EAT SMART
Eating a wise diet by making healthy choices is important as one reaches forty to live a longer and healthier life. Healthy eating begins with learning how to “eat smart”—it's not just what you eat, but how you eat. Smart ways of healthy eating can boost your energy, sharpen your memory and stabilize your mood. All this is achieved by learning simple nutrition basics and using them in a way that works for you.
A key foundation for any healthy diet is moderation. We need a balance of carbohydrates, protein, fat, fiber, vitamins, and minerals to sustain a healthy body.
Smart life at 40 plus brings you the smart ways to eat a balanced diet (Figure 1) with a thorough research and health benefits. One of the best ways to have a healthy diet is to prepare your own food and eat regularly. Pick a few healthy recipes that you and your family like and build a meal schedule around them.
2Everything you eat affects your body as food gives energy. Diversity of diet is the key to look and feel good as no single food can provide all essential nutrients. Some foods help fight stress and cancer and some others prevent heart disease. Discover the smart food and go for fresh and seasonal foods. Here are the smart choices for a fit forty:
Low Carbs
Body needs carbohydrates as they are converted into Glucose in the blood. They are very important for brain alertness. Low carb diets are popular nowadays. Smart carb choices include whole grains, beans, fruits, and vegetables. The advantage with them is that they are digested slowly, helping you feel full longer and keeping blood sugar and insulin levels stable. You can also include a variety of whole grains in your healthy diet, including whole wheat, brown rice, millet, quinoa, and barley.
Rich Fiber Diet
Fiber prevents weight gain. It is a part of plant food, which fills stomach faster, clears digestive system by preventing constipation. It also helps to lower the risk of diabetes and heart diseases.
To get the nutrients, you need choose foods like vegetables, fruits, and fat-free or low-fat dairy products most often (Figure 2). Try to eat food close to its natural state. In this way, you get the maximum benefit of intake of life-enhancing nutrients. The best way to boost your vitality is to go for fresh products always. Reduce or if possible avoid the intake of processed food and artificial additives.
Facts about Fiber
- Vegetables and fruits are high in vitamins, minerals and fiber—and they are low in calories. Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables may help you control your weight and your blood pressure.
- Unrefined whole-grain foods contain fiber that can help lower your blood cholesterol and help you feel full, which may help you manage your weight.
- Eat fish at least twice a week. Recent research shows that eating oily fish containing omega-3 fatty acids (for example, salmon, trout, and herring) may help lower your risk of death from coronary artery disease.
Some more ways to add fiber to your diet:
- Choose to have a vegetable or fruit salad daily
- Eat fruits than juices as the skin has more fiber
- Eat brown rice than white polished rice
- Choose whole grain breads
- Include oats in your diet
Facts about Fats
Dietary fats are essential to give your body energy and to support cell growth. They also help protect your organs and help keep your body warm. Good sources of healthy fat are needed to nourish your brain, heart and cells, as well as your hair, skin, and nails. Healthful fats are found in fish, nuts and vegetable oils. Avoid solid fats like butter. Foods rich in certain omega-3 fats are particularly important and can reduce cardiovascular disease, improve your mood and help prevent dementia.
There are varieties of fats that we consume which are as follows:
Saturated fats, trans fats, monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats. They have different chemical and physical properties. The solid fats are the saturated fats like butter that raise cholesterol levels in your blood. These come from high–fat dairy products, meat, poultry skin, chocolate and palm oils.4
Trans fats is found in many packed snack foods like chips and cookies. It is always better to avoid them.
Monounsaturated fats come from nuts (like almonds, hazelnuts, and pecans), and seeds (such as pumpkin, sesame), avocados, canola and olive oils which are beneficial.
Polyunsaturated fats tend to be more liquid like vegetable oils and these are beneficial as they lower cholesterol. They are found in corn, safflower, soybean and sunflower. Other sources are fish, such as salmon, sardines and fish oil supplements, which have omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.
Vegetables
Reds, purples, greens, yellows, and oranges should be a part of each meal. Vegetables are fiber rich source of carbohydrates and contain wide range of minerals and vitamins. Add a variety of colored fruits and vegetables to your diet. Eat at least five colored vegetables daily.
Include dark green leafy vegetables, orange vegetables, red tomatoes, dry beans and peas. The new research comes out with type–2 diabetes and cardiovascular benefits of raw vegetables, and the cancer-fighting substance lycopene, found in tomatoes. Orange vegetables are excellent source of beta carotene, so go for beet root and carrots. Broccoli, lettuces collard greens are filled with nutrients. Legumes, chick peas, kidney beans have more to offer. Buy always fresh vegetables or try for frozen ones ready to steam in the microwave. Avacados make a very good combination for salads.
The USDA recommends 3 cups of vegetables for men and 2 ½ cups for women.
Recommended Daily Intake for Adults
As body needs several essential nutrients, the recommended daily allowance for adults is as follows:
Vitamins (Table 1)
Lean Protein
Protein builds muscle, bone and blood, it also builds immune system.
Meat is high in saturated fats and cholesterol may raise your blood cholesterol and lead to heart disease and other health problems.
Avoid pork, lamb and beef as they have high saturated fatty acids. Chicken and turkey are healthful if skin is removed.
