Ask the You Docs: The most important moves for your health

Q: What are the five most important things I can do to stay healthy? I'm 83 years old, and can't do 149 things.

BEN, Boulder, Colo.

A: You don't have to do 149 things, no matter what your age. Just start with these, and you'll see and feel big benefits in next to no time.

1. Know that you get a do-over. Repeat that five times every morning and night. It's never too late to make changes in your lifestyle that have a huge impact on your health.

2. Start walking 30 minutes a day. Can't do that much? Start where you can and progress to the full 30 minutes; just don't add more than 10 percent more time or distance in any week.

3. Get a buddy. Calling her to say that you walked is just as important as - and maybe more important than - walking itself. This helps you manage stress and stay on track with healthy behaviors, partly because the people you surround yourself with define your health and who you are. Often, we choose our spouse as our buddy, and that makes sense: You have to care generously about your buddy. The bonus: That bond results in intimacy (not necessarily involving satin sheets), which also helps your health.

4. Avoid foods that age you. Saturated fat; hydrogenated fats; simple sugars (those ending in "-ose," like sucrose, glucose, maltose, and fructose) or sugar alcohols that end in "-ol"; syrups, like malt or rice or corn; and any non-100 percent whole grain, such as bleached or enriched flour, plus anything with 4 or more grams of sugars per serving.

5. Take your pills. We don't just mean prescription pills. With your doctor's permission, you also should consider popping 2 grams of omega-3 fatty acids (or 600 mg of vegetarian DHA); 1,000 IU of vitamin D3; 600 mg of calcium and 200 mg of magnesium (twice a day); two baby aspirin; a spore probiotic capsule and 300 milligrams of coenzyme Q10.

Q: I found out that I'm very deficient in vitamin D and also have high cholesterol. I am afraid to eat certain foods that contain D - like fatty fish and eggs - for fear that they will raise my cholesterol. What can I do to manage both of these problems at the same time?

ABE, Chicago

A: First, find out how your cholesterol number breaks down into LDL and HDL. If your high number comes from high HDL, you have a trump card and you don't have a problem.

On the other hand, if your cholesterol is high because you have too much lousy LDL, then you should change your diet and start walking now! You don't need to get the fish out; eating fish high in omega-3 fatty acids can reduce your LDL cholesterol, not boost it. And you shouldn't have to nix eggs entirely, but do limit yourself to only two per week. Here's what you do need to kick off your plate: saturated fat and simple sugars! Also, talk with your doc about pushing cholesterol downward even more with the vitamin niacin, a statin or omega-3 (DHA) supplements.

Go ahead and eat foods high in D, but know that the only way to get the serious amounts you need to get yourself out of a deficit is to take it in supplement form. Don't put it off; low levels of D increase your risk of arterial disease, cancer and bone weakening. We both take 1,000 IU of vitamin D-3 every day.

Act now: You can change both of these problems quickly. That means you can keep doing what you love to do for many more years and rarely see the inside of a hospital - except when you're visiting.

Q: What causes gray hair? Is there some vitamin or mineral missing in the diet?

ANONYMOUS

A: Not too long ago, calcium deficiency was strongly suspected as a cause of gray hair. In fact, researchers thought gray hair might even be a marker for osteoporosis. But the theory didn't hold up; a good study of women with prematurely gray hair found no signs of bone loss. So far, nobody's been able to find other nutritional links for silvery locks.

So why does it happen? European scientists recently found that the hydrogen peroxide naturally found in your body (the same stuff that turns brunettes into bleach-bottle blondes) may eventually build up in your hair follicles and block pigment production in your hair, so it literally bleaches itself. It's possible that faulty stem cells are to blame for this, and no doubt, genetic programming plays a role, too. But nobody has truly cracked the gray code.

Some of our Chinese friends swear by black sesame seeds (with seasonings in the grocery store) to keep black hairs from graying. Anecdotal reports are strong, but controlled trials are lacking. We bought some, though, and eat them because no matter what, they taste good.

The You Docs - Mike Roizen and Mehmet Oz - are authors of the best-selling "You: Being Beautiful." To submit questions and for more info, go to www.RealAge.com.