Health Concerns

[5ft Diva]

I have heard it said before that it's in your 40's and 50's that your health issues start to manifest themselves (mainly because you start menopause and your body starts going through lots of changes). Whether or not this is true, I am not certain. But I am certain that before I know it, I'll be there.

What are some of the things you are doing now to ensure you are still healthy, in every sense of the word, as you go through "the change" then and still remain healthy well into your golden years? Do you have any concerns right now for when you reach those later years in life?

[Big_Sissy]

To me, the biggest thing would be being in shape. I am not, but that's what I feel would be the most beneficial to having a "golden" golden age.

[Erudite]

Good point, BS.

For me, I am thinking about how life is going to be in 20 - 50 years and I want to be as healthy as Mike's grandparents were, right up to the end. My grandparents were very long lived, but not wonderfully healthy for the last 20 years of their lives. Mike's grandparents were out pruning fruit tree until the year before they died.

So I exercise, I attempt to eat right, I lift weights, I garden. I also take really good care of my teeth, because I want my own teeth in good shape!! (Remember that movie "Prelude"? Floss!!) I also try to be aware of my body in the sense of noting certain problems so that I can watch to see how they're fixed...more fiber, more veggies, which exercise does what. At the moment, my lower back is giving me troubles and so I've been trying new exercises to strengthen it.

Anyway, there it is.

[Big_Sissy]

Good on you!!! Saying it and doing it are completely different. I can think it about it all day for weeks on end, and still never do a dang thing

[natickgirl]

I think one of the best things you can do is keep your mind active. Your mind affects your body so much. Being a SAHM makes it a little more difficult to be mentally stimluated, but I'm looking for ways to keep learning. It is also important to remain social--and not just online!

Of course, staying physically active doing something you enjoy, and not just going through the motions, is vital. I desparately miss my walking/biking partner! (Good for the body & the soul.)

More & more we hear news reports on how diet plays such a big role in our well-being. My dad developed diabetes mostly due to poor food choices & lack of exercise. I do NOT want to follow in his footsteps.

[A little venting: It's hard to eat right on a budget when junk food & fast food is so much cheaper than the good stuff. I get so frustrated at the store when Fruit Loops & all the sugar junky made-of-corn cereals are 1/2 the price of the whole grain heatlhy kinds. And a 99 cent burger at McD's is a heckuva lot cheaper than a healthy sub somewhere else! And a box of mac-n-cheese costs much less than preparing fresh fruits & veggies, or even grilled-cheese sandwiches.]

I try to eat fairly well (I love chocolate, ice cream & brownies) & exercise regularly. However, I'm convinced I will die young, anyway. My mother died of ovarian cancer at age 43, and her mother died of breast cancer at age 36. (I am 35 now.) My great-grandmother did live into her 80's, though. My mother's only sibling made bad life choices & has AIDS. I have no female blood relative to show me how to age gracefully. We'll see what happens.

[bookworm]

OH MY GOSH, NG, NEVER NEVER say you expect to die young!!!!!! You are you!! You are not your mother or grandmother!! Do you know what God wants for you? You can actually change your life by the things you believe, intend and expect. I'm freaking out hearing that that's what you think will happen.

I'm going to send you a couple of books, speaking of keeping your mind active. Good heavens, I had no idea you felt this way. You are probably the healthiest person I know! THINK POSITIVE!!!

Okay, I'm calming down. I truly believe in the power of the mind, although I've yet to master it - I'm working on it, though.

I think it's hard to really know how to stay healthy- everyone is so different. Obviously, eating healthy and getting physical activity is important, but so is your attitude. My mother was totally gray in her 20s, and my oldest DS went gray relatively early, too. I haven't got any yet! I don't want to color my hair, and I don't see it as an option right now, so I like to think that I won't get gray hair for many many years yet- and I'm 35.

