When I was a child, one of my favorite TV shows was The Jack Lalanne Show. I loved watching his big, white dog. Yesterday he died at age 96 from pneumonia.
He promoted healthy eating and daily exercise long before, well, just about anyone else. What I really want to know is how old his parents were when they died, and from what. Don't get me wrong, exercise and healthy eating is the best thing we can do for our bodies, but...let's get real.
My Aunt Vi, who died at age 103, from what we are not 100% sure, was as healthy as Jack at 96. I read a bit about him, looked closely at a photo of him in his mid 70s, and my great-aunt Vi looked as good. She worked into her 80s and in her mid 90s she was cooking and cleaning.
When I asked her what exercises she does, she laughed at me. Diet? "Whatever I damn well please!" Jack had heart valve surgery in his 80s, Vi had her gall ladder removed in her 80s.
My point is simply--genes matter, a lot.
So, lift your weights, swim daily, eat only whole grains and no sugar, you may buy yourself an extra year or two (and if you are an obese couch potato who lives by remote control, smokes and uses booze to access, taking Jack's advice will actually give you decades...maybe), but genes rule in the end. If you feel tired all the time, then you better look at your diet and exercise, after your doctor gives you the once over.
Jack sure gave me hours of TV pleasure, and I would wager he changed many lives for the better. But healthy longevity is more than diet and exercise.
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