Nutrition, Health, & Aging

Hello all and welcome back to the Well Lean Blog!

Today we wanted to talk a little about the importance of nutrition and how it plays a vital role in your health and well being, especially as you begin to get older with age! But just like wine, aging can be a beautiful thing :)

Read on to hear about strategies you can implement within your own life and how you can make sure your body is getting the attention it needs.

Nutrition + Staying Active = Better Well Being

Your body performs its best when it is getting all the vitamins + nutrients it needs, as well as doing your best to stay moving and active.

Understanding what foods you are putting into your body and how you go about planning your daily activities/routines, is vital to your well being.

There are so many benefits that can come from maintaining good nutrition + staying active, especially as a senior, some of which include:

• Improved well-being
• Improvement in your strength.
• Improves your balance.
• Improved energy levels
• Increased ability to fight illness
• Reduce the risk of some diseases (EX: heart disease, diabetes, stroke, some cancers, and osteoporosis
• Can improve your mood and fight off depression.
• Reduce high blood pressure
• Lower high cholesterol

With those benefits in mind, we wanted to take this time to share some FREE courses you can register for, as well as, ways you can start planning out your Health and Well Being in 2021 as a Senior!

Thanks to our good friends Janice Baker at Palomar Health for helping provide these classes and Amy Collett at bizwell.org for providing this informative + valuable article.

Check out these courses by clicking the link below!

FREE Virtual Wellness Classes hosted by Janice Baker, RDN

NUTRITION & AGING COURSE: (Starts August 31st)

http://events.palomarhealth.org/wlp2/classes/info/PPH00127

OTHER FREE COURSES:

https://www.palomarhealth.org/classes-and-events/classes-search

These classes are essential for those looking to take a deeper look in how nutrition plays a critical role in your everyday health. These courses cover topics from how nutrition affects your liver, kidneys, and how it can even affect you aging!

Now more than ever it’s important to make your health a priority. Join Palomar Health medical experts for a virtual class on many popular health topics. Classes are taught by Palomar Health's Janice Baker, RDN, CDE, CNSC, BC-ADM.

With all that being said, planning ahead for your Health and Well being as a senior is crucial, especially with everything going on nowadays. Checkout this article by Amy Collett of bizwell.org as she explains how you can plan out your Health and Well Being in 2021 as a Senior.

Seniors: Create A Plan for Your Health and Well-Being in 2021 With These Expert Strategies

At the start of every year, it is common practice to evaluate whether our way of living is serving our current needs. Even if you are not one for setting resolutions, it is smart to begin the new year by checking in on important areas of your life, especially your health and wellbeing.

Since no one remains static, assessing your changing needs on an annual basis can significantly improve your quality of life.

Update your current diet with professional guidance.

As Well Lean explains, nutrition is very important, regardless of where you are in life. However, experts from MedlinePlus have stated that your dietary needs change as you age.

With each year that passes, you become more susceptible to vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Additionally, certain medications and physical conditions may affect what you can eat and drink.

Starting this year, make it a habit to check in with a doctor or nutritional professional to update your diet plan.

Discuss any physical or emotional symptoms to see if they are related to the foods you have been eating. It also helps to have blood work taken to assess your levels of critical nutrients.

Take steps to boost your self-confidence.

Most people take the role of self-confidence for granted when it comes to overall well-being. However, you can dramatically enhance your mood simply by boosting your self-confidence.

When you like the way you look, you’ll be more likely to feel higher levels of happiness and peace.

One of the quickest and simplest ways you can improve your self-confidence is to find new clothing that leaves you feeling fantastic. Before making any clothing purchases, be sure you do plenty of research (e.g., read customer reviews, online sizing guides, etc.).

Create a fitness plan tailored to your needs.

According to experts at Harvard Medical School, exercising regularly — especially when over the age of 70 — is essential for those who want to feel better and live longer. While beneficial at every age, exercise is particularly valuable for seniors.

For example, strengthening your body has been shown to reduce your chances of falling. Rather than going to a gym or spending money on weights, technology has made it easier than ever before to build your muscles.

Begin strengthening your whole body by working out using Wii fitness games, YouTube exercise videos, and your favourite fitness apps.

Participate in activities that support your mental health.

It is more common than ever before for seniors to experience mental health issues. From anxiety to depression, an estimated 20% of individuals in this age group experience at least one mental health condition.

If you’ve felt any noticeable changes in your mood within the last year, seek advice from a qualified professional. Additionally, activities such as meditation, mindfulness, deep breathing, walks in nature, and journaling are also excellent ways to support your mental health.

Consider Long-Term Care

If you’ve been considering long-term care for some time, now may be the time to fully embrace this change in your life. This is especially true if you’ve started having trouble taking care of yourself or your current home.

Moving to a nursing home facility in San Diego will require some work and patience, but this could be what you need to care for your well-being going forward.

To help you locate the perfect facility, use websites that allow you to check ratings from other residents. It’s also important to schedule tours to visit the facility before you move in.

When you have an updated annual plan at the start of each year, staying healthy becomes an even easier goal to achieve. For maximum effectiveness, place your personalized plan in a highly visible spot so that you can stay on track for the duration of 2021.

To ensure that you are making the best possible decisions, always consult with a healthcare professional for expert advice that is customized to your individual health needs.