Three experts give advice on how to make your life healthy and happy.
Growing older is a scary prospect because it reminds us of our mortality. However, good health and a positive outlook can make age feel like just another number. The best way to get started is to keep a careful vigil on your body and its needs throughout your life.
Three experts - nutritionist Belinda Rennie, certified fitness professional Bernadette Abraham and Belhoul Speciality Hospital's specialist physician Dr. Ravinder Bhatt - give us advice on how to make each decade healthy and safe.
Your energetic 20s
Belinda Rennie: Don't avoid breakfast. Aim to eat two other meals and two snacks daily. Eat foods that are high in iron such as green leafy vegetables, lean meats, chicken, fish and pulses. Prevent the onset of osteoporosis by building up bone mass with regular weight-bearing exercise and a whole food, mineral-rich diet.
Limit takeaway and fast foods to once a week or less. Drink at least eight glasses of plain water. Substitute juices for soft drinks. Limit intake of alcohol to protect your liver.
Bernadette Abraham: Begin creating healthy habits that can be carried on for a lifetime. Staying fit doesn't mean spending countless hours in the gym. An hour of physical activity can be broken down into periods of 10 to 15 minutes throughout the day. You can also play a sport that you enjoy such as netball, tennis, football or swimming.
Dr Ravinder Bhatt: In your 20s and 30s, regular weight checks are important for both sexes since obesity creates its own health risks. A family history of diabetes, hypertension or heart disease should also prompt a cholesterol profile, blood sugar and blood pressure test to rule out possibilities. Women, especially those with a family history of breast cancer, should have a breast exam annually. A Pap smear test and pelvic exam (especially if sexually active) is also a protective measure against cancer.
Your prime 30s
Belinda Rennie: By 30, you will have reached your maximum bone density - it will gradually start to decrease now, so continue weight-bearing exercise and eat a whole food diet rich in calcium, magnesium and zinc.
If planning a family, men and women should correct nutritional deficiencies first (zinc, iron, calcium, magnesium, B group vitamins, vitamin C) by improving their diet and avoiding alcohol and coffee.
Eat at least two fruits and five servings of vegetables every day. Eat organic food and avoid processed, fried and refined food. Boost your intake of Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids. Limit tea and coffee and gradually replace with herbal teas and drink at least eight glasses of water per day.
Bernadette Abraham: Unless a person exercises regularly, one-half pound of muscle is lost each year after the age of 25, which consequently decreases the metabolic rate and causes weight gain. Doing strength training three to five days a week coupled with cardiovascular exercise can delay muscle loss and boost the metabolism.
The stable 40s
Belinda Rennie: Maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle. You can also prevent long-term health problems by recognising and acting on any symptoms of disease.
Avoid foods that are high in animal fat, refined sugar and salt. Correct nutritional deficiencies (essential fatty acids, calcium, magnesium, vitamin C, D, E and B group nutrients) and eat foods rich in beneficial phytochemicals, such as soy products, nuts and seeds, pulses and fruits and vegetables, before menopause.
Bernadette Abraham: As one becomes more in tune with their body, yoga, tai chi and Pilates become the perfect activities for that mind-body connection. The stress of the day can all be erased with soothing stretches and strengthening exercises. Include activities that bring cardiovascular benefits such as walking and cycling.
Dr Ravinder Bhatt: The stress-ridden lifestyles we lead often show their effects in our late 30s and 40s. Coronary artery disease can be precipitated by high risk factors such as smoking, high cholesterol and heredity. Metabolic disorders also are common during this period. Have annual medical exams checking your cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar levels during this period.
Women should also have a breast exam and mammogram done. Men should also rule out testicular cancer with a test. Keeping a check on your weight is imperative. Annual eye exams are also important. Check your skin to see any suspicious looking moles or skin changes regularly to rule out skin cancer. People who already have conditions such as diabetes, high cholesterol, and hypertension can self monitor their conditions with home diagnostic tests kits. However, that should not replace a visit to the doctor. People should buy approved products read labels and follow directions carefully while using the kits or it may interfere with getting accurate results.
The fabulous 50s
Belinda Rennie: Post-menopausal women should have a thyroid function test. A sluggish thyroid can contribute to other hormonal imbalances, weight gain and fatigue. Be informed of the risks and side effects of HRT and explore alternatives such as natural progesterone and bio-identical hormones. Starting at age 50, get a stool blood test to check for colon cancer every year.
Avoid foods that are high in animal fat, refined sugar and salt. Eat a vegetable/salad-based lunch with small amounts of protein such as a tuna/salmon salad. Try to eat a lighter evening meal before 8pm.
Bernadette Abraham: This is a good time to incorporate strength training in your exercise routine, if you haven't before. Adding muscle to the body increases the metabolism instantly and helps reduce body fat.
Strength training helps maintain and/or build bone strength, which can reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis. Also, it improves glucose metabolism (less likely to develop adult-onset diabetes), speeds up the digestive process (reduces the risk of colon cancer), lowers high blood pressure, increases the good cholesterol HDL, improves lower back health, and reduces arthritic pain.
Exercise for 30 to 35 minutes and focus on every major muscle group (around 10 to 12 different exercises) two to three days per week. Although aging does not reduce the ability to gain strength and build muscle, it does make the body more susceptible to exercise-related injuries, so consult your physician before beginning an exercise programme or suddenly increasing activity levels, especially if you have been sedentary for most of your life.
Dr Ravinder Bhatt: During the 50s and 60s, the risk of coronary heart disease, strokes, diabetes, breast, cervical, colon and prostate cancer, osteoporosis, hearing loss and cataracts are high.
Tests to check cholesterol, blood sugar, blood pressure, bone density, eye diseases, hearing and cancers for both men and women are a must.
The tranquil 60s (and beyond)
Belinda Rennie: Eat a diet rich in antioxidants. These boost the immune system and combat the effects of ageing and free radical damage. Increase your intake of essential fatty acids found in ground seeds, nuts and their cold pressed oils and oily fish to reduce pain and inflammation in joints and help circulation. Eat small and regular healthy meals to aid digestion.
Older people tend to be deficient in vitamin B12, folate, vitamin D, calcium, magnesium and protein, so include low-fat milk/yoghurt, fortified wholegrain cereals, green leafy vegetables and eggs, fish or lean chicken in your daily diet and take a multivitamin/ mineral supplement.
Regularly reassess your medication in consultation with your doctor. Regular medication depletes vital nutrients, increases toxicity of the liver and causes digestive problems. Supplement your diet with extra nutrients where necessary.
Bernadette Abraham: The natural process of ageing can affect balance, lean body mass and weight gain, eyesight, and to some extent coordination. Joint pain is also a common factor for not exercising; however non-weight bearing-activities such as cycling, swimming, and chair and floor exercises are often good alternatives.
Please note that you should consult a physician, certified nutritionist and fitness professional before you incorporate any of the tips mentioned above.
