Life begins at...

You're not getting older, you're getting better! Remember that clever bit of marketing? Well, if you don't wait until you're 90 to start taking care of yourself, it might actually be true. As we age, things begin to wear out, ache, or just quit. But by maintaining this vehicle we call the human body, it can serve us well into the so-called "golden years". Like your car, once you get a lot of miles on the body, you need to do a bit more maintenance. Use high-mileage oil in your car, and supplements in your body.

Now, I'm not a doctor and I don't play one on TV, but I've been reading and writing about health and fitness for a number of years. For several years now I've done a little guest spot on a morning radio show in Australia where we talk about these issues and a wide array of other topics, including global warming, greenhouse gases (is that even a proper term?), drought, floods, aging, and anything else that pops up in the news. I also occasionally get to read one of my essays. Maybe I can publish some of them here. They are relatively short and sometimes good for a chuckle. In any case I don't give medical advice, and I urge you to consult with a licensed physician, nutritionist, psychologist, chiropractor, or other professional before you go off and do something totally new. What I express here and on my website are merely opinions based on things I've read or heard in a seminar, or discovered in my research.

Now back to the topic at hand for a moment. Life begins at conception, according to all the science I've been able to examine. But this thing about life beginning at 50 has always fascinated me. I couldn't wait for my life to begin. I rushed headlong into 5o. And then I discovered that life really begins at whatever age you finally realize just how precious it is, and begin to take care of it like the wonderful gift it is. I remember several years ago laughing when a friend of mine who was in failing health said "If I had realized I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself." Very funny at the time, but there is an eloquent truth there too. Please, take good care of yourself. Be responsible for your own well being. No one will do the job as well as you can.