What keeps you young – Dr. Péter Naszódy
What keeps you young – Dr. Péter Naszódy
Happiness can mean something different to everyone, so it cannot be precisely determined how we can become super-grandmas.
1. How can we be super-grandmas?
Happiness can mean something different to everyone, so it cannot be precisely determined how we can be super-grandmas. One of the most important things is that we can live a fulfilling, happy life even without grandchildren, so asking the question does not seem appropriate.
Perhaps the question could be phrased more appropriately like this:
How can we remain active and happy over the age of 60?
To be able to remain active, we need to be in good physical and mental health. However, adequate physical and mental health can vary within wide limits, but it is important that everyone achieve the maximum possible according to their abilities. To be happy, it is generally necessary to feel that we are active and useful, so if we cannot remain sufficiently active, the path to happiness also becomes more difficult. However, many other factors can contribute to the feeling of happiness individually, depending on personality. It may happen, however, that the same factor makes one person happy while burdening another.
E.g. if someone is predominantly extroverted in personality, an important factor in their feeling of happiness may be going to social gatherings and clubs, whereas in the case of a predominantly introverted personality, it would be a mistake to force constant social activities. However, loneliness is good for no one, everyone needs some relationships and communication with others.
Recommendations
- assisting elderly people in developing and implementing goals
- involving them in activities that serve their own or their environment’s benefit
- maintaining clubs where social life according to individual needs can take place
- helping elderly people develop a sense of financial and emotional security
2. How can aging be slowed down?
Aging is a natural process, and although we know a great deal about its physiology, there may still be no real miracle cure. The important thing would be to make the best possible use of our coded potential, that is, to reach as much as possible the age predicted by our genetic makeup at birth, and perhaps even exceed it. To do this, we need to avoid harming ourselves through external factors and keep our genetically coded or otherwise acquired diseases as well balanced as possible. The life expectancy of the same individual today also depends greatly on the achievements of medical science. E.g. with an absolute lack of insulin, diabetes certainly shortened the patient’s life 200 years ago. Today, a much longer life is assured in this respect, but medical science is still developing rapidly, and we hope that we will be able to enjoy many similar successes. If someone today carries at birth the possibility of a cancer that is not yet curable but may become curable later, then this person’s life expectancy at birth may also increase with the help of medical science.
The individual’s role, therefore, is to avoid harming themselves as much as possible and to make use of the supportive opportunities provided by medical science. With regard to elderly people, however, in many cases we can no longer be as effective, because if someone has severely damaged themselves by the age of 60, and/or has not kept their known diseases under control, the harmful effects of the time that has passed will not disappear without a trace.
Recommendations
- avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol consumption
- proper nutrition (detailed later)
- treatment and regular monitoring of existing diseases
- participation in screening examinations in order to treat as soon as possible diseases that have not yet been recognized
3. What role do vitamins and minerals play in maintaining health?
In the case of a non-extreme diet and normal gastrointestinal absorption, vitamin deficiency is not expected to develop, so I would not expect any benefit from the use of externally administered vitamin preparations. In the case of a vitamin D metabolism disorder or impaired activation of vitamin D3 in the kidneys (expected over 60-65), supplementation with D3, but especially active D3 vitamin derivatives, is important. In the case of neurological disorders (neuropathies), high-dose B vitamin supplementation can also help. However, if there is no targeted indication for supplementing vitamins or minerals, I would not expect any greater benefit from their use.
Recommendations
- in the absence of sufficient indication, I would not waste elderly people’s money on dietary supplements
4. Proper nutrition
No definite recommendation can be given on this issue either, but there are several factors worth keeping in mind that may help us reach or exceed our genetically coded lifespan. We must also know that the ability to process foods and any undesirable reactions triggered by foods can vary from person to person, so it may happen, for example, that milk protein increases the possibility of developing autoimmune diseases more in northern ethnic groups, while less so in ethnic groups where the breakdown of milk protein is perfect. Another example may be that for someone who is not gluten-sensitive, eliminating gluten will not provide any benefit. Excessive and especially rapidly absorbed CH (carbohydrate) consumption can certainly be harmful. It may be beneficial to occasionally omit foods of animal origin, but for me the advantage of a completely vegetarian or vegan diet compared with a mixed diet has not been proven. Eating below our level of need may also be beneficial, at least rat experiments have clearly demonstrated this.
Recommendations
- avoid consuming rapidly absorbed carbohydrates
- do not consume a lot of carbohydrates at once
- in case of overweight, daily carbohydrate intake should not exceed 120 g
- if there is no overweight, daily carbohydrate intake should not exceed 160 g
- eat plenty of fruit, primarily apples, kiwis, grapefruit, and berries
- do not consume milk
- among dairy products, mainly consume cheese and cottage cheese
- eat as many vegetables as possible, although corn and legumes are not beneficial because of their carbohydrate content
- mainly fill up on protein and vegetables
- have days free of animal-derived foods at least once a week
- have fasting days, when we do not eat until full even once, at least once a week
- avoid excessive consumption of animal-derived fats.
5. The beneficial effects of exercise
Exercise is very important at every stage of life, right up to the end of our lives. With regular exercise, sugar uptake channels open in the muscles that are capable of taking up sugar even without insulin, with the help of which we can reduce hyperinsulinemia, which is a source of numerous problems. Exercise improves the condition of the bones, thereby helping to protect against osteoporosis. In the absence of exercise, the muscles deteriorate, so we may lose an important organ. Endorphins may be released during exercise, which can improve our well-being regardless of everything else. Regularity and appropriate exertion are important when exercising. The appropriate exertion should be at least 1/2 hour, and the degree of exertion should be determined individually, preferably at the upper limit of individual performance capacity. After starting exercise, the degree of exertion can later be increased.
Recommendations
- at least three times a week, at least half an hour of strenuous physical exercise
- if exercise no longer provides an adequate workload, the degree of exertion can be increased
- according to individual needs, exercising in a group can improve the regularity and enjoyment of exercise