Your Health and Your Weight
Healthy Living Through The Ages! Like a good friend, a good
attitude towards fitness and nutrition doesn't abandon us as we
age. It matures right along with us, evolving as our lives
change.
That means we don't have to give up the activities or the foods
we love based on the number of birthdays we've celebrated.
"Research suggests that half the drop in function assumed to be
linked to aging is now thought to be related to inactivity,"
says Elizabeth Ready, an exercise physiologist and associate
dean of education and recreation at the University of Manitoba
in Winnipeg. So healthy, active women can continue to pursue
challenging physical activity even into old age. Still, a
certain amount of common sense is in order. What was demanding
and fulfilling in our 20s, for example may be too time-consuming
in our 30s and 40s, too extreme in our 50s and just downright
foolish in our 60s. Our nutritional needs also evolve as we age,
says Rosie Schwartz, a registered dietician/nutritionist in
Toronto. "What is considered a healthy diet for a 25- year-old
woman in her peak reproductive years will be different than that
of a 60-year-old at increased risk of osteoporosis and heart
disease." And women of all ages need to ensure that they're
getting enough of the female-friendly nutrients -- calcium,
folate, iron and zinc -- that are essential for maintaining a
woman's health throughout her life. Read on to discover how
tweaking your fitness and nutritional goals can keep you looking
good and feeling great at any age! Health Concerns: This is the
time to establish healthy lifestyle habits that will help
prevent heart disease, osteoporosis, diabetes and other diseases
later in life, says "Dr. Miriam Kaufman, a specialist in
adolescent health at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.
Proper nutrition, exercise and sleep are also the first steps in
managing stress and anxiety. This is a time of life, too, when
mental health can be at risk -- major depression, bipolar
disorder, schizophrenia and substance-abuse disorders have their
onset at this age. Kaufman recommends that even the healthiest
young person visit a family doctor once a year. Fitness Goals:
Our bodies are in peak form in our 20s, so now is the time to
expand aerobic capacity and sample some new sports. Since you're
less likely to have financial constraints, children and a
mortgage in your 20s, you may want to indulge in active
vacations and invest in good-quality sports equipment. Suggested
Activities: Team sports or rugged individual pursuits such as
rock climbing and mountain biking, as well as high-impact
activities such as jogging and aerobics, will help build strong
bones for the future. Nutritional Goals: No matter how energetic
you are, late nights and skipped meals can take their toll and
nutritional shortfalls each up with you, says Schwartz. Make
sure you're getting enough iron - 18 milligrams per day -- since
too little can lead to iron deficiency anemia, the most common
nutritional deficiency in Canadian women. As well, health
experts recommend that all women of child-bearing age take 0.4
milligrams of folic acid (folate) daily at least three months
before conception to help reduce the chances of birth defects
such as spina bifida. Studies have shown that folate may also
help reduce the risk of heart disease and cervical cancer.
Maintaining a healthy weight also safeguards your ability to
conceive, since being too heavy or too thin interferes with
ovulation. And a health weight ha a major impact on your health
later in life, helping to prevent diseases such as osteoporosis,
diabetes and high blood pressure. Healthy Living Through The
Ages in the 30s! Health Concerns: After the age of 35, your body
begins to exhibit the first stage of aging, says Helen Perrault,
an exercise physiologist and chair of McGill University physical
education department in Montreal. Bone mass has reached it's
peak, and endurance and muscle mass are starting to decline.
Muscle loos in sedentary individuals can be as much as half a
pound a year. Loss of muscle mass causes the body to burn fewer
calories daily, which can slow down metabolism by as much as two
percent per decade, says Perrault. That, combined with lack of
exercise, child-bearing and a busy work schedule, can have a
nasty effect on weight. With women trying to juggle family and
workaday demands, high levels of anxiety and stress are also a
concern during this decade. Fitness Goals: Motherhood and
fitness can be uneasy partners, according to a 1999 study at the
University of Minnesota in Minneapolis which found that physical
activity dropped 14 percent after women had children. With time
at a premium, traditional exercise programs may be too difficult
to follow, says Robin Mech, a fitness co-ordinator at the MacMab
Street YWCA in Hamilton. Mech recommends trying two 15-minute
workouts instead of one 30-minute workout. "You'll keep your
fitness level up, and it'll be easier to fit them into your
schedule," she says. Mech also recommends being flexible and
what kind of exercise you pursue. For example, take the stairs
every chance you get and do bicep curls with the milk/grocery
bag while waiting in line at the grocery store. Suggested
Activities: Try activities such as jogging, walking or cycling,
which can be performed close to home and involve a minimum of
scheduling. Bicycle, walk or in-line skate when you're doing
local errands or visiting friends in the neighborhood. It may be
easier to try to exercise as a family, cycling or hiking
together, than to search for those elusive 30 minutes of private
time. Nutrition Goals: These are the time-crunch years, says
Schwartz, and healthy meals can fall by the wayside as work
deadlines and kids'after-school schedules get in the way.
However, taking the time to eat properly can help counteract the
effects of stress.
That means getting enough zinc and B vitamins to bolster your
over-challenged immune system. Schwartz recommends choosing
whole-grain foods over refined one, and incorporating lots of
legumes such as kidney beans and chickpeas into your diet. And
don't forget to feed your bones with calcium-rich foods. Studies
have shown that calcium may also help ease some of the symptoms
of premenstrual syndrome, help control blood pressure and
protect against colon cancer. Women age 19 to 50 should consume
1,000 milligrams of calcium per day. If you rely on a supplement
to meet your calcium needs, choose one with Vitamin D and
Magnesium. These nutrients work in tandem with calcium to
protect optimal bone health. Vitamin D, for example, increases
calcium absorption by as much as 30 to 80 percent. Read more in
the next newsletter will be centered on "Healthy Living Through
the Ages for in your 40s and 50s." =====================
FREEBIES ===================== Health Concerns at The Adolescent
Years! http://cpmcnet.columbia.edu exts/guide oc oc07.html Eat
For Your Future! Take time out to enjoy healthy food, and we
don't mean half-eaten burgers. Your body will thank you for it
later
http://www.ivillage.co.uk/health/agestage/yngadult/articles/0,127
09,181170_183133,00.html Free public health book online!
http://www.ahealthyme.com/article/bellhowell/102538415 Be Breast
Aware! Breast cancer isthe most common cancer among women. But
checking yourself out once a month will help you recognize
what's normal and what isn't.
http://www.ivillage.co.uk/health/agestage/yngadult/articles/0,127
09,181170_183107,00.html Cool Test Quiz from Nutrition to
Illnesses! http://www.ahealthyme.com opic/quizarchive What Your
Period Says About Your Health at 20, 30, 40!
http://magazines.ivillage.com/redbook/dh/health/articles/0,12840,
284480_289153-2,00.html What You Need To Know In Your 20s!
http://www.healthnet.com/healthy_woman/attention_women/20s/07_you
r20s.asp What You Need To Know In Your 30s!
http://www.healthnet.com/healthy_woman/attention_women/30s/08_you
r30s.asp National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
(6/2002)!
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/about/major/nhanes/databriefs/dietary.pdf
Susan Rutter Instructor/Nutritionist Healthy YOUbbies "We Are
What We EAT" http://www.geocities.com/healthyoubbies/ email:
healthy.youbbies@3web.net