So, is that you today??? Or this???
OKAY! So you’re no longer 25 (or even close?)
So what do you do about it?
Sit back in your chair and accept that you are getting older? There’s nothing you can do about it anyway (shrug) right?
Prayed! – Make every day count!
Good! – And how the hell do we do that?
This and similar thoughts have been nagging at the back of my minutes for some time and I find it increasingly difficult to sit back and wait for old age and, I swallow hard, to take over. As I read, people tended to do it a long time ago.
Now, aside from any other reason, allowing this to happen is BORING. I get restless sitting on the couch too long, even when I have something creative to do while sitting there.
So naturally, being myself, I started researching as many ideas and suggestions as I could find. And I found so many that I thought I’d pass along a few in case there are others out there who would appreciate some ideas.
Here it goes.
De-stressing: Quite a popular expression these days, but it’s not always easy to do, right? A doctor (Pablo Quintana MD) said in one of his reports that spending even 10 minutes at a time doing something you enjoy can, if you let it, help you overcome some of the stresses many of us feel today.
So what is causing your stress? If it’s medical, you may need to talk to your primary care doctor. But if it’s the stress that can come from managing while living on a shoestring budget; Living alone; meeting few people, perhaps due to moving to a new area; Feeling out of shape, but not knowing how to even BEGIN to correct any of these things, whatever is causing your own personal stress; You can make the difference.
In recent years, I have suffered several of those listed. As well as being at the ‘No Longer a Spring Chicken’ end of the age spectrum, AND a fairly recent widow, I was well aware that I needed to help myself first.
Go ahead and up then, I decided.
The truth about metabolism and calories.
Is there such a thing as metabolism-boosting diets? – NOT
Although hot peppers and green tea can bring a short-term boost. A balanced diet with reasonable portions is much more important.
Can exercise speed up your metabolism? -YES
Muscle burns more calories than fat.
Strength training and cardio are good options.
Can Eating Many Small Meals Boost Metabolism? -NOT
Try small meals if you tend to overeat at mealtimes.
The number of meals matters less than the total calories consumed.
Is it common to have trouble losing weight due to slow metabolism? – NOT
A slow metabolism is rare.
If you’re following all the guidelines but still having trouble losing weight, talk to your doctor.
Low carb substitutes for bread, pasta, rice, potatoes.
bread swaps
A lettuce wrap works great as a taco or hamburger bun.
Chinese cabbage makes a good wrap for sandwich fillings.
Cauliflower is a good base for pizza. Among other delicious things.
pasta exchanges
Shredded spaghetti squash, excellent as spaghetti.
Sliced zucchini or eggplant make great lasagna noodles.
Cauliflower is just as good as pasta with mac and cheese.
Use a vegetable peeler, knife, or spiralizer to turn vegetables into noodles.
potato exchanges
Grated butternut squash can be made into hash browns.
Turnip or cauliflower works well as ‘mashed potatoes’
Jicama (Mexican potato) can be crispy like potatoes
Rutabaga (Swedish) gives body to soups and stews, can also be prepared on rice.
rice exchanges
Cauliflower in rice or in a blender.
Bulgar, quinoa or barley are great substitutes for rice, especially as a side dish or in stir-fries and soups.
Should I add vitamin supplements to my diet?
First check your diet to see if there are any elements missing that you need to add as a supplement. Unless you’re on a really unhealthy eating regimen (fish and chips, burgers and fries, etc. every day), you may already be getting all the vitamins you need. Or you could simply add or remove one or two items to meet your vitamin needs.
But if you are missing any necessary elements, can you add these foods naturally? If not, find a supplement for that section of your diet. But try not to overdo it with multiple supplements that may not be necessary. Also, keep in mind that too many additional supplements can end up in the toilet instead of staying in your system.
Hidden Sources of Trans Fats
A way to pack on the pounds isn’t always obvious, so checking food labels will help, but the following foods may contain that hidden fat.
Baked goods: cookies, cakes and crackers.
Popular snacks: microwave popcorn, potato chips
Fried food, especially in places to eat out and take away.
