Be Happy and Healthy Today, Tomorrow and Later in Life

You only get one body, so it makes sense to look after it as best you can. Most of the decisions you made will directly impact your health both now and later down the line- whether that’s in a positive or negative way. Making the right decisions now will not only allow you to maintain a healthy weight, feel fit and strong and avoid many illnesses but you’ll also be happier and healthier later into life. This is time that could be spent with loved ones, no one should be cutting this short if they can help it. Here are a few things to bear in mind.

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Start Young

It’s always better late than never, but ideally, you will be looking after your body from a young age. The longer you have been eating well, exercising and not giving in to dangerous vices, the stronger and healthier your body is likely to be. If you have children, this is a good step to bear in mind, set them up now at a young age. Teach them a love of fresh, healthy foods and how exercise can be fun.

Give Up Your Vices and Addictions

One thing that most elderly people have in common is that they don’t smoke, drink or have vices that are damaging to the body. While some people are very lucky and do these things into their eighties and beyond, as a general rule, these kinds of habits do result in death far sooner than this. Smoking is responsible for a whopping sixteen different types of cancers, it also increases blood pressure, cholesterol, the chances of stroke and diabetes amongst other things. Alcohol increases the likelihood of stroke, diabetes, cirrhosis of the liver, along with oesophageal cancer and a compromised immune system. This is on top of the accidental death that can be caused by intoxication. Most drugs will cause hardening of the arteries which can lead to heart problems such as heart attack and heart disease. They can lead to liver problems and severe mental health issues. Once you’ve broken free from the shackles of addiction, you’re free to get on with the rest of your life.

Safety First

As well as illnesses, another thing that can change your life or even cause death is accidents. Keep common sense in mind, don’t drive when you’re over the limit or tired for example. Keep your home tidy and free of tripping hazards, this is something nursing home staff have to be particularly cautious of since a fall in an older person can lead to broken bones- particularly a broken pelvis. Many people never return from the hospital once this occurs. Many people severely hurt themselves falling off chairs, with knives, power tools and falling down stairs. Bear in mind that more accidents happen in the home more than anywhere else so don't get complacent. Always take your safety seriously, keep your wits about you and use common sense when it comes to any dangerous situations.

Attend Your Screenings

Cancer can affect anyone at any time in their life. It's an illness which doesn’t discriminate by race, religion or gender. According to research one in two people will develop it at some time in their lives, this is mainly because we're living longer but also due to poor lifestyle choices. For this reason, it’s so important to attend all of the cancer screenings you’re invited to. Screenings aren’t tests for cancer, they are simply looking for otherwise healthy people to pick up any potential changes that could lead to cancer. `If any abnormalities are spotted they then can be addressed and treated at the earliest stage.