How a woman can maintain good health after 55: 10 tips

Balanced diet

It is especially important for women over 55 to eat right. This means choosing foods with a low glycemic index. Such food has a beneficial effect on health, strengthens blood vessels, and prevents an increase in cholesterol in the blood.

Eat more fish. A fish diet can slow down the production of hunger hormones.

At this age, the use of flaxseed oil is indicated. It contains healthy fat that supports healthy thyroid function.

If, with a balanced diet, you gain weight, you constantly feel cold, and your mood often changes, then you need to consult an endocrinologist to check the functioning of the thyroid gland.

The diet should be balanced. Women of this age have an increased risk of osteoporosis and cardiovascular diseases. A balanced diet helps prevent osteoporosis, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases. Products containing animal fat and salt in large quantities reduce calcium levels in the body.

It is important to include less fat in the diet, and more calcium, vegetables, fruits, and a sufficient amount of carbohydrates.

The daily calorie intake for women of this age is 2000.

600 calories – breakfast;

700 calories – lunch;

600 calories – dinner;

100 calories – snacks between main meals.

Avoid caffeine and alcohol. Try to choose decaffeinated coffee and tea. Excessive consumption of caffeine provokes the excretion of calcium from the body by the kidneys. This contributes to the thinning and fragility of bone tissue.

Try to eat four to five times a day at a certain time.

You need to drink at least two liters of water a day.

Determine your individual daily calorie intake based on your own age, weight, height, physical activity, and daily routine.

In order to calculate the daily calorie intake using a special formula, you need to perform the following steps:

• Measure your height in centimeters and multiply this figure by 1.8;

• Multiply weight in kilograms by 9.6;

• Multiply age by 4.7;

• Add 655 to the result of the first and second actions and subtract the third action (age indicator). The result obtained is considered your individual metabolic level.

• Multiply the resulting individual metabolic level by the coefficient of your physical activity, which will turn out to be the daily calorie requirement.

Eat right

• It is especially important for you to eat right. This means that there is a need to choose foods that have a low glycemic index. In general, low-glycemic foods can have a beneficial effect on health, prevent an increase in cholesterol in the blood, and support blood vessels.
• Try to eat more fish. A fish diet will inhibit the formation of hunger hormones, which are activated in the body at your age.
• Flaxseed oil is indicated for you. The healthy fat of this remedy will improve thyroid function.
• In a situation where, even if you follow a diet, you gain weight, you cannot get rid of the feeling of cold, and mood swings become frequent, it makes sense to visit a doctor to check the functioning of your thyroid gland.
• Choose a balanced diet. Women of this age have a higher risk of developing not only osteoporosis, but also heart disease. A proper diet will help prevent cancer, osteoporosis, and cardiovascular diseases. Remember that foods that contain large amounts of salt and animal fat contribute to increased calcium consumption.
• It is important to include enough carbohydrates, vegetables, less fat, and more calcium in your diet.
• Your daily calorie intake is 2000:

1. breakfast – 600 calories,
2. lunch – 700 calories,
3. dinner – 600 calories,
4. snacks between meals - 100 calories.

• Avoid alcohol and caffeine. Try to drink decaffeinated tea and coffee. Excess caffeine causes the kidneys to remove calcium from the body, which contributes to thinning bones in women your age.
• Try to eat 4-5 times a day, preferably at the same time.
• Drink at least two liters of water per day.

Determine your daily calorie intake , taking into account your weight, age, physical activity, and height.

To determine the daily calorie intake for women using a special formula, you need to perform the following steps:

• the first step is to multiply height (in centimeters) by 1.8;
• second action - weight (in kilograms) multiplied by 9.6;
• third action - age multiplied by 4.7;
• fourth action - 655 plus the result of the first action plus the result of the second action minus the result of the third action; the result obtained can be perceived as your individual metabolic level (IML);
• multiply your individual metabolic level by your activity coefficient, this is the daily calorie intake shown to you.

3.Physical activity

Regular physical exercise is recommended for women aged 55 years. It is useful to engage in brisk walking. It will help overcome chronic fatigue, increase vitality, and improve health.

Physical exercise can gradually slow down the weakness that increases with age. Regular exercise will help fight osteoporosis (brittle bones).

As a result of physical exercise, bone tissue is strengthened regardless of age.

Note: Women of this age benefit from strength exercises. They should be aimed at strengthening bone tissue. Note that swimming is not one of these exercises.

