Focusing on the inside out is the key to healthy aging. The saying “you’re only as old as you feel” has some bearing here because your thoughts can influence your outlook on life, and some may say even how your physical body performs. Of course, there are several areas of our health that we can focus on to support healthy aging as a woman, and these can be applied at any age. The earlier we start, the better the outcomes for when we are older. By focusing on the main pillars of good health such as sleep, nutrition, movement, and community it is possible to move into healthy aging with grace.
Four Focus Points
Sleep
Women often have a juggle of things to do, so sleep is a super important reset. Focusing on these practices can make a big difference to our stress resilience. Sleep is the best recovery for our body and helps us repair and detoxify overnight. Some excellent sleep hygiene practices that will send us off to slumberland include not drinking caffeine after midday (or at all… coffee interferes with melatonin release), writing down the scramble of what’s in our head onto paper so that we have a calm mind at night, keeping the bedroom cool and dark, and stopping the watching of screens 2 hours before bed. Another major component of sleep and health is the circadian rhythm and the dance between cortisol and melatonin. Sound sleep is dependent on hormones and hormones are dependent on light cues from the sun, throughout the day. Start with a walk at sunrise and you might find that your sleep improves.
Nutrition
Focusing on a wholefood diet is one of the keys to longevity. A diet rich in nutrient-dense animal foods with fruits, vegetables, and fewer grain products can help you maintain a healthy weight and reduce the risk of chronic diseases. Avoiding animal fats earlier in life can lead to later weight gain and we need these healthy fats to make reproductive hormones during all ages and stages. Limit or eliminate processed and high-sugar foods and refined vegetable oils. In these modern times it’s a good idea to support any nutritional gaps with a high quality multi vitamin such as Good Health’s Woman’s Multi, which is specifically formulated with woman’s needs in mind. This high potency formula provides essential nutrients for daily health and wellbeing such as B complex vitamins to support the nervous system, mood, and healthy energy levels. There is vitamin D and calcium for bone health and folic acid for reproductive care. Antioxidant support is provided by the inclusion of beta-carotene, vitamins C & E, selenium, and zinc.
Movement
As people age, muscle function often declines, so it’s important to fit in functional movement where you can in everyday life. If you can still aim to get 30 minutes of exercise in a day, including some resistance or weights plus some balancing exercises, this will support your mood, and your appetite and joint health too. You can increase the number of steps you get each day by doing activities that keep your body moving, such as gardening, walking the dog, and taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
Community
Social connections are important for mental and emotional health. Stay connected with friends and family, join a social group or club, or volunteer in your community. There are so many options today to get involved with an art group, a tennis or golf club, or volunteering at your local nature reserve. These are just some ideas to meet new people and forge new friendships.
Supplements
To support our lifestyle and goals it can be helpful to make sure you are getting antioxidant support to maintain the health of our cells. Firstly, by eating a whole food diet but also by utilising Good Health’s Grape Seed 55,000. A high strength, 1-a-day antioxidant supplement, with Grape Seed that provides 435mg of Oligomeric Procyanidins (OPCs), which possess potent antioxidant properties, to support general cellular health. OPCs support blood vessel integrity and are important for vein, eye, and cardiovascular health. OPCs are also involved in skin and connective tissue health, by supporting the production of collagen and elastin in the skin and in tendons and ligaments.
Finally, we all like to look our best as we age so supporting your collagen building blocks can be easy with Good Health’s Imaglow. Providing a high level of collagen, Imaglow supports skin renewal and regeneration. The combination of these key ingredients supports the maintenance of skin elasticity, firmness, and resilience by supporting collagen and elastin production, protecting against environmental free radicals and aiding moisture retention.
Remember, healthy aging is a lifelong journey, and it’s never too late to make positive changes to improve your health and well-being.
Always read the label and follow the directions for use. Vitamin and mineral supplements should not replace a balanced diet. If symptoms persist see your healthcare professional. For more information contact our Naturopath on 0800 446 434 or visit www.goodhealth.co.nz.
If you are at all concerned with any part of your reproductive and/or hormonal life, please see your GP or connect with a natural health professional to personalise your diet, lifestyle, and herbal supplements. Good health, NZ, Auckland.
See Ancestral Wisdom for Female Hormonal Health, Part 1
And the rest of the Women’s Health Series of health articles:
The 3 Ms and the Female Hormonal Life Cycle, Part 1 – Menarche
The 3 Ms and the Female Hormonal Life Cycle, Part 2 – Menstruation
The 3 Ms and the Female Hormonal Life Cycle, Part 3 – Menopause
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