Anyone who watched Queen Elizabeth celebrate her 60 years as Queen of England would agree she’s a senior who’s doing well -- even if the “wave” of her hand only moves a few inches.
Elsewhere you’ve probably seen video of older women with a zest for life doing everything from skydiving at 90 to advanced water aerobics.
So the question comes up: How can YOU live a full life like they do and maybe even live to be 100?
A pioneer in the field of healthy aging is Dr. Andrew Weil, founder and director of the Center for Integrative Medicine of the College of Medicine at the University of Arizona.
The center defines integrative medicine as healing-oriented medicine that takes account of the whole person, including all aspects of lifestyle. It emphasizes the therapeutic relationship between practitioner and patient, is informed by evidence, and makes use of all appropriate therapies.
Integrative medicine practitioners put a strong focus on behaviors that can make a real difference in one’s lifetime health status. They are reasonable ones like making even a small amount of exercise part of your daily routine, as well as staying away from processed foods and harmful habits like drugs and smoking.
Practitioners would advocate limiting animal fat and dairy intake, and taking the right preventive medicine steps like vaccines and screening tests.
One thing they don’t ask you to do is go crazy on supplements or, for that matter, obsess about any of the steps. The goal is to enjoy life while you do prudent things to live well until healthy aging says “your time is up.”
One of Dr. Weil’s noted disciples is Dr. Donald Abrams, a cancer and integrative medicine specialist at the UC San Francisco Medical Center. He runs a program to help people in the Bay Area live well and, hopefully, to a ripe old age.
In a recent interview, he described the steps that you too can take to support your body and best health as you age. Listen to the podcast here:
http://www.patientpower.info/program/12-steps-to-healthy-aging?r=byDate&oid=577ab0c0-554f-11df-81ad00262d1ccbec/
Dr. Abrams practices the same principles he teaches his patients, with careful attention to his own nutrition, exercise and state of mind. He took up yoga when he turned 60 because he knew he would need strength, flexibility, balance and serenity in the years ahead.
I don’t know if Queen Elizabeth has also taken up yoga, but I do know that taking steps in younger years is important if we want to be strong “Queens” and “Kings” in our own golden years, and I encourage you to do so.
Resources:
Interview with Donald Abrams, M.D., cancer and integrative medicine specialist, UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, Recorded 5/31/12, Available online at Patient Power:
http://www.patientpower.info/program/12-steps-to-healthy-aging?r=byDate&oid=577ab0c0-554f-11df-81ad00262d1ccbec
Doctor Q&A: Donald Abrams, M.D., UCSF Medical Center, May 2012 interview, Accessed online 6/6/12,
http://www.ucsfhealth.org/doctors_and_clinics/features/abrams_donald/index.html
What is Integrative Medicine? – Andrew Weil, M.D., University of Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, Accessed online 6/6/12 at
http://integrativemedicine.arizona.edu/about/definition.html
Reviewed June 6, 2012
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith