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At nearly 87, I’m often asked by my pickleball friends how I still run around the court like a 19-year-old. As a founding member of the American Holistic Medical Association (AHMA) and a physician who’s lived a full life, I’ve learned a few things about staying vibrant—physically, mentally, and spiritually. A recent chat with a fellow player inspired me to share my story and the habits that have kept me going strong.
Back in the late 1970s, I joined a group of physicians led by an extraordinary woman—a general practitioner and mother of six—to form the American Holistic Medical Association. Raising six kids as an intern? I can’t fathom the challenges she faced. Her perseverance was a testament to women everywhere. Now, at 101, she’s still inspiring us, having published another book just last year.
I was fortunate to be among those physicians and become a founding member of the AHMA.
The main prompt in writing this was from a 50ish new acquaintance in pickleball who was quite an athlete. We had recently completed a game and were sitting beside the court. He asked me how old I was and was very surprised by my answer. Then he asked me how I did it.
He first said, “I guess you don't eat any processed foods.” He was surprised by my answer that I loved processed foods. I mean who doesn't like potato chips?
When he saw I was serious, I decided to tell him more.
I told him I ate a healthy, balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables. But I think one should enjoy life and eating is a part of it.
At a meeting for the society of the American Anti-Aging Medical Association, I was surprised when one of the speakers said he felt guilty because he had a cookie. My first thought was how ridiculous that is. There's nothing wrong with cookies unless you're eating a box of them in one sitting.
What follows is a summary of my observations on "How I Stay Young”.
The precepts of holistic medicine involve treating the body, mind, and spirit. Leaving any one of these out defeats the purpose.
The Body: Enjoying Life Without Obsession
As a practitioner of holistic medicine, obsessing over food choices is the least important thing. Too much identification with the body is not a good policy. However, enjoying life is an important aspect of a healthy lifestyle. Enjoy what you eat, but listen to your stomach and stop slightly before you are full.
A general rule – eat food, not too much, and mostly vegetables.
I learned about eating from my mother and from another MD colleague who was a Seventh Day Adventist - I was surprised how much his community studied nutrition and proper dietary habits.
My mother encouraged me to eat three meals daily, never to eat between meals, and not to have any sugar until after the main portion of the meal.
The scientific part of the advice was given by my colleague. He said the stomach does its best work when it is empty. Therefore, waiting four hours between meals is beneficial, allowing the stomach to digest properly. The above advice has enabled me to keep a normal weight throughout my life.
The Mind: Finding Peace Through Meditation
While food fuels the body, I’ve found that calming the mind is just as essential for a balanced life.
Calming the mind is important in stress reduction and attaining peace of mind. Most of us have a "monkey mind", fluttering here and there incessantly keeping us upset and out of sorts.
For me, meditation has been a necessary discipline throughout my life. As part of my training in the AHMA, I also learned to do autogenic training, which was extremely helpful in calming a stressful life.
The Spirit: The Anchor of My Life
I am surprised by the number of people today who do not believe in God, I guess my question to them would be, “How is that working out for you?”
I remember a story told by Ram Das in one of his books. He had spent two years with his guru who was a realized being and seemed to know everything about everyone. During that time he asked his guru thousands of questions about faith, the spirit, etc. After all that time he realized he had only received three replies – love everyone, serve everyone, and remember God.
God has been an important part of my life. I was raised Catholic, but over the years have studied multiple spiritual disciplines and have visited India seven times for spiritual advancement and learning.
Life happens; things change, and sooner or later you realize your joy is the interval between two griefs and grief is the interval between two joys - a never ending cycle.
My mother told me that churches are never as full as when there is a war. Growing up in the second world war I realize the truth in this statement. During this life some pretty crummy things happen. It’s nice to be able to have God to fall back on.
A statement in the Bhagavad Gita is as follows - the wise man is content with whatever he gets. Being able to accept this throughout life has helped me immeasurably. Learn acceptance and surrender.
I have come to realize this is a perfect world. Everything that happens, whether it's perceived as good or bad, is actually a learning experience and for our benefit. If we realize we create our own universe, blaming someone else for it is ridiculous.
In Summary: How It All Comes Together
I take care of the body by exercising and eating well in moderation, but I do not obsess over it.
I obtain peace of mind through meditation, reducing stress and accepting whatever happens.
Finally, I think of God as often as possible throughout the day. Whenever you think of God that is meditation.
BTW, remember to Laugh A Lot. That is very important for the soul.
My motto: “Life Is An Adventure Of The Spirit - Enjoy It.”
How are you doing with your life?
If anyone is interested in learning autogenic training please send me an email and I will send you a free digital copy of the technique. My email is bareskin99@gmail.com.
