Health Tips for Women Over 50

Taking care of your health is essential for productivity and living a full and satisfying life. No doubt, as a woman in your 50s you are busy immersed in your career, family and community. With such a full schedule how can you make sure your health is a priority? Here are a few tips to make sure your 50s are golden.

The most crucial step you can take to promote good health in your 50s is staying active. Engaging in regular exercise, particularly strength training, can prevent age-related declines in mobility, endurance and strength. Lifting weights or bodyweight activities, including yoga and pilates all count as strength training activities. As little as two strength training sessions a week can provide long lasting benefits.

Risk of falls and fractures increases if we lose bone mass. Making sure your bone’s get the calcium they need to stay strong is key, but it’s not as simple as taking a calcium supplement. For most people, they consume enough calcium through dairy products and fortified cereals, but they are lacking in the nutrients needed to absorb calcium properly. These include magnesium and vitamin K2. Both of these nutrients help calcium get to where it is needed, the bones. Without adequate levels of magnesium and vitamin K2, calcium is more likely to find its way to areas of the body where you don’t want it like soft tissues or the kidneys. Nature's Lab Vitamin D3 Plus is formulated with a combination of vitamin D3 and vitamin K2 to support bone health.* Nature's Lab Magnesium Glycinate contains highly bioavailable magnesium glycinate to help replenish your magnesium levels.* Magnesium is also useful for heart health because it promotes relaxed blood vessels which improves circulation.* 

Often we tend to think of what we eat in terms of how it relates to weight loss, but our general wellness is important too. Unfortunately, frequent crash dieting and extreme eating regimens can wreak havoc on overall health. In your 50s your digestive tract, bladder, liver and kidneys are less resilient to the stresses we put upon it. The USDA recommends 1,600–2,200 calories per day for women in their 50s. The bulk of these calories should come from fresh colorful fruits and vegetables which are chock full of flavonoids and other antioxidants. Green leafy vegetables are full of iron, which can be depleted with age. If your doctor recommends an iron supplement, one that includes vitamin C like Nature's Lab Iron Plus Vitamin C can enhance the absorption of this important mineral.*

It’s also a good idea to limit salt intake as sodium can cause an unhealthy spike in blood pressure. Even if you don’t regularly reach for the salt shaker, it’s important to keep an eye on your sodium intake from other sources. For most Americans, the majority of sodium in their diet comes not from table salt but from packaged products and fast food. Endeavoring to eat freshly prepared food items can help reduce how much salt you are getting in your diet. 

If you smoke, there’s no time like the present to stop. Even if you’ve smoked for decades, you can turn back a significant amount of the damage once you stop and give your body a chance to repair itself. A year after you quit smoking the lungs will have healed greatly and your risk of developing heart problems related to smoking is cut in half.

Smoking can age the skin by destroying collagen and elastin, plus it also hinders circulation which can affect hair growth. If you’ve stopped smoking, great! You can give your hair and skin a bit of a boost with biotin supplementation. Even if you do not smoke, you can reap the benefits of biotin’s healthy skin and hair promoting qualities* with a supplement like Nature's Lab Biotin 5000 mcg.

Enjoying a drink a day is fine for most women, but be aware that alcohol’s effects intensify as we age due to less lean body mass. Excessive alcohol consumption increases the risk for health problems related to memory and cognitive abilities as well. While there are some health benefits to red wine, due to the pigment which contains the ant-inflammatory polyphenol resveratrol, you can get these same benefits from supplements that contain resveratrol like Nature's Lab Resveratrol Ultra. You can take advantage of the benefits of resveratrol without the added calories and alcohol.

Participating in regular medical screenings for cardiovascular health, breast health, reproductive health and blood sugar will help your physician detect any potential issues early. Getting a regular workup on your vitamin levels will let you know what nutrients you are lacking in so you can adjust your diet and supplements accordingly. Nature’s Lab offers high quality supplements to assist you in filling in any nutritional gaps in your diet.

References

Yetman, D. (2021, May 17). Does smoking cause hair loss? its impacts on hair health. Healthline. Retrieved April 27, 2022, from https://www.healthline.com/health/smoking/does-smoking-cause-hair-loss#summary 

Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2019, October 11). 3 diet changes women over 50 should make right now. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved April 27, 2022, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/3-diet-changes-women-over-50-should-make-right-now/art-20457589 

How much sodium should I eat per day? www.heart.org. (2021, November 1). Retrieved April 27, 2022, from https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/sodium/how-much-sodium-should-i-eat-per-day 

Davis, J. L. (n.d.). Women over 50: Your personal checklist. WebMD. Retrieved April 27, 2022, from https://www.webmd.com/women/features/women-over-50-your-personal-checklist 

Frey, M. (2021, March 11). How many calories should you eat per day? Verywell Fit. Retrieved April 27, 2022, from https://www.verywellfit.com/how-many-calories-do-i-eat-every-day-3496387 

WebMD. (n.d.). Alcohol and the aging process. WebMD. Retrieved April 27, 2022, from https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/ss/slideshow-alcohol-aging 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Older adults. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Retrieved April 27, 2022, from https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohols-effects-health/special-populations-co-occurring-disorders/older-adults