THE ART OF AGING WELL
Living in Australia, means by default many of us enjoy a healthier lifestyle and have a better chance of living longer than many. Whether it’s the natural beauty of this land, pristine beaches, or the clean air we breathe, there’s so much to be grateful for in our the lucky country.
According to The Bloomberg Global Health Index, Australia ranks seventh out of 53 countries when it comes to health. Spain ranks the highest thanks in part to a diet rich in healthy fats and plant-based foods and 37% of the population walking to work. Italy takes second place, followed by Iceland, Japan, Switzerland and Sweden. Although we’re just behind Spain for life expectancy at 83.2 years of age, the fact that our diets tend to include more processed foods, and less than 5% of us walking to work alone explains why we’re not ranked number 1 for health overall.
Australian’s like all countries are heavily influenced by culture, and when it comes to Western culture and wellbeing, the Aussie way of life presents an inherent challenge to be mindful of. Unhealthy diets and obesity are the leading contributors to poor health in Australia. Remarkably, less than 7% of us consume a healthy diet consistent with the Australian Dietary Guidelines, and nearly 65% of adults and 25% of children overweight or obese. And when it comes to drinking, recent studies reveal that 26.8% of adults aged 18 years and over exceeded the drinking guidelines of no more than 10 standard drinks a week, and no more than 4 standard drinks on any day.
We can also learn a lot by looking to the so-called “blue zones” on our planet – regions where people have exceptionally long lives beyond the age of 80. Currently leading the way is Sardinia, Italy; Okinawa, Japan; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Icaria, Greece and Loma Linda, California. In these regions, people are living longer primarily due to a lifestyle combining physical activity, low stress, rich social interactions, a local whole-foods diet and low disease incidence.
It’s never too late to address the main threats to lifespan - an unhealthy diet, smoking, alcohol and drug use, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. Letting go of past resentment, enjoying the moment, being flexible in body and mind, and focusing on all that is good and right in your life will also set you up to live longer.
At the end of the day, what really matters is not how long we live, but how we live. Enjoying the journey, respecting the laws of nature, gracefully accepting all that comes with age, considering the legacy we want to leave behind, and not taking it all too seriously serves to bring an inner peace and purpose to the inevitable demise of our physical being. As Walt Disney once said, “growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional.” On that note, I’m off to a Flamenco dance class followed by a dip in the ocean and paella for dinner :-0