All of us pray for a long and healthy life. We all know that as we age our body becomes weak and is more susceptible to diseases. We have seen that most elderly people face health issues and need multiple medications for their illnesses.
If you dream of healthy long life it is important to take care of our diet and fitness. Making simple changes in the day to day life can slow down the aging process.
We have all seen as our parent’s age many obstacles to proper diet and fitness crop up but they can be easily defeated. Let’s understand simple ways to remain healthy even as we age.
It is important to feed your body with nutritious food. For instance, you cannot expect your car to work efficiently if you feed it with incorrect fuel, similarly it is important to feed your body with nutritious foods that contain the necessary vitamins and minerals for it to offer optimum performance. Patricia Sadri, well Known Nutritionist from DENMAC says, “It is important for the elderly to cut down on refined foods like maida and refined sugar. They should have nutritious foods like whole grain bread, fruits and vegetables. Eating smaller meals at regular intervals will help to improve their metabolism and will keep them energized.”
Along with good nutrition, it is necessary to have plenty of water or water based beverages like coconut water, skimmed milk, soups and juices.
In addition to drinking fluids each day, having foods with high water content like cucumber, apple, cabbage, etc also helps. Patricia Sadri says, “Fluids keep the body hydrated and help in circulating nutrients in the blood. Proper hydration helps in maintaining body temperature and keeps the body functioning well.”
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t is rightly said, ‘If you do not use your body, you will lose it.’ Studies suggest that muscle mass tends to diminish with age. In order to keep up the muscle mass, it is necessary to incorporate a regular dose of exercising to your life. Exercising daily will not only make you feel younger but will also reduce the risk of medical conditions like diabetes, arthritis, heart disease etc.
If you like to exercise in company, you can join the senior citizen club in any of the park and make a routine of walking daily in company with other fellow mates of your age. Alternatively if you enjoy swimming, you can swim everyday as it is also a good exercise for all parts of the body.
You can also become a member of the laughter club as we all know that laughter is the best medicine. Laughter raises the serotonin levels in the brain and offers a ‘feel good’ factor. Exercising regularly will not only keep you active but will also decrease your risk of injury and age related diseases.
Factors like depression affect your health as you age; hence it is necessary to keep your mind busy and entertained by pursuing a hobby, solving crosswords or Sudoku. Solving puzzles stimulates your brain, improves memory and offers clarity of mind both short term and long term.
You can also learn new things that you enjoy as there is no age to learning, or you can volunteer to share your talents with others.
Working out your brain prevents depression and frustration and offers mental peace and good health.
We have all heard about the health hazards caused due to smoking, but still many senior citizens continue to smoke. Studies suggest that smoking not only contributes to the fine wrinkles on your face but is also harmful to the health of your heart.
Senior citizens should very importantly get regular checkups done. This is the best way to prevent chronic medical problems. Regular checkups help to fix whatever problem you have before they get worse.
A positive attitude helps to keep you healthy. Being positive and thinking about all the good things in your life even when things are not going right helps to remain calm and relaxed. A relaxed mind and a positive approach helps to improve your immunity and gain good health.
Growing old is a natural process that we all are approaching little by little each day. By implementing the above mentioned tips in your day to day life will keep your body and mind fit, and help you to age gracefully.