Eating a palm sized portion of lean protein 3 times a day will give you enough to keep your body functioning properly. Also protein is slow to digest so keeps you feeling full longer.
Fish like salmon have omega-3-fatty acids, eating twice a week is a part of healthful diet. Eggs are important as daily meat equivalents. One egg equals one meat. A single egg yolk delivers more than half of your daily allowance. So you can cut cholesterol and fat by using only egg whites. Substitute two egg whites for each whole egg.
Protein for Vegetarians
Legumes are best suited for them. Lentils, chick peas, kidney beans are best meat equivalents. Seeds and nuts are also good source. Roughly, a handful of them can be counted as one meat.
Grains
Whole grains are better than refined grains. Whole grains have their outer coat and heart of grain intact. They have a number of health benefits as they control heart disease, weight and increase longevity. Grains like 6barley, corn, oats, quinoa, brown rice, whole wheat, rye are tasty and healthful choices.
Milk and its Benefits for Women
Milk is an almost complete food with calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, protein, carbohydrates, vitamins A, B2,vitamin D, and vitamin B12. All these are essential for healthy bone growth and development.
Adequate consumption of milk and dairy from early childhood and throughout life can help to make the bones strong and protect them against diseases like osteoporosis in later life. Consuming full fat milk or milk products on daily basis may increase risk of heart disease. So switching from whole milk to fat free milk will save around 65 calories per one cup serving.
A recent study of more than 37,000 middle aged women found that those with the highest intakes of low fat dairy products had a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. This might be due to a low glycemic index of dairy foods or may be due to the beneficial effects of calcium and magnesium found in them.
Studies also have shown that high calcium intakes may reduce bad cholesterol in the blood, and increase good cholesterol.
Drink Plenty of Water
Drinking more water as opposed to drinking other beverages like soda and soft drinks has numerous advantages. According to USDA, “Water helps regulate your body's temperature, suppresses your appetite, and helps keep muscles loose.” Drinking water also hydrates you better than other drinks. You are advised to drink 10 ounces of water just before exercise and again during exercise; and 20 to 30 ounces after exercise.
Water is your body's principal chemical component and makes up about 60 percent of your body weight. Every system in your body depends on water.
So how much water does the average, healthy adult living in a temperate climate need? In general, doctors recommend 8 or 9 glasses but let your thirst guide you. The Institute of Medicine advises that women should consume 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) of total fluid intake per day.
Fruits and their Benefits
Fresh fruit (rather than fruit juice) is full of fiber, vitamins, antioxidants and minerals. Fruit in its entirety is good for you7
High fruit diets help to lower heart disease, stroke, diabetes, certain cancers and more. Fruits are low in fat, calories and sodium. The USDA recommends the amount of daily fruit for men and women is 2 cups.
Dark colored fruits have many benefits. Anthocyanin in them helps to lower the risk of cancer. Blue berries, green kiwis and plums are good. Light red and pink grapes, watermelon, guava, tomatoes have lycopene which now has a proven role in preventing heart disease and cancer. Red grapes have resveratrol which helps to lower the risk of cancer and also alzheimer's.
Whether you are a staying at home or working, choice of making a healthy meal daily can be challenging. When trying to keep fit with healthy meal every day, the key advice is to stay simple. Here are some smart ways to plan ahead and keep things simple.
Smart Choices
Eating foods with few calories will help you to lose weight in a smarter way. Try to skip desserts on few days and in this way you will lose 300 calories straight away.
Meal planning will help you establish a pattern of healthy food choices and do it on weekends before you do grocery shopping.
Keep your cooking simple. Try to focus on planning your weeknight meals to include a lean meat, a healthy starch and some vegetables (Figure 3). A simple roti or chapatti would be sufficient for many.
8Try using crockpot cooking. Crock pots are the easiest way to have a warm healthy dinner when you get home.
Plan your meals ahead. Try cooking in advance and freeze large portions, so that they come handy when you are tired on week days.
Consider taking a multivitamin. While preparing for a healthy diet, there may be a chance that you miss essential vitamins and minerals. According to the Mayo Clinic website, “Nutritional supplements are meant to complement a healthy diet, not replace it.” Multivitamins contain a variety of vitamins and minerals in one capsule and have numerous health benefits. Try taking them often after discussing with your doctor.
Goals for a Smart Forty Plus
When setting a goal, it's important to analyze and stick on to it. Try not to take on too much at one time. Tackle one thing at a time. Try to keep fit and aim for the blood levels as follows:
Total cholesterol | : | Less than 150 mg/dl |
LDL (bad) cholesterol
LDL Cholesterol goals vary:
- For those who don't have heart disease and only one or no risk factors, the goal is less than 150 mg/dl.
- For people who have heart disease, diabetes or are at higher risk for heart disease, the goal is to keep the LDL below 100 mg/dl.
