Upside Of Aging

Improving Your Diet As You Age

In my last post I explained why a poor diet, low in nutritional value, can have negative impact on an aging baby boomer. The pieces and parts just don't work as well. I also made some quick suggestions about what you can do to take in more protein.

The fact is getting older does affect your appetite. One of the primary reasons is that senses of smell and taste diminish so food doesn't taste as good. Another reason is not being able to chew food as well because you are having problems with your dentures. Aging also reduces our body's production of certain digestive enzymes and acids so we don't absorb food nutrients as well.

Chronic illnesses and conditions can also decrease the appetite. So can depression because we're not motivated to prepare the meals. And Parkinson makes it difficult to swallow the food. On top of all that medications can exacerbate the physiological effects of getting older and suppress the appetite even more. For instance, a dry mouth, which can interfere with chewing, is a side effect of many drugs including antidepressants.

As we get older we need to pay more attention to our diets and to specific nutrients. For instance we need to make certain we're getting enough vitamin B6 (potatoes, bananas and beans),B12 (salmon),C (fresh fruits and vegetables), E (nuts and seeds), and calcium (dairy foods and leafy green vegetables).

You may want to talk to your doctor about taking supplements. You probably will need more of vitamin D because it's hard to take in if you live in the northern states since the body produces vitamin D when exposed to the sun.

In general, as you age, you need to take in foods that are rich in nutrients such as protein found in poultry and lean meat, fruits and vegetables and good fats like those found in oily fish.

I welcome your tips for eating the right foods as you age. Scroll down to Comments and type your suggestions.

To your successful aging.

Ruthan Brodsky

Good Diet a Must for Boomers and Seniors

We all know that we are better off with good nutrition. Foods fried in trans fats, or eight ounces of meat daily, or lots of cheese casseroles are not going to help us. Even so, many people over age 50 do not eat a healthful diet.

The problem is that as we get older, many factors influence how much we eat. Frequently this results in eating less which now makes us even more vulnerable to poor health.

To make matters more sketchy, as we get older our immune system doesn't work as well as it once did and a poor diet just makes the situation worse. As a matter of fact, the nutrition experts all agree that eating a better diet helps to reduce the disease burden of aging.

What's interesting is that women are more vulnerable to poor nutrition and may even be malnourished based on their diet, weight and mental well being. Part of the reason is that older women live longer than men, they are more likely to live alone, making them susceptible to poor eating due to depression.

One of the results from the study, as published in the May 2009 issue of the Journal of Clinical Nursing, was that more women were at risk of poor health if they felt their health was poor. Researchers believe that poor health itself may be a warning sign physicians can use when it comes to a patient's nutritional status.

Tips to Encourage Your Appetite

To encourage a better appetite get enough exercise in daily so that your appetite is stimulated. You can increase your protein by spreading peanut butter on toast, or using it as a dip for apple or banana. You may also want to grate cheese on vegetables, soups and sandwiches for more protein. Use herbs and spices to spice up your good especially if you're on a restricted diet such as low in salt. Or you can use salt-free herbs.

Mre on your age and your appetite in my next post.

To your successful aging.

Ruthan Brodsky

Diabetes Prevention - Types of Diabetes

The first post in this series about diabetes described what happens to your body when you're diabetic.

In this post I'm going to describe the different types of diabetes.

But even before I do, I want to repeat how strongly I feel about this disease. It is insidious. It causes severe health complications. Indeed, there is nothing subtle about its danger. And I firmly believe that even with the worst family medical history possible, we can all either prevent the disease or at the very least, slow down its impact.

People often think of diabetes as one disease. The fact is glucose, which comes from the foods you eat and also is made by your liver, can build up in your body for different reasons.

Type 1 diabetes develops when your pancreas makes little if any of the hormone insulin. Without insulin circulating in your bloodstream, glucose can't get into the cells in your muscles and tissues so it builds up in your blood. In the meantime, your liver makes more glucose and also releases it in your bloodstream which increases your blood glucose.

Type 1 diabetes used to be called insulin-dependent diabetes or juvenile diabetes. That's because the disease most often develops when you're a child or a teen and daily injections are required to make up for the insulin your body doesn't produce. Today we know that adults can sometimes also develop type 1 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes is the more common form. It makes up close to 95 percent of people over age 20 that have the disease. This type used to be called adult-onset diabetes. Another name is noninsulin-dependent diabetes. This term isn't accurate anymore either because children and teens are now developing type 2 diabetes. One of the major reasons for this is childhood obesity but I'll write more about the common risk factors in my next post.

In the mean time, consider one of the complications of diabetes: Diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness among adults, ages 20 to 74 years old.

My mission is to have you do whatever it takes to prevent diabetes.

