Gerontologists say the key to healthy aging is getting robust now, regardless of your current chronological age. Dr. Andrew Weil, physician and author of "Healthy Aging" states: "Our goal should not be to prevent aging, but to age well so we can enjoy those years." True; longevity is influenced by genetic inheritance, but scientific evidence shows that a good or a bad lifestyle poses a greater impact on longevity and vibrant golden years than heredity.
Suggestions for Golden Winter Years
- Follow a personalized diet. Nutrition is age-specific. One size does not fit all. Nutritional requirements varies at each decade of life . For example, 51 year old women, need 8 mg less iron per day than women 50 years old and younger. These adolescent girls and women need 18 mg iron/day to compensate for iron losses during menstruation. At age 51, menstruation will be coming to a close or have stopped so there's no additional need for iron. That's why women age 51 and older only need 10 mg iron per day - the same as boys age 19 and men up to age 71 and older. If you want to know your full nutritional requirements, check the Dietary Reference Intakes. It will show you how much carbohydrates, proteins, fats, water, vitamins, and minerals you need every day.
- Cultivate a positive outlook in life. A review of investigations led by Ostir and his team (Journal of Happiness 2001 issue) showed the protective benefits of happiness against stroke in older adults. A positive mental outlook also protected women from breast cancer.
- Keep Being Active. You don't need to run marathons and live in the gym to get health benefits from exercise. Research shows it's better to perform moderate daily exercise than to do a huge workout every few days a week. Research investigators have found that daily aerobic exercise increases heart and lung capacity, and skeletal muscle strength which is inversely associated with chronic diseases and mortality. Exercise also delays aging by 10 or more years prolonging personal independence. It also suspends deterioration of most organ systems thereby impeding premature death.
- Maintain an active network of family and friends. Social isolation has been repeatedly shown to predict illness and death especially among persons whose health status is already compromised. It is believed that isolation from others increases anxiety, loneliness, and stress which if prolonged can produce serious adverse health effects. Experts believe social relationships boosts health via moral, economic,and health supports.
- Avoid health-damaging behaviours such as smoking, excessive eating, excessive alcohol consumption, and drug abuse.
- Get sufficient rest and sleep. There is ample evidence that sleeplessness increases susceptibility to infections,heart disease, stroke, diabetes, obesity, and depression. According to Dr. Eva Van Cauter, professor of medicine at the University of Chicago "We are all under pressure to perform, in school, at work, in social and professional settings, and tempted by multiple diversions. There is a sense that you can pack in more life by skimping on sleep. But we are finding that people tend to replace reduced sleep with added calories and that's not a healthy trade." In contrast, the benefits of sleep are renowned: enhanced energy, better mood, more productivity, robust overall health.
If you live long enough, there'll come a time when you will age, but it doesn't have to involve the inability to recover from illness. Biological aging (the greying of hair, reduction in visual acuity, etc), sociological aging (the role ascribed by society on people who have reached a certain chronological age) and diminished of quality of life due to chronic disease(s) need not be a person's future if one takes crucial steps to preserve health now.
References
Whitney EN & Rolfes SR "Life Cycle Nutrition: Adulthood and the Later Years" Understanding Nutrition, Ninth Edition Wadsworth CA 2002 pp: 597-601
Ostir GV et al. "The Association Between Emotional Well-Being and the Incidence of Stroke in Older Adults"
Psychosomatic Medicine 200;63:210-215
"Exercise and Physical Activity for Older Adults" American College of Sports Medicine Position Statement
Medicine in Science in Sports and Exercise 1998; 30:992-1008
House JS "Social Isolation Kills But How and Why?" Psychosomatic Medicine 2001;63:272-274
Vgontas AN et al. "Adverse effects of modest sleep restriction on sleepiness, performance, and inflammatory cytokines" J Clin. Endocrin 2004;89:2119-2126
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