We had friends round to dinner last night who are a similar age to us, and like us they forget that they are aging, and are still camping, walking and wanting to make the most out of life. We were discussing why a lot of our other friends seemed to have slowed right down recently, as if reaching your 60s meant it was time to put your slippers on and wait for the inevitable.
This got me looking into what gives people energy in older age, and we realised that both couples do a lot of the following things naturally.
- Eat natural food cooked from scratch as they are full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Processed food can make you feel sluggish and often has little nutritional value. We still grow a lot of fresh food and eat meat in moderation (it takes a lot of energy to digest).
- Keep our levels of vitamin D up. We spend a lot of time outside but as you get older your body finds it harder to convert the sunlight into vitamin D and so we eat foods full of it like eggs and spinach, and I even take a supplement some times in winter.
- Keep moving as ironically this increases your energy and doesn’t sap it. We walk a lot early in the morning which gives me a boost of energy for the day. I must admit I am a fair weather rambler. Last year I didn’t move as much during the winter and I became very tired and sluggish. This year I am going to take advantage of the free over 60s swimming card, and cheap badminton and exercise classes that our local authority run for over 55s.
- Vitamin B12 helps with energy. You find it in fish, eggs, cheese and meat which is why vegans are advised to take supplements.
- I don’t take any medications but if you do many of those can reduce your energy levels, even things like antihistamines.
It is good to review your medications regularly with your doctor. I use a lot of natural food to ward off minor symptoms and pain, like turmeric, local honey, peppermint or ginger, rather than taking pain killers or using hay fever tablets. When I have been ‘down have eaten lots of foods that boost my mood, eg nuts and seeds, bananas and dark chocolate rather than taking anti depressants when offered them. For some people this is enough, though it is best to use your doctor’s advice.
