Did you know that researchers have found that maintaining a curious mind can help people age in a healthier way? Reading books can be a great way for seniors to keep their mind active and learn new things.
Here are five books related to healthy aging might inspire new ways of thinking and even quench your curiosity.
Brain health
Brain health is important from 0 to 99 (and up!), but as we age, we begin to pay ever more attention to it. The book “Keep Sharp: Build a Better Brain at Any Age,” by Sanjay Gupta, explores the science behind brain health for seniors and debunks myths about aging and cognitive decline. Gupta is a neurosurgeon and offers advice as the chief medical correspondent for CNN.
Medications and food
Ever wish there were a compendium that offered clear, concise advice on what not to eat depending on the medications your doctor has prescribed? “Don’t Eat This If You’re Taking That” does just that. Many common foods work against the medications we take, making them less effective or even dangerous. This book, by NBC Today show nutrition and diet guru Madelyn Fernstrom and neuroscientist and pharmacologist John Fernstrom, serves as a guide for how specific foods interact with medications.
Pursuing your passions
You’re never too old to pursue your passions or even reinvent your life. “Life Reimagined: Discovering Your New Life Possibilities” tells real-life stories of people who’ve opened up new avenues for themselves in older age, showing that it’s never too late to try new things. The book works in concert with the website LifeReimagined.org, from AARP.
Healthy eating and nutrition
When it comes to healthy eating, there are as many books as there are days in the year. But one great principle to healthy eating is to eat real food instead of food products. Author Michael Pollan discusses that in his book “In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto.” Or for a fun book written in more of a story format, consider the excellent “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle,” by Barbara Kingsolver.
Humor
And just for fun, why not turn to Dave Barry? His book “Dave Barry Turns 50,” published in 1999, is a celebration of aging and of the process of turning gray. Barry, born in 1947, is now actually 73 years old, and his perspective as a baby boomer is one shared by a lot of us. The book covers a half-century of inventions, politics and other concerns of the baby boomer generation, all while helping us feel good about getting older.