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longevity

Genetic and Lifestyle Misinformation

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Do you have a family member who redefined your family’s longevity potential, outliving everyone else who’d come before them? Do you want to be the next one to break that barrier with quality years? If you have bought into misinformation about genetics and lifestyle, some of the fiction you’re believing may be keeping you from living your best life.

Think about this for a moment: We live in a culture of misinformation and fake news. For example, we’re told that egg yolks are bad for us, margarine is better than butter and that fat makes you fat. All of these are proven falsehoods, yet this misinformation persists. Even the connection between cholesterol and heart disease has been debunked in the literature.1 It’s no wonder so much of our population is struggling with their weight or suffering from ill health.

The misinformation prevalent in our society has led to an astonishing overuse of medications, because people believe that magical pills can solve their problems. From prescription medication overuse and drug abuse, to the 100,000 people who die from reactions to over-the-counter medications, we’re seeing the terrible price that’s being paid from a failure to examine what we are being told.

We humans are complex and dynamic beings who are self-regulating and self-healing, and it’s crucial to understand how the human body functions in order to live well. The nervous system is our master control system, and keeping it healthy must become a priority if we are to overcome the stress factors that affect us every day. There’s no quick fix that can heal, we need a holistic approach to health and longer life.

But don’t our genes lay out the roadmap of our lives and encode the lifespan of our bodies? While genes certainly play a role, a recent study published in the journal Immunity and Aging2 found that only about 25 percent of the variation in longevity has to do with genetic factors. You can have much more influence on your lifespan than you may think.

Modifying your lifestyle to take care of your body is key to a long, full life. Prioritize nutrition, endurance, and strength training. Take care for your nervous system and spine with chiropractic check-ups. Once you make the transition from crisis care to lifestyle care, you’ll have much more control over your health of your body.

Visit our office or call today, and let us help you live your best life every day, your ideal 100 Year Lifestyle.

1 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2016/06/12/high-cholesterol-does-not-cause-heart-disease-new-research-finds/ (accessed 10 November 2017)
2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4822264/ (accessed 10 November 2017)

Childrens Longevity Threatened

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Are your children’s health and longevity threatened by your lifestyle choices? The answer is yes!

Think about how long will your children live and what will their quality of life be like along the way? According to the Lancet, 50 percentsign of the babies born since the year 2000 are expected to live over the age of 100. Additional research is concerned that our current generation of children may be the first in recent history to see their life expectancy go down.

How can this be? Doesn’t it seem like a contradiction to see so many children living longer while their overall life expectancy goes down?  The answer is sad yet simple in that the other 50percentsign of children are expected to die younger and sicker than ever, not because of their genetics, but because of unhealthy lifestyle choices.

Even Children Are Concerned

If your children have aging grandparents, they are staring at their potential longevity during every family gathering and this can be unconsciously weighing on their spirit. Nico Santi, a 10 year old boy from Bellevue, Washington who is blessed with a proactive, health conscious family, sent me this video after attending an event in their community. Sponsored by Cummins Chiropractic and Wellness, Dr. Bob Cummins and his wife Anna have been providing Chiropractic Lifestyle Care for the family who are more excited about their health and future than ever.

It is not rocket science to understand the connection between lifestyle choices, quality of life and longevity. A healthy life requires a lifestyle that includes healthy food, exercise, strong social circles and a healthy spine and nervous system as well as avoiding destructive habits such as the overuse of technology, smartphones, smoking and excessive stress. On the other hand, a 50 to 60 year lifestyle includes unhealthy eating with excessive sugar, calories, sitting, lack of exercise and an unhealthy spine and nervous system.

Are you raising your children to live a 60 year lifestyle or a 100 Year Lifestyle? You will often hear people say as they get older, after they are diagnosed with diseases like heart disease, cancer and diabetes, that “these diseases run in my family”. While there is a genetic component to these conditions, it is actually a small component. These diseases are mostly lifestyle diseases. Based on the lifestyle in which your children are being raised, they are either inheriting the lifestyle habits that contribute to a 60 year lifestyle or they are inheriting the lifestyle habits that contribute to a healthy, active, positive, productive 100 years and beyond.

