Health and Aging. Drop the Stress.

As crazy as it seems, I have been in the fitness field for over 30 years. That’s a long time. Even more concerning, lol, is that I have had stress in my life for a lot longer than that. Ugh.

I’ve never been a fan of fads and diets, or stress, for that matter. I know that my days in grad school, and all of my anatomy and physiology classes, were the foundation for these beliefs. Our bodies are magnificent. They can heal and protect themselves from disease and harm. But, how we treat our bodies plays a huge part in our preparation for these battles. 

Yes, sometimes we win, and sometimes we lose, even when we are prepared. But, our chances will always be better…always…when we are prepared.

Being prepared for battle involves how we are fueling ourselves, strengthening ourselves, and educating ourselves, and many other choices we make.

On top of it all, our world has become so toxic and filled with distractions, that you will miss most of what is good for you, or possibly not believe it at all. Most new food and drink products are unhealthy and honestly terrible for us. They aren’t looking out for our health.

And, many times our egos and opinions get in the way of doing the right thing, or learning something new, because we just “don’t want to hear it”.

Listen, I have had many conversations over the years with clients, friends and family, about choices, the “latest” diets or fads, and how it is working in the short term for them, or how it couldn’t be “that bad”. It is hard to see the future, and understand how most of these choices and diets will hurt our health in the long term. 

Honestly, it isn’t about who is right or wrong, and don’t make it about size, weight or appearance. It is about how you can change your future, your health, and how you feel, and now I know for certain…how you age. 

Postpartum depression in my thirties, ignited my study of the mind. Then, in my forties, I went through early menopause, and experienced shingles.🤯 Both of these opened my eyes to how I was handling stress and toxicity in this world. 

To be real, I could go on and on. 

But for today, I want to at least tell you what I read recently when studying aging and health (The 6 Keys, by Jillian Michaels).

Telomeres

Maybe you know what they are, and maybe you don’t. In simple terms, they are the DNA–protein structures found at both ends of each chromosome. They protect the chromosome over time from shortening, breaking, or changing…which in turn, protects us from disease, and slows the aging process.

In my reading, I was relieved to see that so many good health choices that I have always known, are also a big part of what keeps our telomeres healthy and in tact. So many extreme diets are not good for our health and longevity. 

Moderation and balance still rings true.

Jillian Michaels tells us to find and live in the goldilocks zone.

I am certain that you have heard these choices before, but let me emphasize that these few choices can truly help prevent disease and help you feel better and stronger as you age.

It isn’t about weight or appearance, it is about how these choices affect our cells and the function of our bodies.

Drop stress like it’s hot

Most importantly, it is way past time to stop stressing. Just drop the habit. Stress is one of the worst things for our health, and we can absolutely do something about it.

Here are the other choices where we should start paying attention, if you aren’t already…

1. Stress management…this is most important and it is possible.
2. Healthy, balanced eating…Vegetables, nuts, fruits, lean protein
3. Movement…just walking does wonders.
4. Better sleep
5. A healthy environment. Enjoy life. Laughter, fun, relaxation, and good vibes, truly help us to smother stress.
6. And even coffee has shown to be good for our telomeres. I had to share. No lie. 🙂 ☕

Moving forward, live with the 80/20 Rule.

Nobody should be trying to be perfect. Try to do good 80% of the time. Be sure you are enjoying life and having fun with those you love. Healthy connection with those we love makes all the difference in our stress levels.

A huge part of stress management involves our thoughts, and how we decide to perceive, and handle, situations. We want to be hopeful, optimistic, and expecting of good things. We want to embrace the present, let go of yesterday, and not fear tomorrow. Letting go of petty things, and taking life in stride really does make a difference in our longevity and health. This isn’t being irresponsible, it is letting go of those things we can’t control.

Good choices. Good hormones. 🙂

When you add good choices and energy to your life, your body makes more oxytocin, which is the good hormone, or the love hormone. This hormone can actually help lower cortisol, which is your stress hormone. We want less cortisol, and more oxytocin. We can actually make this happen through our choices.

Some thoughts that have changed my perspective, and my ability to manage stress:

1. God. Put Him at the top and make His way your life. Grow closer to Him. Talk to Him all day. Listen to Him. Challenge yourself spiritually. Don’t just mature in life…mature spiritually. This is where it’s at. Surrender what’s out of your control to Him. 
2. Ain’t nobody coming for you, and nobody’s got you. Take responsibility for your health and your life.
3. Distractions steal your life, and your health. In case you didn’t know, now you do.
4. How you treat yourself is more important than how anyone treats you. When you treat yourself well, you won’t put up with people in your life that don’t treat you well. It is that simple.
5. Popularity, likes, a seat at the table, invitations, or even acceptance is not where true, deep healthy joy and content is found…ever. Back to #1.
6. If you want a better marriage, you have to start by working on yourself. 
7. You have to dispose of self-pity, negativity, expectations, judgement, scarcity mindset, drama, gossip, complaining, comparison, and anger. You just do. One at a time. Nobody wants to be around it. Including you. All of them add stress to your life, which we have to manage better. 
8. Find those people that are ok with where you are, and who you are. You too. 
9. Goodness is not over rated. Find it. Every bit of it. Good energy. Good air. Good water. Good environment. Good vibes. Good food. Good choices. Good conversation. Good hugs. Good attitudes. Good laughs. Good outlook. Good responses. Good perspectives. Good music. Good tone. Good authentic people.
10. Stress and toxicity are a choice. Let it go and leave it behind. Just drop it. Stop choosing it. Surrender. Go back to #1.

Managing our stress through our perspective and the lens we choose to look through each day, is one of the most powerful choices we can make for our health.

You get to own your life. Take responsibility and get honest with yourself.