It’s never too late to change your future now

When Nicolas Cage played Cris Johnson in the 2007 movie “Next,” he saved the world with his ability to see into the future -- two minutes ahead, to be precise. And while that makes for suspense as doom approaches, it’s not half as powerful or far-reaching a way to change the future as what’s recently been uncovered by researchers at Harvard’s School of Public Health.

The investigators looked at health info on more than 47,000 women and 25,000 men. They were amazed to find that when middle-age and older folks reported that during the previous decade or more, they had started substituting one daily serving of legumes or nuts for one daily serving of red meat, they slashed their risk of death by 8 to 17 percent during the 12 years the study covered.

The researchers also discovered, in sharp contrast, that folks whose dietary choices became less healthy (more processed foods, sat fats, added sugars) as they got older increased their risk of dying during the same period of time by 6 to 12 percent. Just think what giving up red and processed meat altogether could do for your health and longevity! Imagine the energy you’d regain if, especially at age 65, you started having seven to nine servings of fresh fruit and veggies a day, eating only 100 percent whole grains, and saying “no” to any added sugars or syrups, egg yolks or cheese.

It’s never too late to get smart, eat smart and live better.