Chocoate and Wine Can Keep You Feeling Young

Thanksgiving is over.  Christmas is just around the corner and another year is quickly winding down.  Now is the time to start thinking what you can do to reap big benefits in 2008. 

Little lifestyle changes can pay big dividends for baby boomers who want to stay vibrant, says John Morley, M.D., director of the division of geriatric medicine at Saint Louis University, in a new book that outlines a 10-step program to improve quality of life as we age.

"Living well and feeling good enough to do whatever you want to do throughout your lifetime is priceless," says Morley, who is coauthor of "The Science of Staying Young."

“I suggest little changes that involve good eating, such as including dark chocolate in your diet, drinking wine, socializing and adding simple exercises that anyone can do. It’s more fun than most people think. Being proactive about living well and feeling better for the rest of your life, regardless of your current chronological age, doesn’t have to be a chore.”

He advocates fidgeting in your chair to burn calories, spending time walking from your car to the mall rather than parking too close, working in your garden, taking the stairs instead of the elevator and my favorite, going dancing once a week.

In his book, Morley breaks the science of staying young into 10 steps. Here are a few of them.

1. Eat a nutritious and balanced diet. Strive for 4 servings of fish a week and substitute fish oil capsules if you fall short. Enjoy moderate amounts of alcohol - a drink for women and at most two a day for men. Add plenty of fruits and vegetables, enough proteins and lots of fiber to keep things running smoothly.

2.  Don't lose weight after 60.  Get in shape when you're younger by combining exercise and a healthy diet to build muscle.  It's healthier to be "pear-shaped" and carry extra weight in your hips than be "apple-shaped" and have a larger waistline. "The good news is that as you get older, being slightly overweight may actually improve how long and well you live," Morley says.  "Learn to love your slightly Rubenesque body."

So, eat your chocolate, drink your favorite wine and above all have fun.  It could add years to your life.

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