We are living longer and views on aging are also changing. Growing old no longer has to mean illness and physical decline. Actually, the disability rate among seniors has gone down dramatically in the last twenty years. Following these tips will help you remain feeling young as you extend your active life expectancy.
Keep your fruit intake high. Fruits are a great source of antioxidants, which help inhibit the aging process of our cells. They are also a great source of other vitamins that provide a host of benefits to our aging bodies. Use fruit as your desert instead of sugar filled treats as an easy way of getting them in your diet.
If you want to age well, nothing is more important than having a balanced diet. Your diet should be filled with whole grains, fiber, fruits and vegetables, and a minimal amount of cholesterol, trans fats and saturated fats. Your body will then be full of vitamins and nutrients that you need to stay healthy.
Take the time to be grateful for the things that you have in your life. Each day before you get out of bed, stop and think about at least five things that you are thankful for. This can be your heath, family, friends or any other little thing that you appreciate in life.
Pre-plan for the time when you are going to need senior services. This may be planning for your retirement home, nursing home or home health care. If you take the time to plan it while you are able to, you are sure to end up in the place that you want to and that will bring you peace.
Prepare for the end. If you take the time to prepare a living will and pre-plan your funeral you will find much peace in the process. Dying is a part of living that cannot be beat and having a plan that is ready for that time is a gift to yourself as well as the rest of your family.
Embrace your age! Do not fight the fact that you are no longer as youthful as you once were. It is going to happen to everyone at some point and the sooner you embrace it, the sooner you will learn to adapt to it. You are smarter and more experienced in life, enjoy it!
Just because you aren’t as young as you used to be, you can still create goals and work to get them done. Life is an ever-changing journey and shouldn’t become boring. Setting goals for yourself will keep you motivated and active to see they are accomplished. The pride you feel when you have attained these goals will be insurmountable.
Exercise your brain. Strive to learn something new everyday. Keeping the brain active also keeps it healthy, sharp and alert. It sounds crazy, but if you stop working this precious organ, you may just forget how to use it. If you’re not sure how to keep it active, buy a book of brainteasers and solve them all.
Perhaps there was something you really wanted to do when you were in your twenties, but you set it aside as impractical: you had to pay the bills, provide for your family. Now that you have reached retirement age, it is time to think back to those interests you set aside. Don’t think you can’t pursue them now. You can!
Surround yourself with positive people. Grumpy, grouchy people are hard to be around and can affect both your mood and your health. Weed out the negativity by distancing yourself from those who cause you unnecessary stress or heartache. You’ve come much too far to let others pull you down with their nonsense.
Keep on dancing. Regular physical exertion increases oxygen flow to the brain and strengthens cells by releasing necessary protein. Older adults who remain physically active are much less likely to develop dementia and similar diseases, and dance is a wonderful way to keep moving. If you have a swimming pool, aquatics can also be effective.
To ensure a graceful aging process, be sure to include antioxidants in your daily diet to battle free radicals. While the best source of antioxidants come from foods like tomatoes, carrots, squash and spinach, we know it’s not always possible to consume enough each day to make a difference. Experts realize this and recommend taking supplements of Vitamin C and E, in addition to, eating foods rich in antioxidants.
To stave off memory problems, try incorporating exercise into your day. Exercise will decrease the chance of getting dementia in older adults by 60% percent. Exercise increases the flow of oxygen to the brain, which in turn strengthens the brain’s neurons that are related to memory and learning. So, exercising the body is also exercising the mind.
Have regular hearing screenings as you get older. Loss of hearing is something that happens gradually, so you may not even suspect that you have hearing loss until something drastic happens. Have hearing screenings done so that you know if your ears are still working well or you need to consider a hearing aid.
A key tip to staying young and healthy is to eat nuts. Nuts are a great snack and a fantastic food to prevent the signs of aging. Nuts are loaded with anti-aging fats and are great sources of dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals. Just be careful when eating nuts to eat them in moderation because they are high in calories.
One simple tip to take care of your eyes as they age is to apply a compress for five minutes, made of a washcloth wrung out in hot water. The compress will clear your eyes of “sleep” and other bacterial material that can contribute to eye infections and diseases as you age.
As we have found, there are many useful things you can do to reduce the effects of aging. Combined with a positive attitude, these tips can help you to not only prolong your life, look younger and feel better, but to increase the number of advancing years in which you will remain free of disability.
