Hello
“Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon.”
Welcome to this website, in which I hope to cover some of the issues that can affect or be important to elderly people in staying healthy.
First, though, a note about what this site is NOT: it is NOT intended as a definitive guide on elderly people’s health issues. It is NOT intended to replace your family, friends and healthcare professionals, all of which are far more important than this site. If you have serious health issues, you must take advice from experts, not from here. If you’re considering moving into a rest-home or assisted-living facility, talk to your family and other people you trust.
What this site is intended to do is to treat elderly people as people, not dismiss them or condescend to them. So you’re getting on a bit? So what? So am I. I’m 62 and yes, I can no longer do all the things I used to be able to do as a younger man. But, I can still do stuff. And so can everyone. This site then, is really about what you can do to maintain your health and fitness, eat well, and remain engaged in life.
Here’s my take on what it takes to grow older and, hopefully, stay healthy:
- Attitude. This is perhaps the most important, if somewhat intangible. There’s an old saying: “Believe you can or believe you can’t – either way you’ll be right”. You can simplify this to mind over matter if you wish. One of the ways I keep myself up is by meditation. It was Cicero who said: Diseases of the soul are more dangerous and more numerous than those of the body.
- Exercise. It’s hard to overstate how important exercise is as you age. If you can’t do anything else, go for a walk. This link right here will take you to a terrific exercise programme for older people.
- Eating the Right Food. Cut out the sugary, fatty crap and eat sensibly with more fresh vegetables, less meat. Have a glass of wine (it may not cure anything, but it makes you feel better about not being cured!). This link takes you to a great healthy eating programme.
Pretty much commonsense. Remember Mark Twain’s witticism: Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint. In other words, don’t follow every fad, but decelop good eating habots and keep to them.
I am including some links to some other websites which I believe may be of interest, as above. Have a look at these. They’re clearly marked, so you just have to click on them. None of these links go through to “snake oil” sites promising eternal youth, relief from arthritis forever, financial windfalls etc.
Do I get some financial reward if you buy a product from one of these linked sites? Well, yes. But here’s the point: I spend a lot of time on the internet, and I know that that there is too much information out there. It’s overwhelming. Most of you will agree with that. But over the last few years I have learnt a little bit about how to find useful bits and pieces, and one of my intentions with this site is to make it easier for you to find stuff that may be useful. It is in no way comprehensive (this site would be 100s of pages otherwise) but, hopefully, helpful.
Please let me know if you think some other site or product could be usefully added. I hope to add more information and useful stuff as time goes by, too.
So, enjoy. AND, most of all, try to grow older disgracefully! Be eccentric. Don’t take crap from younger people – what do they know!? And take this advice to heart: My own prescription for health is less paperwork and more running barefoot through the grass! (Terri Guillemets)
Regards
Gavin Cockcroft
Diet & Nutrition
Health Books
Medical Supplies
