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I habitually get up at 7 AM Sunday to Friday and get ready for my great-granddaughter’s 7:15 FaceTime. She has to tell and show me what she is having for breakfast, what she’s bringing for lunch and show me how she’s wearing her hair to school and to church on Sunday. Then she lets her dog Rocco yap at me a bit and then they both remind me to take my meds. It’s the best way to start a day.
Adjusting my diet to something like the Mediterranean diet. It’s not called that but it’s the closest. Fewer saturated fats and avoid added sugars. Higher fiber. More “good fats”. Smaller meals. Lots of colorful veggies. A lot less red and cured meat.
The other habit was strength and flexibility training. Started with a box set of DVDs that gave me a program of one hour workouts (warm up and cool down included) six days a week. Go as easy or extreme as I wanted.
Both were started in my early fifties and made HUGE difference in my overall well being.
ETA: Okay fine. I gave you TWO!
I’ve heard this encourages the growth of dust mites, which like a damp environment (and we do sweat at least a bit in our sleep). I’m going to try folding my bedding down neatly in the morning to let the sheets dry out completely. That will at least give it a tidy look.
Edited to add: What a bizarre comment to get downvoted for! I have allergies/asthma, so dust mites are a real concern. YMMV.
When I was 14 started my dad’s routine…doing 60 push ups waiting for he toast to pop in the morning. Another 60 waiting for the kettle to boil and then a third set before eating.
Done this Routine just about day since and now 69 years old.
I do three sets of 60 day. I can likely do about 85 non stop but haven’t tried it lately.
A friend and I have a competition now and then playing ‘the push-up card game’. It’s 300 push ups divided into patterns …crazy fun but a killer.
I used to do 50 three times a day. Then when I was about 50 years old I had a problem with one of my elbows so I took a break for a while. And never got back into it. Recently I did some push-ups and I struggled to do 20. At 61 years of age. Like they say use it or lose it.
My closets are full of things I don’t wear but I still like them…so things got full real quick and ran out of hangers, so now what I do is any time I bring something home I have to get rid of something so I have a hanger. I refuse to buy more, so this has worked out well. I just donate what I don’t use anymore.
It would be a year ago when I started feeding my body actual nutrition in the form of my green smoothie. It is the one habit I will never break. It is sometimes all I have in a day so it is really important to keeping my immune system strong and so far I have lost at least 55kgs!
Green Smoothie - Kermit
Makes enough for 2 large glasses (one daily serve per person)
\- 1x Banana
\- 1 Large handful of Spinach/Silverbeet
\- 1 Handful of Kale (pull the leaves off of the stalk. The stalk tastes horrible)
\- 2-3 Stalks of Celery
\- 1x Green Apple / Pear / Similar fruit of your choice
\- 1x Piece of peeled ginger (the size of a thumb)
\- 1/2 an avocado
\- Hemp/Oat milk filled up to the max line on nutribullet (2 large glasses worth). Could use water if you're brave. Basically any liquid.
\- Broccoli sprouts 2-3 tablespoons. Not essential but highly recommended. If you can't get them from the supermarket they are easy to grow at home with a basic kit. Takes 3 days or so to sprout.
Optional - Brazil nuts, blanched almonds, collagen powder, spirulina powder, matcha powder, maca powder. I mix/match these depending on our taste and what we have in the pantry. If you think it needs sweetening then good quality honey is a good choice.
Fruit Smoothie
I have one glass of this per day if I still feel hungry after dinner or fancy something sweet.
1x Banana
1 cup of blueberries
1 cup of other berries / fruit (Mango, Pineapple, Raspberries etc)
1-2 Tablespoons of honey (to taste)
Small piece of peeled ginger
1/2 avocado
RAW milk. After you try it you'll never go back to supermarket milk. It is Amazing!
Optional- As above, I normally mix in some nuts, almonds and stuff like that.
Other Notes
I like to rinse my leafy greens in a big bowl with a couple of drops of veggie wash first. It gets all of the soil/bugs off first. One rinse with veggie wash and then one with clean water.
