4 the Better: New Life After 70, Making Turmeric Bioavailable, Chronic Disease Prevention
Bite-sized inspiration and information in 4 minutes
A New Life After 70…It’s Never Too Late
Here is a story for anyone who thinks it’s too late to get in shape, change their bodies, reclaim their health, get strong, turn back the hands of time…fill in the blank. Meet Joan MacDonald, who is proof positive that it’s never too late to change.
Joan popped up in my Instagram feed a while back as she chronicled her journey from a tired out-of-shape, unhealthy, elastic-pants-wearing 70-year-old on the ubiquitous high blood pressure and acid reflux medications to a vibrant weight-lifting, clean-eating, bathing-suit-rocking 75-year-old Instagram star. She credits exercise and nutrition for saving and transforming her life.
Her inspirational turnaround is due in large part to the encouragement, guidance, and support of her daughter, Michelle. A professional body-builder and trainer, Michelle tearfully implored Joan to get off the path of poor health and join her in participating in an online group of women all working towards the goal of taking control of their lives.
Up until then, Joan didn’t even know how to use an iPhone, but she courageously jumped into the program with both feet. Armed with a gym membership, food scale, and measuring tape, she became a different woman. Granted, most of us don’t have a daughter as a personal trainer, but even with that support, Joan’s grit, determination, and stick-to-itiveness mindset cannot be overstated. In her own words, "I don't mind if my changes are slow. I am going to go at my own pace, and this time the changes are going to last the rest of my life.''
From all accounts, it looks like she meant it. In the hope of motivating others to follow in her footsteps, she has turned her hard work and journey into a growing business, creating a community with her app, book, and website full of excellent exercises, sound nutrition advice, and ever-ready encouragement. I see her as a tremendous source of inspiration for what can be possible in our later years. Congratulations, Joan, on creating a new you, a new life, and a new role model for others!Â
Turmeric Needs Pepper for Bioavailability
Curcumin, the most active compound in Turmeric, has long been touted in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and disease-fighting properties. Today, research confirms the many benefits of this phenomenal polyphenol, so it is mainstream in a plethora of supplements on drugstore shelves. But there is an inherent issue: it is not well absorbed by the body.
Enter piperine, the bioactive component in pepper. Although a star in and of itself for treating nausea and headaches and aiding digestion, it really shines when paired with curcumin, boosting absorption by up to 2,000%! (Think of the cultural dishes turmeric is typically in and pepper is frequently a companion ingredient.)
If you take curcumin, check the label to make sure that piperine is in the formula.Â
The Overwhelming Majority of Chronic Disease is Preventable
Statistics vary depending upon the disease of the reporting agency, but in a cursory search, it is widely accepted that an estimated 80% of cardiovascular disease—including heart disease and stroke—is preventable. Other studies suggest anywhere from 40-70% of cancers could be prevented, over half of Alzheimer’s diagnoses could be warded off, and 9 in 10 cases of type 2 diabetes could be avoided. All of this research cites lifestyle as the determining factor in the avoidable group, mitigating the risk of disease and early death.
Remember, genes may load the gun but lifestyle pulls the trigger.
