Aging Well

Cheryl Mashore LVN, CNWC
Director, Health Education

Facing aging is not a new concept. But our views on older age are changing. Experts on aging now know that poor health and loss of independence are not a natural and normal part of getting older. Adopting healthy behaviors—even later in life—can help prevent, delay, and control disease. In fact, research has shown that a healthy lifestyle matters more than your genes in helping you to avoid poor health as you age. There are many steps that you can take now to help maintain your health, vitality, and independence.

Keep your Mind and Body Active

There are many things that you can do to help your brain stay healthy and help reduce your risk for dementia. An important step is to remain socially active. Sports, cultural activities and personal relationships are three activities shown to help protect against dementia. Other social activities include staying active at work, volunteering, joining dancing clubs or other social groups and traveling. Participating in mentally stimulating activities strengthens brain cells and the connections between them. Activities such as mental games, adult education classes, attending plays, and playing games help to keep your brain stimulated. Be positive in your conversations and your actions every day. When you catch yourself complaining, check yourself right there and change the conversation to something positive.

Like most people, you’ve probably heard that physical activity and exercise are good for you. In fact, being physically active on a regular basis is one of the healthiest things you can do for yourself. Being physically active protects brain cells, keeps your heart strong, build muscles, increase flexibility and balance, and helps you to maintain a healthy weight. Don’t worry if you have never exercised or have stopped exercising, there are some simple ways to fit physical activity and exercise into your day. Physical activity can occur in short spurts throughout your day or you can set aside specific times of the day. Include activities that focus on cardio endurance, strength, flexibility and balance. There are many physical activities that do not require special equipment and are free such as walking, taking the stairs, doing yard work, or using exercise DVD’s (chair exercises, yoga, Tai Chi). Visit hdmg.net to view our exercise at home videos! Once you’ve started exercising, it’s important to keep going because physical activity needs to be done on a regular basis to produce maximum benefits. Aim to make physical activity a life-long routine by choosing activities that you enjoy, start slow, commit to an exercise schedule, and find a partner and help each other to stay motivated.

Eat a Healthy Diet

Eating well is vital for everyone at all ages and it’s never too late to make smart food choices, it might be easier than you think! Generally, you need less calories as you get older. If you eat more calories than your body needs, you gain weight. Focus on nutrient rich foods that provide you with maximum nutrition and fewer calories, such as fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains and lean protein sources. Limit or avoid empty calorie (calorie dense) foods such as sugary drinks, candy, desserts, fast food. For example, choose an apple (nutrient dense) over apple pie (calorie dense). And remember to drink plenty water (water helps you digest food and absorb the nutrients, and helps keep your bowels regular).

Two easy to follow, healthy eating plans that promote nutrient dense foods are the Mediterranean and the DASH diets. These eating plans encourage:

• Limiting sweets and salt.
• Eating more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and lean protein.
• Using healthy monounsaturated fats.
• Reducing the intake of Trans fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol.
• Drinking alcoholic beverages in moderation, if at all.
• Eating moderate-sized portions and controlling the number of calories you consume.
• Including physical activity in your daily routine.

HDMG members may contact the Health Education Department at 661-951-3375 for more information about healthy eating plans or our Healthy Weight for Life… program.

If shopping for or preparing good food is hard for you, contact your local Area Agency on Aging or Eldercare locator. You may be able to enjoy free or low-cost meals for older people at a community center, church, or school or have meals delivered to your home.

Get Regular Health Checkups

Annual checkups include blood pressure, weight, blood work, colon cancer screenings and other tests as needed. HDMG members can call the Living Well Resource Center directly at 661-726-3848 to request a free Colon Cancer screening kit! Men also need a prostate exam and PSA. Women may also need a mammogram, Pap test and pelvic exam. Tell your doctor about any health changes you notice. Your annual checkup is also the time to discuss your emotional health. If you feel sad or lack energy, tell your doctor. Your emotional health is just as important as your physical health.

Quit Smoking

If you have smoked for many years, you might think it’s too late for you to quit—that the damage is done. But quitting has immediate health benefits even for lifelong smokers and people with smoking-related diseases. For instance, smokers have twice the risk of dying of heart disease as nonsmokers. But this risk begins to drop after quitting. After 15 years of not smoking, past smokers’ risk of heart disease is similar to those who have never smoked. HDMG members that are interested in quitting may contact the Health Education Department at 661-951-3375 to register for our Getting Ready to Quit - Smoking Cessation class.

Practice Safety Habits

Accidents at home are a leading cause of injury and death in the United States and the risk for home accidents increases for individuals older than sixty-five years. To prevent home accidents, start by assessing your personal changes in balance and gait, cardiovascular issues and neurological problems. These are often sources of falls. Check your home for tripping hazards such as carpets and area rugs, extension cords, clutter and poorly lit areas. HDMG members may contact the Health Education Department at 661-951-3375 for more information about preventing falls or to register for our Safe Today, Healthy for Life... fall prevention class.

Work with your doctor and pharmacist to prevent medication overdoses and interactions. Install and maintain smoke alarms on every level of your home. Consider using a personal medical alert system. A quick and timely response to falls and other emergencies can prevent lasting injuries and preserve your independence.

Whatever your age, you can start making positive lifestyle changes today. So take charge of your health, follow your passion and look forward to what’s next in Life…

To help our members reach their health goals, High Desert Medical Group offers a variety of free health related programs and workshops through our Health Education Department, For more information, contact us at hdmghealthed@hdmg.net or 661-951-3375.