9 Scientific Secrets To Healthy Aging

Arslan Hassanc

We indulge in unhealthy eating habits, lack of exercise, and an unhealthy overall daily routine, which leads to more health problems when we grow old. Therefore, it's imperative to follow a healthy regimen to avoid unnecessary problems when you age.

Below are the 9 scientific secrets to healthy aging. Let's read them one by one.

1.   Include Healthy Food in Your Diet

Step number 1 is to add wholesome food to your diet. What does wholesome food look like? It means green vegetables, fruits, nuts, and whole grains. You must also add good carbs and lean protein to your diet as well.

Avoid high-fat dairy items as they bring a risk of heart attack and obesity. Cut down excess sugar or salt, canned food with preservatives, butter, and other fatty meals.

Not only cardiovascular diseases, but a healthy diet also reduces the risk of many other diseases, including Parkinson's, Alzheimer and cancer.

2.   Add Fibre to your Diet

Add whole-grain instead of white bread.  Also, eat an apple and red kidney beans more. Fiber lets you stay healthy and live longer. It also minimizes the level of cholesterol and reduces the risks of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and colon cancer.

Adding fiber to your diet keeps you away from constipation, which is common in the elderly. It helps regulate the bowels and keeps your digestion system healthy.

3.   Walk or Exercise

You must include exercise in your daily routine; whether it's a walk or a kick-boxing class, exercise should be an essential part of your life.

In general, a 30 minutes' walk every day is beneficial for people of every age group, but it becomes more important when you age. Keep a target of a 30-minute walk every day. You can divide it into short strolls if you cannot manage a 30-minute walk.

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Specialized exercises are another good option, especially early morning.  Scientific research says that aerobic exercise may slow down or improve the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. If you cannot go to a jogging track or a park for a walk or exercise, your lawn or backyard can be a good option too.

Exercise comes with numerous health benefits that include:

• It controls the bodyweight
• Uplifts your mood
• It makes the bones and muscles strong
• Improves sleep
• Reduces the chances of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol

4.   Start Taking Supplements

Taking nutritional supplements becomes important when aging starts. The best way to get the nutrients is from natural food, but if food is not meeting the required amount of nutrition, then the other way is to take supplements.

When you age, your body needs vitamins and minerals more than ever. An aging person needs:

• Calcium that is important for healthy bones
• Vitamin B6, Vitamin B 12 and Vitamin D

However, consult your doctor before taking any supplements.

5.   Quit Smoking

Smoking is injurious to health as it harms almost every organ of the body, especially the lungs and mouth. So if you were a regular smoker before, this is the time to stop it now.  

Did you know that not only cigarettes but other products that contain nicotine increases the risk of cancer, heart disease, mouth cancer, and other health issues like shortness of breath?

Scientific research proves that smoking even one cigarette a day can harm your health significantly. Specifically, men who smoke one cigarette a day have a 48% and women have a 58% higher chance of CHD as compared to non-smoking men and women.

 Therefore, to age well, you must quit smoking. If you find quitting smoking difficult, you can ask your doctor for help.

6.   Socialize

Loneliness badly damages your mind and health. Man is a social animal and wants to get connected with their families and friends. Loneliness also leads to anxiety and depression.

So if you are living alone, start socializing. Studies reveal that the older adults who live alone find it difficult to accomplish everyday tasks like climbing stairs, cleaning the house, cutting the grass, or even bathing.

Lonely older people usually die early as compared to the more connected folks of the same age. Left out people have higher levels of stress hormones that result in inflammation, or swelling, linked to arthritis and diabetes.

More antibodies to a few herpes viruses are found in lonely people, which shows stress in their immune systems. Make friends more at an older age. Volunteer your time or attend social gatherings.

7.   Find Spirituality

It is said that with age, people get closer to God and this develops a sense of well-being in them. According to the study conducted by Baylor University, the more frequently aged people pray the greater they develop feelings of contentment.

This is not surprising, considering that religion brings peace as people turn to the invisible force to pray for their challenges and ask for sustenance during hardships. Even in the 21^st century, people turn towards religion to find contentment, which is a major reason for the sharp increase in religious apps like Islamic finder.

Similarly, people who do not believe in God can also find strength and contentment in spirituality. You must develop a sense of connectedness with the world and practice kindness and good deeds to feel satisfied.

8.   Stay Positive

Positivity is important in every age group not only to lead a happy life but also for health.  When a person chooses to stay positive in all circumstances, his mind and body respond in the same manner.

Aging while staying positive minimizes the chances of a heart attack. It also lowers down HIV count. So it helps to accept the things that are beyond your control, put a smile on your face, and do well for others to stay more positive. You can also keep a gratitude journal to help you stay positive.

9.  Have a Good Sleep

Sleep is more important than we think. When we are young, we stay up late and sleep in. This disrupts our body's metabolism, hormone levels, and much more. The negative effects start appearing when we age.

Moreover, in older adults, Insomnia is a common disease. Therefore, we must follow a healthy sleeping regimen to keep our bodies healthy even when we age.

For a sound sleep, a few tips are:

• Keep the bedroom dark. Switch off all the light.
• Turn off your mobile phones, laptop, and TV.
• Avoid drinking alcohol at night.
• A nap of more than 20 minutes in the day is discouraged for a sound sleep in the night.

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Author Bio: 
Arslan Hassan is an electrical engineer with a passion for writing, designing, and anything tech-related. His educational background in the technical field has given him the edge to write on many topics. He occasionally writes blog articles for Dynamologic Solutions

DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of Nannocare. Nannocare is not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with the author of this article, or any of its subsidiaries or its affiliates.