Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, BETHESDA, Md  –   September is Healthy Aging Month, a time to recognize the positive aspects of aging and raise awareness about the physical and mental health of older adults.

Team members at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, along with Defense Health Agency (DHA) officials, encourage people to, “Embrace a healthy lifestyle at any age! Whether young or young at heart, prioritize consistent sleep, exercise, and proper nutrition for lasting well-being,” state DHA officials.

Travis M. Combest, Ph.D., an exercise physiologist, and Jaron Woods, a registered dietitian both who work in Outpatient Nutrition Services at Walter Reed, agree that a focus on healthy aging should be a daily ritual.
“According to the National Institute on Aging (NIA), there are many things under your control when it comes to ‘aging healthy,’ including making sure to exercise, eat healthy, go to the doctor regularly, and taking care of your cognitive and mental health. Working on some of these goals can help you feel better and increase your quality of life,” Combest states.

Exercise and aging

“Staying physically active can help in several areas to aid in healthy aging. Physical activity can help you feel better and can help in managing chronic diseases. The key is to act and be consistent,” Combest added.
He explained that aerobic activity, such as walking, is one activity which a person can set goals to increase their physical activity. He said people should aim for 150 to 300 minutes a week of walking or other aerobic activity, such as stationary biking or water aerobics, as recommended by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). “A person can even start with 10 minutes at a time, the important thing is to get moving,” he added.

“Muscular conditioning exercises that strengthen the major muscle groups should also be put into your exercise routine because you either use it or lose it,” Combest continued. “Work on performing muscular conditioning two to three days a week on nonconsecutive days, for example Tuesday and Thursday with one to three sets of 12 to 15 repetitions, which is also a recommendation of HHS,” he added.

“Balance and flexibility exercises help to decrease stiffness and can assist with walking and performing everyday activities,” Combest added. Balance and flexibility can be performed every day and can help the ability to reach a full range of motion, according to HHS.

Diet and aging

Walter Reed dietitian Jaron Woods explained that your diet can play a role in determining your quality of life, longevity, and the likelihood of developing minor or major health issues. For example, having the right amount of fiber feeds the good bacteria in your gut, which helps the digestive system stay healthy.

According to the NIA, “70 to 80 percent of the body's immune system is located in the gut. The gut microbiome plays a key role in helping the immune system fight off harmful bacteria and viruses. This is important since the immune system naturally decreases as we age. The foods we eat affect the composition of the gut microbiome, which in turn affects the immune system. The gut also has an impact on mental health. A leaky gut can create toxins that travel to the brain and nervous system.”
The NIA adds that 95 percent of Americans don't consume enough fiber. The adequate intake for fiber is 14 grams of fiber per 1000 kcal of intake per day and as follows:

- For a 1,500-calorie diet, that is 21 grams of fiber per day.
- For a 2,000-calorie diet, that is 28 grams of fiber per day.
- For a 2,500-calorie diet, that is 35 grams of fiber per day.
Examples of fiber sources he listed include:
- 1/2 cup of cooked oats contain 4 grams of fiber.
- 1/2 cup of cooked kidney beans contain 7 grams of fiber.
- 1/2 cup of cooked quinoa contains 5 grams of fiber.
- 1/2 cup of cooked chickpeas contain 6 grams of fiber.
- 1 medium apple contains 4 grams of fiber.
- 2 tbsp of chia seeds contain 7 grams of fiber.

Woods explained that ways to maintain health also include monitoring your intake of added sugar, sodium, and saturated fats by reading nutrition labels, and eating a well-balanced diet that emphasizes fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and legumes.

According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), added sugars are sugars that are added to foods and drinks during processing or preparation, but do not include naturally occurring sugars. Examples of added sugars include high-fructose corn syrup, invert sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, malt syrup, maple syrup, and honey. Foods that contain added sugar include sugar-sweetened beverages, sweet snacks, condiments, granola, and breakfast cereals.

