Over the weekend I went to the community where my Mom lived to have lunch with two of her friends.  I went to the building where she passed away and received so many hugs from the staff who miss her as much as I do.

I visited with some of her friends who knew her in Assisted Living and had moved to Skilled Nursing.  They’re declining and becoming more frail.  They can no longer do the simple tasks we take for granted like bathing and dressing.  Some remembered me and others didn’t.  

What’s jarring is some of these residents I’ve known for 40 years.  I remember when they were my age and had vitality and strength.  One man was a quarterback for UCLA and had a commanding presence.  He now barely speaks and doesn’t recognize his children.  I speak to him and sometimes he’ll squeeze my hand.

It always leaves me with the question of what I can do today to influence how I age.  Every day our choices are a deposit into our future self.  Genes load the gun but lifestyle pulls the trigger.  How you eat and exercise and your stress levels greatly influence how your genes are expressed.

Most of the residents in Skilled Nursing are suffering from chronic diseases that have their roots in lifestyle choices.  Things like heart disease, stroke, dementia, diabetes, and general frailty are the result of years of poor diet, poor blood sugar management, and lack of exercise which creates a lack of strength, and unrelenting stress.  

I built The Midlife Blueprint to give you the tools to age well, to have vitality, and as a foundation to get through menopause with fewer symptoms.  I know the cultural narrative in our society is that aging just means poor health and decline.  It doesn’t have to be this way.  The choice is yours.

I hope you’ll consider what you can do today to avoid being in poor health as you age.  As the old saying goes, “use it or lose it”.