Neighbours in their 90’s
amberellen12
Posts: 248 Member
I’ve read so many different weight lose plans about what kind of foods to eat, fasting, exercising. It’s all so confusing. I decided that none of these plans work for me so I went back to basics. Which is what are my neighbours that have live to their nineties eat, exercise and how do they live their lives.
- first they don’t exercise in going to a gym. They get out for a daily walk, garden, used to get their own firewood, basically move around a lot looking after their home or going out fishing or hunting. Doing fun things that get them out and about during the day. They go to the community dances. Socialize. They don’t sit for hours in front of a screen.
- They eat three meals a day and that’s it, no snacking
- They eat off small size plates
- On the plate 1/4 is meat, 1/4 is starch and 1/2 vegetables
- breakfast can be just toast and jam or soft boil egg or porridge and once in a while bacon and eggs.
- They have their coffe or tea with what ever they want in it and only a couple cups a day in smaller size cups
- They cook from scratch no processed foods
- They have a small dessert after dinner. 1 or 2 small cookies not the monster size one
- They have daily wine in a small glass not the big ones or 2 oz of hard liquor on ice no pop before dinner
- They laugh a lot and enjoy company. Either coming in or they’re going out.
- They love each other and everyone so they are easy to love back
- They eat out once a week. Usually when they go into town to get groceries.
- They don’t stress about the small stuff
- They’re not hung up with getting stuff
- They’re not over weight 10 lbs maybe.
There’s more but that’s it in a nut shell and that’s how I’m going to go live my life. The diet books are out the door. Back to basics.
- first they don’t exercise in going to a gym. They get out for a daily walk, garden, used to get their own firewood, basically move around a lot looking after their home or going out fishing or hunting. Doing fun things that get them out and about during the day. They go to the community dances. Socialize. They don’t sit for hours in front of a screen.
- They eat three meals a day and that’s it, no snacking
- They eat off small size plates
- On the plate 1/4 is meat, 1/4 is starch and 1/2 vegetables
- breakfast can be just toast and jam or soft boil egg or porridge and once in a while bacon and eggs.
- They have their coffe or tea with what ever they want in it and only a couple cups a day in smaller size cups
- They cook from scratch no processed foods
- They have a small dessert after dinner. 1 or 2 small cookies not the monster size one
- They have daily wine in a small glass not the big ones or 2 oz of hard liquor on ice no pop before dinner
- They laugh a lot and enjoy company. Either coming in or they’re going out.
- They love each other and everyone so they are easy to love back
- They eat out once a week. Usually when they go into town to get groceries.
- They don’t stress about the small stuff
- They’re not hung up with getting stuff
- They’re not over weight 10 lbs maybe.
There’s more but that’s it in a nut shell and that’s how I’m going to go live my life. The diet books are out the door. Back to basics.
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Replies
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Nice! I love hearing about inspirational older people
My mom uses smaller than standard plates because my cousin, a potter, made her a set and they happen to be small.9 -
I go to a gym where it's mostly senior citizens. Some of them have had strokes and they walk with a limp. I find our senior citizens very motivating because they've lived and learned. I don't necessarily want to live forever, but the quality of my life is important.13
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wendyj1012 wrote: »I go to a gym where it's mostly senior citizens. Some of them have had strokes and they walk with a limp. I find our senior citizens very motivating because they've lived and learned. I don't necessarily want to live forever, but the quality of my life is important.
That it “quality of life”.0 -
Western society is very much geared towards time saving, efficiency, and the smallest energy effort possible output, while constantly promoting super-sized, bulk packaging, more for your money, and convenience foods. Lots of sedentary entertainment, and talking to your house to get it to do what you could do yourself, etc.
