Special Reports
Tips for ageing well

The government worries about an ageing population putting a strain on the health system. Yet, just like a good wine, it is possible to age well. By maintaining our good health and general wellbeing, we can reduce the risk of developing heart disease, as well as prevent falls and fractures, and lead a happy, healthy, productive and independent life right through our 60s, 70s, 80s and beyond.

Cardiovascular disease
One of the major reasons for ill health in Australia is cardiovascular disease. This includes stroke, arrhythmias (irregular heartbeat), hypertension (high blood pressure), atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), high serum triglycerides and platelet activity (blood thinning). To a point, cardiovascular disease is largely preventable and manageable.

Fish oil: Eating oily fish two to three times a week is one of the recommended protective measures against heart disease. This has a beneficial effect on triglyceride levels, platelet activity, blood pressure regulation and inflammation. Fish oil also helps to keep blood vessels healthy. The combination of healthy blood vessels and healthy cholesterol and triglyceride levels goes a long way to preventing stroke.

Not everyone enjoys eating fish, however, and if you are one of these people, fish oil supplements in capsule form are an easy way to get the right amount of omega-3 fats into your diet without the fishy taste. You need a minimum of 1g of fish oil supplements a day to maintain health and  at least 2g a day if you already have a cardiovascular problem.

Calcium and vitamin D3: This mineral is essential for cardiovascular health as cardiac muscle cells are dependent on both extra- and intracellular stores of calcium for nerve impulse conduction and muscle contraction. Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is also essential as it is needed for the absorption and utilisation of calcium.

Bone and muscle health
One of the major health problems in ageing is losing balance, then falling and breaking a bone or several. This is why it’s important to maintain strong, healthy bones as you get older. And to help protect and stabilise bones, you need strong muscles. Bone loss starts in your 30s so it’s never too early to start looking after bone health.

The mineral calcium gives bones their strength. Calcium is also stored in the bones so, when dietary intake is not sufficient, the body uses these stores to support other functions that need calcium, such as muscle contraction, nerve impulses, as well as activity in the cardiovascular and endocrine (hormone) systems. Although calcium is readily available through diet, we often don’t get enough of it to maintain bone and muscle health. Taking supplements, however, ensures your body is getting the required amount.

Vitamin D is needed to absorb calcium, and this is obtained by exposing skin to sunlight for 10 to 15 minutes a day. The elderly or those who are house bound, have dark skin or cover their skin because of cultural or religious reasons are at risk of being deficient in vitamin D, so will benefit from taking supplements. Research has shown that vitamin D also has a supporting role in strengthening muscles and improving balance, which in turn helps prevent falls and fractures. 

Exercise
No matter what your age or state of health, you can still exercise, even from a chair! To maintain cardiovascular health and bone and muscle strength, do weight-bearing exercises with an aerobic component for at least 30 minutes a day.  Walking is the best inexpensive exercise with the most benefits, but make sure you walk at a pace that increases your heart rate - no strolling! Even better is walking in bursts to get your heart rate up, so walk up and down stairs or in and out of objects. Changing direction not only strengthens muscles, it also helps to improve balance. Use a set of hand weights to lift and strengthen muscles. This can be done from a chair, and only a few minutes a day is needed.  Exercise not only strengthens the body, it improves reaction time and balance and gets the circulation going, enabling more oxygen and nutrients to circulate around the body.

Good nutrition
Nutrition and exercise go hand in hand when it comes to good health, but sometimes it can be hard to incorporate all the foods you need into your daily diet. This is where supplements are so effective – it takes the guesswork out of making sure you are getting the right amounts of vital nutrients. Look for supplements that have all the required nutrients in one capsule to avoid taking half a dozen different capsules.

Eat well to age well!
Of course ensuring you eat a balanced diet is a major step in ageing well. However as we age we produce less saliva and stomach acid and hence digestion can be difficult and it becomes harder to break down and absorb some nutrients. To keep your digestive system in optimum condition we recommend you:

• Eat foods rich in fibre (to keep you regular and avoid constipation)
• Drink at least two litres of water daily (to help your body absorb nutrients and dispose of wastes)
• Reduce saturated fat intake (too much fatty or fried foods may cause digestive complaints such as bloating)
• Don’t eat too quickly, chew food properly (so your digestive enzymes can do their job)
• Exercise regularly (exercise stimulates the intestinal muscles and helps to keep you regular!)
• Quit smoking (tobacco can increase the stomach acid that contributes to a number of digestive conditions)

Aloe Vera

If you do however suffer digestive irritations then add some Aloe Vera juice to water or juice a couple of times a day for a refreshing pleasant-tasting, healthful drink. Aloe Vera’s soothing and anti-inflammatory properties make it ideal to help soothe irritated intestinal membranes, particularly in conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome and ulcerative colitis.

If you suffer from long-term constipation then Aloe Vera juice can act as a gentle laxative - the inner leaf gel contains polysaccharides or indigestible compounds that act as a dietary fibre which attract water and help bulk and soften the stools. Look for certified organic Aloe Vera juice, made from the inner leaf gel.