SEROTONIN—OUR NATURAL ANTIDEPRESSANT Last week I posted on the hormone Dopamine (Dopamine—the Pleasure Hormone), one of four feel-good hormones that affect our mind, mood, and body. This week I’m featuring Serotonin, a hormone that acts as a natural antidepressant. For us seniors who at times experience insomnia, serotonin is additionally important because our brains need it—and dopamine—to make melatonin, the hormone that regulates our sleep-wake cycle. I’m sharing excerpts from the 2nd of Stephanie Watson’s July 20, 2021 Harvard Medical School online articles on feel-good hormones, Serotonin: The natural mood booster. Serotonin can stave off depression and provide a feeling...
DOPAMINE—THE PLEASURE HORMONE We subscribe to Pandora Music and every few days change stations so we can listen to newer artists we wouldn’t usually dial up. This week I heard the 20-year-old Grammy Award winner Billie Eilish sing her song “Oxytocin,” in which one of the lines is: “You know I need you for the oxytocin.” Well, it made me wonder what the heck is oxytocin; is it one of the drugs we should stay away from because it’s addictive? I found out that it’s actually one of several “feel-good hormones.” Now, I wanted to know more about these jovial...
PROTON-PUMP INHIBITORS: QUESTIONS & ANSWERS Last week I posted Avoiding Acid Reflux with Lifestyle Changes. I related how I was diagnosed with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and my doctor prescribed a proton-pump inhibitor—brand name Prilosec—as an anti-acid medication. I took it for several weeks and by also following some anti-acid-reflux lifestyle changes have not had a recurrence. But another reason I stopped taking my proton-pump inhibitor (PPI) was hearing that PPI usage was linked to dementia; newer studies have however contradicted this association. I’ve now read that GERD affects some 20% of Americans; and that this estimate might be low,...
AVOIDING ACID REFLUX WITH LIFESTYLE CHANGES A few years ago, I woke in the middle of the night with a pain in my chest. I really didn’t think I was experiencing a heart attack; I had no other symptoms. So, I went on the Internet and soon found I was probably having an extreme case of acid reflux; that it was most likely heartburn—a common symptom of GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disorder). I went to see my doctor the next day. She insisted I be tested for heart problems, which I did and found my heart was fine. After that,...
TIME TO GET YOUR NEW COVID BOOSTER For the first time, a new Covid booster has been made available to fight variants that are currently dominant as well as the original strain. Not only will this bivalent vaccine give a better response to today’s most threatening variants, but probably also to future variants. This is because when our immune system faces different versions of the same virus it generates broader protections overall. However, three weeks after the rollout, the CDC tells us that less than 2% of eligible people have received the new booster. This may be due to a...
MORE FROSTING ON WALKING’S CAKE For many seniors—maybe the majority—walking is the only consistent exercise realized. Most of us know that regular walking—say half an hour a day, five days a week—helps prevent heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and type-2 diabetes. And we also are aware that through walking we realize the benefits of improving our energy level, mood, cognition, memory and sleep. But now I’ve found through a recent Harvard Medical School online post, there are additional advantages to walking. Here are excerpts from their August 22, 2022 article, 5 surprising benefits of walking. The next time you...
CHARLEY HORSE TAMED Even though a couple of days ago it was especially hot, I still wanted to go for a jog. I cut my time short to 48 minutes, but nevertheless paid the price. After I stopped, began to walk and finally took some water, I suddenly got a charley horse—a muscle cramp in my left calf. After I drank a full bottle of water and got out of the heat, it went away. But now I wanted to learn more about charley horse and how to prevent it. I found a March 2021 online article from Harvard Medical...
WORKOUTS & EATING GO TOGETHER You’ve probably heard that there are “appropriate” ways to fuel and refuel before, during and after a workout. Over the years, I’ve slipped into certain eating habits that I considered satisfactory for both cardio and strength training exercises. But as I grow older, I’m thinking I should perhaps plan better and eat the “right” foods. I found an online article by the Mayo Clinic Staff that outlines an eating/exercise program. After reading it, I realize I’m following most of their recommendations, at least most of the time. Yet, I was again reminded to eat directly...
ORTHOSTATIC HYPOTENSION: STAND UP & FALL DOWN Today, I received my September issue of the Harvard Medical School Health Letter. One of the lead articles details orthostatic hypotension; where your blood pressure drops when you stand. The most surprising claim is that it affects nearly one in three older adults and is a common cause of falls. I’m sometimes a little slow when I stand but so far haven’t fallen. Still, I’d like to learn more on how to avoid that possibility—as perhaps do you. Here are excerpts from the online article by Heidi Godman, Do you fall down when...
NEW BLOOD TEST FOR ALZHEIMER’S I try to keep you and me caught up on the latest Alzheimer’s disease news. Here’s information on a new blood test for Alzheimer’s that is both accurate and affordable: Earlier this year a blood test developed by neurologist Randall J. Bateman, MD, at Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis was shown to be highly accurate—up to 93%—at identifying people at risk of Alzheimer’s. In May 2022 it was approved by the FDA. Here are excerpts from the Washington University School of Medicine article by Gerry Everding; Blood test for Alzheimer’s highly accurate in...
