Visit the dentist. Good oralhygiene is important to overallhealth and can reduce the risk ofillness elsewhere in the body, suchas heart disease and stroke.
Pass on the salt. Your body needssodium, the main nutrient in tablesalt, but too much can increasethe risk of a stroke, heart attack orkidney disease. Dietary guidelinesrecommend reducing your sodiumintake after 50 and again at 70.
See the story Oversalted in theFall 2011 issue at applemag.ca.
Limit alcohol. As we age, weprocess alcohol more slowly andbecome more sensitive to its effects.The Canadian Centre on SubstanceAbuse recommends men have fewerthan 15 drinks a week and womenhave fewer than 10.
10 Maintain a healthy weight. Bodymass index (BMI) gauges your risk ofdeveloping health problems. A healthyBMI reduces your risk of uterine, breast,prostate and colorectal cancer plusa number of other diseases such asdiabetes. Ask your health-care providerwhat’s right for you.
Stop, look, and listen. Olderadults need a little more time toprocess information. In trafficespecially, remember the safetybasics—whether driving or walking,make sure the way is clear beforecrossing the street.
6 Manage your pain. Life comes withaches and pains, but they needn’t stopyou from leading and enjoying an activelifestyle. Learning techniques to managethe frustration and fatigue of pain canhelp control chronic conditions.
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