Reprinted from Department of Veteran´s Affairs Sunshine Healthcare Network - Volume 13, No. 2 Winter 2009
7 Steps To Aging WELL
All of us want to "stay young" as we grow older. These 7 steps can help you live better and longer.
1. Control Your Blood Pressure
You can have high blood pressure (BP) also called hypertension and still feel fine. That's because
high blood pressure does not cause symptoms that you can see or feel. But it is a major health problem. If
not treated, it can lead to stroke, heart disease, eye problems, and kidney failure.
What You Can Do:
Exercise every day. Moderate exercise can lower blood pressure. Check with your doctor before
starting a new exercise plan.
Eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy foods.
Cut down on salt and sodium. A low-salt diet might help lower your blood pressure.
Follow your doctor's orders. If lifestyle changes alone do not control your BP, your doctor may
prescribe blood pressure pills.
2. Control Your Cholesterol: CHOLESTEROL is a waxy, fat-like substance present in cell walls or
membranes everywhere in the body. You need some cholesterol, but too much can build up in your arteries where it
can cause heart attacks and stroke. Cholesterol travels through the blood in two "packages": High-density
lipoproteins (HDL) is the "good" cholesterol. It carries cholesterol in the blood from other parts of the body to
the liver, which removes it. HDL keeps cholesterol from building up in the walls of the arteries. Low density
Well lipoproteins (LDL), the "bad" cholesterol, leads to a buildup of cholesterol in the walls of your arteries.
The higher the LDL level in your blood, the greater your chances of developing coronary heart disease.
What You Can Do:
Reduce your LDL bad cholesterol and raise your HDL good cholesterol through diet and exercise.
If that fails, you may need drugs.
3. Control Your Weight: Research shows that extra weight puts you at higher risk for many health risks
as you age: type 2 diabetes (high blood sugar), high blood presure, heart disease and stroke, some types of cancer,
sleep apnea (when breathing stops for short periods during sleep), osteoarthritis (wearing away of the joints),
and many other problems.
What You Can Do:
Losing as little as 5 to 15 percent of your body weight can do much to improve your health. For example,
if you weigh 200 pounds, losing 5 percent of your body weight means losing 10 pounds. Losing 15 percent means
losing 30 pounds. A safe rate of weight loss is 1/2 to 2 pounds per week.
4. Exercise: Why? Physical activity burns calories. When you burn more calories than you eat each day,
you will take off pounds. As we age, most of us lose from 20 to 40 percent of muscle mass. The quality of muscle
tissue in older adults is also decreased. Strength exercises can partly restore muscles and strength, often very
quickly.
What You Can Do:
Talk to your doctor about how much exercise is right for you. A good goal for many people is to work up to
exercising four to six times a week for 30 to 60 minutes at a time.
5. Stop Smoking: Tobacco use remains the single most preventable cause of death in the United States.
Cigarette smoking accounts for nearly one-third of all cancer deaths in this country each year. Smoking also
increases the risk of other health problems, such as chronic lung disease and heart disease.
What You Can Do:
All health care professionals agree that quitting smoking is the best gift you can give yourself
and your loved ones.
6. Don't Drink Too Much: The risks of alcohol misuse are serious in many cases, life threatening.
Heavy drinking can increase the risk for certain cancers, especially those of the liver, esophagus, throat, and
larynx (voice box) and cause liver cirrhosis, immune system problems, and brain damage. Drinking also increases
the risk of death from car crashes.
What You Can Do:
Moderate alcohol use up to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women and older people
is not harmful for most adults. (A standard drink is one 12-ounce bottle or can of either beer or wine cooler,
one 5- ounce glass of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits.)
Don't drink more than this, and talk to your provider about what's best for you.
7. Follow Preventive Measures Proven to Help Taking responsibility for your own health as you
age means being an active partner with your health care providers.
1. What You Can Do:
Find and stay with a "medical home." Many families are see a lot of health care providers who have no
history of them or their family members. Find a "medical home" physician or medical practice and stay with it
over time.
Get vaccinated. Ignoring flu and other shots can be hazardous to your health as you age.
Save your skin. With age come sunlight-related effects, from wrinkles and dermatitis to basal cell carcinomas and
melanoma cancers. Protect your skin, and see your provider if you notice any changes in your skin.
Take your medicine. It can only work when taken as prescribed.
Educate yourself. Being proactive about your health as you age means learning about how you can stay healthy.
One of the best ways to do this is to talk to your providers, and use web sites such as www.myhealth.va.gov,
www.medlineplus.gov and www. nihseniorhealth.gov for the most trusted and latest health care information available.
You can also ask your VA Librarians for help.
Adapted from the article in MedlinePlus: The Magazine, Winter 2007
(http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/magazine/issues/winter07/toc.html).
Sunshine Lifestyles
We can all make small changes in lifestyle that can give huge benefits toward good health, prevention of injury
or illness, and quality of life.
This page will highlight some things that each of us can do to help ourselves.
Don't Let Stress Stand in the Way of Success
Stress is a fact of life. How you handle it, though, is up to you.
Here are a few tips for keeping stress under control in wild times:
Focus on the "now." Worries about the past or the future can chip away at doing anything in the present
time. When you feel yourself getting anxious, focus on what you can do right now, and do it.
Identify your fears. Sort out your feeling so you know just what you're worried about. Beating a vague
dread is tough, but once you've got a real target, you'll be able to find ways to deal with your fear head-on.
Look for positive energy. Don't hang out with people whose anger or upset spills over onto youfind friends
who support you and offer encouragement. Watch hopeful or funny movies, listen to upbeat music. The more positive
forces are in your life, the better you'll be able to keep stress at bay.
Pay Attention to your Feet
The next time you shop for shoes, remember these guidelines from the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center web site:
Your feet may get wider with age. Measure your feet before buying shoes.
Soft, flexible uppers will better match the shape of your foot.
Leather shoes generally irritate your skin less.
Soles should provide good traction.
Thick soles lessen pressure on hard surfaces such as concrete and wood flooring.
Low-heeled shoes are more comfortable and offer less risk of injury and pain than high heels.
What You Can Do To Stop The Flu
To lower your chances of getting or spreading the flu:
Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw it away after using it.
If you don't have a tissue, cough into the crook of your elbow. This keeps your hands more germ-free.