HDL (good) cholesterol | : | 60 mg/dl or higher for women |
Triglycerides | : | Less than 150 mg/dl |
Blood pressure | : | Less than 120/80 mm Hg |
Fasting glucose | : | Less than 100 mg/dl |
Body mass index (BMI) | : | Between 18.5 and 24.9 kg/m2 |
Waist circumference | : | Less than 35 inches for women |
Physical activity | : | All adults should do at least 150 minutes a week of moderate intensity physical activity or 75 minutes a week of vigorously intense aerobic physical activity or a combination of moderate and vigorous. Adults should do muscle-strengthening activities on at least 2 or more days a 9week. For example, you could do six to eight strength training exercises, 8 to 12 repetitions each, twice a week. |
Healthful eating | : | Emphasize a variety of fruits and vegetables, whole-grain, high-fiber foods, fat free or low-fat dairy products, fatty fish twice per week, legumes and sources of protein low in saturated fat (e.g. poultry, lean meats and plant sources), limit added sugars and reduce sodium. |
Tobacco smoke | : | Never. |
Doctor visits | : | See your doctor regularly. |
By implementing small, manageable goals for healthy eating into your life, you will reap big rewards in your overall health.
Exercise and Energize
If you ask us what is the best advice for the women of 40 plus for overall health, we would undoubtedly say that being on your foot is the best thing you can do for adding benefits to your years and overall well-being.
There are three paths to follow for good health and feeling energetic: Doctor, diet and exercise. Which path you choose is entirely left to your discrimination. In fact all of the three, the least expensive would be to exercise for instant energy.
What is that which miraculously improves your mood, performance, sleep, and also relieves stress, prevents heart disease and cancer? The one single answer is the regular physical exercise (Figures 4 to 11). Its benefits fan from preventing chronic health conditions to promoting better sleep. It is also the key to weight loss.
Your body needs calories to do function. Activity needs more calories, that is why exercise is key to weight loss. Exercise will help your body burn more calories than it takes in---this is what causes you to burn fat and lose weight.
For women over 50, regular physical activity may help to reduce some of the symptoms of menopause—hot flashes, joint pains, anxiety, depression, and sleep problems. Exercise also reduces heart disease risk, osteoporosis and diabetes risk in women.10
Figure 5: Dumbbell side bending : It helps to strengthen the muscles simultaneously increasing flexibility.
Figure 8: Cardio fitness : It helps to improve cardiovascular endurance and best way to burn calories and fat in the body.
Figure 9: Dumbbell biceps curl : It helps to increase the upper body strength and also strengthens the bones.
Figure 11: Elliptical cross trainer : One of the best form of cardiovascular training which helps maintaining bone density.
Physical activity leaves you feel refreshed and relaxed because it stimulates brain chemicals. Regular exercise makes you feel good and improves your self-esteem. Remember anything that gets your body moving counts as exercise. Unknowingly, you may do low-impact activities throughout the day but when you know the benefits of fitness, work out a plan. Try and schedule at least 20 to 30 minutes in your daily routine. Practice and watch yourself change.13
20 Minutes for a Smart Shape
You can squeeze 20 minutes of your daily routine for a healthy weight. What we really lack is the true desire to commit for the cause of healthy living.
A complete fitness program must include aerobic exercise, muscle strength conditioning, and stretching for flexibility. If you cannot manage time for all these, do not worry. Doing a cardio for 20 minutes is all that is required for a complete well-being.
Aerobic exercise: Walking and jogging work the large muscles in your body, which benefits your cardiovascular system -- and your weight. Work up to 20 minutes three or four days a week.
Cycling: It can reduce the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes. The benefits are - it tones muscles, keeps joints healthy and efficient and heart trained; also helps the circulation and improves lung capacity. In addition, it allows to dispose of the extra kilos. A 20 minutes cycling can burn around 300 to 400 calories depending on the pedalling speed.
Walking: A study found that women who regularly walked 7.5 miles a week lost bone at a slower rate (four to seven years longer) than women who did not walk (Figure 12).
Twenty minutes of walking will burn 150 calories and if you walk 30 minutes covering one mile per day, 5 days a week, you will burn about 750 to 1000 calories per week. Walking can have definite benefits towards your weight loss program and staying in shape.
Figure 12: Simple brisk walking : It helps to improve cardiovascular functions and reduce the blood pressure.
Walking Facts
- Walking improves self-image
- Walking decreases depression and stress
- Walking exercises 200 bones and over 600 muscles
- Walking increases energy
- Walking regularly decreases risk of heart disease
- Walking regularly reduces hypertension.
With all these wonderful benefits of walking, it is time for you to take the best pair of walking shoes and try brisk walking as if you are late to a meeting. It doesn't matter when you start, all that matters is sticking to a regular routine and see the positive change. Begin your walking experience now!
Strength training: If your aerobic workouts aren't balanced by a proper dose of strength training, guess you're missing out on a key component of overall health and fitness. Strength training will balance your physique. Lifting hand weights improves your strength and posture, reduces the risk of lower back injury, and also helps you tone. Start with a hand weight that you can comfortably handle for 8 repetitions. Gradually, add more until you can complete 12 repetitions. Try push-ups, pull-ups, abdominal crunches and leg squats. Barbells and dumbbells are classic strength training tools.
Strength training will make you gain muscle and lose fat. Two to three strength training sessions a week lasting just 20 minutes are sufficient for most people.
Stretching: Stretching and flexibility exercises (Figures 13 and 14) should be performed for a minimum of 5 to 7 minutes before aerobic exercise. Stretching exercises help maintain flexibility and range of motion in joints. They also reduce the risk of injury and muscle soreness. Yoga and pilates are good forms of stretching exercise; they build core body strength and increase stability.
