Newsletter 3.29.20

Hello Friends, 

We are settling into another week of social isolation with our young adult kids, all of us working from home and riding out the C-19 Pandemic. It feels like a snow day around Washington, DC, except the "snow" is light pink cherry blossoms swirling in the breeze around empty streets. It's very serene and lovely, but for the new normal it represents.With a little more time on our hands, and somewhat limited entertainment options, I think this is a good moment to introduce Rich Roll, and The Rich Roll Podcast. When I began my journey back to health and fitness, Rich Roll was a beacon in a murky and confusing landscape. I read his memoir, Finding Ultra, in 2014, about his transformation from overweight, sedentary junk foodie to vegan ultramarathon runner. Rich inspired me as I worked to change my own health habits after years of neglect. I then discovered his podcast, The Rich Roll Podcast. For the last six years, I've listened pretty much every week to his long-form interviews with researchers, athletes, authors, adventurers, artists, psychologists, business people, and regular folks as they discuss health, nutrition, the environment, and all things pertaining to maximizing human potential, overcoming challenges, and personal growth. He introduced me to ideas and people I never would have found on my own.I don't connect with all of his interviews, but I am always challenged by them. And, I've learned that even when a topic or guest doesn't sound of interest, I invariably learn something if I give them the benefit of the doubt. His popularity has deservedly skyrocketed and his guests include the brightest minds of our day, engaged in cutting edge research and thinking.His interview from last week, with Dr. Michael Klaper, deals with nutrition, diet, and lifestyle changes and their impact on chronic ailments - timely right now for all of us as we work to maintain our defenses.  The conversation also touches on intermittent fasting, which is very much in the news. I am not a vegetarian, though I work to eat a healthy, whole foods diet, and I don't want to take sides in the nutrition wars. However, this is an interesting conversation with one of the most acknowledged experts on diet and its impact on disease, and I think you'll find it worthwhile, regardless of where you stand on the diet spectrum.I should note, because of the current Covid 19 Pandemic, the introduction and early minutes of this podcast are a little more philosophical and somber in their outlook than usual. But Rich speaks from the heart. He's the real deal.Check out any of the 500 plus conversations Rich has had since he started his podcast with a tabletop microphone and no experience seven years ago. Staying open to new ideas and research is an important part of healthy aging. Rich Roll provides a great way to broaden your world view. Thank you, Rich Roll, for helping me live a more full and rich life! Click the image, below to go right to the episode. Or download from iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts.

And, while I'm on the topic of inspiring role models, let me introduce you to my parents. 

We are fortunate to live

near

my folks, and we see them often. Or at least we did, until their retirement community was put under quarantine.

They embody the SecondFifty ethos of living an active and vital life into "old age," and serve as role models to many, much younger admirers. They are indomitable.

Even during this time of social isolation and upsetting health news, they remain upbeat and positive, taking each day as it comes with humor and grace. They stay active, engaged, healthy and independent at 91 and 92 years of age. Remarkable!

My mother enjoys writing poetry, and she's really quite good! Her interests are wide and her clever take on the world's comings and goings can be very insightful, even a little mischievous. They are often self-deprecating. She has written so many poems in the last ten years, numbering in the thousands, that the family is self publishing a book of her work. Mom finds a way to humanize even the most complicated and upsetting current events, putting them into perspective and filtering them through her nine decades of experience.

Here's a little taste of of her work from this past week, as she tries to make sense of the pandemic:

COVID 19

We do social distancing

At least 6 feet divide us

Thus do we shield ourselves

From the dread coronavirus

We cough into our elbow

We joyfully wash our hands

While singing happy birthday

Do what Dr. Fauci commands

Stock up on medications

Avoid the infectious crowd

Don’t panic—just take it easy

No social contact allowed

We’re snugly stuck in our condo

Obedient and squeaky clean

Thus we, the frail and elderly,

Are defying COVID 19

Here's one more from this week:

UNDERLYING CONDITIONS

Yes, of course I have conditions

But they are not underlying

In fact they’ve risen up high

Helping to keep me from dying

My arthritis says who would ever

Just lie down there under

My sore knee says not to rise up

Would be a serious blunder

So, as a senior I’m safer

My conditions are in the right place

I don’t need to self-quarantine

I’ll not be a COVID case

Poems by Ann D. Harrop (pictured below) March, 2020

Check out the latest blog post at SecondFifty.BlogThe Windmill and the Wall Slide - Two Stretches to Improve Flexibility Over FiftyAnything you want to know more about? Topics to cover? Send me a note at [email protected]

Stay Active. Age Well.

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Who sent this letter:

I'm George Harrop, founder of SecondFifty—an online resource for people who want to prioritize their health and wellbeing by taking a common-sense approach to nutrition and fitness. Many modern middle-aged people have spent the previous decades building careers and raising families. 

Now we're committed to getting and staying fit during the second half of our lives. We're on a mission to age with more agility and ease! Join us →