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Help Boost Your Memory

Help Boost Your Memory

Jun 12, 2018 | Health, Uncategorized

Q:  Mr. Pedometer, you offer good advice on how we should “move more” for wellness, but is there any way we could also help boost our brain power?

A: That’s a timely question, as June happens to be national Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month.  Just in time, our local newspaper included a “Spry Living” insert, with a list of “brain-booster” tips, including the following:

Brain-Boosting Tips for Memory

  • KEEP MOVING! Yes, you’ve heard it before, but regular exercise Men and Women walking on a path building their memorytops the list of experts’ recommendations to stave off diseases like Alzheimer’s (dementia) and to stimulate the creation of more brain cells, according to Wendy Suzuki, PhD, a professor of neural science and psychology at New York University and author of Happy Brain, Happy Life.  “One study of older adults found that walking 40 minutes a day, three days a week, increased the size of the hippocampus, the brain’s memory center, — effectively reversing age-related loss by a year or two.”
  • ENGAGE MULTIPLE SENSES – University of Iowa researchers found that our memory for sounds declines as soon as 4-8 seconds after we hear them. “Repeating something back immediately can help shore up your memory, but seeing the words works even better.”
  • CLOSE YOUR EYES – “University of Surrey research shows that shutting your eyes frees up brain power and helps bring back recent and distant memories. Respondents who closed their eyes scored 23 percentage points higher on a memory test.”
  • HIT REPLAY TO PRESERVE GOOD MEMORIES – “We tend to remember what we pay attention to,” says Suzuki. “The more you bring a memory back to mind, the stronger it becomes.” Repetition strengthens neural connections, allowing the memory to resist interference from other memories or general degradation.
  • DOODLE – “Unlike many dual-task situations, doodling while working can be beneficial,” says Jackie Andrade, PhD, author of a British study that found the activity can boost recall by nearly 30 percent.
  • ADD CINNAMON TO YOUR COFFEE [OR TEA] –“The scent boosted cognitive functions – including memory and attention span – in a study at Wheeling Jesuit University. The spice also contains two compounds that may help prevent the brain cell changes that lead to Alzheimer’s.”

Who among us has not had a so-called “senior moment,” perhaps when it comes to remembering a person’s name…or where we left our car keys? If any of the above can help reduce those foggy-brain feelings, they are worth a try!

EAT RIGHT,

MOVE MORE,

AND SLEEP WELL,

FOR A HEALTHY, LONGER LIFE!

May is Women’s Health Month!

May is Women’s Health Month!

May 22, 2018 | Health, Uncategorized, Women's Health

Q:  Mr. Pedometer, aren’t you forgetting something?  Isn’t May Women’s Health Month?    

A: OOOPS!  Thanks for the reminder!  This is our last newsletter for May, but there still is time to encourage the women in your life to get their annual physicals, including mammograms.

I am told that neither procedure is anyone’s favorite, but an important part of wellness is preventative care.  An annual check-up with one’s doctor, followed by referrals for lab work and (for females) a mammogram, may be what prevents a premature death.

National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month.

It is no coincidence that May also is National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month. One out of every two women (and one in four men) over age 50 will have an osteoporosis-related fracture in their lifetime.  Even more shocking:  Twenty percent of seniors who suffer a hip fracture die within one year!  Check with your doctor to see if your Medicare coverage will cover the cost of a bone mass measurement procedure (which is quick and painless).

Better still, make sure your diet includes foods rich in calcium and vitamin D.  Doing regular weight-bearing exercise – such as walking – also can help prevent osteoporosis in women and men.

For more information on Women’s Health topics check out this resource from The Office on Women’s Health. 

EAT RIGHT,

MOVE MORE,

AND SLEEP WELL,

FOR A HEALTHY, LONGER LIFE!

Can spring cleaning help one’s health?

Can spring cleaning help one’s health?

Apr 25, 2018 | Ask Mr. Pedometer and Friends..., Health, Wellness

Q:  Mr. Pedometer, I am not a big fan of housework, but I wonder, can spring cleaning help one’s health?

A:  Some aspects of spring housecleaning could actually save your life, while others can improve your quality of life.  Realtor Kris Moxley shared tips on a recent handout, some of which follow (with Mr. Pedometer’s parenthetical comments):

  • CHANGE THE BATTERIES in your smoke detectors and Smoke alarm being testedcarbon monoxide detectors. (The latter, now required by law, are easily forgotten.)
  • CHECK YOUR MEDICINE CABINET and pantry and get rid of anything that has expired. (NOTE:  Pleasanton Police Department has added a drop-off location in their lobby for expired medicines, which no longer are being accepted at the Household Hazardous Waste drop-off location in Livermore.  Pleasanton’s Kaiser clinic has a similar lobby drop-off.)
  • REPLACE OR CLEAN your filters around your house.
  • WASH OR REPLACE the pillows on your bed(s).
  • CHECK YOUR EMERGENCY/SURVIVAL KIT to ensure that your flashlight batteries and food items are updated. (You DO have such a kit, right?)
  • VACUUM OUT your dryer’s vent and ducts.
  • CLEAN YOUR REFRIGERATOR, especially the coils, which should be vacuumed off. (While you’re at it, look inside for anything that has become green and fuzzy…. (-;  )

EAT RIGHT,

MOVE MORE,

AND SLEEP WELL,

FOR A HEALTHY, LONGER LIFE!

How much sugar should a healthy person eat (or drink) in a day?

Apr 10, 2018 | Ask Mr. Pedometer and Friends..., Health, Nutrition

Q: Mr. Pedometer, the nutritional labels on foods generally tell not only the quantity of each nutrient but also the percentage of the recommended daily amount. The exception is sugar. The label tells how many grams, but not how much that is toward a daily amount. How much sugar should a healthy person eat (or drink) in a day?