Anyway, I think a positive attitude and being HAPPY is just as important, if not more than anything else. If you are depressed continually, it affects your health, right? If you dread getting older, and you are miserable with every birthday and wrinkle, it will most likely adversely affect your health.

That's my two cents.

[natickgirl]

Hey, BW, I didn't mean to upset you! Thanks for your concern.

I don't have a doom & gloom attitude, really. And I AM doing all I can to prevent the diseases my genetics may try to bring on, such as yearly check ups, mammograms, PAPs, blood tests...all the good stuff. My doctor is well aware of my family history.

To put things in perspective, though, it IS challenging to see myself at age 75when the last two generations of women haven't made it to 45! They never even went through menopause. Nevertheless, I do think of where I'd like to be, and the kind of person I'd like to be, if/when I reach that stage of life. I do NOT want to be an ornery old geezer! Gary's grandma was, and I dreaded going to visit her.

Maybe I'll luck out & get my Dad's family's genes. His mom lived a very healthy life until 3 months before she died of colon cancer in her 80's. His dad is still alive & fairly alert & active at age 93.

(Note to readers: I apologize for making this thread seem like it's all about me!)

I am SO thankful for the Word of Wisdom! I love the way modern science is validating what we've known for years. Too much meat = bad. Fruits & veggies = good. Not being addicted to tobacco, alcohol, or caffeine is so freeing! Now, if only I could follow the "retire to thy bed early" and "arise early" part. (D&C 88:124)

[natickgirl]

Oh, BW, one other thing.

I started coloring my hair last year. Could you tell when you saw me? I always swore I'd never dye my hair, but I started finding gray hairs when I was 20! I should have started coloring it 5 years ago, but I was too chicken. I do it myself. It's cheap, and it's no big deal. I don't think DH cares one way or the other, but I do it for me; I feel more young, vibrant, and pretty.

[bookworm]

I didn't notice, you must use a natural color. 2 of my sisters color theirs, and it always looks lovely. I remember my mother's hair being all coarse and nasty-looking the last few years she was in Utah (although I only saw her maybe twice since 1996) and I was terrified that that's what happens when you color your hair. Although, I think it's more likely substances she puts in her body than the coloring. So I'm safe.

I'm glad you aren't all gloom and doom. Isn't it great that we have two DNA pools to look at and see what might happen? Although, I've got cancers on both sides, and severe dementia on one, so I don't look too closely Again, though, some of those grandparents' illnesses were due to choices they made- smoking, drinking, etc. all their lives, so I should be safe from that stuff.

hee hee, this thread isn't all about you, but the two of us have hijacked it, I think it's okay, though. If anyone else has comments, they'll just ignore us and make them.

[Dia Minha]

Diva, there is actually a lot of information out there to help woman gain control of their bodies so that they don't have to go through the change. Getting in control of your hormones now while in my 30's is important to me so that I can be aware now what will help naturally has my body does change. Mainly diet and excercise.

Natick, it can seem that eating healthy does cost more. The way I look at it is I am willing to pay more for lean cuts of meat and fresh veggies and fruits, because it will save me money on health care in the long run. Also there are many ways to look at it. Yes it is cheaper to buy a hamburger than a fresh sub, but you can get a side salad for the same price. You can also save money and cook healthier by going back to the basics and shop on the outsides of the store. However, you can look at it this way, an apple is cheaper than a candy bar and gives you a lot more nutrients as well. So in that case healthy is cheaper. It all comes down to how you look at it.

Something else that occurred to me while reading this thread is that by way of genetics I could have a long healthy life. My mom's dad just turned 99 this month and my mom is still going strong. Again I want to gain control of my health and my body now so that I can enjoy the next 70 years. Sometimes it is really easy for me to get down on myself, because I feel like I wasted my 20's being unhealthy and overweight. But when I take the time to realize that there is still a possiblity that I have more than twice as many years left than I have already lived, I am hopeful that I can make my 30's better than my 20's and my 40's better than my 30's.

Dia