S Poddar
The music legend, Elton John, took to sharing the reasons behind a massive change in his lifestyle amid health issues, soul-searching about one’s life while weighing choices that will define his future. At the age of 77, the singer behind the iconic hit “Rocket Man” has candidly shared his experiences on health and is now closing the book on a few changes with regards to finally arriving at some acceptance of his own “mortality.” An introspective period was documented in Elton John: Never Too Late, during which he shared experiences with health issues that accompanied him throughout.
John has taken a sea change in his diet to regulate his blood sugar level; that is something he needed to do, given his diagnosis with type 2 diabetes nearly a decade ago. It’s not been without a string of medical scares, including a “severe eye infection” this spring. Describing his new food approach, he said on the podcast of Ruthie’s Table 4, “I can have an apple, I can eat a little bit of melon.” He’s learned that with careful moderation some fruits do not raise his blood sugar levels to unacceptable highs so he’s gained a little freedom in his restrictions.
However, some vices are taboo. “What I crave is chocolate and ice cream-I cannot have any ice cream,” he confessed. His sweet tooth remains as strong as ever, even though his diet is now that of a health nut. “If I had a death row meal, it wouldn’t contain anything except sweets, because I cannot eat them now. So I’d have ice cream, doughnuts, apple pie, rhubarb crumble.”
Beyond diet, the Candle in the Wind singer has faced a range of health issues that include hip and knee replacements; he has had prostate cancer surgery. These have led to reflection on priorities and physical wellness, which he speaks openly about in Never Too Late. In reference to his life after retirement, he said, “I don’t have to work after this.”. I will work and do records and putting radio shows together, but travelling takes so much out of you. Touring, once a central part of his life, has become more exhausting. “It is very tiring. I am used to it. I am a veteran at it, but this is where you start to think about mortality.”
As he thinks about his legacy, family has come to be really important to him. Speaking about the two sons, Zachary, 13, and Elijah, 11, John said, “They worry as they know how old I am. Not so much David, but me. They love their daddy, so they want me to be around forever.” Having acknowledged the bitter truth that he won’t be around for most of those milestones in his children’s future-marriage or even forming their own families-he is driven by what time he has. “I want to be around forever. I want to see them have children, get married, but I don’t think I’m going to be around for that. Who knows? You never know.”
All this has made him appreciate every moment with his family and be more concerned with his health. The eye infection he had recently made him not see for a while, and he realized that things can easily get out of hand quickly. Looking to the future, he wanted to do everything within his reach to make the best out of his time, to carry on the legacy he had gained through music while always putting his health and his family in top priority.
Elton John’s life can be summed up as inspired by his love for family and by wanting to embrace the years ahead with optimism; a reflection of deep appreciation for his past achievements and a commitment to get the best into his life for the long-run.
