Living the Good Long Life: A Practical Guide to Caring for Yourself and Others

621 Pages·2013·9.16 MB·English

by  Martha Stewart

Copyright © 2013 by Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc.
All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of
Random House, Inc., New York.
www.crownpublishing.com
www.clarksonpotter.com
CLARKSON POTTER is a trademark and POTTER with colophon is a registered trademark of Random House, Inc.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Stewart, Martha.
Living the good long life / Martha Stewart.
1. Older people—Health and hygiene. 2. Older people—Psychology.
3. Well-being—Age factors. I. Title.
RA777.6.S74 2013
613′.0438—dc23 2012011827
ISBN 978-0-307-46288-6
eISBN: 978-0-30795321-6
Book design by Special Projects Group, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia
Photograph and illustration credits
v3.1
This book is dedicated to all former, present, and
future “caregivers,” including my mother, Martha
Kostyra. And it is also dedicated to all of us who
wish to live good, long, and productive lives.
I have long been interested in the very important subjects of health and
health care, with the goal of living well now and into the future. I’ve
always sought out the best medical treatments, read as many books and
articles as I could on these subjects, and asked lots and lots of questions
of my doctors as well as of my friends and acquaintances in the
“business” of health. I believe that being informed about all aspects of
health is the best way you can prepare yourself to enjoy a good, long life.
In putting together this book, I relied on the expertise of many, including
the excellent doctors and care providers at the Martha Stewart Center for
Living (MSCL). I am grateful to Dr. Audrey Chun, director of MSCL, for all
that she did to help define what this book could and should be, and for
setting the tone in her wonderful foreword. Dr. Albert Siu, professor and
chair of the department of geriatrics and palliative medicine at the Icahn
School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, also greatly contributed to my
understanding of the subjects covered herein. Other doctors at Mount
Sinai for whose expertise I am grateful include Dr. Christine Chang,
assistant professor of geriatrics and palliative medicine; Dr. Sita
Chokhavatia, associate professor of medicine in the division of
gastroenterology; Joan Griffiths Vega, facilitator of an Alzheimer’s
caregiver group and group teacher for a mindfulness-based caregiver
stress-management group; Ella Jolly, geriatric psychiatric social worker;
Dr. Jana Klauer, physician with an expertise in nutrition and metabolism;
and Dr. Michael A. Palese, associate professor of urology and director of
minimally invasive surgery. I am so thankful to Dr. Brent Ridge, former VP
of Healthy Living at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, for his work in
putting together the original proposal for this book. In researching the
voluminous text, we relied on the work of Dr. Gerald Imber, author of The
Youth Corridor; Linda Packer, MSW, LSCW, geriatric care manager and
founder of Prime Life Network; and Dr. Dennis Popeo, attending
psychiatrist at NYU Langone Medical Center.
I am fortunate to have a great team of doctors with whom I consult
regularly, among them Dr. Albert Knapp, clinical associate professor of
medicine at NYU School of Medicine; ophthalmologist Dr. Stuart Aaron;
gynecologist and obstetrician Dr. Jane Galasso; dermatologist Dr.
Catherine Orentreich; and Dr. Steven A. Stuchin, associate professor at
Catherine Orentreich; and Dr. Steven A. Stuchin, associate professor at
NYU School of Medicine and chief of orthopedic services at NYU Hospital
for Joint Diseases.
I am indebted to my personal trainer, Mary Tedesco, for all that she does
to keep me in shape, as well as to James Murphy, director of the Iyengar
Institute, for his yoga lessons, and to Dr. Wanda Lopez for her unique
chiropractic care. In researching how to prevent falls (one of the biggest
health risks for seniors), the work of Fall Stop . . . Move Strong proved
invaluable, and for that I thank the group’s cofounders, Celeste Carlucci
and Julie Kardachi.
I have learned much over the years about financial matters, including
estate planning, from my banker, Jane Heller, senior vice president of
private wealth management at US Trust, Bank of America. I am also
thankful to Carlyn S. McCaffrey, lawyer and partner at McDermott, Will &
Emery LLP.
For a list of all who contributed to the production of this book, please turn
to this page.
CONTENTS
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
FOREWORD BY AUDREY CHUN, M.D.
INTRODUCTION
PART 1 HEALTHY LIVING TODAY
Healthy Eating
CHAPTER 1
Healthy Fitness
CHAPTER 2
Healthy Brain
CHAPTER 3
Healthy Outlook
CHAPTER 4
Healthy Living Every Day
CHAPTER 5
Healthy Looks
CHAPTER 6
Healthy Home
CHAPTER 7
PART 2 HEALTHY LIVING INTO TOMORROW
Healthy Living into the Future
CHAPTER 8
Healthy Caring
CHAPTER 9
RESOURCES
NOTES
SUGGESTED READING
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
CREDITS
INDEX
FOREWORD
BY Audrey Chun, M.D., DIRECTOR OF THE MARTHA STEWART
CENTER FOR LIVING AT MOUNT SINAI HOSPITAL
When Martha first mentioned that she wanted to write a book on aging
gracefully, I was thrilled. Who better to debunk the stereotypes and to serve
as a model for successful aging than the woman who has spent decades
helping us see what true living can be?
I have worked with Martha as the director for the Center for Living since
2008, and sometimes people express surprise at my wanting to work in
geriatrics, particularly in our youth-obsessed culture. Some even ask
bluntly, “Isn’t it depressing to work with old people?” In fact, it is quite the
opposite. I have the privilege of taking care of patients as they transition
through their last stages of life, and I am continuously awed by their lives
and their narratives. They have marched for civil rights, survived the
Holocaust, been true innovators of industry, produced incredible art, raised
families, and adapted through some of the most profound changes of the
last century. They are our parents, aunts, uncles, sisters, brothers, and
friends, and it seems implausible to me that we would not be interested in
the experiences they have to offer. At a time when news headlines often
make me question our humanity, they renew my hope in what we can
achieve as a people. Their lives and attitudes inspire me to live a purpose-
filled and richer life.
The Martha Stewart Center for Living embodies the central vision of our
geriatrics medical practice: whole-person care, including physical and
social well-being, as well as measures to prevent disease—and then, when
disease occurs, the best medical care. We strive to provide care that is
comprehensive and personalized to reflect the individual patient’s needs
and values. The Center for Living also encourages maintaining good health
through lifestyle changes by providing programs like tai chi to prevent falls