Anti-Aging Tips & Lifestyle
Lifestyle and Prevention Tips for Disease Of Aging
Health Screenings Are Important
There are many health insurance programs that
cover preventive health care like health screenings. Here are screenings
that are important as you age:
Screenings for breast, cervical, vaginal, colorectal
and prostate cancer including mammography.
Testing for loss of bone mass, which causes osteoporosis.
Diabetes monitoring and self-management.
Flu, pneumonia and Hepatitis B vaccinations.
Get your blood pressure checked annually.
Check your HDL and LDL cholesterol levels every year.
Get a Pap smear every year.
Use an inexpensive fecal occult-blood test to check
for colon cancer.
Have a sigmoidoscopy done at least every three to
five years or a colonoscopy done at least every 10 years.
Get a simple blood test to check for diabetes.
Check your skin often for changes to freckles and
moles.
Don’t just automatically get every test available
to you. Discuss with your doctor the positive and negative aspects
of certain tests.
Using Indoor Plants To Clean The Air
Lady palm, peace lily, ficus, golden pothos and areca
palm are easy to grow, insect resistant and can absorb many of the
cancer causing chemicals like benzene, arsenic and formaldehyde found
in secondhand smoke and other household pollutants.
A normal houseplant can filter about six cubic feet
of air or about the size of a overstuff chair. Position the plant
on a table or floor beside your bed or favorite chair to maximize
the amount of clean air in your breathing zone.
Don’t Get Burned!
American over 65 account for half of all new cases
of skin cancer. Damage to the skin doesn’t happen overnight
but accumulates over years.
Use a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15.
Look for the UV Index in your local newspaper.
Wear a broad-brimmed hat and sunglasses in the sun.
Conduct a self-exam of your skin once a month looking
for any new growths or changes in moles, freckles or birthmarks.
Don’t be fooled by clouds. Sunlight and UV rays
penetrate the clouds so wear sunscreen even on cloudy days.
Don’t forget to apply sunscreen
to ears, neck and the back of your hands.
Your environment and disease
We all carry a degree of toxins in our cells. Take
DDT for example. The use was banned in 1972 after research indicated
the suspicion it contributed to breast cancer.
But, traces of DDT remains in the foods we eat and
the water we drink for more than 50 years, we all have trace amounts
in bodies.
Trace amounts probably will not cause you harm, however,
30 chemicals have been proven to cause cancer in humans while another
400 have been shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals and are
suspected of causing human tumors.
Pollution increases the risk of heart attack.
Breast cancer rates appear to be higher in industrial
areas.
Certain cancers are more common among farmers who
use pesticides.
Radon is linked to lung cancer.
The damage created by these hazards increase as we
age. The body gradually loses the ability to rid itself of toxins
that can damage your lungs, kidneys, liver and other major organs.
Here are some tips to lower your intake of air borne
pollutants:
- Stick to side streets as you walk for exercise.
- Avoid outdoor activities during rush hour.
- Live in a smoke-free environment
- Clean your indoor air with a HEPA filter.
- Pay attention to local outdoor pollution alerts.
- Try some of these hints to avoid pesticide poisoning:
- Eat plenty of vegetables and soy products each day.
- Reduce your intake of beef, pork and chicken.
- Wash and peel all fruits and vegetables carefully.
- Keep your kitchen free of pesticides.
