The first rule to understand is what causes the look of raccoon eyes. Most believe this is because of genetics or simply because of aging. However, this is not always the cause with bags that form under your eyes. The dark circles that form are due to several factors, all which are dependent on our lifestyle and reactions from our body. The first and main reason behind this is due to a lack of collagen in our facial area. Collagen is a protein that helps to stretch our skin into an elastin, which, when balanced, allows us to keep a young look. When there is not as much protein available, it becomes ‘lose’, which causes the bags to form, eventually which leads to a drooping under the eyes.

The lack of collagen that cause drooping under our eyes is combined with other factors in our lifestyle that makes a difference in the problems with dark circles. For instance, if you don’t receive enough sleep, don’t get enough water or are allergic to something, then swelling begins to occur under your eyes. If you smoke or are eating too much salt, you may also want to alter this to get rid of the circles. This combines with a lack of collagen that forms circles under your eyes. If you have thinner skin, then blood vessels also become
apparent in this area, causing a darkness around the bottoms of your eyes.

“When there is not as much protein available, it becomes ‘lose’, which causes the bags to form, eventually which leads to a drooping under the eyes..”

Because there are specific associated problems with eye bags, there are also easy solutions that alter the looks under your eyes. The first thing you need to do is evaluate the specific reason why you have eye bags. For instance, if you are not getting enough sleep or are allergic to something, then this is the first consideration that should be altered. If there still isn’t the ability to change the look under your eyes, then you can try remedies to stop the swelling, such as cucumbers, tea bags or ice cubes. If you apply these on a daily or weekly basis, then it will continue to reduce swelling. However, this does not completely remove the bags under your eyes.

To take the next step in eliminating bags, is the ability to use specific vitamins and creams that are known to improve the look of your eye area. With this option, you want to make sure you find substances that guarantee removing the puffiness and swelling. For instance, Vitamin K, retinol and antioxidants all balance out the levels of collagen in your facial area, which allows you to get rid of the bags you are battling against.

With the natural, as well as formulated options available, you can easily begin to get rid of the bags under your eyes. Through the different creams, vitamins and changes in lifestyle, you can begin to alter the look of age that may be forming under your eyes, and instead, can create a clear, defined and younger look that everyone can enjoy seeing.

Julie Health writes about anti-aging products, reviews, and more so you can look younger, feel sexier, and feel great. You can discover how to look young again by visiting: Anti-Aging-Products.biz

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1. Dr. Ronald Klatz. Klatz’s reputation begins with being president of the Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine. He is recognized as the inventor of the term anti-aging medicine. His well-built reputation includes supervising over 30,000 physicians in 78 different areas of the world in order to find the best anti-aging solutions. He is a most loved aging expert for both sports medicines, as well as his breaks that are leading health care to entirely new levels of medication.

2. Dr. Evarts Loomis. If you are looking for alternative answers, Evarts Loomis is your answer. He has been named as the ‘father of holistic medicine.’ His world views led him to finding how to treat the entire person with everything that they needed for a better lifestyle. This was not only limited to building anti-aging treatments, but also became inclusive of psycho-spiritual methods for finding holistic health and to work towards anti-aging. His philosophies and ideals for holistic treatments have won him several rewards and have developed into the American Board of Holistic Medicine.

3. Dr. Robert Goldman. One of the specialists that are working by the side of Ronald Klatz is Goldman. He is a world-renowned anti-aging expert, and has conducted endless studies for the development of what is available for anti-aging. His contributions have not only included endless research, but also breaking technology for sports medicine, used in high-end events such as the Olympics. His specialties in brain research and sports medicine have gained him international recognition for advising and finding the latest in anti-aging.

4. Dr. Robert Atkins. The largest contribution of this doctor was the founding of the Atkins Center in New York City, used specifically to help individuals with anti-aging. His offerings are not only in the large number of patients that have used his formulas for anti-aging, but also in his wealth of knowledge, contributed through his several books on anti-aging. His diet revolution on anti-aging, including the Atkins diet, has reached one of the top 50 best-selling books of all times.

5. Dr. Dean Ornish. Anti-aging has reached all coasts, including the research being conducted in California through Dean Ornish. Ornish is the founder of the Preventative Medicine Research Institute where he has conducted research on ways to reverse aging through healthier lifestyles. His theories and research for reverses in aging doesn’t just include a healthier lifestyle, but also moves into more serious diseases that can be prevented, including things such as heart disease. His overall vision is to find ways to treat disease without medication or surgery. The result is leading research as well as 5 best sellers on how to live a healthier lifestyle.

These, among a large number of other researchers are all working towards the same goal of finding healthier and happier ways to live. Through their research, as well as the information they have provided to the community, is also recognition that has gained them awards in becoming the most loved anti-aging experts for our time.

Julie Health writes about anti-aging products at her website. You can also learn more about the psychological aspects of aging at her website.

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The first myth that should be broken about aging is that you can’t age at a particular pace. Many have divided age into categories of young, middle age, and old. This is not true. In fact, everyone’s genes are divided to make them age at a particular rate. For some, this may mean that they stay a child more than at heart, overcoming the effects of age until they are over 100. The differences in aging will simply be related to how well you take care of your body as well as what the genetic factors of aging are.

The second part that is considered a normal sign of aging is known as the one percent rule. This means that your cells will slowly begin to slow done. On average, this will begin by the time someone is thirty. However, it should not happen all at once. It should only happen one percent at a time. For example, your metabolism may gradually become slower and you won’t find yourself being as hungry. With the one percent rule, you should not see dramatic signs of aging by the time you are fifty. Your cells will not be slowing down enough in order to affect your body too much, but only as needed, especially since you are no longer growing.

One sign that most are familiar with when thinking about aging, is problems related to wrinkles on the skin. This may be related to aging, but can also be attributed to other factors. Having too many UV rays on your skin for prolonged amounts of times may eventually cause cells on your skin to die too early. There may also be an alternate medical condition related to wrinkle skin or even extra stress that you have had throughout your life. If you are certain that it is from aging, it is most likely related to genetic factors from aging.

One of the things to keep in mind when considering what the normal signs of aging are is to know what the signs are not. Most say that becoming tired, fatigue, and having the inability to focus and have cognitive abilities begin to become apparent. None of these signs are normal for aging. They should never be a part of your aging and are exclusive to not being able to take care of other parts of your body properly. For example, being tired is often related to an under active thyroid. Any of the problems that you experience that you think are related to aging will usually be from an alternative problem from changes in your body.

“One of the things to keep in mind when considering what the normal signs of aging are is to know what the signs are not.”

If you want to make sure that you are aging gracefully, you will also want to make sure that you are aging in a healthy way. Most of the signs that one considers to be a part of aging are other symptoms that aren’t taken care of at a younger age. If you are worried about aging, you can be certain that the only thing coming with your age is wisdom. The rest of the attributes of aging will be knowledge that then simply becomes history.

