In my developmental psychology class we were asked what advice we might give to someone who is aging and wants to stay healthy. I thought I'd share my response.
      Aging is a natural process that everyone goes through, but there are ways to take care of yourself in order to have the best quality of life possible each and every year you grow older. First of all, avoiding health hazards such as tobacco use, drug use and alcohol abuse will eliminate any additional diseases and health problems for your body. For example, smoking decreases lung capacity, dehydrates the body, and causes lung and lung related cancers. But other than avoiding these health hazards, there are other measures individuals can take to live healthy lives into late adulthood.

   “Coronary heart disease correlates with senescence, but it is not directly caused by any one aspect of aging.” (Berger, p.528) Eating a healthy, balanced diet and exercise are important during the entire lifespan and can reduce some of the health risks related to senescence (the natural process of aging that begins when we stop growing), like cardiovascular disease, and most types of cancer. “A varied diet high in fruits, vegetables, and grains is better than one high in fat” (Berger, p. 541) and can reduce one’s risk for developing type II Diabetes, high cholesterol and other obesity related illnesses. Exercising regularly is positively affected by one’s personal commitment, supportive friends, and community environment,” so evaluating your life, your environment and the people in it may improve your ability to stick to a healthy lifestyle (Berger, p. 539).

    Exercise and nutrition also improves brain functioning, which slows down with age. Getting enough sleep is equally important for your mental and overall health. Another important thing to remember is, you should always follow your doctors instructions, such as taking medications and other advice. Less than half of all adults follow their doctors instructions which can lead to health complications and even pre-mature death (Berger).

    We've all heard about how exercise releases endorphins which can improve mood, but there are other ways exercise helps our brain. Here's an article I found listing the mental health benefits of exercise: http://blogs.psychcentral.com/dbt/2011/11/how-exercise-impacts-your-mental-health/.  

   The ab workout is only 10 minutes long but it's a killer! I love that it's so effective in a short amount of time.

    Today I did the Fire 45 EZ class for the first time. It was fun and I haven't sweat like that in a while! It felt good afterwards. I'm surprised that I'm feeling this good after only 4 days, because I thought I'd have a hard time the first week of getting back into exercise.

    Below is one of the many articles in magazines such as Fitness Magazine and online that I've found that lists the health benefits coffee contains.
    Just like the pros and cons of all foods and drinks, moderation determines how beneficial or harmful something can be. Specifically with coffee, caffeine is the "big bad guy" if you drink a significant amount of it or if you're one of those people that has bad side effects from it (shaking, nervousness, etc.). 
    Something they don't mention in this article is that you should make sure you're drinking enough water during the day so that you're not dehydrated while drinking coffee. Coffee is a natural diuretic so if your not hydrated enough, excessive coffee consumption could lead to symptoms such as constipation and lethargy. But as long as you re hydrated and have coffee in moderation than there's nothing wrong with daily habit.  http://www.qualityhealth.com/featured-article-segment?fa=105856&rf=45458&mc=&ct=36917

    The first benefit of coffee they list is it lowers your risk for diabetes and in turn dementia and Parkinson's, when limited to 1-2 cups a day. I've read elsewhere that serious coffee drinkers (3-6 cups a day) also have this lowered risk, as long as they don't put sugar and heavy creamer in their coffee.
    I've noticed that not everyone makes this next connection. Drinking more than a moderate amount of coffee each day could increase your risk of diabetes if you drink it with sugar and lots of creamer. This is only one contributor to how many calories and what kinds of food you eat overall. Your entire lifestyle influences your your risk for diabetes, heart disease, cancer and a myriad of other illnesses.
    So, the small lesson from this is to lighten the load of additives you add to your cup of coffee. Coffee is extremely low in calories by itself, but most people can't drink it black. Instead of sugar use a form of zero calorie, or just low calorie sweetener. When it comes to creamer, use sugar free coffee creamer (less calories) and only use the serving size listed. Milk and other milk substitutes like coconut, almond or soy milk have even less calories than creamer and have no cholesterol.
    Also, better tasting, better quality coffee needs less stuff added to it to taste good. So, choose a coffee you like. Personally, I like really bold/dark coffees.
    

   I'm sharing my current health & fitness pursuits on my Youtube channel. You can check it out at http://www.youtube.com/user/happilyeverafter999.