Category

Health & Wellness

Nov 27

6 Ways Kindness Is Good for You

By Health & Wellness, Senior Resources

Volunteering at a food bank, mentoring a younger person, treating a friend to a cup of coffee — acts of kindness like these not only can combat isolation and make you feel connected to others but also can have a positive effect on your happiness and well-being.

That’s because doing something for someone else triggers hormones affecting our moods, our stress levels, our brains and even our lifespans. “A growing body of scientific research shows that helping others, including engaging in formal volunteering activities, is related to better health outcomes in later life,” says Jeffrey Burr, professor of gerontology at the University of Massachusetts Boston.

Here are six ways that acts of kindness — large or small — can improve your physical health.

1. Makes you happier

A kind act, whether toward a group, another person or even yourself, boosts some of your hormones, the body’s chemical messengers. “Kindness can have a profound effect on the release of certain hormones,” says Marcie Hall, M.D., a senior attending physician in child and adolescent psychiatry at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center.

One of these is oxytocin. Oxytocin is responsible for warm fuzzy feelings of contentment and happiness when we hug someone we love or complete a difficult job. For this reason, it’s sometimes called the “feel-good hormone.”

Another hormone that responds positively to acts of kindness is serotonin. Serotonin, an ingredient of many antidepressants, decreases feelings of anxiety and increases happiness. Being kind also releases endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers. Endorphins affect the brain like drugs do, releasing a so-called “helper’s high,” similar to the runner’s high felt after exercise. In his book The Five Side Effects of Kindness, author David R. Hamilton says kindness produces a “totally legal high.”

2. Lowers blood pressure

Oxytocin has another important function. In a domino-like effect, kindness boosts oxytocin, which releases nitric oxide, a chemical that plays a critical role in maintaining a healthy blood pressure. Nitric oxide counteracts the narrowing of arteries that accompanies aging and disease, improving blood flow through the body and lowering blood pressure. Studies show that healthy levels of nitric oxide can not only help lower chances of heart attack and stroke but also reduce dementia risk. In 2016, researchers at the University of British Columbia and the University of California, Irvine found that financial generosity toward others lowered the blood pressure of the older adults engaged in the study to almost the same degree that starting a new blood pressure medicine would do.

To read about other ways that helping others can have healthy benefits, from AARP, CLICK HERE.

Nov 13

15 Foods High in Omega Fatty Acids

By Health & Wellness, Senior Resources

If there’s one class of nutrients that packs a punch against unhealthy aging, it’s omega fatty acids — particularly omega-3s. This nutrition superstar can help prevent heart disease and stroke and may even lower the risk of dementia. Even though the nutrient is important to have in our diet as we age, experts say most older adults aren’t getting enough.​​

“Nine out of 10 Americans are deficient in omega-3s,” says James O’Keefe, M.D., cardiologist and medical director of the Charles and Barbara Duboc Cardio Health & Wellness Center at Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City, Missouri. “Across the board, consuming more of these nutrients is likely to reduce the risk of premature death.”​

What are omega-3 fatty acids?​

As a type of polyunsaturated fatty acid, omega-3s are essential for every facet of wellness later in life. They deliver alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) to the body, helping to reduce inflammation associated with chronic and acute illnesses.​​

One study in the American Heart Association journal Stroke shows that consuming more DHA is associated with a lower risk of stroke, a leading cause of cardiovascular death. Another study, in Current Clinical Pharmacology, found that EPA and DHA boost the body’s nerve growth factor level, a key element to preventing Alzheimer’s. Omega-3s may even help preserve our hearing, according to the Fatty Acid Research Institute.​

But the average American adult consumes only 115 milligrams of EPA and DHA a day, according to O’Keefe; by comparison, the average Japanese adult consumes 1,300 milligrams of EPA and DHA per day. Perhaps it’s no coincidence that Japan is home to just one of five global “blue zones” and has the highest life expectancy in the world: 84.3 years, according to the World Health Organization. A diet high in omega fatty acids isn’t the only reason people in Japan tend to live long and healthy lives, but experts say it is likely one of them.​

O’Keefe suggests getting at least 1,000 milligrams per day and to favor EPA and DHA, if possible. Here are a few delicious foods high in omega-3s.​

To learn more about some delicious foods that are high in omega-3s, from AARP, CLICK HERE.

Oct 30

5 High-Fat Foods That Won’t Make You Gain Weight

By Health & Wellness

A doctor explains why the right amount of healthy fats is good for you

If you’re like many of my patients, you’re probably trying to figure out how to eat healthy, manage your weight and ward off diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. Good for you! An ounce of prevention and a healthy lifestyle are always the best bet. But I’d like to shed light on a topic that tends to cause some confusion, and that is the question of “healthy fats.”

