10 things you need more of in your life

7. MORE DAYS WITH LESS ALCOHOL  The older we get the less alcohol tolerant we become. That means those over 50 are at higher risk for everything from car crashes to falling. A leader in the

no- and low-alcohol movement, author Derek Brown is most worried about older men because studies show an increase in binge drinking. “What they might think is like something that's

holding on to their youth, or holding onto this big ritual that they love, maybe it’s something that's keeping them from being more social, even finding new hobbies,” says Brown who

penned _Mindful Mixology: A Comprehensive Guide to No- and Low-Alcohol Cocktails with 60 Recipes_.  Research suggests that men should have no more than two drinks a day and women, one.  HOW

TO CREATE MORE ALCOHOL-FREE DAYS:  Check out the growing marketplace of non-alcoholic beers, wines and low or no-alcohol cocktails and NA festivals, including Brown’s third annual Mindful

Drinking Fest in Washington, D.C. this January. 8. MORE PROTEIN After 50, we need 70 to 100 grams of protein a day, more for those who are really active. AARP's_ __Whole Body Reset_ 

__recommends aiming for 25 grams of protein for women and 30 grams for men at every meal and make sure to get enough protein at breakfast. Because it's key for maintaining our skeletal

and muscle health, Levy says more protein is one of the most important additions to the 50-plus diet. HOW TO GET MORE PROTEIN: Focus on “high quality proteins,” says Levy, found in fish,

Greek yogurt, legumes, nuts, eggs, soy and quinoa. Complete proteins contain the essential amino acids the body needs. 9. MORE VITAMIN D AND B12 While store shelves brag an alphabet of

vitamins, focus on D and B12, says Levy. D, for bone health; B12, for brain and blood health. “D is the one that we struggle with because we're all wearing sunscreen, and we're not

converting it as well as we used to,” Levy says. “[It] just kind of silently creeps up on people." While women tend to have more issues with less D, men need it too. As for B12,

research suggests that supplemental B12 offsets changes in our guts that makes it more difficult to absorb B12 from the food we eat. Medications, too, can get in the way of B12 absorption. 

HOW TO GET MORE VITAMIN D AND B12: Over the counter or prescription vitamin D can boost your D levels. Consider, too, adding a little more sun into your day and step up the intake of fish

(especially, salmon, tuna and mackerel) as well as egg yolks and mushrooms. You’ll find B12 in fish, meat, poultry, eggs and dairy. 10. MORE BALANCE AND STRENGTH TRAINING If you want to keep

feeling young after 50, “activity level is the big differentiator,” says Tarik Chase, a Washington, DC-based physical therapist. “Muscle mass is decreasing, our sensory organs, our eyes and

our ears, which are important parts of balance, are starting to give us less accurate information. Degenerative changes in our joints are happening as well. So all of these things together

are kind of setting up that perfect storm,” says Chase. Levy agrees, tossing out easy-to-remember phrases like, “sitting is the new smoking” and “motion is lotion.”  You also need strength

training. “[It’s] been shown time and time again to help mitigate everything … from orthopedic issues like balance to more chronic conditions or health diseases like cancer and diabetes,”

says Chase, who owns Back to Life Physical Therapy. Ken Petersen, 57, says adding balance and strength training into his life in his late 40s set him up for his 50s. He started doing yoga

and riding his bike to his office in Washington, D.C.. Now he's 50 pounds lighter and a decade later, and “all the effects of aging just seemed like they kind of went away,” says

Peterson. Levy recommends at least two days of strength, flexibility and balance training a week. “Get stronger and everything is better,” she says, including moving more fluidly and

decreasing the risk of bone breaks. HOW TO INCREASE YOUR BALANCE AND STRENGTH:  Levy says the data shows that Tai Chi is “really effective” for balance. But, you don’t have to sign up for

classes, just “incorporate activities that involve single leg stance,” says Chase, like standing on one foot while brushing your teeth. “The win is in practicing, not in how long you can do

it,” he says. To get started, here is an intro to Tai Chi video with Kathy Smith. Also, check out dozens videos of strength training and balance moves on AARP's Staying Fit page. Video:

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