What’s Your Real Age?

Thinking about all the components of a healthy lifestyle

A few years ago, the concept of ‘Real Age” became popular when Oprah invited Drs. Michael Roizen and Mehmet Oz to speak on her show about healthy living being more than just the food you eat and the number of minutes you exercise per day. The theory is that all of our life habits and activities take a toll on the length and quality of life that we’ll lead. This is not a surprise to most of us. We’ve heard time and again about how stress affects our health, how engaging in unhealthy activities threatens our wellbeing and how research shows that having a pet lowers the blood pressure in some people.

I recently stumbled on a web site that allows you to take a test to determine your “Real Age” or the true state of your health and wellbeing, taking into account all the minor details of your habits and lifestyle. It made me health conscious in a new way. I spent about 20 minutes taking this particular test and at the end, my results were emailed to me. My report said that although I am 37.9 years chronologically, I am 32.2 years old in effect. Going to church regularly, owning a pet and having a supportive group of friends was factored right in there along with my eating and exercise habits. It also suggested that I add some things like Omega-3 and Omega-6 into my diet and that I achieve more balance between my strength and cardiovascular exercise.

Now I’m not one who is always on a quest for the next fad diet or miracle pill. And I really don’t have the energy for a total body and lifestyle overhaul. However, I am a perfectionist and if I don’t achieve my goals the way I envision, I have a tendency to throw in the towel with frustration. But as I was going through the test questions that afternoon, it confirmed to me that even small changes can produce big rewards over time. I am trying to realign my perspective to exclude that “all or nothing” mentality. Adding a handful of nuts as a snack each day is worthwhile. Having lunch with the girlfriend I haven’t seen in a while actually has a healthy payoff. Getting into bed at a reasonable hour will make a difference. Improving your health really is in the small stuff.

Written by co-host, Jennifer O.

Read Jennifer’s blog at www.thinksbyme.com