How to stay healthy in your golden years

Last week’s episode on Modern Living TV made me reflect on what life would be after retirement. I once saw a greeting card for a 60th birthday that pictured an aged man and woman climbing slowly up a hill with a wagon. On the front it said, “When you’re over the hill…” And inside the card, emblazoned boldly, were the words “…you pick up speed!” showing the man and woman in the wagon, hands in the air, big, open-mouthed smiles, riding down the hill like a roller coaster.

That phrase has always stuck with me: “When you’re over the hill, you pick up speed.” It seemed just about right, that life after a certain age need not be slow, tired and boring but should be viewed as a some of your best years yet.

When you are in your golden years, it’s safe to assume that your children have now grown up and can take care of themselves, you’ve worked hard and paid your dues, you’ve saved up and now have all this free time to enjoy life. Or perhaps you are one of those who can never stop working or staying active but now you can actually do things because you love them, work more out of passion than necessity. Follow your dreams and go on your big adventure. The irony of it, however, is that for many, age has truly caught up with them physically. That, even with an energetic, go-getter mindset, creaking bones and other health concerns act as a heavy ball and chain.

In our last episode of Modern Living TV, one thing I learned through our interviews and research was that preventive wellness is the key to living a full, robust life. Dr. Ben Valdecañas, founder of the LifeScience Center for Wellness and Preventive Medicine, explains very clearly to us that what we do to our bodies now will affect it later on. Although that may sound like common sense, it is something that we “conveniently” like to forget, especially when we want to give in to binge drinking, heavy eating and being lazy about working out.

“We have a different approach to your usual doctor-patient consult because we want the patients to really open up and be honest about their lifestyles,” he says.

There are three key steps to optimum health regardless of age: consult, test and program, which are designed so that each patient has their own customized treatments and not just a one-size-fits-all. I learned from Dr. Valdecañas that there is no real secret to or magic pill for eternal youth but it is as simple as regular exercise, proper nutrition and moderating our indulgences. Lucky for me, I still have time to adjust my lifestyle for long-term results, but what about those already in their “golden years”?

“We do have regenerative and restorative treatments,” Valdecañas says. “In many cases we are successful at slowing down the effects of aging and sometimes even reversing it.”

He then explained to me that there are ways to help restore optimum health to worn-out joints and cartilage. Watch our episode online and contact them for a better explanation of what preventive and regenerative wellness can do for you.

A key recurring aspect is proper nutrition, and we often hear our elders complain about how healthy food is bland food. Limit the sodium. No cholesterol. No sugar. Don’t fry. We asked chef Him Uy de Baron to come up with some recipes that prove that nutritious can also be delicious. He created recipes using ingredients that were beneficial to specific common ailments caused by aging: bone and joint deterioration and fading brainpower.

I learned that calcium, vitamin D and healthy protein are extremely important for bone density and healthy joints. Eat low-fat dairy products like milk, cheese and yogurt. Yogurt has 400mg of calcium in just an 8-ounce serving and is very good for digestion as well. Choose one that has no sugar and sweeten it with fresh fruit or a drizzle of honey.

Edamame is also a great source of calcium and so are dark, leafy greens such as spinach and bok choy. Those dark, leafy greens are a true superfood because not only are they good for calcium but also help boost your cognitive skills and memory, along with foods rich in Omega 3 such as salmon and tuna.

Vitamin D is essential for the body to absorb calcium and the best source is sunlight, so slather on some sunblock and expose yourself for about 10-15 minutes a day.

I have always believed that eating healthy should not be a remedy or a quick fix but a true lifestyle change. It’s all about outlook and perspective. One just needs to alter the way we see preventive wellness, exercise and nutritious eating — not as a tiresome chore or obligation but as something enjoyable and positive. Just like that greeting card, when you’re over the hill, instead of going downhill, you simply pick up speed!