Regular dedicated workouts are great as they energize you, make you look better and also have a positive effect on your sex life.
When you want to achieve your goals do not search for shortcuts. Try and add short inputs to reach desired goals which will yield bigger results.
Any effective routine needs to include all the above for women. However, in addition to a combination of above exercises, remember to eat smart, drink lots of water and get enough sleep. Welcome to a healthy life!15
Smart Skin Care @ 40 +
Good nutrition is a fundamental building block of healthy skin. Aging is an inevitable part of living and we refuse to associate “beauty” with youth. No matter how many things are lifted and tucked, true beauty is how you feel about yourself and how you take care of yourself.
When you notice someone naturally beautiful, their glow and radiance speaks a lot. The sense of vitality and well-being immediately 16strikes at us. This is health—a state of physical, mental and emotional ‘wholeness’ brought about by balanced life style and here we would also like to include the spiritual aspect of health perhaps in more details in the upcoming chapters.
Many experts agree that the secret to true beauty is to work from both inside out as well as outside in. Achieving beautiful body needs a balanced approach to life: eating regular, nutritious diet, drinking plenty of water, exercising regularly, limiting alcohol and smoking. Stress relieving activities like yoga or meditation are highly rewarding.
Smart life at 40 plus, brings focus on how to choose best foods to eat well and defy aging through nutrition. It aims at boosting energy through natural foods and provides you with smart tips to look good and feel great.
The recipe for complexion perfection starts with a well-rounded diet of healthy fats, sufficient protein, and lots of fruits and veggies. What we put in the body, as well as, what we put on it has a huge impact on skin. A healthy skin diet is high in antiinflammatory foods and antioxidants that fight free radicals.
Fruits and vegetables are excellent beauty treatments. Fruits can be used to moisturize, nourish, and heal the skin. Vegetables have an anti-inflammatory effect on the damaged and inflamed skin. Vegetable and fruit masks work very quickly in returning the glow and are excellent for the treatment of pimples, eczema and sunburnt skin (Figure 15).
The natural ingredients in food help do everything from speeding the pace of exfoliation to protect skin from the UV damage that causes brown spots and wrinkles.
17There are a variety of foods which are very essential to maintain healthy skin. As you age, the levels of the body's natural antioxidants decrease, so adding them to the diet becomes important. There are many sources for antioxidants but a little known one is whole grains. Surprisingly, whole grain pasta, bread and cereal are high in antioxidants and can be comparable to some fruits and vegetables.
Think Smart: It is time now to change the way you think about food. Adjust your diet according to your metabolism. The vital essence of healthy aging is to pickup more plant foods, fresh fruit, more seeds and nuts. Try ancient grains like quinoa and brown rice.
Maintenance of strong immune system is the key to healthy aging. These nutritional superstars also do wonders for the rest of your body-build brainpower, lower cholesterol, improve sleep, and more. Let us have an insight into smart foods for a healthy skin.
Smart Skin Diet
A recent study by Cambridge University found out that eating just one apple or pear every day by people aged 45 added extra two years of life. So healthy food not only enhances overall well-being but it also increases life span. Let us now see the smart skin diet which adds healthy glow to our years.
Fruits and Vegetables
Prunes: Prunus Domestica
- Rich in: Beta carotene, iron, potassium, calcium, selenium, fiber
- Benefits: Promote strong finger nails, shiny skin and skin healing.
Blue Berries: Vaccinium Corymbosum
Rich in: Vitamin C, beta carotene, calcium, potassium and fiber
Benefits: Antiaging properties, prevents dry skin and wrinkles. Has high antioxidant properties.
Kiwi Fruit: Actinidia chinensis
Rich in: Vitamins A and C, folate, fiber
Benefits; Anti-aging, boosts immune system, prevents wrinkles.
Strawberries: Fragaria x Ananassa
- Rich in: Antioxidant vitamins A,C and E, folate, carotenes, potassium
Secret of Glow: The vitamin C, a potent antioxidant that boosts production of collagen fibers helps keep skin smooth and firm. More vitamin C may mean fewer fine lines too: Women with lower intakes were likelier to have dry, wrinkled skin. Early research also shows that ellagic acid, an antioxidant abundant in strawberries, protects the elastic fibers that keep skin from sagging.
Smart Health Bonus: Strawberries may lower your risk of cancer by inhibiting the development of malignant cancer cells. Research shows that people eating the most strawberries were 3 times less likely to develop the disease. Plant chemicals such as p-coumaric acid and chlorogenic acid prevent against carcinogens forming in stomach and guard against stomach cancer.
Pomegranate: Punica Granatum
Pomegranate is considered as symbol of health and fertility. Studies show that pomegranate juice contains more potent antioxidants than any other drink.
- Rich in : Vitamin C, folate, carotenes, calcium, iron, sodium and potassium
- Benefits: Antiaging, heart disease, wrinkles.
Beauty Booster—Avacado: Persea Americana
Ideal beauty diet and one of the most important fruits with super nutrients. Avacados (Figure 16) are rich in monounsaturated fatty acids. Oleic acid 19in avacados helps lower cholesterol. Avocados have a high fiber content among fruits – including 75 percent insoluble and 25 percent soluble fiber.
Rich in: Vitamins B5,B6 E and K, copper, potassium
Benefits: Antiaging, shiny skin, shiny hair, antiinflammatory.
