Ageing ain’t no joke

Ageing ain’t no joke.As some of you know I’ve had a pretty tough week or so with my amazing father in hospital for four night stint. With his 83rd bday just around the corner it’s been incredibly stressful, feeling helpless, unable to help him as we didn’t know what was wrong, but thankfully he was allowed to come home in time for my nieces bday.And now I am in a position to help him, as best I can, but the most inspiring thing about the experience is he wants to help himself, and be responsible for his own health. He has a greater appreciation of importance of a high nutrient, high protein diet and movement to preserve as much muscle tissue as he can, so he can continue to have some independence. All this at the ripe old age of 82, something people a quarter his age struggle with.No matter what age you are, I can’t stress how important good nutrients, gut health, mindset and movement are. If you want to live a long rewarding life, it is imperative to do what you need to to stay strong and survive. In our society we take so much for granted: – Access to fresh food- The ability to move- Access to mental health services – Access to health care and facilities- Friends and family to support usWhile we may all have varying shades of these things the one liberty we do share is the right to choose, to make most of what we have available to look after ourselves the best way we can. To be grateful for what we do have, and the power we have to elicit change.We can’t stop time, but we can take steps to optimise our health, despite the hand we’ve been dealt. By treating our bodies with respect, challenging ourselves/our thinking, and being willing to take responsibility for our own circumstances we can make the most of the time we do have.What can you do today to stay strong, optimise your health and not just survive, but thrive?