Guest Contributor: Paula Malonza
At the end of the day, your health is what you have. It’s
not about how the body looks but rather, what the body can do. As you get older
you’re going to need it to still do the things you enjoyed when you were
younger. I don’t believe in glory days. I’m a firm believer that the best is
yet to come. Aging cannot be reversed through diet and exercising. Aging cannot
be reversed period. But that doesn’t mean that aging can’t be with grace.
1.
Self Love
Imagine someone you love, admire or like, and their
birthday’s coming up. How easy is it to make extra time out of your schedule to
go shopping for them? When you think of
the person you just thought of, could
you imagine loving yourself that much? Why not if you couldn’t? Just as you
would go out of your way to do something nice for them, you should also go out
of your own way to do something nice for yourself. Taking time out of your
schedule to get in some exercise, take a long hot bath, paint your nails or get
them painted, do a facial etc. is not something you need to explain or justify
but rather, something you deserve. You need to be as kind to yourself as you
are to others.
Exercise is hard enough as is. Therefore, don’t make it
harder by doing things you’re “suffering through.” If you’re not enjoying it drop
it and move on to what you love. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans
that was released by the U.S Department of Health and Human Services in 2008
recommends 150 minute of exercise a week. Either half an hour for five days or
about three hours for three days out of the week. For maximum benefits of
exercise, the guidelines recommend 300 minutes a week. Any time you can put in
towards physical activity is great, but why not make it enjoyable. What’s worth
your 150 minutes a week. Is it worth it enough to make you want to try for 300
minutes of your week? Don’t suffer through exercise. Do what you enjoy. There
are too many programs out there on the internet and probably by you, for you be
dragging your feet to your workouts.
Bone density peaks at age thirty. Try not to skip the
strength days or weight bearing exercises such as walking, running or even
lifting weights before then. Just because bone density peaks at thirty however
doesn’t mean that there’s no reason to strength train over thirty. As we get
older, bone density and muscle tone decrease. Bone density more so in women
going through menopause than men around the same age. Strength training helps
strengthen bones, regardless of age and improves strength. It also helps with
weight loss and weight management. Strength training is very important and won’t
make your feminine frame look more masculine or bulky. The Physical Activity
Guidelines suggests at least two days of strength training a week.
Water helps flush out toxins and is important for the
composition of blood which transports oxygen and nutrients to the cells. Water
plays numerous other roles in the body as well. The amount of water in your
system determines how well processes for example, digestion and absorption are
regulated. We also get water from foods we eat. Some foods more than others for
example a watermelon versus a banana. Drinking water prevents dehydration and
keeps our minds sharp and alert. Fun fact, by the time you’re thirsty you’re
already dehydrated. It has to do with how our bodies thirst mechanism works. The
idea is to stay ahead of your thirst. Water also helps regulate weight as
thirst gets mistaken as a hunger cue. Not a lot of people like how water
tastes. Infusing it with fruit or herbs might help. There are many recipes for these
different infusions online. Some people like to drink tea instead of plain
water. Other people like seltzer water. However you’re drinking it, drink it.
It’s going to be good for your overall health.
5.
Be Active
Outside of exercise, our bodies burns calories. This is
known as NEAT or Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis. NEAT includes stuff like
fidgeting (and they said you should sit still), walking to your car, getting up
to go to the bathroom etc. Whenever you can choose the more active option. For
example, taking the stairs, walking or riding your bike instead of driving
somewhere. Small adjustments like this whenever you can. Part of how obesity
rates have been rising in the U.S has had to do with being sedentary due to the
type of lifestyle a person has. A person with a desk job, students and anyone
who has to sit down at a desk for several hours risks falling prey to a
sedentary way of life. Small adjustments when you’re not really in a position
to be as active as you’d like will go a long way in your overall health. It could
be employing the use of a standing desk once in a while, taking a walk during
your lunch break. Or something even as simple as getting up and stretching.
Potato chips and are easily my default snack but there are
snacks way better than potato chips. When I say better, I don’t mean they’re
better because they’re “healthier” but because they taste better and happen to
be healthier. For example banana slices dipped in dark chocolate, cottage
cheese on crackers, peanut butter on apples etc. I could go on but these are
all snacks tailored to things I like.
(I’ll add one more though, blueberries!). If you go online and google
healthy snacks ideas or recipes, you’re bound to find one or two easy to make snacks
that you may actually find yourself liking more than some of the vending
machine options.
Healthy eating isn’t the rocket science it seems to be.
Don’t think of it as giving up foods but rather, adding on healthy foods. You
don’t need to go out and buy some tofu suddenly because you’ve heard “seemingly
healthy” people talk about it. You don’t need to jump on the new diet fad or
learn what words like “Keto” or “South Beach Diet” mean. If you made a few
substitutions to your diet, chances are you probably aren’t as far away from
eating a healthy diet as you thought. Things like increasing your fiber intake.
For example, adding an apple to your breakfast, a salad to your lunch. Swapping
out the breakfast sandwich for oatmeal, etc. Increasing your fiber intake alone
to meet your daily needs will help lower your cholesterol. Adding more vitamins
to your diet by adding fruits and vegetables is another example of healthy
habits you can adopt. Cutting back on the red meat and adding vegetable sources
of protein to your diet once or maybe even a couple of times a week is another
example. For more information on the types of substitutions you could make, the
USDA has a Dietary Guidelines For Americans Handbook which came out in
2015. You could also talk to a
dietitian. ShopRite for example have in store dietitians who’s services are
free of charge to customers. Or you could ask your doctor for a referral to a
dietitian.
This journey isn’t a straight uphill line for anyone.
There’s going to be struggles between points A and B. Busy schedules, social
events and gatherings, cravings etc. Nobody decides one day they’re living
their best life and voila, they just are. It’s a decision that needs constant
revisiting. Some people find it very hard to forgive themselves when they fall
off the wagon. For example, I have a friend who went to a wedding a couple
months ago. Despite having lost a lot of weight now, she still to this day
feels guilty about the wedding. Not everybody’s as lucky. Some people don’t
know how to move on in spite of the guilt they feel. There’s this quote “get
knocked down 7 times but get up 8”. Things happen. Stress, thanksgiving,
birthdays, they’re all a part of life. Sometimes, you’ll know how to navigate
these things and go for the healthier alternatives, other times you won’t. It’s
not the end of the world. Just keep your eyes on that prize. Moving towards
your goals no matter how slowly, is better than not moving towards it at
all.
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