5 Guidelines for healthy living for women aged 50 years and over

Guidelines for healthy living for women aged 50 years

1. Do not underestimate calcium and vitamin D

Various changes that occur, especially in the stomach and hormones, reduce the absorption of calcium and vitamin D, which usually starts at the age of 40. Especially for women, research shows that menopause increases the risk of osteoporosis due to reduced levels of estrogen in the body. Bones will also be more easily damaged and broken.

For that, try to meet calcium and vitamin intake from food. You can eat a variety of foods such as sardines, spinach, broccoli, low-fat dairy products, and also supplements if needed. However, before taking supplements, make sure to discuss it with your doctor first to find out what dosage you need and whether it is safe to take it according to your health condition.

2. Increase your intake of vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 has many health benefits such as helping to produce healthy red blood cells which are necessary for the formation of DNA. In addition, vitamin B12 is also useful for improving brain health, which usually decreases with age. Vitamin B12 can be found in various foods such as fish meat, beef liver and eggs.

Unfortunately, as you age, stomach acid will decrease so that the body has difficulty digesting various nutrients, including vitamin B12. Because women aged 50 years and over are prone to vitamin B12 deficiency, you may need to take supplements from your doctor.

3. Try the Mediterranean diet

The Mediterranean diet includes a diet that is considered the healthiest. The reason is, this diet is rich in vegetables, fruit, nuts, fish, whole grains, and unsaturated fats. In addition, this diet also requires you to reduce your consumption of red meat and dairy products. For women aged 50 years and over, this type of diet will help improve heart health.

The Mediterranean diet does not limit the number of calories and fat that must be consumed each day. It's just that, you are encouraged to change food sources from less healthy to healthier ones. For example, if you are accustomed to eating sweet snacks rich in sugar, then in this diet you are advised to replace them with healthy nuts which are richer in protein and healthy fats.

4. Pay attention to iron intake

Generally, women will experience menopause when they enter the age of 50. At menopause, iron needs decrease because the body no longer needs to replace this one substance which is usually released every month through menstrual blood.

Therefore, you should consult your doctor about the amount of iron you need to consume each day. The reason is, excess iron is also not beneficial for health. In fact, you are at risk of poisoning because the body has no way to get rid of excess iron.

5. Reduce salt

Increasing age makes the blood vessels stiffer and harder. This makes it easier for the blood vessels to become blocked. As a result, you are prone to stroke, heart failure and heart attack.

One way to reduce the risk is to reduce salt. Therefore, try to eat home cooking so that you can limit salt. The reason is, various processed foods contain very high salt.

If you cook it yourself, you can add a variety of salt substitutes such as ginger, turmeric, shallots, and also garlic which are certainly healthier and tastier.

6. Stay active in sports

Towards old age does not mean reducing the physical activity that you usually do. In fact, you still need to move in order to stay healthy and avoid various types of diseases. Quoted from WebMD, research shows that you need to keep moving your body so that the joints in all parts of the body remain strong and avoid the risk of arthritis (arthritis).

For women aged 50 years and over, you can do light exercise such as walking which can help strengthen muscles and joints.