Tips To Care For Your Health As You Get Older

1. Keep An Eye On What You're Eating and Drinking

While it may sound like something obvious, you want to pay close attention to what you are eating and drinking. You need to maintain a balanced diet. This is very important for maintaining optimal health. You want to avoid eating and drinking things that are unhealthy for you. The ideal diet would be low in saturated fats and it would contain a lot of vegetables, fruit, lean protein, and small amounts of dairy.

As you age, it gets even more important to keep yourself hydrated. Your bodily processes stop working as well as they once did. You want to ensure you are drinking enough water daily. Try to incorporate more orange juice and other juices into your diet to encourage you to drink more.

If you are drinking alcohol, it's best to avoid doing so in excess. Stick to drinking in moderation. Try to give yourself a minimum of two days per week where you aren't taxing your liver. Your liver needs time to recover from the toxic effects of alcohol.

2. Your Mouth Health Is Important

Your mouth health is the gateway to your heart. There is a reason a lot of those with gum disease end up with heart disease. You need to be maintaining optimal oral hygiene. Always brush your teeth twice per day and floss after every meal. Flossing is essential because it helps you get the excess plaque and bacteria that your brush cannot reach. It helps to remove these things from the gum line and in between the teeth where they can cause issues.

If you don't floss enough and if you don't get regular professional cleanings two times per year, you will likely notice tartar buildup and bleeding gums. This can increase your risk factor for suffering heart disease or even a heart attack. It's always a good idea to get regular checkups. If you wear dentures, you'll want to ensure they continue to fit properly as your teeth structure can change over time. 

3. Keep Yourself Active

You need to be keeping yourself as active as possible. Daily exercise is essential. It's the best way to keep yourself healthy. You want to try to go outside more often too. Getting outside can help you synthesize vitamin D. Exercise can help reduce your risk factor for developing a lot of deadly diseases. It's also a good way to improve your energy levels which can dwindle as you get older. The government recommends that older adults do a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise every week. It's also recommended to do some sort of weight-bearing strength training twice per week to maintain your muscles and bone density. See here tips to help with your mobility.

4. Go To The Doctor

When you are getting older, it's always a good idea to make a habit of going to the doctor and asking questions. You want to get your vitals checked and figure out what you need to work on. Is your blood pressure high? Do you have high cholesterol? These are things you want to look at to see whether or not you need to make changes to your diet and/or exercise routine. You can also get the seasonal flu shot while you are getting your annual checkup. This can keep you from risking getting the flu virus which can be even more dangerous the older you get.

5. Get Vitamins

As mentioned previously, you want to be going outdoors and getting more sunshine more often as you age. Many suffer from vitamin D deficiency and they don't even know it. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked with a lot of issues including osteoporosis, cognitive impairment, and even cancers. It's best to go outside for a minimum of 15 minutes per day to get the vitamin D you need. It's difficult to get it from only food sources alone. If needed, you can supplement if your doctor approves.

6. Foot Health

Your feet take a beating throughout your life. You could have a lot of foot issues when you get hold of the wear and tear they've been put through. Your feet are important to your balance. They are what holds your body up. Because of this, you need to maintain them as best possible. Try to get shoes that offer optimal support for your body. Go to a professional to get custom orthotics if needed. According to the experts at SnapCrack, if your feet are in pain and they are keeping you from optimal mobility, speak with your doctor about it. 

7. Sleep 

As you get older, you may find that you need more and more sleep. Try to figure out what your optimal sleep duration is. Try to get consistent sleep every night. Stick to a routine. You want to go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day. Avoid taking naps throughout the day as they can cause issues with being unable to fall asleep at night.