Living longer

There was an article in this weekend's USA magazine about longevity, featuring two Web sites you can visit to determine how long you'll live (barring accidents, catastrophic events, etc.). That's the one for folks over 50, and this is the one for the under-50 crowd.

According to that I'll get 89 years in. That's about right, I think....although my great-aunt Fran turned 100 last September, but she seems to have escaped some of the physical ailments that have afflicted others on that side of the family -- other than some dementia, anyway.

There are, of course, things they recommend doing that will help extend my life even more -- like cutting out those sweets to just once or twice a week and exercising more than four times a week.

But I'm not too bad. We seldom eat white anything -- bread, rice, potatoes, pasta -- and use the whole wheat or brown versions of rice and pasta, or substitute whole barley which is full of fiber and low on the glycemic index. Probably eat red meat too often, although not daily by any means. No smoking, no booze.

We do try to keep things healthy--well, maybe except for that stash of sweets. I made granola today which is full of healthy fiber and very low in fat and sugar. It's Adelle Davis's recipe, adapted somewhat.

Here's hers:

5 cups old fashioned rolled oats (not quick)
1 cup each of sliced or chopped almonds, sesame seeds, raw sunflower seeds, shredded coconut (unsweetened, preferably not the fancy kind), soy flour, powered milk (preferably non-instant), and wheat germ.
1 cup honey
1 cup oil

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Combine dry ingredients; mix honey and oil and drizzle over dry ingredients, tossing and coating. Spread the mixture on 2 cookie sheets and bake for approximately 1 1/2 or 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes, until toasty brown. Makes 12 cups depending on what you add or leave out.

Now *I* use about half a cup of sesame seeds and half a cup of whole flaxseeds, and I've substituted wheat or oat bran for the wheat germ depending on what I have. I add about a tablespoon or a little more of cinnamon, maybe a splash of vanilla, and I use sugar-free pancake syrup in place of the honey (or mix it, using less honey than syrup), and use about half unsweetened applesauce and half canola oil, or even more applesauce than oil. It always turns out crispy and tasty, and it's very good for you.

I usually get my ingredients at Winco in their wonderful bulk food department and keep them in the freezer or tightly sealed.

Usually we eat it with a sprinkle of dried blueberries, Craisins, or goji berries, or fresh fruit -- strawberries and peaches are wonderful. You don't need much to fill you up, and it stays with you a long time. Of course it is superb with half and half....but it works with nonfat milk too.

And I feel so *virtuous* eating it!

The longevity quiz is interesting though, and the eons Web site also looks interesting. The more knowledge about this aging stuff, the better. I need to stick around long enough to teach my grandchildren how to irritate their mothers...(that is, when I have grandchildren. I'm in no hurry, and the girls aren't either).

Mother was right: breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I'll take granola tomorrow, thank you!