Happy summer to all of you. This time of year makes us more aware of our physical wellness. We shed those winter garments to reveal bodies, which have had holiday fun and some sedentary behavior, along with sluggishness due to weather circumstances.
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Today I am celebrating 
24 years since I had open heart surgery. Yes!
Walking is a really personal gift to me. What do I mean? After my surgery, I asked my Cardiologist, “what type of exercise can I do?” He recommended that I walk, which seemed easy enough to do.
However, the truth was, after the surgery I did not have the strength to walk 
across a street by myself. At that point, I promised myself and the forces that guide us that if given the future opportunity to walk, I would make sure to honor that ability.
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I recently had the benefit of attending a talk about dementia and how to plan and live with this challenging condition/disease.
Dr. Tia Powell has written a book, “Dementia Reimagined …” . She weaves in some of her personal story as a means of inviting us to have a conversation about this life changing condition. Both her grandmother and mother had dementia.
Just two startling facts I learned are that 10% of Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964) over the age of 65, and 50% of Boomers 85 and older are expected to have some experience of dementia. The longer we live, the more likely we may become subject to this condition/disease.
In addition, Dr. Powell discusses a positive approach to preparing to live with the possibility of dementia in our later years. The glass is half full and not a more dismal half-empty outlook. She encourages us to “take on” this challenge to a life with “dignity and planning“.
This post covers more news about sources from which we can acquire the health benefits of probiotics (live bacteria and yeasts that are good for your digestive system), along with the suggestion that we try to gain some of the
benefits through our groceries, rather than consuming supplements, which you may remember, are not regulated by the FDA.
As senior citizens, I think that we are often looking for ways to enhance our well-being: 1) by changing what we eat; 2) trying to exercise; and, 3) get enough sleep. And, of course, getting our regular checkups with doctors. By taking as many of these steps as we can, we hope that it will lead us to long and healthful lives, right?
One of my New Year’s resolutions is to focus more attention on what type of groceries I am purchasing. In addition, I want the recipes I make to be creative, tasty and healthful. My grandmother cooked what could be called ‘soul food’, which was always delicious and she was healthy all her life. She lived to be 94 years old. My grandmother was not the only person I know of who lived a long life and ate things like collard greens, macaroni & cheese, biscuits. I also remember her having a garden, where she grew all kinds of vegetables and from which she used to cook her dinner. I actually don’t recall her using a lot of fertilizer on the vegetables she grew.
Recently, I treated myself and bought the TV Chef Carla Hall’s Soul Food cookbook. I trusted that when I have seen her on TV she is always doing the right thing by food. It’s tasty and the ingredients are the best she can find for the occasion. She is creative. Often, when she’s cooking a version of ‘soul food’, Carla makes it a point to prepare her food lighter – by cutting calories – and cutting out fat. This is how she was trained to cook by her grandmother; and, her grandmother was a dietitian at a hospital. What better way to learn how to cook ‘good-for-you-soul food’? Exciting! Continue reading
Are you aware of the benefits that senior citizens (referred to as elderly people) can receive by eating yogurt? Are you aware that not all yogurt give you the same benefits, and why you might choose one type versus another type?
First off let’s discuss some of the health benefits of eating Greek yogurt : helps with digestion; controls blood pressure; provides protein, it is also an excellent source of calcium. So there I was eating my Greek yogurt, and something told me to check the ‘benefits’ of the one I was eating. I went to Fooducate.com
Fooducate is a website that provides detailed information about the nutrition facts of the food you are eating. It also gives the food brand a rating. There is an app that you can put on your smartphone. It’s considered to be one of the best food rating apps. To my surprise, I found out that the yogurt I was eating received a B- for one cup of the yogurt, which is worst than average! Further details indicated it had over 50% of daily saturated fat, and 6 teaspoons of sugar per serving. I also checked whether the yogurt I was eating had probiotics. It did not. Continue reading
Once again there is good news about walking as an exercise, which could be especially good for us seniors. The newest information I read about this exercise is too good not to share. That’s right.
For those of you who find it difficult to get exercise, ten minutes of mild exercise can benefit the brain by creating new cells and improve memory. This is certainly worth trying instead of being sedentary. The exercise does not have to be intense either. Are you feeling better about my news already? I thought you would. Although some of the tests referred to in the article were done on animals, it turns out that past studies also have shown that people with a larger, healthier hippocampus (essential for memory creation and storage) exercise regularly.
Not convinced? Another study was conducted again by scientist on college students. This time the exercise was done for 10 minutes on bicycles at a gentle pace. It was very easy, according to the article. The students were given computerized memory test immediately after slow pedaling. Then the students were given the same sequence on the bikes for 10 minutes; however, the testing took place inside an MRI machine, where their brains could be scanned.
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Just when we thought we had the right information about taking aspirin, a new study comes out to create confusion. Even though I have had heart surgery, I must admit I do not take aspirin. As a matter of fact, I only took it immediately after my open heart surgery 23 years ago. My surgery was not because of a heart attack. I stopped taking aspirin because of an allergic reaction one time, and I never took it again. Now, it turns out that I am on the right side of what is healthy for my age. Below is a summary of my findings, which I hope helps clear up a few things for you. Please use the source links for more detailed information.
♥ If you are 70 and older, there is no benefit at all to taking an aspirin a day, 
unless you have had a heart attack; have a stent; had a bypass surgery; suffer from angina, or had a stroke.
♥ The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that those in their 50s with a 10 percent higher risk because they have high blood pressure/high cholesterol, should continue to take aspirin. The same is true for people in their 60s.
♥ Aspirin can cause bleeding, which can be dangerous. Find out from your doctor whether there are benefits for you. Continue reading
I have shared with some of you in the past that I am an aromatherapy enthusiast, and recently acquired my certification. So, I am delighted to tell you that I read lavender and rice warmed in the microwave can relieve some arthritis pain. That’s right ! Why don’t you try it?
Put the dried lavender and rice in a pair of clean gloves or socks. Warm them in the microwave. After warming the items, wear them to relieve the pain. Not only will you feel better, but lavender, is known to have other therapeutic values like calming the nervous system; initiating deep relaxation, and emotional balance, to name a few.
♥Those of us who are challenged with arthritic pain sometimes have flare-ups during rainy seasons and cold weather. I for one feel that kind of pain more in my neck and shoulder. Specifically during these periods, we want to pay attention to what we are eating. Foods that help with inflammation and can be added to our diet are, for example: tomatoes; ginger; olive oil; almonds; walnuts; raisins; fatty fish like albacore tuna; farmed salmon; mussels; and, anchovies. Foods that we want to eat less of are, for example: Red meat; french fries; pasta; candy; and soda. You pretty much know whether you are eating too much of these items.
Read more about remedies at these sources:
https://www.3rdactmagazine.com
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