When you’re young, you see life as eternal and age is not something you concern yourself with. However, once you approach your forties, you take a look in the mirror and notice tell-tale signs of aging and pain is now something that occurs more frequently. The good news is that while you will grow older, you can delay the aging process and its effects on the body.
Fuel Your Body
After 40, your metabolism slows down and you yourself are likely less active. You also may feel fatigued and tire easily. Recharging your body with good-for-you foods will help you to remain energized and able to perform better. A healthy diet consisting of protein, fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fish and nuts is important. Blueberries and broccoli are superfoods that provide multiple benefits to your health and wellness. They are rich in antioxidants, essential vitamins and fiber. Also, small substitutes like replacing vegetable oil with olive oil and eliminating processed foods go a long way to a healthier you.
Dispensing with Harmful Habits
Smoking cigarettes and consuming high levels of alcohol are not good for the body, at any age. However, as you grow older, your organs age too, and the body is not able to tolerate the abuse. Alcohol can also cause you to make more bad decisions, such as driving home from an event or a family gathering after drinking throughout the day and night. Since alcohol slows reflexes and impairs your vision, driving after drinking is setting yourself up for a disaster.
Cigarettes are dangerous. They have thousands of chemicals, 70 of which can cause cancer. Now that you are 40-something, quitting is essential to a healthy quality of life. Thankfully, there are ways to wean off slowly by using a nicotine patch or gum, or vaping using e-liquids available through companies such as ZampleBox. Every little bit helps. These methods allow you to control the amount of nicotine you take in and gradually reduce it.
Benefits of Water
You are made of over 60% water. So it only makes sense that your intake of water daily plays a role in your overall health. As you age, you may not feel as thirsty, so you may think it’s ok not to drink water as often. This is not true. Your reserves of water, as you grow older, become depleted. This means that in order to maintain a healthy level, you must drink it more often, not less.
Dehydration and constipation are two conditions that affect people more frequently as they age. Keeping a good supply of water in the body can keep you regular and protected. Water can also increase your energy and it can thwart headaches and joint pain. Plus, with a slower metabolism, drinking water in between meals can help suppress your hunger, allowing you to eat less at each meal and reduce your caloric intake naturally.
Move Often
It’s not enough to eat right. You must also exercise on a regular basis to maintain a healthy body mass and prevent stiff joints. After the age of 40 it’s harder to keep lean muscles, but not impossible. Most any type of exercise that lets your body build up a sweat will keep your heart rate up and your blood pumping. Staying fit has many benefits. It keeps you energized helping to reduce fatigue. It can prevent many chronic diseases, help you maintain a healthy weight and even increase your life span.
Get Plenty of Rest
With the kids out of the house, you should be able to get the proper amount of rest nightly. Yet many people in their 40s do not. There are many contributing factors that can affect your sleep. Hormones, certain types of medication, and even your nightly drink before retiring for the evening may be keeping you up. If you are unable to sleep well through the night, it’s always best to discuss it with your doctor and come up with solutions that work for you.
Living a good quality of life after 40 is possible. If you eat well, eliminate harmful habits, remain active and get the proper amount of rest, you will set yourself up for a fulfilling and happy retirement.