Julie Health writes about anti-aging products & reviews at her website.

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Very few employers have begun to strategize about this very real staffing dilemma and may find themselves dealing with any number of organizational issues. Just consider the following:

• Lost knowledge. Do you know the historical perspective of why a product is designed the way it is? Do you have key customers who do business with your organization just because of the career-long relationships that have been established and cultivated by your sales professionals? Do you understand the underlying cultural issues that explain why your organization values certain behaviors and job competencies? If you don’t but your senior employees do, this is a huge area of vulnerability.
• Few strong succession candidates. Who will take the places of your senior leaders when they retire? Do you have a strong team to fill their shoes at their time of retirement? Many organizations are now finding they have much work to do to prepare junior staff for key leadership roles.
• Limited selection of qualified candidates. When your retirement-eligible employees retire, are their skill-sets readily replaceable in today’s job market? Organizations are often finding that new graduates and new workforce entrants have neither the education nor the experience to qualify them to productively handle these roles.
• Overworked and burned-out employees. If you will likely experience difficulty in replacing your senior workers, then it is also likely your existing workforce will quickly become overworked and burned-out as they work extra hours to cover their own jobs and those of retirees who could not be replaced.

What are some of the strategies that organizations might use to overcome these challenging scenarios?

• Anticipate staffing needs to avoid being caught unprepared. Identify those in your organization who are close to retirement; then, calculate the rate at which your employees tend to retire. Do all those who are eligible for retirement at age 65 take retirement, or do only about 50% opt out? Also, calculate at what age your employees tend to retire. With this information, you’ll be able to determine what your potential liability might be.
• Create strategies to retain/share key institutional knowledge. If you haven’t read David DeLong’s book, Lost Knowledge: Confronting the Threat of an Aging Workforce, you should put it on your short-term reading list. Read a review in the December 2005 Employment Strategist. (Back issues are available for your review at http://www.cathyfyock.com. Click on e-briefing). DeLong suggests such strategies as IT, storytelling, and mentoring in order to improve the transfer of knowledge.
• Educate employees about the benefits of continuing to work. Do you only educate your employees on the benefits they are eligible to receive at retirement? Do you ever talk about the benefits of continuing to work for your organization? Many organizations offer educational programs that discuss employment options, such as contract work, phased retirement, or double-dipping options.
• Redesign benefits so retirees can afford to return to the workplace. Some organization’s pension plans are designed to offer benefits computed on the last x-years of service. This design can negatively impact workers who might like to take a step down from their current, high-pressure position to a less demanding role, or work part-time instead of full-time.
• Focus on development and training of junior staff. Is your junior staff ready to accept leadership roles? Do they have the requisite management and leadership knowledge and experience to move up the ladder? If not, initiate training and development programs to foster their speedy development: mentoring, coaching, and classroom development opportunities.
• Re-examine policies that promote retirement and that inhibit return-to-work options. Is it more financially feasible for your employees to take retirement? Are pension benefits negatively impacted when a retirement-eligible individual opts for part-time work or a position earning less salary? Ensure that your policies are designed to meet your specific and changing employment needs.
• Create new work options, such as part-time, job sharing, phased and rehearsal retirement. Many organizations are finding their mature workers want work options when all they offer is either full-time work or retirement. Traditional part time work options (part-day or part-week) and non-traditional part time options (part-month or part-year) may better meet employees’ motivations for work. Other unique programs, such as phased and rehearsal retirement are becoming more popular as employers investigate ways to meet the needs of both their employees and the organization to keep experienced and knowledgeable workers. AARP has just initiated a sabbatical program to help reward and retain its high-performance staffers.
• Change your culture so working in lesser positions or taking a demotion is not stigmatized. In most organizations today, there is a stigma attached to taking a step down the employment ladder. Yet many harried managers may want to remain in the organization, utilizing their knowledge and experience, in less stressful roles. Organizations may want to explore their internal values, and through focus groups, determine ways to redefine their culture.

The workforce is aging and becoming retirement-eligible. Will your organization be ready?

You can take up this recommended boomer practice as ask how you eat.

That’s right – this is a serious question. For too long you have been fixed on what you eat and how much you eat.

Now it’s time to address the most important question for every boomer.

“How do I eat?”

You can use this tool with these steps. They transform your view of the eating experience.

1. Bring Back the Family Meal Time at the Boomer Dining Table

Cease eating your meals whilst glued to the TV. Add to your question -

“How do I eat?” another –

“Where should this boomer eat?”

Choosing to eat at a table enables you to swap TV news of the day for news of what’s happened in the lives of boomer family members. Your digestive system will thank you for making this choice.

And reward you with a reduction of indigestion challenges that can come from viewing upsetting news whilst eating.

2. No Boomer Food Is Leaving the Planet – Eat Slower

Even if you feel like you could eat a mountain of food keep squashing your appetite. Keep control of your food intake at every meal especially if you’ve reached the boomer years.

The key secret discovery concerning your new found tool is that when you eat slower you enable your body to get the greatest benefit from the food you are consuming. Not only is absorption of nutrients better, the elimination of waste is much improved. That’s a key issue for boomer health.

You will get the once a day habit that will purge your system of all sorts of nasties.

You will be truly amazed as you put this tool to the test. Try exercising all the control you can with eating slowly for three days at all meals and you will observe first hand your system rewarding you with regular and improved elimination.

This benefit has proven to give a sense of wellness to all boomers who follow the system.

Many claim a significant life extension due to prevention of bowel cancer – particularly where there is a family history of such cancer. You will not be disappointed when you uses this new boomer tool.

In fact you’ll be so impressed that you’ll find yourself sharing your secret with other boomers.

Because you loved them enough to share a tool that will improve their quality of life and perhaps their length of life.

3. Get Rid of Negative Boomer Thoughts before Each Meal

The question – “How do I eat?” also needs to be followed by – “What are my attitudes to those I’m eating with?” Am I angry with them? Am I jealous of them? Am I hurting from past wrongs they’ve done to me? As a boomer you know the power of life and death rests in the tongue.

So face the fact you need to choose to forgive them for all the wrong they’ve done before you sit down to eat with them. Make peace with them and you’ll be at peace within yourself which will be a blessing to your digestive system.

When you train yourself to expect and work at keeping your peace of mind whilst eating you’ll find meals are free of headaches and that unsettled feeling in your stomach. Every boomer deserves a lifestyle free from raging indigestion.

Carefully observing these steps will ensure, as time flies, that you are getting the best nutritional value from all your meals.

Malnutrition for boomers will be a thing of the past and as you age strangers and family alike will remark you look younger than your years.