Is it any wonder there is an obesity epidemic?15 -
For an additional data point, my father is turning 90 in a couple of weeks and my mom is 85. They exercise vigorously at the gym in their condo development nearly every day and go out for daily walks. They are also strict vegans and have been that way for close to 10 years. My dad was a research scientist and has turned their kitchen into a food lab continuously concocting new recipes, sprouting their nuts and making their own fermented drinks like kefir from acai juice and other sources high in anti-oxidants. They are fierce proponents of Dr. Greger's nutritionfacts.org site. They have some age-related issues as you would expect but they remain sharp as a tack mentally and physically vigorous. This past summer they traveled to Northern Italy (from San Diego) which included a 4-hour drive from Germany to a vegan resort where they spent a couple of weeks. They are currently planning a vegan cruise in the Baltic next year. What they do might be considered extreme but it's yielded great results for them as they continue to live a high quality of life.20
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For an additional data point, my father is turning 90 in a couple of weeks and my mom is 85. They exercise vigorously at the gym in their condo development nearly every day and go out for daily walks. They are also strict vegans and have been that way for close to 10 years. My dad was a research scientist and has turned their kitchen into a food lab continuously concocting new recipes, sprouting their nuts and making their own fermented drinks like kefir from acai juice and other sources high in anti-oxidants. They are fierce proponents of Dr. Greger's nutritionfacts.org site. They have some age-related issues as you would expect but they remain sharp as a tack mentally and physically vigorous. This past summer they traveled to Northern Italy (from San Diego) which included a 4-hour drive from Germany to a vegan resort where they spent a couple of weeks. They are currently planning a vegan cruise in the Baltic next year. What they do might be considered extreme but it's yielded great results for them as they continue to live a high quality of life.
That’s it, they’re eating from scratch not processed foods and Good quality foods.
My neighbours eat small portions of meat and know where it comes from.
I live in the country so getting to a gym is a drive. Your parents are using what they have available to be active. That’s the key IMO is to stay active.
Good for your parents to do what works for them!4 -
My dad turned 90 last May and is healthy and active. He goes to the gym 3X a week and lifts (it's also social, he's friends with a couple of body builders who keep an eye on him). He's active in his community, runs errands for people who are ill or home-bound, meets friends for breakfast every day and goes on senior trips a couple of times a month.
He has what most people would consider a terrible diet (I do, and I'm pretty non-judgmental about other people's food choices). He eats most breakfasts at McDonalds, has a lot of KFC for lunch, and mostly packaged food and deli sandwiches when he's not having home-cooked meals with friends and relatives. The thing is, his labs are all within normal range, the only med he's on is blood-pressure, he's mentally sharp as a tack and his weight fluctuates about 5 or 6 pounds between normal and overweight, never more (he's never been more than about 10 pounds overweight).
My thoughts are that assuming no medical restrictions, at a certain point diet begins to be less important than healthy weight, social activity and maintaining muscle. Just my n=1, I really don't know very many healthy people his age, but assuming the diet covers basic nutritional requirements I think there's a lot of wiggle-room in food choices there, assuming a person arrives at that age without significent pre-existing conditions.
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This sounds like my in-laws!2
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My parent is 85 years and I think there are a lot of things he has done or currently does that I do not want to copy for my own life. I think he is still alive through luck and stubborness more than anything.
Glad your older neighbors have a good healthy lifestyle and habits that you actually want to adopt.5 -
My mom will be 81 next month and is hiking in New Hampshire's White Mountains with my brother and a 40 something friend as I type. Go Mom!
I'm petsitting the dog. He's been training with Mom. We did a paltry 1.5 miles yesterday. I'm waiting for the rain to stop so we can do it again. I'm going to return him muddy and covered with burrs, lol.5 -
Some people consider breakfast every day at McDonalds as an optimal diet for health.My dad turned 90 last May and is healthy and active. He goes to the gym 3X a week and lifts (it's also social, he's friends with a couple of body builders who keep an eye on him). He's active in his community, runs errands for people who are ill or home-bound, meets friends for breakfast every day and goes on senior trips a couple of times a month.
He has what most people would consider a terrible diet (I do, and I'm pretty non-judgmental about other people's food choices). He eats most breakfasts at McDonalds, has a lot of KFC for lunch, and mostly packaged food and deli sandwiches when he's not having home-cooked meals with friends and relatives. The thing is, his labs are all within normal range, the only med he's on is blood-pressure, he's mentally sharp as a tack and his weight fluctuates about 5 or 6 pounds between normal and overweight, never more (he's never been more than about 10 pounds overweight).
My thoughts are that assuming no medical restrictions, at a certain point diet begins to be less important than healthy weight, social activity and maintaining muscle. Just my n=1, I really don't know very many healthy people his age, but assuming the diet covers basic nutritional requirements I think there's a lot of wiggle-room in food choices there, assuming a person arrives at that age without significent pre-existing conditions.
