As I wrote last month, the same week I was about to publish my prior month’s blog, my daughter Cara sent me something she wrote on the same subject. She said she didn’t have any particular plans for it, she just wanted to get her feelings down on paper, though she thought perhaps at some time she would post it somewhere, with my permission. She did, and I posted it here, with her permission. Then, my other daughter, Cara’s twin sister Julie, sent me something she wrote. With her permission, here it is… Five months ago, my parents and I went on a beautiful hike in Tuscon, AZ, before my dad’s o ..read more

The same week I was about to publish my blog last month, my daughter Cara sent me the following. She said she didn’t have any particular plans for it, she just wanted to get her feelings down on paper, though she thought perhaps at some time she would post it somewhere, with my permission. I found it to be a super piece and asked if I could publish it here. With her permission, here it is… My extremely hip, cultured (more so than me), fit, optimistic, healthy, and happy, 61-year-old dad contracted an uncommon bacterial infection that resulted in emergency surgery. In lay terms, an infection g ..read more

If you have read my book or blog posts, you know healthy habits are a key part of my life. I eat well and I exercise a lot. My goal is many healthy years – a long healthspan. My mom passed away from Alzheimer’s in 2022 after an 8-year battle with the disease that began at age 74, very young in my opinion. I know genetics can be a factor in one’s healthspan and lifespan – but I do all I can to reduce the chance of illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s. In addition to eating well and exercising, I don’t smoke, I am careful about midday sun exposure and use sunscreen when I am ..read more

A slightly early happy and healthy New Year! As I have done for quite a few years, here are some of the experiences I enjoyed this past year: what I listened to, what I read, what I watched, and more. Reading The best books I read this year: Non-Fiction The Last Folk Hero: Life and Myth of Bo Jackson by Jeff Pearlman A Carnival of Snackery: Diaries (2013-2020) by David Sedaris Transister: Raising Twins in a Gender-bending World by Kate Brookes (note: Kate is a friend of mine, but this is a great, and important, book) Black Ball: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Spencer Haywood, and the Generation that S ..read more

You have to have been living under a rock to not have heard about the pickleball craze. I only played a few times before this year. Then, in February, while visiting my sister-in-law and brother-in-law in Florida, I played a few times, and fell in love with the game. I’ve played tennis since I was a kid, almost always singles, and mostly just hitting with a friend once a week for the past 10 years. Pickleball was easy to get used to, and got my competitive juices flowing. Now, about eight months – and many pickleball games – later, I was reflecting on the experience and realized not only how ..read more

My mom passed away last year after an eight-year battle with Alzheimer’s. While the first six years were extremely challenging, my mom was in great spirits the final two years – and when the end came, she passed painlessly and peacefully, with my dad (her devoted husband of 64 years) and my sister by her side. Here are some excerpts from my eulogy from almost a year ago today: I learned a lot from Mom. I learned what it means to be devoted to your parents. Mom was an extremely devoted daughter. Sadly, her mom passed away very young, at 60. I have limited memories of my grandmother, but I reme ..read more

I’ve written quite a few times about brain health, including twice this year, including this piece. When I have written about the “eating well” aspect of brain health, my focus has been on what to eat. Early this year, Dr. Gabe Mirkin, who has an excellent newsletter on health issues, wrote about ways to help prevent dementia as you age. In that piece, he included information on what foods to severely limit (if not completely eliminate) eating: …pro-inflammatory foods such as red meat, processed meats, fried foods, foods with added sugar and all drinks with sugar in them including fruit juice ..read more

I loved reading this brief article last year, which told about research showing staying optimistic and maintaining a positive outlook can directly extend the length of your life. The 30-year study followed 1,200 elderly people who were born in 1920 or 1921. The researchers analyzed their health, ability to function, economic well-being, social skills, anxiety level, integrity, and optimism… the researchers said they have determined a direct link between a positive outlook and a longer life. “Optimism doesn’t have to be viewed as a trait we’re born with, but one that we can develop,” one resea ..read more

A Wall Street Journal article last year talked about why hobbies are so important in retirement. I have many interests and believe I will not have a problem staying busy when I retire one day, but I was interested in seeing what they had to say, because hobbies are important at all times. Work takes up a huge percentage of our lifetimes, and without other activities, life is far less interesting. The article cites a study “which found that having a hobby led to improvements in older individuals’ cognitive performance and neural efficiency,” and another “showing that hobbies were associated wi ..read more

I’ve written more than once about brain health, including earlier this year. Here is another list of critical rules for brain health from an excellent article I read: Keep blood pressure and cholesterol levels in check Manage sugar levels Get quality sleep Eat a nutritious diet Don’t smoke (and avoid secondhand and thirdhand smoke) Make social connections Continuously learn new skills For brief details on each of the above, you can read the full article here. Stay well, David   The post Critical Rules for Brain Health appeared first on Six Simple Rules ..read more