Longevity is an invaluable gift of nature if utilized to the maximum and can yield fruitful results, if we pay attention to it 'now'. How long you live, how youthful and elegant you look, and how great you feel depends on you. Growing old gracefully is the masterwork of wisdom, and one of the most difficult chapters in the 'great art of living'. Getting old does not necessarily point to bad news. If you discover the secrets of wise and healthy living, you can grow old with your self-esteem, confidence and a sense of adventure. Today's centenarians are simply living a healthy and an active, natural life span for the human body is created to live a long, healthy life if nurtured with care but also keeping in mind predictable factors like disease and death. The fear of getting old and infirm is what keeps us from being hale and hearty. Life should be determined much by its content rather than its length. Therefore, life should be led purposefully and fervently till the last breath.



Aging is part of our natural growth process. Aging is the buildup of experiences and changes in our entire life. It begins at the outset and concludes at death. It is another stage in our development. We are all in the process of aging and must learn ways of dealing with changes that occur all through our lives. Aging and illness are not identical, and the idea that senility is a natural sign of aging is wrong. By understanding the normal aging process, you can determine better what changes are normal and what may be indication of illness. And, by recognizing the normal changes in the body, you will be able to take steps to minimize or delay them and achieve better health. Thus, you are taking control of your life and becoming responsible for your well-being. We, as a society, are striving not just to live longer, but to live better. We seek a way to avoid chronic diseases, encroaching fatigue, and degrading changes that seem to characterize old age. As a nation, we are searching to find what we can do to make our lives better, extend our most healthy, vibrant, active years, and shorten the time of limitation and failing health.

Science has made great strides forward in understanding of just what aging is, how it works, and most important of all - what we can do about it. We can reduce diseases of aging and prolong our health and vital years. In short, we will be able to look younger and live longer naturally. Over 85% of the incapacitating diseases of old age result from only a handful of diseases - cancer, coronary artery disease, stroke, diabetes, kidney failure, obstructive lung disease, pneumonia and influenza. Heart disease, by itself, accounts for fully one out of every two deaths of older Americans, and high blood pressure directly causes or contributes to 15% of all deaths. We now can control even these pathologies by our lifestyle. By the simple act of knowing what to eat, exercise, and live your life, you can lower your risk for these diseases of aging and incorporate this knowledge into your lifestyle, thus avoiding the causes of premature aging, weakness and death.