Dough products, including frozen pizzas and cookies
butter bar
coffee creams
Vegetable shortening – lard, dripping
The term found on packages in the fine print “Partially Hydrogenated Oil” is another name for artificial trans fats.
Another type of unhealthy option, of course, is sugar, which is often used as a condom these days. Some of these hidden sugars, often under different names, are:
• Has syrup – corn syrup, rice syrup
• the word ends in “ose” – fructose, sucrose, maltose, dextrose
• “sugar” is in the name: raw sugar, cane sugar, brown sugar, confectioners’ sugar.
These are also often hidden among the ingredients on the package.
working out
If you’re not in the habit of exercising (as I certainly was), just go for a walk. It doesn’t have to be long, ten minutes is doable for most of us at first. For me it was a very short walk around the block (20 minutes in total) but the return part had a small hill. The first couple of times, I was exhausted when I got back home. But within a week or so, I was voluntarily extending this.
Outdoor walks also expose you to vitamin D, which is good for anxiety problems, sociable, helps you sleep, helps you feel good, helps you focus, helps the immune system, increases creativity, helps control the weight. But remember ‘slip, slap, slide’.
Before starting any exercise plan, discuss your health with your doctor. Weight gain can negatively affect your microbiome, encouraging the types of microbes that get energy from food and help your body store fat, possibly setting the stage for weight gain.
Fiber-rich foods: vegetables, whole grains, fruits, feed the bacteria in the colon; also discourage the growth of some harmful. Probiotics like yogurt and pickled vegetables also help your gut. Getting enough sleep, relieving stress, and exercising can also improve your microbiome. Be careful when taking probiotics, especially if you have some health problems, check with your doctor first. Peppermint oil has been shown to have some beneficial effects.
Regular physical activity can improve your balance and improve or maintain your health and fitness. It could help improve your mood, help manage or lessen the impact of conditions like diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, and depression.
So, what are you waiting for? If the weather is dry and not freezing, get out and walk, even if it’s just for 1 minute. I have a friend in a nursing home, in her eighties, who goes out regularly, with her walker, and walks. Even if it’s just around the perimeter of the building. Sometimes I get embarrassed, so I always try to remind myself that…
you are never too old
Recommended for Mature Adults.
Well, being one of the above, I couldn’t help myself, I had to look for more information that would help me live a HEALTHY, hopefully long, life. Here are my findings.
Despite what many of us believe, as we age, endurance, balance, strength, and flexibility are vital to both health and mood.
Fast walking, dancing, etc. improve the health of your heart, lungs and circulatory system. It can also make it easier to mow the lawn, climb stairs, etc.
Strength exercises, including lifting weights, which don’t have to be very heavy, or using resistance bands, can definitely increase muscle strength, which in turn will help carry the groceries or lift the grandkids.
Balance exercises can help prevent falls. Stretching or flexibility exercises can help freedom of movement. Weights will help tone your muscles. Kegel squeezes for other muscles, fast and long (10 seconds) 3 times a day.
Social activities, reading, games, crafts, indoor computer use can also help keep your brain active and in a good mood. A fairly recent experiment with about 30 people found that dancing is not only good for most muscles, but also improves mood. As well as singing in a group, I am in a local choir and we practice weekly for our concerts. Most of us go home excited, so singing works too.
The Mediterranean diet is also useful for controlling our weight.
Try to always keep sidewalks clear, clean up spills right away, invest in good lighting. Find activities like Tae Chi, Yoga, etc. to help improve your balance. It should lower your blood pressure. Good nutrition supports good health, as does cooking with raw, unprocessed foods, thus limiting the hidden sugars in our diet found in so many processed foods today.
Well, those are the results of my research, so far.
But I will continue to spend time finding ways to help myself stay healthy, and even on a shoestring budget, I will figure out how to delay the time when I need help.
SO – Forward and upward for all of us over 25 years old. Did I say 25? Why discriminate? From the age of 21, catch your bad habits early and you are more likely to have a fit and healthy old age. Very good luck and clothes for all of you