My patients often want to know: What are “good” fats? What’s the difference between saturated and unsaturated fat? Which foods should I eat or not eat because they’re high in fat? Perhaps the following is the question I’m most often asked:

Does eating fat make you fat?

The answer is no. Fats play an important role in our diet, and our bodies need them to function properly. But we need to consume fats the right way. We gain weight if we consume more calories than we burn, and it doesn’t really matter where those calories come from. Having said that, we need to keep in mind that fat contains more calories per gram than any other macronutrient. That means that if your body needs 2,000 calories per day to remain at the same weight and you consume 2,000 calories of fat — say, by eating nothing but bacon — you won’t gain weight, but that doesn’t mean you’re eating healthy.

It’s important to maintain a balanced diet, especially as we age. Studies show that Americans 65 and older are not eating as well as they used to. One study, as part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, found that the percentage of older people eating a poor-quality diet rose from 51 percent in 2001 to 61 percent in 2018.

We know that a diet lacking in essential nutrients can lead to chronic disease, disability or even death in older people, and fat is one of these nutrients.

What percentage of your daily diet should come from fat?

To maintain a healthy diet, adults should get 20 percent to 35 percent of their daily caloric intake from fats. Fats are a nutrient that the body needs to absorb vitamins A, D and E, which keep our bones strong and our organs and immune system working properly. But not all fats are created equal.

To learn about the different types of fats, and why we need good fats in our diet, from AARP, CLICK HERE.

Oct 16

To Get a Better Workout, Play Like a Kid

By Health & Wellness

Remember when you were a kid and you couldn’t get enough of playing kickball or tag or jumping on a trampoline with your pals? Chances are, you had to be called in for dinner or bath time, often more than once. As you got older, physical activity probably became more regimented for you, as you focused on time, distance, speed, reps or other metrics. And the fun factor probably became secondary, which is unfortunate.

Increasingly, fitness experts are recognizing the value of embracing a playful attitude toward exercising because it brings numerous mind-body benefits.

“Exercise can and should be fun—that’s how you stick with it,” says Tom Holland, an exercise physiologist in Darien, Connecticut, and author of Beat the Gym. Plus, “when it’s fun, you’re going to work out harder and longer and you’re going to enjoy it more. If you’re enjoying the workout, it lowers your perceived exertion, which helps you work harder. You can exercise with a smile on your face and actually get a better workout.”

As proof, consider this: Research has found that adults who enjoyed playing the active video game Dance Dance Revolution played it at a higher intensity and burned more calories during the activity than those who were less engaged with the activity. Another study found that when adults played an interactive video game (the PlayStation 2, Road Fury 2 game) while cycling on an ergonomic bike, they worked out harder, expended more energy, and enjoyed it more than when they did a conventional indoor-cycling session.

“Making physical activity more playful ends up meeting more of your needs than just your need for physical activity—it can bring you joy,” says Katy Bowman, a biomechanist and movement specialist in Sequim, Washington, and author of Dynamic Aging. “Play is often associated with not being aware of how much time has passed, so playful physical activity will help you get more physical activity. You’re likely to do it longer and more often.”

Indeed, research has found that getting a mood boost during exercise is associated with greater adherence to physical activity programs.

To learn how to discover your personal formula for fun and games, from AARP, CLICK HERE.

Oct 02

Trouble Sleeping? A Simple Breathing Exercise Could Help Break Insomnia’s Grip

By Health & Wellness

A health writer’s quest to find new ways to nod off and end the no-sleep cycle

My history with sleep is like a roller coaster — making arduous, steady climbs to stretches of adequate rest, then careening with compounding speed into long stretches of little more than four hours a night.

Early in my career, I actually took great pride in my belief that I didn’t require as much sleep as my colleagues. I could get more done in a day! I was ridiculously productive and ridiculously exhausted.

As a health journalist, I inevitably learned the truth about sleep. It is crucial, not just for productivity and accuracy, but also for overall health, brain function, mood and longevity. But about the time I started to seriously seek the sandman — purchasing a sleep mask, earplugs and Tylenol PM; determinedly going to bed and waking up at the same times on weekdays and weekends; regularly soaking up eight hours, which felt like water for a very, very dry sponge — I had kids.

With my firstborn, I went from eight regular hours to four — on a good night. It was a free fall that I didn’t even try to recover from until my youngest set her sights on her tweens.

By then, something had shifted. My old tricks, even trading Tylenol PM for something more potent, gave me no traction. Night after night, I tossed and turned for hours and often found myself wide awake at 3 in the morning.

I can thank the onset of menopause for this new twist, says Rachel Salas, M.D., a sleep expert and professor of neurology at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore: “Hormone changes can disrupt sleep.”

To read more about how this health reporter used breathing exercises to regain a positive sleep routine, from AARP, CLICK HERE.

