Aging & Activities
Living with Vigour and Joy!
Verna Blanchard is an 81 year old lady who believes that age is no excuse: “you are only too old to do something or try something after you have left this planet”. Verna appreciates that there may be physical boundaries but one must do his utmost to overcome these restrictions. Being a part of a wide scope of activities will improve the mental and physical wellbeing of a person. Verna has compiled a list of hints to succeed in having a fun life filled with vitality:
- Learn something new, such as learning to play a musical instrument, foreign language, indulge in art,
pick up computer skills, anything that is of interest to the person.
- Take note of your diet for the long term to help prevent any unwanted medical conditions that can
be brought on by diet.
- Smile!! This will make you feel better, and brighten up the day of those whom you come into
contact with.- Enjoy children, their enthusiasm and exuberance for life. Laugh with them, read
with them, bring out your inner child.
- Always try to improve life and your surrounding conditions. Celebrate activities that you are able to
do and enjoy them. Do not focus on loss. Do not lament things of the past, the past cannot be
changed. Live in the present.
Exercise & Aging
A study was conducted on rats to determine the difference of DNA between the rats that were moderately active and those that were less active. The rats were free to exercise as they wished and therefore found enjoyable. The amount of exercise was specified as a light one mile jog for a person, or a daily 30 minute walk. The brains of the rats were analysed at the conclusion of this study carried out in 2005. the DNA of the active rats were found to look younger than their inactive counterparts, but most importantly, the active rats had fewer byproducts of oxidative stress in their brains thereby decreasing cellular aging in the brain. This oxidative damage mentioned is a contributor to Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.
Preventative Health Care
Many of the diseases associated with the ageing process and with older age appear to be caused by compounds called free radicals. These are highly reactive by-products of oxidation, normal biological processes within the body that use oxygen. Free radicals help fight infection and are involved in many other processes including blood vessel function. The body has mechanisms to deal with excess numbers of these reactive particles. If the body is not functioning properly, however, unchecked free radicals can cause damage.
In addition environmental pollutants such as cigarette smoke, smog, ultraviolet radiation, pesticides, even some food additives, over-exercising and stress and emotions can all create extra demands for antioxidants to neutralise the free radicals.
Free radicals can cause damage to:
The lens of the eye, leading to cataracts, and the macula at the rear of the eye, causing age-related macular degeneration Nerves and brain, leading to Parkinson’s disease. The cardiovascular system. Oxidation of LDL cholesterol causes atherosclerosis. Genetic DNA, leading to mutations within cells that can cause cancers of linings within the body such as the throat, stomach and colon, and skin, lungs and cervix. Cell mitochonchria, leading to impaired energy production.The body’s natural antioxidant system appears to decline with age. It is not certain whether this decline is associated with reduced intake of natural antioxidant nutrients from the diet, impaired absorption or perhaps increased needs associated with age. Prevention or minimisation of free radical damage can be achieved by: Avoiding exposure to environmental pollutants and introducing antioxidant rich foods into the diet.Supplementing with antioxidant nutrients including the vitamins A (as beta-carotene, the vegetable form of vitamin A), C and E.From population and supplementation studies, it appears that the protective benefits of these antioxidant vitamins are at levels that can not be obtained from an average diet. For example the amount of vitamin E required to slow the progression of heart disease appears to be a level greater than 400 IU (compared with the recommended dietary intake of around 15 IU). Other antioxidants include selenium and glutathione; zinc is involved in antioxidant enzymes systems. Herbs such as milk thistle, ginkgo, bilberry and grape seed all have plant flavonoid compounds that have a protective antioxidant action within the body.
