Don't Downsize! on Paleo Quick Tip of the Day podcast

Your own PaleoJay is 67 years old.  Basically, I do everything I did at younger ages, but now I have the luxury of more free time to do what I want.  

I always knew the crucial importance of sleep, but I usually could only manage 8 hours during my working years, which was adequate for me- but now, I have determined that 9 hours is ideal.  That amount of sleep leaves me feeling energized and refreshed for the day, raring to go if you will.  I love being retired, with only hobbies like paleo living and music, writing and small landholding concerns to occupy me.  Love.

But all about me, others of my age, and younger, are downsizing.  This is the ‘mantra of the moment’- something every monkey as I term them, has to mindlessly copy, since all of their friends (the other monkeys) are doing it.  “Monkey see- monkey do.”  People who don’t actually think for themselves, who only look around, see what others are doing- and then copy that.  

Others in my age bracket are moving south, or into smaller houses or even condominiums or apartments.  They say ‘I don’t want to mow, and shovel my drive in winter. ‘ Incredibly, a couple of neighbors recently moved into a tiny house in the nearby city where I live.  It is a nice city, largely crime free and a total ethnostate: but they gave up 5 acres and independence!

Another neighbor couple had 300 acres, preserved in the Land Conservancy so it can never be developed (thank God!)- and they just sold their house and farm, to move into an apartment connected with a nursing home.  Admittedly, they are both 80- but if you saw them from a distance, moving and bending and twisting- you would think that they were 40 or so.  

We have been conditioned to be responsible: plan ahead and actually to endlessly fear the future!  And planning ahead is a good thing: we all need to plan for the winter, to store for hard times, that kind of thing.  Those of us in the north- descended from Europeans- this is what we evolved to do, through the harsh ice ages, and the endless winters and short summers of the northlands!  

For us to give up- to move to sunny tropical climes- no matter our age, is not what we evolved to do.  When we have found our homeland, a rural acreage that suits us, that matches our evolutionary homeland of ice and snow, along with the other two seasons- why, this is where we are meant to stay!  To raise our families, sure- but then to stay to the end.  

What do we gain by moving into a city?  Especially as most cities are turning into crime infested nightmares?  Admittedly, small cities are not yet at that point, still remaining civilized and friendly- but still- they are cities.  Big Government, no matter how small in scale- is still something that you don’t control.

In a rural environment, such as where I reside, I and my immediate neighbors control pretty much everything.  We maintain the peace and protection, since everyone is armed.  We watch out over our valley- no one enters without being observed and monitored.  The sheriff comes by once in a blue moon- we really have nothing to do with him, he is just a formality.  We take care of our tribe- he is a last resort.  

We do get a snowplow in winter, which is great; but if he didn’t come, we’d fire up our tractors and do it ourselves!  Also, a trash truck comes once per week, just like in the city.  Our taxes are low, but so are our demands.

In the nearby city, even though its small- taxes are about double.  So is the crime, and homeless vagabonds that litter the parks and downtown.  And so- why would someone move to town, just because they are now older?

Because that is what you are supposed to do.  Because your friends are doing it.  Because you are all monkeys!  This will only make you old before your time, making your world smaller, less in nature and so less ancestral, and limit you to doing crossword puzzles and watching daytime tv.  

Like being in prison, really.  

Do the opposite: don’t downsize!  If you are lucky or smart enough to have moved to a rural acreage, with a woodlot, big yard, garden, and enough projects to keep you busy until doomsday- count yourself lucky!  Don’t be afraid: you are now in the best of all possible worlds.  You are retired, you have ample time to do whatever needs doing, and best of all: you can do it yourself!

You have the luxury of time.  AND the luxury of space, and nature, and the ability to determine your own destiny, without the government telling you what you can and can’t do.  You are rural- ancestral, paleo, largely left alone by obtrusive, nightmare big government.  You are like the small holder of ancient Rome, before they became an empire, and subjugated not only those they invaded: but then started to tax and subjugate their own citizens, like a bunch of Big Government Democrats and EU bureaucrats of today!

Don’t downsize.  Stay put!  Enjoy your autonomy, and stay paleo for yourself and you family and tribe!  Your life will stay rich, and get even richer day by day.

PaleoJay podcast #33- Paleo eating and exercise can keep you out of the nursing home! Really!!

Paleojay on iTunes! Podcast #33!!

