Why Aging Is Like Superannuation

When you are 20 years old you are most likely quite uninterested in superannuation or anti-aging.

And even if you have some interest you only need to make small deposits into your super fund or health account to reap significant benefits in the distant future.

But let's say you are 50 years old and you don't have any super. Then you will need to make large deposits to have a decent retirement.

Equally if you are 50 and you haven't cared for yourself as well as you could have then you will need to make big changes in order to be healthy enough to enjoy your retirement.

I recently turned 60 and even though I pride myself on being fit and health, partly because it's my job to do so, I realised I needed to make a few more changes. My goal is to be as fit and well at 70 as I am at 60.

When I was 20 I could easily devour a family size pizza, now 2 or 3 pieces is enough volume wise, but now I choose not to eat pizza at all, because there is not a single morsel of it that will be me any good at all.

Even though I consider myself to be very healthy I know for a fact that my body cannot process the foods a twenty something can and expect to remain well. Sugars, omega 6 industrial oils, junk food and more than a moderate serve of alcohol is going to hit me hard.

Driving inflammation, circulation problems, stressing my joints and organs, disrupting my cells and damaging my mitochondria and thereby reducing my energy.

All of this from eating food which in real terms is just junk. Of course if I eat like that I won't have the energy to exercise and the couch will become my friend. Plus my mind will be dull and I will certainly increase my chances of Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

The bad news is that you can't turn back time, but the good news is that you can slow the aging process, how much is the question. It will depend on how badly you have treated your body and how willing you are to support it.

If you want a good future you will need both money and health, that is the stark reality of life in the world we live in.