BEST DIETS RANKINGS FOR 2021 BY U.S. NEWS It’s time again for me to post the best diet rankings for the year from U.S. News. Here’s their article and lists from January 4, 2021 titled U.S. News Reveals Best Diet Rankings for 2021 Washington, D.C. – U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in rankings and consumer advice, released its annual assessment of the year’s Best Diets. The 2021 offers rankings, data and information on 39 diet plans to help millions of Americans make diet-related New Year’s resolutions and achieve their health goals. For the fourth consecutive year, the Mediterranean Diet...
STROKE WARNINGS As an older adult, I pay attention to signs I might be having a stroke. You probably do the same. We should also take notice of suggestions on how to lessen stroke risk. Recently, I saw in the news that moderate to intense exercise such as jogging or cycling is not only good at warding off a stroke but can also reduce its effects. (Again, good old exercise is great for just about anything!) One study found that people who exercised the most prior to having a stroke were more likely to have less severe cases and better...
BOOST YOUR BONES As I age I’m taking more falls. Over the past couple of years I’ve fallen twice while running, another time biking (I had to ride into a ditch when a truck passed too close to me), and once tripped on a gopher hole while walking our dog. Although I’ve had to each time adjust my exercise schedules, so far so good on not breaking my hip—the injury so many of us suffer when we fall—with its risk of being hospitalized or even having to permanently relocate into a residential care facility. Now I’m paying more attention to...
GO BANANAS! What’s not good about bananas? They couldn’t be more portable, coming in their own yellow carrying case. And they’re perfect to eat any time of day: Breakfast: Slice one up on your hot or cold cereal or muesli along with a dab of yogurt. Or add one in as the fruit ingredient in your breakfast smoothie. Lunch: Add a banana to your peanut butter sandwich Dinner: Make a banana a main ingredient of a fruit salad Dessert: Make an ice cream-like dessert by freezing sliced bananas, then pureeing them in a blender and then adding in cinnamon, cocoa...
FEELING MILDLY DEPRESSED? TAKE A WALK, EAT LESS SUGAR, JOIN A GROUP I don’t know about you, but this ongoing pandemic and wondering how soon we can get vaccinated, plus not being able to go to the gym or out to a restaurant has left me feeling rather out of sorts. I’ve found myself eating more “comfort” food than usual and not sleeping as well as I should. Back in October I posted Serotonin to the Rescue where I discussed the antidepressant Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs). But if you’re only mildly or periodically gloomy and don’t want to take...
FLOURISH WITH FLAVONOIDS Whenever I hear of new ways to help prevent Alzheimer’s disease, I come to full attention. This week I read a short article in Fitness Journal citing new data that older adults who have high intakes of foods and drinks containing flavonoids—such as blueberries, apples, grapes, dark chocolate, green tea and red wine—are less likely to develop Alzheimer’s. Flavonoids are chemical antioxidants found naturally in many fruits and vegetables and other plant products like chocolate, tea and wine. I searched for a more thorough examination of these and found it in a Harvard Medical School October 2020...
RESTORATIVE YOGA Just this week I found out about restorative yoga. This new style of yoga doesn’t involve moving or stretching—it’s more like active relaxation. Once you’re in a pose, you simply hold it for 5 or more minutes. The idea is to focus on your breath in a mindful way; as your body relaxes into the pose your breathing and heart rate slow, you become calmer and you feel less stress (and who doesn’t need reduced stress in this time of Covid?) Rather than going through 20+ poses at a normal hour-long yoga class, it’s recommended you practice restorative...
YUMMY YOGURT We seniors need to eat plenty of calcium-containing foods to help maintain bone density and reduce our risk of fractures. One on the foods richest in calcium is yogurt—the just plain kind without added sugars. Almost every day I have a good-sized serving of Trader Joe’s European Style plain yogurt over muesli with a banana or blueberries as sweetener. I wanted to find out more about yogurt, since I’ve heard it has other benefits besides its calcium content. I found this May 2020 Harvard Medical School online article, Your complete guide to choosing a yogurt to meet your...
THE TOP 15 TOP FITNESS TRENDS FOR 2021 Happy New Year! Happy 2021! The most popular fitness trends change every year as you can see comparing this survey with last year’s post The Top 14 Fitness Trends for 2020 and the posts two years ago The Top 12 Fitness Trends for 2019 and three years ago The Top 10 Fitness Trends for 2018. However, the year 2020 was the most memorable in many of our lives including those in the fitness industry. The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic changed everything. Many health clubs are closed, or at the very best restructuring their...
KEEPING FIT DURING THE HOLIDAYS It’s been difficult enough for us to get in our exercise during this pandemic. Add holidays to the mix and most of us find keeping fit less of a priority during this busy time. It probably also has to do with colder weather keeping us inside, those hearty seasonal meals, and maybe adding in some holiday cheer. Heck, the gyms aren’t open and who wants to stick to a diet. Plus, you don’t want more stress and trying to keep to your usual workout program might do just that. Still, staying physically active will give...
