Healthy Body and Mind: Be the Example

Confession time: Getting old scares me. Phew ...there I said it!  I'm not so much afraid of dying at a ripe old age. I understand it's a part of the life cycle and what not. Ashes to ashes, so on and so forth.

No, what causes me great trepidation at times is actually being old. Waking up one day to a set of creaky old arthritic bones, or getting tired more easily and not having the energy to keep up with my grandchildren.

I've always considered myself to be moderately to actively healthy. However, it seems since I've turned 40 this year, I feel a bigger push to be more health conscious. I feel like I'm reading food labels a little more closely; that I'm opting for the salad choice over the chicken sandwich. I'm drinking enough green tea and water in a day to float a river! Never eat after 7pm; and all those "healthy to dos" I read about in the same magazines you're reading as well.

I do 20-30 minutes of exercise daily--just to keep the muscles moving. 

Oh, don't be confused...I still love chocolate, red wine and coffee. Chips and dip continue to be a guilty pleasure I don't think I'll ever give up! 

My mind is another thing I worry about as well. My biggest fear is not being "mentally present" to enjoy my granchildren one day. So any activity that forces me to use my brain in any way, is an instant must do for me!

In my quest to stay healthy for my own future, I realize that I'm also providing a solid foundation for my children upon which they can build their own healthy lifestyle. We have a busy life, and I am certainly not above chicken nuggets, and fish sticks. Still, I also count it as a victory when my teenage daughter comes to me and asks to go grocery shopping with me so she can choose healthier snacks. I love to hear the excitement and enthusiasm in her voice when she talks about running track for the first time this year. As always, our boys are involved basketball and baseball as well. 

I know getting old is going to happen; but if I can be 70 and feel like I do right now, that sure would be nice! If my children pass along some lessons they've learned from me to their own children for a long healthy life, well then...I can't think of anything that could be more perfect!

*Disclaimer:  The photos in today's post are not mine. I retrieved them from doing a google search for images of the following categories: "Salad", "Health and Fitness"; and "Brain Games"