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Principles
of Maintaining Health
Good Diet
It is important that you maintain a good diet. On the other
hand, as you age, being overweight is not that serious. It
is the very rare circumstance that we suggest to any of our
patients that they lose a significant amount of weight.
That does not mean that you should gain weight, but remember that weight loss is a far more serious problem at your
age than is weight gain. We do recommend that you take a multi-vitamin tablet, but it is important that it does not
contain iron. There are appropriate brands that may be purchased at most supermarkets or you local discount stores. We
suggest that you take 1,000 IU of Vitamin E on a daily basis. We do this because Vitamin E has been proven to be
protective against memory loss and also reduces risks of heart attack and stroke. Finally, you should also take calcium
with Vitamin D. We recommend one 500-mg tablet three times a day with meals for women and twice a day for men.
Exercise
You should walk or swim, but just as important is attempting to increase strength by exercising with weights. We call
this resistance training. It is important that if you elect to exercise with weights that you do so under appropriate
supervision. Possibilities include joining a health club or a fitness center with certified exercise instructors; or,
hiring a personal trainer to aid in your exercise regimen. It is very important that you use good form, which will
assure that you do not hurt yourself. When you do these exercises you must use sufficient weight and sufficient
repetitions to fatigue the muscle. This will help develop increased muscle strength. It is amazing how much this can
help over the years. It can improve gait and balance and prevent dependency as you get older.
Stay Calm and Tranquil
This is another cornerstone of aging successfully. Meditation has been shown to decrease your risk of getting ill.
Other approaches include Yoga, Tai Chi, prayer, or listening to relaxation tapes.
Be Active
Stay as active as you possibly can. The more you do, the healthier you will be. Our motto is "Stay Occupied and
Get Involved."
Have Regular Medical Checkups
As you get older, your risk of developing illnesses such as high blood pressure or cancer goes up significantly. Early
detection and appropriate treatment can prevent serious complications, decrease the risk of physical dependence, and
improve your quality of life. We do recommend estrogen for older women even if they are well past menopause. Estrogen
helps prevent osteoporosis, heart attack, and stroke. It even protects against memory loss. Breast cancer risk
increases with age, so annual mammograms are very important.
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