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Stay optimistic. How you feel about ageing is key to your ability to thrive. People who live well into their later years rarely consider their age a limitation. Rather, they take advantage of new opportunities. |
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Exercise helps maintain a healthy heart and circulation, and may also help maintain your weight, give you more energy, ease tension, and help you maintain a healthy appetite. Activities like walking, gardening and even housework can be good ways to get gentle exercise. |
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Maintaining muscle strength becomes increasingly important with age. Muscle tissue burns fat more efficiently, and exercise can markedly enhance your sense of well being. |
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Try to get out and about. Sunlight on the skin helps to maintain levels of vitamin D in the body. |
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Keep your mind active with new and different activities to exercise different parts of your brain. Take advantage of opportunities and possibilities that may not have been available to you previously, such as a second career, voluntary activities, musical instruction, writing or travel. |
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Relax! Stress can have a negative impact on your health. Humour, meditation, tai chi and exercise are all excellent ways to help manage stress. |
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If you find it difficult to chew, remember that fruit and vegetables can easily be blended or pureed. Fruit smoothies are a delicious way to eat fruit and potatoes and other vegetables can be served mashed. Sauces can also be pureed. |
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Drink plenty of milk and eat cheese and bio yoghurt. This is important to help maintain strong bones and a healthy digestive system. |
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Try to eat at least six times daily - breakfast, mid-morning, lunch, mid afternoon, dinner and supper. This should help those whose appetite has decreased (little but often), and those who tend to snack on "junk" food due to low blood sugar levels. |
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Try to drink pure orange juice with meals as it helps in the absorption of nutrients, whereas tea and coffee can inhibit absorption. |
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Remember that moderation is important. Drink alcohol and eat chocolate if it makes you feel happy, but only in moderation! |
