Live Long, Die Short (11 page)

As you complete this evaluation and find out what you need to do to get started down the road to authentic health and successful aging, it will be as if your ancestors are whispering in your ear, giving you a sense of true north when it comes to living a healthy life. All you need to do is listen and learn. Thousands living in Masterpiece Living communities have done it. So can you.

1. How much total time do you spend moving your body during an average day (walking, exercising, doing physical work)?
   a) Less than one hour b) Between one and two hours c) Over two hours
   
2. How many people did you share a face-to-face conversation with today that lasted longer than two minutes?
   a) None b) One or two c) Three or more
   
3. How many days last week did you learn something new or do something you’ve never done before?
   a) None b) One or two c) Three or more
   
4. Are you proud of your answer when someone asks how you spend your day?
   a) Not proud b) A little proud c) Very proud
   
5. How many servings of fruits, vegetables, or nuts do you eat
   most
   days?
   a) Less than two b) Between two and four c) Five or more
   
6. What is the difference between your current weight and what you weighed at age eighteen?
   a) Twenty pounds or more b) Between ten and twenty pounds c) Ten pounds or less
   
7. How many times today did you feel in a rush?
   a) Three or more b) One or two c) None
   
8. How much do you worry?
   a) A lot b) Some, but it’s under control c) Very little. It’s a waste of time.
   
9. How often are you thinking about things other than what you’re currently doing?
   a) Often b) Sometimes c) Hardly ever
   
10. Are you pleased with the quality of your sleep?
    a) Not at all b) Somewhat pleased c) Very pleased
    
11. How many times did you laugh today (not just smile, but laugh for longer than two seconds)?
    a) None b) Once c) Twice or more
    
12. How long has it been since you last interacted with a child?
    a) Months or years b) Weeks c) Days
    

1.   How much total time do you spend moving your body during an average day (walking, exercising, doing physical work)?

You are classified as sedentary or nearly so. Such little physical movement is dramatically different from how we evolved as humans and
potentially puts you at high risk for multiple diseases and limitations, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, some cancers, osteoporosis, and even early dementia. Please consult Tips One and Two. Tip Three also contains information regarding physical activity and brain health that you will find helpful. Please also revisit
chapter 3
, to establish realistic goals for change. I know you can lower your risks and improve your life. Live well!

You are potentially at some risk for multiple diseases and limitations, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, some cancers, osteoporosis, and even dementia. Please consult Tips One, Two, and Three. Please also revisit
chapter 3
to establish realistic goals for change. You can build on your current activity level to reduce your risks even further. Live well!

Congratulations! You are better than most of your peers with this current level of physical activity. This dramatically reduces your risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, some cancers, osteoporosis, and even dementia. I encourage you to continue to build on this level of activity to further reduce your risks and improve your likelihood for aging more successfully. Please consult Tips One, Two, and Three for encouragement and some ideas for enhancing your physical self. Keep up the good work. Live well!

My Score (question 1)____________

2.   How many people did you share a face-to-face conversation with today that lasted longer than two minutes?

If this is a usual day for you, then you’re effectively living a life of relative isolation. You are not meeting your inherited need for social interaction and engagement, even though this is important to authentic health and successful aging. You are potentially at high risk for a number of serious conditions, including heart disease, cancer, depression, and dementia. There is a high probability your immune system is adversely affected by this isolation. Please consult Tip Four to begin
lowering your risk. Revisit
chapter 3
for additional guidance on setting expectations. You can become socially engaged, and after the initial discomfort, you’ll feel better than you ever expected. Be well!

If this is a usual day, you are like most of your peers in that you are living a life with limited social engagement. We have an inherited need as humans for regular social interaction; authentic health and successful aging both depend on it. With limited social engagement, you are potentially at risk for heart disease, cancer, depression, dementia, and a weakened immune system. To build on your current level of social interaction, please consult Tip Four. Revisit
chapter 3
for guidance on setting expectations. I’m sure you will be successful, and that the quality of your life will significantly improve. Be well and engaged!

Congratulations! If this is a usual day, then it is most likely you are socially well engaged, which is a critical component of being authentically healthy and aging successfully. You probably have a significantly lower risk of heart disease, cancer, depression, and dementia. Your immune system is also more likely to be functioning at high effectiveness. To build on your commendable current level, please consult Tip Four, and remember the guidance in
chapter 3
as you become even more socially engaged. Keep up the great work! What you are doing will pay off in the quality of your life.

My Score (question 2)____________

My Cumulative Score (questions 1–2) ____________

3.   How many days last week did you learn something new or do something you’ve never done before?

Our new knowledge of how the brain works reveals that we are the architects of our brain. We can stimulate growth of new connections that can help us stay sharp and delay (and maybe prevent) the onset of dementia. This happens when we
learn and do new things
. You are potentially at risk for less-than-ideal brain aging and even early-onset
dementia. See
Tip Three
for guidance on starting a brain-fitness lifestyle. If you consult
chapter 3
, you will see that it is not difficult and even fun. Anyone can do it and, of course,
you
can do it. Be prepared for an enjoyable and empowering journey once you take the first small steps.

