STRESS... your worst ENEMY

I have taken more than my share of online questionnaires relating to health and longevity. Of course they ask about weight and exercise, smoking and drinking, and family history. The number one question that plays the biggest role in life expectancy and health is about STRESS. If you are like our president, NO DRAMA OBAMA, your longevity jumps significantly. You know who you are. You probably do not need to take an online test to know that you internalize all sorts of problems, worry about everything, see the world as a dangerous place, and KNOW that the sky is definitely falling. Even the old Chicken Little fable taught that lesson. Unfortunately we have not absorbed the wisdom of Aesop and others and the results in America are obvious. We eat to de-stress... the so called "comfort food." We drink and take drugs. And we try to lose ourselves by vicariously living through the physical activity of others. Instead of being physically active ourselves we sit on the couch and watch others play sports. Then we yell..."We Won."

Whether you are looking on WebMD, or Blue Zones, or any serious website about your health, the number one determinant of a long and healthy life is your level of stress, most of which is self imposed. In countries with the greatest happiness level and advanced longevity, there are no Gold's Gyms, GNC stores, NutraSystem diets, or psychiatrists. They eat food that comes from trees and farms, and from the sea. They get their exercise by working and walking and riding bicycles. And they just don't stress over the crap we do. A nap, or siesta, is part of every day. Meditation and easy exercises like tai Chi and yoga are preferred over heavy weight lifting. We have a lot to learn. Fortunately we have some models to emulate that will help us live a more care-free life. These models are called little children and dogs.