|
Healthy Living! THE POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING It can keep minds and bodies healthy as we age By Howard LeWine, M.D. Newsweek Updated: 1:12 a.m. ET Jan. 9, 2005 Jan. 9 - Eighty-year-olds received rousing applause for just living that long when Groucho Marx introduced them on his “You Bet Your Life” TV show in the 1950s. In 1980, when Willard Scott of the “Today Show” started announcing the names of those who had turned 100, it was considered a novel achievement. Now, Scott gets 400 names each week and more than 70,000 Americans have celebrated their 100th birthdays. By 2050 that number will be over 800,000. And some predict that when we cross over to the next century, there will be over 2.5 million centenarians. The genetic hand we are dealt on the day of conception plays a huge role in determining not only whether we hit the century mark, but also how healthy we remain along the way. We can’t do anything to change the genetics—yet. So what can we do to keep our minds and bodies healthy as we age? First of all, lifestyle really does matter. While experts debate which are the most important healthy aging factors under our control, four seem to make every list: positive attitude, regular exercise, a well-balanced lower caloric diet, and avoiding the known health risks like smoking. I rank positive attitude as No. 1. Researchers at Yale University found that people with an optimistic outlook lived 7.5 years longer than those with a gloomy view of what lies ahead. In their study, a positive attitude was more important than lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels. How could a positive attitude protect our health and extend our life? A recently published study offers one explanation: People who perceive that they are living in a state of chronic stress have cells that age more rapidly. The difference in the rate of cellular aging was equivalent to shaving a decade off their lives. What does it mean to have a “positive attitude”? The image of a bubbly, fun-loving individual may spring to mind. But such an outgoing, social person may be inclined to engage in riskier behaviors that cause injury and poor health. Instead, there are several features of a positive attitude that research has found to be associated with healthier aging. If you have a positive attitude, you see relatively few of life’s challenges as overwhelming. You feel in control most of the time. You believe you can strongly influence, if not completely determine, your health. For example, you believe that your lifestyle choices—healthy eating, regular exercise, and avoiding dangerous habits—really can affect your health. Indeed, you take pleasure in controlling your life through your choices, while understanding that there are no guarantees. |
 Finally, you are flexible. You know that life will sometimes make it hard to follow your agenda for health, but that if things happen that don’t allow you to follow your exact program, you go with the flow. There is time later that day or the next to get back on track. But what if you are not a naturally “positive person”? Can you change your attitude? The answer is yes, but it may not be easy and it won’t happen overnight. In particular, chronic pain, depression, anxiety, and responsibilities to others can be formidable barriers to a positive attitude. If you feel stuck and struggle with overcoming these barriers, seek professional help through your own doctor, a mental-health provider or consider a qualified behavior modification program that defines goals and outlines steps to achieve them. It is my experience that, for most people, the easiest place to start changing lifestyle is with exercise. Once you schedule time for regular exercise, and follow through, you develop a sense of control. That makes it easier to eat healthy and to control dangerous habits. These small steps can help you build a positive attitude from the bottom up. LeWine is medical director for Internet publishing at Harvard Medical School. For more information, see http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsweek. © 2006 Newsweek, Inc. SOURCE |
|
|
ThatsHealthyLiving.com
Web Design by ALT Design Studio