If you have not been healthy and you are ready for a change, it is not too late for you. Many people who have lived from crisis to crisis have become tired of this roller coaster ride. They are tired of pills and potions that cause side effects but don’t solve their problems. Because of the amazing ability of your body to adapt and heal, it is never too late to take care of your spine and nerve system and adjust your lifestyle.

Begin shopping in stores that sell organic food. Fill up your shopping cart with fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats and whole grains. Avoid high fat foods like cookies, cakes and cereals that are high in sugar and avoid white flour and white rice.

Turn off the TV and the video games and get outside with your family for walks or bike rides. Go to the gym and to your chiropractor together.

In 1903, Thomas Edison said, “The doctor of the future will give no medicine but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease.” Thomas Edison was right and 115 years is enough. The future is now and the future of our children is at stake.

So in 2010 I updated Edison’s quote to say, “The doctor of the PRESENT will give no medicine but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet, and in the cause and prevention of DIS-EASE. Be present.” We should do what we can to stay healthy and consider using medicine and surgery only as last resorts.

As a parent, it takes being one of the Purposeful Willing to protect your children and ensure their well-being. You have to be purpoeful and you have to be willing. Do your part by making 100 Year Lifestyle choices so you and your children are healthier today and can enjoy a sensational century.

Trends, Casualties, and Control

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Longevity trends continue to show that people are living longer than ever. A recent article in The Atlantic (featured image) titled What Happens When We All Live to 100 reveals that life expectancy has increased by three months per year since 1840. If this trend continues, and it appears to be, life expectancy will be 88 by the middle of this century and 100 by the year 2100. This is a staggering statistic.

Interestingly according to The Atlantic, “the lengthening of life spans seems independent of any single, specific event. It didn’t accelerate much as antibiotics and vaccines became common. Nor did it retreat much during wars or disease outbreaks. The trend holds, in most years, in individual nations rich and poor.”
Make no mistake about it, the odds of you living longer than ever are increasing every day. This is happening whether you like it or not.

But how do you make sense of this if you or a loved one have been diagnosed with a life threatening disease or condition? We have all known someone whose life was sadly cut short because of an accident or an injury.

Sadly, there are going to be casualties along the way. Certainly there will be many people who we know that won’t make it to 100. Some people won’t make it to the age of 80. Others, tragically, may not even make it to college or even their first birthday. My father, for example, passed away at 78 after suffering from allopathic-induced Alzheimer’s for nearly a decade.

We all know people who have been casualties and passed way too soon, much younger than 100. This is a sad truth and a reality that each of us face when we are confronted with daily choices and the lifestyle that we choose to live.

This leads us to the important discussion about what we can control and what we cannot control. We cannot control when our time is up. However, for most of us, regardless of our family history, our potential is to live an active, healthy, quality life to 80, 90, 100 years and beyond. To get there in style and enjoy the journey along the way it is important that we make 100 Year Lifestyle choices.

Get Started Today

Create a vision for your extended life and make the changes that will support that vision. Develop good habits, make self-care, fitNESS and true healthcare a priority. Enjoy multiple generations and circles of people, lifelong learning, balancing your time between meaningful work and play time, make good financial choices and become more engaged and involved in the community. This whole life plan is what designing and living your ideal 100 Year Lifestyle is all about.

While the trends are likely to continue and the casualties may also affect our families, it doesn’t change the fact that you are still here and able to read this article. Of course, you can also use a little luck. You will find that the better your choices, the more luck you are likely to have.

Share this with a friend. Don’t use the casualties as an excuse to abuse yourself. Make the most of today, make healthier choices today and enjoy a sensational century!

Schedule an appointment for your family today.

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/10/what-happens-when-we-all-live-to-100/379338/

Getting your ESS in Shape

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Getting your ESS in Shape is important for your health, quality of life and longevity, so get moving.

Regular exercise is an important part of self-care and nobody can do it for you. Exercise keeps our minds and bodies healthy. You can do this at any level and any age to make the fitness part of self-care fun and exciting. If you are not currently exercising, are you waiting to be forced into it by a crisis? If you are already exercising, take it to the next level and Get Your ESS in Shape. Your ESS is made up of your: Endurance, Strength, Structure.

