...to 100 and beyond !

I know, I know, there are days you can hardly make it out of bed and here I am writing about living to be over 100 !! But, wouldn’t it be neat if we could do that...and do it gracefully? (unlike the gal pictured here !!)

My info comes from a five year study of 40 seniors who had arrived at the age of 100. Two doctors followed people who were active, mentally alert, living on their own and able to care for themselves … all from the United States but from widely varied economic backgrounds. The doctors made an extensive documentation of: daily habits, lifestyles, ethnicity, weight, eating preferences, race and genetic backgrounds, as well as spiritual and religious leanings.

At the end of the five years these two doctors did a comparative study of their findings and came up with some fascinating conclusions. They found that it mattered little what the people ate or if they were prone to exercise…although they did point out that all their participants were moderate in these areas.

The exciting thing about their study is that ALL of the 40 people had four things in common and, remember, these were all people active and alert at the age of 100. The four areas of commonality are:

1. A sense of humor.

2. A positive outlook on life.

3. The ability to bear loss.

4. A total dedication to something outside of their daily life.

 

 

I would add that it helps to stay healthy too, although I know a lot of seniors who have no major illnesses and are still miserable. I'd rather follow these four easy suggestions than be like them so get ready … you might be reading this little blog for the next 17 years !!!