365 Changes

The Elder Self

Written by

Craig Constantine

in

Your 80-year-old self is watching, hoping you’ll take care of the body they’ll live in. Research by Cruz-Jentoft on sarcopenia shows health behaviors in middle age predict independence in old age. Each choice compounds—metabolic damage accumulates, inflammation persists. The elder self cares less about appearance and more about function: walking without pain, playing with grandchildren, getting up from a fall. This companion covers the gift of future health, compounding effects, the conversation with your elder self, and what they’d ask for. (3 min read)

One thought like this, every morning.

You don’t need more information about eating. You need the right idea to show up at the right time — before hunger, before decisions, before habits kick in.

Every morning, 365 Changes sends you one. Not a meal plan. Not a rule. Just a question or idea to sit with while you make coffee. Each one is simple, but they accumulate — and slowly, the way you think about eating starts to shift.

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There’s more to read here — a companion essay that goes deeper into this topic. It might explore why willpower fades by evening, how your kitchen layout shapes what you eat, or what it really means to become someone who simply eats well. Each one takes a few minutes and leaves you thinking.

There are 84 of them across five areas — identity, environment, knowledge, decisions, and troubleshooting — and a Reader membership unlocks them all.

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