Adequate sleep is a must

Sleep should be at least seven hours without waking up. This is the minimum time required to restore the strength of the body and skin cells. Lack of sleep is reflected on the face by fatigue, clearly defined wrinkles, bruises, puffiness under the eyes, and a grayish complexion.

Pay attention to the position in which you sleep. For example, if during sleep you like to press your chin to your chest, then unsightly folds and a second or third chin will appear on your neck.

Note: It is harmful to sleep on the same side, as more wrinkles will appear on this side of the face and the nasolabial fold will become more noticeable. The best position is lying on your back with your chin raised.

Be sure to get enough sleep

• Your sleep should be complete. You need to sleep at least six hours. This is the minimum needed for overnight restoration of skin cells. When the cells don't have time to regenerate, you wake up with a rumpled face and clearly defined wrinkles.
• Try to watch the position in which you sleep. If you prefer to press your chin to your chest while sleeping, this will cause unsightly folds on your neck and a double (third) chin.

Remember : the habit of sleeping on one side all the time will do a disservice: more wrinkles will form on this side of the face, and the nasolabial fold will become more noticeable. It is better to lie on your back with your chin raised.

Prevention measures

Hormone therapy is indicated for women during menopause. A gynecologist or endocrinologist may prescribe you to take hormones to establish hormonal balance and compensate for the lack of estrogen during menopause. The therapy reduces unpleasant symptoms caused by the natural aging of a woman’s body: hot flashes, vaginal pain, neuropsychiatric disorders and others.

Hormonal therapy is contraindicated in the presence of blood clots in the lower extremities, pelvis, lungs, cancer of the uterus, breast, or ovaries. Also, hormonal treatment is not prescribed for chronic high blood pressure, inflammation of the gallbladder and bile ducts, diabetes mellitus, and uterine fibroids.

Note: Proper hormone therapy can prevent heart disease, osteoporosis, metabolic disorders, emotional disorders and other health problems. The choice of hormonal therapy should be made only by a doctor, taking into account individual indications and contraindications.

Remember about prevention

• Hormone therapy is indicated for you. Doctors may recommend that you take hormones to replace the loss of estrogen that occurs during menopause. Hormonal therapy eliminates or reduces the intensity of hot flashes and vaginal pain.
• You should not use hormone therapy if you have been diagnosed with breast or uterine cancer; blood clots in the lower extremities, ovarian cancer, blood clots in the lungs, pelvis, if you suffer from high blood pressure, diabetes, gallbladder inflammation or gallstones; uterine fibroids.

Remember: effective hormonal therapy will help prevent heart disease and help prevent osteoporosis, but you should discuss absolutely all indications and contraindications (the doctor will definitely explain all the advantages and disadvantages) of hormonal therapy with your doctor.

Regular visits to a mammologist, gynecologist

Women over 55 years old are advised to consult a mammologist every six months.

It is imperative to undergo an ultrasound examination and palpate the breast yourself.

Perform a breast self-exam once a month.

Visit your gynecologist once a year.

Note: The risk of breast cancer increases with age. After 55 years of age, breast cancer is more common than in younger women. In this case, you cannot self-medicate.

Women's health after 45 years

The easiest thing to do here is to drop everything and complain. It is much more difficult to monitor your body and not miss all its signals.

What diseases are typical for this age period?

Risk of developing diseases due to early cessation of menstruation

As a rule, menopause and all the characteristic age-related changes in a woman occur after 45 years.
If you encounter the end of menstruation earlier, then there is a risk of the appearance and development of diseases. In this case, doctors most often prescribe special hormonal therapy to prevent early aging of the body. All this does not apply to cases where menopause becomes a consequence of surgical removal of the ovaries. Women whose menstruation ends early are in a unique risk group. For them, hormonal therapy is not used for therapeutic purposes, but rather for preventive purposes.

cost of services

Gynecology

Hereditary diseases

Particular attention should be paid to your health if you know that your mother or grandmothers suffered from female ailments at the same age. This includes hip fracture, as well as atherosclerosis and osteoporosis. The latter diseases are especially insidious, since very often they do not even appear outwardly. To prevent these diseases, like many others, it is necessary to undergo a full course of diagnostic procedures at regular intervals.

Breast diseases

Provided that women in your family did not suffer from breast diseases until the age of 45-50, mammography is allowed approximately once every three years (if you have no complaints or recommendations from specialists). After 55 years, the risk of developing breast cancer increases several times; at this age it is especially important to undergo examinations strictly annually.

