The 4 Best Fountain-of-Youth Tips
To celebrate today being Senior Health & Fitness Day, we decided to dedicate this blog post to sharing wellness tips for mature populations. We are happy to have partnered with Registered Holistic Nutritionist, Jessica Valiant, for today’s post.
The following recommendations are practical, healthy tips for people of any age; however, seniors can especially benefit from incorporating these habits into their lifestyles. Without further ado, we’ll let Jessica take it away!
- Adequate hydration
I can’t say enough about how important this macro-nutrient is – it’s crucial at every age. Every tissue, muscle fiber, bone, brain is made up of H20. In fact, the human body is 70% water and here are some important reasons for older people to especially ensure they are hydrated:
- Lubrication of joints to maintain flexibility
- Transportation of blood – which is mostly water – to the brain and organs for proper circulation
- Assimilation of nutrients for digestion and elimination
- Helping keep skin plump and firm
- Regular physical activity
When it comes to staying active as we age, intensity is not as important as quantity and quality. Make consistency and sticking to a routine the priority. Whether it be walking, dancing, yoga, pilates or Chi Gong, moving the body is vital to maintaining able-bodied longevity. Exercise also helps keep the cardiovascular system strong, which is an important part of maintaining healthy circulation and avoiding blood clots.
- Spending time outdoors
Fresh air, sunlight, and social interaction with people all play a critical role in our mental well-being – particularly as we age. Community, connections, and having conversations each day are just as important for wellness as a balanced diet and exercise. Other perks of being in nature? Fresh air stimulates our lung capacity to pump fresh oxygenated blood, and direct sunlight on skin helps to produce our bodies’ own Vitamin D – an essential vitamin for hormone health and one that helps prevent S.A.D (Seasonal Affective Disorder).
- Eating close to nature
There is much to be said about the good old days, when cooking from scratch and Grandma’s recipes were standard at the dinner table. Age may often bring a decrease in the stomach’s ability to break down and assimilate nutrients, so it is important to reach for whole foods as often as possible, because they offer the most enzymatic potential. Highly processed foods simply cannot offer the level of nutrition we see from fermented foods (sauerkraut, kimchi), raw foods, and/or lightly steamed vegetables. Foods rich in their own enzymes have the ability to break down more easily and provide more nutrients per weight than their counterparts. Skip packaged and fried foods in favour of nature’s goodness and the lessons Grandma taught us as often as possible.
We hope this post inspires you – regardless of your age – to adopt these healthy habits, if you haven’t done so already. Steps you take today can have a profound impact on your physical and mental well-being later in life. And if you’re a mature adult reading this? We hope you take baby steps towards making these tips part of your daily life, if they aren’t already. These small, all-natural lifestyle changes can and will add up, helping you feel more balanced from the inside out.
What fountain-of-youth tips or insights would you add to Jessica’s round-up?