You’ll be blessed with an extension of years beyond your imagination and you’ll find yourself doing exploits that amaze younger members of family

You’ll be viewed more as a “zoomer” than a boomer .

Your family will begin thinking of you as “refired” rather than retired. For more information on getting refired go to – Your Best Antiaging System

Enjoy your new found zest for living.

Copyright Ken Little All Rights Reserved

She was right – people do judge you by the people you associate with. But in our contemporary culture that’s all but devoid of standards of behavior, few people are concerned about the judgment of others. However, if you are at midlife, and you want to retain youthful characteristics and vibrant good health, the company you keep is very important for a reason that is rarely discussed.

And that reason is this: What we perceive as “oldness” is not just the result of the aging process. We develop “old” thinking and behaviors from observation and emulation of “old” or “older” people we associate with most frequently. They could be family members, close friends, neighbors, or co-workers. And let’s not forget the influence of media icons and archaic conventional wisdom and consensus thinking. “Oldness” is insidious and viral– it’s contagious. You really have to watch what you allow into your head and adopt as your own.

“Oldness” thinking and behavior is often handed down in families. Middle aged daughters in a close relationship with their mothers often begin to look, behave, and dress like their mothers.

“‘Oldness’ thinking and behavior is often handed down in families.”

Does someone in your family insist on being waited on and catered to not because of an infirmity but because “I’ve done for others all of my life, and now it’s time for others to do for me”? Grandma did it, so you do it, too. Maybe that’s the way it’s supposed to be. We should take care of our elders. But when elders are perfectly capable of caring for themselves? I think not. It’s unkind and unwise to encourage dependence. If entitlement or other negative behavior causes unhappiness in your family, you don’t have to adopt it or pass it on. It can stop with you.

Aside from family life, one of the best places to catch the oldness virus is in retirement communities or any living situation where you are in contact primarily with people your own age. (This statement is made with all due respect to those living in a retirement community, who love it, and wouldn’t live any place else.)

Retirement communities, for the most part, are absolutely beautiful. They are quiet, well maintained and many offer amenities that can keep you going nonstop: Trips, classes, social and sports events, state of the art exercise equipment, music, arts, crafts, tennis, swimming, theater — you name it. What more could you want if you are over 50? After all, don’t you deserve it? Sure you do, but be prepared to make a huge tradeoff.

What you should want, and must want, if you are determined to Put Old on Hold is regular association with people of ALL ages and circumstances. If you are healthy and choose to buy into a retirement community marketed to people “over 50” bear in mind you will be living among old people for a very long time. (If you enter an assisted living community because you must, that’s an entirely different situation and doesn’t apply to this discussion.)

The life span has increased by 27 years in the past century. Those bonus years represent a long time to be cooped up with people whose favorite topics of conversation, sooner or later, will be about aches, pains, which neighbor is in the hospital or who died last week, and which widower is up for grabs, and what his favorite casserole is. (Competing for available men in retirement communities can be fierce, but that’s another story.) There can be a concentrated amount of worry and woe which is stressful, and stress accelerates aging.

Young people, as irritating as they often can be, can also be wonderful to be around. They tend to be open, patient, kind, understanding and tolerant. For me, one of the joys of working is the opportunity to interact with young people. On more than one occasion their presence has helped me lighten up on impatience and crankiness. You can’t pay for that kind of therapy!

Exposure to young people is absolutely essential if you want to keep your head on straight, stay current with what’s happening, and broaden your worldview. You may not approve of what you see and hear but it does help you cope with reality – something that older people often have a hard time dealing with.

Deliberately put yourself where young people are. Take or teach classes at the local community college. Join organizations that do not segregate by age, i.e. seniors-only or boomers-only groups. Volunteer to mentor teens who could benefit from your wisdom and experience.

Yes, my mother was right. People do judge you by the company you keep, and she did appreciate the company of young people. While in the hospital for the last time, my brother came into her room and was aghast that sprawled across the foot of her bed was a handsome young man from the room next to hers, and they were laughing, having a good old time.

I can’t account for what went on that precipitated the laughter, but she sure did appreciate that young guy, and he undoubtedly benefited from her company as well. Better that she had the young guy for company than the old geezer down the hall who was constantly and loudly complaining about the food and his constipation.

Indeed, if and when you have a choice, choose your friends and associates carefully as you age. They can and do affect how you age and the quality of your life.

She did not operate with the social belief that she should choose her friends only from people her own age. We became very close friends and remained so until her death at the age of eight-two.

When Doris turned seventy-five, she was already widowed. The week she turned seventy-five, Doris threw two birthday parties for herself, one on a Wednesday night, and one on Saturday. Over thirty different people attended each party. I was the only person invited to both. In all, about seventy of Doris’ friends came that week to celebrate her birthday. On both nights many people stayed until past one in the morning.

As I looked around the room at both parties that week in amazement, I noticed that the people attending her birthday parties were of all ages. They included toddlers, teens, middle-aged people, and the elderly.

Doris had never restricted herself to making friends only within her own age group. She had always made it a point to befriend people of all ages. Consequently, she did not suffer the same social fate so many elderly people face when their circle of same-age friends starts to dwindle from sickness and death. I hoped that when I was the same age as Doris that I would be able to have as many friends and acquaintances gathered to help celebrate my birthday.

I didn’t know any other people her age who could throw two birthday parties in one week, and have seventy people show up. I wondered how Doris had made so many friends.

She had never been wealthy, but over the years Doris and her husband had made a practice of opening their hearts and their home to many people. They not only befriended a lot of people and maintained those friendships over the years, but they also befriended the children of their friends, and stayed friends with the younger generation.

I noticed that whenever I brought some of my own friends with me to visit Doris, she never treated my friends as expendable people that she would never see again.

She was gracious and kind and interested in all of them. Her caring about each human being was always apparent. When we finished our visit, Doris would often extend an invitation to the friends I had brought to come and visit her again, and many of them did so.

When she issued invitations Doris never seemed as if she were inviting people because she was lonely or desperate for company. Her invitations were always genuinely joyful. She loved meeting people and wanted to see them again.

As Doris neared the end of her life, she became very ill and very poor. Yet, she never lacked for love and support from the many friends she had kept making throughout her whole life.

I learned something important that week at Doris’ two birthday parties. I realized that we make a big mistake if we tell young and middle-aged people to invest their money for their old age, but neglect to tell them that it is at least as important to invest in relationships with other people.

We make a mistake if we don’t tell people that it is just as important to invest kindness in the people we meet, and invest our interest in them. There are other kinds of investment accounts besides those that are held by banks. A big bank account won’t make up for loneliness in your old age.

I decided that if I wanted to have as many friends as Doris did, I would have to keep making friends and keep maintaining friendships my whole life. I would have to make friends with people of all ages, including those much younger and much older than me.

“Be willing to make many social approaches to others, no matter what the outcome.”

