Planning for the Golden Years

If you are fortunate to live long enough there’s no way to avoid growing older. Growing old is wonderful if when the years tick by, you still can maintain your health and a sound mind. Growing old gracefully doesn’t mean a face without fines lines; receding hair line or grey hair – growing old gracefully is having a body that runs smoothly, a mind that is fine tuned and in complete harmony with your surroundings. We live in a society that frowns upon winkles and there are many campaigns that promise youth from a special cream or surgery. In particular many fear aging more than celebrating it as a new beginning.

We can not stop the biological clock from ticking , however we can follow a plan that could possibility promote longevity by treating our body as a shrine and keeping our brain stimulated to continue to produce healthy brain cells. First and foremost we need to understand as with anything in life preparation is essential for success. We must learn how to live a healthy live. We can achieve it by living a life style, which includes eating a balanced diet, the food pyramid is a viable too for planning meals. Incorporate a diet that has plenty of vegetables; fruits, wholes grains and fish. There are many excellent cook books and challenging recipes that you can find on the internet, that will make cooking a joy and that can produce wonderful meals that are not just tasty but healthy too. Try to eliminate adding extra fat to your meals eliminate frying and switch to grilling; boiling and baking. Used Olive oil and canola oil instead of vegetable and animal lard. When eating out chose meals that are healthy and many of the restaurants have become advocates in serving their customers meals that cater to a healthy life style. Omega-3 fatty acids has proven beneficial for the human heart, it can be found in walnuts; salmon, tuna, soy products or you can use a supplement to achieve the same promising results.

A thirty minute brisk walk each day will get your heart pumping and it also will keep your body lean. Or you might try taking a dance class and there are also many good exercise videos.  A good night sleep is a must and limit your alcohol intake.  If you happened to have acquired the addiction to tobacco – you need to understand that tobacco  has proven to be the greatest risk factor linked to heart disease, in addition to aging the skin and other health issues.

Let us not forget about the power of the mind. Everyone has heard that old cliché, “If you don’t use it you lose it”, and that is so true. A mind that is not used will decline. It’s a good idea to read books, play games, take a class. Keep your mind active. It’s also very important to understand we must fuel our mind the same as we need fuel for our body. Try to drink ten glasses of water , dehydration can raise stress hormone levels then a person is at a risk for brain damage. A lack of omega-3 has shown to diminish intellectual performance and has been linked to dementia. Studies have also shown that Green Tea can slow down the plaque that can build up in the brain from amyloid deposits and drinking tea has also been associated with mental alertness.

Remember when you turn sixty you are starting a new chapter in your life, that can prove to be a wonderful journey, however preparation is crucial. Growing old can be a time to enjoy another cycle of life. So when you think about aging don’t frown, just remember that any thing worth while in life requires planning.