AgeProof

introduction

AgeProof Your Life

We can't know exactly what's on your mile-long to-do list. It probably contains some combination of work tasks (tomorrow's deadline), home tasks (stack of bills), things you dread doing (22 miles of errands), and maybe a couple of things you can't wait to do (cappuccino with friends on Friday!). As you accelerate through life, the day-to-day drudgery often means you put off taking care of or ignore the two most important things you need to pay attention to for a long and vibrant life—your body and your bank account.

In the end, aren't these two things—your health and wealth—the two things you want most?

You want to live long, with enough money to do the things you want to do (and to still be able to remember where you put it). You want your body to be strong and your family to be secure. You want to age so that you are in control of your destiny. You want power over your life, and the freedom and energy to enjoy your passions.

You want to be AgeProof.

That's what this book is about. And the two of us—one an expert in medicine as the chief wellness officer of the Cleveland Clinic, and one an expert in money as the financial editor of NBC's Today—have joined together for a one-of-a-kind look at how you can make your health and wealth work together to help you do just that.

We have found that there are eight important ways to stay well and eight just as important ways to stay flush, and they intersect—and your future happiness depends on them. By diving into those areas—and, more important, the science behind them—we've developed a new approach to help you manage your life. What we're giving you is a new lens through which to view the choices you face, the decisions you make, the behaviors you adopt, and the goals you reach for. All drive toward the ultimate goal: AgeProofing your life by keeping your body young and your finances secure enough to go the distance.

We know, we know. You still may be a little skeptical: What does a 401(k) have to do with trans fats? What does homeowner's insurance have to do with a beautiful EKG? And, for the love of your preferred deity, what does credit-card debt have to do with a herniated disk?

Good questions.

On the surface you can see some quick similarities between health and wealth. We count our pennies and our calories. We're tempted by things we want but don't need (red pumps, red velvet cupcakes). We often try quick fixes (condo-in-Florida investments, liquid-only diets). We sometimes avoid what we know is the right thing to do (by splurging instead of saving, by eating fries instead of fruit). And we know that piles and piles of green things (broccoli or hundred-dollar bills) are a very good thing.

But this book isn't about surface-level comparisons between money problems and health issues. This book is about the fact that if you want to have a solid handle on your future, you need a true grip on both of these things.

Wealth without health? It's not going to last; your physical problems will wreak havoc on your bank account. Health without wealth? Maybe while you're young. But as you age, you need more resources to keep you that way.

Being AgeProof is about longevity—living strong and secure for your whole life.

Now, don't think that mastering two disciplines means adding more and more items to your to-do list. That's the thing. It doesn't. As this book will show, becoming AgeProof—philosophically and strategically—is a matter of taking the same approach to both.

Take, for instance, the idea of budgeting. A budget, we all know, is what allows us to manage our inflow of income and our outflow of expenses. Managing your health is all about budgeting, too, though very few people think about it like this; you have to manage the inflow of nutrients and the expenditure of that energy to maintain a balanced caloric budget. Another example: You could argue that one of the greatest threats to your longevity is temptation. When it comes to food, giving in to deep-fried cheese leads to weight problems, which lead to inflammation problems, which lead to sugar problems, which lead to heart problems, which lead to extended "vacations" at the county hospital. When it comes to money, giving in to the latest and greatest and loveliest gadget/diamond/vehicle leads to credit-card problems, which lead to bill-paying problems, which lead to extended "vacations" with the in-laws. So learning the science behind overriding the natural urge to give in to temptations is something that will help you manage both areas of your life.

And not only are health and wealth similar in principles and tactics—and this is the bigger point here—they're interconnected like strands of DNA. Our goal is to help teach you about that intersection so you get comfortable with the science and adopt the strategies—both of which will help you AgeProof your entire life.

At no other time in our history has AgeProofing been as important as it is now; that's because we're living longer and longer—and need more money and better health to last those extra decades (yes, decades). The problem that many of us face is twofold. For one, we think of money and health the way we think of large-toothed forest-roaming beasts—they scare the heck out of us. Much of that fear is caused because we close our eyes, hope for the best, and are timid about confronting issues that feel as comfortable as a pair of not-quite-dry-from-the-dryer underwear. And that's something we have to change (our attitude, we're talking about). We have to be open and honest, and have frank conversations about subjects that can make us squirm.

Second, we're a society known for making collectively bad decisions about money and health. For example, you might buy an industrial espresso machine, then end up using it once a year. While the java (if filtered through paper) may be good for your health, it may not have been the wisest investment. On the flip side, sometimes you make good decisions about eating and exercise. Other times you rapid-fire cheap bacon burgers down your throat. And while that two-buck burger may be good for your financial bottom line, it's probably not so good for your anatomical one.

While we all worry about running out of money (and running out of steam to walk from the bed to the bathroom), the biggest angst in the health and wealth arenas comes about because we often pit instant gratification against long-term security—what can we have now against what we should do to save for later. Sometimes it's presented as a binary approach, in that there's good and bad and only one proper way to invest—by saving for later. But we want to teach you how to satisfy both ends of the spectrum—how to gain financial security and health for the long haul without giving up the comforts of everyday life. We want you to get these two things:

The reason this is so important—right now—is that the world is in the middle of a pretty large shift when it comes to aging. Because of this, we want to ask you a question. How old do you think you'll get to be? Sixty-eight? Seventy-seven? Eighty-four? Whatever number popped into your head, chances are that you're about as wrong as a steady diet of Big Macs. You're going to live longer than whatever number you picked (as well as longer than a Big Mac, which can last in your refrigerator for years, by the way ). Just consider this: in the past three decades, life expectancy in the United States has jumped for men from 70 to 79 and for women from 77 to 83.