Older people confront unique challenges in trying to maintain a satisfying social life. Many people find it difficult to make new friends as they get older.

As people age they often face social, health and monetary challenges. Older people may become less physically mobile. They often have less money to spend on recreation and entertainment.

Older people are also more likely to suffer from depression. They may be physically frail and afraid to go out at night. Even if they remain healthy themselves, aging people experience the deaths of long time friends and spouses, resulting in a shrinking circle of social and emotional support.

In the modern western world, older people are often treated as if their usefulness is finished, and as if what they have to say is not really relevant to the young.

A lot of older people are shocked to discover when they retire at the age of sixty or sixty-five, that the friendships they thought had developed at work do not survive the retirement party.

In many modern societies, older people are socially marginalized, and left to socialize solely with each other. People in North America are much more segregated along age lines than people in some other parts of the world. In North America, teenagers tend to socialize with other teenagers, and older people are expected to make friends with other older people.

No matter where you live, or what your age, you do not need to follow your local society’s dictates about what age your friends should be. You do not need to restrict yourself to making friends only with your own age group.

If you are concerned that you may be lonely in your later years, the time to start doing something about it is now, no matter what your current age might be.

As you grow older, make sure you stay living in the present, not in the past. In your conversations with others, don’t be fixated on who you used to be, or on your current ailments.

Be willing to make many social approaches to others, no matter what the outcome. Stay interested in the current world, stay optimistic, and keep a youthful, open mind.

So what’s the real story when it comes to anti-aging medicine in the first place? Can daily injections of HGH and daily supplementation with certain nutritional supplements actually make you younger? The answer is a qualified “yes”. It’s qualified because these supplements and injections can only help you if you are simultaneously helping yourself by pursuing extremely healthy dietary practices, engaging in daily supplementation with superfoods like chlorella and spirulina, and following a rigorous program of physical exercise. In other words, you’re not going to get much younger in terms of your biology or mental function just by sitting on the couch all day, and then getting off your feet only long enough to visit the anti-aging clinic in order to receive an injection, and another dose of nutritional supplements. However, if you have the motivation and self-discipline to follow a program of aggressive lifestyle changes, these injections and nutritional supplements can greatly multiply the effects of your own efforts and literally take years off your apparent biological age. Both your body and your mind will, within a few months, begin to function like the body and mind of a person who is years or even decades younger than you currently are.

There’s not only tremendous clinical evidence to back this up, there’s also personal experience. Today, at the age of 34, I am frequently mistaken for being in my early 20’s, and yet when I was only 30 years old, and following rather unhealthy lifestyle practices, I looked almost 40. And it’s not just appearance either: your internal organs, your body systems and your mind can also put on or take off years of apparent age depending on what kind of diet, supplements and physical exercises you choose to pursue. In other words, anti-aging technology is very real, and I strongly recommend people pursue strategies for reducing their age by starting with changes in their diet and exercise, and then, only after they’ve established healthy habits, pursuing additional leverage in terms of anti-aging supplements and medical procedures such as HGH injections.

So, what are the best anti-aging supplements? There are many, such as CoQ10, that have a tremendous amount of clinical evidence backing up their use as anti-aging supplements. However, I’m not a fan of taking supplements in their isolated form. I’d rather get these compounds and phytonutrients straight from nature, in whole food forms. So, when it comes to getting these anti-aging compounds into your body, the best source is to turn to these whole foods as they are found in nature: superfoods.

I frequently mention superfoods in these writings, and there’s a good reason for it. They contain an vast number of health-enhancing phytonutrients. Today’s scientists and doctors don’t even have a clue as to how many phytonutrients might be present in a superfood like chlorella or spirulina, much less having a grasp on how those phytonutrients impact the human body. But the point is, you don’t need to have an ingredients list of what is in a superfood in order to benefit from it. Your body knows what to do with it once you ingest it. If you trust your body and the wisdom of nature — and recognize the nutritional benefits of consuming high-density food sources — you will gain the benefits, regardless of your level of understanding of their nutritional composition.

The very best superfoods to consume in terms of longevity are chlorella, spirulina, sea vegetables (such as seaweed), broccoli sprouts (or any sprouts, for that matter), quinoa, and soy products like tofu or soymilk. Taken together, these products probably provide tens of thousands of compounds that are beneficial to human health. Perhaps in another 100 years, these compounds will be identified, studied and proven to be extremely helpful to human health, but in the meantime, they remain mystery compounds that are outside the understanding of modern medical researchers.

But there’s something interesting in all this: these are the superfoods that I recommend people eat anyway, regardless of whether they’re interested in longevity or pursuing the fountain of youth. In other words, there’s really nothing special you need to do to pursue an anti-aging program that you aren’t already pursuing just by being healthy in the first place. A healthy human individual is automatically on an anti-aging program, which is why they live longer. Sort of makes sense, doesn’t it?

“A healthy human individual is automatically on an anti-aging program, which is why they live longer.”

Conversely, most Americans and people in the so-called civilized nations are actually pursuing an accelerated aging program. If you want to accelerate your aging process, and shorten your life, the way to do that is to do what most Americans are doing already: avoid physical exercise, eat a large percentage of your diet from fast foods and junk foods, consume large quantities of white flour and refined white sugar, eat brand-name groceries sold in beautiful boxes and made with dirt-cheap ingredients that lack any nutritional content whatsoever, and of course, avoid supplementing with superfoods and other nutritional supplements.

It can also be claimed and backed up that the consumption
of prescription drugs is an aging acceleration strategy as well. Prescription drugs, due to their toxicity, cause premature aging of the liver, the pancreas, the kidneys, and other important organs, which eventually leads to the premature death of people taking those drugs. So, when it comes to anti-aging strategies, avoiding prescription drugs certainly belongs near the very top of the list.

There’s one more important consideration here when it comes to anti-aging strategies, and that’s strength training. Given all of the documented benefits of human growth hormone — and there are many — it’s no surprise that people are attempting to get more human growth hormone into their bodies through injections. However, you don’t necessarily need injections to boost your levels of HGH. One of the best ways to boost your levels is to engage in strength training, and the larger your muscles you train, the more HGH your body produces.

For example, if you strength train your gluts and hamstrings by practicing some squats, your body, over the next 24 to 48 hours, will produce much higher levels of HGH naturally. And HGH is only one of the chemicals your body produces in response to strength training. It could be said that for every hour you work out, your body manufactures $10,000 worth of beneficial chemical compounds — that is, it would cost $10,000 if you had to have them manufactured somewhere else and injected into your body. But by strength training, your body manufactures these on its own — no needles required, no visits to the anti-aging clinic, and of course, no risk of having some artificial substance injected into your bloodstream. You just get the anti-aging medicine nature intends — straight from your body.