Every time you learn and do new things, you are wiring your brain in a new way, making new connections. This is very healthy for the brain, keeping it vital and responsive. Your willingness to learn and do new things potentially lowers your risk for the onset of the symptoms of dementia, and quite possibly will influence whether you’ll ever get symptoms at all. Consult Tip Three for ways to build on your current level of brain fitness. Remember the advice in
chapter 3
on taking small steps toward healthy change and successful aging of the brain. Enjoy your new journey of discovery and brain fitness.

Congratulations! You are a brain-fitness gold medalist. Your willingness to try new things is going to serve you, and your brain, very well. You are the architect of your brain and you are enhancing and rewiring it continuously. This is associated with positive effects on your risk for the development of the symptoms of dementia. We may soon discover it can prevent dementia altogether. In the meantime, keep up your inspiring approach to life and brain health and continue putting yourself out there and trying new things. Consult Tip Three and
chapter 3
for additional guidance. Enjoy your journey!

My Score (question 3) ___________

My Cumulative Score (questions 1–3) ____________

4.   Are you proud of your answer when someone asks how you spend your day?

I’m sorry to hear this. We all deserve to be proud of our lives. The MacArthur Study found that having purpose in life is, in fact, one
of the key characteristics of people who age successfully. Volunteerism brings more longevity, better memory, and greater overall health. Understand that you don’t have to save lives to have great purpose. The important thing is that you have a meaningful reason to get out of bed in the morning. It could be a garden, or helping handicapped children, or fighting to rid the world of hunger. Oftentimes, the simplest things we do can bring purpose, yet we undervalue them and feel we have no purpose. For most people, purpose involves other living things, whether people, animals, or plants. Please consult Tip Eight for help with finding purpose. Tips Four, Seven, Nine, and Ten may also be of help. Revisit
chapter 3
for guidance in setting goals. You can do this. It will make all the difference. Start today.

This is working for you. Purpose is key for aging successfully and enhances the overall quality of life. Having something
you
consider worth getting out of bed in the morning for makes all the difference. Volunteering is associated with longevity, better memory, and overall health. It matters little what that is, but for most, it involves other living things. Consult Tip Four for more help building on the sense of purpose you currently have. Tips Seven, Nine, and Ten may also be of help. Revisiting
chapter 3
can assist you in establishing realistic goals. You have a foundation, and that will help you in your desire to find even greater purpose in your life. Good luck!

Congratulations! Being proud of how you spend your time indicates that you have purpose. Purpose is critical to successful aging. If you are still working, are you sure your purpose will be there after you stop? Most often, purpose that is resilient over a lifespan involves doing something for other living things. Consult Tip Three for some guidance on how to build on the firm foundation of purpose you currently have and to help you with establishing realistic goals for the future. Keep up the good work. You are a standout among your peers.

My Score (question 4) _____________

My Cumulative Score (questions 1–4) _____________

5.   How many servings of fruits, vegetables, or nuts do you eat most days?

For most of the time that we humans have lived, we ate a diet of fruits, wild vegetables, nuts, fish, and small amounts of meat. Grains and meat are a relatively new addition to our diets, at least in the quantities that we eat today. Sugar, except that found naturally in these foods, was a foreign substance. It is no wonder, then, that fruits, vegetables, and nuts are so important in keeping us healthy. It’s not that meats and grains are necessarily bad for us; it’s just that they should be eaten in smaller quantities, as opposed to at least five, if not more, helpings of fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Simple sugars, as are found in soft drinks, candy, and pastries, should be considered
very
special treats. Our systems are not geared to handle large amounts of such sugar, and eating large amounts can result in obesity, diabetes, and increased risk of other chronic illnesses. Please consult Tips Five and Three. Most importantly, return to
chapter 3
for a realistic, Aristotle-like (“All things in moderation”) approach to improving your diet. Remember, diet is more about the proper fuel for our bodies than it is about weight. Eat correctly and keep moving, and weight is less likely to be a problem. Be patient. You can do this.

You are doing better than most of your peers but are nevertheless falling short of what your body needs to be in optimum health, perform at its best, and be at its best weight. For most of the time we humans have been on earth, we’ve eaten mostly fruits, vegetables, nuts, fish, and small amounts of meat. Meats and grains are a relatively new addition to our diets, at least in the quantities we eat today. So it is understandable that our bodies require fruits, vegetables, and nuts more than anything else. So, build on the good work you’re doing and make a plan to add at least two or more servings of fruits, vegetables, or nuts to your daily diet. Consult Tips Five and Three for guidance and
chapter 3
for advice on making a plan to change. You’re already including good foods in your diet, so take the next steps to put you over the top on a diet that will keep you healthy, performing at your best, and maintaining a weight that will reduce your risk of many serious diseases and conditions.

Congratulations! You are eating foods that your body needs to stay healthy, to perform at its best, and to maintain a better weight. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, fish, and small amounts of meat were the primary diet of humans for most of the time we have walked the earth and are absolutely necessary for health and performance. Meat and grains in the quantities we eat them today are relatively new additions to our diets, and, although good foods, should not be the primary elements of our daily diets. Eating fruits, vegetables, and nuts in the quantities you are eating them usually results in the balanced diet we all need. So again, congratulations. Keep up the good work, and if you enjoy these foods, you probably cannot get too much of them. Well done!