Apple: Malus Domestica
- Rich in: Anti-oxidants, fiber, vitamin C and E, potassium, carbohrdrates and cellulose
- Benefits: Anti-aging, mood enhancer, helps prevent pimples and cellulite, reduce colon cancer, lung cancer, controls cholesterol and heart disease
The proverb “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”, addresses the health effects of the fruit. Evidence states that in vitro apples possess phenolic compounds which may be cancer-protective and demonstrate antioxidant activity. The predominant phenolic phytochemicals in apples are quercetin, epicatechin, and procyanidin B2.
Secret of Glow: Quercetin, the antioxidant in the peel provides hefty protection from the “burning” UVB rays that trigger skin cancer.
Smart Health Bonus: Eating two or more apples a week for one year reduced the risk of dying from heart disease by 15 percent in one study of 34,000 healthy postmenopausal women. Be sure to eat the peel, the source of nearly all the antioxidants.
Mango: Mangifera Indica
- Rich in : Vitamins B3, C and E, beta carotene, potassium, iron, fiber
- Benefits: Anti-aging, prevents dry skin, protects form sun damage
Health Bonus: Excellent detoxifier and clears complexion, enhances skin radiance and reduces wrinkles
Watermelon: Citrullus Lanatus
- Rich in : Vitamin C and A, beta carotene, lycopene, calcium, iron, magnesium and potassium
- Benefits : Sun protection, rehydrating, prevents wrinkles.
Lemon: Citrus Limon
- Rich in : Vitamin C, carotenes, calcium, potassium.
- Benefits :Wound healing, Prevents pimples and blemishes, helps in hair growth.
Pears are high in fiber and useful for all ages. Pectin contained in them is a soft laxative.
- Rich in: Vitamin C, beta carotene, pectin, potassium, carbohydrates
- Benefits: Wound healing, prevents mouth ulcers and acne.
Smart green leaves: Evidence states that low levels of folate have been associated with memory problems as we age. To keep mind and memory sharp, try to include green leafy vegetables and citrus fruits daily in your diet.
Broccolli: Brassica Oleracea
- Rich in: Vitamins C and E, folic acid, beta carotene, calcium, potassium, sodium
- Benefits: Antioxidant, wonderful cleanser, strengthens body's immune system.
Spinach: Spinacia Oleracea
Rich in: Vitamins C and E, folic acid, beta carotene, calcium, iron, potassium, fiber
Benefits: Prevents mouth ulcers, anemia and osteoporosis
Lettuce: Lactuca Sativa
A serving of lettuce gives skin a refreshing boost of nutrients and oxygen by improving circulation. It is important to include and enjoy lettuce as you age because it is a low-calorie diet with plenty of calcium.
- Rich in : Vitamin C, folic acid, beta carotene, calcium, iron, potassium, fiber
- Benefits: Anti-aging, prevents osteoporosis and insomnia.
Collard Greens: Brassica oleracea var. acephala
They are considered to be nutrition powerhouses—they're loaded with disease-fighting beta-carotene and offer respectable amounts of vitamin C, calcium, and fiber. All these attributes make cooking greens a wise choice for your diet.
As members of the Brassica genus of foods, collards stand out as a nutritional superstar. It's the organosulfur compounds in collards that have been the main subject of phytonutrient research, and these include the glucosinolates and the methylcysteine sulfoxides
- Rich in: Vitamin A, C and B6, folate, beta carotene, calcium and fiber
Vegetable Fruits
Tomato: Solanum Lycopersicum
- Rich in: Vitamins C and E, beta carotene, lycopene
- Benefits: Anti-aging, helps prevent cancers, improves skin and digestion.
Secret of Glow: Volunteers who consumed 5 tablespoons of lycopene tomato paste daily for 3 months had nearly 25 percent more protection against sunburn in one study (Figure 17). Even better, skin had more collagen, which prevents sagging. Scientists report that higher skin levels of this antioxidant correlate to fewer fine lines and furrows.
Smart Health Bonus: Research suggests that lycopene may also lower your chances of heart disease. In one study, women with the highest levels of it had a 34 percent reduced risk.
Bell Peppers: Capsicum Anuum
- Rich in: Vitamins C and E, folate, carotenes, capsaicin, potassium
- Benefits: Strengthens immune system, promotes healthy skin, strong nails, good night vision.
Pumpkin: Cucurbita Maxima
- Rich in: Vitamins B1, C and E, alpha and beta carotenes, potassium and fiber
- Benefits: Anti-aging, prevents wrinkles, protects nails, strengthens immune system.
Smart Root Vegetables
Carrots: Daucus carota
- Rich in : Vitamin C, folic acid, carotenes, potassium, fiber
- Benefits: Protects against cancers, enhances eye sight, prevents dry skin, anti-aging
Beet root: Beta vulgaris
- Rich in: Vitamins A and C, folate, calcium, iron, anthocyanins, fiber
- Benefits: Antiinflammatory, antioxidant, prevents premature aging, protects against sunburn.
Sweet Potatoes: Ipomea Batatas
Sweet potatoes are rich in complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, beta carotenes, vitamin C, and vitamin B6. Pink, yellow and green varieties are high in carotene, the precursor of vitamin A.
