items of interest

with contributions from Sue Pratt, Ken Garfield, Sharon Randall

"Forget anti-wrinkle creams and botox treatments. The key to slowing the aging process starts with an injection of positive attitude, according to one of the world's most famous wellness gurus. Dr. Deepak Chopra, North America's pioneer in alternative medicine, said it is possible to keep our bodies young longer by changing our perception of aging. Citing a demographic study done among populations in Afghanistan, the former Soviet Union, and Mexican indigenous tribes, Deepak points to a scientific connection between longevity and society's outlook on aging.

" 'If society says as you grow older, you're wiser, you're more responsible, you're respected, you're considered an important person in society, that collective perspective actually influences the individual's consciousness,' he said. 'You have a lot more centenarians living in good health.' Psychological studies have also proven that people who think younger are often biologically younger, he added.

" 'They just don't have the usual expectation, that you're supposed to retire at 65, and go to Florida, then languish in a nursing home.' And people can choose whether or not they have weak immune systems or stress-related illnesses such as hypertension by simply approaching life with humility, cooperation, and compassion rather than greed and arrogance, he said."

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