FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM NOVEMBER 23, 2017 • SENIOR LIVING • THE QUEENS COURIER 31
senior living
50+: Can these be the best years of your life?
“You can be one of those people who
live in the past and relive the glory days,
but I’m living the best days of my life
now,” said Bill, a police chief, father of
four children and grandfather of two
grandchildren.
Bill isn’t living without obstacles. He
has experienced a number of orthopedic
injuries and health setbacks during
his 42-year career in law enforcement in
Foxborough, Mass., and he is not alone.
In fact, four out of fi ve Americans ages 50
and older suff er from at least one chronic
health condition, including heart disease,
diabetes, arthritis, obesity or respiratory
disease.
As we get older, health setbacks are
a growing concern. In a new survey
by Clarus Research with support from
Abbott, the maker of nutritional drink
Ensure(R), and the International Council
on Active Aging(R) (ICAA), adults ages
50 and older shared their biggest fears,
and not surprisingly, a health setback was
ranked highest (39 percent), followed by
being a burden on their family (21 percent).
Fortunately, the survey found that
respondents are addressing their fears
and prioritizing accordingly. More than
half (58 percent) of survey participants
ranked remaining in good health a top
priority as they age. Like Bill, they are
motivated to stay healthy in order to live
their best life. Top motivators for staying
healthy and active are being able to
stay independent (72 percent), travel (57
percent) and spend time with children or
grandchildren (45 percent).
Th e survey also revealed that adults ages
50 and older are still looking for romance.
Nearly a quarter (24 percent) of adults
ages 56-65 say going on dates or having
romantic evenings highly motivates them
to stay healthy and active.
So how do adults ages 50 and older live
their best life? Helen and Byron, a couple
from Santa Clarita, Calif., believe they
have the answer to a long, healthy, happy
life. And it starts with good nutrition and
a positive, “Can Do” attitude.
Proper nutrition
Our tastes change as we age, and so do
our nutrition needs. Foods that fueled our
30-year-old bodies may not be absorbed
and used the same way 20 years later.
While nutrient-dense foods are important
for people of any age, adults ages 50
and older should put an increased focus
on eating foods such as colorful fruits and
vegetables, whole grains and protein like
seafood, lean meats, eggs and nuts.
Making good nutrition choices a priority
helps you maintain muscle and gives
your body a “nutritional reserve” in the
event of an injury or sickness. However,
oft en in the case of a health setback, your
body doesn’t get enough of the nutrients
it needs to recover, which can cause further
breakdown of muscle tissue.
And, when diet alone does not suffi
ciently provide the nutrition needed,
a nutritional drink like Ensure can
help support strength and energy needs,
whether you’re recovering from an injury
or enjoying everyday activities.
Of course, strength and nutrition are
only part of the equation for living a full
life.
A “Can Do” attitude
“Stay positive.” You’ve heard it a thousand
times, but research indicates this
could be a crucial piece to a long and
healthy life.
In the same survey from Abbott and
ICAA, nearly all respondents (97 percent)
said that they believe a positive attitude
can add years to their life, and 98 percent
said that a positive attitude was important
in their recovery from a health setback.
Th ese beliefs are backed by science.
In a 2016 study of 4,000 adults ages 50
and older, researchers identifi ed that people
with a positive outlook on aging have
lower levels of c-reactive protein in the
body, a marker of stress-related infl ammation.
Th is helps explain why people
with a positive outlook live seven and a
half years longer than people with negative
outlooks.
An injury, health setback or just the
simple act of aging can make you think
you have to slow down or sit on the sidelines.
However, many Boomers - like Bill,
Helen and Byron - are challenging these
antiquated notions and attitudes about
aging and are not letting setbacks or their
age defi ne them.
“Whether you’re moving to a new city,
keeping up with grandchildren or taking
on a new part-time job in retirement,
a positive attitude coupled with proper
nutrition and an active lifestyle can open
a whole new world of possibilities you
might not have imagined when you were
younger,” said Colin Milner, CEO and
Founder, ICAA.
Whatever obstacles you face, whatever
dreams you have, there are plenty of other
people out there who have taken steps to
living their best lives by saying, “I can,”
instead of, “I can’t.” Check out the stories
of Bill, Helen, Byron, Jennie and many
other “Can Do” people by visiting www.
ensure.com/cando.
Courtesy BPT