As we age, we face the challenge of making sure we stay healthy both in body and mind. Having a healthy body contributes to a healthy mind, and vice-versa. Specialists in adult day care centers in Austin TX can attest to the fact that the mind benefits from physical activity, low blood pressure, a healthy wait, low cholesterol, and nourishing food.
As such, healthy aging involves eating nutritiously, keeping physically and mentally active, limiting alcohol, and seeking treatment when needed, to name a few steps to aging success. There are many things we can do today that will help us maintain a healthy body and mind as we age, here are just a few!
Be active physically.
Regular physical activity helps to maintain and improve memory and mental ability. It also helps prevent dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, improves energy levels, and generally gives a positive feeling, lessening the feelings of depression that many who have heart disease, cancer, and diabetes suffer from. Exercising regularly greatly contributes to improved mobility and reaction time, a stronger heart and better blood flow, and a decrease in blood cholesterol, blood pressure, and heart rate.
Eat your vegetables!
You may recall how difficult you were as a child, refusing to eat your veggies. Now that you’re older, you should also be wiser to eat your greens without a qualm, because food that can help us stay physically strong and healthy also provides the necessary nutrients for keeping our brains sharp. For a healthy mind and body, keep your kitchen well-stocked with the following:
- Asparagus and spinach – these vegetables contain folate, a B vitamin that is necessary for cell health. It also prevents anemia and alterations to our DNA that could lead to the big C. Aside from asparagus and spinach, you can also get folate from strawberries, beef liver, beans, and dark green leafy vegetables.
- Nuts and vegetable oils – vitamin E is an antioxidant that guards the body against cell damage and also reduces the risk of heart disease and cancer. Foods that are naturally rich in this vitamin include vegetable oils, seeds, almonds, and nuts.
- Broccoli – when we hear “Vitamin C”, we often think of an orange, but you can get more of the antioxidant from broccoli and other greens such as Brussels sprouts, cabbage, bell peppers, kales, spinach, and collard greens. Of course, grapefruits and oranges are prime sources too.
Stay connected socially.
Developing and maintaining relationships with family, friends, and the people around us will enrich our life and have a positive effect on our wellbeing. We should set aside a time to enjoy the company of friends, children, and grandchildren, or make new friends through social clubs and book clubs. Joining a club who share our interests gives us a sense of belonging and has a great effect on our mental health.
Keep mentally fit.
Use it or lose it, goes the saying, and this applies to our brains. To maintain mental fitness, it’s important that we engage in activities that stimulates our thinking abilities. Doing brain teasers, learning a new language, reading a challenging book, writing creatively, and watching a play are just a few of the many activities we can do to continue growing new connections in our brain cells.
We can’t put a stop to aging, but we can age gracefully by staying healthy in both mind and body. Follow these tips early on in life, and your older self will thank you for it.
This is a good list of things to remember. My grandpa really struggles with some of these.