One of the best ways to stay OUT of a nursing home as you age is to keep yourself healthy- duh, I know, it sounds obvious... but most folks have no idea how to achieve this!  It’s not about eating low fat, and keeping your weight down- it’s more about eating HIGH fat, all good fats like pastured butter and free range eggs, coconut oil and grass finished beef- it’s mostly about keeping your muscle mass UP!  

Exercise to increase and sustain muscle mass is not only extremely important as you age, it is utterly crucial.

I have been very involved with an elderly relative lately, and have seen what can happen when you just stay home and watch tv and read, and move less and less as you age... eventually, this person became unable to move hardly at all- needed a powered lift chair to stand, and eventually fell and broke first one hip, and then the other!

The startling thing was, though, how FAST the person gained strength after breaking the first hip, and being FORCED into actual physical therapy and strengthening exercise.  At first, he went to the old line “I’m really not motivated to walk around or exercise”... but he was informed that, if someone on Medicaid refuses to try to improve, they are OUT of the system, and have to pay cash for their care until they are destitute!

What a motivator!

Wouldn’t it be nice if our Welfare system was similarly set up with motivations that rewarded and punished the recipient appropriately to his behavior?

Anyway, within 3 weeks, our elder was walking again, going up stairs , and rising unassisted from his wheel chair!  I saw him doing high rep partial squats with his walker to support him- amazing improvement.  Unfortunately, he became over confident, and tried to go alone to the bathroom in the nursing home without his walker- perhaps he was also just disoriented in the night.  Regardless of the cause, he broke the other hip...

So now he is back in the nursing home with two replaced hips, and exercising daily.  He is now HIGHLY motivated to walk and exercise, realizing what it is to be confined to a bed and wheelchair, and totally dependent on others for everything... and I mean everything!

What does this mean to you?  If you are middle aged, say 40 or so (or even younger- the younger you are the easier it is to start)- 

Start exercising!  The very best form of exercise is virtual, or visualized resistance exercise, where you use your own body itself as the resistance that puts the muscles under tension.  Check out my eBook Perfectly Paleo Exercise for a good overview of that- also, body weight exercises are a great supplement and addition for total health and fitness.

Start eating a paleo type of diet!  www.Paleojay.com will give you lots of information here, and especially Chris Kresser, author of the Personal Paleo Code and the High Cholesterol Action Plan, both of which have links at www.paleojay.com, will lead you into the highest realms of health you can imagine!  Chris Kresser has my highest recommendation, of you are looking for a guru to guide you into maximum health in your golden years- ESPECIALLY  in anything to do with nutrition and wellness!   Link to his products, and the Personal Paleo Code will guide you on a personalized journey into maximizing your health, at a tiny fraction of the cost of one medical exam!  And, if you HAD that exam, and are being told my your MD that you need to take a statin drug for your cholesterol-  definitely read and absorb and follow the High Cholesterol Action Plan BEFORE you go out and follow that prescription!!  Get this plan, and YOU will be forearmed in that now YOU will know far more than your MD about your own condition- this is money very well spent.  Chris also has the Healthy Baby Code, which I also have a link to on my site, so if you or someone close to your is anticipating having a family, or already has a little one, this is a must get!  You can’t start your health maximization too young!

Get adequate sleep!  Nothing too involved here, but it is absolutely crucial, as I say all too often...just make sure you have a dark bedroom, with no electronics in it, and above all- get to bed really, really early!  Enjoy it- it is so super important for your health both mental and physical.

WALK!  I don’t mean “cardio” here- I don’t mean “exercise” here- I just mean walk!  This is what humans do, what we have done, what we are meant to do, and NEED to do.  All the old adages apply:  park far away from the store- hike in the woods- take stairs not elevators- walk barefoot around your yard and at the beach, just WALK.  Keep moving- walking is not optional!

So there you go- don’t be like the very last generation, the WW2 generation, that by and large thought that physical comfort was the be all and end all- be more like all of the previous generations of human beings, who knew that staying active and healthy was not only necessary and desirable, it was our birthright and our joy!  

If you take an animal, say, a cat, and immobilize it; try to make it unable to move, to walk, to climb- that cat will go crazy with anxiety- animals know instinctively that immobility is death, and will do anything to avoid it-

GO THOU AND DO LIKEWISE!  

Ernistine Sheperd did:   

Take care until next week, and keep moving!

PJ