When it comes to getting older, each of us wants to age happily and healthily. However, as much as we strive to accomplish this, not many of us actually know how to achieve it. Many health experts are talking about proper nutrition, regular exercise, and involvement, although, while it is also correct, healthy ageing consists of many more factors.
All of them can be united into two main “secrets” of longevity - our lifestyle and environment. It may seem obvious, but these two factors are vital for living a good life. In our article, we’ve put together essential tips for healthy ageing that will help you not only gain wisdom and patience as you grow older but also keep your body and mind as healthy as possible.
How To Age Beautifully And Live A Healthy Life?
Lifestyle and environment are vital to healthy ageing and longevity, and it’s essential to know where to start to create a better retirement lifestyle. In order to live a long and healthy life, follow our secrets to healthy ageing.
“Fuel” Your Body Right
Eating healthy helps people live longer and look younger. According to Harvard Medical School, it’s essential to focus on vegetables and whole grains, limit refined carbohydrates, cut down on saturated fats, and avoid trans fats. Meals rich in omega-3 fats, such as salmon, should also become a part of your diet if you want to be healthy and in a good mood. Omega-3 fatty acids have many powerful benefits for your body and brain and can find a range of age-related diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and mental decline.
Other “anti-ageing” foods include broccoli, blueberries, red bell pepper, watercress, almonds, and walnuts. They all contain vitamins and minerals essential for our body to function properly and prevent various diseases. Thus, vitamins, calcium, magnesium, lutein, fibre, folate, and other precious for our health compounds help with ageing skin, improve bone health, boost the immune system, and have anti-inflammatory properties.
Healthy eating helps you live longer and protects against Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases, cancer, and heart diseases. Researchers state that a diet loaded with vegetables, nuts, whole grains, and low-fat dairy provides beneficial effects by physically changing parts of your chromosomes linked to age-related diseases.
The right diet will also ensure your oral hygiene remains in check at all times. Patients going to the dental clinic linked here are advised to do this as it helps them keep every part of their mouth healthy. For example, sugary treats should be avoided as they lead to the accumulation of bacteria and plaque that can cause cavities, gingivitis, and other gum-related diseases. On the other hand, green and leafy veggies, such as spinach or broccoli, are perfect for keeping teeth healthy.
Take Care Of Your Health
Taking care of your health is much more than seeing a doctor when you don’t feel good. Health experts highly recommend having regular checkups that can help find potential problems at the very beginning or even prevent them. To date, you can also find companies offering health age tests that are designed to give you an idea of your overall health and a general indication of how your lifestyle-related factors may affect it. It can help to reveal the potential health risks and address specific lifestyle factors that need to be changed.
Stay Connected
Loneliness is harmful to your health at any age, although its destructive impact on your mental and physical condition increases while getting older. Seniors feeling lonely are more likely to get depression or dementia and have more trouble with everyday tasks like climbing stairs or bathing. Researchers also found that people who report feeling isolated and lonely have higher levels of stress hormones that may cause inflammation and swelling and can be linked to diseases like arthritis or diabetes. So, to not only feel in a good mood but also take care of your physical health, stay connected or make new friends. There are different ways for people to improve personal connections, such as book clubs, senior centres, or exercise classes. Even a phone call with friends or loved ones is a way to connect and become happier and healthier.
Enjoy Walking
Daily walking for at least thirty minutes can be highly beneficial for your health, especially if you walk with a friend. Besides excellent moral discharge, regular walking helps keep brain health healthy by delivering more blood and oxygen, helps to control your weight, keeps your bones and muscles strong, and helps you sleep better. Research suggests regular walks and light exercise can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, type 2 diabetes, and heart diseases, as well as can decrease high blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Walking helps with digestion, improves mood and creativity, and improves bone density, reducing the risk of osteoporosis.
Try New Activities
Trying new things and regularly challenging the brain can significantly impact cognition. Learning a new language or starting practising yoga or tai chi can help with memory, decrease depression, ease stress, and, most importantly, provide an opportunity to socialise. Additionally, light physical activities like yoga or tai chi may help older people avoid falls, lessen arthritis pain, improve balance, and strengthen muscles.
Kick Bad Habits
The sooner you get rid of bad habits, the more it will help you in healthy ageing. We all know that tobacco kills. Cigarettes, chewing tobacco, and other nicotine products cause heart disease, cancer, lung and gum disease, and numerous other conditions. It’s never too late to quit this habit and live longer. Grinds dip alternatives are good products to switch to. The same is for alcohol. It can harm your liver and cause cancer, stroke, and digestive problems. Cut your alcohol intake if you want to live a long and happy life. You should also pay attention to other less severe bad habits like low water intake, eating late at night, or not getting enough exercise. Replacing them with a good routine that will help you eat right, exercise, and sleep better will also help with healthy ageing.
Final Thoughts. Be Positive!
Positive thinking is a powerful ally at any age. When you choose to be optimistic and grateful, your body and mind respond in kind. Don’t let growing old make you feel old! Each of us has the power to impact how we age and unleash the inner fountain of youth. People with positive attitudes live longer and have fewer heart attacks and depression. One study found that positive thinking can extend lifespan by 7.5 years. A positive outlook can help you exercise more and eat better. It also improves sleep and gives you the energy to meet a new day. Surround yourself with optimistic people, do good things for others, and don’t forget to smile.
