Health Tips for Women in Their 40s and 50s UPMC HealthBeat

Health Tips for Women in Their 40s and 50s UPMC HealthBeatThere's a simple recipe if your goal is to keep away problems like heart disease and strokes.Eat more veggies and fruits.Choose wholegrains. Try brown rice of white instead. Switch to whole wheat grains pasta.Choose lean proteins like poultry, seafood, beans, and legumes.Cut down on processed foods, glucose, salt, and saturated excess fat.When eating healthy, flexibility works best, says Joyce Meng, MD, assistant teacher at the Jim and Pat Calhoun Cardiology Middle at UConn Health. If you like to follow a strict diet plan, go for it. If not, it's Fine. "Find what works for you."Tricia Montgomery, 52, the founder of K9 Fit Golf club, has learned first-hand the way the right lifestyle and diet can help. For her, choosing well balanced meals and planning small, frequent meals works well. "I don't deny myself anything," she says. "I still have dessert -- key lime pie, yum! -- and I really like frozen gummy bears, but moderation is key."Exercise Every DayThe more vigorous you are, the better, Meng says. Exercise improves your heart health, creates muscle and bone durability, and wards off health problems.Shoot for 2 and a half hours of moderate activity, like brisk walking or dancing, every week. If you are OK with energetic exercise, stick to one hour and a quarter-hour a week of things like jogging or playing playing golf. Add a couple of days of strength training, too.If you're active, try brief bursts of activity throughout the entire day. Walk often. A good target is 10,000 steps a day. Take the stairs. Recreation area your car a long way away from your vacation spot.Montgomery exercises every day, often with her dog. By adding lunges, squats, and stairs to a walk, she turns it into a power workout. "I also am an enormous Pilates fan," she says.Lose WeightWhen you shed pounds you'll lower your risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and tumors.Aim for a slow, dependable drop. Make an effort to lose 1-2 pounds a full week when you are productive and eating better."It doesn't need to be one hour of strong exercise every day," Meng says. "Any little bit helps."As you improve, dial in the right time and exactly how hard you work out. If you want to lose a lot of weight, try for 300 minutes of exercise weekly."Eating a healthy diet will go quite a distance," Meng says. Begin by cutting sweets, which she says is often concealing in plain sight -- in store-bought items like salad dressing, packaged bread, and nut products. Try to avoid soda and sugar-laced coffee drinks, too.Visit YOUR PHYSICIANGet regular checkups. Your physician monitors your health background and will help you stay healthy. By way of example, if you're at risk for osteoporosis, a condition that weakens bones, he may want you to get more vitamin and calcium D.Your doctor may recommend screening tests to monitor your wellbeing and catch conditions early on when they're much easier to treat.Keep carefully the comparative lines of communication open up. "When you have questions, ask your physician," Meng says. "Be sure you understand things to your satisfaction." If you're worried about a medication or treatment, talk to him regarding it.DECREASE Your stressNormally it takes a toll on your health. You probably can't avoid it completely, but you will get ways to ease the impact. Don't undertake too much. Make an effort to set limitations with yourself while others. It's OK to state no.To relieve stress, try:Deep breathingMeditationYogaMassageExerciseHealthy eatingTalking to a friend, family member, or professional counselorCreate Healthy HabitsToday if you make the right alternatives, you can defend against problems tomorrow.Brush your teeth twice per day and floss every day.Don't smoke.Limit your alcoholic beverages. Keep it to one drink every day.If you have medication, take it exactly how your doctor prescribed it.Improve your sleeping. Aim for 8 hours. When you have trouble getting shut-eye, talk to your doctor.Use sunscreen and stay from the sun from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.Wear your seatbelt.Take time every day to purchase your health, Meng says.It paid for Montgomery. She says she overcame health problems, feels good, and has an optimistic outlook. "My life," she says, "is forever changed."