The one lesson I’ve learned from life
toYah WillcoX shot to fame in the seventies as a punk singer and actress. she’s released more than 20 albums and appeared in several stage plays and films. she lives in Worcestershire with her husband, King crimson guitarist robert Fripp.
YOU CAN HAVE THE SAME WAIST AT 60 AS YOU DID WHEN YOU WERE 23!
THIS year I turn 60, which seems astonishing to me. Yet I’ve never been much of a conformist and I see no reason to become a little old lady. I’ve realised each decade has its own purpose and, in anticipation of my seventh, I’ve spent the past three months overhauling my lifestyle.
Today I have the same waist measurement I had at 23. My energy levels are through the roof, which is good because I’m still playing festivals and I’m known for the energy of my performance. This time last year I felt very different. I was physically and mentally sluggish. I was neither as bright nor as quick as I used to be and I was unhappy with my body shape. But I don’t think it’s inevitable everything should thicken and sag, and I wasn’t willing to watch it happen.
So my husband and I decided to take control of the way we were ageing. We went to the Wildmoor Spa in Stratford to see a Harley Street specialist in DNA. We had ours closely analysed for dietary intolerances and genetic traits that influence the way we process food.
Results in, we were given tailored diets to follow. It’s been a major commitment of both money and willpower. I’ve cut out wheat, dairy and all processed foods, but my husband has different rules, so though we cook together, we have different meals. At first, I lost weight because I couldn’t find much to eat, especially on restaurant menus. And I missed cake.
But now we both see and feel it working. We’ve begun to live life again as though we’re 40 years younger. Fripp is playing the guitar like a 25-year-old and my brain is in overdrive.
If my 20s were a time when the way I looked was my calling card, then it feels as though my 60s will be a reinvention.
I believe that ageing, as we used to know it, is a thing of the past. If science can help us have the same quality of life we enjoyed when we were much younger, we should grasp it with both hands.