Body Weight Balancing for the Over 60s

Forget losing weight, dieting or gruelling exercise routines. I figured out body weight balancing for the over 60s, since that's where I and these days.

So what is body weight balancing?

Well, in a nutshell, it's attaining and maintaining a healthy body weight, shape and size for my current chronological age.

It might be a thing or it might not, but I have chosen to think of the way I look and what I weight from a different perspective than what the weight loss industry wants me to think.

What is the Right Weight?

terry 18 may 2024The correct weight for you can be arrived at after taking into consideration a number of individual factors, such as height, build and shape.

For me, it's 172cm (5'8″), medium build and I suppose average body shape for someone of my age. I'm not flabby, no ″bingo wings" or ″love handles,″ but there is a small pot belly to spoil the overall OK look.

My current weight is 72 kilos, which isn't half bad at all, giving me a BMI of 24.3 which is in the normal range. A doctor would not be concerned with those numbers.

Here's the thing: BMI doesn't take into account the ratio of body fat to muscle, so it's not the best indicator of overall health.

What is Good Health?

In my particular case, my health is pretty good. I walk a few kilometres along the beach including up and down steep hills to get to it each day. I also walk my dogs, do some light weights and watch what I eat and drink.

I keep up with current health information from both the mainstream media and a few concerned doctors that like to tell us all the real truth via videos and podcasts. In other words, I'm well versed in natural health, good diet and what is good for me and not good for me.

What helps to keep my weight in check is what I choose not to eat or drink more than anything else.

What I Don't Eat or Drink

My regular diet is basically a vegetarian and Mediterranean combo.

I do allow myself some locally caught fish (usually sardines) and my cheat snack of Jamon Serrano so I'm not a strict veggie. I get organic produce where possible, including eggs and raw goat/sheep cheeses.

I avoid ALL processed foods because I don't like all the toxins, additives and seed oils they contain. So that's basically everything that comes in a packet, jar or can (about 90% of what's on sale in supermarkets, pretty much).

I avoid most meat because what's on sale in supermarkets comes from farms that treat their animals disgracefully and feed them grains, which they are NOT supposed to eat! They also use antibiotics and hormone treatments that remain in the meat after the animal is slaughtered.

I don't want any of that crap in my body. You don't either: ″Whatever the animal eats, you eat.″

I NEVER cook with any seed oils (vegetable oil, sunflower, canola, soy, corn, cotton seed etc). Those oils are about the most toxic thing on the planet, contributing to most diseases of modern times, including the scary rise in dementia, type 2 diabetes, cardio-vascular diseases and auto-immune diseases.

Don't think so?

Well you better get educated, because the mainstream media will not tell you about the dangers of using those oils in food. And those toxic, processed oils are in just about every processed food product on the grocery store shelves!

I don't want any of that poison in my body either.

I avoid all canned drinks (soda) and pretty much anything that you can buy to drink except bottled water. Every product is either loaded with sugar or artificial sweeteners, both of which are bad.

I do allow myself the odd cold beer (you got to live a little), but these days, that's an occasional treat and not a daily crutch like it used to be back in the old days.

The upshot of all this gastronomic deprivation is:

I don't have any of the aches and pains that are a hallmark of this age group and I don't take any medications whatsoever. Not even paracetamol since I don't get headaches.

What I Do Eat

As I already mentioned, my diet is based around the Mediterranean diet (it's where I live), mostly vegetarian with fresh, organic whole foods where possible.

I use olive oil on my food as a salad dressing and to cook with.

Every morning, I take a dessert spoon of whole lemon that I pulp in a blender (skin, pith and flesh all goes in) with a dessert spoon of cider vinegar and some water and drink it down, followed by a mouthful of fresh water to swish the acid out of my mouth (don't want to destroy my teeth).

I follow that with a dessert spoon of coconut oil, making sure to swish it round my mouth before swallowing it. Coconut oil is a natural anti-microbial that removes bad bacteria and fungus from the mouth without the need for harsh mouthwash.

Coconut oil is also rich in medium-chain trigycerides (MCT), which are fatty acids that are beneficial for health, especially brain health. Studies have shown there is some evidence that MCT oil can help to prevent the onset of brain-related degenerative conditions such as dementia, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.

I'm all for anything that helps to keep my brain healthy. A healthy brain is kind of necessary for a healthy body, after all!

I include a lot of fresh onions, ginger and garlic in my food too, while using certain herbs like thyme, rosemary and oregano to not only enhance the flavour of food but to add their health-giving properties to it as well. Fortunately, living in Spain means that garlic-breath is not such an anti-social thing as it is in countries like Britain and the USA.

The above dietary measures that I follow seem to be keeping me in good health and medication-free so far, as well as possibly even being anti-aging in nature. And I can tell you, when you're in your mid 60s, the concept of extending life with good health is a very, very compelling one!

What Physical Activities I Do

As mentioned above, I walk to, along and back from the beach each day, up and down steep hills.

On the beach, I walk along the shoreline with my feet in the sea (it's usually very calm) and take time to breath deeply. I heard that salty sea air is really good for the lungs and respiratory system.

I walk the dogs twice a day around the local streets for about 20 minutes.

I do some physical exercise every other day. I do a short workout routine with 10kg dumbells, press-ups and leg exercises to keep everything moving and maintain my muscle mass, which is something that is inclined to decline as you get older if you don't address it.

Here's the shocker: I take a cold shower every day!

I'm a big fan of Wim Hof and his method of getting into the cold and doing deep breathing exercises. All I can say is since I've been doing this, I rarely ever get sick, I don't get headaches like I used to and I feel pretty good in myself.

I feel like I have as much (if not more) energy now than I had when I was 20.

Summary: Maintaining a Healthy Body and Mind

There is a good reason for my way of being these days and my pursuit of body weight balancing, rather than the more popular weight loss.

I want to feel strong, healthy and keep my mind sharp while warding off progressive age-related problems.

Too many people of my age group that I know are already in decline, both physically and mentally. They don't do what I do and even though I tell them, they don't want to hear it.

I have friends with arthritis, blood pressure problems, cholesterol problems, weight problems and all too easily catching whatever cold or flu-like virus is doing the rounds at any given time. The drummer in my present band suffered a mild heart attack only last week: fortunately he is OK and on the mend.

It's very sad to see close friends lose their health or have to spend so much time visiting the doctor for this or that medical complaint. It's even sadder when some of them still smoke (seriously), drink too much alcohol and eat so much garbage when they should know better.

They say that with age comes wisdom. I can only partially agree with that sentiment. The reality is that wisdom comes to those that seek and accept it and use it wisely.

Stay healthy, be well. Live long and prosper, people!


This article was posted on: 18th May 2024


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