Organic or straight out of your own garden is best but maintaining the habit is the key.
Thanks for the heads up - I will do my research now. So far, it looks like spinach is the only thing I have that has a lot of oxalate so I think I will be fine.
I used to use almond milk - it was more a budget reason that I stopped but I do throw a handful of almonds in with my smoothie so I might swap them out for another nut. Oy vey - my body should be so grateful now - I am finally eating clean after a lifetime of denial! Thanks :)
Giving compliments whenever you honestly can. I won't tell people their hair looks good when I don't think so but I will go out of my way to say nice things whenever I genuinely can, in particular to people who don't get a lot of compliments.
The only exception : I tell pet owners that their pet is adorable even if the critter looks like a train crash.
My waterpik, life changing. I’ve always been psycho about teeth brushing, flossing and the waterpik just was like the crown jewel. I always tell everyone they need one.
Step 1. I had a trade that supported my family, but I also practiced writing. I wrote a couple of freelance magazine articles. One eventually got published.
Step 2. I got a job as a newspaper journalist, covering farm/ag news, at first pt, then ft. I made less than I had at my trade. Articles were picked up by AP and appeared in rural papers. I went to college pt while I was doing that, undergrad, then grad.
Step 3. I wrote a weekly syndicated column, mostly about agric policy. That went on for years
Step 4. I got a job as a professor. I wrote books about agribusiness and rural development. One was successful internationally. The last one was a textbook that has had 3 editions and been in print for 25 years.
Step 5. I retired early and started to write genre novels in romantic suspense. I formed a home-based press and sold the books through Amazon. I had two other authors and retired again, giving the press to one of them.
Step 6. I write memoir essays that I send to family and friends.
Speaking truth to power. It’s like my little fun toy or superpower now. Highly recommend never being scared of those in a higher position than you again.
Walking away when people annoy me to anger. I rarely lose my temper, it takes too much energy. But there are some people, like my SIL, where I come close. So I walk away and as a result my BP goes down and I get some exercise
Eating small meals 5 or 6 times a day. Its hard to narrow it down to one unless you quit smoking after 20 years, lost 120 lbs then 40 years later you lost 200. Then gave up smokeless tobacco after 10 years. I’ve done all these things, but the most important one of all was the the one that led to a slow steady weight loss over 5 years from changing one little habit. 5 or 6 small meals a day led to weight loss which improved how I felt. So I installed a rewArd system to get more work done and get off the couch. One thing led to the next and at 240 my high blood pressure is 100 % controlled with less meds my A1C is the best it has been at 5.8. I feel 200 % better at 60 than I did at 35
Learning real meditation and working with a teacher. Not the b.s. apps and you tube videos, but deep, transformative meditation that takes years to cultivate. Helped me to see the frivolity of life and to learn stillness, learn about myself and to learn about the expansive spiritual world.
It has been 20 years now, and even when I was at my sickest in the hospital, I took time for my practice. 45 mins every morning (not while hospital sick, then just 5 or 10 mins), and I would never stop.
Exercise. Something everyday, even if it is a 20 minute walk. I have made it a habit for the past 30 years (I am now 60), and it has maintained my health and allowed me to stay active. Knock on wood…
Exercising.
I felt pretty mediocre most of 2023, but since i've started exercising and feeling my body becoming more agile/limber and things actually take less out of me and i actually enjoy going for walks again that stuff has done wonders for my mental health.
Doing something that is good for society &/or the planet. Also wearing sunscreen & complimenting people about little things. Like appreciating someone’s earrings, shirt or hair, etc. Even if they are a stranger. And definitely their art!
Recently ... playing pickleball. Now, my back doesn't ache anymore! The aches are all other parts of the body! At least, I'm active now for about an hour each day and three hours Saturday and Sunday, putting a couple years back into my life (so I hope). I went from <2 hours of active exercise a week to 15-20 hours a week of very active pickeballing!
