Is forty the new thirty or are we just expecting
woman to look a decade younger?
The anti-aging business is booming worldwide as old becomes the new young. But what if you don’t have the extra cash to go under the scalpel or hire a personal stylist? Fortunately the key to successful aging is simple and doesn’t have to cost the earth. Aging is inevitable and many age-related changes in the body cannot be prevented, however a lifestyle that includes exercise and a well balanced diet will slow or reduce most health problems related to old age.
Mid-life isn’t a crisis
Mid life can be a wonderful phase in our lives. We often reach full spiritual development during our fifties, learning to appreciate the things in life that money cannot buy, valuing work/life balance and the importance of family, friends and memories.
Once we reach female or male menopause there is a predictable decrease in our basic biological functions. Our metabolisms are no longer as functional as they once were. Every little indulgence, every holiday, every bottle of wine and every illness or injury sets us back a little bit more. The choices we make around the foods we eat become more important. In our twenties our bodies were more forgiving; being forty or older requires a conscious effort as our lifestyle choices will dictate our future health and happiness.
Changes in body shape
Your body is made up of fat, muscles and organs, bones, water and minerals. The distribution and quantity of these materials gives your body its shape. As we age fat tends to deposit more around the centre of our body in and around our organs. We start losing muscle mass as the muscles and other organs lose some of their cells.
Muscle loss often begins early in life and as we age the rate at which our bodies regenerate new muscle or cells slows. Bone mass is lost as we age, our bones lose minerals and become more brittle, inflammation and stiffness result from a breakdown in joint structures. It’s this progressive loss of cells and tissue that rob us of our height later in life. The spine shortens as our vertebra loses it cushioning and the muscles are not strong enough to support our posture. All this degeneration affects our posture, our strength and our immunity; we burn fewer calories at rest and as our lean mass goes down our fat mass increases.
Exercise to prevent old age
New Zealanders who exercise during midlife mainly walk, jog or do cardiovascular activity but weight bearing exercise is the key. Aerobic exercise just doesn’t provide sufficient resistance to maintain muscle. Walking the dog will not make it easier for you to lift shopping bags out of the car. Even if you are doing weight bearing exercise such as walking as only the lower limbs are involved. The best exercise for bones, joints, and anti-aging is a moderate resistance training program that can help you maintain strength and flexibility.
Nutrition for longevity
If you have fat to lose avoid all fad diets. Most commercial diets are deficient in calories and nutrients. A nutrient starved body will deteriorate faster, and any fat loss will be accompanied by a loss of fluid and lean tissue. Eating smaller meals more frequently will help the absorption of more nutrients. A well balanced diet with adequate amounts of calcium is important. This can be as simple as increasing the amounts of fresh vegetables and whole grains and decreasing nutrient poor processed foods and sugar and saturated fats.
Addressing individual dietary deficiencies can help improve health; one very promising supplement is Omega 3 fish oil providing EPA and DHA. Research indicates that Omega 3 oil has a positive impact on cardiovascular health, brain health and immunity; it would be a prudent addition to your ant-aging regime
Looking and feeling years younger is simple. Take care of your body, feed it well and exercise it regularly.
Avoid excesses and enjoy a wide range of food in moderation. Supplement with calcium and essential fats if necessary and enjoy your mid life years.
More here
Real Nutrition gift vouchers make the perfect gift, You can order them online now.
Give them the gift of health, you can use our vouchers at our clinic or for our online programme.
From only $50, you'll find a voucher to suit you.
More information here
