Health Options
Plan ahead to safeguard
health in your later yearsPeople are generally living longer than their ancestors. However, along with increased longevity comes the increased chance of cardiovascular disease, certain types of cancer, osteoporosis, arthritis and Alzheimer's Disease.
Preventing problems is generally easier than fixing them. And that is certainly the case for the health problems that tend to develop with age.
Question: What is the greatest impact a person can make to maintain good health while aging?
Answer: It's essential to avoid or at least postpone the two greatest killers -- heart disease and cancer. These guidelines are a good start:
>> Find a good personal physician, but take responsibility for your own health care. Your doctor can help identify your greatest health risks, beginning with any genetic weak links you may have inherited from your family. Once you know your risks, you can set out to find reliable resources for learning about prevention.
In many cases, staying healthy means early identification of problems. Again, work with your physician to determine what screening tests you need and how often to have them done. It is up to you to ask lots of questions.
>> Smoking greatly increases the risk of both heart disease and cancer. Excessive alcohol increases the risk of a number of cancers. Putting an end to either behavior may add many good years to life.
>> Keeping your body moving in most any fashion is important. As little as 30 minutes of moderate (comfortable) physical activity on most days of the week can have a major impact. Regular activity is the closest thing that exists to a "cure-all."
Getting active can help to lower blood pressure, increase HDL ("good cholesterol") levels, improve the body's handling of blood sugar and reduce the risks of osteoporosis and joint disorders. Physical activity can also help maintain muscle mass, improve the immune system, increase calorie needs, improve appetite control and reduce body fat, or at least help prevent increased body fat.
Getting and staying active is known to have psychological benefits such as improved self-image, decreased anxiety and depression, and improved sleep patterns.
>> Avoid extreme diets unless you have medical guidance and supervision for therapeutic reasons.
>> If you plan to live past 65, plan ahead to avoid osteoporosis. Along with regular exercise, get enough calcium and vitamin D, avoid excessive salt and eat adequate, but not excessive, protein.
>> As you near the half-century mark, be sure to get adequate vitamin B-12 in fortified foods or supplements. If you are over 65, consider taking a separate B-12 supplement. About 1 in 7 people over 65 has low B-12 due to a decreased ability to absorb the vitamin. The effects of B-12 deficiency are severe enough that they may be misdiagnosed as Alzheimer's disease.
>> Keeping dietary fat to a modest amount is important for most people, but be sure to include foods with omega-3 fatty acids. These are primarily found in fish, but some similar omega-3 fatty acids are also found in canola oil, walnuts and flax oil. All in all, avoid most diet concerns by eating a variety of wholesome foods in moderate amounts.
Health Events
Alan Titchenal, Ph.D., C.N.S., is a sports nutritionist in the
Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Science,
University of Hawaii-Manoa.Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S., is a food and nutrition consultant
and owner of Exploring New Concepts, a nutritional consulting firm.
She is also responsible for the nutritional analyses
indicated by an asterisk in this section.