Sometimes it seems as if the phrase “Diet and Exercise” has blurred into one word, “dietandexercise.” At lest that’s the impression we may get when listening to advice from doctors and Fitness gurus in countless books, magazines, talk shows, etc. The phrase has become almost “automatic advice” for any and all health problems. However, there’s a good reason for plugging diet and exercise as universal remedies for what ails us-what we consume and how we move (or don’t move!) determines how well we function in general and how happy we feel about being alive. Research shows that “staying young” begins with physical health; giving our bodies the right fuel and the best level of activity provides the foundation for energizing the intellect and optimizing the personality. Fortunately, making even small adjustments in diet and exercise can produce huge benefits.
DIET
Food is a powerful element in human life, one that affects us emotionally and intellectually, as well as physically. Nearly everyone understands that “eating right” is important, but people may not have a clear concept of the powerful influence their food choices can have on their energy levels and overall general health. Perhaps the phrase “healthy diet” would seem more significant on a daily basis if we realized that the foods we consume can help us maintain our youthful vigor!
Dr. Kippels suggests a diet that includes appropriate amounts of protein, fat and low glycemic index carbohydrates, and he recommends following a nutrition plan similar to that outlined by Dr. Barry Sears in the popular diet program The Zone.
In addition to WHAT we eat, we need to review HOW and WHEN we eat. As Dr. Kippels points out, humans were built to graze; we should eat 6 to 8 times a day. Each meal should include balanced portions of carbohydrates, fats and protein, the crucial elements for fueling and maintaining our bodies. Better self-health can begin by becoming more conscious of eating patterns and by making some simple adjustments; Dr. Sears Says, “You are only as healthy as your last meal.” When it comes to health, every meal matters!
Also, we can help maintain youthful vigor by adding appropriate doses of vitamins and supplements to the diet. Most of us have heard of The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for vitamins, but we may not realize the RDA represents, the minimum amount of vitamins required to prevent certain vitamin deficiency diseases, including Scurvy, Rickets, and Beriberi. The optimal levels for many vitamins may be much higher. The need to increase the intake of some vitamins, such as B-12, may be overlooked by some medical practitioners. Low levels of B-12 may be a contributing factor in conditions ranging from blood disorders to neuropsychiatric conditions, as well as Alzheimer’s disease.
EXERCISE
A good diet will give the body what it needs to run efficiently, but the best nutrition in the world won’t fuel a machine that’s always parked! Truly, exercise puts our machinery in motion, and, as the old saying reminds us, we do have a choice: “USE IT OR LOSE IT!”
An active physical life is the best defense against aging, as well as being crucial to mental and emotional health. Sadly, one of the worst consequences of modern conveniences and technological advances has been to transform physically active humans into sedentary lumps. Many people spend their days sitting behind desks and their evenings sitting in front of televisions; the tv screens may be flat, but the same cannot be said of their abdomens and derrieres!
Given the lack of physical activity, it may seem more than a little ironic that one of the main reasons many people give for being inactive is that they are TOO TIRED. In fact, these folks are the victims of deconditioning, a loss of muscle tone and mass that becomes a truly vicious cycle because reduced activity leads to fatigue, making it more difficult to become active, which leads to greater fatigue, and so on. What most of us don’t realize is that this downward spiral actually INCREASES OUR PHYSICAL AGE. Thus, one of the most effective ways to reverse the aging process and restore youthful vigor is to make some form of exercise a priority…for life!
Two types of workouts familiar to most people are aerobic and strength training activities. Aerobic exercises stimulate blood circulation throughout the body, including the blood vessels, the muscles, the heart, and the brain. If people haven’t used their muscles for some time, they need to start slowly and gradually increase the level of demand being placed on their cardiovascular system as they gain stamina. (These activities also improve balance and coordination, thereby helping prevent falls and reducing fractures that often plague older citizens.)
Examples of healthy aerobic activities include walking, dancing, biking, swimming, as well as forms of yoga and martial arts. Basically any activity that gets the body moving for at least 30 minutes, repeated about 4-5 times a week will produce positive results- and not just physically! Recent studies have shown that aerobic exercise helps prevent dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, and that it may be crucial to mental health at any age. In addition, aerobic exercise gives the participant an emotional boost (an “Aerobic High”) often described as an overall feeling of well-being. This sensation after an aerobic workout comes from the body’s production of chemicals called endorphins, and these chemicals provide the fringe benefit of lifting a person’s spirits while improving physical health.
The other main category of exercise is Strength Training (also called resistance training) using hand weights or the more elaborate weight training devices available in gyms. This form of workout adds muscle mass to the body, which in turn increases a person’s metabolism, and increased metabolism means the muscle burn calories even while the person is sitting down or sleeping. Training with weights slows down the aging process and prevents the “frailty” often associated with aging. (Note: muscle tissue is actually about 30% heavier than fat, but muscles take up less space-so weightlifters may not see a weight drop on the scale, but they may still have to buy clothes in smaller sizes!)
So, when should a person start exercising? The answer to that question is simple: START NOW! For most people, the crucial issue is not WHEN, but HOW. Here are some ideas for a successful jump-start to more lively living:
- Don’t try to go it alone. Develop a support system for your activity, including your workout partner(s) or a trainer. Consider taking a class for the structure and for the group dynamics. (Make sure the class operates at an appropriate level of intensity for your skills and conditioning.)
- Add “accountability” to the training by monitoring and reporting to someone else, such as an exercise partner or class instructor.
- Make exercise a social event with an active focus, such as dancing.
- Practice more than one form of exercise or activity to avoid boredom.
- Watch television or listen to music when working out – it will make it easier to sustain effort while exercising.
If you’ve been thinking and talking about becoming more active – stop exercising your chat muscles and start moving the rest of your body. A body in motion produces benefits that will not only keep you alive longer, but will also make you HAPPIER TO BE ALIVE at the same time. You can change your body, your mind, and your emotions – Exercise IS the fountain of youth, and it’s available for anyone to sip!