I watched her: her walk was graceful yet determined; her steps were agile but firm, her movements lithe yet calculated; her demeanor simple but elegant; her smile serene but expressive; her touch gentle but reassuring; her voice soft yet engaging; her expression tranquil yet interested. She seemed to blossom not whither with age. I wondered how such persons stay energetic, involved, alert, and happy within their skins as they smoothly advance in age, while others seem lethargic, uninterested, grumpy, apathetic, and negative. After close observation, I came to the conclusion that those who know how to ride the wave of aging are the ones who are aware of their health and in control of themselves and their lives. They have willingly and intelligently embraced healthy habits that contributed to their ageless appearance, agile physical and mental responses, and positive attitudes, living life to the fullest. Such behaviors help in accepting the undesirable effects of advancing age, wrinkles, slower movements, and inability to perform certain tasks, while practicing healthy lifestyles can avert health decline and chronic diseases. Such effective practices should be carried out with conscious effort, diligence, and perseverance. This achievable path, if chosen, may require persistence, determination, and courage; but at the end of the road, it is gratifying and eventually enjoyable due to the health and energy rewards that come with it.
To become fit, you need to be physically active. Your choice of physical training should be up to you. It can be walking, running, cycling, or even gardening. What you choose should offer your body energy and stamina and your spirit vitality and love for life. Thirty minutes five days a week of any one of these activities should help cardiovascular conditions; improve reflexes; build strength; maintain muscle and joint flexibility; keep body balance; and extend healthy years as well as give independence in older age.
To enhance muscle and ligament elasticity, choose exercises that require opposite muscle movements of arms, legs, neck, head, hips, and joints (forward and backward, side to side, and up and down motions). Low impact exercises like yoga can maintain strength, mobility, and flexibility; improve breathing and posture; and reduce muscle stiffness and stress. Regular aerobic exercises release endorphins that lift mood, relax body and mind, improve emotional state of mind and brain functions, give confidence, and decrease risk of depression, Alzheimer’s disease, and dementia.
Prolonged stress is the body’s biggest enemy. It leads to devastating physical, mental, and emotional disorders such as heart disease, hypertension, digestive problems, compromised immune system, cancer, hyperthyroidism, diabetes, anxiety, insomnia, depression, and hormonal imbalance. With age, hormone production declines, but cortisol the stress hormone continues flowing. The body becomes incapable of dealing with such big amounts of unleashed cortisol, leaving it continuously tired and depleted of energy. Sleep is an effective way of recovering from stress. Relaxation therapies help by increasing slow brain waves and decreasing harmful chemicals in the blood, related to anxiety, anger, irritability, and depression.
Participating in any community activity like volunteering at hospitals, schools, or any charity work; learning new skills, languages, or poetry; and being socially and mentally engaged enhance cognitive performance, mental abilities, and mood stability, lowering risk of memory loss and mental decline.
Family, social, and spiritual support accompanied by a hug, a kiss, laughter, affection, or a caring touch can lift the spirits by making one feel needed and loved; improve health; and extend healthy life. When you fall short on those things, go and get yourself a full body massage to release tension, anger, bad emotions, and feeling of guilt.
A balanced and nutritive diet is probably the most important step to healthy aging and longevity. With a healthy body, strong immunity, and optimum body weight, you can keep disease at bay, become energetic and active, and enhance mental abilities. Dr. Leo Galland, director of the Foundation for Integrated Medicine in New York and author of the “Fat Resistance Diet”, advocates an anti-inflammatory diet for healthy aging. Inflammation is the root of many age-related disorders like heart and cardiovascular diseases, insulin resistance, joint pains, and weight gain accompanied by loss of muscle mass. Such a diet is similar to Mediterranean and Macrobiotic diets. These types of diets are mainly rich in fresh vegetables and fruits, legumes, whole grains, and omega-3 fatty acid rich foods (cold-water fish and other fish), while avoiding saturated fats, fried and fatty foods, refined grains (white flour, rice, and pasta), pastries, sugar, and trans-fats in packaged foods. Oatmeal and other whole grains should replace sweetened processed cereals. It is important to reduce eating red meat, while emphasizing fish, legumes, skinned poultry and turkey, or tofu. Organic, seasonal, deep-colored fruits and vegetables are rich in flavonoids and carotenoids that keep the body young and energetic. Such foods are nutrient-dense.
As the body ages, its ability to absorb nutrients diminishes, due to reduced gastric acid. A supplement of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and enzymes is necessary to keep health balance, and boost immunity. Multiple supplements should include natural vitamins A, B, C, D, E, and K; antioxidant carotenoids, lutein, and lycopene; minerals zinc, calcium, magnesium, and selenium; amino acids; CoQ10 and alpha-lipoic acid; and L-carnitine. To maintain healthy heart, brain, hormone, and nerve functions, extra virgin olive oil and a blend of essential oils (marine-and-plant-based omega-3-and-6 fatty acids) are necessary. Pre-and-probiotics, in whole foods and live culture yogurt, have proactive actions on the digestive system and the body. Certain species of mushrooms protect at the cellular level, enhancing the immune system. Reishi mushrooms stimulate the kidneys and give energy.
Finally it is important to cultivate certain qualities in order to achieve graceful and healthy aging. Patience, tolerance, understanding, contentment, flexibility, dignity, a smiling face, a positive attitude, and optimism are essential characteristics of smooth aging. Appreciating the beauties of life like enjoying a laugh or joke with a friend; savoring an occasional gourmet meal; watching the sun setting or a scenic view, listening to music, or planning an outing to your favorite spot are all good de-stressors that add to joie-de-vivre. Whereas, living in denial of aging and assuming a negative and angry attitude are deterrents to healthy aging.
Regardless of age, being gracious, thoughtful, and charming can earn you the respect and admiration of others. With contentment, you focus more on the priorities of life; achieve your goals; enjoy your health, wealth, and family; and live happier within yourself, hence extending your life span. Neither cosmetic surgery nor denial of age will stop your body from aging and health from declining. Whereas with healthy lifestyle practices and contentment, you are more in control of your existence, enjoying a full life with your head high like my friend. Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) emphasized that “True wealth does not come with material riches but with contentment.”
(Mariam Alireza is a holistic science specialist. Send comments to [email protected]. Log on to arabnews.com for previous articles.)