That statistical observation may not surprise you. But how about this one? The longer you live, the longer you're going to live. While that last line might sound like some spiritual platitude you'd find in your Twitter feed, it's rooted in #scientifictruth. Let's say you make it to 65; that means you're more likely than not to Energizer Bunny your way through a long life. Today the average 65-year-old will live until age 84. But that means half of all 65-year-olds will surpass that. One in four will pass age 90. And one in 10 will pass 95. As for the number of Americans who are age 100 or older? It has gone up 2,200 percent since 1950. And in February 2015, Time magazine declared it likely that the first person to live to 160 has already been born.

And while you're processing all of that, we've got another question for you: What do you want aging to feel like? Do you want to be taking walks, playing tennis or golf, swimming, jumping rope like a six-year-old with your six-year-old granddaughter (jumping rope is good for your bones), traveling with your family, walking through the woods, launching a business and/or starting a new career? Or do you want to be couch-ridden watching Simpsons reruns because you have too many ailments and not enough resources to get up and go? We're hoping you didn't choose the latter (though please enjoy The Simpsons at any time).

Far too few people are planning for the inevitable reality that we're living longer—and taking steps to get themselves the assets and body to do so. In fact, 90 percent of people don't spend time thinking or talking about financial longevity. That's frightening. Because when you either run out of money or lose your anatomical and biological juice, you're simply up a river without a paddle (and you wouldn't have the money to buy a paddle or the body to use it even if you did).

So envision what you want your life to become after the age of 50. Trips to Europe, fun with friends, hiking and biking in the countryside, opening your own little taqueria on Main Street? It doesn't matter what your passions and dreams are. What matters is that without both wealth and health, you will live on a dead-end street.

Over the past 100 or so years, one innovation after another has prolonged life: the tuberculosis vaccine (1921), penicillin (1929), high-blood-pressure meds (1947), the surgeon general's warning on cigarettes (1969), seat belt laws (1984), tests for inflammation becoming routine (1986), vaccines for preventing cervical and throat cancer (2004) and for treating a specific cancer (2006). With so many life-threatening problems not needing as much attention, medicine can focus on managing chronic conditions: arthritis, asthma, diabetes, osteoporosis. Even some types of cancer and HIV/AIDS are now considered manageable. The result? Life goes on—with you being able to live younger no matter what your age—longer than ever before. It's like cars now lasting 200,000 miles, compared to 60,000 miles decades ago. This book is about giving you the power to change your own oil, fill yourself up with fuel, and take the ride of your life—all without crashing, without breaking down on the side of the road, without limping through life with duct tape over your rear bumper. And by taking good care of your health, you will live a long and energetic life.

While this change in longevity should be exciting, the truth is that longevity comes with a price. One, because we're living longer, it's more expensive to fund retirement. That's true even if you're in good shape (traditionally, maybe we lived only a decade or so past retirement, but what happens when we live for 30 or more years after we stop earning?). Surveys from financial institutions note that running out of money before running out of time is by far our biggest financial fear. One even found that running short of funds is a bigger fear even than death. Going the distance means we need a new set of skills, new strategies, and a new way of thinking.

We will teach you how to make your money and good health last decades longer, and then use both to build a legacy by supporting your favorite people and/or institutions, or helping that six-year-old granddaughter of yours learn enough and have enough to attend college. No longer will you be afraid of your money running out or your hips not holding up—and forced to deal with the stress that accompanies those worries.

Living longer also means that we as a nation are spending more on medical expenses—even without a significant health event. Care for people with chronic diseases now accounts for 84 percent of all health-care spending. And that doesn't happen just in the last year of life. We're spending much more along the way to manage chronic disease. Medical and health issues are not top of mind only when you have an illness or a credit-card issue. They are everyday issues that together affect your happiness. But if you can take the steps we outline here, you'll reduce your risk of developing chronic conditions, save more of those out-of-pocket and horrendous hospitalization costs, and live longer with fewer disabilities. So you'll be able to feel, act, and actually be younger and happier.

For example, you will learn how to:

Assess. Use diagnostics to figure out where you stand financially and medically, so you know where to go.

Easily Change Behaviors. The key to success in both arenas is to eliminate the idea that you have to work hard and try hard. When you use automatic systems and create automatic habits, you win.

Slash Stress. As the number one driver of poor health and poor wealth, managing stress—the intersection point between the central nervous system and the emotional faculties—has to be a top priority. We'll take you through the science of stress management.

Build Strong Teams. One of the biggest mistakes people make in both areas is keeping everything private. Doctor's offices and bank accounts should be private, but that doesn't mean you should go it alone; in fact, having the proper team around you (including family and professionals) is key to helping you achieve optimum levels in health and wealth. Socializing your progress allows you to help others as well as yourself.

Budget. Your finances and your calories.

Erase Mistakes. Even if you're in bad shape, you can dig yourself out. We'll teach you how to reverse financial and health patterns to catch up. You will learn to adopt small continuous changes that will help you see results.

Create Strong Environments to Make These Dual Goals Easier. Both at work and at home.

We structured the book to help you best navigate these two worlds. Each section begins with the science and overarching theme that links health and wealth. That provides the prism through which you should read each of the following chapters—one each on the health arena and the financial one. (From time to time you'll also see some individual perspectives from us dropped into the margins.) At the end of each section, you'll also get the quick-hit list of AgeProof Essentials—the three quick you-can-do-it takeaway steps that you can put into action right away.

We hope that you come away with three things that can change your life for the better: one, specific strategies for how to improve your money situation and your body, two, an understanding of the unique relationship between health and wealth, and three, a way to measure, monitor, and be aware of your progress.

After all, AgeProof doesn't mean immortal. But it does mean that you live as long as you can and as strong as you can.

Strong in your body.

Secure with your money.

Set for life.