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Some people consider breakfast every day at McDonalds as an optimal diet for health.My dad turned 90 last May and is healthy and active. He goes to the gym 3X a week and lifts (it's also social, he's friends with a couple of body builders who keep an eye on him). He's active in his community, runs errands for people who are ill or home-bound, meets friends for breakfast every day and goes on senior trips a couple of times a month.
He has what most people would consider a terrible diet (I do, and I'm pretty non-judgmental about other people's food choices). He eats most breakfasts at McDonalds, has a lot of KFC for lunch, and mostly packaged food and deli sandwiches when he's not having home-cooked meals with friends and relatives. The thing is, his labs are all within normal range, the only med he's on is blood-pressure, he's mentally sharp as a tack and his weight fluctuates about 5 or 6 pounds between normal and overweight, never more (he's never been more than about 10 pounds overweight).
My thoughts are that assuming no medical restrictions, at a certain point diet begins to be less important than healthy weight, social activity and maintaining muscle. Just my n=1, I really don't know very many healthy people his age, but assuming the diet covers basic nutritional requirements I think there's a lot of wiggle-room in food choices there, assuming a person arrives at that age without significent pre-existing conditions.
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My mom is 80 and step-dad 86. They go to the gym 5 days a week to either swim or use the elliptical. They have a pretty scheduled life - wake at 4:30, gym at 5:30, coffee, breakfast, daily chores, lunch, rest, reading, happy hour at 5, dinner at 6, TV then bed by 9 or 10. While I tease them about how regimented they are I think it helps maintain their health - both physical and mental. They have traveled extensively, entertain frequently and have a large network of friends. They also have a 3 acre property which they still maintain themselves. Looks like something out of a landscaping magazine. They play cards, do the crosswords and other puzzles and games and play along with Jeopardy every weeknight to keep their minds sharp. They eat pretty well but not fanatical about it. Drink moderately every day and enjoy their lives.
I hope to live as long and well as my folks because they've obviously figured it out.5 -
Some people consider breakfast every day at McDonalds as an optimal diet for health.My dad turned 90 last May and is healthy and active. He goes to the gym 3X a week and lifts (it's also social, he's friends with a couple of body builders who keep an eye on him). He's active in his community, runs errands for people who are ill or home-bound, meets friends for breakfast every day and goes on senior trips a couple of times a month.
He has what most people would consider a terrible diet (I do, and I'm pretty non-judgmental about other people's food choices). He eats most breakfasts at McDonalds, has a lot of KFC for lunch, and mostly packaged food and deli sandwiches when he's not having home-cooked meals with friends and relatives. The thing is, his labs are all within normal range, the only med he's on is blood-pressure, he's mentally sharp as a tack and his weight fluctuates about 5 or 6 pounds between normal and overweight, never more (he's never been more than about 10 pounds overweight).
My thoughts are that assuming no medical restrictions, at a certain point diet begins to be less important than healthy weight, social activity and maintaining muscle. Just my n=1, I really don't know very many healthy people his age, but assuming the diet covers basic nutritional requirements I think there's a lot of wiggle-room in food choices there, assuming a person arrives at that age without significent pre-existing conditions.
I made a bacon, egg, and cheese on English muffin for breakfast today, and usually make one of these on the weekends as well.2 -
kshama2001 wrote: »
Some people consider breakfast every day at McDonalds as an optimal diet for health.My dad turned 90 last May and is healthy and active. He goes to the gym 3X a week and lifts (it's also social, he's friends with a couple of body builders who keep an eye on him). He's active in his community, runs errands for people who are ill or home-bound, meets friends for breakfast every day and goes on senior trips a couple of times a month.
He has what most people would consider a terrible diet (I do, and I'm pretty non-judgmental about other people's food choices). He eats most breakfasts at McDonalds, has a lot of KFC for lunch, and mostly packaged food and deli sandwiches when he's not having home-cooked meals with friends and relatives. The thing is, his labs are all within normal range, the only med he's on is blood-pressure, he's mentally sharp as a tack and his weight fluctuates about 5 or 6 pounds between normal and overweight, never more (he's never been more than about 10 pounds overweight).
