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"This little gem of a book offers sage advice..."
Fred Brock
The New York Times

Too Young to Retire, the retirement gift for those who aren't calling it quits, is at bookstores nationwide and online.

Optimum Health Over 50

Lately, there has been a lot of new information about anti-aging strategies, from calorie restriction to hormone treatments to vitamin supplements. We don't claim to be experts in these emerging fields, but we do think there's something wrong with the emphasis on anti-aging. Aging is a natural process. We begin to age the moment we are born, and if we choose, we can improve our chances of aging like vintage wine, becoming stronger and more valuable with each passing year. Hold that thought for a moment while we introduce another.

Whether you're 15 or 50, optimum health starts in the mind, with the decision to take care of yourself. The difference is that at 50 or older, you have the maturity to act on what you know. When you decide that taking care of yourself deserves as much effort as your career, relationships and avocations -- possibly more -- you will have taken the first step toward a healthier future.

In matters of health (as in matters of wealth) paying attention to details can pay off dividends, whether it's tuning into the subtle messages your body sends you constantly, or being aware of daily choices, large and small, opting for those that lift your spirits, nourish you, increase your energy, and keep you safe. With the flood of conflicting information now available, this is no easy task. Start small by taking this pop quiz to test your current health smarts.

Why is flossing your teeth good for your health?

a. It helps prevent gum disease.
b. It helps prevent the formation of artery-clogging plaque.
c. It prevents bad breath, which improves your social life.
d. All the above.

If you checked (d), you are right. If you are already acting on the information you are on your way to better health and a longer life, according to the Life Expectancy Calculator® created by Thomas T. Perls, M.D. and associates, authors of Living to 100: Lessons in Living to Your Maximum Potential at Any Age. Check out Perls' Life Expectancy Calculator.

Next health question: What do Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, Angelina Jolie, Tiger Woods, the New York Giants, baseball star, Orlando (El Duque) Hernandez, and hip-hop music impresario, Russell Simons, have in common?

Answer: They are all devotees of yoga, and probably not because it's trendy (although it is). Like it or not, around age 50, we are squarely in use-it-or-lose-it territory as regards physical fitness, including flexibility, strength and endurance. If you've been an athlete of the armchair or weekend variety, throwing yourself into a hard workout invites problems, particularly in the part of the body that bear the brunt of stress and our habits of sitting for long periods of time, hunched over a PC. Yoga can help you reverse sedentary habits, gently yet measurably, and you don't need a lot of expensive equipment or clothing to enjoy its benefits. Take it from the judge: yoga rules!

Find yoga teachers and studios at Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, Yoga Site or enquire at your local health club or gym.

Biology or Chronology? Healthy Habits Make the Difference

Super Model Lauren Hutton nailed it: 60 is the new 30. Experts call the phenomenon downaging, the fact that you look, act and feel completely differently from your parents at the same age. Regular exercise, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, a good social life, work you love, and the ability to relax, all contribute to making you biologically younger than your chronological years. How much younger? Take the Real Age test and see.

Recommended Books:

The Wellness Book: The Comprehensive Guide to Maintaining Health and Treating Stress-Related Illnesses (Fireside, 1993) Herbert Benson, M.D.

Eat More, Weigh Less: Dr. Dean Ornish's Life Choice Program for Losing Weight Safely While Eating Abundantly (Quill, 2000) Dean Ornish, M.D.

Living to 100: Lessons in LIving to Your Maximum Potential at Any Age (Basic Books, 2000), Thomas T. Perls, et al.

The Mindbody Prescription (Warner Book, 1998), John E. Sarno, M.D.

The Okinawa Program : How the World's Longest-Lived People Achieve Everlasting Health -- And How You Can Too (Three Rivers Press, 2002), Bradley Willcox, M.D. et al.

8 Weeks to Optimum Health (Ballantine Books, 1998), Andrew Weil, M.D.

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