Be Safe, Be Healthy, Be You

A few weeks ago, I was a forwarded an email from a friend about a longevity calculator.

Here's what it said:

"Watch your age in the upper right corner!  Kinda fun to watch your age go up and down as you answer the questions.  It's interesting, so give it a try....

"How long will you live? This is a calculator that estimates your life expectancy.  It was developed by Northwestern Mutual Life.  It's interesting that there are only 13 questions, yet they can predict how long you're likely to live.

"http://media.nmfn.com/tnetwork/lifespan"

At the time, I thought it was interesting, because it calculates that I will live six months less than my mother did -- 95! But, then I got to thinking about the questions. I realized that there is a lot of education in watching the effect your life habits have on your lifespan.

If an answer is entered that reduces the length of life, maybe it would be worth considering a change of habit. If an answer makes the lifespan prediction longer, it might make sense to consider doing that more regularly.

It is hard to believe that getting the correct number of hours sleep a night can add to your lifespan, and yet just today, I learned that it also improves the health of your back to be horizontal for seven to eight hours a night. Anything less than that, and the disks don’t have time to rehydrate.

Everyone knows by now that overeating, smoking or drinking too much alcohol has an effect on how long you live, and how healthy you are while living those extra years. But, what about such things as irregular or absent exercise and eating mostly fast food? Who knew that eating your vegetables could make a difference in how long you live? Family history is always a factor in determining how long a person will live, and some things can’t be changed, but controlling factors that effect hereditary health issues have significant impact on how long someone will survive.

Speaking of survival, consider quality of life, too. Living a daily existence of getting up, eating meals in front of the television and not doing anything productive feels worse to me than being stuck in bed all the time. One of the best things that people can do for themselves and the community is to get out and get involved in what is going on: Make an effort to get to know your neighbors, join a club, help someone move into the house down the street, volunteer at the local school, read a book, take a class. Try something that you have never done before. 

I have never made a formal wish list, but many people I know have a bucket list of things they want to do before they die. Think about the places that you have always wanted to go, and all the great things to do here in Atlanta. Not only might you find that there are some great places to visit, but you might make a new friend, or discover a new passion.

That is what makes living life -- long or short -- worthwhile!