Picture yourself at 65 or 70 years old. How do you see yourself? Do you envision a vibrant, energized elder person, or do you see someone in poor health that cannot walk up and down the stairs? I think most people hope to see someone with a lot of life left in them; I know I do. Just like saving for retirement, if you want to ensure good health in the years to come you have to make the right investments now. Far too many people believe that the only reason for taking care of themselves now is to improve the way they look today. While this is one of the benefits of living a healthy life, you are also creating good habits that will hopefully sustain your health down the road. Others argue that they do not have to change their diets or habits because they are genetically blessed and do not gain weight easily, no matter what they eat. Outward appearances can be deceiving. Think about that person you know who drives a nice car and wears nice clothes. You might assume they are making good money and will not have to worry about finances when it comes time to retire. However, they could be leasing their nice car, or may be in so much debt they do not even know where to start. When it comes time for this person to retire they will not have the funds to live off of for 15 or 20 years. In the same way, those who do not take care of their health now will be unable to enjoy life later. Even if they do live to see old age, their health status will not allow them to be active and fully engaged with life. There are small things you can do to increase your chances of good health later in life. Start by improving your diet. Studies have shown that people who follow the Mediterranean diet of colorful fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and healthy oils have the longest life spans. Obesity in people who are over 100 years old just does not exist. If you are planning to live this long, work on getting and keeping the extra weight off, especially in the belly area where excess weight contributes more to heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. The good news is, just like saving for retirement, it is never too late to start being more healthy. Determine one small step you can take this week to improve your life... and do it!
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