07/28/2025
8 N.E.W.S.T.A.R.T. Pillars ©
I just turned 82 a couple weeks ago and I can't remember when I've felt so good about the future. Maybe partly because of what my son said to me right after church this morning: "Dad, you look great!". To which I replied "I feel great too"! Let me tell you why. There are other reasons for the bright outlook too but they'll have to wait for another column.
I have been feeling great recently but this newfound health outlook actually started a week or so ago when my wife discovered a podcast (I'll give you the web address at the end) regarding 8 N.E.W.S.T.A.R.T. Pillars of health and well being. First I need to let you know that N.E.W.S.T.A.R.T. is actually an acronym: N =Nutrition; E =Exercise; W = Water; S = Sunlight; T = Temperance; A = Air; R = Rest and T = Trust in God
The podcast I mentioned above deals with all these elements and it's a bit over two hours long but really well worth the time. In fact we've already shared it on our Milby Family Text chat room which is a wonderful way to communicate with the whole family with one "Click"!
Obviously I don't have the time or space in this column to cover all these points so I'll settle for the one that seemed to be central to the interviewees and rang the bell the loudest for Bess and me as well: Sunlight.
The interviewee is Dr. Roger Seheult who is a veteran of having treated a lot of patients himself during the Covid pandemic (aren't you glad we're past that....at least for now?). As I said he touched on all the above points at some length, but spent the most time on Sunlight. Which is why, after listening to the podcast herself before she told me about it, Bess insisted we go outside this morning for about 15 to 20 minutes of Sunlight. Yes, the same Sunlight that many "experts" have been telling us seniors to avoid because it causes skin cancer!
It may not sound like much to you, but it was a major changeup for us this morning. I believe I've alluded to our morning routine a few times in this column which goes something like this: I get up first, make the coffee, feed the dogs while it's brewing then fix my wife's coffee exactly as she likes it, then take it to her and read to her our scripture passage for the day while she sips her coffee in bed. So for her to abandon that routine, get out of bed, and put on her bathing suit first thing in the morning to soak up some rays is a MAJOR change!
I cannot tell you how good it made us both feel for the rest of the day. And it's what we're going to try to implement as our new AM routine. I'll tell you how we're doing in a month or so.
Dr. Roger Seheult is an incredible wealth of information on these issues with an uncanny ability to recall and recite facts and figures from global scientific studies. Some of those studies he uses to back up his statements extend over decades. Dr. Seheult is currently an Associate Clinical Professor at the University of California, Riverside School of Medicine, and an Assistant Clinical Professor at the School of Medicine and Allied Health at Loma Linda University. He is quadruple board-certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Diseases, Critical Care Medicine, and Sleep Medicine through the American Board of Internal Medicine. What is so convincing in his presentation is that he not only tells us what changes we should make in our routines but why and how our bodies will respond.
But for now, I can tell you how invigorated I felt for the entire day after that sunny start and I suspect it had a lot to do with my son's comment this morning about how good I looked; to which I replied "I feel great too". Not bad for 82, eh?
I strongly encourage you to listen to the interview (Google "Vitamin D Expert: The Fastest Way To Dementia & The Big Lie About Sunlight") which is backed up by many scientific studies. In fact, maybe you could listen while you're soaking up some early morning Sunshine. I believe it will ring a lot of common sense bells with you too as you listen.
Thanks for reading All About Seniors, see you next week!
Bill Milby is a Director of Visiting Angels® of Central Georgia, a non-medical, living assistance service for seniors. If you have questions or comments about this column you can reach him at william.mercylink@gmail.com
