Live as if you were to die tomorrow, learn as if you will live forever. ~ Mahatma Gandhi ~
My 26-year-old son recently moved to Texas and was traveling on business to the outskirts of Houston. He sent me a text commenting on what unhealthy lifestyles people seemed to have there and that the levels of obesity appeared unusually high. I gather he was in a restaurant sitting next to a family with young children and the entire family suffered from obesity. He could hear them discussing their favorite foods and he commented in his text, “How could you be a parent and allow your kids to have such an unhealthy diet?”
Our discussion turned to the topic of how education is a significant predictor of longevity. And perhaps if those parents had the means and opportunities to achieve a higher level of education, they might have gained the knowledge to eat a better diet themselves and establish better eating habits for their children.
This is not meant to be a commentary on obesity. That is a complex condition, and we don’t fully understand all the factors that come into play that cause people to suffer from it.
However, it is meant to be a commentary on the importance of learning and how continuing education can influence our lifestyle and contribute to longevity.
And just to be clear, longevity is not the end goal here. But because we are living much longer - the end goal is to learn how to stay in good health and enjoy life for as long as possible.
That’s why I love the opening quote by Gandhi, “Live as if you were to die tomorrow, learn as if you will live forever.” What a great mantra to live by. In that spirit I’d like to share some upcoming workshops on healthy aging for your learning pleasure.
Bloom Book Club – You can join an ongoing book club at Bloom Yoga Studio that meets every two months for a yoga practice and to discuss a selected book on the topic of healthy aging. Our next meeting is August 25, and the book is, “Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant,” by Roz Chast. It’s a fabulous group. Learn more and register.
Please feel free to email me with any questions.