Aging with Grace

In a few weeks our book club will be discussing David Snowdon's Aging with Grace: What the Nun Study Teaches Us About Leading Longer, Healthier, and More Meaningful Lives.  Snowdon started studying nuns in the 1986, using them as subjects because of their similar circumstances (profession, access to health care, etc.).  Although the main focus of the study has been to look at Alzheimer's, he has also looked at longevity and general health.

Although we can all name cases to the contrary, generalizations seem to suggest that people who are generally more optimistic, have some degree of higher learning, eat right, have social support systems (church families, spouses, etc) and other such factors do affect our brains and the quality of our lives.  I'm sure we'll have plenty to discuss about this book, and I found it generally comforting to read since I seem to have done many right things in my life.  I have always thought I would live to be 100 (and without dementia), and, at least I seem to be heading in that direction!