Dr. Gold's Optimal Living Institute

Growing up I dreaded getting old! It all stemmed from the idea that getting old meant I would become demented and frail. At a young age, my grandma told me over and over again that she was old – she was only 50 years old. Please know, my loving grandma appeared healthy and fit at that time, however, as time progressed she stopped taking proper care of herself. She stopped eating properly and dropped her exercise routine at the local JCC. Soon after, she unfortunately developed dementia and became very weak. It was difficult for me to witness, as I noticed she began to give up more and more in the following weeks after her diagnosis. It seemed as if she was spending more of her time and energy visiting different doctors and taking a plethora of different medications. Looking back, I wish she took better care of herself in the process of her medical treatment. As I currently approach that age, I realize that does not have to be my fate. I have made the concr...

If you continue to live, you will get older, but we all define aging differently. For some it’s doing everything they can to look young from dying their hair, injecting their skin, getting a tummy tuck or face lift, to even acting hip (sometimes it can be embarrassing – haha!). For others, it’s letting everything show - the wrinkles, the white hair, the effects of gravity and a sedentary life (muffin tops and protruding bellies – you name it). For others, it may be somewhere in between. I have heard many of my patients, including my father, tell me to never get old. If what people are referring to old by is getting weak, frail and demented - I completely agree with them. But what if this means getting stronger, wiser, more resilient and self-determined? Of course, there are things I miss about my youth including my ability to sleep soundly and fall asleep at the drop of a hat, not to mention being admired for my youthful beauty. But as I get older, I’m finding myself l...