Aging Gracefully

Eating healthy and staying active are key elements to aging gracefully. Aging is unavoidable but aging poorly is not. It is important to understand the different nutritional needs for our body at different stages of our lives.

Eat Well - When you eat a well balance diet, you can promote graceful aging and you will have more energy to do your daily activities. A proper diet means a mix of fresh fruits and nutrient-rich vegetables, whole grains, lots of fibre and foods that are low in saturated fats and cholesterol. Consume more fish and reduce red meat in your diet. Avoid trans fat and processed foods. Trans fat clogs up your arteries while processed foods is low in nutritional value; speeds up the process of aging. Our food should provide us with the essential nutrients to feed the cells which in turn give us the energy and good health.

Stay Active - Exercise is also another key element of longevity and wellbeing. Exercise is good for you, no matter how old you are. Start with at least 30 minutes of walking per day. Walking is the easier of all and is low impact exercise. Other exercises or activities that you can do are swimming, bicycle ride, tai chi or even something as easy as mopping the floor. Bottom line, move your body.

Smoking also affects how you age. It will exaggerate the signs of aging. To ensure that you age gracefully, avoid smoking cigarettes.

Aging doesn't have to mean that we live in pain and misery in our senior years. With great combination of healthy diet, regular exercise and positive attitude, you will live life to the fullest.