Living Longer

Most of want to live as long as possible, but also want to be in good health as we age. While modern medicine has certainly helped humans to live longer lives, it is up to us to take personal responsibility for our health and well-being. The famous Yankee baseball player of the 1950's, Mickey Mantle thought that his family history of Hodgkin's disease made a short life inevitable. His father and uncles had died in their fifties and because he thought he would suffer the same fate, he decided to have a "devil may care" attitude about his own health. He partied hard and drank alcohol in excess. He never developed Hodgkin's disease, but instead died of alcohol induced cirrhosis of the liver which could have been prevented if he had taken charge of his own health rather than just accepting what he thought was his fate. I am using the suggestions and many of the recipes in the Reader's Digest LIVE LONGER COOKBOOK. In addition to the recipes, it has a chapter entitled "Common Sense Guide to Living Longer," in which it explains the nutrients our body needs, a pictorial guides to beans and grains, a section on exercise and physical fitness and tips for losing weight. Although not entirely plant-based, it has chapters with recipes for salads, vegetables, pasta, rice and grains, breads and an entire chapter of meatless main dishes.