2953: 5 Lessons on Living a Long, Healthy Life, from a 90-Year-Old by Daniela Naidu on Emotional Wellbeing

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[00:00:30] This is Optimal Health Daily, 5 Lessons on Living a Long, Healthy Life, from a 90-Year-Old by Daniela Naidu with tinybuddha.com and I'm Dr. Neal. Welcome back to Optimal Health Daily or welcome for the first time if you're new here. This is the podcast where I act as your very own personal narrator and read to you from some of the most popular health and fitness blogs online.

[00:00:52] Once in a while, before I get to the article, I actually share some stories from my personal life that sometimes tie in and sometimes have nothing to do with the article I'm about to read. In this case, I feel like it sort of kind of relates. Either way, I just need to get it off my chest. So thanks for listening. So I'm about to read to you a post on 5 Lessons on Living a Long, Healthy Life.

[00:01:13] And earlier this week, my students told me that I'm like their dad. And given that my students are in their early to mid to late 20s, I kind of was insulted by this. They would have had to been born when I was, oh, I don't know, 10 or 12. I started giving them a hard time and they said, no, no, no, no, you're, you're, you're like our grandpa. That was much worse. I don't know how they thought that would make that any better.

[00:01:40] And I let them know that that felt much, much worse than just calling me their dad. So then another student said, no, no, no, you're like our sensei, like from the Karate Kid. I said, oh, Mr. Miyagi, who's like 100 years old in the movie. That's much better. So I told them to just stop talking before they make this any worse. Needless to say, I quickly made an appointment and got my hair colored that very weekend. I didn't know I was so vain. Anyways, that's enough of my story. Let's get right to it and start optimizing your life.

[00:02:11] Five Lessons on Living a Long, Healthy Life from a 90-Year-Old by Daniela Naidu with tinybuddha.com Quote, in the end, long life is the reward, strength, and beauty. Grace Paley In September 2014, my grandmother turned 90 years old. She lives in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is where she has lived her entire life. And while my parents could have brought her to live with them in the U.S. a long time ago, she has always preferred to live independently in her hometown.

[00:02:41] I went to Rio to celebrate my grandmother's 90th birthday. Although I was born there, I had not been back for over 25 years. I learned a lot about my country of birth, my hometown, and my relatives on that trip. But the most important things that I learned were from my grandmother. She is healthier, more active, and more independent than most 70-year-olds. By simply observing her, I learned some key lessons about what it takes to have a very healthy and long life. Here are the five keys to her longevity.

[00:03:11] The importance of being physically active. When you imagine someone in their 90s, you probably imagine a person who has difficulty moving because of body aches, stiff joints, muscle loss, and a lack of stamina. You may imagine someone who needs a cane or walker to get around and can't walk long distances without needing to stop for a break. My grandmother is definitely not that person. She is very active every day. She cleans her apartment, cooks her meals, and does her laundry.

[00:03:39] She also goes to the market, the bank, the post office, and anywhere else she needs to go on foot. Because she lives in a big city and almost everything she needs is within walking distance, my grandmother is able to walk to most places. She doesn't walk because she thinks it's good for her. No doctor has ever told her that she needs to be more active. She is active because it's how she has always lived her life. My grandmother is twice my age, but she moves more on a daily basis than I do.

[00:04:04] I have to make a conscious effort to perform as much physical activity as she does. My grandmother doesn't have to go to a gym to work out. Her daily life is all the workout she needs. The importance of living independently. Although she has many relatives who live close by, her young sister lives in the same building, my grandmother has lived on her own for over 30 years. She manages her finances, makes all her own decisions, and doesn't need to rely on anyone to provide her for basic day-to-day needs.

[00:04:34] She takes care of everything herself every day. As a result, she's been able to remain confident in her abilities and her judgment. My grandmother doesn't feel like the world is moving too fast for her to keep up. She knows how to use modern technology, stays current on world events and local politics, and has no problem speaking her mind. She knows that she is vital and doesn't need anyone to tell her what to do or how to do it. Nothing intimidates her. The importance of mental wellness.

[00:05:02] For as long as I can remember, my grandmother has loved to crochet. Both my mother and I have boxes of table runners, bedspreads, and countless dollies that she has created for us over the decades. There is plenty of anecdotal information as well as scientific research showing that crafts such as crocheting and knitting are good for your brain. Some of the ways that crochet has been shown to improve brain wellness are by increasing mindfulness, requiring problem solving, improving hand-eye coordination, encouraging creativity,

[00:05:30] and improving the ability to focus. If you think about it, the act of crocheting is very similar to the practice of meditation. Crochet is relaxing and repetitive, requiring focus without any stress. In fact, for my grandmother, it has always been a stress reducer. And, without her even realizing it, a way for her to be fully present. The importance of close relationships. Although my grandmother lives alone, she has many relatives who also live in Rio.

