What’s in a Cough?

Generally speaking, coughing is perfectly normal. A cough can help to keep your throat clear from phlegm and other irritants. However, sustained coughing can also be symptomatic of a number of conditions.

For example, a short-term bout of coughing that lasts two to three weeks — starting quickly and slowly tapering off — can point to a cold, flu, or sinus infection.

Bouts of coughing that last a longer time (three weeks or more) might signify an allergy or another underlying disorder. 

What Causes Coughing?

Coughing can signify a cold, which are caused by viral infections in the respiratory tract. Other symptoms of a cold include nasal congestion and/or a runny nose.

Allergies have similar symptoms, but are caused by allergens that irritate the immune system. When faced with an allergen such as pollen, the immune system creates chemicals called histamines to react to them.

If you have a cough that arises immediately in a certain environment or season, you may have an allergy. 

Symptoms to Watch Out For

Respiratory tract infections involve body aches and fever, whereas allergies do not. You should see a doctor if you develop a fever or experience chills, as these symptoms can be a sign of a serious lung infection like bronchitis. You should also seek medical attention if your cough is violent or you produce thick, bad-smelling, off-colored phlegm.

You can treat coughs due to colds, allergies, and sinus infections with a number of over-the-counter medicines. So pay a visit to your nearest GP clinic for the treatment.

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Healthy Eating as You Age: Choosing Healthy Foods

Adults over 50 can feel better immediately and stay healthy for the future by choosing healthy foods. A balanced diet and physical activity contribute to a higher quality of life and enhanced independence as you age.

Food your Body Needs as You Age

• Fruit – Focus on whole fruits rather than juices for more fiber and vitamins and aim for 1½ to 2 servings or more each day. Break the apple and banana rut and go for color-rich pickings like berries or melons.
• Veggies – Color is your credo in this category. Choose antioxidant-rich dark, leafy greens, such as kale, spinach, and broccoli as well as orange and yellow vegetables, such as carrots, squash, and yams. Try for 2 to 2½ cups of veggies every day.
• Calcium – Maintaining bone health as you age depends on adequate calcium intake to prevent osteoporosis and bone fractures. Older adults need 1,200 mg of calcium a day through servings of milk, yogurt, or cheese. Non-dairy sources include tofu, broccoli, almonds, and kale.
• Grains – Be smart with your carbs and choose whole grains over processed white flour for more nutrients and more fiber. If you’re not sure, look for pasta, breads, and cereals that list “whole” in the ingredient list. Older adults need 6-7 ounces of grains each day (one ounce is about 1 slice of whole grain bread).
• Protein – Adults over 50 without kidney disease or diabetes need about 1 to 1.5 grams per kilogram (2.2lbs) of bodyweight. This translates to 68 to 102g of high-quality protein per day for a person weighing 150 lbs. (0.5 g of protein per lb. of body weight is close enough). Try to divide your protein intake equally among meals. It’s important to vary your sources of protein instead of relying on red meat, including more fish, beans, peas, eggs, nuts, seeds, and low-fat milk and cheese in your diet.

Important Vitamin and Minerals

• Water – As we age, some of us are prone to dehydration because our bodies lose some of the ability to regulate fluid levels and our sense of thirst is may not be as sharp. Post a note in your kitchen reminding you to sip water every hour and with meals to avoid urinary tract infections, constipation, and even confusion.
• Vitamin B – After 50, your stomach produces less gastric acid making it difficult to absorb vitamin B-12—needed to help keep blood and nerves vital. Get the recommended daily intake (2.4 mcg) of B12 from fortified foods or a vitamin supplement.
• Vitamin D – We get most of our vitamin D intake—essential to absorbing calcium and boosting muscles—through sun exposure and certain foods (fatty fish, egg yolk, and fortified milk). With age, our skin is less efficient at synthesizing vitamin D, so consult your doctor about supplementing your diet with fortified foods or a multivitamin, especially if you’re obese or have limited sun exposure.

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Eating Well as You Age

For adults over 50, the benefits of healthy eating include increased mental acuteness, resistance to illness and disease, higher energy levels, faster recuperation times, and better management of chronic health problems. As we age, eating well can also be the key to a positive outlook and staying emotionally balanced. But healthy eating doesn’t have to be about dieting and sacrifice. Whatever your age, eating well should be all about fresh, colorful food, creativity in the kitchen, and eating with friends.

Feeding your body, mind and soul 

Remember the old age, you are what you eat? Make it your motto. When you choose a variety of colorful fruits and veggies, whole grains, and lean proteins you’ll feel vibrant and healthy, inside and out.

• Live longer and stronger – Good nutrition keeps muscles, bones, organs, and other body parts strong for the long haul. Eating vitamin-rich food boosts immunity and fights illness-causing toxins. A proper diet reduces the risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, type-2 diabetes, bone loss, cancer, and anemia. Also, eating sensibly means consuming fewer calories and more nutrient-dense foods, keeping weight in check. 
• Sharpen the mind – Key nutrients are essential for the brain to do its job. People who eat a selection of brightly colored fruit, leafy veggies, and fish and nuts packed with omega-3 fatty acids can improve focus and decrease their risk of Alzheimer’s disease.Regular consumption of antioxidant-rich green tea may also enhance memory and mental alertness as you age. 
• Feel better – Wholesome meals give you more energy and help you look better, resulting in a self-esteem boost. It’s all connected—when your body feels good you feel happier inside and out. 

Of course, balanced nutrition is more than calorie counting. There are many other aspects to creating a nutritious lifestyle. 

How many calories do adults over 50 need?

Use the following as a guideline:

A woman over 50 who is: 

• Not physically active needs about 1600 calories a day 
• Somewhat physically active needs about 1800 calories a day 
• Very active needs about 2000 calories a day 

A man over 50 who is: 

• Not physically active needs about 2000 calories a day 
• Somewhat physically active needs about 2200-2400 calories a day 
• Very active needs about 2400-2800 calories a day

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