Hello Everybody,
To stay as young as possible for as long as possible you will need to do a few things and not do a few things.
You need to maintain a healthy weight. What is a healthy weight? Technically, for older people, it is a Body Mass Index (BMI) of no more than 27-30. BMI being your weight (in kilos) divided by your height (in metres) squared. But you will know if you are overweight anyway and being overweight is the first thing you must deal with to stay young.
How to maintain a healthy weight? Eat oily fish, such as mackerel twice a week, eat lean meat and eat fresh fruit and vegetables as a basic diet. This is the Mediterranean diet. There are plenty of weight loss programs available and they can be confusing, but the Mediterranean diet is one of the best. There is a massive amount of research which tells us the Mediterranean diet promotes fitness and longevity. There has been less research done on apple cider vinegar, but it has an enthusiastic following. We are told that it helps lower blood glucose levels, burns fat rather than stores it and helps with alkaline/acid balance. If it does all that it is worth considering, and it will not harm you even if it does not. Just drink one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar before each meal and see if you get positive results.
Exercise. You must exercise to maintain health and fitness.. For older people a walking for weight loss program of a mile or so a day is the easiest and best way to exercise. You may also exercise with light weights to help the upper body remain strong if you feel you are able.
Balance. Do some balance training. The simplest form of this is to stand on one leg, count slowly up to 30 and then stand on the other leg for the same length of time. Once you can do that try standing on a cushion or a pillow. Falls from lack of balance cause more injuries to older people than anything else. So it is worth spending a minute a day doing balance training. But make sure you have something to hold on to if needed. Having a fall as a result of balance training rather defeats the whole idea of doing it.
Stress. You need to lower your stress levels. Try to spend some time with other people. Group outings are good as they are generally jolly occasions and you may make new friends. Some say spending time with children keeps you young. The secret is to keep cheerful and optimistic and enjoy the things you do.
Pets. Keeping a pet is particularly good for people living alone. Cats and dogs are best, but do let the cat out once a day and exercise the dog. They will both get fat if they have no exercise, for the same reasons we do. Animal lovers do not keep birds in cages.
Mental Agility. Use your brain. Do crosswords, have a hobby, surf the internet, write your memoirs, try to learn something every day and you will stay young mentally.
Some things not to do are to smoke, to drink more than a glass of wine a day, or lead a sedentary lifestyle. If you are unable to exercise, due to ill health, you must look carefully at your diet. It is easy to comfort eat if you cannot get out much and you must try not to eat too much. If you do you will get fat and stay fat. So try to eat a healthy diet and not much of it. Older people should not let themselves get thin, but should try to stay at the upper level of their ideal BMI by keeping to a weight loss program.
A really long life - to 100 years old - is linked to inheriting a hyperactive version of an enzyme which prevents cells aging. This explains why great age runs in families. You may not be able, or want to, live to a 100. But it is possible, with a little bit of luck, to keep fit and healthy well into your later years.
See you soon,
Peter Stockwell.
18 November 2009
Photo. Astrid Walker
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