Description

As part of our monthly series geared toward helping you live better, Lesley gets some advice on what we should be doing to stay fit. Plus, she meets one inspiring woman in her late 50s who is in tip-top shape.

Transcript

Rhiannon Ally: We all want to be healthy and have more energy, especially as we get older. As part of our monthly series toward Helping You Live Better, Lesley gets some advice on what we should be doing to stay fit. Plus she meets one inspiring women in her late 50s, who is in tip-top shape. That's in today's Live Better. Deborah Cortellino: Meet Debby Cortellino, a school Principal who does what we are all supposed to do. Eat the healthy diet and exercises, and just look at her now, at 57 years young. Female Speaker: What's your daily routine? Deborah Cortellino: I workout 6 days a week, so what I do is I'll lift weights 3 days a week. And then I'll do cardio 3 days a week. Female Speaker: Well, I think you and I have similar body sizes. Deborah Cortellino: Yes, yes. Female Speaker: 32, 57, so -- Deborah Cortellino: You are really in great shape. Female Speaker: And you are in great shape as well. So you could pass through 32 year old. Deborah Cortellino: Oh yeah, sure. Pam O'Brien: In your 30s it's a really busy time, you are juggling kids and career, makes it really hard to fit in a workout, and it make it hard to have the motivation to eat right. Margit Ragland: In family circle we really encourage people to get out there and walk, because it's very doable, and you can fit it in, in short segments throughout the day. It could be a 20 minute walk in the morning, a 15 minute walk at lunch, and a 10 minute in the evening. Pam O'Brien: The other thing that women in their 30s really need is iron. You want to start to fight the effects of aging now. So you want to eat foods with antioxidants in them, especially Vitamins A, C, and E. So eat things like sweet potatoes, red pepper, almonds, they're all high in these vitamins. Once you reach your 40s your levels of astringent begin to drop and that means your body unfortunately starts to store fat in your belly. You also want to eat a lot of dairy at this age, and that's because dairy contains calcium. Calcium has an enzyme that helps breakdown fast, which is a great thing. Margit Ragland: Number 1 is to eat breakfast. And a recent study found that actually eating cold cereal seems to be the healthiest. And that's probably because people who eat cold cereal a lot on regular, they do it on a regular basis. They're not grabbing a Bagel, or a Muffin, or eating high fat eggs and bacon breakfast. Try to find one high in fiber with about 3 or 5 grams of fibers at least in a serving, because that's going to keep you fuller longer. Pam O'Brien: Your body is burning about a 100 and fewer calories per day, when you're in your 40s. So look for foods that have a high water content that will keep you filled up, so soups, salads, vegetables, and fruits. Bone training really is important at this age, because you start to lose bone mass. So you want to keep your bones really strong. 50s is a decade when you're undergoing a lot of changes. So the good news is you have more time for yourself in your 50s, because your kids are grown, probably out of house. The not so great news is, you are going through Menopause. Your metabolism is really slowing down and even your digestion starts to slow when you hit your 50s, your body has trouble absorbing Calcium and Vitamin B-12, and Vitamin D, and these are things you need to keep your bone strong to stay energized and also to burn fat. So you really need to look for a good multivitamin and be taking it everyday. When you're in your 50s, stretching is really important at this age to help keep you flexible, to help you maintain your balance. So Yoga is a great thing to do, think of it as, okay, I have time to like do my hair and brush my teeth. I need to make time to exercise too, because that's part of living a healthy lifestyle, making sure that your body is fit and healthy and it gives you insurance for down the road. I mean you want to be healthy your whole life basically, and the things you do now really help to ensure that that will happen. Rhiannon Ally: Well, she looks great. I hope I can look like Debbie when I am 57. She is so inspiring. Thanks Lesley.