Endurance = Longevity

Life is a marathon one sprint at a time. Based on your current habits and health, would you trust your body to take you on a long-distance trek in an emergency? If you had to count on your body to save a loved one, would you be able to? If you had to run away to escape danger, could you? Your endurance is important for all these activities, and it is important for longevity.

If you have good endurance, you will enjoy a great sense of stamina and activity now and while you age. Your energy will be high and you will feel like doing things. You will not be left home alone while your partner goes off to experience the world. You can increase your stamina through cardiovascular, aerobic, exercise that strengthens your heart, burns calories, and increases your energy. Running, cycling, swimming, and power walking are just a few examples of types of exercise that will increase your endurance.

Endurance training is very important to keep your heart and lungs healthy, eliminate stress, and strengthen your immune system. Always exercise with a heart monitor to maximize your results and achieve your goals, while also ensuring that you exercise safely within the normal ranges for your age.

Strength = Independence

Strength training is also important for healthy aging because you are going to want and need strong muscles to keep you confident and maintain your independence as you age. We’ve all seen an older person struggle to get out of a chair. If you have good strength, you are more likely to remain self-sufficient and independent. Strength training can be done through weights, yoga, and Pilates. When you set goals for strength training and continually strive to achieve them, you will be excited to see that your strength can increase as you age. Your muscles can stay strong and defined. The sagging skin and muscles often come from not keeping your body toned through strength-training exercise.

If you are already an experienced strength trainer and have a routine, shake it up a little bit. Try increasing your weight by 10 percent to 20 percent. Get somebody to spot you if necessary and try to squeeze out a few more reps. Vary your exercises on each body part. Personal Trainers and many of the neighborhood fitness centers and chains, like CrossFit, have become extremely popular because they set up your routines and vary them for you. Work out with a partner and challenge each other. You will begin to see a better result. Always maintain good posture when you strength train to ensure that your form is good and your spine stays healthy during your training.

Structure = Activity

In countries where longevity is much higher than the U.S., good posture and a healthy spine are a very high priority. Your structure includes your body shape and physical frame. Keeping your structure aligned and balanced will keep you looking good and help to prevent injuries while you exercise. This will also help insure that your nervous system stays healthy whick will keep you healthier on every level.

How is your structure now? Have you measured yourself lately and set goals for your structure so that it is in the shape you desire over your lifetime? You can measure your structure with your eyes at first and decide how you want to change your shape, or get a tape measure and record your specific measurements. This will give you a starting point for goals that you want to set.

Another important way to evaluate your structure is through a posture test. Stand in front of a full length mirror with your eyes closed. March in place for five seconds, stop, hold still and open your eyes. Is your head tilted to one side? Are your shoulders and hips level? Are your feet straight, turned in or pointed out? Are you hunchback or swayback?

If you are unbalanced, you will be putting unnecessary strain on your structure, spine and nervous system when you exercise and run the risk of injury to your structure and nervous system. Don’t wait for a crisis to force you to take action. Now is the time for a chiropractic checkup.You are way overdue for a chiropractic check-up.

Take it to the highest level: Neurology and Nutrition

Neurology = Function – Nutrition = Fuel

Neurology comes first! Your nervous system controls and coordinates all of your body functions including your muscles, organs and systems. You must have a healthy nervous system for your heart to beat, your lungs to breathe and your balance to be stable. This is why many of the top athletes and performers in the world utilize chiropractic care as a central part of their fitness program.

Your nutritional habits will fuel your life. Consuming a diet filled with organic fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, very low in sugar and processed foods, should be the way you eat as a lifestyle. Isn’t it time you get off the weight loss roller coaster, cleanse, and make healthy eating a daily habit? This will sustain you not just while getting into shape but will keep you healthier as you age.

We’ve all heard the expression “if you don’t use it, you lose it.” This is absolutely true with your fitness. It’s time to get your ESS in shape and live your ideal 100 Year Lifestyle.