How many times have you decided to switch to a healthy lifestyle but gave up too fast? You might have told yourself that it’s too late to change your lifestyle. Well, you need to get back on track without letting your age hold you back. Remember, there’s no huge difference between a 100-year old and 18-year-old brain. Make sure that you have the right level of health coverage with Medigap Plans 2021.
You should know that you are never too old to try out new healthy habits. A study by John Hopkins identified that people who made changes to their lifestyle by quitting smoking, switching to a Mediterranean-diet, regular exercises or maintaining a healthy weight reduced their risk of death by 80%. Well, try out the changes outlined below to remain healthy and slow down your aging process.
1. Increased Activity
Exercising reduces your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer. All these result in overall compression of morbidity. Simply put, you can stay healthy longer as you age compared to people who spend the last years of their lives battling long-term illnesses.
Did you know that exercising regularly also keeps dementia and other cognitive diseases at bay? Once your doctor clears you for activity, you should start exercising 30 minutes every day.
2. Improve Your Diet
Currently, the internet is flooded with numerous dieting plans to help you lose weight. However, a healthy diet shouldn’t focus only on reducing your weight. If you want to avoid dementia in your old age and reduce the risk of other illnesses, you should consider switching to a Mediterranean diet. That’s because it is rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fish and olive oil. It is also low in sugar, meat and processed foods. As such, it improves cell function and overall health.
3. Improve Your Sleeping Habits
Poor sleeping habits will have a negative effect on your emotions, memory, weight and overall appearance. As you get older, you will have a hard time falling and staying asleep. Remember, you still need the same amount of sleep as you age.
Most sleep issues are caused by medication side effects, snoring and underlying medical issues such as depression, acid reflux and prostate problems. You need to address these issues with your doctor so you can improve your sleeping patterns.
Even better, you should create a calming space in your bedroom if you want to get quality sleep. Don’t forget to dedicate enough time for sleep and practice the best relaxation techniques for the best results.
4. Quit Smoking
After 24 hours of quitting smoking, you can enjoy a reduced risk of heart attack. For the long-term benefits, if you are middle aged, quitting smoking early enough reduces your risk of dying early by at least half.
If you are experiencing withdrawal and cravings after you quit smoking, you can exercise to combat them. When you feel like you want a cigarette, you should start exercising. Soon enough, you will want to bike or take a walk rather than smoke a cigarette. Also, you can seek help from a doctor to get the best medical aids for smoking withdrawal.
5. Challenge Your Brain
Your brain loves handling new tasks. You can learn a new language or take a new route driving to work. You need to learn new things as you age.
Common Terminology
1. Whole Grains – These include brown rice, whole wheat and barley. They have an outer shell rich in fiber, also known as the bran and the germ, the inner shell. They provide minerals, vitamins and good fats for your body. You should choose whole grain side dishes such as breads, cereals and much more to reduce your risk for type 2 diabetes and heart disease and improve digestion.
2. Mediterranean Diet – This is the traditional cuisine of the countries found near the Mediterranean Sea. The Mediterranean diet has been known to reduce the risk of heart disease, cancers, diabetes and dementia. It includes fruits, beans, vegetables, olive oil, seafood, whole grains and low-fat yogurt, poultry, low-fat cheese, small amounts of sweets and red meat as well as wine in moderation.
3. Dementia – It refers to the loss of brain function caused by various disorders that affect the brain. The symptoms of dementia include impaired thinking and judgment, forgetfulness, agitation, personality changes, and lack of emotional control. It can be caused by inadequate blood flow to the brain, Huntington’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.