To your success,

Ruthan Brodsky

Healthy Lifestyle Works Says The Research Part 2

In my last post I wrote that being overweight was the biggest health risk factor for men according to the research. This was the research in which they put together six risk factors together to see how a healthy lifestyle stacked up against all six.

Not exercising was the second highest risk for men. Heart failure occurred in 11 percent of the men who exercised five or more times a week and in 14 percent of those who didn't exercise. What surprised me is that smoking played a small role for men.

The women's study looked at the association between high blood pressure, a significant risk for heart disease and stroke, and these six lifestyle factors: obesity, exercise, alcohol, non-narcotic painkillers, and a diet to prevent high blood pressure. The number of women who followed all six factors was small, only 0.3 percent of the group, but they had an 80 percent lower incidence of high blood pressure than the 0.8 percent of the women who followed five of the rules. Here too, obesity was the most important risk factor.

The message is clear from both studies. A healthy lifestyle prevents a number of illness most important of which is heart disease.

Your action step based on these reports: include physical activity in your life!

To your successful aging.

Ruthan Brodsky

Healthy Lifestyle Works Says the Research

The prompts for exercising, eating more vegetables and fruits, and reducing the amount of red meat you consume are everywhere. You watch the health news on TV, you listen to the infomercials touting this or that exercise or weight loss program, and you browse the shelves and shelves of health books at Borders or Barnes and Nobel.

Two new studies, published in the July 22/29 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) focused on different aspects of cardiovascular risk in two large groups: the 80,000 plus women in the second Nurses' Health Study, and the 21,000 men in the Physicians' Health Study. Both reported the same results: When you live a healthy lifestyle you lower your risk of heart failure.

If you think about it, it reads like common sense. That's not to say there are probably exceptions to the rule. We all know people, for example, who led exemplary healthy lives, who were mentally active and productive but were still diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in their 50s or 60s. Stuff happens.

The study in men looked at the relationship between the lifetime risk of heart failure and other factors such as obesity, exercise, smoking, alcohol, alcohol consumption, and consumption of fruits and vegetables. Other studies examined just one particular factor and risk of heart failure. These two studies put together a bunch of factors together.

The largest risk factor in the study for men was being overweight. The risk of heart failure was 17 percent in men who were overweight or obese and 11 percent for those of normal weight. That is a significant difference.

All of which makes me feel better because I'm not writing in the wind. And it should make you feel better for reading what I write because you haven't wasted your time.

More on these studies in my next post.

To your success for a healthy lifestyle.

Ruthan Brodsky

Understanding Diabetes

I recently found out that one of my friends and a cousin were diagnosed with diabetes. I also learned that both were treated for being pre-diabetic over the last few years but neither took it too seriously or at least weren't committed to the regimen that was needed. For example, instead of losing weight they both gained weight.

Diabetes is one of the most insidious diseases. I feel very strong, as you can tell, about doing whatever I can to prevent this disease and to help others prevent it also. Yes, it can be controlled with medication. Yes, the symptoms don't cramp your lifestyle enough that you can't function as you usually do.

On the other hand, over time it is devastating to your organs. A very simple way to put it is that your organs (heart, liver and kidneys especially) have to work very hard when you have diabetes and I guess, from a lay person's view point, they wear out faster. It becomes debilitating in later years and you haven't a chance for any kind of quality life as you age. That doesn't account for the years it probably cuts off your life.

Avoid Biking Accidents

I bought a new bike because I could barely get off my old bike without losing my balance and, on occasion, falling down with bike and all.

I like biking and I don't consider myself a klutz. However, for the last two years I was not comfortable riding. The fact is I was afraid to ride alone just in case I fell down and needed help.

I visited a local bike shop this spring and discovered my bike no longer fits me. Who knows? It might never have fit me but I was 20 years younger and wanted a multi geared hybrid that would take me on sand, gravel or cement. My old bike's tires are very narrow and there's isn't much in the way of shock absorption. And to be real cool, my old bike had no kickstand. And the handlebars were set so that I had to lean over with rounded shoulders.

Who needs a bike to do that? I can get in that rounded position just by sitting at the computer!

I love my new bike. It has a kickstand and a bell! It fits me – I'm a Lady's Small. The tires are much wider and the number of gears is limited. I think there's only three, maybe five. Shock absorption has been added which makes it super on the side streets which are bumpy. I can actually make left turns without the fear of falling and I couldn't do that in my old bike.

My lesson for you: make sure your bike is fitted to your size and your athletic abilities. Always wear a bike helmet. Make sure the trousers on your right leg don't flare out and get caught in the chain link. Pant leg clips can be helpful. Also wear bright clothing. Even in mid-day drivers aren't always paying attention.

I'm seriously considering getting a rear view mirror that I can attach to the handlebars. This would come in particularly handy when making a turn or crossing the street. I'm just wondering if I'll look like an absolute biking dork.

Who cares? Safety first.

