You may not be able to cheat death, but can you delay it?
We know that everyone dies, but the timing may be modified by our lifestyle choices. Learn what the research says can prevent premature death.
In this Episode:
- 02:48 – Celebrating Supercentenarian Mamie Kirkland (1908-2022)
- 04:11 – Recipe of the Week: Ginger Cemetery Cookies
- 05:54 – Preventable Deaths: How Changes Now Can Improve Your Chances
- 22:20 – Film Review: “Tuesday” – A Unique view of Death and How Facing it Changes Us
- 32:36 – Outro
What is a Premature Death?
Premature death is defined as a death that occurs before the average age of death in a particular population. It is a measure of unfulfilled life expectancy. In the United States it is death occurring before age 80.
What are the PREVENTABLE Factors Causing Premature Death?
Up to half of all premature (or early) deaths in the United States are due to behavioral and other preventable factors—including modifiable habits such as tobacco use, poor diet, and lack of exercise. Four factors—poor diet, high blood pressure, obesity, and tobacco use—are identified as primary causes of early death.
How Can I Improve my Odds?
We all know it by now: don’t smoke, alcohol in moderation, exercise, eat well. But it really matters! The sooner we make these changes, the longer we reap the benefits. Charlie shared how his father beat the odds for his family history by taking his doctor’s recommendations to heart, and he lived to be well into his 90’s.
Related Content:
- S5E23: Slow Ride…Taking the Longer Road to Death
- S4E36-Are You Aging Well? Learn How to Make the Best of Your Golden Years
- S5E2: Deaths by Firearm Violence: How Attention to Safety Can Make a Big Difference
- S4E40: How to Avoid a Car Accident and Stay Safe on the Road
References:
- Mortality in the United States, 2022: db492-tables.pdf (cdc.gov)
- Principal Causes of Death in the United States, 1923 Source: Public Health Reports (1896-1970), Vol. 39, No. 51 (Dec. 19, 1924), pp. 3210-3211 Published by: Sage Publications, Inc. Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/4577400 Accessed: 21-06-2024 18:15 +00:00 4577400.pdf (jstor.org)
- Hard Work and Fizzy Drinks: What It Takes to Live Past 110: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/21/arts/oldest-people-advice-long-life-supercentenarians.html
- Preventable Premature Deaths from the Five Leading Causes of Death in Nonmetropolitan and Metropolitan Counties, United States, 2010–2022 | MMWR (cdc.gov)
- Up to Half of U.S. Premature Deaths Are Preventable; Behavioral Factors Key | PRB
- Up to 40 percent of annual deaths from each of five leading US causes are preventable | CDC Online Newsroom | CDC
- Health and Economic Benefits of Tobacco Use Interventions | National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP) | CDC
Resources:
- Mamie Kirkland, Witness to an Era of Racial Terror, Dies at 111 – The New York Times (nytimes.com)
- Food to Die For: A Book of Funeral Food, Tips, and Tales From the Old City Cemetery, Lynchburg, Virginia by Jessica B. Ward: Purchase here: https://a.co/d/5FqeYwo
- National and State Tobacco Control Program | Smoking and Tobacco Use | CDC
- How to Quit Smoking | Quit Smoking | Tips From Former Smokers | CDC
- Tips From Former Smokers ® | Tips From Former Smokers® | CDC
Tuesday – Learn about this Beautiful New Film
This week Tom Hartman joins us with his enthusiastic review of the film “Tuesday”.
A mother (played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus of Seinfeld) and her teenage daughter must confront Death when it arrives in the form of an astonishing talking parrot. Tom shares how the emerging story starts as a bit humorous but evolves into a beautiful meditation about death.
Tom is retired from working for nonprofit agencies. He is our advisor regarding fundraising, reviews grant proposals, and provides consultation to Everyone Dies management. Tuesday is available to rent from Amazon, YouTube, and Apple.
Recipe of the Week
Our recipe this week is ginger cemetery cookies. Food to Die For, a 2004 cookbook compiled by Jessica Bemis Ward, was part of an ongoing fundraising effort to keep up the Old City Cemetery, in Lynchburg, Virginia, where more than 20,000 people have been buried for the last two centuries. When the ladies of Lynchburg started the ambitious project to restore the twenty-six-acre cemetery, it was overgrown and unappreciated. Today, it is a landmark where Civil War soldiers from fourteen states are buried alongside enslaved Black persons.
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This ginger cookie recipe submitted to the cookbook by Ann Richards has been served at so many cemetery fundraisers they are called “cemetery cookies.” You can get your own copy of the cookbook here: https://a.co/d/5FqeYwo
https://blog.feedspot.com/palliative_care_podcasts/
Everyone Dies: and yes, it is normal!
Everyone Dies (and yes, it is normal) is a story about a young boy named Jax who finds something special on the beach where he and his grandpa Pops are enjoying a wonderful day. Pops helps Jax understand that death is a normal part of life. This book provides an age appropriate, non-scary, comfortable way to introduce the important topic of mortality to a preschool child. Its simple explanation will last a lifetime. Autographed copies for sale at: www.everyonediesthebook.com. Also available at Amazon
Mourning Jewelry
We offer a way to memorialize your loved one or treasured pet with a piece of handmade jewelry. When people comment on it and the wearer can say for example “I received this when my mother died” which opens the conversation about this loss. All our jewelry is made with semi-precious stones and beads, vintage beads, and pearls. You can choose between earrings or bracelets and the color family. Learn More