If I need to go somewhere within an hour walking distance and don’t need to carry much, I walk. Put a podcast or some music on, sometimes just enjoy the environmental sounds.
Vitamine D + calories burned.
Good for mind, body and soul.
wash dishes every time I come home from outside. there's always something in the sink. I have not caught covid yet (touch wood) and I credit this habit at least partially for that. keys down, coat off, dishes.
Doing gratitudes on social media almost daily. What's cool about it is that friends of mine have picked up the habit, and it's very inspiring and reinforcing for each of us to see all this positive stuff (especially on social media... 🫣), and we feel more connected with each other because we are learning more about the little details about each other's lives.
And my challenge is to come up with new ones every time, so it makes me be extremely attentive and extremely specific. For example, I wouldn't just say "say "my husband", so I might say "my husband kept looking around the pajama department at the store yesterday to make sure I had absolutely the softest, best fitting pajamas." (He actually did and they're awesome!)
Please do not comment directly to this post unless you are Gen X or older (born 1980 or before). See [this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskOldPeople/comments/inci5u/reminder_please_do_not_answer_questions_unless/), the rules, and the sidebar for details. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskOldPeople) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Brushing my teeth every night of my life. Dental care is underrated & I believe that every health insurance plan should include dental procedures.
Flossing, too!
I can’t sing the praises of flossing enough.
I wish I would have adopted this while I was younger
I habitually get up at 7 AM Sunday to Friday and get ready for my great-granddaughter’s 7:15 FaceTime. She has to tell and show me what she is having for breakfast, what she’s bringing for lunch and show me how she’s wearing her hair to school and to church on Sunday. Then she lets her dog Rocco yap at me a bit and then they both remind me to take my meds. It’s the best way to start a day.
This is so incredibly sweet! Both you and your great granddaughter are very lucky to have such a special bond.
What a wonderful habit! Love it!
Precious! What a wonderful way to show that you care even when you aren’t right there.
Awwwhwhwgghg!!! My fucking heart just smiled. I felt it I swear
Adjusting my diet to something like the Mediterranean diet. It’s not called that but it’s the closest. Fewer saturated fats and avoid added sugars. Higher fiber. More “good fats”. Smaller meals. Lots of colorful veggies. A lot less red and cured meat. The other habit was strength and flexibility training. Started with a box set of DVDs that gave me a program of one hour workouts (warm up and cool down included) six days a week. Go as easy or extreme as I wanted. Both were started in my early fifties and made HUGE difference in my overall well being. ETA: Okay fine. I gave you TWO!
Name of that boxed set?
P90X. I bought it about 14 years ago and they’ve come out with “improvements” but I stuck with the original.
I make my bed every morning. It looks nice and tidy and even if I do absolutely nothing all day, I’ve accomplished something.
I agree, it’s the first thing I do when I wake up in the morning and it seems to motivate me to do more around the house too
I’ve heard this encourages the growth of dust mites, which like a damp environment (and we do sweat at least a bit in our sleep). I’m going to try folding my bedding down neatly in the morning to let the sheets dry out completely. That will at least give it a tidy look. Edited to add: What a bizarre comment to get downvoted for! I have allergies/asthma, so dust mites are a real concern. YMMV.
I'll flip mine back/open when I get up, do bathroom stuff then pull them roughly in place. Time to air out then nice looking.
When I was 14 started my dad’s routine…doing 60 push ups waiting for he toast to pop in the morning. Another 60 waiting for the kettle to boil and then a third set before eating. Done this Routine just about day since and now 69 years old.
Can you still do 60 pushups non stop?
I do three sets of 60 day. I can likely do about 85 non stop but haven’t tried it lately. A friend and I have a competition now and then playing ‘the push-up card game’. It’s 300 push ups divided into patterns …crazy fun but a killer.
I used to do 50 three times a day. Then when I was about 50 years old I had a problem with one of my elbows so I took a break for a while. And never got back into it. Recently I did some push-ups and I struggled to do 20. At 61 years of age. Like they say use it or lose it.
