It has become more likely that you will live to be 100 years old, that is why it is even more important to take care of yourself
By 2020 in the USA, there will be 150,000 people living to be over 100. That number is projected to grow between 250,000 and 4 million by 2050.
Who is most likely to live to 100, and how healthy will they be?
Once we remove the population born with great genetics and medical care, there remains a very interesting group of centenarians. We all have relatives that have lived a long time with the assistance of medical care, but how high was their quality of their life? Among the growing population of healthy and active centenarians (who retain a high quality of life) are people who, throughout their life, continue to educate themselves on ways to optimize their health. These centenarians also live a lifestyle that keeps them active.
Take your mother’s example
When a woman is pregnant her respect for the life of the fetus can help her to make good choices. Women, when they are pregnant, give up smoking, alcohol, fast food and coffee. Doctors tend not to give pregnant women medications because it can harm the fetus. Future Moms usually eat more fresh organic produce and stay away from processed foods. Many mothers learn about ways to enhance their baby’s brain development, such as listening to Mozart. After they are born, many mothers give their newborn brain building activities. Studies have shown how these kids will do better in school and experience less health problems. Take this example and make the same choices for yourself. Each choice you make will determine your future health. We should show the same respect for ourselves, as we would for the growing child.
“If I knew I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself”
At the ages of 50-60 it is common to hear people say, “I am not going to live that much longer, so it does not really matter what I do.” At ages 80-100 you hear them say “if I had known I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself.” The odds are you are going to live to 100, so start taking care of yourself now.
Schedule a consultation today to plan a healthy 100 years!
Dr. Fred Schofield at Atlas Chiropractic in Northwest Phoenix has helped thousands of people from age 1 to 100, set an optimal plan for health. Call him today at 1-602-938-8868.