As we get older we become more aware of the importance of taking care of our health. Partly because we gain maturity and knowledge about what is good and bad for us, but also because our own body begins to emit signals that we should not ignore.
With age, our body and our organism go through certain changes that we must pay attention to. To do this, it is imperative to adopt good lifestyle habits, as well as stop doing certain actions that harm us. This is attested to by three doctors who tell the American media Best Life five things we should stop doing when we turn 50.
In Spain, the retirement age is 66, so it is common for many people over 50 to continue working. However, an excess workload takes its toll on us. Dr. Michael Green, medical director of Winona, a telehealth center for women in menopause, recommends reducing overtime and asks to remember “the importance of rest, ventilation, support networks and not working too much.”
We all have certain habits that are not exactly good for our health, but we tend to look the other way. Dr. Green invites people over 50 to do “an audit” of our habits and ask ourselves if they involve long-term risk factors. "The 50s are a good time to be honest with ourselves about how well we take care of our bodies," he insists.
Dr. Kevin Huffman, a bariatric physician, urges us to stop “Googling our symptoms and deciding to self-medicate using supplements, restrictive diets, and detoxifying products.” Instead, he highlights the importance of consulting your doctor before taking any supplements, as some of these products “can make the medication you are already taking less potent, increasing the severity of your existing condition. They could also result in toxicity or contraindications when used together with your current medications,” he adds.
On the other hand, Dr. Huffman emphasizes the importance of being honest with our doctor about our decisions to take supplements or try alternative health therapies. “Be honest as soon as possible so they can quickly determine the best course of action to protect you from further harm,” the doctor says, while he stresses “don't lie to your doctor if you go against his or her advice.”
Finally, Cook County Health family physician Alexandra Albanese tells Best Life: "The first thing I wish patients would stop doing at age 50 is avoid colon cancer screening. We're seeing colon cancer at increasingly younger ages and the new guidelines actually recommend starting at age 45, so 50-year-old patients are already behind," he asserts.