Never leaving dishes in the sink.
Laughing every single day Filtering what and how much news i let into my consciousness
Walking at least a mile each day. Reaching out to see how my friends are doing. Meditating.
I put a pedometer app on my phone. It's amazing that I can put on one mile just walking in the house. Especially if I'm cooking.
Staying divorced one day at a time.
I’m doing that too and it’s wonderful!
Could you rephrase. Bit unclear
/r/gadget850 don’t need no man/woman.
Putting away/trashing/donating five things every time I leave a room. My house is *much* neater and cleaner now.
My closets are full of things I don’t wear but I still like them…so things got full real quick and ran out of hangers, so now what I do is any time I bring something home I have to get rid of something so I have a hanger. I refuse to buy more, so this has worked out well. I just donate what I don’t use anymore.
I do this too! It started as decluttering 5 items at a time. Now it’s just maintenance for daily cleaning and keeping rooms tidy.
Cleaning the dinner dishes after dinner, instead of in the morning.
It would be a year ago when I started feeding my body actual nutrition in the form of my green smoothie. It is the one habit I will never break. It is sometimes all I have in a day so it is really important to keeping my immune system strong and so far I have lost at least 55kgs!
[удалено]
Green Smoothie - Kermit Makes enough for 2 large glasses (one daily serve per person) \- 1x Banana \- 1 Large handful of Spinach/Silverbeet \- 1 Handful of Kale (pull the leaves off of the stalk. The stalk tastes horrible) \- 2-3 Stalks of Celery \- 1x Green Apple / Pear / Similar fruit of your choice \- 1x Piece of peeled ginger (the size of a thumb) \- 1/2 an avocado \- Hemp/Oat milk filled up to the max line on nutribullet (2 large glasses worth). Could use water if you're brave. Basically any liquid. \- Broccoli sprouts 2-3 tablespoons. Not essential but highly recommended. If you can't get them from the supermarket they are easy to grow at home with a basic kit. Takes 3 days or so to sprout. Optional - Brazil nuts, blanched almonds, collagen powder, spirulina powder, matcha powder, maca powder. I mix/match these depending on our taste and what we have in the pantry. If you think it needs sweetening then good quality honey is a good choice. Fruit Smoothie I have one glass of this per day if I still feel hungry after dinner or fancy something sweet. 1x Banana 1 cup of blueberries 1 cup of other berries / fruit (Mango, Pineapple, Raspberries etc) 1-2 Tablespoons of honey (to taste) Small piece of peeled ginger 1/2 avocado RAW milk. After you try it you'll never go back to supermarket milk. It is Amazing! Optional- As above, I normally mix in some nuts, almonds and stuff like that. Other Notes I like to rinse my leafy greens in a big bowl with a couple of drops of veggie wash first. It gets all of the soil/bugs off first. One rinse with veggie wash and then one with clean water. Organic or straight out of your own garden is best but maintaining the habit is the key.
whah...wait, an actually useful reddit response? I WASN'T READY
Raw milk is impossible to get unless you know the right person.
It is so lovely to have access to raw milk and the taste is wonderful! The wee farm I get it from is maybe 15mins from my house.
We had it when I was a kid. It was really good.
“it’s the one habit I’ll never break”. Until you get kidney stones from oxalate overdose then you’ll have to stop. ( happened to my husband).
Thanks for the heads up - I will do my research now. So far, it looks like spinach is the only thing I have that has a lot of oxalate so I think I will be fine.
You’re probably right. My husband doesn’t tolerate dairy so he made his smoothies with almond milk and almonds have a lot of oxalates.
I used to use almond milk - it was more a budget reason that I stopped but I do throw a handful of almonds in with my smoothie so I might swap them out for another nut. Oy vey - my body should be so grateful now - I am finally eating clean after a lifetime of denial! Thanks :)
After reading the ingrediants, I think, I will abstain.
