Thursday 13 - 13 Easy Tips for a Healthy and Happy Life over 40

When I hit the number 40, I was stunned. 40 years old! I felt I was so old. Then I looked in the mirror. Nah I’m not that old. It’s more like being more mature than getting older.

The next day, I took some time to sit and think. And I made a list of what I’ll be doing with the newly age.

Now it’s been a few years from that day. And I feel healthy and totally happy. People ask me how I manage it.

Here are what I told them:

1. Accept it. Aging is part of life. You need to accept it and stop denying, saying that you’re on you early 30 or even 20 something. Yet, don’t feel bad about it. People on their 40s are more interesting, more confident and mostly wise. Keep that in mind.
2. Yet, let your enthusiasm be more than those aged of 20. Be 20 at heart. People say that life begins at 40. So, don’t kill your enthusiasm, your passion. Do things that you have been wishing to do but didn’t have the chance to. Aging doesn’t mean you cannot do anything.
3. Maintain your regular exercise. It helps you keep your joints elastic, strengthen your immune system, reduce heart attack risk, boost your blood circulation, and many other benefits.
4. Check out with your doctor. It’s best to check out with the doctor before deciding to do a certain exercise. Get some advice on which exercise that will give the most benefit for you and which that will cause you an injury. Doctor will also recommend the best portion of the exercise. You can also maintain a regular check up to observe your whole health condition.
5. Try walking. It’s an injury-free exercise for the 40 plus to keep vigorous. It makes your heart beat faster to transport oxygen-rich blood from the lungs to the muscles. The heart and lungs grow more efficient with a regular walking schedule.
6. Enjoy the exercise. You need to enjoy it. It doesn’t have to be only walking, you can try biking or swimming. Just don’t try something that you don’t feel like doing. By enjoying it, there is a big chance that you can turn it into a lifestyle. And, that is very very healthy.
7. Consume only moderate amounts of sugars and foods containing added sugars. People over 40 years old are at higher risk for developing type 2. So, it is better to reduce your sugar intake to avoid getting diabetes.
8. Drink enough water. Not only water helps flush fat, toxins, and any other unwanted or foreign substance from your bodies but it also helps keep your skin healthy and glowing as well as helps reduce wrinkling. Plenty of water also keeps your brain function at optimal levels.
9. Cut down on the salt. Salt maintains the electrolyte balance inside and outside of cells but “excessive” sodium intakes have been associated with other conditions and diseases, such as hypertension and stomach cancer. Leave the salt shaker off the table to get rid of the temptation.
10. Consume food containing Omega 3 fatty acid. It has been proven to lower cholesterol, tryglicerides, LDLs and blood pressure, while at the same time increasing good HDL cholesterol. Therefore it is good for your heart, arteries and veins. It is also has been shown to help prevent three of the most common forms of cancer – breast, colon and prostate by stopping the alteration from a normal healthy cell to a cancerous mass, inhibiting unwanted cellular growth and causing apoptosis, or cellular death, of cancer cells.
11. Eat plenty of leafy green vegetables, almonds, hazelnuts, and vegetable oils like sunflower, canola, and soybean. They are rich in vitamin E, a kind of vitamin that has the ability to counteract cell aging. Not only that, vitamin E also reduces the risk of heart disease, memory loss and cancer.
12. Maintain your weight. Try not to overweight. Your fat cells have several bad effects - weight, hardening of the arteries and a propensity to concern type 2 diabetes. Remember, people over 40 are at higher risk for developing type 2, especially those who are overweight and physically inactive.
13. No smoking! Cut off your smoking habit if you don’t want to suffer from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), emphysema (a type of chronic obstructive lung disease), heart attack, stroke (cerebrovascular accidents), and cancer, particularly lung cancer and cancers of the larynx and tongue. Quitting smoking is one of the most basic ways of reducing your risk of ill health.

By trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle, you express your love towards your body and yourself.