By Lynn Allison from Newsmax

Clean living certainly has paid off for legendary singer, actor, and author, Pat Boone. He turns 85 on June 1 and is hard at work with a radio show on Sirius XM, writing a new book on how to garner blessings from God, and staying physically active. 
He’s even playing basketball in the Senior Olympics this summer.

“I still have a six pack but it’s buried under a little flesh right now that I can’t seem to get rid of,” he jokes in a Newsmax interview. Boone, who has sold over 45 million records and appeared in 12 Hollywood films, was often teased by fellow entertainers about his abstinence from alcohol, refusal to do racy scenes in movies, and devotion to his Christian faith. But it looks like the still handsome star is getting the last laugh. Despite losing his beloved wife, Shirley, this past January after 65 years of wedded bliss, he’s upbeat and active and very healthy.

“I take no prescription medications and my cardiologist who is 70 says he wants to be me when he grows up,” Boone says.

Here are his principles of successful aging:

1. Get milk. Boone has been the subject of countless jokes by fellow entertainers and comedians about his preference for milk over booze. In deference to the times, he has switched to low-fat milk, goat’s milk and coconut milk as his beverages of choice. His diet is rich in leafy green vegetables, whole grains and fruit. “When I was at my home in Hawaii last week, I had papaya from our trees along with whole grain cereal, flax seed and goat milk for breakfast,” he says. “For lunch I had a large salad and for dinner, white fish, mushrooms, couscous and dark leafy greens.”
2. Daily exercise. Boone plays singles tennis two to three times a week with a younger pal who is 81! “We usually split sets but if we do go to a third set, I will win because I am more aerobically fit,” he says. In addition, he walks, rides his bike, plays golf and works out at the gym focusing on lifting weights and doing core work. He loves sports and when he was filming in the 1950s and 1960s with his friend and rival Elvis Presley, they played flag football in a nearby park on Sunday afternoons. “You could tell Elvis hadn’t played much baseball or football as a kid because my team would always win.”
3. Clear conscience and connection to God. There’s no denying that Boone’s faith has been steadfast throughout his stellar career. “I have been faithful to my God, to my wife and when I made mistakes — and I have made some serious ones — I asked for forgiveness,” he says. “Guilt, fear, and anxiety are the root cause of 60 to 70% of hospitalizations because when you are not at peace, you are tense and disturbed, which wreaks havoc with your health at all levels. When you ask for and are granted forgiveness from the Lord, you have a clear conscience.” To stay connected to his spiritual health, Boone reads the Bible cover to cover every year and has done so for the past 35 years, using a special 365-page version.
4. Breathwork. Breath is the spirit of life, says the father of four, grandfather of 16, and great granddad of 10. “I practice taking long, slow deep breaths and this can instantly reduce my stress while expanding my lungs. As a singer, I was always aware of the importance of deep breathing.”
5. Nutrients. When his wife Shirley was in debilitating pain, Boone discovered a product called Relief Factor that has anti-inflammatory ingredients to reduce pain. “I take one packet daily to prevent pain.”  He also uses MDR Vital Factors to help boost energy, brain function and the immune system. While Boone eschews multivitamins, he takes specific products to support the adrenal glands and protect prostate function and a jelly fish-based supplement to enhance brain function.
6. Brain games. Boone is blessed with an incredible 170 IQ and admits he is a crossword puzzle addict. “Once you get what the clues are trying to convey, they are easy.” He writes and reads voraciously and can debate practically any topic under the sun, especially topics that deal with religious mores and beliefs. His memory is particularly sharp and Boone recalls with exquisite detail the exciting stories of his illustrious career.
7. Sense of humor. “Having a good laugh is like taking pep pills,” he says. “Shirley and I used laugh at each other’s foibles all the time! And goodness knows, with all the jokes made at my expense over the years, if I didn’t laugh at them, I’d be in bad shape! As Proverbs 17:22 says, ‘A merry heart doeth good like a medicine.’”

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For more on this story go to: https://www.newsmax.com/health/health-news/pat-boone-new-book-healthy-living/2019/05/31/id/918389/?ns_mail_uid=6952f1f9-507d-4a20-8cc0-0a1db158d76e&ns_mail_job=DM32164_06012019&s=acs&dkt_nbr=010502j7e2zh