I have to believe that you’ve heard the one about the patient who shows up at the doctor’s office. The doctor walks into the exam room and asks what has brought the patient in today. Patient says, “Doc, it hurts when I do this.” …Pause… The doctor replies, “Well, don’t do that.” Case closed.
It seems that in many cases that approach to health and wellness has taken a backseat to more prescriptions for more pills. Yet, if you dig deep enough on line beyond all the classes of medications, you will find the following recommendations:
- Engage in at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week,
- Stop Smoking,
- Limit sodium and alcohol intake
- Enjoy a healthy diet with lots of vegetables and fruits
- Get to a healthy weight
- Manage your stress.
All of these are good ideas, but a person has to search for them with all the other medications that are available for a medical provider trying to see more patients per day.
It’s not all on the health system. A majority of patients also seem to want an “easy pill” which may account for the high demand for the current wave of weight loss drugs originally intended for diabetes, but very much in demand for those who want to lose weight more easily than dieting may afford.
And then there’s the Toby Keith song about a conversation he had had with Clint Eastwood about his “secret” to living well and long. The lyrics go like this:
Don’t let the old man in…I wanna leave this alone…Can’t leave it up to him…He’s knocking on my door
And I knew all of my life…That someday it would end…Get up and go outside…Don’t let the old man in
Many moons I have lived…My body’s weathered and worn…Ask yourself how would you be…If you didn’t know the day you were born
Try to love on your wife…And stay close to your friends…Toast each sundown with wine…Don’t let the old man in
Many moons I have lived…My body’s weathered and worn…Ask yourself how would you be…If you didn’t know the day you were born
When he rides up on his horse…And you feel that cold bitter wind…Look out your window and smile…Don’t let the old man in
Look out your window and smile…Don’t let the old man in
But to get to the real point, if you really want to live longer and live well, don’t look for another pill or procedure. Look for a chance to take a walk, a chance to get up from your couch or to step away from your desk or to push back from the dinner table. This may take more than a day, but it will reward you with many more days and a happier life. It’s part of my “Live Well Blueprint.”
Charlotte Bishop is an Aging Life Care Advisor, Retirement Lifestyle Coach and founder of Creative Care Management, LLC, certified professionals who are geriatric advocates, resources, counselors and friends to older adults and their families in metropolitan Chicago. She also is the co-author of How Do I Know You? A Caregiver’s Lifesaver for Dealing with Dementia.
