Your Health and Your Weight

Healthy Living Through The Ages!

Like a good friend, a good attitude towards fitness and
nutrition doesn't abandon us as we age. It matures
right along with us, evolving as our lives change.

That means we don't have to give up the activities or
the foods we love based on the number of birthdays
we've celebrated.

"Research suggests that half the drop in function
assumed to be linked to aging is now thought to be
related to inactivity," says Elizabeth Ready, an
exercise physiologist and associate dean of education
and recreation at the University of Manitoba in
Winnipeg. So healthy, active women can continue to
pursue challenging physical activity even into old
age. Still, a certain amount of common sense is in
order. What was demanding and fulfilling in our 20s, for example may be too time-consuming in our 30s and
40s, too extreme in our 50s and just downright foolish
in our 60s.

Our nutritional needs also evolve as we age, says Rosie
Schwartz, a registered dietician/nutritionist in
Toronto. "What is considered a healthy diet for a 25-
year-old woman in her peak reproductive years will be
different than that of a 60-year-old at increased risk
of osteoporosis and heart disease." And women of all
ages need to ensure that they're getting enough of the
female-friendly nutrients -- calcium, folate, iron and zinc -- that are essential for maintaining a woman's
health throughout her life.

Read on to discover how tweaking your fitness and
nutritional goals can keep you looking good and feeling
great at any age!

Health Concerns:

This is the time to establish healthy lifestyle habits
that will help prevent heart disease, osteoporosis,
diabetes and other diseases later in life, says "Dr.
Miriam Kaufman, a specialist in adolescent health at
the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. Proper
nutrition, exercise and sleep are also the first steps
in managing stress and anxiety.

This is a time of life, too, when mental health can be
at risk -- major depression, bipolar disorder,
schizophrenia and substance-abuse disorders have
their onset at this age. Kaufman recommends that even
the healthiest young person visit a family doctor once
a year.

Fitness Goals:

Our bodies are in peak form in our 20s, so now is the
time to expand aerobic capacity and sample some new
sports. Since you're less likely to have financial
constraints, children and a mortgage in your 20s, you
may want to indulge in active vacations and invest in
good-quality sports equipment.

Suggested Activities:

Team sports or rugged individual pursuits such as rock
climbing and mountain biking, as well as high-impact
activities such as jogging and aerobics, will help
build strong bones for the future.

Nutritional Goals:

No matter how energetic you are, late nights and
skipped meals can take their toll and nutritional
shortfalls each up with you, says Schwartz. Make sure
you're getting enough iron - 18 milligrams per day --
since too little can lead to iron deficiency anemia,
the most common nutritional deficiency in Canadian
women.

As well, health experts recommend that all women of
child-bearing age take 0.4 milligrams of folic acid
(folate) daily at least three months before conception
to help reduce the chances of birth defects such as
spina bifida. Studies have shown that folate may also
help reduce the risk of heart disease and cervical
cancer.

Maintaining a healthy weight also safeguards your
ability to conceive, since being too heavy or too thin
interferes with ovulation. And a health weight ha a
major impact on your health later in life, helping to
prevent diseases such as osteoporosis, diabetes and
high blood pressure.

Healthy Living Through The Ages in the 30s!

Health Concerns:

After the age of 35, your body begins to exhibit the
first stage of aging, says Helen Perrault, an exercise
physiologist and chair of McGill University physical
education department in Montreal. Bone mass has
reached it's peak, and endurance and muscle mass are
starting to decline. Muscle loos in sedentary
individuals can be as much as half a pound a year.
Loss of muscle mass causes the body to burn fewer
calories daily, which can slow down metabolism by as
much as two percent per decade, says Perrault. That,
combined with lack of exercise, child-bearing and a
busy work schedule, can have a nasty effect on
weight. With women trying to juggle family and
workaday demands, high levels of anxiety and stress
are also a concern during this decade.

Fitness Goals:

Motherhood and fitness can be uneasy partners,
according to a 1999 study at the University of
Minnesota in Minneapolis which found that physical
activity dropped 14 percent after women had children.
With time at a premium, traditional exercise programs
may be too difficult to follow, says Robin Mech, a
fitness co-ordinator at the MacMab Street YWCA in
Hamilton. Mech recommends trying two 15-minute
workouts instead of one 30-minute workout. "You'll
keep your fitness level up, and it'll be easier to fit
them into your schedule," she says. Mech also
recommends being flexible and what kind of exercise you
pursue. For example, take the stairs every chance you
get and do bicep curls with the milk/grocery bag while
waiting in line at the grocery store.

Suggested Activities:

Try activities such as jogging, walking or cycling,
which can be performed close to home and involve a
minimum of scheduling. Bicycle, walk or in-line skate
when you're doing local errands or visiting friends in
the neighborhood. It may be easier to try to exercise
as a family, cycling or hiking together, than to
search for those elusive 30 minutes of private time.

Nutrition Goals:

These are the time-crunch years, says Schwartz, and
healthy meals can fall by the wayside as work
deadlines and kids'after-school schedules get in the
way. However, taking the time to eat properly can
help counteract the effects of stress.

That means getting enough zinc and B vitamins to
bolster your over-challenged immune system. Schwartz
recommends choosing whole-grain foods over refined
one, and incorporating lots of legumes such as kidney
beans and chickpeas into your diet. And don't forget
to feed your bones with calcium-rich foods.

Studies have shown that calcium may also help ease
some of the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome, help
control blood pressure and protect against colon
cancer. Women age 19 to 50 should consume 1,000
milligrams of calcium per day. If you rely on a
supplement to meet your calcium needs, choose one with
Vitamin D and Magnesium. These nutrients work in
tandem with calcium to protect optimal bone health.
Vitamin D, for example, increases calcium absorption by
as much as 30 to 80 percent.

Read more in the next newsletter will be centered on
"Healthy Living Through the Ages for in your 40s and 50s."

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FREEBIES
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Health Concerns at The Adolescent Years!
http://cpmcnet.columbia.edu exts/guide oc oc07.html

Eat For Your Future!
Take time out to enjoy healthy food, and we don't
mean half-eaten burgers. Your body will thank you
for it later
http://www.ivillage.co.uk/health/agestage/yngadult/articles/0,12709,181170_183133,00.html

Free public health book online!
http://www.ahealthyme.com/article/bellhowell/102538415

Be Breast Aware!
Breast cancer isthe most common cancer among women.
But checking yourself out once a month will help you
recognize what's normal and what isn't.
http://www.ivillage.co.uk/health/agestage/yngadult/articles/0,12709,181170_183107,00.html

Cool Test Quiz from Nutrition to Illnesses!
http://www.ahealthyme.com opic/quizarchive

What Your Period Says About Your Health at 20, 30, 40!
http://magazines.ivillage.com/redbook/dh/health/articles/0,12840,284480_289153-2,00.html

What You Need To Know In Your 20s!
http://www.healthnet.com/healthy_woman/attention_women/20s/07_your20s.asp

What You Need To Know In Your 30s!
http://www.healthnet.com/healthy_woman/attention_women/30s/08_your30s.asp

National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (6/2002)!
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/about/major/nhanes/databriefs/dietary.pdf

Susan Rutter
Instructor/Nutritionist
Healthy YOUbbies
"We Are What We EAT"
http://www.geocities.com/healthyoubbies/
email: healthy.youbbies@3web.net