And that’s my last bit of advice when it comes to longevity: engage in regular strength training. Strength training will boost your bone mass density, it will enhance your mood and brain function, it will increase the oxygenation of organs and tissues throughout your body, and, of course, it will reduce your body fat and increase your lean body mass. These are precisely the same benefits that are being attributed to HGH injections, and yet you can achieve all of these simply by engaging in regular strength training. That’s not to say that HGH injections don’t work — I’m actually a supporter of anti-aging medicine, but I believe that most people would do better by pursuing anti-aging lifestyle changes on their own before looking to clinics or other anti-aging companies to solve their aging problems for them.

Reprint with permission from newstarget.com

From my 76-year-old perspective, Weil, at 63, is a youngster who has made a disastrous decision to become a poster boy for acceptance of early decline. Unfortunately, countless people will follow his example.

It’s difficult to be at odds with Dr. Weil. His advocacy of healthy living is without peer. His recognition of the role of free radical damage and inflammation in the disease process is light years ahead of traditional medicine. He has earned the respect and acclaim he enjoys.

Dr. Weil’s decision to succumb to graceful aging appears
to be his belief that it’s not possible to reverse the aging process. It can’t be — everyone knows that. But what everyone should know, and should be encouraged to know, is that the aging process can be managed and controlled, enabling those in their 70s and 80s to do what they were able to do 25 years earlier. It’s aging deliberately, defiantly, and with passion.

The term “aging gracefully” means different things to different people. One thing is certain: it does not suggest toughness.

To me, aging gracefully means letting go, just letting life happen. It suggests giving up goals, dreams, productivity, and challenge. It’s placidly waiting for death. A hallmark of graceful aging is a subtle but rapid and relentless onset of “oldness.”

“…aging gracefully means letting go, just letting life happen. It suggests giving up goals, dreams, productivity, and challenge. It’s placidly waiting for death.”

Many people accept aging gracefully as part of the human experience. After all, we are born to die, regardless of how well we live. We take vitamins, eat right, exercise, and then we die anyway. So it makes sense to enjoy life as much as possible.

Youth is a gift. And because it’s a gift, we take it for granted. We don’t work at keeping the gift in good repair; we even abuse it with inappropriate lifestyle choices. The result is that even while we see a seemingly unchanging image in the mirror each day, the gift is slipping away.

In later years, having youthful characteristics such as mental and physical strength, flexibility, and independence takes effort. Those with vision and appreciation of the gift of youth don’t let it go with a decision to age gracefully.

Keeping youthful attributes requires ignoring what tradition or custom has set as a standard for a given stage of life. It’s daring to be different. It’s putting a treadmill next to an inviting recliner in front of a TV and choosing to walk for an hour instead of sitting. It’s about deliberately opting to make the older years fun, rewarding, and even amazing.

Nursing homes are filled with people who have chosen, or allowed themselves to age gracefully. Perhaps some of them would not be where they are if they had made different lifestyle choices early on. According to gerontologist John W. Rowe, MD, 70 percent of the aging process is controllable with wise lifestyle choices. That’s an enormous amount of personal power to wield over the outcome of your life. Why give it up for wimpy graceful aging?

Dr. Weil has made a decision to forfeit a large part of his aging power, but you don’t have to. You DO have choices. You CAN manage your aging process.

Warnick (1995) believes that adjusting to the changes that accompany late adulthood and old age requires that an individual is able to be flexible and develop new coping skills to adapt to the changes that are common to this time in their lives. Aging research has demonstrated a positive correlation between someone’s religious beliefs, social relationships, perceived health, self-efficacy, socioeconomic status, and coping skills among others to their ability to age more successfully. The term successful aging has been defined by three main components: “low probability of disease and disease related disability, high cognitive and physical functional capacity, and active engagement with life” (Rowe & Kahn, 1997).

Baltes and Baltes (1990) suggested that the term successful aging appears paradoxical, as aging traditionally brings to mind images of loss, decline, and ultimate death, whereas success is represented by achievement. However, the application of the term, successful aging, they argue forces a reexamination of the nature of old age as it presently exists. “An inclusive definition of successful aging requires a value based, systemic, and ecological perspective, considering both subjective and objective indicators within a cultural context” (Baltes & Baltes, 1990).

With medical advancements and improvements in living conditions people can now expect to live longer lives than ever before. But, the prospect of merely living longer presents many problems. This fact has led researchers to investigate the psychological aspects of aging, with a goal of making the additional years more worth living. There is a great deal of information that leads us to be hopeful about the prospective quality of life in late adulthood and old age.

Religious beliefs, spirituality, and church participation have been the focus of numerous studies involving older adults. Various studies have associated religiousness with well-being, life satisfaction or happiness (VanNess & Larson, 2002). Although it will be necessary for future research to more clearly specify which dimensions of religious participation are beneficial to which outcomes (Levin & Chatters, 1998), it appears that certain aspects of religious participation enables elderly people to cope with and overcome emotional and physical problems more effectively, leading to a heightened sense of well being in late adulthood.

It is commonly known that suicide rates are higher among elderly people, and there is evidence that persons who engage in religious activity are more than four times less likely to commit suicide (Nisbet, Duberstein, Conwell, et al: 2000). The inverse association between religiousness and suicide rate in elderly individuals may be due to the fact that religious beliefs help elderly people cope with or prevent depression and hopelessness, which are established risk factors for suicide (Abramson, Alloy, Hogan, et al: 2000). The relationship between religiousness and successful aging is an extremely complex one. This makes it difficult to pinpoint which factors of participation in a religious organization lead to the increased sense of well-being, satisfaction, and happiness. It is possible that religiousness exerts its beneficial effects by creating positive emotions that stimulate the immune system. Or, it may provide access to social and psychological resources that buffer the impact of stress and aid ones ability to effectively cope (Ellison, 1995).

Membership in religious organizations also provides older individuals with a social network from which to draw emotional support and encouragement, while enhancing one`s ability to adapt to change and buffer stress (Levin, Markides, Ray, 1996). Research has shown that social networks, such as those commonly found in religious organizations are associated with positive health outcomes in older adults, including lower risk of mortality, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and functional decline (Seeman, 1996). The relationships that are fostered within the church or religious group serve for many as a replacement for the social groups that they engaged in at work before retirement. In addition, the attitudes that are learned from religiously committed peers may benefit ones health through encouragement of healthy behaviors and lifestyle lowering the risk of disease (Levin & Chatters, 1998).

