My mother says growing older is a privilege denied to many. It's a beautiful outlook to have on the inevitable. Along with a great attitude about oneself, taking good care of your body and mind is the first step in preventing many of the most common health risks for women in their 40s.

Osteoporosis

According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation the most common uncontrollable risk factors of osteoporosis are being female, experiencing menopause, and your age. That can be an unsettling fact. Thanks to the natural process of hormone levels lowering as you age, bone thinning becomes more noticeable. This usually happens after you cross over into your 50s. Thankfully there are some pretty easy preventative measures that can be taken. The NOF says that by maintaining your calcium and vitamin D intake, eating healthy, limiting or even avoiding sodium and caffeine, and eliminating vices such as alcohol and tobacco you can take control of the factors that put you at risk.

Mental Health

Unfortunately, you do not get a choice on whether or not you'll grow older and you certainly don't control the speed at which this happens. Life changing issues come with the aging territory. All of the sudden babies grow into adults, you start to think and worry about your retirement, and losing family members including parents becomes a reality. Is it a surprise to learn that depression and mental health issues rise just as our age does?

What can you do about the inevitable? You can take the time to nurture yourself, your spiritual side, and realign priorities. Entering "middle age" is a fantastic time to commit to mentally checking in with yourself daily and work on reevaluating yourself, your lifestyle, and your goals. Take care of what you have. You're mind, you're body, and you're soul.

High Blood Pressure

Often the precursor to a number of serious diseases including heart disease, being mindful of your blood pressure is the key preventative when it comes to heart health. According to the American Heart Association, women have a higher chance of developing high blood pressure after menopause than any other time in their life.

AHA provides simple ways to control your BP; including reducing salt, alcohol intake, and tobacco use. Eating a healthy diet in general is always a great place to start. They also mention that managing stress is a great way to control it.

Not Recognizing the Need for Change

As touched on above, aging is not always welcomed by woman or a graceful experience. However, you can do yourself a favor and accept it. Accepting a few very basic ideas can save your sanity, your health, and your overall well being. Accept that you are no longer in your twenties. Stop comparing yourself to your old self. Accept that that "past life" is over and has shaped you and prepared you for the next best thing: middle aged. Realize that your body is changing and therefore so should your lifestyle, diet, and mentality.

As you've read through you may have discovered that the preventative measures are all quiet similar even though the risks differ from each other. The diseases and consequences can be scary but avoiding such troubles is entirely possible.