LESSONS OF GROWING OLDER Last month I participated in the Santa Cruz 70.3 Ironman Triathlon for the second time. I did it in October 2016, and came in third in my age group (although there were only 4 of us in the 70-74 years old group). I trained for several months before that event, but not especially hard: I ran 12-14 miles a week, biked 60-70 miles a week and swam 1 mile+ two or three times a week (because I’m a poor swimmer and was afraid I wouldn’t meet the time limit of 70 minutes for the 1.2 miles)....
SARCOPENIA IS SCARY! As more of our population becomes overweight or obese, a condition known as sarcopenia has become common and for older seniors actually commonplace. I’m talking about it this week so that you and I can recognize its causes and symptoms. And so we can work to make darn sure we don’t develop it or if we already have it to reverse it. Here are passages from two National Institutes of Health (NIH) articles titled Clinical Definition of Sarcopenia and Sarcopenic Obesity – How Do We Treat It? The clinical definition: Sarcopenia is a syndrome characterized by progressive...
ARE EGGS HEALTHY? YES! A couple of weeks ago I posted an article on cholesterol, Clearing Up Cholesterol Confusion. Now I want to talk about eggs. For quite a few years we were told to go easy on eggs because of their cholesterol content. However, now I’m seeing articles telling us their benefits outweigh the cholesterol. Good thing! Because I love eggs any old way—scrambled, fried, poached, hard or soft-boiled. Eggs are a terrific source of protein and are rich in many vitamins and nutrients your body needs. In my opinion, they are true superfoods. I’ll let this January 2017...
RECIPE FOR REDUCING STRESS: GET UP & MOVE Too much to do, too little time. Sound familiar? It seems like my life gets busier by the year. When I was much younger and looked to the far future, I thought it would be the opposite. I thought at 75, I’d probably be retired and spending time working in my vegetable garden every day, seeing my kids and grandkids regularly, going on cruises and exotic vacations. But things haven’t exactly happened that way! I’m still producing an art festival every year, putting together a new senior fitness business, and hoping enough...
CLEARING UP CHOLESTEROL CONFUSION Over the past few years more of my friends are being told to watch their cholesterol intake. Some are actually losing weight and exercising more, others are popping the statin Lipitor. I was told I needed to cut back on my “bad” cholesterol. I’ve been advised to eat less processed foods, less meat, more fruits and vegetables—in other words the standard advice for eating healthier. In any case, I’ve decided to find out a bit more about cholesterol and I’m sharing my findings with you in this post. Cholesterol is a soft, waxy fat that your...
WHAT’S NEW IN CATARACT SURGERY? The other day I went in for my annual eye exam. Nothing much had changed from last year. Still, my optometrist told me that I’d be a candidate for cataract surgery in the next few years. I’d heard that it’s quick and painless, but didn’t really know much about it. So I began digging through my usual sources—Harvard & Mayo Clinic—and found that it’s not as simple as I thought. We actually have choices of what kind of artificial lenses we wish installed. The latest is the Tecnis Symfony® extended depth of focus lens. First,...
BACK PAIN 2: SCIATICA & SPINAL STENOSIS My blog last week was Giving Back Pain a Quick Exit. This week I want to talk about two specific back conditions that many of us seniors have already experienced: sciatica and spinal stenosis. Sciatica refers to pain that radiates along the path of the sciatic nerve, which branches from your lower back through your hips and buttocks and down each leg. Typically, sciatica affects only one side of your body. Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spaces within your spine, which can put pressure on the nerves that travel through the...
GIVING BACK PAIN A QUICK EXIT Nearly everyone has had back pain episodes. I certainly have. Like when I’ve been in a hurry and lifted a heavy object the wrong way or twisted awkwardly. And often when I first get up in the morning. I’m pretty sure you’ve had similar experiences or perhaps worse—chronic back pain that just doesn’t go away. I’ve been scanning through back-pain articles the last few days and want to share two that I think are the most informative. The first gives a general overview of back pain; the second concerns the psychology of back pain....
FUELING AFTER YOUR WORKOUT I’ve heard for years that we should “refuel” after a major workout. During my bike rides and longer jogs I drink plenty of water and regularly consume engineered food like Clif Bars or gel packs. And even after an hour-long swim I’ll immediately rehydrate. However—at my age at least—after these workouts I’m usually exhausted or pretty darn tired and not at all hungry so have avoided the fueling. Yet, in writing these blogs, I’ve been doing more research into proper nutrition balance. And I’m reading that if I don’t get in the habit of eating a...
FOR A HEALTHIER GUT JUST ADD PROBIOTICS Amazing but true: Bacteria can be good for your health! You are home to some 30 to 50 trillion microscopic creatures, mostly bacteria, both inside and outside your body. These bacteria create a micro-ecosystem called the microbiome (along with fungi, viruses and archaea). Your gut hosts by far the most bacteria. In researching the role of “good bacteria” or probiotics, I came along a couple of online articles in which I’ll share excerpts with you. The first is a March 2018 column by the Mayo Clinic Staff, titled Prebiotics, probiotics and your health....
