Healthy Seniors Today

Deciding what you want, Quantity or Quality

Americans are living longer than ever because of advancements in medicine. Many of us will live into our 70s, 80s, 90s, and a few of us will meet the century mark. That being said, each senior has a choice: Do I want to live LONGER or BETTER? I'm sure you know many people that have lived to a ripe old age, but have lived with disease, loss of mobility, loss of memory, and most importantly, loss of independence. As advancements are made in medicine, the opportunity for education in preventive medicine has become a hot topic.

It is widely known that high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes, which often lead to heart attack and stroke, can be prevented with good nutrition, maintaining a healthy weight, and regular exercise. You are not expected to live off of rabbit food, twigs and leaves. We all have room for improvement in our diets by including more fresh fruits and vegetables, eating less red meat, eating more fish and chicken, eating good fats like nuts and olive oil, avoiding fried and fast foods and sweets, and drinking more water.

Few of us will be running marathons, but many of us can walk on a regular basis. All you need is a good pair of tennis shoes, a safe walking surface and some dedication to make exercise part of your daily routine. You can find a treadmill at a garage sale or walk in a mall if you prefer to walk indoors. For those of us that love to walk outdoors, we can find safe neighborhoods to walk in or find a nature trail. I love to walk alone. I use that time to think, plan my day, reflect and pray. Many of us will be more inclined to walk if we have a walking buddy to get us out there. Each one of us has to start at our personal baseline. Walking for one person may include walking to the mailbox and back two to three times a day. Another person may be able to start walking a block at a time. Start at your personal baseline and make gradual increases in your activity. The most important thing is to START. Like the Nike commercial says, "Just Do It!".

Working in a large Internal Medicine practice as a Nurse Practitioner, I see seniors every day with their bags of medicines for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes and many other chronic diseases. While some medications are necessary, many patients could reduce their need for medication with simple life style modifications. We are so fortunate that we are more educated about our medications with advice from our Pharmacists and reliable internet resources like WebMD. Many of my patients have become informed consumers and question the side effects versus the benefits of medicines. And I love the patient that comes prepared for the office visit with a list of questions. Thankfully, the day of taking medicine or accepting medical treatments just because a Health Care Provider tells you to is long gone. I encourage my patients to ask questions because that is what I get paid for, to provide medical information.

So what kind of life do you want to live? Do you want quantity or quality? While heredity plays a big part in our health status, there are many things we can do to improve our quality of life. I encourage you to make a list, ask questions, ask your Pharmacist about your medications, and use reliable internet resources. Ask your health care provider today what you can do to live a healthier life.