Growing Young with Ray: November 2013

Greetings.

The responses to our first post were overwhelmingly encouraging:

“Good for you two. This blog screams of Ray and Merrilee and is joyful, hopeful and inspiring. Not sure I agree with everything you proclaim but since aging research is such a dynamic field, I won’t debate. Good luck!”

Theresa Levinson, nurse at Weston (MA) Council on Aging.

Thank you, Theresa, for your continuing

support. You were the major catalyst causing the success of our Functional Fitness classes.

And your suggestion to write a blog was visionary in retrospect. However, please feel free to debate. It’s one of the best ways for all of us to learn and progress. In fact, one of my next Posts will feature a fascinating debate about the use of microwave ovens.

“Dear Ray: I thought your blog spot was great until I got to section #4 with your diatribe against microwave ovens. I don’t know where you got this information from, but I think it must have been someone trying to discredit the greatest advance in cooking method of the twentieth century. As a physicist, let me explain the mechanism of microwave heating……”

Colin Bowness, Weston, MA.

Dear Colin: Thank you for your well written, informative and persuasive letter of endorsement of microwave cooking in response to my “diatribe against the microwave oven”. Your entire letter will be printed at the same time of my posted “diatribe” (I love that word).

THE “BANK OF LIFE”

We live our lives as if we possess an almost infinite number of Days On Deposit in the Bank of Life. In reality, our days are numbered.

Using U.S. Average Life Expectancy statistics of 75.6 years for men and 80.8 years for women, we discover that we are born with somewhere in the range of 28 to 30 thousand days on deposit in the Bank of Life.

According to these statistics, at the age of 72, I have about a thousand days left to live. (Don’t tell Merrilee!)

Hopefully, it is a fluid account…and hopefully my healthy lifestyle has been depositing additional time to my Bank of Life account.

INVESTMENT ALERT

THE TIME IS NOW

IT IS NEVER TOO LATE

TO BEGIN INVESTING

IN THE BANK OF LIFE

During every day of your life, you either deposit or withdraw additional minutes, hours and days in your account in the Bank of Life.

RECOMMENDED DAILY DEPOSITS INCLUDE:

Virginia Mannick, in her 80's, doing her daily stretches.

EXERCISE that includes strengthening and stretching muscles and aerobic exercise of the critical cardio-respiratory systems.
Eating essentially a Mediterranean Diet of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes (beans), nuts, seeds, olives, olive oil and fish.

Chef Charlie's Vegan Delight at DeAngelos By the Sea, Melbourne Beach, Florida

Sleeping for a minimum of 7 hours every 24.
Avoiding or effectively managing stress.
Pursuing goals and dreams.
Involvement in positive relationships with family and/or friends.

COSTLY DAILY WITHDAWALS INCLUDE:

Cigarette smoking.
Living an essentially sedentary life style devoid of regular exercise.
Consuming a Western diet of mostly animal meats and products, manufactured (processed) food stuffs, refined grains and an abundance of sugary foods and beverages.
Sleeping less than 6 hours or more than 9.
Experiencing stress due to worry, fear and regrets.
Social isolation… “One” ( is the loneliest number) by Harry Nilsson.

When your DEPOSITS are greater than your WITHDRAWALS, you are rewarded with the following DIVIDENDS:

Additional minutes, hours, days, months and/or years in your Bank of Life account.
Increased immunity to illness and disease.
Weight loss.
Better mental acuity.
More productivity.
More energy, enthusiasm and desire for adventure and joyful experiences.

It’s a typical tragedy in our society for people to spend the majority of their lives pursuing money to enjoy when they retire, only to discover that they no longer possess the health and mobility to actualize their plans and dreams. They had not paid much attention to Deposits and had overdrawn from the Bank of Life.

For life ultimately boils down to the functioning of our body and brain. Our existence becomes limited to our physical and mental abilities to go places and do things. There’s no amount of financial wealth that can buy health and longevity. And there are no transfers of dollars to days in the Bank of Life, except to maybe purchase a new heart or some other failing body part.

It is never too early or too late to take control of your Bank of Life and make deposits for investment in a long and healthy life.

LONGEVITY ALL-STARS: SIR MICK JAGGER

Los Angeles, May 2013. Photos of Mick by Chuck Keller

“Time is On My Side” by Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones is a fitting description of his life as he currently leads the Rolling Stones on their 50th anniversary tour. Although some call them “the Strolling Bones”, Mick and the other Rolling Stones continue to perform at a level equivalent to or greater than their earlier concerts. During the several hours of a performance, Sir Michael Phillip “Mick” Jagger, who turned 70 this year, continues to run, jump, and contort in continuous dance while maintaining the breath to belt out his lyrics. It’s estimated that he travels about 12 miles during a performance. He prepares for tours with daily 8 mile runs.

In 1981, over 30 years ago, I attended a Rolling Stones concert in Tempe, Arizona and then again a few years ago in Ft. Lauderdale, and there was no noticeable change in Mick’s appearance and performance as if he had never aged in the past thirty years.

Research revealed that a nutritionally focused DIET and EXERCISE are priorities in his life. The son of a physical education teacher, fitness has been a major part of his life. The ageless Mick runs, swims, bikes, kick- boxes, weight trains, takes Pilates and ballet lessons and benefits from the training of an Olympic trainer… Wow!

And he still finds the time and energy to continue his legacy into his 70s as one of the greatest Rock & Rollers of all time. Long live Sir Mick Jagger and long live Rock & Roll!