I went to pay my last respects to my friend’s mother-in-law yesterday morning. The grand old lady died at the age of 85 after suffering from dementia for many long years.
It is not easy to look after a dementia patient and the old lady’s children took turns taking care of her. She had 13 children so the burden borne by each child was not that heavy.
The fact that she was a former civil servant helped; her pension proved to be useful in buying the medicine, health supplements, food and drinks she needed. Money helps tremendously when you are sick and need intensive care.
To cut a long story short, despite the decline in her memory and thinking skills, I thought the grand old lady would live for many more years because of the good care that she received from her children. I thought she might even outlive Tun Dr Mahahir Mohamad who is currently serving as the Prime Minister of Malaysia for the second time at the ripe old age of 93.
Hence, I was shocked to learn of her demise last Saturday. The old lady’s children were naturally sad to lose her but it is not for humans to dictate when they die. Only God knows when each and everyone of us will die. If you are healthy mentally like Dr Mahathir, I think you will love to live to a ripe old age. The Japanese are famous for their long life spans, which have been attributed to a healthy diet, regular physical activity and extended work years.
The Nagano region of Japan, for instance, produces the longest life expectancy in Japan and the longest in the world. Women in Nagano prefecture can expect to live an average of 87.2 years while the men can look forward to living 80.9 years, according to statistics from Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. Now, although we know the Japanese secret to a long life, for many of us, it may be a bit too late.
Time is not on our side. We should have started eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly from birth. Nevertheless, there is no harm in opting for a healthy diet and exercising regularly now despite our age. Who knows? We may have our life spans extended by a few years. Soon after he became Prime Minister again for the second time recently, Dr Mahathir shared with the media his secret to longevity. He told The Sunday Times that despite stepping down as Prime Minister in 2003, he never actually retired.
Instead, he said he was more active than ever, criss- crossing the country to campaign and speak against the government he once led and even attending demonstrations and candlelight vigils. All these helped Dr Mahathir to stay mentally alert and maintain his weight at between 62kg and 64kg for the last three decades. Another secret to the Prime Minister’s longevity is not to overeat. “I don’t smoke, I don’t drink, I don’t overeat.
I eat just enough food to keep me going,” he told The Sunday Times. “There is a tendency for people over a certain age to become obese. They have a big stomach and to satisfy themselves, they drink and they overeat, which places a burden on their heart,” he said. Dr Mahathir revealed he had been about 62-64 kgs for years and that he could wear clothing made 30 years ago. The Prime Minister also pointed out that he was not completely healthy.”
I had heart problems, I had some pneumonia at one time and I have periods when I get bad coughs when the lungs get infected,” he said. The interview was accompanied by a photography of Dr Mahathir and his wife, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Haji Mohamad Ali, sitting at the dining table with modest amounts of food on the serving plates. After reading the article online and looking at the Prime Minister and his wife, as advised by Dr Mahathir, I try to eat just enough food to keep going.
Whenever I go to the coffeeshops, I always bring a plastic bag or container with me – to bring back the food I did not finish for my dogs. I don’t care if people stare at me. I just think it is sinful to waste food.
