The Washington Post set out to find centenarians around the world to tap into the knowledge that comes from living 100 years. We started with the following questions: What advice would you give your younger self?
The answer was clear. Choose a suitable life partner. Do what you like. Don’t neglect your education. Stay true to your principles. Learn tolerance. Please cherish your friendship. Think positive. Let’s learn from our seniors. Believe in your potential. Please continue asking questions. Please be kind. Never stop reading. Keep moving. Decided to stay.
One of the centenarians we spoke to was 103-year-old Treasure Zimmerman of Coronado, California. Zimmerman has led an adventurous life. After World War II, when her husband began flying planes for her hobby, Ms. Zimmerman also learned to fly. She ended up traveling with her friends from Bakersfield, Calif., to Atlantic City to participate in the women’s cross-country derby. She finished 11th out of 60 in the Powder Puff Derby.
For her 95th birthday, she drove alone from California to Kansas City in a red Jaguar convertible. Staying moving has helped her live longer, she said. Zimmerman, a former physical education teacher, still walks her dog Gigi, a 12-year-old Havanese, every day. Her advice: “Keep walking and keep moving, even if you don’t feel good.”
If you want to hear what all the centenarians we interviewed have to say, enjoy the full article. And if you are over 100 years old, or know someone over 100 years old, please. Please fill out this form. Please feel free to contact us.
How to overcome mindless eating
If you’re struggling with overeating or making unhealthy food choices, here are my favorite mindful eating tips. When you reach for food, whether you eat it or put it in your shopping cart, ask yourself: “How will eating this make me feel?”
These tips come from Judson Brewer, a psychiatrist, neuroscientist, and director of research and innovation at Brown University’s Center for Mindfulness. This advice and more is outlined in his new book, The Hunger Habit: Why We Eat when We’re Not Hungry and How to stop.
Mr. Brewer’s advice was very helpful to me personally. I generally have healthy eating habits, but there are definitely times when I want to eat food, especially ice cream, or when I just want to eat it. By spending time being intentional when shopping or reaching for food, I was able to avoid foods that somehow made me feel sick and was able to truly enjoy what I ate.
In this week’s Eating Lab column, we spoke to Brewer about his new book and asked him about the role willpower plays in changing our eating habits.
“From a neuroscience perspective, willpower is not even part of the equation when it comes to behavioral change,” Brewer says. “The prevailing paradigm is that people feel they need more willpower. So every six months a new theme emerges, whether it’s a new diet, a new plan, a new… It takes willpower to do this or that. People feel ashamed of themselves because they feel there is something wrong with them.”
He also said that simply knowing what “should” be done is often not enough to change behavior. Brewer says that even though we’re all inundated with messages that fresh, whole, minimally processed foods and regular exercise are the cornerstones of good health, many of us don’t. He points out that he is still struggling. “Knowing is not enough, because that’s not where behavior change happens,” Brewer says. “The senses are where behavioral changes occur, so we really have to reacquaint ourselves and reconnect with our bodies. And we have to start listening to their voices.”
Read the full report to learn more about Brewer’s 21-day meal plan.
How to keep hemorrhoids happy
question: I got hemorrhoids. What exactly are they and how can I avoid getting them again?
answer: Anyone can have hemorrhoids. Hemorrhoids are a normal part of our body. Hemorrhoids are simply cushions of veins along the top and bottom of the anal canal, the short tunnel that connects the rectum and anus.
They’re never appreciated, but hemorrhoids are like the MVP of their field. The cushion helps protect the anal canal from accidental leaks. Have you ever wondered how your body knows the difference between gases, solids, and liquids? Scientists have found that the ability to tell when it’s safe to fart is based on the sensitivity of your body. I think it’s hemorrhoids.
However, these veins can become congested and the tissues that hold them in place weaken. When this happens, we notice hemorrhoids and decide that is the problem. Symptoms include itching, bleeding, bloating, uncomfortable lumps, inadvertent staining, and pain.
Click the link to read the rest of Ask a Doctor columnist Trisha Pasricha’s answer.
Here are some things that brought us joy this week.
- Need some good news? Learn more About pasta and health.
- A sleepy polar bear? Baby lion? A happy turtle? Choose your favorite wildlife photo.
- Do you like puzzles?Discover Competitive jigsaw puzzle.
- This joy snack is a real snack.try these dip recipes At a Super Bowl party.
- Rachmaninoff’s last living piano student lives in Pennsylvania. She is 99 years old.
Want to learn more about “fun” snacks? Our Brain Matters Columnist Richard Sima explains. Yyou can too Read this story as a manga.
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