[00:05:59] Her sister lives in a different apartment in the same building, and they spend several hours every day together. The sisters are extremely close, but they both benefit from the independence they are afforded by having their own homes. My grandmother is also a big part of the lives of her relatives who live abroad. She speaks to and FaceTimes with my mother almost daily. She also remains in close touch with her grandchildren and her great-grandson through letters, phone calls, and video chats. My grandmother may live alone, but she is never lonely.

[00:06:28] She chooses when to spend time with others and how much time she wants to spend with them. She has worked a balance between being involved and remaining independent that works out perfectly for her. She knows how important she is to all of those around her. She knows she is still appreciated, which provides a great boost to her emotional well-being. The importance of feeling useful to others. My grandmother doesn't just live close by to her younger sister. She is also her unofficial caretaker.

[00:06:55] My great-aunt lost her sight several years ago and can no longer do a lot of things for herself. My grandmother knows that her sister truly needs her. She does all the cooking for her and they share daily meals. She also helps by her running errands and performing other daily tasks that have become much too challenging for her. One of the most powerful books I ever read is Viktor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning. In his book, Frankl states that finding a meaning that gives us something to live for is our best source of happiness and longevity.

[00:07:25] My grandmother is a perfect example of Frankl's statement. Although she and her sister bicker sometimes, as all sisters do, when I see them together, I know that they have an unbreakable bond. And I know that my grandmother benefits just as much from that bond as her sister does. These are the five keys to a long and healthy life that I have learned from my grandmother. If you want to live as long and happy a life as she has, be sure to find ways to stay physically active, maintain your independence as much as possible,

[00:07:53] enjoy activities that will keep your mind sharp, nurture your close relationships, and find a way to provide and care for others. You just listened to the post titled 5 Lessons on Living a Long, Healthy Life from a 90-Year-Old by Daniela Naidu with tinybuddha.com. Then I'll be right back with my commentary. When we started this podcast, it felt like diving into the deep end. Each day brought new challenges and we were drowning in decisions.

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[00:09:19] Go to shopify.com slash OHD. Shopify.com slash OHD. Oikos presents 15 seconds of strength. Here we go. Steve's got a trunk full of groceries and no one to help him. Oh, that's tough, Jim. Looks like a five-trip load at least. He grabs the first bag. The second. Bob, it looks like he's trying to do it on one trip. He shimmies the door open, steps over the dog. Oh, and he stumbles. Oh, right into the kitchen without missing a beat.

[00:09:47] Jim, now that's a man who eats his protein-packed Oikos. With 15 grams of complete protein in each cup, Oikos Triple Zero can help build strength for every day. Oikos. Stronger makes everything better. Dr. Neal here for my commentary. Many of these stories that Daniela shared are backed actually by research. When we look at rates of longevity around the world, we find that there are many similarities amongst those that live to be centenarians or live to be 100 years old or older.

[00:10:16] In fact, there's a fascinating book called The Blue Zones by Dan Buettner that addresses all of these things. Dan Buettner basically found that there are about seven regions in the world where people tend to live long, otherwise healthy lives. And it's not like these places in the world are all concentrated in, let's say, Western Europe, for example. There's Sardinia. There's an island in Greece. Osaka, Japan. Loma Linda, California. These are just a few of the seven quote-unquote blue zones

[00:10:46] that Dan Buettner refers to. And again, these locations have folks that tend to live longer, happier, healthier lives. So he went out to try and figure out why this is. And what we find is people that remain active, don't smoke, don't drink excessively, have social support, connect with others regularly, have a purpose and meaning to their lives. These are folks that typically live the longest. Now you might think, well, it's just their genetics. It maybe has nothing to do with their lifestyle. But what we find is when their families

[00:11:15] who would share a lot of the same genes move to, let's say, the US, their lifespan is cut short. And that's because we don't do many of these things that we should be. A while back, a colleague of mine asked me this question. He said, if you had to pick one healthy behavior that you feel is the most important, which one would you say? And without hesitation, I said exercise. And sure enough, we find that staying physically active is so important for longevity.

[00:11:45] It affects every cell in the body from head to toe in a really wonderful way. We find that those that exercise actually are potentially able to make more neurons or nerve cells in the brain. They make more nerve connections in the brain, which keeps the brain healthier. And then there's the obvious things, like improved circulation. Their heart's gonna be healthier. Their immune systems are stronger, which is gonna keep you healthier long-term. So if there's just one thing that you think about doing to improve your lifespan,

[00:12:14] I would say start with exercise. And then from there, hopefully the rest will follow. All right, that's it for today. I hope you have a wonderful Tuesday. Thank you for listening, especially to my stories. And I'll be back here tomorrow as usual. So I'll see you there where your optimal life awaits.