Top Tips for Healthy Aging
Aging is inevitable, but it’s important to always remember your health. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can slow down the signs of aging, and keep you feeling younger for longer. The good news is that it doesn’t have to take much to do so! Keep in mind that to age in a healthy way we must consider not only the body, but the mind as well. Here are our top tips for healthy aging!
Stay on Top of Your Physical Health
To start, it should be no surprise that your physical health is at the top of the list for healthy aging. As we age, our physical health declines. For example, your knees may hurt or your back isn’t what it used to be. While this process is going to happen no matter what, we can take steps to slow it down.
Staying physically active is one of the best ways to do so. You don’t need to be running a marathon every morning, but making sure you get your body moving is a great way to stay healthy. In fact, a study showed that taking 8,000 steps or more a day showed a 51% lower mortality rate. If you find it difficult to get moving, we recommend:
- Taking a walk
- Tending to the garden
- Practicing Yoga
- Stretching
- Taking the stairs instead of the elevator
Another thing to consider is that as we age we can lose muscle mass in the body. Staying physically active can help you maintain muscle and feel healthier for longer. Not to mention you won’t need to be asking anyone to open jars for you!
Make Healthy Eating Choices
When it comes to healthy aging, we cannot stress the importance of a healthy diet enough. The dietary choices you make throughout your life are going to affect how you age. Modifying your diet is also one of the easiest ways to prevent age-related disease and physical signs such as fine lines and wrinkles.
Keep in mind that a healthy diet for aging is not all about weight loss. Here are some dietary tips we recommend:
Eat a Variety of Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables provide essential nutrients and antioxidants that can help reduce the risk of chronic diseases. Make sure you’re eating plenty of both, and getting a good variety. A good rule of thumb is to switch up what you buy every week, so you are getting different nutrients.
Choose Whole Grains
Whole grains are essential in a diet for health aging. Try to incorporate brown rice, whole wheat bread, quinoa and other items that add fiber to your diet.
Choose Lean Protein
Lean proteins such as fish, chicken and beans are good alternatives to processed and high-fat options when trying to eat healthy.
Include Healthy Fats
Include healthy fats such as olive oil, avocados, nuts, and seeds in your diet to help reduce the risk of heart disease and promote healthy aging.
Limit Processed and Sugary Foods
Processed and sugary foods can increase the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Limit these foods in your diet.
Stay Hydrated
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Drinking plenty of water and other fluids will not only keep you energized, but help your body perform daily functions.
Limit Salt Intake
Too much salt can increase the risk of high blood pressure, which can lead to many health problems.
Eat Smaller, More Frequent Meals
Eating smaller, more frequent meals can help maintain good digestion and keep your energy levels up.
Be Mindful of Portion Sizes
As you age, your calorie needs may decrease which means you may not need to eat as much. Being mindful of this can ensure you’re eating healthy for your age.
Consider Supplements
Another thing to consider is natural supplements for healthy aging. They are easy to include in your diet. Along with multivitamins and other supplements such as collagen, NMN supplements may help. Research suggests that they can increase NAD+ levels in the body, which can slow down the signs of aging.
Final Thoughts
To sum it up, we can’t reverse aging. We can, however, make sure that we feel and look our best with diet and lifestyle changes. Staying physically active and eating well are two of the best ways to age healthy!