One of the common threads that has been found to correlate with successful aging is the individual’s socioeconomic status, particularly education and income levels (Meeks & Murrell, 2001). The relationship between education level and subjective well-being has been demonstrated consistently. Meeks and Murrell (2001) found that education did have direct effects on negative affect, trait health and life satisfaction. Their research concluded that higher educational attainment is associated with lower levels of negative affect, which is related to better health and increased life satisfaction (Meeks & Murrell, 2001). This may be due to the fact that “individuals with higher education levels benefit from the opportunities and resources related to educational attainment that produce accumulated success experiences and contribute to superior functioning in later life” (Meeks & Murrell, 2001). It is also possible that more educated people develop superior methods for problem solving and coping with change. Higher education levels have been shown to provide individuals with better occupational opportunities and social status through adulthood and greater financial stability during the transition to retirement. This establishes education level as ones foundation for successful aging (Meeks & Murrell, 2001).

Material wealth and income have been shown to have a direct relationship to subjective well-being (Andrews, 1986). For many, the sense of well-being is especially effected by their feelings of income adequacy as they move into retirement. Many individuals face retirement with great anxiety due to the lack of sufficient savings to replace their income. The reality of living on a small fixed income limits the lifestyle and ability to adapt to the changes of late adult medical needs for many elderly people. People with greater resources at retirement have access to greater variety of opportunities and activities (Jurgmeen, & Moen, 2002). In addition, the access to surplus income allows for more recreation and less stress from financial concerns. This notion that wealth and well-being are related is also supported by a microeconomics theory that states that an increase in the income level of a society would lead, other things being constant, to greater well being (Easterlin & Christine, 1999).

However, it is important
to keep in mind that increases in individual income levels are relative to the changes in one’s reference group (Lian & Fairchild, 1979). Increases in income are considered to be relative. In other words, if an individual’s gains in economic status outpace the gains of the reference group then the individual will likely experience a greater sense of satisfaction. On the other hand, if their gains are equal to the average in their reference group, there will likely be no change. If the increases are less than the reference group than the result will be less satisfaction. Therefore, it may be important for many older adults transitioning to retirement to have adequate savings or other income in order to maintain or exceed their previous financial status.

The relationship between education and income to successful aging is a complex one that involves numerous external variables. But it seems that there is conclusive evidence that both education and income levels help to prepare an individual for the changes that they will face in old age and “influence on their ability to view aging as an opportunity for continued growth as opposed to an experience of social loss” (Steveink, Westerhof, Bode, et al, 2001).

One of the most important aspects of how well individuals age is related to their ability to develop and maintain strong relationships and social support systems (Rowe & Kahn, 1998). It is also important to mention that solitude, or a lack of social interaction, is considered a major health risk factor (Unger, McAvay, Bruce, et al, 1999). Recent studies suggest that the effects of social ties on the risk of physical decline in elderly are greater in men than women. These studies also report that there is a strong relationship between social support or social networks to the probability to cardiovascular and all cause mortality for men (Berkman, Seeman, Albert, et al,1993).

“One of the most important aspects of how well individuals age is related to their ability to develop and maintain strong relationships and social support systems.”

This gender difference could be explained by the fact that women devote a greater portion of their lives caretaking and developing friendships, so they are more accustomed to building and utilizing social networks. While men, in contrast, have devoted a greater portion of their lives to their careers, therefore, they have not developed the social networks or skills to utilize these networks that most women have (Unger, McAvay, Bruce, et al, 1999). In addition, social ties appear to be most important among elderly individuals with less physical ability (Unger, McAvay, Bruce, et al, 1999). It seems that people with physical disabilities have a greater need to develop friendships and support networks to assist them in coping with the limitations caused by their conditions. Friends and family provide them with a means to continue participating in social activities and complete the tasks of everyday living that they may be unable to accomplish on their own. This provides support for the belief that establishing strong social networks may increase not only quality of life, but quantity as well.

Social relationships and social support systems serve as protective factors in many ways (Bovbjerg & McCann, et al, 1995), (Krause & Borawski-Clarke, 1994). They benefit individuals by enhancing self esteem, providing encouragement, and promoting healthy behaviors. It is also possible that social networks may provide more tangible assistance such as food, clothing, and transportation. This type of assistance enables an elderly person to remain socially active even though they may not have the means to do so on their own. It is also important to distinguish the difference between receiving support and assistance from friends or relatives as opposed to agency assistance.

Possibly the most important source of social support comes from the family, which provides self-system mechanisms which increase an individual’s subjective impression of life satisfaction. In addition families provide a system of support and interaction that may not be available from outside sources for some elderly people. All of these types of networks may prevent the degree of social isolation in old age, that is associated with depression and other psychological problems (Krause, 1991).

With all of the physical and psychological changes that people face in late adulthood i.e., decreases in vision, hearing, memory, etc., the ability to adapt to life circumstances that force aging individuals to move from one living style to another is an integral part of successful aging (Warnick, 1995). Simply maintaining the ability to perform the everyday tasks of living is not necessarily considered successful aging. Successful aging requires the maintenance of competence involving cognitive, personality, material, and social resources (Baltes & Lang, 1993). Adapting to these changes requires the use of flexible strategies to optimize personal functioning (Baltes & Baltes, 1990).

The strategies that one may employ to cope with the changes that accompany the aging process may be limited not only by the individuals ability to utilize a new strategy, such as learning sign language or walking with a cane, but also by their perception of their ability to do so. Many elderly people will avoid using new tools to adapt to change if they believe that they are unprepared to make such an adjustment (Slagen-DeKort, 2001). Perceived self efficacy is defined as “peoples judgment of their capabilities to organize and execute the courses of action required to attain designated types of performance” ( Bandura, 1986). People who believe in their ability will set higher goals for themselves and expect that they will be able to achieve these goals. Self efficacy has been found to influence the adaptive strategies used by older adults (Slangen-DeKort, 1999).

There are two dispositions besides perception of self efficacy that influence individuals ability to cope, these are flexibility and tenacity (Slangen-DeKort, 1999). Tenacity is defined by an individuals persistence with which they are able to remain focused upon their goals in the face of obstacles. Flexibility refers to ones ability to readjust goals based on new information. The research of Slangen-DeKort et al (1999) concludes that self referent beliefs regarding personal competence influence adaptive behavior and the choice of adaptive strategies. “The direct effect, which is strongest, implies that even if a person appraises a certain adaptation as the most optimal one, this adaptation may not be adopted when this person perceives that the required efforts exceed his or her personal competence. In this case, a less optimal alternative strategy will be embraced.” (Maddox & Douglas, 1973).

Given the enormous number of variables that are involved in determining how well an individual will age, it is impossible to point to one factor as being the most important. But, it is safe to say that ones ability to successfully age is determined to a great extent by their attitudes toward aging and growing old. These positive and negative attitudes will be the result of how effectively an individual is able to adapt to the physical, psychological, and social changes that will take place throughout adulthood. If someone is able to accept the changes of life and look forward to the challenges that they present with hope and desire to change, then they will be better prepared to face old age. In addition, the relationships and beliefs that are developed across the life span will be relied upon in old age as a resource for support and assistance in coping. Upon examining research on successful aging, it seems that many of the concepts that are applied to earlier developmental stages are equally important in old age.

