Who is ageing? Me, graciously (continuing getting older)

Who is ageing? Me, graciously (continuing the getting older theme)

To me, it seems I have been on this earth in this form for quite a few years. I even feel I have been here before. As the years pass by my task is to keep the ole bones in good condition. Getting older healthily, that’s the least I can do.

There are two books that I find really good at sharing the tricks to feeling healthy. They are Ageing without growing Old by Judy McFarlane and  Ultimate Anti Aging Program  by Gary Nulls.  You will notice the age of these publications, both of which were before we got so caught up in the commercialization of disease. As we grow older, the body welcomes additional supplements together with special foods that help to revitalize the organs.

Think about it, we are constantly using our kidneys to filter out the fluids. The heart is pumping constantly reacting to sudden surprises or lack of oxygen etc. They welcome the help.

Be confident!

As we age graciously it means we are confident in who we are. Just be yourself. Love yourself. Don’t look back on events that annoy you or make you feel any less. Look forward. And to make this easier, eat well. This could mean eating the food you like that you know helps. Don’t indulge in foods that cause discomfort like bananas when your potassium is high or tomatoes when your arthritis flares up.

Here in Canada, where you have 9 months of cold no matter where you are, almost everyone complains of pains in the joints especially when it is cold and damp.  I have now joined the camp and food is undoubtedly important when the going gets rough.

Yes, organic foods are a trip nowadays when it comes to pricing. I am not going into alcohol consumption or cigarette smoking. That’s a personal choice and it works for some and not others. But foods affect the mood you are in, how peacefully you sleep, affects your energy levels and can also cause flareups of inflammations or decrease in inflammation. So it makes sense to go organic and keep a record of what you eat when.

Gary Nulls is clear about the use of holistic practitioners and suggests a wide range of preferences to keep in mind. First of all :

1.    Make sure you read all the medical reports that you have done
2.    Don’t stick only to the usual examinations. Try the holistic naturopaths to gain new insights into getting older
3.    Don’t hide any history of medical conditions in the family
4.    Both women and men should try to find a practitioner who listens to what you are saying and talk about what you think is the matter.  Keep in mind this is your health. Your body is yours not the practitioner.
5.    Always go for the NON_INVASIVE treatment programs over the invasive ones

And along with all this is exercise. It’s not always going to the gym or having yoga classes (smile). Think about having some regularity in what you do so that you are aware of doing this each day or 3 times per week. I know an eighty year old who farms each and every day. walks up and down the hillside tending to her animals and plants. This is her exercise.

As we age the choices we make in terms of activity relate closely to what we used to do when younger.

I want to share a poem by Maya Angelou epitomized by Jamaica’s Violet Brown who dies at 117 years old last year.

On Aging – Poem by Maya Angelou

When you see me sitting quietly,
Like a sack left on the shelf,
Don’t think I need your chattering.
I’m listening to myself.
Hold! Stop! Don’t pity me!
Hold! Stop your sympathy!
Understanding if you got it,
Otherwise I’ll do without it!
When my bones are stiff and aching,
And my feet won’t climb the stair,
I will only ask one favor:
Don’t bring me no rocking chair.
When you see me walking, stumbling,
Don’t study and get it wrong.
‘Cause tired don’t mean lazy
And every goodbye ain’t gone.
I’m the same person I was back then,
A little less hair, a little less chin,
A lot less lungs and much less wind.
But ain’t I lucky I can still breathe in.

Take a look at this video/article about Violet. 

What’s wrong with taking a rest now after years of hard work. And it’s not only when you get to 100!

So many people think getting older means inactivity, illness. Men get anxious and look for activities that will demonstrate their virility while women give into the anti-ageing propaganda machine. Especially as we encounter new hard-to-pronounce syndromes for old ailments, that make us feel we are increasingly at risk of getting something.

But as Maya Angelou describes “Don’t think I need your chattering. I’m listening to myself.” 

My advice is don’t be like a a pencil. It always needs sharpening  Eventually you are no more. (to be continued)