Aging Healthily, Happily, Productively, and With Enthusiasm

One of the saddest sights in life is to see someone who has just retired, and thinks life is all downhill from now on. They just wait around, doing little but potter around, with little exercise for brain and body. They are waiting to die.nnRetirement and getting old should be nothing like that. Yes, you have the freedom to relax whenever you choose, but that is very different from being lazy and inactive. It is one of the great benefits of being free from being an employee for tens of millions of people. However, that is just a part of a much wider benefit: time is yours. nnIt is how you use that time, and your attitude towards it, that will dictate how much you get out of the rest of your life. Those "retirement" years should be a time of joy, fulfillment, learning and progress. They have the option of being the best years of your life, if only you make them so.nnThat leaves the wide question: How do you age not only gracefully, but with enthusiasm, good health, self growth, and happiness? Quite clearly, there is no single answer, and every nindividual is different, in personality, health, circumstances and financial standing. nnHowever, here are some tips based on my personal experience. (I am happy to admit, I am only 57 as I write this, but I took voluntary redundancy in England at 45, and jumped into the "rest of my life" with glee, and have lived through 2 "new" lives since. I have followed these tips myself and will always do so, hopefully until I am 120.)nnTips For Aging Happily and Healthilynn1. Forget the word "retirement." You are not retired or going to retire. Personally, I will never, ever retire. Plan to always be active, whether it is a new business, learning something new, playing sports or exercising; preferably all of those and more. A new way of life should replace "retirement".nn2. Make the decision right at the start: Downhill from now on, or a positive, productive, healthy and enjoyable process of getting older? If you make the right decision, and you can guess what that is, then you can greatly improve your chances of not only growing old youthfully but feeling happy and fulfilled, relishing every new day.nn3. Take your health seriously. Learn more about common diseases, their real causes, and be determined to see through the hype about chronic disease. Heart disease, cancer, diabetes and other "diseases" mostly associated with older people, can all be minimized or prevented by natural means. Just do some internet searches on phrases such as "heart disease natural cure" or "hypertension causes and natural cures". You will have your eyes opened if you have not taken such an interest before. You may even save on prescription drugs and prolong your life. nnA good example of the type of information you can find is a recent(June 2007) scientific study in the US. The study, at the Creighton University School of Medicine, revealed that a combination of vitamin D and calcium supplements reduced the risk of all cancers by 77%. A week later, the Canadian government announced a nationwide campaign to get people to take Vitamin D and calcium supplements. For people who live in the US, it is advisable to keep up to date through sites such as Newstarget.com, which are fighting for health freedom in the US, where health is dominated by the pharmaceutical industry and therefore against supplement use.nn4. Eat a healthy and nutritious diet, rich in fruits and vegetables, coupled with high quality food supplements rich in phytonutrients and antioxidants. Eat organic food wherever possible, as the chemicals used by farmers can have a dangerous affect on your health over time.nn5. Drink lots of filtered alkaline water. This is good for your skin and overall health.nn6. Regularly check the alkalinity of your urine (kits are easily available online). Cancer thrives in acid conditions, and modern Western diets, especially in the UK and US, are too acid. For good health, you need an alkalinity of 7 or above. nn7. Exercise regularly, half an hour a day for 5-7 days of the week. Walking, cycling and swimming are good, enjoyable ways to take exercise. nn8. Learn something new every day. Study a new subject hard, such as natural health, to keep your brain active.nn9. Start a new career. How about your own business for the first time? Keep it low risk with low start up costs, so you do not worry so much about the financial consequences. Before starting, though, learn about basic business economics and financial control, and marketing. Most small new businesses fail, so do not let that happen to you. Being prepared in all aspects of running a business will serve you well.nn10. Mix with young people as well as your own age; think young, look young, plan young.....and be young.nnnI could go on endlessly, but those 10 tips should help you on the road to Aging With Youth.