We are seniors! We have an age where taking care of yourself is essential. At any age, it is important to take care of health, but at this, the “senior”, it is even more so, since we usually suffer a series of pathologies or symptoms typical of age (high cholesterol, hypertension, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, etc.). The prevention and / or treatment of all this is in our hands if we take care of our eating habits and carry out regular physical activity. For not making the post very long, today I am going to talk about three of these three pathologies (lack of vitamin D, high cholesterol and hypertension) and later we can talk about another three (diabetes, osteoarthritis and obesity-overweight).

Lack of vitamin D

Vitamin D is involved in many important functions of our body: in the correct absorption of calcium, muscle function, the immune system, and the brain, among others. Its deficiency seems to be closely related to chronic diseases such as cancer, autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular diseases, etc., and even the latest studies in this regard seem to indicate a relationship between vitamin D deficiency and multiple sclerosis.

In what foods do we find Vitamin D?

We can find vitamin D in various foods such as egg yolks, mushrooms, dairy products and oily fish (now the tuna season is beginning and we have horse mackerel, pomfret, anchovies, sardines… However, we can also eat them canned). As general advice, a good diet, sunbathe every day for at least 10 minutes and the practice of regular physical activity will allow us to optimally absorb this vitamin and take care of our health. You can also read more about vitamin D in the post we made during lockdown last year.

High cholesterol

Cholesterol is a vitally important fat, among other functions, for the formation of cell membranes, that of certain hormones and that of bile juices. Cholesterol is Necessary! Part of the circulating cholesterol is produced in the liver and part comes from the diet we eat. This cholesterol circulates in the blood together with lipoproteins. In addition, when we have an excess of circulating cholesterol, it can deposit in the vessels and cause very serious circulatory problems. It is usually seen in blood tests as:

• LDL, called “bad cholesterol”, since it is the one that is deposited in the arteries causing problems in our cardiovascular system.
• HDL or “good cholesterol”, since it transports free cholesterol to the liver where it is eliminated.

How can we take care of ourselves to have a cholesterol in the right range?

• Practice regular exercise (it is important for your health to do some physical activity).
• Avoid foods such as sausage, excess red meat (once a week enough), butter, margarine, highly aged cheeses (except goat and sheep, which hardly have any), industrial pastries, ultra-processed, offal, organ meats, alcohol, battered and the fried one ...
• Recommended foods: rich in fiber (which reduces the absorption of cholesterol) such as vegetables (broccoli, Brussels sprouts and tomatoes among others), fruits (apples and pears are excellent), legumes and whole grains (especially, oats). As well as those foods rich in unsaturated fatty acids, present in oily fish (bonito, mackerel, pea, anchovies, sardines ...), in flax and chia seeds (remember that you have to soak them so that fulfill their function) and nuts.

Within these recommendations, remember that it is much more important to remove those foods that are harmful than to continue with them and add those foods that are recommended. In other words, it is not useful to continue eating a lot of sausage and «compensate with chia seeds».

Hypertension

Blood pressure is that which the heart exerts so that blood reaches all parts of our body. High blood pressure is one that occurs when the heart contracts and lowers when it relaxes. A blood pressure over 140/90 (this would be the limit) or 135/85 (in people with heart problems) is considered hypertension. Several tests must be done to diagnose hypertension (blood pressure map, continuous intake, etc.) and it usually requires taking medication in the event that a positive diagnosis results, since high blood pressure it can lead to serious health problems such as arrhythmias, angina pectoris, and stroke, among others. What can we do to avoid hypertension or help treat it?

• Avoid alcohol and tobacco.
• Avoid or reduce the consumption of stimulants such as coffee and tea, due to their impact on stress.
• Regularly check the tension; without obsessing, but on a regular basis to see what values we are in.
• Do regular physical activity.
• Control stress (who suffers it, we are almost all); for this I recommend meditation, yoga, or tai chi, which can help us achieve it.
• Moderate the consumption of salt (remember that, as a general guideline, we should not exceed the consumption of 5 g of salt per day). It is very important to read the labels of processed products (canned, sausages that are not recommended for consumption) to see how much of it is there.
• Control overweight and obesity as factors that raise blood pressure.
• Follow a heart-healthy diet in which the consumption of fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, olive oil and avocado, blue and white fish, white meat should prevail (moderate the consumption of red meat to once a week at most ) and nuts.

As you can see, these are general tips to achieve better health, which should never replace consult health professionals when dealing with serious diseases. Remember that, even if you call me bore heavy, it is always better to remove what hurts us than to add what benefits us! Good Health to all!

Dra. Arantza López-Ocaña

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