Simple Tips for Healthy Aging

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When you take the right steps to maintain your good health, you will slow down the aging process. The only reason some people look younger than others at the same chronological age is because they have practiced many healthy habits over the years.

As you get older, your body changes in unpredictable ways. Although you may still feel young at heart, your body responds differently than before. Mysterious aches and pains show up. Simple household chores leave you breathless. Fortunately, the body responds to good health habits, too, and you can continue to enjoy a full life as you get older.

Here are important health tips to adopt to slow the aging process:

Practice Prevention

Although you are doing your best to stay healthy, practice prevention by getting medical attention. Keep your appointments with your doctor, optometrist, and dentist for tooth protection, and take all your prescribed medications in the correct dosage at the assigned times.

It’s also a good idea to cover your bases should you ever need to stay in a hospital. Therefore, it’s important to get Medicare, the Federal health insurance program, to make sure you’ve got hospital coverage. You can find Medicare Advantage plans that are accessible in your area, whether you are looking for Medicare in California or some other state.

Eat Healthier Foods

Unfortunately, the convenience of pre-packaged foods and the plethora of restaurants poses a hidden cost for your health.

Unless you prepare your own foods, you are likely to exceed the recommended daily allowance of sodium, fats, and sugars.

Prepackaged foods are high in sodium, one of the root causes of high-blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases.

Restaurant foods are unlikely to cook meals with good fats, such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Instead, many delicious meals are rich in saturated fats or trans fats. While saturated fats are bad for you, industrially manufactured trans fats are much worse and will seriously compromise your health.

It’s best to eat healthy home-cooked meals. Eat nutrient-dense foods such as vegetables and fruits, nuts and seeds. Prefer whole grains over refined grains, limit the amount of salt and sugar, and only consume good fats. Of course, these are just general guidelines and you should follow your doctor’s dietary suggestions.

One healthy food you should include in your diet is apple cider vinegar. You can use it as part of a salad dressing or drink an ounce with honey. Apple cider vinegar is high in beneficial acetic acid, kills many types of bacteria, lowers blood sugar levels, drops cholesterol levels, and improves heart health. It also helps you lose weight and reduce belly fat.

Stay Fit

The difference between older adults who are physically active and more sedentary people is noticeable. It’s also obvious who follows a regular exercise routine and who hates to exercise at all. Besides staying in great shape, those who focus on fitness as a discipline rarely have common health problems like diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, and depression.

Ideally, create a balanced exercise routine that includes mobility, cardiovascular, and strength-building exercises. Some sports like swimming and practices like yoga benefit flexibility, heart health, lung capacity, and strength.

Before you start an exercise program, consult with your doctor. It’s also a good idea to work with a personal trainer to make sure you are doing the exercises correctly.

Healthy aging is not just about taking care of your physical well-being; you also need to cultivate mental agility by pursing intellectual work or mentally challenging games and cultivate emotional well-being through harmonious relationships with family and friends. Health and happiness rarely occur by accident. You must adopt a wide range of positive habits to stimulate improved mental, physical, and emotional well-being.

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