of Health, Betsy Baillie, you can make a difference in your future.

Many of the effects of aging are not truly related to age but rather to a lifetime of inactivity and poor eating habits.

Simple changes in activity and eating habits can delay or prevent many of the problems associated with aging. The key is to start now to develop a pattern that can prolong your vitality and health well into your senior years. Here are some tips to help you beat the clock: YOU ARE NEVER TOO OLD TO EXERCISE! Studies show that seniors in their nineties who took up weight training to strengthen their muscles ended up walking faster, climbing stairs more easily, and becoming more physically active.

Strengthening your muscles helps maintain your balance, stride and speed; that helps prevent falls and broken bones. Exercise, such as walking, also helps strengthen your bones. So make sure you remain active or become more active.

Check with your doctor before you start any new exercise programme.

STICKS AND STONES WILL BREAK YOUR BONES .... and so will too little calcium. Bone disease (osteoporosis), is a painful disease than can result in broken bones, shrinkage in height and periodontal disease (deterioration of the bones that support the teeth). Calcium and Vitamin D are very important to prevent continued bone loss.

You are able to make Vitamin D from sunlight, however, as you get older your body's ability to synthesise vitamin D is reduced. Using sunscreen also blocks this process.

The National Institute of Health has recently recommended an increase in calcium intake for seniors over age 65, from 800 mg to 1,500 mg. This means you will need to consume four to five servings of calcium rich foods each day! If you have difficulty getting this much calcium from your diet, talk to your doctor about taking a calcium supplement.

REGULAR CHECK-UPS WITH YOUR DENTIST can help prevent potential problem with dentures and teeth that could cause difficulty with chewing and may affect your diet.

PROTECT YOUR EYES Fifty percent of individuals over age 75 have significant cataract development. Studies have shown that individuals whose diets contain less than 3 1 servings of vegetables a day were six times more likely to develop cataracts.

What is of significant importance to your eyes is protecting them from the UV sun rays. Without protection your eyes will be exposed to 72 percent UV rays.

If you wear sunglasses you can reduce this to 17 percent, and if you wear a hat and glasses you reduce your exposure to eight percent.

QUENCHING YOUR THIRST WILL NOT BE GOOD ENOUGH! Your sense of thirst decreases after age 60, so that you may not drink enough. It is important to drink 6 to 8 glasses of fluid a day; dehydration can had to confusion, constipation and other problems.

AN APPLE A DAY KEEPS THE DOCTOR AWAY! Constipation is very common in seniors.

It is important not to rely on laxatives as they only treat the symptoms and not the problem. They can also be addictive and cause unpleasant side effects.

Changing your diet is much safer. Increase the amount of high fibre foods you eat such as whole grain cereals (like bran), and breads, fruits and vegetables. Prune juice can also be effective. One word of warning, increase your fibre intake slowly and make sure you drink plenty of fluids.

TAKING MEDICATIONS The use of three or more drugs, including over-the-counter and prescription drugs, can result in drug nutrient interactions. Drugs can affect your nutritional status in a number of ways: alter taste or smell; suppress or stimulate appetite; alter the way nutrients are digested, absorbed, metabolised and excreted; and cause stomach upsets. Make sure your doctor is aware of the drugs you take.

VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE! It is important that you choose food wisely. Eat a variety of foods from the five food groups each day. Ensure that you have 3 to 5 kinds of food at each meal: FOOD GROUP NUMBER OF SERVINGS PER DAY Milk and Milk products 4 to 5 Meat, fish, poultry or vegetarian alternatives 2 to 3 Vegetables 3 to 5 Fruit 2 to 4 Bread and cereal 6 to 11 Call us for a Food Guide Pyramid to find out more about what you need to eat.

SUPPLEMENTS CANNOT CONVERT A CARELESS DIET INTO A HEALTHY ONE! There is no doubt that food is the front line in good Nutrition. A supplement will not provide you with the protein (meats, fish, poultry, peas and beans, etc.) you need on a daily basis, or all the micronutrients your body needs.

However, studies indicate that a multi-vitamin supplement may provide some additional benefits for seniors. So talk to your doctor about talking a supplement. One study showed that seniors taking a multivitamin supplement suffered less from infectious disease (a reduction from 45 to 23 days per year). Studies also indicate that long term use of a multivitamin supplement (10 year prior to investigation) resulted in reduced risk of cataract development.

Act now to beat the clock. Eat well and exercise regularly so you will have the capacity to lead a healthy, active and productive life! Call Nutrition Services, Department of Health 236-0224 ext. 385 or 259 for a copy of the Food Pyramid or information an calcium or any other information.

SENIORS SR