White House Conference on Aging
Dr. Dharma Singh Khalsa
On Monday July 13th, I attended The White House Conference on Aging {#WHCOA}.
I was one of only 200 people invited by President Obama to attend this once in a decade event. The last one was 10 years ago and the president at that time, Mr. Bush, did not attend for political reasons.
Mr. Obama did attend, though, and made remarks that were met with a standing ovation. I was in about the 10th row so I could see and of course, hear very well.
Without trending political, please let me report that Mr. Obama is laying out a very positive agenda to help aging baby-boomers like myself and, perhaps many of you, too, live a longer, healthier and more fulfilling life.
For one thing there is a $ 30 million proposal to help train doctors and nurses in the field of geriatric medicine because older folks do have unique problems and present challenges and opportunities. That was the main theme of the conference: That aging need not be a time of degeneration but rather, with planning and the practice of certain life style measures, aging can be a time of activity, fun, and enlightenment.
I call it Golden Aging
I had the opportunity to speak personally to 2 great Super Agers at the conference.
One 93 year old man was at the very first conference in 1961. He said the key to his longevity is staying mentally active. He went to work every day until recently. Now that he's "retired," he's speaking out on behalf of staying mentally active.
I also spoke to an 89 year old woman from New York. She said the best thing about aging is that, "I no longer care what other people think."
Another key point is that doctors don't hold all the answers. Indeed the answers to a longer and healthier life are in your own hands and legs and, quite frankly, your mouth as well.
What I mean is there are things that you can do to live a better and healthier life. Of course, I've been saying and writing and speaking about those same ideas for over 2 decades. But at least they are now main stream. Diet, physical and mental exercise are the keys.
And of course our simple 12 minute meditation exercise called Kirtan Kriya is also crucial.
(http://www.alzheimersprevention.org/research/12-minute-memory-exercise)
Yes there is a lot happening on the Alzheimer's Prevention Front. And we also attended the Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) here in D.C.
I'll have more to share with you on that later but just let me end with this:
One morning, the hostess at the breakfast area wore a tee shirt from The Alzheimer's Association that read, "The End of Alzheimer's Starts With You."
And it really does.
Stay tuned for more from the cutting edge of Alzheimer's prevention.
Yours In Brain Health,
Dr. Dharma
www.alzheimersprevention.org