DIET | DETECTIVE^®

A few weeks ago I was staying at an inn that was near the Appalachian trail in Pennsylvania. About a dozen of us did 4-5 hour day hikes along the trail, returning to the inn for meals and sleep. The inn was also a golf resort and hosted large groups of avid golfers, mostly men, who spent the day playing 18 hours of golf. We all ate an early breakfast choosing from a large variety of foods on the  buffet tables. An observer of the food choices of the golfing and hiking groups ( me) could have told the two groups apart even if one was not wearing golf shirts and the other hiking boots. The hikers all gathered around the oatmeal, high fiber cereals, low fat yogurt and fruit side of the table. The golfers were packed together around the warming trays filled with scrambled eggs with cheese, bacon, sausage, hash brown potatoes, and butter drenched waffles.  I overheard one golfer say to another “You know, bacon is nature’s perfect food” as he helped himself to several strips.

What was so interesting about the food choices is that they were inversely proportional to the anticipated energy output. The golfers rode in golf carts; the course did not allow walking. The hikers were climbing on very rocky, somewhat steep and very long trails.  Moreover after they came back , many of them went rafting down a nearby river or took a yoga class.

Obviously not all golfers eat high fat breakfasts and not all hikers are as careful about their food choices as the participants in this group. But in talking with them as we walked along, I learned that all of them followed an extremely healthy lifestyle.   They weren’t obsessed about eating only healthy foods; most did eat dessert or the cookie that was left on our beds at night by the inn. But in general, they cared about the nutritional, fat and calorie contents of what they ate because they lived active healthy lives. I learned that all of them exercised daily , not because they had to lose weight but because it was as natural to them as eating when they were hungry.

All this would have been impressive among any age group. But the hikers ranged in from the mid fifties to almost 80 in age and there did not seem to be any relation between age and stamina.  One woman who looked at least 10 years younger than her  age of 78 year described the year round training she does as a member of a competitive women’s crew team. A 76 year old man who volunteers to keep the  Appalachian trail maintained in his area told us about a two week climbing trip in which he climbed  all the mountains in New Hampshire bearing the names of the Presidents, concluding with Mt Washington,.( This is an extremely difficult mountain to climb at any age).  Another 67 year old woman does yoga seven days a week in addition to walking at least 6 or 7 miles daily.

The take away lesson from this breakfast was not golfers are necessary unfit because they use golf carts and eat bacon. And it certainly was not that all older people are always extremely active and fit. But it was a living lesson that lifestyle may have a positive  impact on  the quality of life in older age as well as in the present. We are told over and over to pay attention to what we eat, to make sure we get enough exercise, to adopt habits that will reduce the risk of disease. But all this seems rather vague and abstract when one is juggling a million obligations and worried about today, not 20 years from now. And often we think ,’what difference does it make it I eat what I want, not what I should be eating . “ Will it really matter if I exercise or skip it for a few years until I have more time or motivation?” The answer is yes to both.  

George Burns said when he reached one hundred,” If I knew I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself.”

With luck, we all may live a long time. And the quality of life we lead when we reach those advanced decades does to a large extent depend on how we live now. My hiking companions were proof that nothing is beyond reach if our bodies and minds are fit, even the summit of Mt Washington.

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written by Monica, August 07, 2007

What an inspiring observation! As a registered dietitian who promotes a "healthy lifestyle" as a way of living I envision my 60's, 70's, and beyond as hopefully a time when I can enjoy the fruits of the healthy habits I have - just as your hiking buddies are doing. The point of your article validates what I teach to my children and what I strive to be a good example for them to follow. Thanks for making such an clear comparison of what the choices we make in how we live our lives shape so much of our future physical and mental health.