WOMEN: STAYING HEALTHY AS YOU GET OLDER
There are two ways that you can improve your chances of remaining well as you grow older: by looking after your health, and by health screening.
There are a few extra things to keep in mind if you’re over 60 years of age.
Diet
Good nutrition is always important. It’s hard to know just how important particular types of diet are in maintaining health. Around the world, people who have widely varying diets are now living to a ripe old age. Japan and Sweden have the highest life expectancy, with diets that could hardly be more different. Australia is close behind. The French, renowned for the richness of their cuisine and their wine consumption, also have excellent life expectancy.
If you’ve reached the age of 70 and you’re in good health, what you’ve been eating so far hasn’t done you any harm. Most people of this age will have grown up being taught that meat and dairy produce were good for you and bread and potatoes were the ‘baddies’. The new dietary guidelines are different, but they are based on a modern understanding of nutrition so it makes sense to follow them.
One big advantage of the new guidelines is that they advise you to increase the amount of fibre in your diet. This reduces the risk of constipation, which for some people increases as they grow older.
If you have problems with chewing, see your dentist promptly. Inability to chew properly used to be one of the main causes of malnutrition in older people.
The most important thing about food is to enjoy it. Eat enough of a mixture of foods that you like to maintain a healthy weight. Your doctor will advise you about healthy weight range for your height.
Try to choose foods from the Diet Pyramid to ensure that you obtain all the nutrients you need for good health. This will help increase your resistance to infection and keep you feeling healthy and vital.
Special dietary restrictions are only necessary if you develop gout, diabetes, or any other health condition that is diet influenced, or if you need any medicines (for example certain diuretics) that don’t combine well with some foods. Your doctor will tell you if you need a special diet.
Heavy drinking is very destructive, but there’s no evidence that a relaxing drink in the evenings and a glass of wine with dinner will do you any harm.
Exercise
The longer you keep fit, the longer you’ll be able to enjoy an active life. Exercise is good for the body and the soul, but as we get older it must be tempered with moderation to be kind to our ageing muscles (including our heart muscle) and joints, and to allow for any health disorders that develop. Hectic aerobic sessions at the gym and marathon training are definitely unwise for the over-fifties. Walking is considered the best exercise, and a brisk walk of 20 minutes or more at least every second day (better every day) will keep you fit and feeling good.
If this has happened to you, it’s very important for your physical and psychological health to overcome the incontinence and resume walking and any other exercise you enjoy.
Stopping smoking is wise at any age.
Health care
It’s likely that most of us will need to see our doctors more as we grow older, so it’s important to have a general practitioner that we trust and get on well with: someone who will answer questions clearly and explain any tests, diagnoses or treatments.
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Categories: Women's Health | Tags: Women’s Health
