| Healthy Living Through The Ages! | | | | sedentaryindividuals can be as much as half a |
| | | | pound a year. |
| Like a good friend, a good attitude towards | | | | |
| fitness andnutrition doesn't abandon us as we | | | | Loss of muscle mass causes the body to burn |
| age. It maturesright along with us, evolving | | | | fewercalories daily, which can slow down |
| as our lives change. | | | | metabolism by asmuch as two percent per |
| | | | decade, says Perrault. That,combined with |
| That means we don't have to give up the | | | | lack of exercise, child-bearing and abusy |
| activities orthe foods we love based on the | | | | work schedule, can have a nasty effect |
| number of birthdayswe've celebrated. | | | | onweight. With women trying to juggle family |
| | | | andworkaday demands, high levels of anxiety |
| "Research suggests that half the drop in | | | | and stressare also a concern during this |
| functionassumed to be linked to aging is now | | | | decade. |
| thought to berelated to inactivity," says | | | | |
| Elizabeth Ready, anexercise physiologist and | | | | Fitness Goals: |
| associate dean of educationand recreation at | | | | |
| the University of Manitoba in | | | | Motherhood and fitness can be uneasy |
| | | | partners,according to a 1999 study at the |
| Winnipeg. So healthy, active women can | | | | University of |
| continue topursue challenging physical | | | | |
| activity even into oldage. Still, a certain | | | | Minnesota in Minneapolis which found that |
| amount of common sense is inorder. What was | | | | physicalactivity dropped 14 percent after |
| demanding and fulfilling in our 20s, for | | | | women had children. |
| example may be too time-consuming in our 30s | | | | |
| and | | | | With time at a premium, traditional exercise |
| | | | programsmay be too difficult to follow, says |
| 40s, too extreme in our 50s and just | | | | Robin Mech, afitness co-ordinator at the |
| downright foolishin our 60s. | | | | MacMab Street YWCA in |
| | | | |
| Our nutritional needs also evolve as we age, | | | | Hamilton. Mech recommends trying two |
| says Rosie | | | | 15-minuteworkouts instead of one 30-minute |
| | | | workout. "You'llkeep your fitness level up, |
| Schwartz, a registered dietician/nutritionist | | | | and it'll be easier to fitthem into your |
| in | | | | schedule," she says. Mech alsorecommends |
| | | | being flexible and what kind of exercise |
| Toronto. "What is considered a healthy diet | | | | youpursue. For example, take the stairs every |
| for a 25-year-old woman in her peak | | | | chance youget and do bicep curls with the |
| reproductive years will bedifferent than that | | | | milk/grocery bag whilewaiting in line at the |
| of a 60-year-old at increased riskof | | | | grocery store. |
| osteoporosis and heart disease." And women of | | | | |
| allages need to ensure that they're getting | | | | Suggested Activities: |
| enough of thefemale-friendly nutrients -- | | | | |
| calcium, folate, iron and zinc -- that are | | | | Try activities such as jogging, walking or |
| essential for maintaining a woman'shealth | | | | cycling,which can be performed close to home |
| throughout her life. | | | | and involve aminimum of scheduling. Bicycle, |
| | | | walk or in-line skatewhen you're doing local |
| Read on to discover how tweaking your fitness | | | | errands or visiting friends inthe |
| andnutritional goals can keep you looking | | | | neighborhood. It may be easier to try to |
| good and feelinggreat at any age! | | | | exerciseas a family, cycling or hiking |
| | | | together, than tosearch for those elusive 30 |
| Health Concerns: | | | | minutes of private time. |
| | | | |
| This is the time to establish healthy | | | | Nutrition Goals: |
| lifestyle habitsthat will help prevent heart | | | | |
| disease, osteoporosis,diabetes and other | | | | These are the time-crunch years, says |
| diseases later in life, says "Dr. | | | | Schwartz, andhealthy meals can fall by the |
| | | | wayside as workdeadlines and |
| Miriam Kaufman, a specialist in adolescent | | | | kids'after-school schedules get in theway. |
| health atthe Hospital for Sick Children in | | | | However, taking the time to eat properly |
| Toronto. Propernutrition, exercise and sleep | | | | canhelp counteract the effects of stress. |
| are also the first stepsin managing stress | | | | |