My thoughts are that assuming no medical restrictions, at a certain point diet begins to be less important than healthy weight, social activity and maintaining muscle. Just my n=1, I really don't know very many healthy people his age, but assuming the diet covers basic nutritional requirements I think there's a lot of wiggle-room in food choices there, assuming a person arrives at that age without significent pre-existing conditions.
I made a bacon, egg, and cheese on English muffin for breakfast today, and usually make one of these on the weekends as well.
I had premade a bunch of them, and stuck them in the freezer for quick grab and go breakfasts for early morning shifts. They were fantastic and lasted nearly 2 months.3 -
My neighbors are a married elderly couple (think they’re 99 or 100), after hurricane Irma I went outside to inspect the damage and there the old man was on the roof cleaning out his gutters lol. Most days they eat canned soup, they used to cook a lot but now a days not so much. The lady of the house enjoys lots of desserts and we usually exchange home baked goods, she’s not against making a Marie calendar berry pie in the oven though. My great grandmother also lived to be 98 years old, she lived off of restaurant kids meal chicken nuggets, root beer, and CHOCOLATE. The one thing I’ve noticed with all these older people that are doing well is that they never stop moving, they are always active and don’t give themselves time to slow down.7
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My neighbors are a married elderly couple (think they’re 99 or 100), after hurricane Irma I went outside to inspect the damage and there the old man was on the roof cleaning out his gutters lol. Most days they eat canned soup, they used to cook a lot but now a days not so much. The lady of the house enjoys lots of desserts and we usually exchange home baked goods, she’s not against making a Marie calendar berry pie in the oven though. My great grandmother also lived to be 98 years old, she lived off of restaurant kids meal chicken nuggets, root beer, and CHOCOLATE. The one thing I’ve noticed with all these older people that are doing well is that they never stop moving, they are always active and don’t give themselves time to slow down.
I can't keep my mother out of her gutters >.<
She's slowly getting gutter guard stuff over them, but it's a big house, and she doesn't like to wait for my visits, as she usually has a long list of chores for me.
(My objection to her doing this is because she has osteoporosis, and a fall could really damage her. She points out that she has never fallen off a ladder in her life. She's painted her house several times, so has spent lots of time on ladders.)4 -
kshama2001 wrote: »My neighbors are a married elderly couple (think they’re 99 or 100), after hurricane Irma I went outside to inspect the damage and there the old man was on the roof cleaning out his gutters lol. Most days they eat canned soup, they used to cook a lot but now a days not so much. The lady of the house enjoys lots of desserts and we usually exchange home baked goods, she’s not against making a Marie calendar berry pie in the oven though. My great grandmother also lived to be 98 years old, she lived off of restaurant kids meal chicken nuggets, root beer, and CHOCOLATE. The one thing I’ve noticed with all these older people that are doing well is that they never stop moving, they are always active and don’t give themselves time to slow down.
I can't keep my mother out of her gutters >.<
She's slowly getting gutter guard stuff over them, but it's a big house, and she doesn't like to wait for my visits, as she usually has a long list of chores for me.
(My objection to her doing this is because she has osteoporosis, and a fall could really damage her. She points out that she has never fallen off a ladder in her life. She's painted her house several times, so has spent lots of time on ladders.)
About 5 years ago I made my mom promise me she'd stay off the roof and hire someone to clean the gutters. She has 20 grandchildren and I know one of them (or more) could use the money. I told her if she fell off the roof in the name of clean gutters it could spell the end of her happy life. For once she listened to me!6 -
kshama2001 wrote: »My neighbors are a married elderly couple (think they’re 99 or 100), after hurricane Irma I went outside to inspect the damage and there the old man was on the roof cleaning out his gutters lol. Most days they eat canned soup, they used to cook a lot but now a days not so much. The lady of the house enjoys lots of desserts and we usually exchange home baked goods, she’s not against making a Marie calendar berry pie in the oven though. My great grandmother also lived to be 98 years old, she lived off of restaurant kids meal chicken nuggets, root beer, and CHOCOLATE. The one thing I’ve noticed with all these older people that are doing well is that they never stop moving, they are always active and don’t give themselves time to slow down.
I can't keep my mother out of her gutters >.<
She's slowly getting gutter guard stuff over them, but it's a big house, and she doesn't like to wait for my visits, as she usually has a long list of chores for me.
(My objection to her doing this is because she has osteoporosis, and a fall could really damage her. She points out that she has never fallen off a ladder in her life. She's painted her house several times, so has spent lots of time on ladders.)
