Healthy living in your 30s

Women’s 30s can feel sort of bittersweet. Just as you're coming more into your own and feeling stronger in your identity, your body begins to show some of the first subtle signs of aging. And just as you're achieving more stability in your career or personal life, you may discover the stresses that sprout from that stability. Here we have some ways to maintain women’s health in their 30s.

1.Find order in the food chaos. By the time you reach your 30s, you've heard a lot of news about food: Eggs are bad, eggs are good, superfood-this, omega-that. The easiest thing to do is to keep in mind a few basic ideas. Freshen up your fridge with colourful, seasonal fruits and veggies. Abandon junk food and drinks, including soft drinks and sugary juices, and stock up on nourishing essentials and wholesome go-to snacks. Cook in healthy oils, choosing canola or olive over options with more saturated fat. Focus on foods rich in vitamins and minerals, paying special attention to your intake of folate, calcium, and iron if you plan on getting pregnant. Do what you can to maintain a healthy weight and cholesterol level, and avoid the foods that cause you stomach upset or heartburn.

2.Move it. The stress of modern life may leave little time or enthusiasm for exercise. Rather than settling for a workout that fails to inspire, freshen up your routine with new moves - any moves will make a difference! You could try the countless forms of dance, yoga, or martial arts. Leave your desk for 15 minutes in the afternoon and go for a walk. Play with your kids: jump rope, shoot hoops, or hop on the latest fitness video game console. Swim, hike, or join a soccer or softball team. Explore the many variations on aerobic exercise classes at gyms these days - hula hoop, pole-dancing and strip tease, spin, or step, to name just 5 of the 5 zillion kinds out there.

3.Sit pretty on strong bones. In your 30s, you lose more bone than you produce. Losing too much bone mass now heightens your risk of slumping into osteoporosis. Balance bone loss by doing weight-bearing exercises and eating a diet rich in calcium, vitamin D, magnesium, and folic acid. While you're still years from worrying about the fabled dowager's hump, you may notice a sag in your posture after years of sitting at desks, carrying pregnancy weight - or the weight of those children once they're born. Strength training, especially focusing on your abdominal core, will help you maintain natural, aligned posture. Yoga and Pilates could also help, as the stretching exercises elongate the muscles and support the joints.

4.Support your skin. There's no escaping time. It marches right across our skin, leaving its imprint. When you look in the mirror now, you may spot the first visible signs of time's passage - slight wrinkles, especially around your eyes and mouth. You may also glimpse dry, dull skin or, as a cruel twist, adult acne. Keep your skin properly hydrated, and exfoliate regularly to remove dry, dull skin. Use products infused with antioxidants (like CoQ10 or vitamins A, C, and E) to repair damage done by sun, pollution, stress, and the natural process of aging.

All these changes sound like a real party, huh? But don't despair, thirty-something female, keep following the tips above and try to make your 30s much less bitter and much sweeter.