Elizabeth Francis may not be well known, but those who recognize her name know she was the oldest living person in the United States. Francis lived to be 115, but sadly, old age took her on Oct. 22. Smithsonian Magazine said, “She doesn’t smoke or drink, but she eats ‘everything.’” These actions helped Francis live as long as she did.
Like Francis, Mary Stuelke has achieved a tremendous and complete life and will continue to enjoy many more experiences. Stuelke is currently 95 years old and is in excellent health. She participates in various daily activities such as exercise, drinking water, taking vitamins, and attending appointments. Actions Stuleke has taken to make moments more memorable and live to the fullest include journaling, taking trips, having a family and a long marriage, reviewing her day, and sending cards to friends and family. Stuelke said, “Stick to it; finish high school and go to college or learn a trade; go the right track; strive to have a good family.” Daily activities may be challenging to complete, so most experts recommend having at least one person to help one stay consistent because having beneficial routines can assist in achieving outstanding accomplishments.
Healthy habits, such as staying away from drinking and smoking, can tremendously help the body, allowing one to live a happy and whole life. Excellent practices and routines can be diverse; some quality actions may include but are not limited to: journaling, working out, dieting, staying away from life-altering substances, and self-care such as meditation. Stephen Fish, physical education teacher, has seen the benefits of these steps.
Fish chooses to pursue and maintain healthy habits, which positively affect him daily: He said, “Just movement every day. Whether it’s doing 100 pushups every morning or trying to get out and get my 10,000 steps, those are two of my goals each and every day. I struggle with eating healthier, though; I’m up and down sometimes.” Fish continues to sustain a healthy lifestyle, which supports him on the road to a happy, wholesome, lasting life. He also strongly believes in the four pillars of wellness: nutrition, sleep, activity, and mindfulness, which he preaches to all his classes. He said, “I think the key, which is missed a lot, is mindfulness. I think each and every one of us struggles with that a lot. We need to take time for our own mental health because we have all sorts of things going on.”Mental well-being is still considered a part of one’s overall health and shouldn’t be overlooked as much as it is.
Fish believes the country has not been given the best representation, resulting in concerns such as obesity, low mental states, and a lack of kindness and leniency toward one another. Still, Stuelke has a different view on the matter. She believes that people want to be healthier. Though she is correct, there has been a change in mindset amongst most of the population. Still, Fish is also accurate: “Americans live shorter lives and experience more injuries and illnesses than people in other high-income countries,” said the National Library of Medicine. The U.S. has poor life expectancy compared to most of Europe’s countries. To change this, one should improve their habits to have the ability to accomplish a fulfilled life.
