Plums or Prunes

For the Marco Beach Boys and Girls, taking care of each other has always been a priority. During the developments of Marco, Goodland, and Isles of Capri, there have always been great mentors, and life on our islands has always been a continuing education from some of the best minds anywhere.

Even during the early years of island living, and the pioneer days of sunscreen, everyone was always passing around the bottles of “Sundown” sunscreen and watching out for each other. For every bright and sunny day on the beach, or out on the water, the white bottle with the image of a setting sun was passed around until someone bought a new bottle. When it came to quenching thirst, the early Beach Boy mentors advised against soft drinks in favor of iced tea or water.

When it came to lunch, those who chose heavy meals were dragging around for a couple of hours, but if we followed our mentor’s advice who were working in the tropics for years, a chef’s salad would settle nicely when back at work in the sunny and windswept environment.

Over the years, it was always the same theme for mentor to protégé: watch out for each other. This was most likely because we were all from different backgrounds and different origins—in the states and around the globe.

During a recent National Geographic article, the best place listed for longevity in North America was Collier County Florida, but without good advice; and watching out for each other, plums can become prunes and grapes can become raisins.

“To be or not to be.” Is it better to become a plum or a prune? In recent years, how often do we hear 40 is the new 30? Seventy is the new 60. As we age in the new millennium scientists explain that because we are more health conscious and exercise, our bodies retain a more youthful appearance. For health-conscious individuals who understand the secret of the fountain of youth, medical researchers now explain the new middle age will be 75.

The evidence of our new age youth is quite apparent when scrolling through the television channels. Look at any black and white movie or older television program and check out the appearance and lifestyles of the actors.

On many of the black and white films, despite the fashions, most of the men appear to be in their mid to late fifties. Actually, most of these actors from 1940’s Hollywood were maxing out their acting careers at about age 40. The actor starlets were mostly in their twenties and most of the other women appear to be about 50.

When considering the lifestyles of just a few generations ago it cannot be surprising that we are aging differently today. In the recent past, most folks out of college rarely exercised. They ate dinner food heavy with bad cholesterol and the standard beverage all day was coffee. Although coffee for many is a great pick-me-up in the morning, it cannot substitute for the daylong miracle that we now know is the fountain of youth.

Drinking enough water is the key to a longer, healthier, and happier lifestyle. Water is the main ingredient in the recipe for life. The human body is 75% water. All the processes of our vital organs rely on the replenishment of water. For good mental health and a more positive mood, drinking lots of water all day has always been the Beach Boy and Beach Girl mentor recipe for a feel-good and happy lifestyle.

Living our daily lives without enough water dramatically increases the aging process. As we grow older, we become dehydrated more easily. Beach Boys should be drinking at least 16 cups of water a day, and for Beach Girls 12 cups a day.

Some of the effects of the dehydration process can be compared to the plum and the prune. Without enough water, the human body will have dry skin, sunken facial features, and crevices in the tongue. Dry gums - that enable gum disease - along with the loss of plumpness and elasticity of the skin are common with dehydration.

Many Americans are dehydrated because instead of drinking the water that is the fountain of youth, they drink coffee, tea, or soda. Many diuretic beverages actually contribute to the loss of moisture in the body. When the human body becomes dehydrated, all of our organs must work harder. The skin is the largest organ in the body but because of extremities, the skin is last on the list to receive hydration. Without partaking of the fountain of youth, the youthful plum is well on the way to becoming the aged and dried-out prune.

Many islanders today are beginning to understand what the Hollywood crowd of the 1940s and 50s did not. If we drink enough water, it is the fountain of youth! When a plum is no longer connected to the vine and the life support system that supplies moisture and nutrients, the dried, shrunken, and shriveled prune is the next step in the inevitable.

The following are facts and common knowledge among medical professionals and are widely posted on the Internet.

1. 75% of all Americans are chronically dehydrated 

2. 37% of Americans have thirst mechanisms so weak they mistake this for hunger.

3. Mild dehydration will slow down one’s metabolism as much as 3%.

4. One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pains for dieters.

5. Lack of water is the number one reason for daytime fatigue.

6. Eight to 10 glasses of water a day can ease back and joint pain in 80% of sufferers.

7. A 2% drop in body water weight can trigger short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty in focusing on a computer.

With all of these facts, is it any wonder that any of us who chose not to drink from the fountain quickly change into dried out and shriveled old prunes? To be or not to be…a plum or a prune?

Tom Williams is a Marco Islander and the author of two books: “Lost and Found” and “Surrounded by Thunder - the Story of Darrell Loan and the Rocket Men.” Both books are available on Kindle and Nook.