All it takes is that one time. Take it from someone who knows. I just tripped on an uneven path last Saturday and fractured my wrist. Now I am looking at 6 weeks with no swimming or disc golf or upper body workouts and a bunch of medical bills. So annoying and debilitating. Not to mention hunt-and-peck typing with my left hand.
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My thoughts are that assuming no medical restrictions, at a certain point diet begins to be less important than healthy weight, social activity and maintaining muscle. Just my n=1, I really don't know very many healthy people his age, but assuming the diet covers basic nutritional requirements I think there's a lot of wiggle-room in food choices there, assuming a person arrives at that age without significent pre-existing conditions.
My grandad lived to 94 - and he had a big sweet tooth. Whenever we saw him (quite often! between me, my siblings, my mum and uncle, this wasn't a rare event), we would go out to a cafe and he would have a sandwich and some delicious slice, or his favourite of a pancake rolled with jam and whipped cream. He always had shortbread biscuits and hard candies in the house, and we often went out for ice creams...but this was paired with not actually eating huge quantities of food at every meal, and being generally quite active - walking a lot, gardening, fixing things around home etc. He was always pretty slim - possibly could have done with a higher percentage of vegetables or fruits in his diet, but it certainly didn't appear to have any adverse effects from what probably wouldn't be considered a "good" diet. He just didn't overeat.
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My grandfather lived to his 90s, and still had all his own teeth and hadn't suffered any noticeable loss of height, when a serious medical error killed him. He ate fried food (mostly pork) roughly three times a day pretty much all his life, chewed tobacco, and drank alcohol. However, he did lead a very active life as a farmer most of his adult life, and still kept a large kitchen garden and chickens in "retirement" well into his 80s. Equally importantly, I think, he beat the odds in the genetic lottery.4
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People highly underestimate the influence of genetics upon lifespan. It’s probably the primary factor. Lifestyle/habits can affect it to some degree, but genetics will ultimately determine how long you live (and also play a huge part in diseases/illnesses which can shorten lifespan). You have people who make bad lifestyle choices and die of cancer at 40. Then you have guys like George Burns, who drank scotch and smoked cigars his whole life and lived to 100.lynn_glenmont wrote: »My grandfather lived to his 90s, and still had all his own teeth and hadn't suffered any noticeable loss of height, when a serious medical error killed him. He ate fried food (mostly pork) roughly three times a day pretty much all his life, chewed tobacco, and drank alcohol. However, he did lead a very active life as a farmer most of his adult life, and still kept a large kitchen garden and chickens in "retirement" well into his 80s. Equally importantly, I think, he beat the odds in the genetic lottery.6 -
kshama2001 wrote: »My neighbors are a married elderly couple (think they’re 99 or 100), after hurricane Irma I went outside to inspect the damage and there the old man was on the roof cleaning out his gutters lol. Most days they eat canned soup, they used to cook a lot but now a days not so much. The lady of the house enjoys lots of desserts and we usually exchange home baked goods, she’s not against making a Marie calendar berry pie in the oven though. My great grandmother also lived to be 98 years old, she lived off of restaurant kids meal chicken nuggets, root beer, and CHOCOLATE. The one thing I’ve noticed with all these older people that are doing well is that they never stop moving, they are always active and don’t give themselves time to slow down.
I can't keep my mother out of her gutters >.<
She's slowly getting gutter guard stuff over them, but it's a big house, and she doesn't like to wait for my visits, as she usually has a long list of chores for me.
(My objection to her doing this is because she has osteoporosis, and a fall could really damage her. She points out that she has never fallen off a ladder in her life. She's painted her house several times, so has spent lots of time on ladders.)
My grandmother lived on her own until she was 98 or 99 when she fell off the ladder cleaning her gutters and broke her hip. Up until then she was super active, did all her own cooking, yard work, etc. She lived until she was 103.8 -
People highly underestimate the influence of genetics upon lifespan. It’s probably the primary factor. Lifestyle/habits can affect it to some degree, but genetics will ultimately determine how long you live (and also play a huge part in diseases/illnesses which can shorten lifespan). You have people who make bad lifestyle choices and die of cancer at 40. Then you have guys like George Burns, who drank scotch and smoked cigars his whole life and lived to 100.lynn_glenmont wrote: »My grandfather lived to his 90s, and still had all his own teeth and hadn't suffered any noticeable loss of height, when a serious medical error killed him. He ate fried food (mostly pork) roughly three times a day pretty much all his life, chewed tobacco, and drank alcohol. However, he did lead a very active life as a farmer most of his adult life, and still kept a large kitchen garden and chickens in "retirement" well into his 80s. Equally importantly, I think, he beat the odds in the genetic lottery.