A: Your question spotlights one of the biggest problems in Americans’ eating habits. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that most people should consume no more than 6 teaspoons (25 grams) of “free sugars” (any kind of sugar added into a food or beverage product) per day. However, that amount is found in just one cup of apple juice or a small fruit yogurt!

The Globalist Quiz in our local newspaper recently reported, “In the United States, almost three-quarters of the population consumes more than the recommended amount [of sugar] per day. (The U.S. average is 22 teaspoons per day, close to four times higher than the WHO recommendation.)”

That has alarming consequences for health in this nation since excess sugar can lead to both obesity and Type 2 diabetes. Some researchers believe that sugar can be “chemically addictive,” with many of the problems associated with other types of addiction.

Reading nutritional labeling on food is a good practice. What can make it confusing, when reading ingredients, is that terms such as “corn syrup” and “fruit juice concentrates” may not be obvious as names for sugar additives.

The good news is that more and more consumers are choosing healthier foods. Major global food processing manufacturers are being impacted. The article noted that “companies such as Kraft Heinz and Coca-Cola are experiencing a continued decline in sales. Coca-Cola’s soft drink sales reached a 31-year low in 2017.” Perhaps this will persuade those large companies to reduce sugar additives? Meanwhile, consuming fewer processed foods seems to be the healthiest option.

EAT RIGHT,

MOVE MORE,

AND SLEEP WELL,

FOR A HEALTHY, LONGER LIFE!

Is falling the most serious risk for the elderly?    

Apr 3, 2018 | Ask Mr. Pedometer and Friends..., Health, Safety

Q:  Mr. Pedometer, is falling the most serious risk for the elderly?

A:  That depends on how you define “elderly.” Surprisingly, those in their 50s and 60s are more apt to fall than older folks, according to a study in the Journal of Allied Health.  The scary part is, falling is more apt to result in traumatic brain injury than any other cause.

An article in AARP Magazine by Michael Zimmerman included an interview with stuntwoman Alexa Marcigliano on how to make an inevitable fall as safe as possible.  “Be smooth, don’t panic, stay loose,” is her short answer, but she then elaborated on four points to ensure a safe crash landing:

  • STAY BENT – When you lose your balance, get ready to fall by bending your elbows and knees. If you panic, you are apt to become rigid, resulting in injuries doctors call FOOSH:  “fall on outstretched hand.” That likely would result in a broken wrist or elbow.
  • PROTECT YOUR HEAD – When falling forward, be sure to turn your head to the side. If falling backward, tuck your chin to your chest to avoid having your head hit the ground.
  • LAND ON THE MEAT – If you keep your elbows and knees bent and try to land on muscle (back, buttocks, or thighs), you are less likely to fracture your elbows, knees, tailbone, or hips.
  • KEEP FALLING – It may seem counter-intuitive, but the more you give in to the fall, the safer it will be. By rolling with the fall, you spread the impact across a larger part of your body instead of concentrating the impact on one area.

No matter what your age, there is a very high possibility that you will suffer a fall at some point.  These four tips could mean the difference between merely being bruised and being hospitalized with broken bones and head trauma.

EAT RIGHT,

MOVE MORE,

AND SLEEP WELL,

FOR A HEALTHY, LONGER LIFE!

Is drinking coffee bad for one’s health?

Apr 3, 2018 | Ask Mr. Pedometer and Friends..., Health, Nutrition

Q:  Mr. Pedometer, is drinking coffee bad for one’s health?  I have heard conflicting reports.

A:  It can be difficult to sort out what is “fake news,” even about health.  Consumer Report on Health went through five commonly stated ‘facts” about drinking coffee and reported which were true and which were myths.  Here is an excerpt:

  • COFFEE IS BAD FOR YOUR HEART = FALSE! Healthy people who drink 3-5 cups of coffee per day had a 15 percent decreased risk of cardiovascular disease compared with those who drank no coffee, according to a study published recently in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. However, government dietary guidelines recommend that most adults should limit caffeine to 2-4 eight-ounce cups of coffee per day.
  • COFFEE BOOSTS YOUR BRAIN = TRUE! Caffeine can increase alertness and concentration – possibly even boosting cognitive performance.  More recent research has found that “regular coffee drinkers seem to have a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s, conditions that may affect the sharpness of your brain.”
  • COFFEE HELPS YOU LOSE WEIGHT = FALSE! “While some studies suggest that coffee drinking may reduce your appetite, none have proved it can help you shed pounds.” Those who drink their coffee black consume no calories, but adding a  teaspoon of sugar adds 16 calories, and a 1-ounce splash of cream can add 60 more – possibly leading to weight gain rather than loss.
  • ESPRESSO HAS MORECAFFEINE THAN REGULAR COFFEE = TRUE! An ounce of espresso contains 2-5 times as much caffeine as a regular cup of coffee…but you can get more caffeine from a regular cup of coffee since you likely drink more than on ounce or two.  (If an espresso feels like a greater jolt, it may be because you drink it down more quickly.)
  • DECAF ISN’T GOOD FOR YOU = FALSE! Times have changed:  The harsh, carcinoginous chemicals that used to be used to strip caffeine from coffee beans have been replaced with milder chemicals that the Food and Drug Administration says are in amounts too miniscule to affect health. Decaf coffee may have some of the same benefits as regular coffee:  “A large study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine in 2017 showed that people who had just one to three cups of coffee a day – regular or decaf – had a 12-18 percent lower risk of dying from any cause during the 16-year study period.”

 

So that’s good news for those of us who start (and continue?) each day with a cup of hot coffee.

 

EAT RIGHT,

MOVE MORE,

AND SLEEP WELL,

FOR A HEALTHY, LONGER LIFE!