Thoughts for 40s: What Do Men Need to Do to Stay Healthy?

Your 40s brings with it all sorts of wellness niggles that you can feel a lot older than you actually are. You suddenly can’t get up off the floor that quickly, your back aches in ways in never has before, and let’s not even mention the state of your sexual health – 20 and ready-to-go, you ain’t. Still, in terms of your overall wellbeing, you’re actually still in pretty good shape. The name of the health game is still in the line of preventative care, rather than waiting for disease to happen and fighting off the reaper. Instead, get empowered with the knowledge you need as a man in his 40s to prevent chronic illness and make this decade the best yet.

 

When you’re in your 40s, it’s likely that you’ve got a hectic work and home life, trying to keep on top of deadlines, catching up with your mates and spending time with your family. When you’re so busy, it’s no wonder that most men in their 40s don’t make nutrition and exercise a priority. That said, as developed nations rely more on food of convenience, and the quality of ingredients goes further down, it becomes more obvious than ever that you are the only one watching out for the state of your body. In terms of your diet, this means eating plenty of fruits and vegetables – at least five-a-day – and healthy proteins. If you focus on these food groups, you can reduce your risks of cancer and heart disease. Don’t just do your healthy diet solo; get your partner and kids involved and plan your grocery shopping in advance so you won’t be tempted by junk on shop shelves. The key to healthy eating is to have good options on hand at work and at home.

 

Once you’ve got your family’s diet in place, it’s time to turn to your exercise programme. With each decade, the phrase “use it or lose it” becomes more and more applicable. In your 40s, many of your hormones – including testosterone and growth hormone – tend to decline. This ageing process can really do a number on your wellness and, if you don’t exercise, you’ll only hurry that decline along. Exercise stimulates growth hormone, helping you to maintain a lean body mass. However, without enough physical activity, your metabolism will slow down, your bone density will decline, and you’ll be more stressed and depressed than you should be. If you find it hard to motivate yourself, why not go to a class or work with a personal trainer? If you’ve got it written on your calendar and all paid for, you’ll have the incentive to workout until the health benefits become their own motivation.

 

Finally, take a look at your family history. If someone in your family has suffered from a certain illness or condition, it’s not a sure thing that you will likewise be affected, but history certainly has a way of predicting the future. Look into your family’s history of health problems, paying close attention to anything that occurred to someone when in their 40s. While having a grandparent who had a heart attack at 75 is something to take note of, being related to someone who suffered at age 45 holds is even more significant to your prevention strategy. You should primarily focus on your parents, siblings and grandparents, but it’s worth asking about other relatives as well. Take inventory so you can tailor your wellness programme to your needs, and consider talking to your GP if a particular health concern does arise when you’re digging.

Categories: decline, diet and nutrition, exercise, Family, growth hormone, health, Healthy, men in 40s, preventative measures

8 Tests You Should Consider Having as a Woman in Her 50s

When you turn 50, the health concerns really start creeping in. Your sexual health may soon be affected by menopause, if it hasn’t already, but other conditions can also start to have an impact on your wellbeing. However, if you initiate good wellness principles and lifestyle choices there’s no reason why you can’t feel nifty at fifty, and be fully satisfied with the state of your health right up until you reach the big 6-0. One major way in which you can take care of your health during your 50s is to get screened for health concerns that commonly affect your age group. If you catch something sooner rather than later, you can get proactive with treatment and ensure you live to see the next 50 years. For women your age, the United States Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) provide the following recommendations:

 

1. Cervical cancer: A pap smear should be performed every one to three years. You should go for this screening every two years if your physician uses a liquid-based test, or every three if you have had three normal paps consecutively. You only need a test for human papillomavirus (HPV) if you have had an abnormal pap test.

 

2. Breast cancer: Mammograms are recommended every one to two years.

 

3. Colonoscopy for colon cancer screening: Regardless of your family or personal history of the disease, it is recommended that every woman in her 50s gets tested for colon cancer.

 

4. 25-OH Vitamin D (25 hydroxy-vitamin D): There’s no denying the importance of vitamin D; optimal levels can improve your bone density, enhance your cognitive health and reduce your risk of cancer. Therefore, if your vitamin D levels are low, that’s something you’ll want to know about! There are several tests that can determine whether or not you need to do something about your vitamin D levels, but the 25-OH vitamin D level is considered the most accurate. If you find your levels are low, you can get the vitamin D you need from sunlight on your skin, supplements or fortified foods.

