It is often said that being 50 is the new 40. Regardless of the truth or fallacy in that statement, when a woman reaches 50 years of age, it is a milestone that makes us take stock of our health. Health habits for women over 50 are of a great concern. Here are some great health tips for women over 50, to help stay healthy past this age: Any woman who is concerned about their health should consider their nutrition. By having good nutrition and regularly exercising, a woman can have quality of life. Unfortunately, as a woman begins the aging process, naturally the muscle tone is lost. Another problem is that the body will accrue fat easier than in times past. All of the changes are due to the hormones and the lack of balance that occurs with age. Having a healthy diet and maintaining a good exercise regimen will help the muscles to stay toned and will help to keep the weight at a healthy level. Other benefits include having a good heart and reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis and Alzheimer’s disease. Of course a family history does have some influence, but an active lifestyle and great diet can overcome genetic predispositions. One of the easiest ways for a woman over 50 to stay healthy is to keep weight gain at bay. This can be done by cutting back on calorific intake and doing both aerobic and strength training exercises. While tummy fat tends to melt away as a person exercises, the more muscle the body has, the more calories it can burn in a workout.
Keeping the bones strong is also of the utmost importance. Most women find that as they age they lack Vitamin D and Calcium. Both of these vitamins are necessary to allow the bones and teeth to remain healthy. It is not difficult to get Vitamin D; it can be absorbed through sunlight. As the body ages, it doesn’t have the ability to produce vitamin D like it did before. Americans, including women over 50, should learn to observe the diet of other countries, like the Mediterranean ones. These countries get plenty of vegetables, fruits, grains, seafood, beans and olive oil. Rather than consuming so much red meat, opt for healthier fish and shrimp. These diets are not only good for the body, but they are also good for the heart. These diets are low in fat, low in calories and have little to no trans or saturated fats. There is so much advice out there on healthy eating, it can quickly become confusing. The basics for good nutrition include the following: Talk to a doctor about what multivitamin would be good and that can help compensate good nutrition. Typically, women over 50 need Vitamin D, Iron and Calcium incorporated into their diet. It has often been said that milk does a body good, but the Vitamin D in milk actually does. Be sure to have plenty of foods that have milk in them, like cheese, yogurt and on occasion some great ice cream. Low calcium is a big risk for osteoporosis. Consume more orange juice, greens like broccoli and pears and fish like salmon. If this is not enough, a lady may need a supplement to help boost calcium levels. Antioxidants are great for the body. Try to consume more fiber based products and avoid those that have sodium in them. Incorporating fresh fruits and veggies and whole grains is always a wise choice. Keeping fats to a minimum are hard. Try to avoid any saturated fats and exchange those for good fats. Saturated fats are found in butter, salad dressing and many fried foods. Good fats are in olive oil, nuts and fresh fish. While this is so hard for so many people, sugary sodas and snacks are a big pitfall. They have little to no nutritional value and they can make the metabolism sluggish and can cause headaches. Only have sweets in moderation and never after 6 pm. When seeing the importance in health habits of women over 50, there are many things to take into consideration. To keep the body strong and vibrant will take some work, but mostly diet medication and exercises. While a multi-vitamin also is a good step, these nutritional habits will only help a woman to age healthy and to enjoy her middle age.
When you’re in your 20s and 30s you don’t worry too much about your diet or your lifestyle. As you edge into your 40s and your 50s you begin to pay a bit more attention to the scale when you step on it and notice that what used to work at keeping your weight down, no longer works. Due to your changes in hormones and cardiovascular and muscle changes, your weight will creep up on you and your body may begin to feel dragged down. So how does a woman in her 50′s begin to compensate for this? With these simple to follow easy health tips for women over 50 years of age. Start with a visit to your doctor for a Bone Density test. Once you’ve reached menopause your bone density should be checked on an annual basis. A simply low dose X ray will measure the density of your bones. It will reveal your risk for osteoporosis and even fractures should you fall. Talk to your doctor about increasing your calcium as your estrogen decreases. Many doctors recommend that women over 50 take 1200 mg of calcium per day. A healthy dose of sunshine will not only improve your mood, it can help you to maintain healthy bones. Sunshine is the best source of Vitamin D available and you want to be sure and not only take a Vitamin D supplement but also to get out of doors and enjoy some sunshine every chance you get. Of course, don’t forget the sunscreen, that’s important as well. Many aging women swear by the Mediterranean Diet. The Mediterranean diet focuses on healthy olive oils, legumes, fresh fruits and vegetables, unrefined cereals and only small amounts of meats. They also eat a lot of fish in their diets and many different types of nuts. The occasional glass of wine is also recommended in this diet. Studies have shown that people who eat a healthy Mediterranean diet enjoy longer healthier lives. 
