Bait & Hook

They baited, I clicked.

"The superpowers you acquire in your 60s" read the teaser in my email from NewScientist magazine.  Sure, almost 68, but hey, in...my...60s.

Okay, the word superpowers is a stretch, mostly common sense backed up by research and some significant changes in perceptions about the accruing of years.

First, the physical element--you know that anatomical body we steer through life. Everyone, nearly, seems on board with more exercise as we age. Get moving, tax your muscles, make play part of the routine. 

Eat healthy food, get plenty of sleep, and read books that make your mind exercise. All right, I added that last element--former English teacher syndrome (FET). Still.

After wrestling with Type 2 since my early 50s, I've settled on eating habits that have dropped my weight 27 pounds since January. No, I'm not dieting. I weigh the same (211) as in my early 40s for the first time, well, since my early 40s.

By the way, my doctor still insistently trots out 190 as my ideal weight. I tell him the same thing each time--Doc, I played club lacrosse at LSU while weighing 190. Not happening.

Further good news is being tossed my way on the cognitive front: It's not as bad as the cliches and the medical community have long held. That forgetfulness issue, for example. Research suggests my more mature brain is more readily disregarding trivial factoids than when I was younger. Selecting for the wheat, one might say. 

Culling out the crap, to cut to the chase.

Of course, not good enough to say the mind doesn't necessarily erode like Nag's Head in a nor'easter. Learn new stuff is the mantra. New as in truly new to your experiences accumulated to date.

Read books that make your mind exercise. I know, I know.  

To a certain degree, quality of life may boil down to what you're doing with what you've got. I don't know for sure. Sometimes I think an awful lot of don't knows go with current territory. 

Fortunately the article does toss me a life ring by proposing my 70s will be my peak stretch for reasoning wisely and better decision-making. 

Yippee!