In addition, all visits to the clinic should not be limited to visiting one or two specialists. As you know, all processes in the body are interconnected and the development of one disease can be a consequence of the appearance of another. Here it is especially important to create a schedule for yourself for the whole year and stick to it without any changes.

Doctors whose consultations you will now have to visit more often:

• Gynecologist (at least once every six months).
• Cardiologist (performing a cardiogram once every six months).
• Mammologist (perform a mammogram once every six months, feel your breasts yourself every month).
• Therapist.
• Gastroenterologist.

Accept your menopause

Despite the fact that menopause is already frightening just by its sound, in fact, it is possible and necessary to live in harmony with it. The most uncomfortable signs of aging: namely increased vaginal dryness, urinary incontinence and pain during intercourse, affect only 30% of all women. Everyone else forms a health plan with their doctor and by adhering to it, they take the stress off the body.

In fact, menopause is the same hormonal change that occurs in girls during puberty. Only here the body has much less strength to withstand such changes; you just need to help it a little. In some cases, the problem is solved by hormonal drugs, and sometimes it is possible to achieve normal well-being without using them.

Some tips for maintaining the health of the female body after 45 years

Try to keep your muscles toned and make sure that your body maintains normal hydrobalance. This is especially true for skin. After the age of 45, it gradually begins to transmit moisture faster - choose the right diet and do not forget to use special cosmetics.

You shouldn’t write yourself off and immediately give up sexual activity after the first signs of menopause appear. In fact, in many cases, it is sexual activity that helps reduce the negative consequences of hormonal changes.

Perhaps the most important doctors for a woman. By the age of 45, every lady who is attentive to her health is simply obliged to have a well-known and trusted gynecologist, or better yet a mammologist, who would not only conduct routine examinations, but also monitor all changes.

• Exercise and take care of your skin
• Pay attention to your intimate life
• Find a permanent gynecologist and mammologist for yourself

It happens that due to circumstances it is not possible to find your doctor. Then the only option is to contact a good clinic that could guarantee the quality of its patient care.

The Istok Family Health Clinic offers comprehensive examination, consultation and treatment for women and girls of any age. Call us - we will be happy to find a convenient appointment time for you!

Regular dental consultation

Clean your teeth, gums and tongue thoroughly every morning and night. Duration of brushing teeth is 3 minutes. After each meal, use mouthwash, and for hard-to-reach places, use a toothpick and dental floss.

For preventive purposes, get examined by a dentist once every six months.

It is important to rinse your teeth after every small meal. There should be no leftover food in your mouth.

Be sure to have your teeth professionally cleaned once every six months to a year. Using special materials and equipment, the dentist will help remove dental plaque.

The choice of toothbrush and toothpaste must be taken carefully, depending on the health of your teeth and gums, your needs and financial capabilities.

If you have sensitive teeth that react to temperature changes or the taste of food, then you will need special toothpastes for sensitive teeth. Their composition helps reduce sensitivity. The composition of such pastes includes strontium chloride and potassium nitrate.

To prevent the appearance of tartar, use pastes with zinc citrate, triclosan, and pyrophosphates. These components can protect the oral cavity from bacteria and plaque formation. Choose a toothbrush with soft bristles that does not damage enamel or injure gums. Remember that you need to buy a new toothbrush every three months.

Note: Everyday toothpaste must contain fluoride. This element helps strengthen enamel and protects teeth from the influence of pathogenic bacteria.

How to be healthy in old age? Part 1

What is aging? What diseases occur in old age? How to maintain mental clarity and good physical shape in old age? We tell you in this article.

Today we’ll talk about such a task as successful aging.

It would seem that today in Russia it is a little strange to talk about this. Traditionally, Russia has been at war and, as a rule, the main goal was population reproduction. Therefore, all efforts were usually thrown into giving birth to a new generation that would also successfully fight. Old people in this case at least should not have been a burden. But, in general, even now the country mainly needs taxpayers, so the topic is complex. And within the system this is probably true. But outside the system, each of us wants to live a long and happy life, be healthy, and have preserved mental abilities.

How to achieve this? If we turn to the primary sources, to the Bible, for example, Methuselah, according to the Bible, lived 969 years. Noah - 950, Adam - 930. These numbers spoke about the desires, about the dreams of people to live such a long life. So how can we get even a little closer to these numbers? And what exactly is aging? We must clearly understand that aging is a process, one way or another, we all get old. With age, adaptive capabilities decrease; you need to adapt to changing environmental conditions. How can you do this in such a way as to maintain mental clarity and good physical shape?

