Cenegenics Complete Guide to Healthy Aging - (Page 12) I. the Cenegenics story Becoming Ida. My mother took great pride in finding resourceful ways to look good, even with limited means. “Let me have one good dress,” she often would say, “instead of ten.” Her always-coiffed hair, minimal makeup and soft-spoken demeanor made for classic beauty. Beyond good looks, her innate intelligence and high ethics became my barometer for life and business decisions. Yet, my mother’s life was plagued with self-doubt. Her lack of formal education—compounded by the repressive cultural and social mores of her era—offered few opportunities. She was trapped in a web of double standards. Ironically, these struggles later became a catalyst for my mother’s personal success. Key to that success was her focus on health. She said, “I noticed friends getting heavy, and I knew this wasn’t good. My doctor recommended exercises at home, an unconventional thing, and it really paid off. I didn’t know it was also good for my health.” “If something had a lot of fat, it would make you fat,” she reasoned. “I simply limited my fat intake; it was just common sense. And I raised my children on heart-healthy foods. There were plenty of fruits and vegetables in their diets and no fried foods.” Without realizing, my mother set in motion some of the exact components needed to ensure a healthy life as long as her biological clock would allow. A bump in the road. By 0, my mother began changing. Her zest for life diminished. Compounding that, many of her friends were ill or passing away. My mother became depressed, believing she hadn’t fully contributed to the world. As a doctor, I sought a scientific way to help. I knew exercise was essential for keeping cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems in shape. I also held a growing interest in studies, substantiating how we can maintain well-being and vigor as we age. That interest grew through firsthand experience. An avid runner in the mid-0s, I expanded my regimen during the ’80s to include weight training. The change was dramatic. And that gave me an idea of how to help my mother. Since she was always active, I thought a little running might do her good. Precautionary x-rays revealed she was free of degenerative change, having the knees of a much younger person! That sparked even more thinking and research, which would later convince me we can retain or regain youthful vigor longer—if we have the right hormonal signals. Setting a new course. My mother started jogging. We shifted focus from the unattainable (starting life over with formal education) to goals she could accomplish. I hoped running would enrich her life. Did it ever. First came teaching her to run. Remember, hiding in her grandfather’s attic, my mother never had the opportunity. She could walk briskly, but not actually run. Before long, with my wife’s help, she caught on. Things were never quite the same. Starting slowly, my mother began feeling better. Running was oxygenating her blood. She rarely caught colds and never had a problem with arthritis. She would run without aches, without pain and without blisters. Then my mother would pull off her sneakers and slip into her favorite four-inch heels. Amazing for a 0-something woman. My father was her biggest fan, joining her on jogs around Lincoln Park, walking briskly just to keep her company while surrounded by considerably younger runners. My parents got plenty of attention being dubbed “Recycled Teenagers.” Wherever my mother ran, crowds gathered. She soon became something of a legend in Chicago. Imagine how her self-esteem catapulted . . . she truly was a new woman. The renaissance of Ida. “At first I was reluctant,” my mother reminisced, “but my son advised starting with a half mile. I tried it and loved it. I began with walks and worked my way up to a marathon.” In September 980, she ran her first marathon at the age of —the oldest woman to finish a marathon, placing first in her age group. Three generations in the Mintz family made the record books that day, completing the memorable race: my mother, my son Ari, my wife Gloria and myself. We were the first family to ever have three generations in one marathon. My mother set the record for her age group that year: hours, 39 minutes. Her doctor gave sage counsel: “Eat to live . . . don’t live to eat.” And so she did. My mother literally would sneak into a closet, doing 0 sit-ups, stretches and other exercises daily. She became diet conscious and an exercise aficionado long before it was trendy. WWW.CENEGENICS.COM i. th e Cen egeniCs s torY http://WWW.CENEGENICS.COM
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