If you have a bike, what kind do you ride? Any stories you'd like to share? Scroll down to comments and let us know what you think about bikes.

To your success in life whatever your age,

Ruthan brodsky

Volunteer and Live Longer

If you're looking for something to do that helps others and benefits your mental and physical health then look no further than volunteering.

A study found that adults over 65 who volunteered have half the mortality risk than their peers who don't volunteer. Presented at the spring meeting of the American Geriatrics Society, the researchers also reported that retirees who volunteer have a stronger belief that they can accomplish tasks than the non volunteer peers, One of the theories is that because of this belief they may make better choices regarding eating right, losing weight, and exercising.

Experts also think that the reason volunteers live longer and have a better quality of life is that they are constantly stimulating their brain by volunteering. In addition, volunteering provides a social outlet which is beneficial for mental well being.

The word volunteering often conjures up the picture of someone devoted and consumed by the organization they support. That image is often right on the mark because there are many people whose lives are centered on a group or organization that they believe in whether it is the community opera house or the home for abused women or helping tutor mentally challenged children/

On the other hand, volunteering doesn't have to involve a heavy commitment of time or energy or money. Many people I know are drivers for meals on wheels

once every third week or visit homebound seniors twice a month or help out as a teachers aid every other Monday morning.

The good news is most everyone can find an opportunity to fit their interest and lifestyle. My recommendation is to start volunteering a little only at the beginning. When you feel comfortable doing your volunteer work, make a larger commitment or join another group.

Think about what you know and what you like to do and then find out if something like that experience is available somewhere for you to volunteer.

If you volunteer some of your time, we'd like to know how you selected your volunteer activities.  We're hoping your expeprience will help others.

To your successful aging,

Ruthan Brodsky

Does Sugar Cause Weight Gain?

Recently enjoyed an early lunch with another couple at a neighborhood restaurant. She brought a slice of sour dough whole wheat bread because she didn't want any sugar. The bread served at the restaurant contained sugar because sugar helps bread to rise.

 

Sugars have been making headlines for years but the story about sugars is often incomplete and confusing. First sugars are a natural part of many foods and are a functional ingredient in others. Whether they're natural or added in the manufacturing process or during cooking or at the table, they do enhance taste, texture and the aroma of many foods.

 

I don't believe that one class of foods alone can cause weight gain. Put simply, we gain weight when we take in more calories than we burn no matter the source of the calories – fats, alcohol, carbohydrates or sugar. To avoid weight gain, we need to balance the number of calories we consume with the number of calories we expend. To lose weight, we need to either take in fewer calories or expend more.

 

I don't think that people with weight problems consume more sugars than normal people or have a special sweet tooth. In fact, I find that when I include something sweet in my diet it makes my reduced calorie diet more appealing when I'm trying to lose weight.

 

What do you do when your sweet tooth takes charge? Share you tips with us.

 

To you successful aging,

 

Ruthan Brodsky

 

 

Antioxidants May Not Increase Your Life Span

 

The food manufacturers have been on the health bandwagon for some time claiming they've put antioxidants in their foods for consumers' health. The products run the gamut from skin care products to soda and to cereal. The ads on the food state that the added antioxidants prevent cancer, rid you body of toxics and may even prevent death.

 

The theory behind these antioxidants is to prevent unstable oxygen molecules which are normal by-products of metabolism, from damaging our cells. Now the research reports that antioxidants may not be the answer to living longer.

 

The antioxidant theory of aging is that some of the oxygen molecules used by the body become negatively charged which makes them reactive.  As a result they damage cell structures, proteins and DNA.

 

The cells respond with a natural defense using a special class of antioxidants that neutralizes the chemicals and prevents them from harming healthy cells.

 

Denham Harman, the founder of the antioxidant theory, stated that as the body gets older the defense cells don't do as well and are less efficient at preventing oxidation stress. This part of the theory held up for 50 years.

 

A researcher at McGill University reported that the worms he was working with actually had longer lives without the syntheitic antioxidants. The word is that this experiment will probably stop the free radical theory supporting because the cells are unprotected.

 

Other scientists say you can't make a sweeping statement like that.  They  want to know, for example, where are the sources for the inferring antioxidants, like in which tissue and muscle location.

 

This latest study may be on the right road because synthetic antioxidants failed to show any real longevity benefit to humans. Although antioxidants definitely prevent damage,  there's no solid evidence they prevent aging.

 

So what does this mean for you? You can keep up with the antioxidant theory in terms of disease prevention but don't spend extra money thinking you may live longer because you've added more to your lifestyle.

 

If you need more explanation about the antioxidant theory let me know. E mail me at rab@gmail.com

 

In the meanwhile, keep up your healthy lifestyle.

 

Ruthan Brodsky

 

Source: Scientific American  May, 2009  www.SciAm.com