Talk to your doctor, get serious about your BMI (body mass index) now, and know what you should weigh. Make a goal of being lean and mean through middle age and into your 50s, and then maintain that weight the rest of your life like he did. Don’t confuse celebrating life with gluttony and get into your 60s or 70s and realize you have to lose a lot of weight to avoid a heart attack or diabetes or other health problem.
3. Exercise the rest of your life.
Physical activity not only helps control weight, but it also reduces the risk of heart disease and some cancers, and improves mental health and mood. Consider some of the weight-management supplements like Berberine + Cinnamon or Apple Cider Vinegar. Set a new fitness goal, and get better pumps at the gym with performance supplements such as L-arginine and Beet Root Powder. Enter a 5K and work your way up to longer distances. Or just take a walk around the block at least every other day. Count your steps. Grandpa was not into sports, in fact made fun of sports his whole life. He just loved to dance!
4. Don’t smoke.
At all. If you do, quit now. For you, and for your family. We didn’t need the coronavirus to tell us that, but it is yet another reason to quit, because it goes after lungs and you are a sitting duck if you are a smoker. Grandpa smoked socially when he was younger, but at some point, he saw the light and look how he turned out. For help with quitting, call your state’s tobacco quit line 1-800-784-8669.
5. Eat cherries and lots of healthy food, but enjoy.
Hey, that was one of Grandpa’s secrets. He had a cherry tree out back and it made his favorite snack. He also loved cherry pies. Again, he lived to 102. Eat a healthy diet, cheat once in a while, and love what you put into your stomach.
Experts suggest that guys include a variety of fruits and vegetables every day for the many vitamins and minerals that may help protect you from chronic diseases. Limit foods and drinks high in calories, sugar, salt, fat and alcohol. He drank a lot of water; chug some right now.
Probiotics was not Grandpa’s thing, because he was old-school. But you would do well to consider them to grow good bacteria, for healthy digestive function and regularity.
6. Build your immune system and get checkups.
There is more focus than ever on our immune systems. Elderberry Gummies are all the rage as one arrow in your quill, a natural boost that goes back to the ancient Greeks and Romans. Even more importantly, you should be taking a Multivitamin every day to ensure enough Vitamin C, D and other essentials.
Every three minutes, another man will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. In other words, someone just found out while you scrolled down to this part. Don’t let it be you. Get a physical each year, and get screened for your prostate. Consult your doctor and take Saw Palmetto, which can improve prostate health, reducing inflammation and enhancing urinary tract function. Visit pcf.org or prostatehealthguide.com for more information.
Know the signs and symptoms of a heart attack, and call 911 immediately if you or someone you know might be experiencing any of them. These include: pain or discomfort in the jaw, neck, or back; feeling weak, light-headed, or faint; chest pain or discomfort; pain or discomfort in arms or shoulder; and shortness of breath. Know your family’s health history with these or any other conditions that could loom in your genes.
7. Family, friends and faith.
The steady procession of hundreds of visitors to Grandpa’s memorial service was a pretty good testament to the impact he had on people over his long life. He had a big family with lots of love, friends who he kept in touch with, and about average at best in terms of open spirituality. He wasn’t a big church-goer, but he had an expectation of happiness on the great dance floor in the sky with all those people he came to know over those 102 years.
It would be great to start by organizing your own family reunions, the way they used to back in the day. Our COVID-19 lifestyle in 2020 means that is probably not going to happen very many places, if at all, but even virtual is better than nothing. Stay connected to people who share your blood, because it makes you feel good, especially for kids who want to grow up knowing their relatives.
It’s not just about who can live the longest, either. As Jackie Robinson once said: “A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.”