b'coordination.for nancial gain. Do your research beforeMaintain and increase endurance.saying yes to anything youre unfamiliar with. Improve exibility and range of limb motion.I recently saw a person on social media promoting her ability to cure many autoimmuneImprove cardiovascular tness.diseases. Out of curiosity, I researched herPrevent pressure injuries.background and found her credentials wereControl weight.lacking. By staying curious, asking questions, and doing your research you can save yourselfReduce the likelihood of becominga lot of time, money, and aggravation byconstipated.saying a rm no. Eatabalanceddiet:CriticaltohealthyRelationships: Its important to nurture aging, a balanced diet can prevent manyrelationships with friends and family. Social comorbidities such as heart disease or certainconnectionscanprovidecompanionship, cancers. I think of it as using food as medicine. support, and affection. Life is sweeter when After battling weight gain all my life andyou share it with others, and its also good for spending years of yo-yo dieting, I have realizedoverall health and mental wellness. that the key is to eat sensibly. A few years ago,Know your limitations: Some people have I learned I had irritable bowel syndrome anda hard time saying no to personal and removed gluten, sugar, and dairy to get rid ofprofessional invitations. Its important to know gut pain and bowel and bladder issues. Todaywhat hours youre at your best and schedule I eat mostly plant-based foods. Following thisyourself accordingly. Ask yourself: When is plan helps me feel healthier, and I suggestyour best or worst time of day? Do you require you nd a plan that works best for you. Consulta daily nap and if so, what time of day? When with your doctor or a qualified nutritionistis your typical bedtime? Are you able to stand before starting any specic nutrition plan.for long periods of time, or do you need to sit? Complementary medicine: I rely on chairHow far is it from, lets say, a parking lot to yoga to keep muscles stretched, which helpsthe inside of an office? Know your limits, ask with balance issues, and I meditate for 15questionsbeforeresponding,andrequest minutes at bedtime. Meditation reducesaccommodations whenever necessary. Create anxiety and provides an overall feeling ofa schedule based on what works best for you. calm to help me sleep better. You are the only captain of your ship. Cognition: Keeping your brain healthy isOne last thing: We need to change the especially important as you age. Its helpfulnarrative around aging with MS as something to read books and newspapers, work onthats not bleak, but simply another chapter crossword puzzles, learn a new language, orin our lives. Our demographic continues to nd any activities that interest you to giveadd great value to the MS community and to your brain a good workout to support betterall of society through our wisdom and brain function.experience. Dont count us out, as we are an important segment of the population. Weve Stay curious: Unfortunately, the world is lledovercome many obstacles in our lives and, as with people who prey on the older populationStephen Sondheim wrote, Good times and 35 msfocusmagazine.org'