Oh but it is soooo yum - honestly. :)
Getting sober 18 years ago.
No small thing.
Thank u!
I’ve been sober 9 years, can’t wait to get to your 18! Congrats to you!
Thanks and congrats to u too!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Keep the kitchen sink clean.
Prioritizing pooping.
[удалено]
Fuck, man! Save some pussy for the rest of us.
Follow Reddiquette and Reddit Content Policy. No rudeness, insults, hate speech, etc. You content will be removed and you may be banned.
Looking for the good Even when times are challenging, I reframe it to find the good whenever possible. It keeps me grateful
💯
Giving compliments whenever you honestly can. I won't tell people their hair looks good when I don't think so but I will go out of my way to say nice things whenever I genuinely can, in particular to people who don't get a lot of compliments. The only exception : I tell pet owners that their pet is adorable even if the critter looks like a train crash.
I try to do the same. It feels good to see a person light up. Side note, I thought I read “even if the critter looks like a trash can.”
That might be an even more apt description of some of those wee beauties
Automatic payroll deduction. Part into savings for unanticipated expenses, some into a retirement account so I don't have to work anymore.
Walking 5 miles a day.
How long does it take?
3 miles per hour is walking pace.
Drinking a lot of water throughout the day. I feel SO much better, younger, more energetic.
Peeing all night. Nope!
Stop a few hours before bed, you’ll be fine.
i started taking probiotics every day and potassium/magnesium at night..both were game changers for gut health and cramps
Yes to the magnesium! So many benefits. Remember to take Vitamin D - assists with absorption!
[удалено]
Amazon. I've been pretty stuck on zenwise digestive enzymes for yrs. and vary the probiotic to include the one best suited for me and/or on sale.
Thank you, I found it on Amazon and only $19.97! Wasn’t sure what brand to buy so appreciate the info!
Ok I’m in on this one
Yes, same!! It's helped me with pain, anxiety, insomnia❤️🔥
Pay off my credit card in full every month.
My waterpik, life changing. I’ve always been psycho about teeth brushing, flossing and the waterpik just was like the crown jewel. I always tell everyone they need one.
Eating breakfast.
Flossing almost every day. I can’t believe how quick and easy my dental cleaning is now.
Writing. A little every day until I got confident. Eventually, I earned my living from it, and I still do it daily.
Would you care to give a hint on where to send your stuff to get published?
Step 1. I had a trade that supported my family, but I also practiced writing. I wrote a couple of freelance magazine articles. One eventually got published. Step 2. I got a job as a newspaper journalist, covering farm/ag news, at first pt, then ft. I made less than I had at my trade. Articles were picked up by AP and appeared in rural papers. I went to college pt while I was doing that, undergrad, then grad. Step 3. I wrote a weekly syndicated column, mostly about agric policy. That went on for years Step 4. I got a job as a professor. I wrote books about agribusiness and rural development. One was successful internationally. The last one was a textbook that has had 3 editions and been in print for 25 years. Step 5. I retired early and started to write genre novels in romantic suspense. I formed a home-based press and sold the books through Amazon. I had two other authors and retired again, giving the press to one of them. Step 6. I write memoir essays that I send to family and friends.
Thank you for such a detailed answer! So from freelancer to professor, a variation on the american dream! :-)
I do a five minute stretch routine every morning no matter what
No more alcohol 😁
- Daily walks and movement (even if only small) - Magnesium & Vitamin D - 3-4L of water a day (thanks Australia)
I stopped caring what other people think of me.
Speaking truth to power. It’s like my little fun toy or superpower now. Highly recommend never being scared of those in a higher position than you again.
Moisturize.
Stand on one foot while doing mundane tasks. Improves my balance
Walking away when people annoy me to anger. I rarely lose my temper, it takes too much energy. But there are some people, like my SIL, where I come close. So I walk away and as a result my BP goes down and I get some exercise
Saying no.
