Talk about ageing and ears will prick up and heads will turn. People, depending on their particular age, will pay attention.
But, says health specialist Patrick Holford as a baby boomer himself, we’re not ageing particularly well.
Even with all the information out there, we’re still getting things wrong.
Ageing, he says, is far from graceful for most people and if you’re in the latter part of your life, or have dealt with ageing parents, you will understand what he’s talking about.
“It’s a ‘silver tsunami’ that is going to keep on coming,” he says.
Like giving birth or raising children, ageing is something most of us seem to muddle through, yet it affects our life dramatically.
Often when it happens to us or those around us, we’re ill-prepared.
“We’re living much longer,” says Holford, and because of that our lives must have quality.
How does it help if you have time on your side, but not quality of life?
Not taking ageing seriously by ensuring you get to old age in as good a condition as possible is living in denial.
“We’re living longer but with less healthy years,” warns the health guru.
In his latest book, The 10 Secrets of Healthy Ageing (how to live longer, look younger and feel great) (Piatkus, R260) which is co-written by award-winning health journalist Jerome Burne, Holford attempts to show us an easier route to living a healthier life.
They tell us exactly what happens to our bodies as we age and how to counteract the process.
Naturally, there’s nothing that can halt ageing, but as all of us will have experienced in some way, we can look after our health and make it a much smoother journey.
“The older you get, the more vitamin B12, D, magnesium and zinc you need,” notes Holford.
The reasons we need more of these vitamins and minerals are explained in detail so that you don’t simply start taking vitamins but also understand what is happening to your body and how to cope best – or better – with the process.
Holford has been harshly criticised over the years, but having spoken to him a few times it’s been interesting to see how he has mellowed in his message and how he deals with health issues.
I remember quite a while back watching him during a seminar speaking about health and thinking how impossible it was for ordinary people to achieve what he was preaching.
A decade or so later and his advice is much more achievable.
As with everything else in life, you can only tackle what seems possible and Holford has become more aware of the fact that not all of us focus on health to the exclusion of all else.
At times, the book is quite daunting because many of us simply don’t have the time to explore something in such detail. But Holford and Burne have done their research, and want readers to understand and follow at least some of their advice.
Getting back to things that can go wrong… statins, for example, counteract antioxidants while the diabetes drug metformin and antacid drugs called PPIs counteract B12. Worrying research from Oxford University shows that two in five people over the age of 65 have insufficient B12 to stop accelerated brain shrinkage.
Diabetes is one of those diseases that seems to be part of every conversation, partly because it is so prevalent, and yet it can so easily be managed by healthy lifestyle choices.
“One in six over 40 now suffer from diabetes,” says Holford.
But he points out that the conventional low-calorie, low-fat diet doesn’t work.
Much more effective, the book points out, is a low-glycaemic load diet designed to keep blood sugar levels even, which means less hunger and more weight loss. It also lowers blood pressure, which is a good indicator of heart disease and should be kept in check.
It makes sense to gather knowledge on how to live a more healthy life, especially if someone else does all the work.
Tips, like the importance of sunlight exposure for just 15 minutes a day, abound.
“There’s no harmful rays that get through in that time,” Holford explains, which means we get the benefit we need without damaging our skin.
Coping with stress and getting at least seven hours of good sleep every night are important.
Holford says it’s crucial to find out about what you can do to ensure a quality life, rattling off basic points that all of us should know and do something about.
He also suggests ways to manage your health better.
We’ve all heard some of the advice before, but sometimes it’s as easy as staying connected with friends and family, a positive attitude, and exercising.
The authors are enthusiastic about weight-bearing exercises which help to build and strengthen muscles and prevent stress on the joints.
More than anything, Holford advocates a decreasing dependence on medication and better lifestyle choices.
“Food is better than drugs,” he maintains.
As far as his own life choices go, Holford practises his preachings.
“I’m quite strict for six days of the week.
“Sometimes I have that naughty dessert… I pick dark chocolate, which is the lesser of the evils, and I drink moderately.
“I have tried to construct a life that will benefit me in the long run.”
But, he emphasises, everything in moderation.
The good doctor has certainly become much more laid-back with age, although he’s not relenting on any of his advice over the years.
The 10 Secrets of Healthy Ageing is the perfect read for baby boomers.