Evidence from animal studies has revealed that it helps to stabilize blood sugar levels and lowers insulin resistance so despite the name “sweet”, it may be a beneficial food for diabetics.
- Rich in: Vitamins B6, C and E, folic acid, calcium, iron, potassium, fiber
- Benefits: Anti-aging, prevents skin congestion, constipation, colon and rectal cancers.
Onion: Allium Cepa
- Rich in: Vitamins B6,C and E, folic acid, quercetin, allicin, calcium, potassium
- Benefits: Anti-aging, antioxidant, antiinflammatory, anticholesterol, detoxifying, immune booster, shiny hair, anticancer, prevents cancer colon and stomach
Oils, Nuts and Seeds
Oils, nuts and seeds are fats. We all are concerned about weight gain and the truth is that good health and normal weight cannot be maintained without an adequate amount of quality fat in the diet.
Nuts and seeds are also great sources of protein, minerals and other life-enhancing nutrients. Scientific studies now show that different types of nuts and seeds can actually prevent heart disease, weight gain and the accumulation of LDL cholesterol (Figure 18).23
The centenarian study conducted by New England Researchers disproved the theory that as we grow older, we have increased chances of being sick. To the contrary, the study reveals that the older we get, the healthier we have been. The secrets that are common to all these centenarians are the lean bodies, healthy nutrition, including healthy nuts in their diets and optimism.
There are 3 types of fats: saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. To maintain health, the body needs all three types of fats. Fats serve many vital functions in the body, like facilitate oxygen transport, lubricate muscles and organs, aid the absorption of vitamins, nourish skin and nerves, help maintain body temperature.
The chapter focuses on important oils, nuts and seeds for healthy aging. Make sure that your fat intake comes from oily fish, nuts, olive oil and flaxseeds.
Olive oil: Olea Europea
- Rich in : Vitamin E, monounsaturated fat
- Benefits: Aids healthy digestion, improves skin texture.
Wheat Germ oil: Triticum Vulgare
- Rich in: Vitamins B1, B2, B6 and E, folic acid, iron, magnesium, Selenium, zinc, fiber, omega-3 and 6 fatty acids and monounsaturated fat
- Benefits: Anti-aging, prevents dry and scaly skin.
Super Nuts
Here is my list of the five healthiest nuts you should add to your diet:
Almonds: Prunus Dulcis
- Rich in: Vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, zinc, fiber, omega-6 fat and monounsaturated fat
- Benefits: Anti-aging, wound healing, prevents premature gray hair.
Cashew Nuts: Anacardium Occidentale
- Rich in: Vitamins B3,B6 and E,magnesium, potassium, omega-6 fat and monounsaturated fat.
- Benefits: Hair growth, smooth soft and shiny skin, prevents gray hair and hair loss
Pecans: Carya Illinoensis
- Rich in: Vitamins B and E, magnesium, manganese, zinc, omega-6 fat and monounsaturated fat
- Benefits: Anti-aging, healthy skin, prevents heart disease.
Hazel Nuts: Corylus Avellana
- Rich in: Vitamins B6 and E, fiber, magnesium, manganese, folate, copper, potassium, selenium, zinc, omega-6 fat and monounsaturated fat
- Benefits: Anti-aging, anticancer, hydrating.
Walnuts: Juglans Regia
- Rich in : Vitamin E, fiber, magnesium, manganese, omega-6 fat and monounsaturated fat
- Benefits: Promotes hair growth, shiny skin, protects heart health, better cognitive function.
Smart Seeds
Seeds provide unique beauty boost and they are high in fiber, vitamin E and monounsaturated fats that can help keep our heart healthy and our body disease free. Numerous studies have shown that different types of seeds and nuts can actually prevent weight gain, the development of heart disease and the accumulation of LDL cholesterol.25
Add seeds to your diet, we would recommend that you eat only organic seeds, in their raw state.
Here is my list of the five healthiest seeds, you should add to your diet:
Sunflower Seeds: Helianthus Annus
- Rich in : Vitamin B1,B3, B6 and E, Folate, magnesium, selenium, calcium, zinc, omega-6 fat
- Benefits: Antiaging, detoxifying, aids in healthy digestion, anti- cancer, prevents heart disease.
The perfect phytochemical-rich seed for those of us looking to lose weight, as they promote healthy digestion and increase fiber intake.
Flaxseeds: Linum Usitatissimum
- Rich in : Omega -3 and 6 fat, calcium, magnesium, fiber and zinc
- Benefits :Anti-inflammatory, prevents psoriasis and eczema.
Flaxseeds are rich source of soluble fiber, which helps keep the bowel moving and well cleansed.
Sesame Seeds: Sesamum Indicum
- Rich in: Vitamins B1, B3, and B6, folic acid, omega -6 Fat, calcium, magnesium, selenium and zinc
- Benefits: Lowers cholesterol and blood pressure, prevents arthritis, asthma, migraine and osteoporosis.
