Forever Young Forever Lungs

How old is considered old? As compared to many years ago, human lives longer in 21st century and we should give thanks to a combination of factors. So, there isn’t any reason for us to freak out as we aged. However, our main concern is not ageing but is how to have healthy lives as we aged.

In order to improve healthy living, I believe it is all depends on the choices and habits that one developed and continue into the future. According to some studies, the environment and lifestyles contributes to more healthy old age than genetics. Therefore, the importance of healthy habits increases literally as we aged.

The main factors contributing to healthy livings are segregated into body, mind and spirit. You maybe asking now, “What does it takes to have a healthy living?” Well, one of the contributions would be physical health.

In order to sustain physical health, one needs to eat right by having healthy and balanced diet, feeling better and good about our own body. First comes first, there is a need to love your body and then, balanced diet is all about having a combination of vegetables, fruits, protein, complex carbohydrates (grains food) and healthy fats (olive oil).

Second and foremost point to take note is to try to lose some extra weights. Shedding kilos by regular exercise will do some great results. Besides staying fit, this includes staving off serious illness like osteoporosis, hypertension, diabetes and heart disease. In addition to that, any middle age weight gain is dangerous because this might lead to stroke and heart attack.

Another advantage in eating right is to have intake of good vitamins and minerals that will boost our immune system thus, our body will function better. Some examples of food that provides such vitamins and minerals are berries, tomatoes and broccoli as they contain phytochemical that improves cognitive function and to prevent diseases. In additions, citrus fruits such as oranges & grape fruits provide vitamin C which helps to handle stress better and effective in fighting colds.

In order to sustain a healthy living, exercises do play a big role. Exercises help to increase our metabolism rate to burn fats as well as extend and improve quality of living. Study has found that one hour of walking a day will extend life expectancy up to 2 years.

Exercise also helps in building muscle through strength training. As we aged, human tends to lose muscle mass. Therefore, through strength training, we can rebuild our muscle mass and few of the advantages would be having stronger muscles and less sleepless nights.

As for healthy mind and spirit, one should keep their mind active by doing things that exercise their brain like playing mahjong. By regular exercise, your brain will function better. Other tips towards having healthy living for spirit and mind would be as follows:

1. Keep in touch with your friends, family and co-workers;
2. Seek inspiration to do something new;
3. Have open mind and laugh often;
4. Adaptable to changes and be flexible;
5. Take time to relax; and
6. Maintain future orientation.

In summary, we need to take good care of our physical well being, challenge your mind from time to time to remain sharp, reaching out to others and always feeling positive about life and aging.

At the end of the day, I believe that everybody does grow old and this is the fact of life. As long as we grow old healthily and gracefully, there shouldn’t be anything to be feared of. Think about it.