Aging is something that we will all experience at some point in our lives. Whether it be the physical effects or the emotional effects, it can often be very hard to deal with the concept of not being so young anymore. This article will offer you some tips to help you age gracefully.
Use olive oil and remember fat does not equal bad. Oils have gotten a bad rap in the past few decades but oils are essential to our health. The trick is to stay away from “fake” fats like trans fats. The use of olive oil has many heart healthy benefits so don’t shy away from using it. Try making your own salad vinaigrette’s of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Turn off the tv and get off of the couch. We all need our vices, but if you are spending every evening on the couch then something is wrong. We have to keep our bodies and brains active as we age and watching tv isn’t doing any of those. Limit your tv watching to just one or two evenings a week and do something active or interesting on your nights off.
Keeping your cholesterol under control is important for aging well. A build up of cholesterol can raise your risk of stroke or heart attack. Eating a diet low in animal fats and high in fiber can help keep your cholesterol level under control by increasing your HDL (good) cholesterol and reducing your LDL (bad) cholesterol.
One of the best things that you can do in order to slow down the aging process in your body is to eat fish. Fish contains omega-3 fatty acids that are proven to be beneficial to skin. With that said, try to add seafood to your diet as it is both nutritious and tasty.
Be sure to protect your skin from the sun. Getting a bit of sun each day can be very beneficial but be sure to wear sunscreen while you do it. Overexposure can lead to wrinkles and even skin cancer. Taking care of your skin is vital to living a long and healthy youthful life.
One of the first things to start going when you age is your eyesight. As you age, it begins to rapidly deteriorate. Make sure that as you age you have frequent visits to the ophthalmologist, in order to track your eyes’ degradation, and have glasses or contacts prescribed in order to make it less drastic.
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.
Change your oils and change your life! Aging should mean less of the bad oils like partially hydrogenated, corn, cottonseed or soybean and more of the good like fish oil, flax oil, olive oil and nut oils! It is a painless change over that can really make a big difference in your overall health and well being, especially as you get older.
You will have less of a chance to get a heart disease if you eat less red meat and more fish. There are many unhealthy fats in red meat that can contribute to clogging of the arteries, and this can result in heart disease, as well as other illnesses. On the other hand, fish contains healthy oils and vitamins that will make your heart stronger.
To sum it all up, aging is an event that happens to everyone, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, or religious affiliation. We are not defined by the effects of aging, rather we are defined by how we deal with it. If you read this article you should now be well prepared to age gracefully.
