The "Magic Pill": Regular exercise, sleep and a balanced diet
For older individuals who are apparently healthy and do not have cardiovascular disease, dementia or a major physical disability, taking a daily low-dose aspirin may be detrimental(referenced below). If you are otherwise healthy and are taking a daily low dose of aspirin the results of this current research imply that you should speak to your doctor regarding its necessity.
As the research on what works to keep us healthy continues, it seems that we all are wanting and waiting for the magic pill. The once a day medication that will keep us healthy and fit and free from major disease and living a long productive life. Maybe science will one day find such a pill, but if found we would need to redefine life and our purpose. Further and on a practical note, where would we put everyone?
Fifteen years ago, I gave a talk to a local business group in Acton, MA. I called that talk the magic pill. I made up a story about a pill that would keep us healthy, moving well through the aging process and that would reduce the likelihood of contracting a major disease. After describing this utopian pill, I then suggested to the audience that I know where to find such a pill and that it was not free.
This pill that I described would take time and effort to ingest. It would require the proper clothing and the willingness to sweat and get a little tired as it was ingested. The pill that I am referencing encompasses all things that we know that makes us healthy: sleep, balanced diet, and regular exercise.
Getting enough sleep requires that we give ourselves the time to sleep. Eating well takes the effort to choose and/or prepare the proper foods and regular exercise takes time, effort, exercise clothing and the willingness to sweat.
Rather than waiting for a magic pill that we just swallow, I suggest focusing on living well and on what is already known and accepted by the scientific community. Sleep, a balanced diet, and regular exercise are the closest thing that we have to the “magic pill”.
Check with your doctor regarding the need for a daily low-dose aspirin and on that same visit, ask your doctor if you are healthy enough to start an exercise program.
Start taking the real “magic pill” - Regular exercise, a balanced diet and enough sleep
[Risks From Daily Low-Dose Aspirin Outweigh Benefits For Healthy Seniors: Shots - Health News: NPR](https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/09/16/647415462/study-a-daily-baby-aspirin-has-no-benefit-for-healthy-older-people)
[Effect of Aspirin on Disability-free Survival in the Healthy Elderly | NEJM](https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1800722)