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Working on Wellness: Making a change for better health

Working on Wellness: Making a change for better health

May 22, 2018 | Uncategorized, Wellness

Working on Wellness: Making a change for better health

This is a great article for women’s health from www.gosanangelo.com on simple small ways to make healthy changes for a healthier life.  (Good for you guys too!)

SMALL LIFESTYLE CHANGES ADD UP

Cutting one 12-ounce can of soda out of your diet daily equals about 150 calories less per day. In one month that would equal 4,500 calories and in one year you would be consuming 54,750 less calories. Since 3,500 calories equal one pound of body fat, you would lose over 15 pounds in one year, just from one small change.

On the flip side, small changes on the activity side of the equation, also add up. For example, if you walked 15 extra minutes per day, this would burn an extra 80 calories per day and 29,200 extra calories per year, resulting in a losing eight pounds in one year — just from one small lifestyle change.

PROTECT YOUR KNEES

Losing just 10 percent of your body weight significantly slows the loss of the knee cartilage in overweight adults with osteoarthritis. The weight loss could relieve pain and even delay knee replacement.

IMPROVE BRAIN BLOOD FLOW

It’s never too late for women to reap the benefits of moderate aerobic exercise. In a three-month study of 16 women age 60 and older, brisk walking for 30-50 minutes three or four times per week improved blood flow through to the brain as much as 15 percent.

EXERCISE AWAY THE URGE

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 70 percent of smokers really do want to quit. There’s an often overlooked “secret weapon” that can help you to stop smoking, and that’s regular physical exercise. Exercise helps limit weight gain and it also helps in dealing with cravings for a cigarette. Studies have shown that even moderate physical activity, especially aerobic exercise, reduces the urge to smoke. Withdrawal symptoms and cravings for cigarettes decrease during exercise and for as long as 50 minutes afterward.

HOW MANY FOOTBALL FIELDS?

You would need to walk the length of three football fields to burn off the calories in one potato chip. If you eat a bag of M & M’s, you would need to walk the length of 53 football fields to burn off those calories.

A DAILY WALK

A team of investigators from UCLA found that adults over the age of 60 who are already struggling with memory issues are better able to focus and process information if they walk more than 4,000 steps a day (roughly 2 miles). The study revealed that those who walked more than 4,000 steps each day had thicker areas of the brain known to be critical to thought processing. What’s more, such avid walkers demonstrated “better cognitive functioning.”

Where do all these “National Month of…” designations come from? 

May 9, 2018 | Ask Mr. Pedometer and Friends..., Info

ASK MR. PEDOMETER & FRIENDS…

Q:  Mr. Pedometer, how do you come up with all these “National Month of…” designations? 

A: Online research gives you lots of answers!  For example, did you know that May is “Older Americans Month”?  That began in 1963 with President John F. Kennedy, who designated “Senior Citizens’ Month.” The name was changed by President Jimmy Carter in 1980, but the idea remains the same, to celebrate those of us ages 65 and older as being “productive, active, and influential members of society.”

This year’s slogan is “Engage at Every Age,” acknowledging lots of research that indicates people are healthier (and happier) if they stay involved with family, friends, and community.

The latest year we could find statistics for was 2013.  That year, for Older Americans Month, they announced that there were 41.4 million people ages 65 and older in the USA as of July 1, 2011, up from 40.3 million the year before.

By 2060, they were projecting that there would be 92 million people here ages 65 and older – or just over 1 in 5 USA residents at that time.  Of those, 2.4 million would be “baby boomers,” the youngest at age 96!

In 2013, only 8 percent of the world population was age 65 or older; by 2050, it was projected to be nearly 17 percent.

 Americans are working longer:  In 1990, only 12.1 percent of those over 65 were in the labor force. By 2011, that number had increased to 16.2 percent.  That year, there were 3.6 million seniors living in poverty  (8.7%).

Surprisingly, in 2012, only 81.1% of those Americans 65 and older had completed high school, and only 24.3% had earned a bachelor’s degree or higher from college. Only 70.3% reported casting a ballot in the 2008 presidential election.

That same year, 80.7% of householders 65 and older owned their own homes.  58% were married, and 26% were widowed.  In the 2010 census, there were 53,364 Americans who were age 100…or older! (For every 100 centenarian women, there were 20.7 centenarian men.)

You may be among those who live a very long life.  That’s all the more reason why you should….

EAT RIGHT,

MOVE MORE,

AND SLEEP WELL,

FOR A HEALTHY, LONGER LIFE!

What does “Wellness” mean and how do you get there?

What does “Wellness” mean and how do you get there?

May 2, 2018 | Ask Mr. Pedometer and Friends..., Wellness

ASK MR. PEDOMETER & FRIENDS…

Q:  Mr. Pedometer, you call your group “World Walk to Wellness,” but what exactly is ‘wellness”?

