On Wednesday, March 11, Teri Koenig, A Gerontologist and a certified health and wellness coach from the LiVe Well Center gave an excellent presentation on Longevity Strategies.
The prescriptions for longevity are:
- Exercise ‐ aerobic, balance, flexibility and strength training ‐ go for a walk and get active
- Nutrition - Drink enough water, eat less salt, eat more legumes and leafy, dark green & orange vegetables, eat less fat and consume more fresh fruits. Emphasize whole grains, drink low fat milk and milk products, limit alcohol consumption and take a daily multi vitamin.
- Mental Vitality ‐ surprise your brain, learn a language, do puzzles and Sudoku and learn new skills on your computer
- Sleep ‐ Exercise no less than 3 hours before retiring, limit caffeine, nicotine and alcohol, establish a sleep routine, relax before retiring by stretching, a hot bath, etc, avoid drinking or eating before bed, make your sleep environment inviting and if you can't sleep, don't fight it ‐ listen to music or read a book
- Stress ‐ Deep breathing, seek out a quiet place to escape tension, achieve balance and reduce multi‐tasking, do not insist on perfection or total control, find reasons to laugh, get enough sleep (7.5‐8 hours), simplify and get rid of chaos in your life, home and work place, share your fears ‐ don't isolate, and do visualization, meditation and prayer calms your mind
- Nurture your relationships ‐ Have a positive attitude, stop negative thoughts, count your blessings, forgive yourself and others and let go, and choose to be happy
- Connect with your community ‐ be involved in activities, pursue a second career
- Practice prevention ‐ get those regular check‐ups and tests