Tips for Healthy Eating

To help you stay on track with your healthy eating plan, follow these tips:

• Do not skip meals. Skipping meals may cause your metabolism to slow down or lead you to eat more high-calorie, high-fat foods at your next meal or snack.
• Select high-fiber foods like whole-grain breads and cereals, beans, vegetables, and fruits. They may help keep you regular and lower your risk for chron­ic diseases, such as coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
• Choose lean beef, turkey breast, fish, or chicken with the skin removed to lower the amount of fat and calories in your meals. As you age, your body needs fewer calories, especially if you are not very active.
• Have three servings of vitamin D-fortified low-fat/fat-free milk, yogurt, or cheese every day. Milk products are high in calcium and vitamin D and help keep your bones strong as you age. If you have trouble digesting or do not like milk products, try reduced-lactose milk products, or soy-based beverages, or tofu. You can also talk to your health care provider about taking a calcium and vitamin D supplement.
• Choose foods fortified with vitamin B12. Many adults over the age of 50 have difficulty absorbing adequate amounts of this vitamin. Therefore, they should get this nutrient through fortified foods, such as breakfast cereals, or from a dietary supplement. Talk with your health care provider to ensure that you are consuming enough vitamin B12.
• Keep nutrient-rich snacks like dried apricots, whole-wheat crackers, peanut butter, low-fat cheese, and low-sodium soup on hand. Eat only small amounts of such foods as dried apricots and peanut butter because they are high in calories. Limit how often you have high-fat and high-sugar snacks like cake, candy, chips, and soda.
• Drink plenty of water or water-based fluids. You may notice that you feel less thirsty as you get older, but your body still needs water to stay healthy. Exam­ples of water-based fluids are caffeine-free tea and coffee, soup, and low-fat or skim milk.

Planning and Preparing Your Meals

It is easier to eat well when you plan for your meals and make them enjoyable. Try these tips:

• Grocery shop with a friend. It is pleasant and can save money if you share items that you can only use half of, such as a bag of potatoes or head of cabbage.
• Cook ahead and freeze portions to have healthy and easy meals on hand for days when you do not feel like cooking.
• Keep frozen or canned vegetables, beans, and fruits on hand for quick and healthy additions to meals. Rinse canned vegetables and beans under cold running water to lower their salt content. If fruit is canned in 100-per­cent fruit juice, drain the juice to avoid added calories.
• Try new recipes or different herbs and spices to spark your interest in food. Set the table with a nice cloth and even a flower in a vase to make mealtime special.
• Eat regularly with someone whose company you enjoy.
• If you are unable to cook for yourself, find out about a community program in your area that serves meals or delivers “Meals on Wheels.” Call the Columbia County Aging & Disability Resource Center at 1-888-742-9233 or (608) 742-9219 for more information.

http://win.niddk.nih.gov/

Celebrate American Heart Month by Exercising!

Do you want to add years to your life? Or life to your years?

Feeling your best boosts your zeal for life!

The American Heart Association recommends 30-minutes of moderate activity, but three 10-minute periods of activity are almost as beneficial to your overall fitness as one 30-minute session. This is achievable! Physical activity may also help encourage you to spend some time outdoors. Sunlight on your skin helps your body produce vitamin D, which brings many added health benefits.

Here are some reasons why physical activity is proven to improve both mental and physical health.

• Physical activity boosts mental wellness.
• Regular physical activity can relieve tension, anxiety, depression and anger. You may not only notice a "feel good sensation" immediately following your physical activity, but most people also note an improvement in general well-being over time during the weeks and months as physical activity becomes a part of your routine.
• Exercise increases the flow of oxygen which directly effects the brain. Your mental acuity and memory can be improved with physical activity.
• Physical activity improves physical wellness.
• Stronger immunity
• It enhances your immune system and decreases the risk of developing diseases such as cancer and heart disease.
• Reduced risk factors
• Becoming more active can lower your blood pressure by as much as 4 to 9 mm Hg. That's the same reduction in blood pressure delivered by some antihypertensive medications. Physical activity can also boost your levels of good cholesterol.
• Physical activity prolongs your optimal health.