Possessing important cholesterol-fighting fibers known as lignans, studies show that these seeds can lower blood pressure, as well as protect the liver from damage
Pumpkin Seeds
- Rich in: Vitamins B3 and B6, folic acid, calcium, iron, omega -3 fatty acids, magnesium, selenium and zinc
- Benefits: Strong nails, healthy skin, shiny hair
Pumpkin seeds are high in a form of antioxidant known as carotenoids, a special plant derivative that enhances immune activity and disease fighting capacities. These seeds are also high in omega-3 fatty acids and zinc, two important nutrients that may play a role in warding off inflammation, arthritis and osteoporosis. Finally, pumpkin seed are high in phytosterols, plant components that aid in keeping stable levels of cholesterol, enhanced immune response, as well as cancer-fighting attributes26
Hemp Seeds: Cannabis Sativa
- Rich in: calcium, magnesium, zinc, omega-3, fat, omega-6 Fat
- Benefits: Antiaging
Hemp seeds are truly a superfood, as they are an excellent source of gamma linoleic and stearidonic acid. Also containing disease-fighting phytosterols, studies show that hemp seeds, or even hemp milk, may prevent heart disease, many forms of cancer, as well as inflammation-based diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
Smart Tips for Shiny Skin
Aging brings change in the skin tone and texture. A careful daily massage can minimize the effects of aging. The beauty preparations for smart skin are always found in the refrigerator or in the vegetable rack, you just have to take a look. Try fresh fruits and vegetables for anti-aging facial masks. Green tea helps to prevent sunburn and DNA damage. The beauty of these treatments is that they are not only cost-effective but give a quick radiance with a healing touch to face.
The beauty enhancers that every woman should know and have them handy are:
- Honey: An excellent healing aid
- Milk: Excellent skin cleanser and softener
- Lemon: An excellent exfoliant and astringent
- Sugar: A very good emergency exfoliator
- Yogurt: Balances and nourishes skin
- Olive oil: Excellent for dry skin
- Cucumber: Used as a toner or lotion
- Bathing Salts: Magnesium salts help relieve stress and strain.
The important steps in natural skin care routine apart from sun protection are exfoliation to remove dead skin cells and application of facial masks which revitalize the skin. This can be done once in a week with natural abrasives like oat meal and sugar granules. Once in a while it is good to take the advantage of professionals for facial treatments.
It is empowering to discover that real beauty care starts at home. When we know better, we do better.
Smart Talk with your Doctor
To get the care you need, building a good relationship with your doctor is a crucial. To do so, you have to communicate effectively with your doctor. 27Asking the right questions and fine tuning your conversation with your doctor helps the doctor know that you take health seriously (Figure 19).
Many of the women feel scared or shy to talk to their doctor. Moreover, medical literacy is often confusing. When it comes to understanding difficult health terms and issues women often have problems. Even highly educated people can have trouble understanding health care information.
When women have trouble understanding instructions, they may have a hard time managing a health condition or taking medicines correctly.
This exclusive chapter is designed to arm you with information, you need to know about your visit to the doctor, the ways to rate your doctor and develop a mutual long-lasting relationship.
First and foremost thing is take charge of your health and minimize risks with a complete knowledge. All the medical professionals, the doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and hospitals play a role in helping patients better understand the disease and the health information.
Excellent doctors come in both genders, don't be prejudiced. Make sure you get and understand the answers. If you don't understand, ask the doctor to repeat. Asking questions is sometimes difficult, but the information you get helps to take better care of yourself.
10 Smart Steps to Make Most of Your Visit to a Doctor
- Make sure to take a note book with all your queries written in it. Write down the most important things you want to discuss beforehand, and limit them to three to five. As most of the appointments are scheduled for 15 minutes, make sure you take notes of what is told to you.
- Try to rate your doctor by the degree of trust he/she inspires in you in the first meeting. Look for the signs of compassion and kindness in doctor's voice. Follow his facial expressions and body language. Approach to treatment depends on the training of the doctor. The quality of care, you will receive will depend on your ability to relax in his/her presence.
- Prepare to talk about your deepest concerns without feeling embarrassed or shy, be it is about leaking urine under stress, sexual dysfunction, hemorrhoids, vaginal discharge, or a perineal rash though it is hard to discuss with your doctor.
- It takes some time for the doctor to come to a diagnosis and to formulate a treatment plan for your ailments. This usually is done after the diagnostic tests. In fact, this is very important to have a careful examination, and lab tests to get other needed information for the treatment. So be patient and wait for the results.
- Write down everything the doctor had said as human memory fails often to recollect what the doctor said even 15 minutes after you have left the office. A lot of doctors are great at explaining things and writing them down for patients, but many do not.
- If the doctor is quick in giving you complex information, do not hesitate to ask him to repeat and explain. Ask about your main problem, what has to be done and why it has to be done.
- Be polite to the office staff, the receptionist, nurse and lab people. They are there to help you. Remember it is to them that you call up first before you reach the doctor always.
- If your doctor asks you to come back in 6 weeks for a review, make sure to do it. If you have to reach earlier, because you feel that your medicine is not working, then fix another appointment. This is the only way to get the care you needed.
- Take charge of your health. Get input and advice from your doctor, but take an active role in managing your health care. Make notes of slightest changes you notice and discuss in subsequent visits.
Paying attention to your body, noticing the smallest changes, keeping written track of your ailments and gathering information about them through internet or health magazines, will prepare you for an appointment with your doctor and indeed you can have a smart talk!29
Medical Fears
Most people suffer from a form of fear of medical procedures during their life. Some of them suffer from fear of surgery, fear of dental work and fear of doctors (involving fear of needles). These fears are often overlooked, but when a patient has one to the extreme it can be very damaging to their health.
