Aging? Seven Steps Worth Taking From Dr. Christiane Northrup

Glorious, or snore-ious? Sometimes PBS programing dazzles, and sometimes it seems like a lecture that never ends. And don’t even get me started on those pledge drives! Last night, however, I was excited to see that Dr. Christiane Northrup was promoting her newest book, “Glorious Women Never Age” during, yes,  a pledge drive.  As much as I dislike the constant request for membership money, it was worth it to watch one of my favorite women talk about aging with sass and happiness.

At one point during the program Dr. Christiane Northrup kicked off her spiky high heels and invited the audience to stand and move with her. She began running in place, laughing, and swaying her arms. The crowd followed, and the room took on the look of sea grass waving engaged arms, bodies, and minds. Here are her seven recommended steps to let go of the concepts of aging AND the negative speak we tell ourselves all too often:

 (The following credit goes to Jennifer Robinson as published on http://www.kpbs.org/news/2015/mar/04/dr-christiane-northrup-glorious-women-never-age/)

Dr. Northrup Quote

“’Glorious Women Never Age’ is about ageless living, which is what you’ll experience when you engage life without fear that you’re going to fall — or fall apart,” said Dr. Northrup. “How you are going to age is your decision. I’m going to teach you seven steps for how to get older without aging. Don’t battle aging when you can dance with life!”

Step 1: Reframe the Term “Aging” – Our culture does not value aging, but by 2050, there will be 800,000 people in the U.S. over the age of 100. The term aging is associated with decline and deterioration. Replace it with “growing older.”

Step 2: Address and Change Your Cultural Programming – Understanding our cultural portals; how “milestone” birthdays can be a millstone; and how one study reveals that positive beliefs about growing older gave people 7.5 extra years of life.

Step 3: Stop Participating in Ageism – Monitor your language and never again say “I’m having a senior moment”; drop the term “anti- aging”; celebrate the wisdom of growing older as a chance to increase your competence and value.

Step 4: Learn How to Enjoy a Sweet Life While Keeping Your Blood Sugar Stable – Understand the role of glycemic stress and the right numbers for fasting blood sugar; why being “normal” isn’t enough and why optimal is the goal.

Step 5: Don’t Take Life Sitting Down – Understand the concept of functional fitness and the importance of movement; fun exercises to keep from sitting for too long; what astronaut studies show about the dangers of weightlessness; standing and balance exercises; understanding fascia, and a high-intensity interval training workout demonstration.

Step 6: Develop Centenarian Consciousness – Explore the work of Dr. Mario Martinez on healthy centenarians worldwide and discover what they have in common — they’re rebels, they’re future-oriented; they don’t like being around old people; they engage in pleasurable, sustainable rituals, and they savor life. This segment also provides information on the importance of taking pleasure in ageless living.

Step 7: Develop a Subculture of Agelessness – Includes information on the importance of tribes; how community equals immunity; why women are placentas of nourishment; the importance of calling in divine order and inner guidance, and the anatomy of a goose bump.

Ultimately, Dr. Northrup’s uplifting message is that we don’t have to be fearful and resistant towards growing older, but instead can make it a more positive and different experience.

Additional program notes: Having always counseled that health isn’t just for the young, Dr. Northrup skillfully collects and interprets research from a wide array of sources including astronaut studies, eldercare, the fields of sexuality, orthopedics and other areas, and combines them with her own clinical and life experience. In response to thousands of requests from readers, radio show listeners, lecture attendees, and fans from all over the world, she has created seven steps every woman should take in her journey to getting older without aging.

Taped at Boston’s Calderwood Pavilion, “Glorious Women Never Age” explores Dr. Ellen Langer’s landmark study on aging, which proved that how you think about your age can determine physiological factors, and includes detailed information on the above seven steps.