You are only old once

I love Dr Suess and his whimsical sense of humour. I found this on the Internet and it is a take-off on Dr Suess famous "Cat in the Hat".  Dr Suess did a wonderful book on ageing called, "You're only old once".  If you want the Youtube version of this book, go here, 

The parody below is very dark when it comes to ageing. Dr Suess actually took a lighter view of ageing. His book, which I think we should all read, just to regain our sense of wonder ends with this thought. 

And you'll know

once your necktie's

back under your chin

and Norval has waved you

Godspeed with his fin,

you're in pretty good shape

 for the shape, you are in.

Life lessons learned

Many of us play "follow the leader in life." This is an important role, but sometimes we need to play the leadership role. Leadership is not easy and not something many of us want to do, however, I always believed that I could count on myself and my friends to uncover the truth and play a leadership role when required while others just played.

I was never surprised to find myself standing by my principles when the going got tough. And there was never any doubt in my mind that when faced with a fork in the road, that I would take the path less travelled.

Over a lifetime, this has lead to many adventures, some good, some bad, but I never had any idea that life would reward me for taking the path less travelled. 

How have you followed your path, have you been a follower or a leader and have you travelled the path less followed? If you have you know how much fun it can be. Life is great and the adventure continues.

It doesn't take much

It doesn't take much, to surround yourself with good friends, good times, and big bucks.

In fact, it doesn't take anything at all.

Visualize.

And for added effect, saunter.

Tallyho, ho, ho :-)

Life's Simple 7 revisited

Back in July, I talked about this new insight into aging, and today there is new information that builds on the information found in the study. A new advisory from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association outlines seven measures we can all take to keep our brain healthy as we age and stave off dementia.

'Life's Simple 7' steps for brain health (pdf file)

The researchers performed a meta-analysis of 182 scientific studies and looked for factors that could be "measured, monitored, and modified."

They identified seven metrics that they believe can maintain brain health at optimal levels. Four of these are "ideal health behaviors" and three are "ideal health factors."

The recommended health behaviors are: not smoking, maintaining high levels of physical activity, following a healthful diet, and keeping a healthy weight. The health factors are: keeping blood pressure levels under 120/80 millimeters of mercury (mm/Hg), cholesterol levels under 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), and fasting blood sugar levels under 100 mg/dL.

The seven-metrics found in the new report correspond to the so-called Life's Simple 7 - a program developed by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association (AHA/ASA) with the aim of promoting cardiovascular health in the wide population.

These seven steps are:

1.     Manage blood pressure

2.     Control cholesterol

3.     Keep blood sugar normal

4.     Get physically active

5.     Eat a healthy diet

6.     Lose extra weight

7.     Don't start smoking or quit

Over time researchers have learned that the same risk factors for stroke that are referred to in Life's Simple 7 are also risk factors for Alzheimer's disease and possibly for some of the other neurodegenerative disorders.

Maintaining blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar at optimum levels is important because abnormally high levels of these may lead to complications that can cause atherosclerosis and blood clots. In time, this may lead to cognitive impairment and vascular dementia.

Arteries carrying blood to the brain may narrow or become damaged, which can lead to dementia. The good news is that managing risk factors - and managing them early on - can keep those arteries strong and make a world of difference for our long-term brain health, says the head researcher.

The advisory stresses the importance of early interventions, as atherosclerosis, they warn, can start as early as childhood. These recommendations are particularly important, the authors note, given the predicted prevalence of dementia in the United States and across the world. Currently, over 7 million new cases of dementia are diagnosed every year, and by 2030, the authors warn, as many as 75 million people may develop the condition.