1. Maintain a positive attitude
You are what you think when it comes to aging. Seniors who think of age as a means to wisdom and overall satisfaction are more than 40 percent more likely to recover from a disability than those who see aging as synonymous with helplessness or uselessness, according to The Journal of the American Medical Association.
Superior Senior Home Care thrives on keeping our outlooks, and approach to helping our clients stay positive and work through any obstacles. You’ll find no matter what service we provide, it is provided by a person who cares.
2. Watch what you eat…
Nutrition plays a major role in how your body ages. The latest research shows that a low-glycemic diet high in fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein is healthiest according to Kaiser Permanente.
One great example is the Mediterranean diet, rich in plant-based foods, whole grains, nuts, and red wine (in moderation!). It also involves eating fish twice each week and cutting back on salt. Research shows that this type of diet may help you age better by warding off heart attacks, strokes, and premature death, according to Harvard Medical School.
An added bonus: foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, such as walnuts, salmon, and flaxseed, help your skin manufacture the essential oils it needs to protect itself and can help skin look younger.
In contrast, sugary, carbohydrate-heavy, and fatty foods—think, chips, soda, and white bread—can speed up the aging process. When shopping or dining out, opt for whole grains and natural sweeteners.
Certified nutritionists at Superior Senior Home Care will help your loved ones, and yourself stay on track with vitamins, nutrition, and any daily food needs to stay healthy.
3. …And how much you eat
Overeating may lead to a shorter life span, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes, according to the NIH. To age well and live longer, it’s best to stick to a balanced diet that consists of about 2.5 cups of vegetables, 1.5 to two cups of fruit, six ounces of grains, three cups of dairy, and five ounces of protein each day.
4. Exercise regularly
Staying active is a vital part of aging well. The average woman can lose 23 percent of her muscle mass between ages of 30-70. You lose muscle more rapidly as you age, but exercise—resistance workouts in particular—can increase mass and strength, even well into your 90s.
Staying fit may also reduce age-related memory loss, according to a study published in the journal Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience. Plus, Alzheimer’s disease accounts for approximately 60 to 70 percent of all dementia cases. Increasing physical activity can decrease this statistic by 25 percent. That’s because exercise strengthens the hippocampus, the region of the brain associated with learning.
5. Stay social
Friends and relatives can help you live longer. Those of us with strong social ties were shown to have a 50 percent higher chance of living longer than those with poor or insufficient relationships, according to a study published in the journal PLoS Medicine.
Health and wellness is more than just about your physical well-being. Staying active socially is also an important aspect of every person’s life, more so with advancing age. A quick mind and engaging conversation help provide a richer and more fulfilling life to our loved ones as their physical bodies weaken. Companion Care at Superior Senior Home Care helps to provide this to your loved ones, allowing you to concentrate more on spending quality, intimate time with them.
6. Protect your skin from the sun
Too much time in the sun can cause wrinkles, not to mention cancer. But wearing sunscreen can help prevent your skin’s aging. While the sun’s UV rays do trigger Vitamin D production, which is essential for bone health, that’s hardly a good reason to expose yourself. After a few minutes of sun, your skin stops making vitamin D…and starts making skin cancer. Most people get plenty of Vitamin D, but if you think you’re not, try eating more salmon or even eggs (don’t skip the yolk).
7. Get plenty of sleep
You probably know that you should snooze for seven to nine hours each night, according to the National Sleep Foundation. But did you know that not sleeping enough may mean a higher risk of obesity, heart disease, and diabetes? Plus, naps can improve memory and even help make up for missing nightly Zzs. It turns out that “beauty sleep” isn’t a myth. During sleep, your body releases a growth hormone that helps restore collagen and elastin, the essential building blocks of young, healthy skin.
Recent studies have also shown a connection between insomnia and accelerated aging of the brain. In other words, chronic lack of sleep adversely affects your brain’s function and speeds up the aging process. Too many of us treat sleep as a luxury instead of a need. If we could encourage people to make one healthy change this year, it would be to sleep more.
Superior Senior Home Care offers a complimentary consultation with an advisor to help you determine your loved one’s home care needs. To schedule your free consultation, call 805.430.8767 or contact us online.
