Adopting a healthy aging lifestyle has an influence on mental health, mood, cognition and learning ability. 
Everyone wants to make the most of their lives, yet many individuals are unsure how to do so. The most effective strategy to maximize your life’s potential is to promote good aging in your body. To maximize your body’s potential to remain as young and energetic as possible, you must actively participate in the healthy aging process. Combining the nourishing aspects of exercise, a balanced diet, relaxation, social activities, personal relationships, mental stimulation and spirituality is the key to improving cellular age and physical function.
The advantages of healthy aging include:
Optimal Nutrition: A well-balanced whole foods Mediterranean diet supplies the body with the nutrients it requires for optimal well-being and aging by reducing inflammation and limiting sugar spikes in the body.
Better Physical Health: Exercise, diet, cellular health and hydration all help your body live a long and healthy life. Move more often than not. The minute you stop moving, inflammation stagnates. Drink at least half your body weight in ounces of water daily (more if you are outdoors sweating or exerting yourself).
Mental Health: Adopting a healthy aging lifestyle has an influence on mental health, mood, cognition and learning ability. Monitor your thoughts. Thought creates illness and disease. Adopt positive thoughts to cancel out negative non-supportive thoughts. State positive affirmations daily to change the way you feel. It takes 21 days to change the neural pathways in the brain. Begin to think and feel better! Practice mindfulness and meditation to help you connect with your inner knowing. Challenge yourself mentally with crossword puzzles, games, painting, learning to play an instrument and switching activities to your non-dominant hand. This forces your brain to learn in different ways that keeps it healthy and active.
Connectedness: Incorporating pleasure, leisure and social activities strengthens your connection to the world. This is one of the most significant aspects of good aging and mood. Take time to connect with nature to help ground yourself. Do what you love to do more often than not, even if it is only one to two times per month. Connect with others by volunteering for your favorite causes. Connect with the ones you love and be present in the moment. Practice mindfulness and being more present. Perform random acts of kindness. Kindness goes a long way and can make another person’s day.
Health as a Priority: To reduce age-related diseases, it is important to make small shifts in all these areas by actively focusing on improving your overall health, vitality and well-being. Small steps to improved health can assist those suffering from ailments such as heart disease, diabetes, poor immunity, hormone imbalances, arthritis and cancer to feel better and happier.
Increased Energy: When all of your body’s cells are happy, they want to move! Movement improves energy. The more you sit, the more stagnant the energy is and can become a vicious cycle. Take the first step and move more often. Take a walk in nature, dance to your favorite music, get outside and be active. Following these basic healthy aging concepts can restore your zest for life.
Did you know?
Age spots on the skin are an indication that your liver is sluggish and slow to clear toxins.
It is normal for hormones to start to decline with aging. You don’t have to suffer through it or chalk it up as “getting old.” Hormone optimization can help you to feel more like your old self and prevent age-related diseases. Get your hormones checked by a hormone specialist.
Skin laxity/wrinkles are caused by collagen degeneration, hormonal decline and thinning of the skin’s mattress that occurs naturally with aging. There are many ways to lift, tighten, induce collagen and plump up the skin mattress to look more refreshed, firmer and supple naturally with treatments such as radiofrequency, PDO threads or microneedling.
Weight gain is prevalent when the thyroid or female/male hormones are underactive and insulin levels are high. Most people have trouble with weight in the middle as a sign of age-related hormone imbalance. Significant weight gain is not a normal component of the aging process and definitely should be evaluated.
Poor circulation, dietary deficiencies such as iron or essential fatty acids (fish oil), decline of hormones and a lack of exercise/movement can all contribute to memory problems.
Fatigue can be accompanied with an underactive thyroid, inflammation, vitamin D deficiency, an unstable blood sugar level, a persistent lack of sleep, and a low DHEAS or female/male hormone levels.
Hair loss and Tinnitus might be caused by a sluggish, slow liver and/or kidneys that aren’t providing enough blood and nutrients to the head. Aging hormone decline may also contribute to this.
Begin early to promote aging healthfully! The sooner you begin to optimize your health to encourage healthy aging, the sooner you will be able to slow the aging clock from spiraling down the path toward promoting age-related diseases. Take measures today to live the life you most desire if you want to ensure your life is long, prosperous and full of vitality and energy. FBN
By Christina Kovalik NMD, LAc
Dr. Christina Kovalik NMD, LAc, The Vitality Doctor, is a naturopathic physician and acupuncturist specializing in hormone optimization, optimal health and vitality. She is a new Flagstaff resident, practicing since 2004, and opened her second location in Doney Park in 2020. For more information, visit thevitalitydoctor.com or call 928-863-6086.
