It is not a secret that healthy aging requires a sound lifestyle throughout the whole life. Some bad habits and lack of physical activity may have negative consequences in the future. At the moment, I am 29 years old and lead a relatively healthy lifestyle. Instead of staying home in my spare time, I prefer to engage in sports, walking, or traveling. In terms of the diet, I consider myself a healthy eater since I avoid consuming junk food and high-fat meals. I limit eating dairy products since I have lactose intolerance. What is more, I do not smoke and rarely drink alcohol.
Nevertheless, my poor central habit is eating much candy. Too much added sugar increases blood sugar levels that may negatively affect kidneys, dental health, increases risk of depression, cellular and skin aging, and fatty liver. Moreover, it may lead to obesity which is highly linked with developing certain cancers and type 2 diabetes (Kubala, 2018). My mother has type 1 diabetes, while my father is healthy. My grandfather was diagnosed with cancer, and my grandmother is also diabetic. Hence, genes, together with environmental factors and poor habits, might trigger similar diseases. The mentioned cases encourage me to reduce sugar intake and substitute sweeties with whole fruits, natural sweeteners, and cereals.
I imagine my successful aging after age 65 in line with the activity theory. I hope to remain both physically and socially active instead of enjoying peace and solitude at home. I want to go on trips around the world with my family and engage in new challenges. In order to do that, now I should care about my health and economic welfare. I believe that the role loss is not a problem as there are many options to do in retirement, including learning new hobbies and volunteering.
Reference
Kubala, J. (2018). 11 reasons why too much sugar is bad for you.Healthline. Web.