Older people's health

Older people's health

People seem to age better than in our grandparent's time, or is it just as we age 'policemen seem younger' and we do not notice the effects of ageing?  
People retire at 65 and find they have many more years of life left, but for many this bonus is plagued by nagging poor health - WHICH WE CAN AVOID.   But waiting till symptoms or diseases develop is closing the stable door long after the horse has bolted. 
Ideally by following healthy lifestyles, diet and supplements from a young age, diseases will not develop or arrive much later.   However there are still things which older people can do to help with their health.  For specific diseases and my recommendations, I refer you to my website www.drgerald.co.nz but all older people, to stay healthy should:

1. Keep active both physically and mentally.
2. Eat an ideal diet (see diet tab above), including plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, and fibre.
3. Take good supplements because often all the nutrients are not absorbed from the food - a good multivitamin/multimineral, fish oil and calcium and magnesium. 
4. Additional supplements - saw palmetto and lycopene for prostate health in men, and luceine and zeaxanthine for eye protection in both men and women.  Coenzyme Q10 can help with depleted energy and the additional antioxidant and anti inflammatory effect of flavonoids found in fruit and vegetables and seeds can help.   Arthritis is common and glucosamine and tumeric not only reduce symptoms but may promote healing.  For more details on supplements, see the supplement tab above.