The Golden Years

Old age is something none of us can avoid. Worrying about it simply make us age quicker!

So you may lose your hair. So your skin may become dry and wrinkled. You may gain weight. Your movements might become laboured or clumsy. So what? It's natural process of Life. But there a few things you can do to make aging more graceful and softer on your ego.

Healthly foods and exercise are essential at any point in our lives, and particularly crucial when we're entering our twilight years. Exercise at least moderately. If nothing else, you could always walk around the neighbourhood. The body breaks down even faster due to lack of use.

And opt for more richly-coloured foods that are high in fibre and low in fat - salmon, broccoli, nuts, capsicum, fruits. Make your meals visually pleasing as well as tasty!

As you grow older, friendships become more important than ever. Family members are great, but you cannot become dependent on them socially. They can't always be there for you. So for those times when they can't, enjoy the company of close friends who can.

If you've retired, or are going to reture soon, learn new things that you didn't have the time to take up when you were working. Again, what the thing is is not important, as long as you have an interest in it. Especially beneficial are things that require a fair amount of mind work, or ae manually complex to do. This keeps your mind and body working.

No matter how many times you go to the gym a week, you'll never have the same body you did when you were 25. That does not mean you should stop caring about your appearance. Wear clothes that you're comfortable in but which still give you a little style and flair. Dressing to feel good about yourself is not a bad thing. Don't confuse it with narcissism and vanity.

And set goals for yourself. This gives you a sense of purpose and something that you can look forward to. Keep them simple and reasonable though, like finishing one book a week. Planting your own aloe vera or curry leavees. Or making gifts for upcoming family gatherings.

There is still much to achieve in the Golden Years.

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Eugine Loh, 938Live, MediaCorp Pte Ltd