by Ben Carey
While a good diet and a strong exercise program are important for all different kinds of people, both are especially important for senior citizens. Studies show that seniors who pay careful attention to the foods they eat and their activity levels not only have the tendency to live longer they also live fuller lives. Instead of being confined to a chair or a sedentary lifestyle, healthy seniors have fewer medical expenses, are able to get out with friends more, and have a better overall quality of life.
I assert that the first, and fundamental right of every woman is to be allowed the free exercise of her own belief; and that free exercise is not allowed when she is in any way restrained either morally or intellectually.
—Margaret Anna Cusack (1829–1899)
One of the first ways to achieve these results that other healthy seniors do is to pay careful attention to your diet. The Federal Food and Drug Administration have recently revised the Food Guide Pyramid to reflect the needs of seniors. In general, a sixty-seven year old has some pretty specific intake needs. The first category you should be aware of is the grains category. If you are a sixty-seven year old individual who gets around thirty minutes of activity each day, you should consume five ounces of grains each day. At least half of your grain consumption should be whole grains. Things like whole-wheat sandwich bread, whole-wheat bagels and cereals at breakfast, and whole-wheat pasta or brown rice with lunch and dinner. The next major category you should focus on is vegetables. At the minimum, you should consume at least two cups of vegetables each day. Dark, leafy green vegetables like spinach should make up more of your diet than any other type of vegetable. Orange vegetables like yams and carrots should also make up a good part of your diet.
Try to vary your vegetables on both a daily and a weekly basis. Fruits should also be a serious part of your daily diet. Try to take in one and one half cups of fruit each day. Whether you decide to use frozen, canned, or fresh fruit, eating a variety of fruits is essential to this part of your diet. Fruit juice should be a very small part of this category as they only give you a small amount of fruit with a large amount of calories. Milk products should be a large part of your daily diet. You should take in at least three cups of milk products each day. Some good choices for your daily intake in this category are low fat cheeses, yogurts, and milk drinks. Milk substitutes are appropriate if you are lactose intolerant. The final category is meats and beans. You should have at least five ounces in this category each day. All of your meat choices should be lean, low fat cuts. Poultry is also appropriate. How you prepare your meat is also essential. Grilling, broiling, or baking the meat of your choice is the best way to get the nutritional content you need. Beans are also an important part of this category. Pinto beans, kidney beans, and lentils are very important to your daily diet. Be sure to vary your protein intake as much as possible.
I would call the attention of the reader to the difference between “reason” and “reasoning.” Reason is a light, reasoning a process. Reason is a faculty, reasoning an exercise of that faculty. Reasoning proceeds from one truth to another by means of argumentation. This generally involves the whole mind in labor and complexity. But reason does not exist merely in order to engage in reasoning. The process is a means to an end. The true fulfillment of reason as a faculty is found when it can embrace the truth simply and without labor in the light of single intuition.
—Thomas Merton (1915–1968)
Diet isn't the only part of this equation, though. Staying active is also an essential part of becoming a healthy senior. While you may have never had a strong exercise program before in your entire life, it is never too late to start. If, however, your body is not used to regular exercise, your first step on your way to a good exercise program should be your doctor's office. He or she can best advice you on how to proceed. Once your doctor allows you to begin an exercise program, the best advice is to start slowly. Don't expect to be running marathons in a week's time. Begin your new exercise program with a plan. There are three major exercise groups you should be aware of: aerobic exercise, strength training exercise, and flexibility exercise. Ensuring that your plan includes all three of these areas is an important part of becoming healthy. Choose activities that you like, and spend at least thirty minutes each day engaged in physical activity.
Considering diet and exercise an important part of your life will help you become the active senior you've always wanted to be with benefits like fewer health problems and a longer life span.