 

5. Homocysteine: This is a product of protein metabolism and if your levels get too high, a whole host of wellness issues may be in store. Excess levels of homocysteine can lead to blood vessel damage, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, macular degeneration and depression. If the test reveals your levels are higher than the optimal nine units, you can reset the balance with a higher intake of vitamins B-12, B-6 and folic acid.

 

6. Fasting Insulin Levels: Before your blood sugar rises to the classic diabetic markers, your insulin levels will rise. This demonstrates early signs of your body’s inability to handle the sugar it’s ingesting, so it’s a good thing to know about. The goal ranges may be from 0 -14, but you should try to keep your levels around 7 units or less. If your levels are too high, you have an indicator that you should be reducing the amount of refined sugar in your diet.

 

7. Thyroid tests: Your thyroid gland produces your thyroid hormone, which is responsible for your metabolism, energy production and mental sharpness. You may have a deficiency in this hormone if you experience fatigue, dry skin, hair loss, constipation, cold hands and feet, and sugar cravings. If this is the case, get tested through either a TSH and/or Free T-3).

 

8. C-Reactive Protein (CRP): Inflammation is a marker for heart disease, and this test measures your body’s level of inflammation. The result you’re after is anything less than 1mg/L. However, if you do find that your inflammation levels are elevated, you can fight back with fish oils, CoQ10, magnesium and vitamin D.

Categories: colon cancer, health, health concerns, insulin levels, levels, nbsp, preventative measures, Screenings, Test, vitamin, women in 50s

Budget Wrinkle-Smoothers for Great Skin

There’s an enormous amount of pressure on women to maintain a youthful appearance, yet the hefty price tag attached to the so-called solutions means the majority of women are in a catch-22. For women to stay young, it seems they have to pay a fortune in order to rid themselves of wrinkles. It doesn’t need to be that way though – with some thoughtful preventative measures and low-cost alternatives, you can still retain your youthful glow. These include moisturising regularly, both on the surface and from the inside too.

 

In your 20s

Preventative measures now can save you a lot of time and money further down the line. The best way to achieve this is to use antioxidants to prevent and repair the damage caused by pollution, sun damage and stress. The best time for this repair phase is during your sleep, when the skin is already busy repairing any damage. Wearing a minimum of an SPF15 each day will protect your skin from the ageing effects of the sun, as well as studies showing that regular application of sun cream can help to repair the damage of previous sun exposure. So if you tanned excessively during your teens, there may be some hope of repairing the damage for the future.

In your 30s

Your skin may be looking a little dull by the time you reach your 30s, partly due to stress and partly due to pollution and sun exposure. This may manifest itself in the form of fine lines and brown spots, so you should look to retinol, peptides and alpha hydroxy acids to reverse the damage. Anti ageing ingredients can sometimes lead to flaky skin or redness, but that’s no reason to stop using them. Use these ingredients every other day so that your skin has chance to get used to them. You should also consider your diet – those which are rich in dark green leafy vegetables, olive oil, oily fish and low in milk, butter and sugar will notice an improvement in their skin. You are what you eat, and it’s well worth remembering this when it comes to your skin.

In your 40s

In your 40s, those fine lines you noticed before have become fully-fledged wrinkles, and hyper-pigmentation can start to appear. Hormonal issues can often lead to redness and blotchiness, too. A chemical peel can be a great option for reversing the signs of ageing, which removes the top layer of skin to reveal the smoother skin underneath. Depending on the strength of the peel, you may have some redness or sensitivity for a couple of days afterwards. However, it will help to improve not only the visibility of wrinkles and lines, but also the texture and brightness of your skin. Continuing on with your skincare regime throughout will also ensure that your skin stays moisturised, which is key in preventing further lines from developing

Your skin changes constantly, so it’s important to modify your skincare regime to accommodate these changes. The key aspect of any effective regime is to keep your skin hydrated and protected from the sun – this means wearing an SPF every day in order protect against ageing UV rays, and reapplying regularly if you’re going to be out in the sun for a long time. Your diet, as previously mentioned, is also important so you should try to cut back on the fatty and sugary foods in place of natural nuts, seeds, fruit, vegetables and non-fat dairy produce. This, coupled with plenty of water throughout the day, will help to keep your skin healthy from the inside too.

Categories: ageing, anti-ageing, Fine Lines, lines, preventative measures, Repair, skin, skincare regime, Sun Exposure, time, Tips, Wrinkles