Living to be 100: 16 Lifestyle Characteristics of the Oldest and Healthiest People in the World – by Michael Howard, Ph.D.

  1. Have low blood sugar (less than 100 mg/dl fasting)
  2. Have low blood pressure (target is 115/75 mg HG in midlife)
  3. Have low blood total and LDL cholesterol (less than 200 mg/dL and 100 mg/DL)
  4. Keep weight low and steady (BMI 18.5- 25)
  5. Eat fewer calories
  6. Eat mostly vegetarian “Mediterranean diet” with coffee and tea
  7. Avoid nutritional deficiencies
  8. Exercise regularly, be active, and stay busy after retirement
  9. Don’t smoke or stop smoking if you do
  10. Drink less alcohol
  11. Get regular and restful sleep
  12. Have healthy gums
  13. Challenge your mind
  14. Stay positive in attitude and avoid anxiety and depression
  15. Shed those stressors, have daily structure, and be resilient
  16. Stay socially connected with serenity and a purpose of life

Believe in healing, wholeness, and wellness or you will

become a victim of disease, brokenness, and illness.

Karen Wolfrom

Peace

Anxiety is often our first reaction to conflict, problems, or even our own fears. In those moments, detaching and getting peaceful may seem disloyal or apathetic. We think: if I really care, I’ll worry; if this is really important to me, I must stay upset. We convince ourselves that outcomes will be positively affected by the amount of time we spend worrying.

Our best problem-solving resource is peace. Solutions arise easily and naturally out of a peaceful state. Often fear and anxiety block solutions. Anxiety gives power to the problems around us, not the solution. It does not help to harbor turmoil. It does not help.

Peace is available if we choose it. In spite of chaos and unsolved problems, all is well. Things will work out. We can surround ourselves with resources of the Universe: water, earth, a sunset, a walk, a prayer, a friend. We can relax and feel peace.

Today I will let go of my need to stay in turmoil. I will cultivate peace and trust that timely solutions and goodness will arise naturally and harmoniously out of the wellspring of peace. I will consciously let go and let God.

The Language of Letting Go
Daily Meditations For Codependents.
Harper Collins Publishers, 1990

I Rescue People

Meet Holly! My 7 year old rescue dog.

If you’ve ever adopted a rescue dog, you’ll know that the process often goes both ways: you think you’re rescuing them, but in reality, they end up rescuing you. That’s exactly what happened when Holly, a sweet 7-year-old rescue dog, came into our lives.

A Journey to Healing

Holly had a story, one that we were eager to learn, but it wasn’t just about her past—it was about her future, and how she could become part of the family.

In the weeks that followed her adoption, Holly revealed her resilience. It wasn’t long before we realized that, while we thought we were rescuing her, she was the one doing the real work—rescuing us.

The Power of Unconditional Love

Holly may be 7 years old, but she’s got the heart of a puppy. She has an incredible ability to sense when someone is down or feeling a little off. Whether it’s curling up beside me on tough days or offering a wag of her tail when I need a little lift, Holly reminds me daily that love doesn’t come with conditions—it just is.

She’s also taught us the value of patience. Holly didn’t come to us fully confident. She had fears to work through, from loud noises to new people. But over time, with gentle guidance and understanding, we’ve watched her blossom into a dog that greets new situations and people with more courage than we ever expected. Her journey of healing mirrors the healing that happens within ourselves when we give and receive love, trust, and companionship.

The Unexpected Joy of Adoption

When we decided to adopt Holly, we thought we were providing her with a safe home and a fresh start. What we didn’t anticipate was how much she would enrich our lives in return. From her morning greetings to her joyful spins in the yard, Holly has brought a sense of calm and joy to our household. She’s a reminder that, sometimes, the most unexpected sources of happiness come from opening our hearts to those who need us.

Adopting a rescue dog is an act of love and compassion, but it’s also a two-way street. Holly’s unconditional love has taught us to appreciate the small moments in life, to be more patient, and to approach every day with a little more joy. She’s rescued us just as much as we’ve rescued her—and for that, we’ll forever be grateful.

Caring brings Joy

Any time we care for someone, share our time with someone, it’s not just about helping them; it’s about the bond you’ll create and the unexpected ways they’ll change your life. Holly’s story is just one example of how rescue dogs can teach us the true meaning of love, patience, and joy.

PEAK – Help for parents of Estranged Kids

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Parents of Estranged Adult Kids (PEAK) is a wonderful new non-profit dedicated to helping parents who are estranged from their adult children recover from the trauma of that estrangement. It was created by the author of 2 books on the topic, Fe Anam Avis, a Hendersonville, NC resident. We really believe in PEAK’s support and resources. Karen Wolfrom of Holistic Elder Services, serves on this board.

PEAK helps parents cope with the pain of being estranged from their child. While we don’t reasonably expect to forget the pain of this separation, PEAK aims to support them in improving their lives, finding meaning and purpose. The program encourages parents to move past their hurt, start to heal, and eventually be in a position to help others.

Aging Life Care Association Southeast Chapter

Karen Wolfrom, Holistic Elder Services, is proud to be an Advanced Professional member of Aging Life Care™ Association.

Aging Life Care™, also known as geriatric care management, is a holistic, client-centered approach to caring for older adults or others facing ongoing health challenges. Working with families, the expertise of Aging Life Care Professionals provides the answers at a time of uncertainty.

Condition | Aging Parents

Also suitable for:

LOVED ONES SUFFERING FROM DEMENTIA • ILLNESS IN PARENTS • LOSS OF RESPECT FOR PARENTS

When we are children, our parents are gods. They seem unimaginably strong and unfathomably knowledgeable. We find it almost impossible to believe that we will one day be just like them. In some senses, the process of growing up is all about undermining that initial awe. Eventually, we learn that our parents are just people, and that it’s not actually that hard for us to become people, too.

     The sad thing, though, is that our growing up is not the end of the process. There is a symmetry to human life. Just as we learn how easy, how natural, it is for us to be strong and competent and proud, our parents are discovering quite how difficult it can be to remain that way, until the day finally comes when the roles are reversed and the people we idolized more than anyone else become a burden. Suddenly, we are the adults, and our parents are stumbling behind us like children.

      It can be very upsetting to watch someone we admire become diminished; and yet this is a trial we all face, unless we are unlucky enough to lose our parents young. Our mothers and fathers dealt with the same terrible distress before us and we should remember that in time our children will, too. There is no remedy for this pain, except the knowledge that it is better than the alternative, which is never to have had our parents at all or to have lost them young. They were there for us when we were helpless; we should take pleasure now in being able to return the favor.

Our lives are cyclical, and are meant to be: just as we grow, so we must shrink. There is no such thing in life, or in human beings themselves, as permanence. Frankly, we might get rather bored if there were.

The Poetry Remedy Prescriptions for the Heart, Mind & Soul – William Sieghart