live longer while feeling younger
-a guide to health and happiness as we age
Robert D Reed Publishers
140 pages, $14.95 U.S.
About this Book
Grow old along with me!
The best is yet to be…
– Robert Browning
When talking about life expectancy, we often hear phrases like: “It’s all in the genes.” Or “What’s your genetic background?” Or “You probably inherited that problem.”
Genetics is often considered a significant
factor in life expectancy. Actually, our genetic inheritance can have either a
positive or a negative influence.
One of the positive examples is Winston
Churchill, the wartime leader of
Genetics more often have been cited as having
a negative influence. For example, if one or more of your parents died of
cancer, you’re more likely to die of cancer. And whatever type of cancer your
parent(s) had, that means you’re more like to suffer the same type.
But interestingly, genetics diminishes as a
key factor in our longevity as we age. According to Nicholette Zeliadt, in
her article “Live Long and Proper” (Scientific American,
7/1/10):
“A person's life span is thought to be largely determined by the
combined effects of genetics and environmental factors. Twin studies, however,
suggest genetics only account for approximately 20 to 30 percent of an
individual's chance of surviving to age 85. Lifestyle choices,
particularly diet, exercise and smoking habits, play an undisputed role in
determining not only how long one will live, but also how well one ages.”
Of course, the surge in life expectancy (from
47 years life expectancy in 1900 to 80 years expectancy today) comes not only
from improved hygiene and a healthy lifestyle, but also from new discoveries
and interventions: from antibiotics and heart bypass surgery to cancer drugs
that target and neutralize the impact of specific genetic mutations. Another
intervention that could increase life expectancy is bionics, the use of
machines to supplement or replace biologic functions. Cardiac pacemakers have
extended lives and joint replacements have improved the quality of life for
millions of people. Thus genetics is becoming less important a factor,
particularly for those of us over the age of 50.
This new book, Live Longer while Feeling Younger, expounds conventional wisdom as
well as some “unconventional wisdom” concerning the practices of proper
exercise, proper diet, adequate sleep, a tranquil mind, and other key lifestyle
approaches that are thought to contribute to healthful longevity. Its authors,
Frank Cunningham and Jerry Dorsman, share some of the routines and practices
that they have followed to extend longevity. In addition, they present
healthful approaches gleaned from others (from everyday people who are aging
gracefully and from scientists and researchers who have studied what works).
This is the second edition of this book. The
title of the original edition, authored primarily by Frank Cunningham, was “I’m 85, I Feel Like I’m 55, and I’ll Live
to 105: Will You Join Me?”
In that edition, Frank revealed what he
believed were the keys to help people “live longer while feeling younger.” This
became the title of the revised edition which retains most of the original text
by Frank but benefits from a new edit and additional material by Jerry Dorsman.
Recent studies estimate that as many as one in
three people born in this decade will live to be 100. Let’s strive to create
this new reality within ourselves today. With the right effort, each of us can
improve our longevity.
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