Woods and Combest point out that the American Heart Association (AHA) recommends limiting added sugars to no more than 6 percent of your daily calories.

- For a 1,500 calorie diet, that is 90 calories or 22 grams of added sugar a day (about 5 tsp of sugar).
- For a 2,000 calorie diet, that is 120 calories or 30 grams of added sugar a day (about 7 tsp of sugar).
- For a 2,500 calorie diet, that is 250 calories or 37 grams of added sugar a day (about 8 tsp of sugar).

“According to the AHA, the average American consumes 17 teaspoons of added sugar per day. This adds up to around 60 pounds of added sugar consumed annually,” they added. They cited sweetened beverage examples:

-- A 12 fluid ounce can of Coca-Cola contains 29 grams of added sugar (about 7 tsp of sugar).
-- A 20 fluid ounce bottle of Mountain Dew contains 77 grams of added sugar (about 20 tsp of sugar).

Woods also recommends that people watch their salt intake.

“The AHA recommends no more than 2,300 mg a day of sodium and moving toward an ideal limit of no more than 1,500 mg of sodium per day for most adults. 2,300 mg of sodium is the equivalent to 1 tsp of salt. According to the Food Drug Administration (FDA), the average American consumes more than 3,300 mg of sodium per day.”

He explains that ways to reduce salt intake includes limiting use of high sodium condiments which includes soy sauce, fish sauce, and table salt. For instance, 1 tbsp of soy sauce contains up to 879 mg of sodium. Food sources that contain a minimum of 400 mg of sodium are considered high in sodium. Prepacked meals, such as frozen or microwaveable meals, and fast-food restaurants contain high amounts of sodium.”

“Consider emphasizing fresh fruits and vegetables and fresh or frozen fish, poultry, pork, beef, and lamb. Consider purchasing sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, peanuts, and pistachios with no added salt. Be creative and season your foods with salt- free seasonings which include spices, herbs, lemon, garlic, ginger, and pepper,” he added.

Woods added that some sodium-related terms to become familiar with when reading nutrition labels provided by the AHA include: Salt/sodium-free (less than 5 mgs of sodium per serving); Very low sodium (35 mgs or less per serving); Low sodium (140 mgs or less per serving); Reduced sodium (at least 25 percent less sodium per serving than the item’s usual sodium level); Light in sodium or lightly salted (at least 50 percent less sodium than the regular product); No salt added or unsalted (No salt is added during processing, but these products may not be salt/sodium-free unless stated).

Woods also recommended people limit their saturated fat intake. The 2020 - 2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends limiting saturated fat intake to less than 10 percent of your daily calories.

- For a 1,500-calorie diet, that is 150 calories or 16 grams of saturated fats a day.
- For a 2,000-calorie diet, that is 200 calories or 22 grams of saturated fats a day.
- For a 2,500-calorie diet, that is 250 calories or 27 grams of saturated fat a day.
He added that examples of low saturated fat foods include:
- 4 oz of salmon which provides 3.5 grams of saturated fat
- 4 oz of skinless chicken breast which provides 1 gram of saturated fat
- 4 oz of turkey which provides 2 grams of saturated fat

“It is best to emphasize a diet focused on foods low in saturated fats, including lean meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, legumes, and oils such as avocado or olive. It is also recommended to limit foods high in saturated fats such as fatty meat, butter, ice cream, palm and coconut oil, cream, cheese, and lard.” Woods shared.

Healthy aging and socializing

Combest and Woods also cite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) recommendation for healthy aging, stating, “There are different facets of healthy aging that can contribute to increased quality of life, including social support and keeping our mind active. Loneliness and being socially isolated can be linked to serious medical conditions. Being involved in your community, volunteering, or being part of a club can help with social support and feeling connected. Another factor is keeping your mind sharp, this can be accomplished by reading, performing crossword puzzles, or taking educational courses.

For more information about healthy aging, visit the HHS site at https://health.gov/our-work/national-health-initiatives/healthy-aging.