PROTESTING IN CORONAVIRUS TIME Being an older adult, I’ve wondered about the extra risk of being exposed to coronavirus if I took part in a Black Lives Matter protest. But this week I came upon a Harvard Medical School Health Blog by Monique Tello, MD, MPH that not only suggests the usual precautions but also gives some infection statistics for those joining in protests. Here’s the complete July 1, 2020 post of Protesting in the time of COVID-19: We’ve known for a long time that racism is a deeply ingrained public health issue resulting in real, tangible health disparities. For people...
ACUPUNCTURE—PAIN RELIEF OR QUACKERY Acupuncture is a procedure that involves inserting very thin needles into the skin at precise points on your body. The insertion spots are chosen based on a complex network of energy lines called meridians, which are thought to encircle the body. Acupuncture is a key component of traditional Chinese medicine that clears these energy channels to restore and maintain health. In contrast, Western medicine often considers acupuncture as pseudoscience because its practices are not based on scientific knowledge and is sometimes considered quackery. Scientific evidence has been mixed, partly because it is difficult to devise a...
KEEP YOUR COOL THIS SUMMER Now that summer’s here you’re probably adjusting your outdoor activities. I sure am. For instance, on the days I jog I’m getting up earlier so I can hit the trail before the sun rises much above the horizon. I’m wearing the least amount of clothing, just shorts, a T-shirt (to wipe my brow with) and running shoes. Plus a hat of course to cover my balding head and keep my face shaded. I wear sunscreen year around but apply it extra thick in summer. Stay Hydrated Whether you run, walk, bike or go out and...
IMAGING TESTS—WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE? Some weeks I have a topic I can’t wait to write about, such as Find a Vaccine—End the Pandemic back on June 6th. Other weeks, I have no idea what I’m going to discuss until something pops up. This is one of those weeks. I just received my July 2020 issue of the Mayo Clinic Health Letter and the cover article compared the different ways health professionals can view the inside of your body with imaging tests. I didn’t really understand the differences and sat right down and read the article. Now, I’d like to share...
INCREASE YOUR POTASSIUM—LOWER YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE Want to lower your blood pressure? Simple, just eat more potassium-rich foods. We all know we should include potassium in our diet. And we know we should eat less sodium. But did you know that the more potassium you add into your diet, the more sodium you process out of your body. Also, potassium helps ease tension in your blood vessel walls, which further helps lower blood pressure. The American Heart Association recommends that the average adult should take in 4,700 mg. of potassium per day. Bananas are known as a good source as...
FIND A VACCINE—END THE PANDEMIC A vaccine to prevent Covid-19 is our best hope for ending the pandemic, which has killed 400,000 people worldwide—112,000 in the U.S. alone—and infected 7 million people around the globe—2 million in the U.S. Vaccines expose our bodies to an altered safe version of a disease-causing virus. This stimulates the body’s immune system to produce antibodies that will recognize and destroy the pathogen if it encounters it in the future. Vaccines in use today are either live or inactivated. Live vaccines use a weakened (attenuated) form of the virus that causes the disease and prompts...
IS SNORING AFFECTING YOUR SNOOZING? As I grow older, I seem to snore more. JoAnne nudges me at least a couple of times a week to turn over from sleeping on my back. Now, today, I came upon an online article that offers suggestions on how to stop ourselves from this noisy breathing during sleep. Here are excerpts from the Harvard Medical School Healthbeat article How to silence snoring: Snoring by itself is generally harmless, but it can be annoying, especially for your bed partner. Fortunately, you can take steps to alleviate the problem. Start by making lifestyle changes and...
HEPATITIS—A, B & C Since we’re all learning more about the corona virus these days, I thought I’d share a bit of information on a group of even more common viruses: hepatitis A, B & C. Hepatitis is an inflammatory liver disease. The most common forms of it in America are hepatitis A, B and C. Hepatitis A does not cause a long-term infection, but hepatitis B and C can develop into chronic infections and cause severe liver damage Hepatitis C should be of special interest to us seniors; Altogether more than 3.5 million people in the U.S. are estimated...
EDIBLE SEEDS: TINY BUT SUPER HEALTHY Flaxseeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds & chia seeds Seeds have become the latest culinary trend—from eating them right out of the bag to sprinkling them on your cereal, into sauces or salads, or including in breads. I’ve researched seeds in a few online sources and would like to share what I found with you. Seeds are the extra-nutritious embryonic plant material that will develop into vegetables (pumpkin), flowers (sunflowers) or crops (flax and hemp). Seeds are terrific sources of fiber, healthy fats, antioxidants, some protein and important vitamins and minerals. Here are...
WHY FUNCTIONAL FITNESS IS IMPORTANT FOR SENIORS Even though most of us are spending more time at home than ever before, it’s still important to keep physically active. Functional fitness exercises are not only a great way to keep your body moving while you’re confined, but will also improve your quality of life. Functional fitness exercises are simply those that are designed to develop your muscles to perform everyday activities such as vacuuming, yard work, carrying groceries or just sitting down and getting up from a chair. These exercises train your muscles to work together by simulating common movements you...
