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In essence, successful ageing means maintaining positivity and a good quality of life until you pass.

In the literature, successful ageing is described as: avoiding disease, maintaining high cognitive and physical function, and engagement with life. My research goes further. I believe successful ageing also requires having a purpose (your Ikigai) and being able to pursue the seven successful ageing components.

Find out everything you need to know about Dr Gary Shiels HERE

Usual ageing involves two sets of problems.

First, body organs, including kidneys, hearts and lungs, gradually lose strength with advancing age and the immune system declines. Secondly, there can be high levels of blood fats, sugar, and hypertension. With usual ageing, your biological age is frequently much greater than your chronological age. Sadly, as many as 60% of the Australian population are unknowingly pursuing this ageing trajectory.

That is a critical question.

Your chronological age is the date resulting from your birthday. You cannot change your chronological age; you just need to live with it and enjoy it. However, your biological age, broadly speaking, is the age of your mind, body, and organs. Your biological age can be measured by 10 or more biomarkers, and you can influence or lower your biological age. Have you seen an 80-year-old that looks to be 60; or a 60-year-old who looks as though he’s 80? This may well be the way he has aged biologically.

The problem with society today is that there are too many mixed messages.

There is one lot of messages from food manufacturers and supermarkets; another lot of messages from doctors and pharmaceutical companies; a third lot of messages from government, who tell us they are here to help us, when their real concern is the next election! Who do we believe?

The whole of our population has become addicted to our mobile phones. We cannot live, breath, sleep, walk, eat, cross the road, or go to the bathroom without our phone. While the phone is said by many to be our greatest asset, it is also our greatest liability providing confusing messages about health and making us sedentary.

The purpose of this website is to attempt to clarify some of these mixed messages.

Sadly, it is not correct!! Most of the population are statistically unhealthy. Australians generally are overweight, eat a bad diet and are sedentary.

More than 12.5 million or 66% of Australians are either overweight or obese; approximately 47% have one or more chronic health condition; and approximately 1.5 million suffer from diabetes.

If we assume that we would all love to be healthy, why is the health of most Australians so appalling? Perhaps it’s a lack of information. Australians, particularly older persons, need some clear guidelines on how to remain healthy as they age.

Hopefully this website can assist!

There is no easy way to fix Australia’s health problems.

However, three messages that could make a difference are as follows:

1.    Have a positive attitude, it will help you and everyone you meet.

2.    Eat less and eat better.

3.    Move more and keep moving.

People would be surprised what a difference it would make if they consumed more vegetables and salad + two pieces of fruit per day; avoided fast foods as much as possible; and embarked on a program of regular exercise.

If you’re not doing this already, it could be life changing!

Advice varies greatly on this topic.

In my opinion, it is important to get at least one hour of exercise per day. The preferred form of exercise for older persons is walking. However, many older persons are also swimming, using the gym, snow skiing, playing tennis or golf, or pursuing other activities. In any case, walking needs to be supplemented with some strengthening and balancing programmes. Also, it is important not to be sitting still for many hours at any one time, as our body atrophies. Go for a walk after dinner; if you’re watching TV, stand up in the ad breaks and do some squats or stretching. Have a hand grip or stretch band that you can use while sitting down. A recent study found: “Any exercise is good, more is better, and vigorous is best.”

If you are not a regular exerciser, the important thing is to start. Begin with walking for 30 minutes, five times a week and build up to 60 minutes six times a week.

Try different exercise classes for beginners. Mobility, stretching, gym, swimming, Pilates and Tai Chi are all options. Find the ones you like doing and stick at them. You will develop friends and it will become a social outing as well as an exercise session. Exercise is fun, you just have to learn to love it!

Diets don’t work! There are many on the market that make various claims with questionable results. What is required is a change in lifestyle.

From my research, the Mediterranean style of eating is the way to go. Plenty of vegetables, salads, and some fruit.  Fish, nuts, and plant-based foods are the preferred protein source, with only limited amounts of red meat and the avoidance of refined or processed foods. If you shop in supermarkets, avoid the central aisles, and shop the periphery. Read the labels and avoid foods that contain high levels of sugar and salt. Avoid highly processed white bread, look for multigrain with little salt and sugar. Discover the free app Yuka that will tell you whether a product with a barcode is healthy or not. If it doesn’t rate good or excellent, don’t buy it.

As someone once said: “The whiter the bread, the sooner your dead!”

These networks are very important!

Your professional network might include your doctor, specialists, and health professionals that can assist you if you have a health issue. It can also be helpful to have a handyman or builder who can assist with any problems you may have with your residence. Also, a friendly solicitor can be helpful when required.

Your social network is also very important! While long-term friends are always a valued commodity, ensure that a high proportion of your social network are positive people. Positivity by you and your friends generates a can-do rather than a can’t-do attitude. If you think you can or if you can’t, you are probably right.