Sep 18

Skin Care and Aging

By Health & Wellness

Your skin changes with age. It becomes thinner, loses fat, and no longer looks as plump and smooth as it once did. Your veins and bones can be seen more easily. Scratches, cuts, or bumps can take longer to heal. Years of suntanning or being out in the sunlight for a long time may lead to wrinkles, dryness, age spots, and even cancer. But there are things you can do to protect your skin and to make it feel and look better.

Dry skin and itching

Many older people suffer from dry spots on their skin, often on their lower legs, elbows, and lower arms. Dry skin patches feel rough and scaly. There are many possible reasons for dry skin, such as:Older woman with healthy aging skin

  • Not drinking enough liquids
  • Spending too much time in the sun or suntanning
  • Being in very dry air
  • Smoking
  • Feeling stress
  • Losing sweat and oil glands, which is common with age

Dry skin also can be caused by health problems, such as diabetes or kidney disease. Using too much soap, antiperspirant, or perfume and taking hot baths can make dry skin worse.

Some medicines can make skin itchy. Because older people have thinner skin, scratching can cause bleeding that may lead to infection. Talk to your doctor if your skin is very dry and itchy.

Here are some ways to help dry, itchy skin:

  • Use moisturizers, like lotions, creams, or ointments, every day.
  • Take fewer baths or showers and use milder soap. Warm water is less drying than hot water. Don’t add bath oil to your water. It can make the tub too slippery.
  • Try using a humidifier, an appliance that adds moisture to a room.

To learn about other skin care issues that occur with aging, and how to protect your skin, from the National Institute on Aging, CLICK HERE.

Sep 04

When Lying is a Sign of a Health Problem

By Health & Wellness

Memory is a funny thing. We all get details wrong from time to time, misremember or simply have gaps in recall. You may remember eating in a nice Italian restaurant before seeing My Fair Lady but really you ate at that restaurant before seeing Chicago. This kind of memory confusion is normal. But less commonly, because of underlying neurological issues, people will generate false memories with no intent to deceive.

The medical term for this is confabulation. Because the person believes what they’re saying, the term “honest lying” is also used to describe this phenomenon.

Two types of confabulation

Confabulation can be provoked, in response to being asked questions or for details a person can’t quite recall correctly, or spontaneous, when the misremembering is just that — unprompted. This phenomenon is different from delusions, or false beliefs.

The latter, spontaneous confabulation, is rarer, and may point to an underlying medical condition such as Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome — a neurological disorder that’s caused by a lack of vitamin B1 (thiamine), most frequently from chronic and severe alcohol use. It also can be caused by a range of other conditions, from Alzheimer’s dementia and traumatic brain injury to bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

Even in cases where the underlying condition is already known, it can be concerning when a loved one suddenly seems be making up stories about the past.

It’s very distressing when you see someone that you love isn’t remembering things or seeing things the way that you do,” says Susan Maixner, M.D., codirector of the geriatric psychiatry program and geriatric psychiatry fellowship director at the University of Michigan. This isn’t just about missing a few details here or there when recalling a shared experience. With confabulation, a person fabricates memories — for example, to fill in holes in what they recall — and believes their version of events completely, Maixner explains.

“They have no awareness that these things didn’t happen, and they’re not trying to lie or deceive anyone,” she emphasizes. Still, the resulting confusion can leave caregivers at a loss.

To learn more about confabulation, and how to respond to ‘honest lying’ from a friend or loved one, from AARP, CLICK HERE.

Aug 07

What Is the MIND Diet?

By Health & Wellness

In 2004, a team of researchers at Rush University Medical Center enlisted a group of older adults who were participating in the ongoing Rush Memory and Aging Project (MAP) for a spin-off study. MAP began in 1997 with the goal of pinpointing the factors associated with memory loss in older adults, with an emphasis on Alzheimer’s Disease, the most common type of dementia. Researchers now wanted to zero in on diet; specifically, the effects of certain foods and nutrients as a preventive measure against Alzheimer’s.

Using past research, they developed a MIND diet score partially based on the Mediterranean and DASH (dietary approaches to stop hypertension) diets, both of which have been shown to benefit brain health. For nine years, participants agreed to keep track of what they ate and then fill out a dietary questionnaire at an annual cognitive assessment. At the end of that period, researchers found that participants with the highest MIND diet scores had a significantly slower rate of cognitive decline compared with those who had the lowest scores.

Those initial findings, which were published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, provided the basis for the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet.

What foods are allowed on the MIND diet?

Like the Mediterranean and DASH diets, the MIND eating plan is made up of plant-based foods and limits the intake of foods high in saturated fat. Unlike these diets, though, MIND specifies 10 “brain healthy” food groups to eat — among them, vegetables, berries, olive oil, nuts, whole grains and beans — and five unhealthy foods to limit (red meat, fast fried foods, pastries, cheese and other sweets).

To learn more about the MIND diet, and its many health benefits, from AARP, CLICK HERE.