| and anxiety. | | | | That means getting enough zinc and B vitamins |
| | | | tobolster your over-challenged immune system. |
| This is a time of life, too, when mental | | | | Schwartzrecommends choosing whole-grain foods |
| health can beat risk -- major depression, | | | | over refinedone, and incorporating lots of |
| bipolar disorder,schizophrenia and | | | | legumes such as kidneybeans and chickpeas |
| substance-abuse disorders havetheir onset at | | | | into your diet. And don't forgetto feed your |
| this age. Kaufman recommends that eventhe | | | | bones with calcium-rich foods. |
| healthiest young person visit a family doctor | | | | |
| oncea year. | | | | Studies have shown that calcium may also help |
| | | | easesome of the symptoms of premenstrual |
| Fitness Goals: | | | | syndrome, helpcontrol blood pressure and |
| | | | protect against coloncancer. Women age 19 to |
| Our bodies are in peak form in our 20s, so | | | | 50 should consume 1,000milligrams of calcium |
| now is thetime to expand aerobic capacity and | | | | per day. If you rely on asupplement to meet |
| sample some newsports. Since you're less | | | | your calcium needs, choose one with |
| likely to have financialconstraints, children | | | | |
| and a mortgage in your 20s, youmay want to | | | | Vitamin D and Magnesium. These nutrients work |
| indulge in active vacations and invest | | | | intandem with calcium to protect optimal bone |
| ingood-quality sports equipment. | | | | health. |
| | | | |
| Suggested Activities: | | | | Vitamin D, for example, increases calcium |
| | | | absorption byas much as 30 to 80 percent. |
| Team sports or rugged individual pursuits | | | | |
| such as rockclimbing and mountain biking, as | | | | Read more in the next newsletter will be |
| well as high-impactactivities such as jogging | | | | centered on |
| and aerobics, will helpbuild strong bones for | | | | |
| the future. | | | | "Healthy Living Through the Ages for in your |
| | | | 40s and 50s." |
| Nutritional Goals: | | | | |
| | | | ===================== |
| No matter how energetic you are, late nights | | | | |
| andskipped meals can take their toll and | | | | FREEBIES |
| nutritionalshortfalls each up with you, says | | | | |
| Schwartz. Make sureyou're getting enough iron | | | | ===================== |
| - 18 milligrams per day --since too little | | | | |
| can lead to iron deficiency anemia,the most | | | | Health Concerns at The Adolescent Years! exts |
| common nutritional deficiency in | | | | guide oc oc07.html |
| Canadianwomen. | | | | |
| | | | Eat For Your Future! |
| As well, health experts recommend that all | | | | |
| women ofchild-bearing age take 0.4 milligrams | | | | Take time out to enjoy healthy food, and we |
| of folic acid | | | | don'tmean half-eaten burgers. Your body will |
| | | | thank youfor it later |
| (folate) daily at least three months before | | | | |
| conceptionto help reduce the chances of birth | | | | Free public health book online! |
| defects such asspina bifida. Studies have | | | | |
| shown that folate may alsohelp reduce the | | | | Be Breast Aware! |
| risk of heart disease and cervicalcancer. | | | | |
| | | | Breast cancer isthe most common cancer among |
| Maintaining a healthy weight also safeguards | | | | women. |
| yourability to conceive, since being too | | | | |
| heavy or too thininterferes with ovulation. | | | | But checking yourself out once a month will |
| And a health weight ha amajor impact on your | | | | help yourecognize what's normal and what |
| health later in life, helping toprevent | | | | isn't. |
| diseases such as osteoporosis, diabetes | | | | |
| andhigh blood pressure. | | | | Cool Test Quiz from Nutrition to Illnesses! |
| | | | opic/quizarchive |
| Healthy Living Through The Ages in the 30s! | | | | |
| | | | What Your Period Says About Your Health at |
| Health Concerns: | | | | 20, 30, 40! |
| | | | |
| After the age of 35, your body begins to | | | | What You Need To Know In Your 20s! |
| exhibit thefirst stage of aging, says Helen | | | | |
| Perrault, an exercisephysiologist and chair | | | | What You Need To Know In Your 30s! |
| of McGill University physicaleducation | | | | |
| department in Montreal. Bone mass hasreached | | | | National Health and Nutrition Examination |
| it's peak, and endurance and muscle mass | | | | Survey (6/2002)! |
| arestarting to decline. Muscle loos in | | | | |