“…enormous number of variables that are involved in determining how well an individual will age.”

For example, change, adaptation, personal growth, and cognitive function are aspects of development that may be as important in old age as they are in childhood development. In conclusion, it seems that the present and future of aging research may be used to develop medical and psychological interventions that will provide a more positive aging experience and well-being in old age.

References and Resources:

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Baltes, P.R., Baltes, M.M., (1990). Successful Aging: Perspectives from the behavioral sciences. New York: Cambridge University Press

Binstoek, RH. & George, L.B. (Ed.) (1996) Handbook of Aging and the Social Sciences. San Diego: Academic Press

Bovbierg, V.E., McCann, B.S., Brief, D.J., Follette, W.e., Retzlaff, B.M., Dowdy, A.A., Walden, C.E., Knopp, RH., (1995). Spouse support and long-term adherence to lipid-lowering diets. American Journal of Epidemiology, 141,451 – 460

Bosworth, H.B., Siegler, LC., Brummett, B.H., Barefoot, J.C., et al; (1999). The relationship between self-rated health and health status among coronary artery patients. Journal of Aging and Health, 11(4),565-584

Easterlin, RA., (1995). Will raising incomes of all increase the happiness of all? Journal of Economic Behavior and Organizations. 27, 35-48

Ellison, C.G., (1995). Race, religious involvement and depressive symptomology in a Sontheastem U.S. community. Social Science and Medicine, 40, 1561 – 1572

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Glover, RJ., (1998). Perspectives on aging: Issues affecting the latter part of the life cycle. Educational Gerontology, 24(4), 325-330

Jungmeen, KE., Moen, P., (2002). Retirement transitions, gender, and psychological wen-being: A life course, ecological model. The Journals of Gerontology, 57B(3),212-222

Krause, N., (1995). Religiousity and self-esteem among older adults. Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, 50B, 236 246

Krause, N., Boraski-Clarke, E., (1994). Clarifying the functions of social support in later life. Research on Aging, 16,251 – 279

Le Bourg, E., (2002). Are stress and longevity reaIIy linked in normal living conditions? Gerontology, 48(2), 108-111

Levin, J., Markides, KS., Ray, L.A., (1996). Religious attendance and psychological well-being in Mexican Americans. The Gerontologist, 36,454 – 463

Levin, J.S., Chatters, L.M., (1998). Religion, health, and psychological well-being in older adults: Findings from three national surveys. Journal of Aging and Health, W( 4), 504-53 I

Meeks, S., Murrell, S.A., (2001). Contribution of education to health and life satisfaction in older adults mediated by negative affect Journal of Aging and Health, 13 (1j, 92-119

Mitchell, B.A., (2002). Successful aging: Integrating contemporary ideas, research findings, and intervention strategies. Family Relations, 51(3),283-284

Nisbet, P.A., Duberstein, P.R, Conwell, Y, et aJ:, (2000). The effect of participation in religious activities on suicide versus natural death in adults 50 and older. Journal of Nerve Disorders, 188: 543-546

Parker, M.W., (2001). Soldier and family wellness across the life course: A developmental model of successful aging, spirituality, and health promotion. Military Medicine, 166(7),561-574

Rowe, J.W., Kahn, RL., (1997). ,Successful Aging. New York: Pantheon

Ryff, C.D., Marshall, V.W. (Ed.) (1999). The Self and Society in Aging Processes. New York: Springer Publishing

Seeman, T.E., (1996). Social ties and health. Annals of Epidemiology, 6, 442 – 451

Slangen-Dekort, Y.A. W., Midden, J.B.C., Aarts, B., Wagenberg, F.V., (2001). Determinants of adaptive behavior among older persons: Self-efficacy, importance, and personal disposition as directive mechauisms. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 53(4),253-274

Simonsick, E.M., (2001). Measuring higher level physical function in well-functioning older adults: Expanding familiar approaches in health ABC study. The Journals of Gerontology, 56A(lO), 644-670

Steverink, N., Westerhof, G.J., Bode, C., Dittman-Kohli, F., (2001). The personal experience of agjng, individual resourses, and subjective well being. The Journals of Gerontology, 56B(6),264-373

Tanaka, E., Sakamoto, S., Ono, Y., Fujihara, S., Kitamura, T., (1998). Hopelessness in a community populiltion: Factorial structure and psychosocial correlates. The Journal of Social Psychology, 138(5), 581-590

Unger, J.B., McAvay, G., Bruce, M.L., Berkman, L., Seeman, L., (1999). Variation in the impact of social network characteristics on the physical functioning in elderly persons. The Journals of Gerontology, 54(B), 245-251

Van Ness, P.R., Larson, D.B., (2002). Religion, senescence, and mental health: The end of life is not the end of hope. The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 10(4),386-399

Warnick, J., (1995). Listening with different ears: Counseling people over sixty. Ft. Bragg CA, QED Press.

“Age is nothing in itself, but when you accept the idea of age and its limitations for yourself, that is bad.” – Paramahansa Yogananda, author of Autobiography of a Yogi

To those of us interested in living life to the fullest, the question of age and aging must be taken into consideration. To sociologists, age is a socially constructed trait closely tied to limitations; in traditional Western medicine, aging is an inevitable process of living; however, to the yogi and to the believer in the power of thought over matter, aging is merely a mental virus brought on by social expectations–a virus that can be cured through an “anti-virus” consisting of super-consciousness; and by applying the law of attraction–or the internalization of positive thoughts and habits. Until recently, this sort of expanded consciousness has been limited to a small group of people. However, after the success of films such as The Secret (2006) and What the Bleep Do We Know (2004) it seems that the masses are beginning to seriously consider the connection of thought to reality. With that awakening, there is also the hope that we can affect dramatic changes in our lives. Speaking for myself, this has certainly been the case.

The correlation between thought and reality is the basis for many religions, particularly those which honor the power of silent and positive prayer (or thought) as the basis for their beliefs. The most commonly known established paradigm in the Western scientific community that supports the power
of thought is what is still termed the placebo effect (Dr. Henry K. Beecher, 1955), wherein people react to what they believe to be true, whether it is or not. Today, quantum mechanics (QM) and evolutionary psychology apply the power of thought over matter as a basis for further research. More convincingly, anyone can easily test the power of thought based on your own experiences. Through taking a conscious inventory of any one day or event, you might notice that what you believe or expect will happen, usually does. Further, we usually believe something will happen because of our past experiences, or through the knowledge of a certain natural or man-made law.

“…aging is merely a mental virus brought on by social expectations–a virus that can be cured through an ‘anti-virus’ consisting of super-consciousness; and by applying the law of attraction–or the internalization of positive thoughts and habits.”

