4 Simple Things To Start Doing Today For Better Senior Health
By Donovan Baldwin
When it comes to our health, it's often not the big things done once that matter. It's the little things done regularly that add up to a really big thing over time.
This is how it is with senior health.
A lot of the things that are good for senior health usually should have been regular parts of our lives long before we became so... well... you know... old. However, life is an active process and, even if you have neglected your health for the years leading up to now, that doesn't mean that nothing can be done.
Actually, it would take a book, possibly even several large volumes to present all the things that can be done for better senior health. The good news is that some are pretty easy to do and can be started today, if you are not already doing them. If you are, then, go look for that book I was talking about so that you can start working on the other stuff.
If you're not there yet, here are four simple things to start doing today, and each day, for better senior health.
1. Drink more water.
Now, I know that you have heard the "drink eight glasses of water a day" thing for years.
Have you done it?
Of course not, and, I'm not going to tell you to start.
However, most of us go through life at least a little bit dehydrated, which has a negative impact on our health at any age, but, in our senior years it can be devastating. Severe dehydration in older folks can contribute to such bad things as high blood pressure, falling, and even dementia.
Even so, I know you are not going to count your glasses of water each day, but, here's a couple of simple little trick to keep hydrated throughout the day. Every time you go to the bathroom, drink a cup of water. I don't even mean a "cup" as in eight ounces, just fill up that little plastic thing by the sink and drink it down.
This is especially good first thing in the morning as it has been several hours since you last drank anything and yet, your body has been losing its water all night long, and using what it had for bodily processes which went on even while you were asleep.
2. Drink a liquid protein supplement.
First of all, you may have noticed that right after I tell you to drink more water, I tell you to drink a liquid protein supplement, or protein powder mixed in liquid, such as milk or juice, for double-barreled health benefits. One excellent such product is Life Shake™ Plant Protein From Shaklee.
More hydration, right?
Yep, but, another point is that protein needs liquid for processing, and, taking it in a liquid form, helps reduce that need to drink extra water... an instruction you will find on most solid protein supplements.
Protein is an incredibly vital nutrient, being used to build and repair every tissue in the body. In fact, like the topic of senior health, an in-depth discussion of the health benefits of protein can take volumes.
Sadly, as we age, we sometimes tend to get less protein in our diets and, our bodies become less able to process nutrients, including protein, efficiently. Most well-known liquid protein supplements are easier to digest than solid protein, making it easier for older people to extract and use it in this form. Also, even the healthiest person at any age may not be getting the volume of high-quality protein they need for maximum health.
And, sliding to the next topic, if you check the labels carefully, you will be able to find a liquid protein supplement which also provides a range of vitamins and minerals.
3. Take a daily multivitamin.
Another thing that most people have trouble with at any age is eating a diet which is rich in the vitamins and minerals necessary for optimum health benefits. As with protein, not only may an older person's diet lack many of these nutrients, for a wide range of reasons, their body will have trouble extracting them from the foods eaten. Also, it is difficult to plan a diet which will cover all the vitamin and mineral bases, so, taking a daily multivitamin is nutritional insurance policy for better senior health.
4. Go for a walk.
Like everything else, the health benefits of exercise at any age are well known, and, could, and do, fill volumes.
There are all kinds of exercises you probably should be doing, but, since that is a complicated topic, and I'm running out of space, let's just get you out the door, walking briskly for at least 10 minutes a day. While more exercise, and other exercises, can be valuable in many different ways, the basic need is 10 minutes a day, and a walk is a great way to get it.
Not only will this improve your cardiovascular health, it will help improve your balance, prevent falls, speed recovery in case of injury, and help you have better brain health.
Think you can handle all that?
Each day, drink more water, take a liquid protein supplement, take a daily multivitamin supplement, and go for a walk.
That's a pretty easy recipe for better senior health, right?
Donovan Baldwin is a 77-year-old exerciser, poet, and freelance writer currently living in the Dallas - Fort Worth area. A University Of West Florida alumnus (1973) with a BA in accounting, he has been a member of Mensa and has also been a Program Accountant for the Florida State Department of Education, the Business Manager of a community mental health center, and a multi-county Fiscal Consultant for an field office of the Florida State Department of Education. He has also been a trainer for a major international corporation, and has managed various small businesses, including his own. After retiring from the U. S. Army in 1995, with 21 years of service, he began writing articles on health and fitness. He now frequently publishes original articles on his own websites and for use by other webmasters. You can read his article on The Purpose of Protein at www.nodiet4me.com/natural_health/articles/purpose_of_protein.html.
Web Page Copyright 2022 by Donovan Baldwin
Healthy Aging - 4 Simple Things to Start Doing Now
Page Updated 6:14 PM Tuesday 7/8/2014
