PROCESSED MEATS ARE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH I’m sure you’ve heard that processed meats are among the least healthy foods you can eat. Still, I’ll happily down a couple of wedges of pepperoni pizza or a few slices of bacon if offered. But now I’m hearing that even in small amounts—if eaten regularly—processed meats can greatly increase your risk of not only heart disease but also some cancers and even Alzheimer’s disease. So I searched online for some specifics. One of the best sources I found was the May 17, 2021 UCLA Health online article titled The effects of processed...
HOW TO INCREASE YOUR COGNITIVE RESERVE I pay immediate attention to any article I come across that gives suggestions on how to prevent or postpone Alzheimer’s disease. This week I received an email with a short Harvard Medical School article presenting the concept of cognitive reserve. It mentions research that found individuals with no apparent symptoms of dementia who at autopsy were seen to have brain damage consistent with advanced Alzheimer’s. Intrigued, I searched online and found a more-detailed recent Mayo Clinic Article on the subject. Harvard Article Here are excerpts from the Harvard online article: What is cognitive reserve?...
TRY TAKING SAMe TO CONTROL YOUR ARTHRITIS PAIN Osteoarthritis (OA), which most of us just call arthritis, is extremely prevalent in older adults. In fact, it’s the most common age-related joint disease and affects more than 80% of people older than the age of 55. I’m no exception. I have arthritis in my hands and my knees. But I also have an aversion to most prescription drugs, so I’ve been taking a supplement called SAMe (S-adenosyl-L-methionine) to control my arthritic pain. SAM-e is a compound that’s made naturally in the body and plays an important role in normal bodily function....
RENEW FRIENDSHIPS FOR BOTH HEALTH & JOY I’m sure you’ve read that regularly connecting with friends reduces your risk of dementia and other diseases associated with aging. Even though I produced art events for 50 years and count hundreds of artists as good friends, I myself am more of an introvert than an extrovert; I don’t mind spending time alone writing or reading or exercising. And I often wait for my friends to call me first. However as I get older, I’m now making an extra effort for both joy and health to reconnect with friends I’ve lost contact with...
PASS THE LEGUMES, PLEASE Legumes—in spite of its rather fancy name–is merely the class of vegetables that includes beans, peas and lentils. They are among the most nutritious foods available. They’re high in protein, thus can be a healthy substitute for meat, because they’re low in fat, and contain no cholesterol. Beans and other legumes are also loaded with fiber, which is especially important to us older adults because adequate fiber intake can reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes and even help with weight loss. Another benefit of legumes is that they’re packed with vitamins and minerals including...
RUNNING—MAKING IT FUN & EASY I’ve been posting on running in this blog for years. In my opinion, it’s not only fun but also surpasses other kinds of exercise in its benefits. You might be telling yourself that you can’t jog or run, but most people can actually overcome their stumbling blocks rather easily. For us seniors running offers terrific health advantages: it lowers your risk of a heart attack or stroke and it’s good for your blood pressure, bones and brain. As an added plus, runners, on average, live longer than non-runners. To help you either start or get...
SPRING IS HERE! ALLERGY SEASON IS ALSO HERE! Ah Spring! Winter is over and summer’s coming. But spring for many of us also brings allergies—with sneezing, congestion and a runny nose. So far, I’m only having the runny nose symptom. But I know many others who are suffering in all the above ways and miserable. I found this online article—Seasonal allergies: Nip them in the bud—by the Mayo Clinic Staff that gives basic advice on how to reduce your exposure and how to ease symptoms with non-prescription medications. Here are excerpts: Seasonal allergies — also called hay fever and allergic...
ALZHEIMER’S MILESTONE STUDY If you’ve read my posts over the years, you’ve seen that I report regularly on Alzheimer’s disease—both examining how to prevent or delay it, and the latest research on its causes. This week CNN Health, the online site, published news of a milestone study titled 42 previously unknown genes discovered for Alzheimer’s disease in ‘landmark study’ Here are excerpts from the article written by Sandee LaMotte: An additional 42 genes connected to the development of Alzheimer’s disease have been uncovered in the largest study of genetic risk for Alzheimer’s to date. “This is a landmark study in...
HAVE YOU HAD YOUR PNEUMONIA VACCINATIONS? These are interesting times. The rate of new Covid-19 cases and deaths are at present decreasing. However—although not yet at the extent of pre-pandemic years—the flu season is back. Plus, we seniors are still very much susceptible to another infection: pneumonia. The good news is that we can lessen our pneumonia risk with vaccinations. I did a bit of research and found this recent (September 2021) online AARP article by Barbara Sepko, Save Your Lungs from Pneumonia. Here are excerpts: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 250,000 people...
THE JOY OF AQUATIC EXERCISE I just received my April 2022 online Harvard Medical School newsletter. In it is an interesting post titled Pool therapy beats physical therapy for chronic low back pain. The article describes a small randomized trial where researchers found that pool therapy—consisting of aquatic exercise—appears to have a greater benefit than physical therapy on pain, function, quality of life, sleep quality, and mental state for people suffering chronic low back pain. Reading this reminded me of my August 4, 2018 post Make a Splash—Water Workouts Are for Nearly Everyone. In this week’s post, I’d like to...