For the adventurous, one can also find evidence of the power of human thought as a universal force. One hypothesis to this end is what is known as “The Hundredth Monkey Effect; Environmental Influence and our Habits are also important ingredients in the unfolding of this mystery. The Hundredth Monkey Effect (for those of you who are unaware of its origin) is an observation of a colony of macaque monkeys on the Japanese island of Koshima in the 1950s that suggests that once a certain number of group members learn a new trait, the same trait will show up in members of the same kind without any physical contact taking place (perhaps elaborate a little here). Although the observation and its conclusions are somewhat disputed, our own experience tells us that if a certain critical percentage of the population starts to learn to do something, it quickly spreads to the rest of the society–such as something as mundane as fashion.

As a speaker of English, Swedish, and Czech, and a bi-continental resident, I base some of my acceptance of the power of thought on my experiences learning another language in the countries of origin. Under these conditions, I have been surprised to discover how much people speak without thinking. In fact, when we speak, we pretty much operate only with our intention. The actual process of speaking is a subconscious act. One of these subconscious patterns seems to occur when people are getting to know me. They inevitably ask the question, “What do you do for a living?” and “How old are you?” there it is! Age consciousness. Beware… When I tell them my age, they immediately look at me and refocus their opinion of me. I can see it in their eyes.

So, what are people thinking when they ask what age you are? To me, it seems that most people are projecting a judgment of who you are, who you were, and who you will be. For example, if you look younger than you say you are, they are thinking that you must have good genes–or that perhaps you have lived a life away from the sun, etc. However, if you look older than you say you are, they might conclude that you must have bad genes, or that you have spent too much time in the sun. In some situations, they might even be thinking about your death. In fact, it occurs to me that the subconscious and conscious thoughts and images that we hold related to age are overly prevalent and, almost always negative. Therefore, we must use our thoughts even more energetically to repel negative thoughts or prejudice. In other words, drop age-consciousness and practice positive thinking by applying the law of attraction.

This is a totally different way to look at things, isnt it? Since we know that thoughts seem to hold the most power in our lives than any other factor, could it be that thoughts are the elixir of youth as well? If its true that everything in our life that we perceive as real is held in our mind, and our mind dwells on it over and over again, shouldnt we examine our thoughts more thoughtfully? You will most certainly find, through such analysis, that your thoughts are full of rules and images that confirm your current reality–as well as project an image of a future.

So, is the mind just reacting to what it sees in the outside world and there is nothing we can do or should do about this? Fortunately, based on my knowledge from a degree in physics, I must say, “No,” because in Quantum Mechanics (QM) there is no action-reaction principle. What you have instead is mutual 100% agreement of all parties involved. Every particle in the universe, forwards and backwards in time must all agree that something is going to happen, did happen, or is currently happening. That would include the neurons in your brain. Therefore, if the brain is the instrument holding the images that seem to reflect the reality outside of you, then can you change the images and then the reality outside of you would change also? I mean according to QM, that has to be true and since QM applies to all particles across the entire universe, then this statement must be true. Also, it must transcend time and space as well.

In sum, whether you have truly accepted the power of thought as your most valuable asset, at least give it a shot. At least, as a shot against the “Mental Virus” commonly known as aging.

“All that we are is the result of what we have thought” – Buddha

-Jordan Stevens

http://www.inspiremind.org

It’s a fact: How fast or how well you age is primarily in the head. It’s as simple as that. Yes, heredity plays a role but it’s not as important as we think. We often blame heredity for decline we have allowed to happen through neglect.

It’s how you decide to behave. It’s your attitude about life. It’s how you feel about yourself. It’s about what you think is possible. It’s about what you think is important. Briefly, it comes down to choices you make about how you live your life.

However, there is more to it than that. Tradition, custom, conventional wisdom, consensus thinking, the influence of friends, the media, plus influences you are not even aware of — all affect how you age.

For example, society tells us that about age 55, you are a “senior.” If you accept that categorization of yourself at age 55, you will experience “oldness” signs far earlier than necessary.

You don’t deliberately adopt old thinking and behaviors. Tradition and culture have established how you “ought to be” at a given age. Unaware of the influence, it’s easy to fall into line.

Close friends who have fallen into line reinforce “old” thinking and behaviors. We learn from each other without being aware of it. This results in what I call the “monkey see monkey do” syndrome.

It doesn’t have to happen. Remember, controlling old age begins in your head. Regardless of friends or cultural influences, you can march to your own drummer. It may not be easy if belonging is important to you, or if being different is difficult for you, but you can control oldness influences.

“…controlling old age begins in your head.”

Instead of becoming a “senior” (or whatever word describes or categorizes people beyond age 55), you can remain an ageless mature woman or man in a constant state of growth. You don’t need to be in a category. Reject inclusion into any age-defined box! You don’t need to accept the mores of a society that is out of touch with reality.

Are we really are out of touch with reality?

Out of touch with reality? Absolutely. It’s absurd to call anyone at age 55 a senior. It may have been appropriate 50 years ago, but it no longer makes sense. Consider that in 1950 there were possibly 2,300 centenarians. Today there are over 40,000. By 2050 there will be close to a million people 100 years of age or older. We are living longer – that’s a fact.

So why cling to horse-and-buggy thinking that results in limitation of our potential? Why do we continue to relegate people at age 55 to seniorhood with all the “old” baggage that goes along with it? Could it be because “old age” is very big business, and debilitated old age is even bigger business? Let’s face it: The economy would suffer without enough prematurely compromised people in various stages of need or want.

You don’t have to succumb to tradition, conventional wisdom, or whatever you want to call it. You don’t have to see yourself or accept yourself as “old” because society says you are old. There is a better way and Helen Harkness, Ph.D. describes it in her revolutionary book, “Don’t Stop the Career Clock.”

Dr. Harkness says, “If we need some kind of aging chronology, I suggest we design our own. The following is my “live long, die fast” contemporary model for aging.” And it’s this:

Based on current longevity statistics, doesn’t it make sense?

If you are age 55, doesn’t it make you feel better to know you are not a senior, but merely in your first midlife? If you are 70 or beyond, doesn’t it change your outlook on life to know that you are not “elderly” but merely in your second midlife? After all, if living to 100 or beyond is becoming the norm, then age 70 certainly is not elderly!

Let’s jettison antiquated attitudes and behaviors relative to chronological age. Let’s stop categorizing ourselves as “old” (or allow others to do it to us) when there is so much life left to live as vibrant, dynamic, mature ageless persons in a constant state of growth. Your chronological age is just a number. Don’t allow it to become a premature death sentence by adopting “age appropriate” thinking and behaviors that are out of touch with reality.

The bottom line: You can triumph over oldness, regardless of your age, if you take control of what goes on in your head, and challenge antediluvian attitudes, thinking and behaviors that no longer make sense.