By Shawna Hamilton –
Granted, I am only encroaching on 40, but already my 92 year old Nana’s voice has haunted me a few times. For as long as I can remember, every time she’d have to squint to see the TV, forgot a phone number or counted an extra few wrinkles, she’d say “getting old is for the birds!”
As a professional in the health and wellness industry for over 17 yrs now, I do make it my mission to help people live as happily, healthfully and pain free as possible. I commit to that motto daily. Because, even though there is a natural aging process that we can’t ignore, we certainly DO have control over the lifestyles that we choose!
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So, with the summer season right around the corner, I wanted to write a post devoted to helping you make it fun, fit and fabulous – no matter what your age or experiences! As strong and vital woman, we are going to stand tall, gracefully put a hand on one hip and raise the palm of the other and say “you’re not going to get me yet!”
Feeling fabulous is a mindset. It’s having as many of your proverbial ducks in a row as possible. Health is all encompassing isn’t it? We strive for our physical health of course, but also our emotional, mental, spiritual & even financial health matter too don’t they? And can you agree that we feel the best when we have as many of those caveats in a happy place? Think about it, we can be as fit as a fiddle, but feel a lack of connectedness or have material riches, but have poor health and who wants to be the richest woman in the graveyard? It’s not about making the whole pie graph perfect, but it’s about adding water to the soil of each, so to speak, as often as we can.
With this post, I hope to inspire you to make a positive move in all of these categories this summer. Just the basics. Removing all overbearing health information. Life can be complicated enough, keep your health an area that you enjoy and take pride in. After all, as everything else in life, it’s all about how you LOOK AT IT!
Here are 4 of my favorite tips to help ensure a healthy, happy life and an energized Summer season! It’s never rocket science, it’s only about staying conscious about what’s really important.
HERE ARE MY SUGGESTIONS:
1) Want to feel slimmer and sleeker? Adjust your diet and get to stepping! You don’t have to move mountains, just remember that your refrigerator is your body’s signature. A slim physique is 80% diet, 10% fitness and 10% of what God gave ya! So cut down on those unfavorable carbs, eat more veggies and lean proteins, kick the colas, reduce alcohol and never skip a healthy breakfast. Portion sizes and the consumption of energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods have both risen substantially. Because of the ways foods have changed and our ever-increasing habit of dining out, most of us consume many more calories than we need. Furthermore, many of these calories come from foods and beverages that provide no nutritive value.
A healthy eating plan should consist of plenty of fruits and vegetables (at least 5 servings combined), whole grains, minimal low-fat or fat-free dairy products, and 4-5 servings of lean sources of protein a day (fish, poultry, and beans). But, choosing healthy foods and limiting unhealthy foods is only part of the battle. It is also necessary to be aware of serving sizes. For example, a true serving size of meat is typically about 3 ounces. Think of it this way, if you choose to eat a 12-ounce sirloin with dinner, you are really eating 4 servings of meat. For most of us that is more protein than we need for the entire day and will only result in wider hips!
Developing a healthy eating plan is essential for providing our body with the nutrients it needs and for maintaining a healthy body weight, which is important for healthy aging. Being overweight or obese is a major risk factor for many of the health issues that arise as we age, including heart disease, diabetes, and breast cancer.
Be sure to add a quality Multivitamin, Calcium, Vitamin D and Essential Fatty Acid to your morning routine and drink half of your body weight in ounces every day! Please feel free t o drop me a line about adequate daily doses of these vitamins. Your age and present wellness concerns should be taken into account.
2) The statistics are grim for the amount of women that actually get the recommended amounts of physical activity each day. It is recommended that women should participate in moderate-intensity physical activity for 30 minutes or more on 5 or more days each week OR participate in vigorous-intensity physical activity for 20 minutes or more on 3 or more days each week. In addition to helping maintain a healthy body weight, adequate amounts of exercise also helps reduce the risk for health issues. Both strength training and cardiovascular activity have been reported to help reduce the risk of heart disease by increasing HDL cholesterol, lowering blood pressure, and improving heart fitness. Additionally, exercise helps control blood sugar levels and reduce the risk for diabetes. Physical activity is also important for reducing a woman’s risk for osteoporosis. Weight-bearing exercises like jogging, walking, and weight lifting reduce the risk for osteoporosis by reducing bone loss as one gets older.
Physical activity clearly has numerous health benefits. Like eating healthy, it is never too early or too late to start exercising. Since many chronic health issues progress over time without our awareness, it is best to develop and maintain a good physical activity plan throughout life.
3) I highly recommend a good nights sleep. Without quality rest, our mental faculties feel taxed and our bodies are more prone to our predisposed aches and pains. We heal when we sleep. Always remember that. Changes in sleep and circadian rhythm occur as you age. You might sleep less at night, and you may not sleep as deeply as you did when you were younger. And it’s more likely that you’ll wake up during the night and/or wake up earlier in the morning. These are all normal occurrences. I often suggest that my clients give 5 HTP a try. This supplement is easy to find and has a great reputation to improve sleep quality, ease moodiness and even control appetite. Take as directed on the bottle.
4) STAY CONNECTED. I tribute this one to both emotional and spiritual health. The worst thing you can do is isolate yourself! Get out there and stay busy and involved, it does so many wonders for the mind and soul, especially in the beautiful Summer months. I always like to recommend trying something new. Sailing? Picnics? Little road trips with a gal pal? Outdoor theater? Whatever you choose, experiment with your time.
5) Keep up to date with a yearly physical. Need I say more?
These suggestions are what I call “foundational health” and it is a good place to start! Keep it simple. Just water each “garden” of health a little bit everyday.
Enjoy a wonderfully joyous and healthy Summer! It’s so easy to write when I have so many fabulous women in mind! Stay tuned for my next article!
Shawna Hamilton B.A,BKin,H.D, is a Professional Personal Trainer, Nutrition Consultant and Homeopathic Doctor. You will find her at: http://www.fitandonthemove.com/.
1 thought on “Aging Is All In the Attitude”
Sleeping is the most important one for me because if I don’t get mt eight hours I stress and eat more.