Robin McGraw: Look and feel young at any age

This is a book for women of all ages, because I believe it’s never too early to become an active manager of your health and well-being. And I feel like I’m proof of that. Today, as a fifty-five-year-old woman, I thank my much younger self because what I did in my twenties, thirties, and forties has really paid off. In my twenties, my motivation for exercising and eating right may have been more about looking good in my hip huggers, but still I’m thankful that I laid the foundation for those healthy habits. And now, my reasons go well beyond how my clothes fit. When my mother passed away in my thirties, my focus shifted to my health. But I also looked ahead. I realized that I didn’t want to spend years raising my kids and caring for my family and then, after they were grown, look in the mirror to see a woman I could barely recognize, a woman who looked old and felt useless. Instead, I’ve set my life in a way that I look forward to the future. That said, I wholeheartedly believe that it’s never too late to start taking care of yourself and take control of your health and well-being. Every day is a new chance to live your healthiest, happiest life, and I know that what I continue to do today will pay off in my sixties and seventies. I’m always paying attention to my body, learning new things, and changing how I care for myself accordingly.

I also believe in being proactive in my health care. If I don’t feel well, I don’t sit around worrying about what’s wrong with me. I take action. And even when I feel fine, I manage my health like my life depends on it. After all, I realized, if I’m not going to do it, no one else is. So every year, I get a complete physical, Pap smear, and mammogram, and twice a year I visit the dentist. I have blood work done to check my cholesterol levels and blood enzymes, and I have my hormone levels checked every three months (but more on that in chapter 5). I’ve had a bone density scan, which checks for signs of osteoporosis; a colonoscopy, which looks for colon cancer; and a heart scan, which checks for blocked arteries. I’ve even had a full-body scan — a noninvasive, painless procedure where a machine scans your body to see if anything is growing where it shouldn’t be. Even if you don’t have the best health care coverage, you can still be proactive by getting checkups from doctors or clinics on your plan or seeking out low cost or free screenings and seminars at local hospitals, clinics, community centers, or health centers. For example, you can find free skin cancer screenings through the American Academy of Dermatology or free or low cost mammograms through the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Screening Program.

Video   Robin McGraw’s guide to feeling young Jan. 5: TODAY’s Ann Curry talks to author Robin McGraw, wife of TV host Dr. Phil McGraw, about living a healthy and happy life at any age. Today show

I’m also conscious of my family’s medical history, since so many diseases are genetic. My mother died of heart disease, my father died of cancer, and my twin brother had a triple bypass just six years ago. Family history is a risk factor for all of these things, but I can’t control genetics. So I choose to focus on the risk factors I can control by doing things like eating right, exercising, taking vitamins, managing my hormones, and not smoking or drinking alcohol. I also do monthly self breast exams and skin exams. Phillip calls me the “research queen” because I also keep up on the latest health information by reading books, visiting my favorite websites, and talking to many of the doctors, pharmacists, and alternative medicine experts I know. Naturally, I don’t think that I can control everything, but I believe in doing my best.

Now, let me be clear. I am not saying I’m perfect by any means. I love chocolate and a glass of champagne as much as the next girl, and I eat bread every day (yes, every day). I’m sure if I had a really clean diet, I’d be ten pounds lighter, but giving up the foods I love is just not worth it to me. My goal is not to be perfect (whatever that is) but to have realistic expectations about how to achieve my healthiest and happiest life. I’m also not saying that taking care of yourself can change you completely. We inherit our mother’s thighs or our grandma’s hips, and there’s often only so much you can do to change that. As a result, let’s not waste time beating ourselves up; instead, I say love those hips and move on.

This goes along with my belief that you choose how you live your life and how you approach it. Every day is a choice. You can wake up feeling negative and afraid of the future, or you can wake up and say, “Today, I choose to do everything I can to have peace, love, and joy in my life.” Choice is a big part of my life. I know that God has a plan for me, and I choose to be happy and excited about that plan. I don’t take it for granted that he has given me another day. Instead, I choose to take care of myself and know that it’s not selfish to put myself first. You can do that too. It’s okay to take a break from your fast-paced life and not answer the phone every time it rings or respond instantly to every email that you receive. It’s okay to take a little time for yourself and tell the kids, “No, I’m not driving you to your friend’s house right now” or to let the laundry go for a day. You don’t have to always have perfect groceries in your refrigerator., and your kids don’t have to love every meal you serve. Though I know that I was put on this earth to be a wife and mother, and though raising my two sons was a job I took seriously, there were times when I did let the laundry go or ordered take-out so I could recharge my batteries and do what I needed to care for myself. Now as young men of twenty-nine and twenty-two years old, my sons Jay and Jordan are none the worse for it.

That said, sometimes we don’t even realize that we need a break or some “me time.” Women are so used to running, running, running, and living with sky-high stress levels that we come to believe that it’s normal to feel worn out, exhausted, and anxious. I have even heard women say that they’re “supposed” to feel sluggish, tired, stressed, and fat, among other things, and they rationalize it by saying, “I’m busy” or “I’m a mom.” But you don’t have to feel that way. In my opinion, you’re not supposed to feel exhausted and worn out; you’re supposed to feel empowered and in control. Yes, you are busy; yes, you have a job; and yes, you are a daughter, wife, and mother. But being all those things is all the more reason you need to feel your best and be your healthiest. You need all your strength to juggle the demands of your life, so getting yourself in the best shape possible will help. After all, if you’re not taking care of yourself, then everyone else in your life is not receiving the best of you. I want to help you change all that.

Excerpted from "What's Age Got to Do With It?" by Robin McGraw. Copyright (c) 2009. Reprinted with permission from Thomas Nelson.

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