It ought to be a no-brainer, so to speak: Research has pinpointed seven ways people can achieve ideal heart and brain health. And – bonus – if Americans did those things, they also could help prevent many other chronic illnesses, According to the American Heart Association News.
But most people don’t, at least not consistently. What’s stopping them?
“Most of these steps require a great deal of self-regulation and self-control,” said Dolores Albarracin, a professor of psychology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “It’s not just getting one thing done, like going to get a vaccine, where you can do it and forget about it for a year.”
Volumes of research point to at least seven behaviors, called Life’s Simple 7, that can dramatically lower the burden of heart disease, stroke and dementia. Not smoking, eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy weight, and keeping blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol levels in a healthy range have the potential to collectively wipe out a vast majority of heart disease and stroke and prevent or delay a significant number of dementias.
Wellness Secrets of a SuperAger 
That’s the big question in my mind. Why oh why do so many people, (and it is not just in the USA), fail to take heed of really simple and basic advice regarding staying fit. We were in our local vet the other day and Janice, who is a permanent employee and a delightful lady, is hugely overweight. Not for the first time I said that in the flick of a finger she will be my age (76) and potentially suffering from all sorts of diseases brought about by her obesity. She then said she was 60. I responded that gently getting one’s weight down would be great. She said that she might do that. But I very much doubt it. Why?
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I think they have a mental disconnect. They eat things ‘because they taste good’ with no thought of what they are putting in their body. I think the best thing I ever heard on that subject is that ‘everything you eat and drink becomes a part of you.’ Once you realize that you can’t put garbage in your system. At least I can’t. Have a great weekend, Paul!
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And you, Tony!
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