So You Want To Be a Super-Ager?

I actually won the lottery.

Not the proverbial, I’ve won the great lottery of life, because if you count that, then I’ve won twice.

I didn’t win mega millions, but I did win a cool $587.

 I was in middle school at the Denver airport with my family. Our flight was delayed, so my dad went and bought lottery tickets to pass the time.

My sister and I anxiously scratched off the gray to reveal the numbers. I showed my parents the scratch off because I wasn’t sure I had actually won. I mean, who actually wins the lottery?

I guess me.

I think my mom took me shopping at Marshall Fields to celebrate my big win and she banked the rest. I felt cool for a hot minute and remembered thinking, “Wow, maybe I’m going to be lucky in life.”

You know what else you’ll need luck for in life?

Having the brain of a sixty year old at age 80.

A recent study came out sharing its findings about people in their 80’s and 90’s with incredibly sharp minds.

The good news? You don’t need 5 blackberries a day, kale smoothies or fish oil to stay sharp. According to this study, some of the older and wiser people they studied had even smoked and relied on TV dinners for meals. In fact, researchers did not find any consistent findings that diet, sleep, alcohol or tobacco use nor professional background had a significant effect on brain health as you age.

The bad news? Researchers pointed to lucky genetics affecting things on a molecular level that’s not yet fully understood. The things that set super-agers apart from their peers like less atrophy, minimal signs of Alzheimer’s and more volume in brain regions responsible for memory couldn’t be directly linked to one specific thing. Scientists do agree that social relationships and overall physical health, including getting adequate sleep, eating well and staying active can help you stay sharper longer.

If you’re forcing down celery juice and steamed chicken and broccoli in the name of centenarian status, you might want to make dinner reservations or go for a walk with friends instead. Trying to break yourself through extreme dieting or exercise isn’t your mega millions jackpot ticket to live longer. Your luck is already written into your genes, so doing what’s in your control that’s actually effective at improving your health is the fastest way to get rich.

I still hope I win another lottery.