5 Tips For Preserving Your Health

Both my grandparents lived over 100 years. My father lived 75 years, my mum 92. Some of my uncles and aunts made it to 80 years and above. One aunt 96 years old is still going strong. For the third generation (mine) we all hope to live into our 80’s or 90’s or longer, but our biggest concern is having a healthy long life.  In Africa, we have a youthful-midlife generation (18-55), while the percentage of the older generation (70-100years) is diminishing by the day. In the US, over 60,000 people are above the age of 100, with enough people over the age of 110 for them to have their own term: supercentenarians. It is expected that even this number of people aged 85 and above will more than double over the next couple of decades. 

What is the secret of their long lives? And, more importantly, are they exceptions to the rule? Perhaps, but maybe not. The fact is that we are living longer thanks to a combination of factors. Preserving and even improving your health depends in large part on the choices and habits that you develop now and continue into the future. 

A study of aging confirms this.  It discovered that environment and lifestyle contribute far more to a healthy old age than genetics, and that the importance of healthy habits only increases as you age. Taking care of your physical well-being, tasking your mind and brain, reaching out to others, feeling positive about life, and not being too preoccupied about aging, influence immensely your ability to remain active and sharp. 

1. Maintain physical health

Eat right. One of the most important things you can do at any age is to eat right. A healthy, balanced diet has lots of benefits, including feeling better and looking better. But what does a healthy, balanced diet mean? Doctors recommend a diet heavy on fruits and vegetables, protein, complex carbohydrates, such as whole grain foods, legumes, and healthy fats including olive oil.

As you consider your future health, this also might be a good time to try to lose any extra weight. Shedding pounds, along with eating the foods that are good for you, can help you to escape some of the most serious age-related health problems, including osteoporosis, hypertension, diabetes and heart disease. Middle-aged weight gain, which tends to settle around your middle, is particularly dangerous because it increases the risk of stroke and heart disease.

Another reason to eat healthy is because the vitamins and minerals found in healthy foods boost your immune system and help your bodies to function better. Many fruits and vegetables, including berries, tomatoes and green leafy vegetables, contain phytochemicals, which improve cognitive functions and prevent disease. And Vitamin C, found in citrus fruits, helps you to handle stress better in addition to helping fight off colds. 

Exercise. Many don’t have time for exercise. But exercise can help extend your life and improve the quality of your life for years to come, in addition to raising your metabolism. One study found that walking one hour a day can extend your life expectancy by two years.

Strength training is particularly beneficial as you age. At the age of 40, you begin to lose muscle mass each year, slowly becoming weaker. But strength training can rebuild lost muscle mass and make bones stronger, which is particularly important for post-menopausal women. It also improves your balance, helps you sleep better and helps your heart.

One important finding of the aging study is that it’s never too late to stop such bad habits as smoking, eating fatty foods, and not exercising. Within a year of quitting smoking, most people reduce their risk of heart disease.

2. Sustain brain health

Diminishing memory is a worrisome sign of aging. The good news is that we grow brain cells throughout our lives making it possible for adults of any age to improve their memory and increase their capacity for learning. Researchers say the mental decline many older people experience is because they are not challenging their brains enough. The nerve cells in their brains are wasting due to largely routine behavior.

Just like your body, the more you exercise your brain, the better it will function. While taking a class and developing new interests are among the many good options for challenging your brain, another thing you can do is to learn new skills. In an age of instant messaging, camera phones and continually faster and smarter computers, keeping up with new technological advances and mastering them will help preserve your mental acuity.

Taking steps to reduce stress also will help keep your brain functioning well as stress affects our memory and ability to learn new things, as well as reducing flow of blood to your brains. Also look for activities that give your life meaning and keep you involved in your community. Being socially connected is important to our mental health and overall sense of well-being. Furthermore, stay in close contact with friends and family and start expanding your social network now. 

3. Keep a positive attitude

We have all heard of the mind-body connection, and as caregivers, perhaps you have even witnessed how one's attitude can have an effect on one's health. So another key factor in staying healthy is take the future and aging with a positive attitude. As the saying goes, the only constant in life is change, and those who remain flexible and adaptable age best. Those in the 100 plus club - the centenarians - endorse this. Research found that the attitudes of people older than 100 are similar: they all stayed engaged with life, coped with loss, and had a sense of humor and hope.

5. Health checks you need to do

In your 40s:

·         Have your blood pressure and cholesterol checked

·         Get a mammogram

In your 50s:

·         Lose the weight around your middle

·         Get screened for cancer, especially colon cancer

·         Get flu shots

·         Boost your calcium

·         Have prostate screening

In your 60s

·         If retired, make new friends and learn new things

·         Get an eye test

·         Screen your medication for drug interactions if on several medications

In your 70s:

·         Get tested for hearing problems

·         Exercise your mind

In your 80s:

·         Stay physically active

·         Avoid falls

At any age:

·         Get regular checkups

Photo Credit: Creative Commons.