My interest in healthy aging started long before I began my own journey into and through middle age. As most of you know, I have been working as a health professional, personal trainer, and habit change coach for decades.

After working with thousands of people, from elite athletes to seniors to average Joes, I have been able to draw certain conclusions.

Interestingly, science now backs up what I suspected from the beginning: that we have considerable control over how well we age. Yes, we humans are now living longer than ever before, but are we necessarily living better? A friend and client of mine for over 15 years has a saying: “The longer people live, the more apparent their differences are.” I’m paraphrasing a bit, but what he means is that most 35-year-olds are in similar health and appearance, but when you reach 65, 75, 85, etc., the differences in health and wellness become more evident. Some people seem to maintain a zest for life well into their 80s and 90s, while others decline early and painfully, beginning in their 50s and 60s. I’d have to say, I agree.

Currently, I teach wellness classes that are largely made up of seniors in search of better health. I also work with high-performing individuals who are mostly professionals or recently retired professionals. What I’ve noticed is that the people I work with and those in the general public that I encounter are usually very different in terms of health, physical strength, energy, and cognition. Yes, one can argue that even if you do everything right when it comes to diet and exercise, you can still become ill and infirm, but overall, people who are proactively attempting to live a healthy lifestyle not only live longer but live much better.

I, along with most of you, remember a time before the internet when knowledge was gold and very hard to find. I would scour books, journals, and even magazines for every bit of information that pertained to health.

Now, we are drowning in a sea of “knowledge.”

Every goofy kid influencer with a smartphone can become an overnight expert and tout the latest and greatest supplement, workout routine, and gadget to give you the body you’ve always dreamed of.

The problem is society’s health is getting worse, not better. Chronic health conditions such as Type 2 Diabetes and Heart Disease are the norm, and obesity rates in developed countries are completely out of control.

So, where do we start?

Well, the basics of food and exercise would be a good place.

For one thing, we may need to sacrifice some convenience for quality. If it comes in a box and you need a label and a picture to know what it is, you probably shouldn’t be eating it. Let’s forget the latest craze and diet and use a little common sense. If God wanted us to eat food (I’m using this term loosely) with a bazillion chemicals and additives, it would have popped out of the ground that way. We were designed to eat real, whole foods. What do I mean by that? An apple is a whole food; apple sauce sweetened with high fructose corn syrup and preservatives is a processed food.

Unfortunately, that is one of the better examples of processed food.

I had a client a few years back who worked for one of the big advertising companies on Madison Avenue in New York City. She told me a story about having to come up with a “wholesome” advertising campaign for a food that literally had no real ingredients. Everything from the cheese to the breading to the sauce was made entirely from chemicals in a factory. In my mind, this should not be allowed to be advertised as food and should come with a warning label.

Common sense tells me that healthy food has lots of vitamins and minerals, water, and fiber. So, eat lots of whole fruits and vegetables from the produce aisle or, if possible, from the garden.

If you eat meat, which I do, choose quality sources. Beef, pork, chicken, fish, etc.

For the most part, avoid processed deli meat and other processed proteins as they contain lots of additives and preservatives. Since we live in a farming and hunting area, this shouldn’t be that hard.

Venison is about as organic as you can get, and there are plenty of farms in the area that sell meat directly to the public.

When it comes to grains, know your bread, pasta, and other foods in this category. Read labels and do a little research. Most of the stuff we see in the store isn’t good for us, and we eat way too much of it. If you are going to eat this type of food, look for 100% whole grains, not “made with” whole grains. The latter is an advertising loophole that makes you think it’s healthy but allows the manufacturer to include refined flour as well.

Sourdough is another better choice for bread, as it supports gut health, better sugar regulation, and higher mineral absorption.

Avoid processed foods, seed oils, fruit juices, soda, sugar, and other foods that have been manipulated by the food industry, and get back to the way people ate before fast-food advertising took over. Eggs, avocados, seeds, and nuts are also good choices to incorporate into your daily diet.

When it comes to exercise, I tell my clients that, like food, people should get a variety of different types of exercise, as each has different benefits. Strength train, walk, hike, play Pickleball, etc. Start with something that is fun, start slow, and build from there. Not sure where to start? Consult a pro like me or someone else who teaches this stuff for a living. It will be well worth the small investment.

I mentioned strength training. Did you know that there is a strong link to strength, particularly in the legs, and a lower mortality rate in older adults? Basically, if you are strong, you’ll probably live longer and better because it is associated with reduced fall risk, greater mobility, and better management of chronic diseases.

As recent as the late 1980s/early 1990s, research on the health benefits of strength training was thin at best. I just knew there was a connection, however. I clearly remember asking my favorite professor in my Exercise Physiology class about it, and he plainly said that strength training had no bearing on health and that the only thing that mattered was cardiovascular exercise.

Mr. Dolan, if you are reading this, “I told you so.”

Part 2 of Healthy Aging is coming soon.