Guest Blog by: Theresa Reid, PhD of AgingforLife.com
From “10 Rules and 20 Resources for Smarter Aging”
Understand that “aging” isn’t a disease that suddenly strikes at 50.
People are always talking about how so and so is suddenly “aging,” meaning, typically, “looking haggard.” Sometimes aging does happen suddenly—through a stroke, or other extreme personal hardship. But more often, aging sneaks up on us little by little, when we’re not looking. Every day we live and breathe, the inevitable, microscopic costs of cell division (including deposits of toxic chemicals and nicks in critical structures) take their toll. When these tiny costs of living start to become noticeable to the naked eye—in our midthirties, say—we start to fret about “aging.” But we’ve been aging all along. It’s the nature of life. If we can keep this fact in mind as the years pass, we have a chance of living more fruitfully, and will be far better prepared for the telltale signs of older age, if we’re fortunate enough to reach it. Resources: @ This fact sheet by the World Health Organization is a great place to start to understand what aging is, how it differs from person to person, and how to stay healthy as we age.
Resources: @ This fact sheet by the World Health Organization is a great place to start to understand what aging is, how it differs from person to person, and how to stay healthy as we age.