MHME 019: How To Stay Sharp For Life: 11 Tips From Famous Rockstar's Health Routine with David Norris

Follow the rockstar life and stay sharp for life

No one would expect that living like a rockstar can help your memory health.

Yet we’ve seen that in a musical rock legend.

That’s right. It’s the Rolling Stones’ lead singer himself, Mick Jagger.

An enigma of health and vitality, Mick is reaching his eight decade of life.

It hasn’t stopped him from giving life everything he’s got. 

He’s still rocking it out on the stage.

He’s still kickboxing, cycling, and running many miles around.

He’s still putting his focus and intensity and working hard to get what he wants.

He’s shown this when just a couple of weeks after heart surgery, he goes back to practice for his rescheduled tour.

That’s Mick Jagger for you.

But what can we learn from his lifestyle choices?

You see, there’s a lot of tips we can pick up after analysing the things he does.

I’m not saying that you have to live exactly the way he does. Well, that’ll be quite a feat!

But making small changes in your life will have a huge impact. 

Simple things do add up over time. 

I’ve already talked about how simple, daily actions can compound and lead to powerful changes in your health.

Mick is a living, breathing example of that. 

It’s about consistency and commitment.

Plus, the willingness to do the hard work. 

You don’t have to completely overhaul your entire life.

As we’ve also learned, habits take time to stick.

What I ask is an openness to learn and to change.

Change always starts there. 

And what better way to start your path to improved memory health than following a legendary example.

You can still get yourself back, get your health back.

All it takes is to make the move now.

So get ready to start livin’ the healthy rockstar life.

In today’s show, you will learn the 11 tips to stay sharp for life that we can learn from Mick Jagger.

Episode Highlights

• Living A High Intensity Rockstar Life
• 11 Tips For Staying Sharp For Life
• Tip # 1: Stay Sharp By Starting Early
• Tip # 2: Consistency Is Key To Keeping Your Memory Sharp
• Tip # 3: Focus On Your Goals, Stay Healthy
• Tip # 4: Check If Your Memory Is Still Sharp
• Tip # 5: Staying Sharp Means Putting In The Work
• Tip # 6: A Good Diet Equals Sharp Memory
• Tip # 7: Add Supplements For A Strong Mind
• Tip # 8: Increase Your Heart Rate 
• Tip # 9: Lay Out A Rich Movement Buffet
• Tip # 10: Don’t Forget To Relax
• Tip # 11: Limit Alcohol For A Mentally Sharp Mind
• The Biggest Takeaway about Rockstar Tips for a Rockstar Life

 

DOWNLOAD THE PDF TRANSCRIPTION

 

About Our Host

David Norris is an occupational therapist who has been in this practice for 20 years.

He has dealt with a lot of clients who seek help with their memory loss problems. David began asking himself about how these people can get ahead of these problems. It is then that he started teaching his clients how to improve their brain health to prevent memory loss.

 

David Norris is also the director and founder of Occupational Therapy Brisbane.

 

Rockstar Health Tips

Living A High Intensity Rockstar Life

• Mick Jagger has been living as a rockstar for six decades..
• His health and vitality has been the subject of articles and investigations.
• He had to get heart surgery for a leaky heart valve in 2019, recovered in 6 weeks, and was practicing for his rescheduled tour.
• He has been known for his high intensity when it comes to workouts and performances.
• He made the choice to do the hard work to get the results he wanted.
• His father coached him from an early age on the fundamentals of achieving and sustaining physical strength and endurance.

11 Tips For Staying Sharp For Life

• What can we learn from Mick Jagger about how you can keep your memory sharp as we age?
• It’s not about smashing your guitar or flying off the stage.
• You can get satisfaction that you are doing things to stay sharp because you can.

Tip # 1: Stay Sharp By Starting Early

• Mick was influenced by his dad from an early age about the importance of maintaining your physical health.
• If you didn’t start early, you can kick it into gear throughout your midlife years.
• Physical exercise has associated benefits with preventing cognitive decline.
• A study found that men in their 40s who are unable to complete 10 pushups have a higher risk of experiencing a cardiovascular event.