The task is complex, the task is not easy. Who are the elderly? These are people over 75 years old. Under 90 years old is old age, and over 90 years old are long-lived people. What is included in the tasks of successful aging? First of all, this is human adaptation to changing environmental conditions. This is the absence or minimization of diseases. This is the absence of illness. This is a kind of change in your habits, your stereotypes. This is good physical and mental shape. This is the desire to learn and learn something new. In this situation, a person really lives quite actively and interestingly for himself.

There are many theories of aging, more than three hundred. 4 theories are accepted as the main ones. The first theory is the theory of a certain programming of genetic information, which is regulated by this same genetics, that is, in fact, it is the recognition of a certain finite number of cell divisions. The second theory is the theory of failures, also in the structure of DNA, which, as a rule, leads to some changes. The third theory is the theory of toxic membrane damage. And one of those theories that is also quite actively discussed today is the theory of the toxic effects of free radicals.

But, again, despite all these theories, we want to be successful in any case, including in old age. Let's try to talk about what is important in order to age successfully. It is important to prevent premature aging. Of course, genetic mechanisms are involved, diseases are involved, stress is involved, and so on. But it is quite important to minimize their impact on the process of physiological aging. You need to think about how a person will grow old, of course, not when you are already old, but a little earlier. Optimally - at 40 years old. But even if you think about it at 50, 60 and even 70 years old, it’s not too late. In fact, it is important that a person thinks about it in principle.

Therefore, let's talk a little about diseases that arise with age. Children are beautiful creatures, they don’t know what illnesses are, they want to live. In fact, they suffer from infectious diseases and, as a rule, growing pains, some kind of bruises, sprains, and can break something. Then a period of some prosperity begins, the immune system matures, and a period of stability begins. Young people rarely get sick and, naturally, rarely think about their illnesses. The main diseases of middle age are metabolic diseases and injuries. This is where the aging process begins. The point is not that someone already got a bad mark in physical education, someone smokes, someone started drinking alcohol, someone has stress at work, some illnesses have appeared, no. As a rule, people want to be healthy, but they don't always know how to do it.

Conditions that occur in old age and actually reduce the quality of life and its duration can be divided into main groups. Disease No. 1 today is atherosclerosis. Certainly recognized in the world is the deposition of lipids inside the walls of blood vessels, all of which leads to a decrease in systemic blood flow. This is the main “killer” today. In fact, doctors diagnose atherosclerosis in people over 40 years of age in 25% of cases. Yes, these are early manifestations, there are no complaints yet. But in any case, he is slowly beginning to develop. In people over 70 years of age, doctors do not find it only in 5–10% of cases. The second disease is blood pressure, or hypertension. The fact is that this is a condition that is also partly provoked by atherosclerosis. It leads to complications such as thromboembolism, heart attacks, strokes - this is what is currently the main cause of disability and early death.

There are some myths about the fact that there are some different blood pressure indicators depending on age. This is wrong. There is no such term as “age pressure”. Only in the very early period of young children can we talk about this, and then only for a short time. The blood pressure of any person at any age should be consistently normal. It is blood pressure control and taking medications prescribed by a doctor, if necessary, that today is the main factor that prevents the development of heart attacks and strokes. The risk of these serious complications is reduced by 25 to 40% if a person controls their blood pressure properly.

Sexual activity

Older women should not forget about sex. A decrease in sexual desire is possible, but sexual relations must be present in your personal life. Moreover, the ability to enjoy sex does not decrease with age.

The only drawback may be a decrease in vaginal moisture levels. However, this problem can be easily eliminated with the help of lubricants.

Spend more time on love foreplay. Hormonal changes in the body caused by menopause often cause thinning and decreased lubricant secretions in the vaginal mucosa. As a result, sexual intercourse may be painful.

These circumstances should be taken into account. Knowing about the lack of lubrication, it is necessary to take longer to prepare for sexual intercourse (foreplay).

It is useful to diversify sex and find other ways to satisfy your sexual partner besides intercourse.

It is recommended to use special creams or gels to lubricate the vaginal opening.

The pharmacy will help you recommend special ointments that are as close as possible to natural lubrication.

Note: Vaseline should not be used as an artificial lubricant. It is too sticky and greasy for this purpose.