Yes, that's right.
Statistically people are more likely to die younger and have poor quality of life if they are overweight, drink too much, smoke - to name a few lifestyle factors within our power to change.
But you can only improve your own individual chances by changing the things you can change - there are things like genetics beyond your control.
Do the best you can and give yourself the best chance you can - but accept there are things you cannot change.
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kshama2001 wrote: »I made a bacon, egg, and cheese on English muffin for breakfast today, and usually make one of these on the weekends as well.
I call these eggie cheese muffins - don't want the copyright police coming down on me.
About the roof stuff. Yeah, I fell off a ladder a couple of years ago, trying to install a kitchen ceiling fan. Was pulling on the hammer to get that one last stubborn nail out of the stud, the hammer slipped, I went flying backwards off the ladder and wound up with a number of leg injuries (leg tried to bend the wrong way at the knee). I was darned lucky I didn't wack my head on the counter as I came down. Still a big dent in the tile where the hammer landed. (After extensive physio I now run again 5 days/week.)
My kid made me promise, to a) not wait a weekend before I contacted them to take me to urgent care - I thought resting it would help, even though my leg wouldn't support my weight. "Walk it off!"
and b) contact them or their spouse if I needed roof or ladder work done in the future.
I kind of fudge on the last one, because I have always been fiercely independent, and except for periods of depression, in good physical condition. But at 62, I have to remind myself to be a little more conscious of possible limitations.
But, I also keep a picture of that meme, "Both of these women are 74, the choice is yours to make." as my desktop image. If I am lucky enough to live into my 90's, I too want to have gym buddies that spot me as I weight train, before we go have our breakfast at Micky D's.
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kshama2001 wrote: »I made a bacon, egg, and cheese on English muffin for breakfast today, and usually make one of these on the weekends as well.
I call these eggie cheese muffins - don't want the copyright police coming down on me.
About the roof stuff. Yeah, I fell off a ladder a couple of years ago, trying to install a kitchen ceiling fan. Was pulling on the hammer to get that one last stubborn nail out of the stud, the hammer slipped, I went flying backwards off the ladder and wound up with a number of leg injuries (leg tried to bend the wrong way at the knee). I was darned lucky I didn't wack my head on the counter as I came down. Still a big dent in the tile where the hammer landed. (After extensive physio I now run again 5 days/week.)
My kid made me promise, to a) not wait a weekend before I contacted them to take me to urgent care - I thought resting it would help, even though my leg wouldn't support my weight. "Walk it off!"
and b) contact them or their spouse if I needed roof or ladder work done in the future.
I kind of fudge on the last one, because I have always been fiercely independent, and except for periods of depression, in good physical condition. But at 62, I have to remind myself to be a little more conscious of possible limitations.
But, I also keep a picture of that meme, "Both of these women are 74, the choice is yours to make." as my desktop image. If I am lucky enough to live into my 90's, I too want to have gym buddies that spot me as I weight train, before we go have our breakfast at Micky D's.
I wasn't familiar with "Both of these women are 74, the choice is yours to make" so google-imaged and found a bunch of different versions. All the women on the right look somewhat older than 74 to me, but I get the point, and the woman on the left is indeed inspirational
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So
People highly underestimate the influence of genetics upon lifespan. It’s probably the primary factor. Lifestyle/habits can affect it to some degree, but genetics will ultimately determine how long you live (and also play a huge part in diseases/illnesses which can shorten lifespan). You have people who make bad lifestyle choices and die of cancer at 40. Then you have guys like George Burns, who drank scotch and smoked cigars his whole life and lived to 100.lynn_glenmont wrote: »My grandfather lived to his 90s, and still had all his own teeth and hadn't suffered any noticeable loss of height, when a serious medical error killed him. He ate fried food (mostly pork) roughly three times a day pretty much all his life, chewed tobacco, and drank alcohol. However, he did lead a very active life as a farmer most of his adult life, and still kept a large kitchen garden and chickens in "retirement" well into his 80s. Equally importantly, I think, he beat the odds in the genetic lottery.
