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“Aging Under the Influence of a Wellness Lifestyle” is the latest book from the prolific pen of Dr. Donald Ardell. (Published by Whole Person Press, Duluth, Minnesota). Don is a long time friend and relentless promoter of a rational wellness lifestyle. What follows are Don’s thoughts about the book taken from his long running newsletter, “The Ardell Wellness Report”, which he describes as the “official newsletter for ‘real’ wellness, not the other wimpy kind”.
The stated idea of the book is to assist you to “intelligently design your own evolution”. Over to Don:
Aging. Getting older, slowing down, the autumn years. Not something any of us would choose for the discounts, if we could stay 39 for another year or, better yet, a few more decades. But, aging happens. We all do it, until the final curtain call.
Let’s do what we can to slow the advance of as many adverse affects of aging as possible, and thereby make the aging experience healthier and happier than it otherwise will be. Details will follow but humor, critical thinking, optimism and staying fit and well nourished are keys, more so than drugs, healers and charlatans. In a way, health and happiness build upon each other: the healthier you are, the more likely you are to be happy. The happier you are, the healthier. Self-evident but easily overlooked realities like this bring to mind the wisdom of 106-year-old Claude Choules of Perth.
In an interview, Western Australia’s oldest person offered a few secrets for staying young. They included staying off the booze, dancing, laughing, daily workouts and surrounding oneself with youngsters. In Mr. Choules’ case, these include his daughters Daphne, 79, Anne, 77, and son Adrian, 72, 11 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren. The #1 secret of his longevity? “Don’t die.” (Source: Alison Batcheler, “At 106, the secret to long life is: Don’t die,” The West Australian, March 1, 2007)
As modeled by Mr. Choules, a keen sense of humor is an important wellness trait associated with health and longevity.  An aging person might ask: Should I struggle, resist, deny and/or invest in repairs and restorations? Or, should I resign myself to a gradual fade — into oblivion or Valhalla? Neither — this is a false dichotomy, a too-narrow choice. There are other pathways. You can age under the influence (AUI) — of a wellness lifestyle. The AUI book contains 69 suggestions or tips.
One more thing — I have pre-tested these tips. That is, I have and continue to follow and embrace every one. Thus, all are tested by my experience as a wellness enthusiast during numerous adult years, though not as many as Claude Choules. The tips are also based, to the extent possible, on science and reason! I have not “channeled” any tips from 16th century mystics (e.g. Nostradamus), nor did they arrive via a space ship. What’s more, there are no amazing revelations previously unknown to modern science. However, respect for science and reason is vital in health-related works and everything else, in my opinion.  Therefore, efforts were made to ensure that the tips are consistent with reliable, verifiable evidence. I made up the tips, but I had a lot of help. Ideas came from bright people all over the world who studied aging in controlled ways. Carl Sagan famously described the elements of a baloney detection kit in his wonderful book entitled The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark. Everyone, young as well as old and in-between, should consider carrying such a kit, in his/her head, at all times.
I have not included tips I consider personally unattractive, even if some experts think they might add a few years of life. An example is calorie restriction. There is no tip to the effect that you should starve yourself in order to live longer. If doing so were a sure thing for added years (highly unlikely), I still would not recommend it. Finally, don’t even think of looking for really bizarre life extension notions, such as inhaling virgins’ breath, eating gold or implanting monkey glands. I’m guessing you are quite relieved to know that. (All three examples were once thought effective ways to protect vitality and prolong life. But, not by sensible people.)
Naturally, it is better to be young than old, other things being the same, which they never are, just as it’s better to be rich than poor, fit than fat and alive than dead. But, so what? As noted in the chorus of John Prine’s immortal Dear Abby, “You have no complaint — You are what you are and you ain’t what you ain’t.” Not so grammatical, but so very true.
Aging is not always pleasant but, like gravity and evolution, it’s more than a theory. It’s part of life, at least for everyone fortunate enough to attain the status of “senior-hood.” Heck, count your good fortune: Throughout most of human history, life expectancy averaged out to about 23 years, which means most folks reading this newsletter would already be dead now, save for their good fortune in holding off their arrival on the planet until modern times.
And now, without further ado, tips for AUI.
Ten Very Important Habits for AUI
- Exercise daily for around an hour.
- Find something to be passionate about, preferably of a positive nature, and pursue it accordingly (i.e. with gusto and panache).
- Consume plenty (at least four servings) of vegetables and fruits daily.
- Work on regaining positive, cheerful attitudes throughout the day. (Of course it’s hard. If it were easy, there wouldn’t be so many stereotypes about cranky old people).
 - Come to grips with reality, much of which ain’t pretty. Decide to deal with the rich variety of perturbations associated with getting older (e.g. nose and ear hairs, parts that require frequent repair, diminished capacities and so on) in as graceful a manner as possible. The goal — suffer less and pay less attention to what has to be endured.
- Familiarize yourself with the nature, principles and applications of a wellness mindset.
- Develop a devotion to reason, evidence and other critical assessment skills conducive to effective thinking. The world is overrun with scammers and flim-flammers — and a good number of them target seniors.
- Focus on the things that really matter. It’s up to you to decide what that might be. Strong candidates are special friends and energizing additions to your sense of meaning and purpose.
- Create a supportive network of friends with whom you can share common interests.
- Protect your lifestyle as a treasured asset. Choose to live well and enjoy each day.”
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 Martin’s postscript
What can I add but a quote from one of my current
favorite groups, “Cake”, from a song titled,
“End of the Movie”.
 People you love
Will turn their backs on you
You’ll lose your hair, your teeth
Your knife will fall out of its sheath
But you still don’t want to leave before the end of the movie,
No you still don’t want to leave before the end of the show.
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