house to sell, but in a few months I'll be off again on some sort of very long vacation. I was even thinking about a trek to the Mt. Everest base camp.

I hope that's me in 30 years. I so much want to be one of those elderly people who is super active, still exercises, has all their wits about them and memory in tact, still "gets it" - you know what I mean. I can't bear the thought of being a decrepit, immobile, old person who is just barely existing. That's no life. I'm determined to do everything I can to live WELL into a very old age.

[tickyul]

Avoid becoming old, yeah......die young!

OK, one way I would suggest is don't smoke.....it'll make you look like a walking-corpse. Avoid getting hugely fat......the body just cannot function properly with all that excess, especially when you get over 40.