Sometimes people avoid taking the tests with a fear that they may reveal a possibility of serious health problem. Studies show that up to 20 percent of people forgo useful medical tests, such as colonoscopies and breast biopsies, because they are afraid of experiencing pain during the procedures. Many women refuse to go to doctors at all for fear that a serious illness might be discovered.
Lack of information often causes medical fears. When we have adequate information about a specific test, surgery or treatment option, the fear typically diminishes -- and we end up making better medical decisions.
Always get information, do not be mislead by statistics. Two main sources of information are the internet and the local library.
Surfing the net
Internet plays an important role in educating the public in creating awareness on health problems. Computer research saves lot of time, it is like having an encyclopedia at your finger tips. Internet usage is increasing among all ages.
Internet offers latest research breakthrough for a particular health condition, gives you lots of information, helps you to find out specialists, Hospitals and various modalities of treatment and prognosis.
At the time of writing this book, Google was the favorite search engine, allowing us to plunge into the ocean of information. Certain websites give lot of information free of cost. For example, www.mayoclinic.com,www.webmd.com are good to start with.
If you are not good at surfing net, next best source of getting information is to get a book on the chosen topic written for public use from library. This would have an easy language to understand than a text written for medical profession. Good examples are Women health, Harvard health watch and John Hopkins family health book. As new knowledge seeps in regularly in the medical field, information gets outdated quickly, so it is always wise to check the publication date.
Too much information may be confusing at times, do not overload yourself. Write down and absorb enough information, so that you can talk 30to your doctor to know more facts. So here are some ways to overcome your fears:
Smart ways to Overcome Medical Fears
- Gain complete knowledge on the condition
- Identify the causes and narrow down the fear, so that it becomes smaller
- Local support groups can be of huge help including family and friends
- Explain your fear to your doctor, so that you are kept informed
- Confide in a friend whom you trust
- Prayer works, try it!
Try to keep a copy of your medical history with you always, so that healthcare practitioners can better assist you. Make copies of this information and place it in your wallet, in your car glove box, put it in a ziplock and paste it on the fridge. This helps in securing the information. Also carry this information when you travel. Here is an example of making a form of your own. Though, it may take time to fill up, it saves time when in need.
Personal Medical History
Coping up with Bad Medical News
So, you just received some bad medical news, and you are not sure how to deal with it.
Here are some tips to deal with bad news:
- Be prepared for potential bad news. If you have not already received the bad medical news, but suspect you will (e.g. your doctors calls you to schedule an appointment to go over some test results that you think will be bad news), try to prepare for it emotionally. Anticipate the worst news possible, so you would not be shell-shocked upon actually receiving bad news. Bring a family member or close friend 32with you to the appointment: this will not only help provide you support at the moment when you need it most, but will also help clarify the bad news and write things down, as you could become shocked upon getting the bad medical news and not be able to ask appropriate questions or comprehend any explanations that follow.
- Clarify what exactly the bad medical news is and how it will affect you. This may take time and often even more than one meeting to accomplish, as shock and denial is frequently the first emotional response to very bad news. Most people, upon receiving the bad news, become flooded with emotions, making it difficult to comprehend any discussion that follows. If that is the case, it is often helpful to ask the doctor to give you written materials about the condition and its treatment so you can go home and read more about it later in a better state of mind.
- Find out all about your condition from reliable sources. Search for your condition on the internet, find books in the library, read journals and articles that discuss this condition. Humans tend to fear the unknown. The more you know about the condition, the more comfortable you will be and be prepared to deal with its ramifications. Try to keep in mind that the information posted on the internet cause even more fear, you might want to avoid the internet and talk to a local support group. They can recommend the sites for good information and the sites to avoid.
- Try to stay calm. Excessive worry will not help. Don't overreact to bad medical news. Understand that one cannot change what has already happened, but only how one responds to it. Try to keep your cool to focus on its solutions.
- Get as much support as you can, immediately. Don't say I'll try to deal with it myself, and if I need help I'll get it later. Later may be too late. Tell it immediately to all your loved ones and friends who will listen to you. They may be able to offer you helpful insights on how to deal with condition. And the process of opening up to others is emotionally healing by itself.
- Be aware of the common Kubler-Ross grief stages to receiving bad news. Denial, anger, bargaining, grieving, acceptance. Most people go through these stages, though not necessarily in this order, and often may experience more than one stage at a time. Seek professional help (e.g. counseling, psychiatrist) if necessary.
- Don't dwell too much on the bad medical news. Exercise, spend time with others, do fun things, and think happy thoughts. Smile, 33meditate, pray (if you are religious). Try to develop and maintain a positive attitude always, and not let bad medical news prevent you from living your normal life and carrying out your daily duties.
- Be prepared for the worst outcomes. If you are given a limited life expectancy based on the disease prognosis, plan ahead to accomplish what you need to do before your time comes to leave the world. (Look into pallative care; who can not only make the transition more comfortable but may improve the quality of life as well.) Maybe it's a book you need to finish writing, maybe it's an old acquaintance you need to forgive, or maybe it's some unfinished project you need to fulfill. In any case, make sure these things get done while you can. Have a living will or durable power of attorney if applicable.