So I can avoid premature death. My grandparents are so more special now.0 -
People highly underestimate the influence of genetics upon lifespan. It’s probably the primary factor. Lifestyle/habits can affect it to some degree, but genetics will ultimately determine how long you live (and also play a huge part in diseases/illnesses which can shorten lifespan). You have people who make bad lifestyle choices and die of cancer at 40. Then you have guys like George Burns, who drank scotch and smoked cigars his whole life and lived to 100.lynn_glenmont wrote: »My grandfather lived to his 90s, and still had all his own teeth and hadn't suffered any noticeable loss of height, when a serious medical error killed him. He ate fried food (mostly pork) roughly three times a day pretty much all his life, chewed tobacco, and drank alcohol. However, he did lead a very active life as a farmer most of his adult life, and still kept a large kitchen garden and chickens in "retirement" well into his 80s. Equally importantly, I think, he beat the odds in the genetic lottery.
I agree that genetics has a huge influence on all of this. Probably more than we realize. They've learned that to some degree your genes influence how much enjoyment you get from exercise, and just how unpleasant hunger feels to you.
On the other hand, we're moving into a world where lifestyle choices might outweigh genes for a lot of people. I mean, there are a growing number of people who won't come near their genetic potential for longevity or quality of life. Which is really sad, especially (as a lot of people here show) since it's so preventable.1 -
My dad turned 90 last May and is healthy and active. He goes to the gym 3X a week and lifts (it's also social, he's friends with a couple of body builders who keep an eye on him). He's active in his community, runs errands for people who are ill or home-bound, meets friends for breakfast every day and goes on senior trips a couple of times a month.
He has what most people would consider a terrible diet (I do, and I'm pretty non-judgmental about other people's food choices). He eats most breakfasts at McDonalds, has a lot of KFC for lunch, and mostly packaged food and deli sandwiches when he's not having home-cooked meals with friends and relatives. The thing is, his labs are all within normal range, the only med he's on is blood-pressure, he's mentally sharp as a tack and his weight fluctuates about 5 or 6 pounds between normal and overweight, never more (he's never been more than about 10 pounds overweight).
My thoughts are that assuming no medical restrictions, at a certain point diet begins to be less important than healthy weight, social activity and maintaining muscle. Just my n=1, I really don't know very many healthy people his age, but assuming the diet covers basic nutritional requirements I think there's a lot of wiggle-room in food choices there, assuming a person arrives at that age without significent pre-existing conditions.
I think that once you reach 90 you should be able to eat whatever you want and get all the enjoyment you can from life! Healthwise getting out and socialising while eating at KFC and McDonald's would be highly beneficial for your mind and spirit, even if it isn't the most nutritional choice.2 -
Lillymoo01 wrote: »My dad turned 90 last May and is healthy and active. He goes to the gym 3X a week and lifts (it's also social, he's friends with a couple of body builders who keep an eye on him). He's active in his community, runs errands for people who are ill or home-bound, meets friends for breakfast every day and goes on senior trips a couple of times a month.
He has what most people would consider a terrible diet (I do, and I'm pretty non-judgmental about other people's food choices). He eats most breakfasts at McDonalds, has a lot of KFC for lunch, and mostly packaged food and deli sandwiches when he's not having home-cooked meals with friends and relatives. The thing is, his labs are all within normal range, the only med he's on is blood-pressure, he's mentally sharp as a tack and his weight fluctuates about 5 or 6 pounds between normal and overweight, never more (he's never been more than about 10 pounds overweight).
My thoughts are that assuming no medical restrictions, at a certain point diet begins to be less important than healthy weight, social activity and maintaining muscle. Just my n=1, I really don't know very many healthy people his age, but assuming the diet covers basic nutritional requirements I think there's a lot of wiggle-room in food choices there, assuming a person arrives at that age without significent pre-existing conditions.
I think that once you reach 90 you should be able to eat whatever you want and get all the enjoyment you can from life! Healthwise getting out and socialising while eating at KFC and McDonald's would be highly beneficial for your mind and spirit, even if it isn't the most nutritional choice.
QFT!1
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