Sugar Blossom

The Time to Start Is Now

It’s never too late to get started on our program, and you’re sure to reap some of its bene?ts as soon as you begin. Most of the healthy lifestyle changes and medical interventions that you can implement to vastly increase your likelihood of staying and feel­ing young for longer are not nearly as radical as you may think. For instance, implementing some of the dietary advice in Step 1 will already begin to lower your risk of certain types of cancer and heart disease and raise your mind’s sharpness, even before you read about preventing those health problems in later chapters. Adding just a little activity to your daily routine can have major bene? ts, and experts suggest that even ?fteen to thirty minutes of walking each day is probably enough to gain substantial health bene? ts. In fact, the risk of prostate cancer in men is vastly lower in anyone who exercises regularly and has regular medical exams.

So read on to start the ten-step program that will change the rest of your life for the better. Since it’s a journey that involves good eating (including dark chocolate), drinking wine, social­izing, and exercises that anyone can do, it’ll be more fun than you ever thought it could be. What do you have to lose? It’s time to be proactive about living well and feeling better for the rest of your life, regardless of your current chronological age!

STEP₁

Consume Fish, Alcohol, and More

“Stay busy, get plenty of exercise, and don’t drink too much. Then again, don’t drink too little.”

—Herman “Jack Rabbit” Smith-Johannsen (1875–1987)

“Fish are supposed to be brain food, and yet people eat it on Friday and then do the silliest things over the weekend.”

—Anonymous

In this crazed world of fad diets and nutritional trends, how can you really be certain you are getting all of the nutrients that you need from your diet? The answer is that you have to start by increasing your nutritional IQ. Everyone has to eat to survive, so there is no getting around this step. Your pathway to optimal health and youthful vigor via nutrition may differ from some­one else’s, depending on your individual preferences and the foods available to you. Moreover, an emerging ?eld of nutrigenomics is now starting to characterize how your unique genes interact with the foods you eat.

Poor nutrition can make you more vulnerable to illnesses and their health complications. Good nutrition, on the other hand, can lower your risk for heart disease, cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, and a number of other chronic health conditions. It can also help you do a better job of controlling any health problems you may develop. This step will also lead you down a path to healthier eat­ing, including teaching you the importance of adequate intake of ?sh and moderate intake of alcohol for staying younger for longer, along with how to eat the right foods to get all the nutrients your body needs at any age.