A: That’s a good question!  Wellness certainly is more than the absence of illness.  May is Mental Health Month, so we turned to Mental Health America (MHA, formerly known as the National Mental Health Association) to get their definition:

“Wellness is defined as ‘an active process of becoming aware of and making choices towards a more successful existence.’

“Because living ‘a successful existence’ means something different to each individual, wellness can be many things, but it generally includes the pursuit of health, defined as ‘a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity,’ and working towards achieving one’s full potential.”

MHA outlines many “pathways to wellness,” the first ones of which may sound very familiar:

  • Balanced diet (Eat right)Group of people walking in an open park
  • Regular exercise (Move more)
  • Enough sleep (Sleep well)
  • A sense of self-worth
  • Development of coping skills that promote resiliency
  • Emotional awareness
  • Connections to family, friends, and community

According to the MHA, we should “take periodic readings of our emotional well-being, just as we are careful to check our blood pressure and to get cancer screenings.” National Mental health Month might be a good time to try one of these strategies:

  • Be good to yourself
  • Show gratitude
  • Keep good friends close
  • Take care of your community
  • Eat one less cookie
  • Learn how to let go
  • Walk instead of driving

As for that last one, why not consider starting your weekend with a walk outdoors?

For more information on this topic go to http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/may

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!

Is it true that older adults need less sleep each night? 

Is it true that older adults need less sleep each night? 

Apr 17, 2018 | Ask Mr. Pedometer and Friends..., Sleep

Ask Mr. Pedometer and Friends…

Q:  Mr. Pedometer, isn’t it true that older adults need less sleep each night?  I am in my eighth decade and still waiting for this to happen.

A:  That turns out to be a myth!  Older adults still require 7-9 hours of sleep each night, according to Jessica Rundo, M.D., a staff physician at the Cleveland Clinic Sleep Disorders Center. Older woman sleeping

In an article in Consumer Reports on Health, Dr. Rundo says that sleep cycles change with age, and older adults may awaken more often during the night.

There are health dangers related to insufficient sleep, including increased risks of falls, cognitive decline, and dementia. “Chronic insomnia – difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep at least three nights a week for three months or longer – can also occur with conditions such as anxiety and depression,” the report states.

Here are the tips provided for getting a good night’s sleep, without medication:

  • TURN OFF ELECTRONICS – At least one hour before going to sleep, stop watching TV, reading on your tablet, or checking e-mail. “The blue light from electronics suppresses melatonin, a hormone that promotes sleep,” says Beth Malow, M.D., director of the Vanderbilt University Medical Center Sleep Division in Nashville.
  • EAT WISELY – Don’t consume a large meal within a couple of hours before bedtime, to avoid heartburn. During the day, choose meals high in fiber and low in saturated fat in order to fall asleep faster and have a better quality sleep (according to a 2016 study in the Journal of Sleep Medicine). “Also, skip the nightcap.  An alcoholic drink might help you doze off initially, but when it wears off, you’ll be awake again,” the article notes.
  • GET IN A DAYTIME WALK – “Exercise boosts the effects of sleep hormones like melatonin, especially if it’s done in bright daylight in the morning,” according to Timothy Morgenthaler, M.D., co-director of the Mayo Clinic for Sleep Medicine in Rochester, Minnesota. A 2010 study found that people 55 and older who exercised about four times a week for half an hour found it easier to fall asleep than those who did not exercise.
  • SET YOURSELF UP FOR SLEEP – Thirty to 60 minutes before bedtime, dim the lights, make sure your bedroom is cool, read a good (actual) book, and turn on soothing music (or a white noise machine), suggests Dr. Malow.
  • RETHINK THE REGULAR DAYTIME NAP – If you nap occasionally without affecting your nighttime sleep, that’s okay, but limit the nap to an hour. Otherwise, it can make it more difficult for you to doze off at night, according to Dr. Rundo

Risks of Taking Sleep Medicines

Taking sleep medicine may be risky, and not particularly effective.  Some prescription sleeping pills have been found to double the risk of falls and hip fractures in older adults. Other studies have linked sleep medicine to poorer cognitive ability and possibly dementia in people 65 or older (according to a 2015 study in JAMA Internal Medicine).

See your doctor if none of the above strategies works after several weeks.  You may be a candidate for overnight sleep monitoring, to determine if you have obstructive sleep apnea, which is defined as “numerous brief pauses in breathing during sleep” (which can lead to snoring).

Sleep apnea, if untreated, can lead to increased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and Type 2 diabetes.  According to the article, “almost 80 percent of the estimated 29 million Americans with obstructive sleep apnea haven’t received a diagnosis.”

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!