Column #92

If we visualize our future we can influence it. Fate may be out of our control but it also has odds.

Today’s decisions will have a significant influence on our future quality of life. Because probabilities rule for most of us, bell curves and actuarial tables assist us in visualizing the future. By noting the probabilities of various events and observing the steps taken by others to get to where they are, we can better position ourselves to achieve our specific goals.

Youngsters rarely think of their future in terms of finances, health, and quality of life. They unknowingly take many risks, some of which teach good lessons. But mostly it’s their parents and teachers who provide guidance to avoid risky behavior, establish good habits, and set positive goals. Only later in life do they realize the importance of good habits, good manners, vision, passion, discipline, knowledge, study, perseverance, sacrifice, and hard work.

Even as people mature and realize how their previous actions framed their lives today, few still consider what it takes to improve or maintain their quality of life to the very end. Most must assume they’ll die in their sleep with a smile on their face. Maybe that’s because only 7.5% of all deaths are unnatural. But get this, statistics indicate all natural deaths (the other 92.5%) are caused by diseases!

So what are your plans for finances, physical fitness, mobility, independence, health, and your final days? Have you positioned yourself for a good outcome? The actuarial tables say you probably haven’t. Most adults have not properly prepared their finances because 25% live hand to mouth. Half of all American households 55 and older have zero retirement savings. Most people do not exercise. Virtually nobody is assuming personal responsibility for their health. It’s as if everyone is playing golf in a thunderstorm!

At any moment in time, 45% of all Americans are “officially diagnosed” with one chronic disease and more than 25% with multiple diseases. Fully 70% of deaths are attributed to just heart disease, cancer, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and diabetes. All other “natural” deaths are from other diseases. Nobody passes away quietly while in good health. Even most of the people who die unnaturally are sick!

Anyone can point to outliers of the norm who reach the century mark. But centenarians are on the very periphery of the bell curve for age. Only one person in 6,000 lives to 100. Even though we can’t realistically expect to live that long, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try.

Obviously for a long life, chronic diseases must be suppressed or cured. Most people choose the high-risk route of expensive drugs and operations which may extend or may actually shorten their lives. This tactic can also lower their quality of life.

The best option is for people to take personal responsibility for their own health. Nutritional science has tied virtually every chronic disease to a destructive diet. By being proactive, anyone can control what they eat which optimizes their health, quality of life, longevity, and their finances.

It starts by understanding the fundamentals behind peer-reviewed nutritional research, learning about glycemic indexes, nutrient densities and diversities, and essential fatty acid profiles, and then limiting the diet to only healthy foods.

My studies have indicated that the best foods are green leafy vegetables, wild caught seafood, grass-fed meats, and Omega-3 meats. The worst foods are grains, seeds, nuts, oils, conventionally-raised meats, many fruits, and even some vegetables.

The old saying “God helps those who helps themselves” underscores the belief that your destiny is in your hands.

To your health.

Ted Slanker

Ted Slanker has been reporting on the fundamentals of nutritional research in publications, television and radio appearances, and at conferences since 1999. He condenses complex studies into the basics required for health and well-being. His eBook, The Real Diet of Man, is available online.

Don’t miss these links for additional reading:

Are Half Of Americans Approaching Retirement With No Savings?

Quarter of Adults Can’t Pay Their Bills

Bell Curve: Normal Distribution

Lifetime Risk of Developing or Dying From Cancer

Genetics & Diabetes : What's Your Risk?

The Odds of Dying

Mortality Risk from Insurance Information Institute

No, the body doesn’t just wear out as we get older.

Why do people have to die?

How Many People Live to 100?

The Importance of the Ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids