Healthy Aging
Community Education Event: March 14, 2012
Speaker: Lorie Eber, JD
Gerontologist, NASM Certified Personal Trainer
Gerontology Instructor, Coastline Community College

YOU Decide How You Will Age
•30% genes
•70% lifestyle
(Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation)

Lifestyle
•Healthy Diet
•Physical Exercise
•Brain Exercise

How much do you know about
Healthy Aging?

What is the most important
lifestyle change you can make?
1. Eat blueberries every day
2. Exercise
3. Take a Gingko biloba supplement
4. Stay out of the sun

Healthy Diet

Benefits of a Healthy Diet
•Reduced risk of
cardiovascular disease
•Reduced risk of cancer
•You feel better every day

New USDA Food Plate

Food Plate Messages
•One-half of your plate should
be fruits and vegetables
•The other half should be grains
and protein
•Eat a small amount of dairy

Specific Guidelines
•Make at least ½ of your grains
whole grains
•Eat lean protein
•Eat low-fat or non-fat dairy
products

Tufts University

Important Vitamins/Minerals
Vitamin/Mineral Good Sources
Vitamin D Fatty fish, fortified milk and cereal,
sunshine
Vitamin B6 Fortified cereal, whole grains, liver
Vitamin B12 Meat, fish, poultry, milk, fortified
cereal
Folate Dark-green leafy vegetables, beans,
peas, oranges, fortified foods

Calcium for Strong Bones
Good Sources
Milk and milk products, tofu, dark leafy
greens, soybeans, sardines, salmon,
fortified foods

Limit Sodium
Recommended Common Sources Tips
Maximum
Ages 51+
1,500 mg ●Chips/pretzels “low sodium”
●Bread (eat less) “salt free”
Only ≈ 2/3 tsp. ●Bacon/sausage
●Pizza Make your own
●French fries meals
●Frozen dinners
●Canned soups Ditch the salt
shaker

How to Keep Costs Down
•Meals on Wheels
•Eat lunch at a senior center
•Buy in bulk
•Clip coupons
•Buy store brands
•Move into Freedom Village

Suggestion: Eat Like a Greek
• A Mediterranean diet reduces your risk of
Alzheimer’s disease by 34-48%
• Lots of fruits & vegetables, whole grains,
olive oil, beans, fish and poultry

7 Heart-Smart foods

Beans
Eating beans 4 times a week lowers your risk of
heart disease by 22%

Berries
Berries contain phytochemicals and flavonoids which
help prevent cancer

Broccoli
Broccoli decreases your risk of colon cancer

Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Olive oil contains mono and unsaturated fats which
lower bad (LDL) cholesterol

Nuts
Nuts contain mono and polyunsaturated fats, which lower
bad (LDL) cholesterol

Oatmeal
Oatmeal is high in soluble fiber, which decreases bad
(LDL) cholesterol

Salmon
Oily fish are high in heart-protective omega-3 fatty
acids

3 Healthy Diet Tips
•Enjoy what you eat, just eat
less of it.
•Save half of your plate for
fruits and vegetables.
•Snack wisely.

Physical Exercise

Benefits of Exercise
•Fall Prevention
•Improved Circulation
•Disease Prevention
•Increased Strength
•Keeps Body Flexible

How Much Exercise?
30 minutes a day

4 Types of Exercise
•Endurance
•Strength
•Balance
•Flexibility

Endurance Exercises
Aerobic activities that increase
your breathing and heart rate
• Brisk walking
• Yard work
• Dancing
• Swimming

Why Endurance Exercises?
• More stamina to enjoy life
• Able to walk up the stairs
• Enjoy your grandchildren

Strength Exercises
Using weight to improve your
muscle strength
• Lifting weights
• Using a resistance band
• Using your body weight

Why Strength Exercises?
• Lift your groceries
• Carry your laundry
• Open jars

Balance Exercises
Ways of challenging your body to
maintain its equilibrium
• Standing on one foot
• Heel-to-Toe walk
• Tai Chi

Why Balance Exercises?
• Reduce risk of falls
• Walk up and down stairs safely
• Navigate uneven sidewalks

Flexibility Exercises
Stretching so that your joints go
move through a full range of
motion
• Yoga
• Calf stretch
• Shoulder and arm stretch

Why Flexibility Exercises?
• Able to turn your head when
driving
• Bend over to put on your shoes
• Make your bed

Exercise: Just Do It!
•Reduces dementia risk 30-40%
•Prevents hippocampus from
shrinking
•Triggers growth of new nerve
cells

Let’s Exercise
•Leg Strengthening
•Chair Stand

Leg Strengthening
EXERCISE
• Slowly extend leg
• Flex foot
• Hold for 1 second
• Repeat with other leg
BENEFITS
• Strengthens thighs
• stretches your calf
muscle

Chair Stand
EXERCISE
• Scoot to the front of
chair
• Keep feet on floor,
shoulder width apart
• Extend arms in front of
you, parallel to the floor

Chair Stand
EXERCISE (continued)
• Slowly stand up
• Sit down
• Repeat
BENEFITS
• Strengthens abdomen
• Strengthens thighs

Motivational Tips
•Do what you enjoy
•Get a buddy
•Set a goal
•Reward yourself
•Make exercise an appointment

Mental Health
•Many older adults suffer from
untreated depression
•Depression is an independent
risk factor for Alzheimer’s
disease

Brain Exercise

Brain Exercise
•“Use it or Lose it”
•Constantly challenge your
mind

Benefits of Brain Exercise
•Reduces risk of Alzheimer’s
Disease
•Increases blood flow to the
brain
•May increase your IQ

Brain Exercises
•Learn another language
•Use your non-dominant hand
•Learn to play an instrument
•Play brain fitness games
•Learn something, anything,
new

5 Ways
to Stay Mentally Sharp

1. Seek out New Skills
 Learning prompts the growth of new
brain cells

2. Say “Omm”
 Meditation reduces harmful stress
hormones

3. Get a Social Life
 Social networks help lower the risk of
dementia

4. Reduce Your Risks
 Avoiding chronic health conditions
(obesity, diabetes and hypertension)
lowers your risk of dementia

5. Sleep a Lot
 During sleep your brain continues to
process memories, which helps recall

Healthy Aging Take-Aways
•Eat a variety of healthy foods
•Move your body more
•Challenge your mind

Thank You!
Best in health