In your 20s and 30s you may have been busy raising a family or working harder. Your body needed more food. Now is the time to scale back and eat smaller meals. Ask your doctor how many calories you should be eating and then go home and divide those up over the day. You may find yourself eating smaller meals and adding in two small snacks during the day in lieu of eating a heavier fuller meal at each setting. Remember in your 20s and 30s how you worked out a lot to stay thin? Perhaps you starved yourself as well to stay thin. Now that you’re older, it’s time to look at your body and be healthy. Just because you’re thin, doesn’t mean you’re healthy in fact, a few extra pounds can help to protect your bones should you fall. Starving oneself while young can have life long effects on your health. It’s important to keep a healthy balance of weight on your body. Don’t gain a lot of weight, but in your 50s, it’s okay to have a few extra pounds. Just be mindful and don’t go overboard and you now have permission to stop striving to look like those skinny underweight models who are starving themselves. Stop shaking that salt shaker and think about your blood pressure. As women age their body doesn’t process everything like it used to. Salt is one of those things. Salt can give you a rise in your blood pressure and cause you to retain fluids. Stop shaking the salt and keep your fluid retention down and your blood pressure down as well. If you simply can’t eat without salt, try some herbs, lemon juice or lemon rind or some other seasoning’s to help make up for the salty flavor you’re missing. Women over 50 require less iron than their counterparts. Ask your doctor to check your iron levels and advise you if you need an iron supplement. If you don’t need one, check the label on your multivitamins before you buy them and avoid any multivitamins with added iron. Yes, you need to keep exercising at any age. If you’re not into aerobics or yoga you should at least consider a daily walk. Increase your pace as your body becomes more and more accustomed to walking. Work your way up to about an hour a day walking and you’re body will thank you. You’ll feel energized and more healthy and you’ll find that you have more stamina.
Women over 50 health issues is a very important topic. Simply getting older increases one’s risk of developing serious health problems. The good news is that there are several things that women over 50 can do to keep themselves healthy. Below are some of the top health concerns for women who are over the age of 50 and how they can be prevented: Osteoporosis is a condition that causes the bones to become thinner and weaker. In many cases, women do not even know that they have this condition until they break a bone. If you have a small frame and/or family history of osteoporosis, then your chances of developing it will be even greater. You can prevent osteoporosis by exercising and getting plenty of vitamin D and calcium. After menopause, your metabolism decreases. When your metabolism decreases, you are more likely to gain weight. That is why obesity is a common health concern for women who are over the age of 50. It is estimated that over 30 percent of women in the United States are overweight. You can prevent yourself from gaining too much weight by staying active. You also want to make sure that you eat nutritious foods. Any woman can develop breast cancer, regardless of her age. However, women who are over the age of 50 are at an even higher risk for developing breast cancer. In fact, it is estimated that 77 percent of women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer are over the age of 50. There are some breast cancer risk factors that you cannot control, such as your age and being female. You can reduce your risk of developing breast cancer by limiting alcohol intake, eating plenty of fruits and vegetables and maintaining a healthy body weight. Studies have shown that more women are concerned about developing breast cancer than they are about developing heart disease. However, heart disease affects more women than breast cancer. Heart disease is the top killer of women. Researchers believe that estrogen has a protective effect against heart disease, and your estrogen levels decline after you go through menopause. 
Furthermore, older women are at an increased risk for developing high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Those are two factors that increase your risk of developing heart disease. You can reduce your risk of heart disease by not smoking, eating healthy, exercising and limiting your alcohol intake. It is normal to experience feelings of sadness and hopelessness from time to time. However, it is not normal to feel sad and hopeless all of the time. Many women experience depression after they go through menopause. Some of these women have not had a history of depression. If you experience chronic depression, then you should talk to your doctor about a treatment plan that is right for you. Type 2 diabetes is a condition that occurs when the body cannot use insulin. As a result of this, the person suffers from elevated blood sugar. Type 2 diabetes is much more common in overweight people, so the best thing that you can do to prevent this condition is to maintain a healthy body weight.