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by Dr. Jane Perry
True or false: aches, pains, slow reflexes and reduced mobility are all part of the aging process. There’s nothing anyone can do to change the inevitable.
False! If you answered “true”, don’t feel bad. In the majority of the world’s cultures, aging is viewed as a time of degradation—both physical and mental. This belief has become ingrained in our collective minds and shaped our negative attitudes about aging.
But you can fight back the years and age gracefully with a chiropractic lifestyle—focusing on spinal health, stress reduction, nutrition and disease prevention.
Get adjusted
Regular chiropractic adjustments are vital to spinal health. When the bones (vertebrae) of the spine become misaligned, a condition known as vertebral subluxation can occur. Results include the aches and pains traditionally associated with the aging process. Vertebral subluxations are also linked with a myriad of other health concerns, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, headaches, backaches and ear infections. These subluxations are corrected with safe and gentle maneuvers called chiropractic adjustments.
Lose weight
Losing weight is one of the best ways to beat the clock. A late-breaking study conducted in Japan indicated that dietary restrictions late in life are a classic example of “better late than never”. The study indicated that dietary restrictions can be beneficial in retarding age-related functional decline.
Savor salmon
Reducing calories is just part of the story—you need the right kind of calories. Omega-3 fatty acids in salmon make this delicious fish the wonder food of Neptune’s lair. Omega-3 is linked to supple skin, reduction of wrinkles and improved cholesterol levels. In addition, omega-3 wards off obesity, breast and colon cancer and rheumatoid arthritis.
Clinical trials also reveal that omega-3 fatty acids significantly reduce the risk of cardiac arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death, along with modest reduction of athero-sclerotic plaque formation and hypertension.
In addition to salmon, omega-3 oils are also found in trout, tuna and most shellfish.
Stop stressing
Nurturing your spiritual side is a powerful stress-reduction strategy, which inhibits the aging process.
A growing body of research reveals that spiritual endeavors ward off many of the diseases common in elderly individuals.
Worry lines were named for their root cause—worry. No worries, no lines. All of the face creams in the world won’t do a bit of good if you consistently “sweat the small stuff.”
Meditation, prayer, yoga and silent reflection can calm the most stressed-out soul. Finding the time to pursue stress relievers isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity. The more hectic your lifestyle, the more difficult it may be to find a few quiet moments alone. But, the more hectic your lifestyle, the more you must find and set aside that time.
Go Nuts
Okay, so eating walnuts won’t make you look like a fashion-magazine cover model, but it can keep your heart young. In the May 2002 issue of the Journal of Nutrition, researchers report that the consumption of walnuts lowers cholesterol. Investigators analyzed five controlled, peer-reviewed trials involving approxi-mately 200 subjects. The experiments found that walnuts lower blood concentrations of lipids associated with heart disease.
Embrace exercise
Resistance exercise, such as walking uphill and weight training, increase metabolism and slow the decline of bone density and muscle mass, both of which lead to osteoporosis.
Value vitamins
If you are like most people, meals are often eaten “on the run”. When that happens, nutrition is sacrificed. In older people the result is a lack of nutrients associated with longevity. Nutritional supplemen-tation strategies can reduce this risk and reverse some of the immune dysfunction associated with advanced age. Talk with your doctor before purchasing vitamins. Some vitamins, taken in excess, may be toxic.
Trade coffee for tea
Tea, specifically the caffeine-free herbal and green varieties, brews up a wealth of healthy benefits. Coffee, on the other hand, taxes the kidneys and has few redeeming health qualities. According to scientific studies, coffee boosts blood flow by dilating the arteries that supply the brain. These arteries become accustomed to caffeine-induced fluctuations and adjust for them, in advance, by contracting and restricting blood flow.
When a regular coffee drinker skips his daily caffeine fix, the arteries continue to adjust for the expected caffeine rush, restrict blood flow and trigger a headache. This phenomenon is known as a “drug-rebound headache” (the drug is caffeine). Drug-rebound headaches are one of several factors that make coffee so addictive and make kicking a coffee habit so nerve wracking.
In contrast, tea, especially the green variety, is a powerful anti-oxident, working to keep the body disease-free and the skin smooth and youthful.
Consult your chiropractor
Aging is inevitable. Aging poorly isn’t. Your chiropractor will help you establish a lifestyle plan that includes strategies for healthy aging. Start by choosing the right foods, exercising and reducing stress. And, most importantly, schedule an appointment with your chiropractor. After all, if the spine isn’t healthy, the rest of the body will suffer proportionately.
Jane Perry, D.C., is a chiropractor at Allen Chiropractic in Allen. |
