Don’t Call Me A Senior
Have you ever sat down with your grandparent and asked them about their life? If the answer is no, you are doing a disservice to yourself and to them. The funny thing is that in most cultures, mature adults are honored for their wisdom.
In North America we tend to stereotype our elderly. We see them as being outdated and out of touch with the modern world with little to contribute to the rapidly changing events of our time. True, as the physicality of life happens, they may be incapable of running as fast as you, or reading the small print on the back of the orange juice container, but what they do have is 70 + years of experience and wisdom that you can’t find on Google. These are people who went through two World Wars and the Great Depression. They are survivors who actually know what the definition of HARD WORK is and they have a lot to teach us.
Many so called “seniors” are afraid of being “put on the shelf.” They don’t want to spend all their time playing golf or vacationing in some tropical paradise. They are looking for something to get them out bed in the morning. They want to stay active in the community, broaden their knowledge, use their expertise to make the world a better place, and have time and energy to engage in meaningful conversations with their children and grandchildren.
They are committed to maintaining a healthy lifestyle which will enable them to reach these objectives. They are looking for ways that can help them maintain their cognitive function and physical strength.
A significant amount of people are experiencing rapid cognitive decline. The statistics don’t lie. In the last 20 years, there has been a 60% increase in Alzheimers. A shocking 5.1 million people over 65 in 2015 is set to rise to 7.1 million by 2026.
This is where supplements can play an important role. For example, the DHA in fish oil is an extremely important factor in neural transmission, and 5HTP is proven to help boost serotonin levels and regulate sleep. Clinical trials are currently underway to test the effects of turmeric on the prevention of cognitive decline.
As a strong believer of food for medicine, I still believe supplementation is necessary as an insurance policy for balanced health and nutrition.
If you are unfamiliar with health and nutrition, I would encourage you to book an appointment with a nutritionist or naturopath to get yourself started. These professionals will analyze your health profile and give you an individualized plan to optimize your health. They possess knowledge of food and supplementation that can help guide you on the right path. Since this can be costly you can also find an abundance of information on the Internet about maintaining your health while aging. In addition, the book “Healthy at 100” by John Robbins has some very fascinating and helpful information.
Just because a person’s age rises every year does not mean their zest for life declines. So, next time you want to dismiss someone as just another “senior,” take a minute to check yourself: You’re looking at the original Google.