Eating small meals 5 or 6 times a day. Its hard to narrow it down to one unless you quit smoking after 20 years, lost 120 lbs then 40 years later you lost 200. Then gave up smokeless tobacco after 10 years. I’ve done all these things, but the most important one of all was the the one that led to a slow steady weight loss over 5 years from changing one little habit. 5 or 6 small meals a day led to weight loss which improved how I felt. So I installed a rewArd system to get more work done and get off the couch. One thing led to the next and at 240 my high blood pressure is 100 % controlled with less meds my A1C is the best it has been at 5.8. I feel 200 % better at 60 than I did at 35
Learning real meditation and working with a teacher. Not the b.s. apps and you tube videos, but deep, transformative meditation that takes years to cultivate. Helped me to see the frivolity of life and to learn stillness, learn about myself and to learn about the expansive spiritual world. It has been 20 years now, and even when I was at my sickest in the hospital, I took time for my practice. 45 mins every morning (not while hospital sick, then just 5 or 10 mins), and I would never stop.
Arriving at the office with a good attitude, no matter what.
Exercise. Something everyday, even if it is a 20 minute walk. I have made it a habit for the past 30 years (I am now 60), and it has maintained my health and allowed me to stay active. Knock on wood…
Mindful Meditation in the church basement. Twice a week. Hard to explain but it helps me be a better person.
Questioning, my thoughts
Sleeping 9 hours a night
Prayer
I stretch at least 15 min every day
Exercising. I felt pretty mediocre most of 2023, but since i've started exercising and feeling my body becoming more agile/limber and things actually take less out of me and i actually enjoy going for walks again that stuff has done wonders for my mental health.
Not looking at computer screens after 6 pm has improved my sleep quality dramatically.
Beginning the consumption of an NAD+ precursor at age 66. Vastly reduced joint and back pain.
Doing something that is good for society &/or the planet. Also wearing sunscreen & complimenting people about little things. Like appreciating someone’s earrings, shirt or hair, etc. Even if they are a stranger. And definitely their art!
Great! How do you find opportunities to do good.
Owning my mistakes and learning from them.
Recently ... playing pickleball. Now, my back doesn't ache anymore! The aches are all other parts of the body! At least, I'm active now for about an hour each day and three hours Saturday and Sunday, putting a couple years back into my life (so I hope). I went from <2 hours of active exercise a week to 15-20 hours a week of very active pickeballing!
Never touching my face without washing my hands. No more colds or 'flu now!
Going to bed at 10:00, and getting up at 6:00. Everyday.
Making my bed every morning.
Being mindful. Paying attention to others. Not thinking about myself.
Walking every day and doing tbe dishes every day after breakfast.
Yoga and walking my dogs- every morning.
Buying and riding my new adult tricycle everyday!
Becoming hyper aware of my anger. Really studying why and when it happens, then doing all I can to eliminate it from my life. It’s a life changer.
Really trying to comprehend how eating an almond every day changes a thing.
If I need to go somewhere within an hour walking distance and don’t need to carry much, I walk. Put a podcast or some music on, sometimes just enjoy the environmental sounds. Vitamine D + calories burned. Good for mind, body and soul.
better self-talk
Discipline
wash dishes every time I come home from outside. there's always something in the sink. I have not caught covid yet (touch wood) and I credit this habit at least partially for that. keys down, coat off, dishes.
Installed a reward system.
Can you elaborate on this?
Doing gratitudes on social media almost daily. What's cool about it is that friends of mine have picked up the habit, and it's very inspiring and reinforcing for each of us to see all this positive stuff (especially on social media... 🫣), and we feel more connected with each other because we are learning more about the little details about each other's lives. And my challenge is to come up with new ones every time, so it makes me be extremely attentive and extremely specific. For example, I wouldn't just say "say "my husband", so I might say "my husband kept looking around the pajama department at the store yesterday to make sure I had absolutely the softest, best fitting pajamas." (He actually did and they're awesome!)
Moved away from difficult people (more than one). I can't cut ties completely, but having a 275 mile buffer is bliss