| Eight Steps to
Aging Well |
| 1) |
Eat a well balanced and varied diet. Your
diet should be high in fruits and vegetables and low in saturated fat. Especially
important are legumes, whole grains, cold-water fish and soy. The Japanese who have a low
rates of breast cancer, prostate cancer and heart disease eat a diet which is high in tofu
and other soy products. |
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| 2) |
Keep your immune system strong
with zinc and vitamins C and E. |
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| 3) |
Protect your vision by avoiding excess
sun exposure - wear sunglasses. Eat foods that contain vitamins A, C and E as well as the
carotenes, beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin. |
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| 4) |
Lower the risk of atherosclerosis, heart
disease, stroke and cancer by limiting saturated fat and cholesterol in the diet and
increasing intake of vitamins B12, C, E and D, folate. The minerals calcium and selenium,
as well as soluble fiber, garlic, tea and grape flavonoids are also helpful. |
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| 5) |
Keep mentally alert with B vitamins,
antioxidants and Ginkgo. Although Ginkgo has been clinically tested only on people with
dementia, it may help healthy people as well. |
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| 6) |
Protect bones from osteoporosis with a
diet rich in calcium and vitamin D. Take supplements to ensure you meet the RDA
(Recommended Daily Allowance). Calcium supplements which also contain Magnesium, Zinc and
Boron work better.
Help your body make its own vitamin D by spending some time in the sun - a minimum of 10
minutes every day. |
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| 7) |
Boost antioxidant activity and increase
cellular energy activity with Coenzyme-Q10. |
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| 8) |
Exercise. To maintain strong muscles,
mix aerobic exercise with muscle-strengthening activities such as weight training.
Weight-bearing exercises also keep bones healthy. When combined with aerobic exercises,
they also keep weight down. Carrying excess weight has been linked to heart disease and
certain forms of cancer. |
