Some of us are “older,” but we ALL are aging. And there is no time like the present to take better care of ourselves. Here are physicians’ top eight recommendations:
1. Heed your Scale: Three out of four adults over 60 are overweight or obese, and this predisposes them to type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, gall bladder disease and breast and colon cancer. Limit sweets and alcohol.
2. Exercise Regularly. Arthritis may affect more than half of people as they age, but it can be minimized with regular exercise and with weight control. In one study losing just 11 pounds was associated with a fifty percent reduction in the risk of arthritis in the knees.
3. Consume more Calcium. Osteoporosis is not inevitable, but it affects as many as 44 million Americans over age 50, most of them women. Take calcium supplements, don’t drink carbonated beverages and stop smoking to minimize your risk of osteoporosis and deadly falls.
4. Stop Smoking. I know I said that already, but lung cancer causes more deaths than prostate, breast and colon cancer combined. Smokers will see the added benefit of reduced heart disease and lower blood pressure as a reward.
5. Moderate your Lifestyle. Heart healthy is key as cardiovascular disease affects one in three men or women between ages 45 and 54. All of the above will make a huge difference in lowering the risk of heart disease.
6. Lower the Volume. Audio that is. Hearing preservation starts even earlier on the prevention side, if any of you recall the concerts you may have attended when you were younger…and it extends to the ear buds that can channel overly loud sound directly to the ear drum.
7. Brush Twice. The best way to preserve oral health is to brush twice daily using toothpaste with fluoride. And did you know that teeth health is a strong predictor of heart health and longevity?
8. Multi-task Less. The brain really only manages tasks one at a time, so when you distract your brain’s focus with multiple demands, you only increase your stress or anxiety and fall prey to what seems like memory loss. It is not. And all that promotes heart health – because the brain is dependent upon healthy circulation – also promotes brain health.
Charlotte Bishop is an Aging Life Care Professional and a Geriatric Care Manager and founder of Creative Care Management, certified professionals who are geriatric advocates, resources, counselors and friends to older adults and their families in metropolitan Chicago. Please email your questions to info@creativecaremanagement.com.