Without regular physical activity, the body slowly loses its strength, stamina and ability to function well. And for each hour of regular exercise you get, you'll gain about two hours of additional life expectancy, even if you don't start until middle age. Moderate exercise, such as brisk walking, for as little as 30 minutes a day has the proven health benefits listed above as well as:

• Improves blood circulation, which reduces the risk of heart disease
• Keeps weight under control
• Helps in the battle to quit smoking
  
• Improves blood cholesterol levels
• Prevents and manages high blood pressure
• Prevents bone loss
• Boosts energy level
• Helps manage stress
• Releases tension
• Promotes enthusiasm and optimism
• Counters anxiety and depression
• Helps you fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly
• Improves self-image
• Increases muscle strength, increasing the ability to do other physical activities
• Provides a way to share an activity with family and friends
• Reduces coronary heart disease in women by 30-40 percent
• Reduces risk of stroke by 20 percent in moderately active people and by 27 percent in highly active ones
• Establishes good heart-healthy habits in children and counters the conditions (obesity, high blood pressure, poor cholesterol levels, poor lifestyle habits, etc.) that lead to heart attack and stroke later in life
• Helps delay or prevent chronic illnesses and diseases associated with aging and maintains quality of life and independence longer for seniors

So why not see for yourself? Once you get over the inertia and find creative ways to fit physical activity into your life, we think you'll agree that the effort to get moving is worth it!


Benefits of Physical Activity for Older Adults

• In general, people become less physically active as they get older. Nearly 40 percent of people over the age of 55 report no leisure-time physical activity.
• The older people become, the more they need regular exercise. It helps prevent bone loss (reducing the risk of fractures) and reduces the risk of dozens of diseases associated with aging. It also increases muscle strength and may improve balance and coordination, which can reduce the likelihood of falling. It also increases the ability for basic living, making it easier to carry grocery bags, get up from a chair and take care of household chores. Being physically active is a real key in maintaining quality of life and independence.
• Studies have shown that increased levels of physical activity are associated with a reduced incidence of coronary heart disease, hypertension, non-insulin-dependent Type 2 diabetes, colon cancer, depression and anxiety.
• Active people with high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, diabetes or other chronic diseases are less likely to die prematurely than inactive people with these conditions.
• Inactive people lose muscle fiber at a rate of 3 to 5 percent every decade after age 30. That's a 15 percent loss of muscle fiber by age 60!
• Health experts warn that as a consequence of diminished exercise tolerance, a large and increasing number of elderly people will be living below, at, or just above "thresholds of physical ability." In this condition, a minor illness could make them completely dependent on others for their daily care.

Exercise Tips for Older Adults

• If you have a family history of heart disease, check with your doctor first.  It's a good idea to have a physical examination and take a graded exercise test before you start an exercise program.
• Pick rhythmic, repetitive activities that challenge the circulatory system, and exercise at an intensity appropriate for you.
• Pick activities that are fun, suit your needs and that you can do year-round.
• Wear comfortable clothing and footwear appropriate for the temperature, humidity and activity.
• If you decide that walking is a great activity for you, choose a place that has a smooth, soft surface; that does not intersect with traffic; and that's well-lighted and safe.  Many older Americans walk at area shopping malls.
• Find a companion to exercise with you if it will help you stay on a regular schedule and add to your enjoyment.
• Because muscular adaptation and elasticity generally slows with age, take more time to warm up and cool down while exercising.  Make sure you stretch slowly.
• Start exercising at a low intensity (especially if you've been mostly sedentary), and progress gradually.
• If you plan to be active more than 30 minutes, then try to drink some water every 15 minutes, especially when exercising in hot, humid conditions.  As you age, your sense of thirst tends to decrease and you can't completely rely on your internal sense of thirst.

The American Heart Association www.heart.org