Tip # 2: Consistency Is Key To Keeping Your Memory Sharp

• Mick Jagger has shown that he’s committed to turning up to his events and doing the hard work around food, movement, balance, meditation, etc. Now, that’s being consistent.
• His daily actions support his ability to always get up on the stage and consistently perform.

Tip # 3: Focus On Your Goals, Stay Healthy

• Be laser focused on your goals. Do you know why you are doing what you’re doing? Mick always did the things that are purposeful to him. 
• Mick does this because he wants to keep doing the activities that really matter to him and are purposeful to him.
• He has a goal and to reach that he has to keep doing the lifestyle strategies that allows him to live the life he wants.

Tip # 4: Check If Your Memory Is Still Sharp

• Get routine medical checkups to be proactive in identifying any health issues and get early intervention.
• What would have happened had Mick not done the routine check up and missed treating his leaky heart valve? 
• Talk to your doctor to know where you stand and take action.
• Think about getting a memory health checkup. (link to previous episode)

Tip # 5: Staying Sharp Means Putting In The Work

• Just like Mick, invest time and energy to improve your cardiovascular capacity.
• Know your goals then put in the hard work to reach them.
• Build a team around you to advise you on good exercise strategies.

Tip # 6: A Good Diet Equals Sharp Memory

• Eat whole foods. They’re right next to the natural source. Remember the benefits of eating whole foods.
• Mick chose to eat organic because it was found that organophosphates are present in our food supply. High or low exposure to it has an impact on our health and can lead to cardiovascular disease, cancer, or impaired brain performance.
• A study found that plants that have been attacked by pests had an increase in phytochemicals. Phytochemicals make the plant colorful and packed with nutrients associated with better cognitive fitness.
• Mick eats primarily fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and whole grains. This is similar to the mediterranean diet.

Tip # 7: Add Supplements For A Strong Mind

• Take vitamins when there’s a gap in your diet. Mick takes supplements that assist with endurance and cognitive functions.
• Everyone needs to be eating a beautiful, rich, nutrient dense diet.
• What are your macronutrient needs (protein, fats, carbohydrates) and make sure you are getting enough to meet those.

Tip # 8: Increase Your Heart Rate 

• Raise your heart rate and get into a better effort.

Tip # 9: Lay Out A Rich Movement Buffet

• Incorporate movement diversity so that you challenge not just your heart but also other areas of your body.
• Mick did many things including kickboxing, cycling, and running.
• Consider taking up dancing to reduce your risk for cognitive decline.
• Develop a motor plan to execute and get feedback. Your brain will get rich and diverse information about balance and how you’re coordinating your body.
• A robust brain is one that is consistently challenged. Think of it as making regular deposits to your bank account, in this case, your brain account.

Tip # 10: Don’t Forget To Relax

• Follow a regime to de-stress, and practice gratitude and positive emotions.
• Make time for yourself, and practice meditation or yoga.
• Look into doing a mindfulness-based exercise or do a one-on-one with a psychologist skilled in cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). 

Tip # 11: Limit Alcohol For A Mentally Sharp Mind

• Cut back on alcohol consumption. You don’t have to completely stop drinking alcohol, but it’s better to consume it as a treat rather than drinking alcohol regularly.

 

Previously Recommended Resources

Podcast Episodes

 

• Podcast Ep 017: How To Make Lifestyle Habit Changes Easier So You Can Help Prevent Memory Loss Later with David Norris
• Podcast Ep 005: Food, Mood, Microbiome and Your Memory with Dr Amy Loughman
• Podcast Ep 010: Functional Movement for A Brain Fit Lifestyle with Matt Rutley

 

The Biggest Takeaway about Rockstar Tips for a Rockstar Life 

You don’t have to have rockstar resources or be a rockstar yourself. Start with one of the tips in mind rather than trying to do all 11 tips.

Quotable “It starts with a commitment. A commitment to making things better, putting a little bit of effort against one of these things.” - David Norris

 

What was your BIGGEST takeaway from this episode? 

 

 

All the best 

David 

P.S. Did you get the free guide?  If not, here’s the link. 

 

Disclaimer: Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.