The Washington Post plans to meet centenarians from around the world to learn what a 100-year-old life can give you. We started by asking: What advice would you give to your younger self?
The responses were brilliant. Choose the right life partner. Doing what you love. Don’t neglect your education. Stay true to your principles. Learn tolerance. Take care of your friendship. Be upright. Learn from your elders. Believe in your own abilities. Keep asking questions. Be kind. Never stop reading. Move. Make a decision.
One of the centenarians we spoke to was 103-year-old Treasurer Zimmerman of Coronado, California. After World War II, Zimmerman also learned to fly when her husband began flying airplanes as a hobby. She ended up flying with a friend for the all-girls cross-country derby from Bakersfield, Calif., to Atlantic City. They finished 11th out of 60 aircraft in the Powder Puff Derby.
For her 95th birthday, she drove alone from California to Kansas City in a convertible red Jaguar. She says staying active has helped her live longer. Zimmerman, a former physical education teacher, still walks her dog, Gigi, a 12-year-old Havanese, every day. Her advice: “Even when you don’t feel good, keep walking, keep moving.”
Enjoy the full article to hear from the centenarians we interviewed. And if you are a centenarian or know someone who is, please Fill out this form. We would love to hear from you.
How to overcome mindless eating
If you struggle with overeating or making unhealthy food choices, here’s my favorite mindful eating tip. When you reach for food—whether it’s to eat or in your shopping cart—ask yourself: How does it feel to eat this?
This tip was given to me by Judson Brewer, a psychiatrist, neuroscientist and director of research and innovation at the Burrow University Psychiatric Center. This advice and more is detailed in his new book, The Starvation Habit: Why We Eat When We’re Not Hungry and How to Stop It.
The beer recommendation was personally very helpful. While I generally have healthy eating habits, I do have moments of weakness and cravings, especially with foods like ice cream. By taking a mindful moment—when I’m shopping and reaching for food—I’ve been able to avoid foods that make me feel angry and really enjoy the food I eat.
In this week’s Eating Lab column, we spoke with Beer about his new book and asked him about the role of willingness in changing our eating habits.
“From a neuroscience perspective, volition is not part of the equation when it comes to behavior change,” Brewer said. A prime example is that people feel they need more willpower. And so every six months there’s a new theme, whether it’s a new diet or a new plan or a new license that requires this or that. It’s because people feel they have something to be ashamed of themselves.”
Just knowing “what to do” is not enough to change behavior, he says. We’re all inundated with messages that fresh, whole, minimally processed foods and regular exercise are the cornerstones of health, yet many of us struggle, Beer commented. “Knowing isn’t enough because it’s not where behavior change happens,” Brewer said. Emotions are where behavior change happens, and so we need to reacquaint ourselves – I would say, reconnect – with our bodies and then start listening to them.
To learn more about Beer’s 21 Day Diet Plan, read the full report.
How to make your hemorrhoids happy
Q: I have hemorrhoids. What exactly are they? How can I get rid of them again?
A: Everyone has hemorrhoids. They are a normal part of our body: warts are simply cushions of blood vessels above and below the anal canal, a short tunnel that connects the anus to the anus.
They never get any credit, but hemorrhoids are kind of the MVPs of that area: the cushions help protect the anal canal from accidental leaks. Have you ever wondered how your body knows the difference between a gas, solid or liquid? Scientists think it’s those sensitive hemorrhoids that can tell when it’s safe to completely clear your flatus.
But those veins can merge, and the tissue that holds them in place can weaken. When this happens we notice our warts, that’s when we call them a problem. Symptoms may include itching, bleeding, a feeling of fullness, uncomfortable swelling, involuntary discharge, and pain.
Click the link to read the rest from Trisha Pasricha, our Ask the Doctor columnist.
Here are a few things that brought us joy this week.
- Want some good news? know more About pasta and health.
- A sleeping polar bear? A baby lion? A happy turtle? Choose your favorite wildlife photo.
- Do you like puzzles? Get it A competitive jigsaw puzzle.
- This happy snack is a real snack. Try These dip recipes At your Super Bowl party.
- Rachmaninoff’s last living piano student lives in PA. She is 99 years old.
Want to know more about “happy” snacks? Our Brain Matters columnist Richard Sima explains. Ycan you Read this story as a joke.
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