Seniors Site

We’ve heard from our mothers and grandmothers, even from our nosy neighbors, the saying “an apple a day, keeps the doctor away” one too many times. Variations would be: dentist, stress, and other things that generally scare us for no apparent reason other than its cost. In truth, apple can really keep all things bad at bay especially for seniors whom supplements are almost considered a way of life! Apple was found out to be rich in antioxidants which, of course we know, is the magic word for anti-aging.
While apple is no fountain of youth, it certainly benefits seniors when consumed regularly. Aside from that, apple can be eaten raw or cooked and be prepared 101 ways to excite your palate. It can even benefit your skin just by applying it topically and let it sit there for a while before rinsing. Not only that, apple’s byproducts, such as apple cider vinegar, are also used for curing many minor illnesses.
The part I like the most is when harvest season comes and apple picking becomes an instant family affair! Participants vary widely in age. There will be toddlers, mid-lifers, seniors, teens and yuppies, as they call them. They will all be gathered to one ceremonious affair called “apple picking” and go home with a trunk-full of freshly picked apples afterwards! The only problem, for me at least, is how to pick them off the ground without having to break my back! Here are some fast facts about the well-loved apples:
·    When apple picking, it’s okay to pick them off the ground as they are perfectly okay even if they fell off a tree. However, do place them gently in your basket, instead of throwing it in as you would in a basketball game! It would be nicer if you cushion it with newspapers so they won’t bruise.
·    Preserve its protective coating by not washing them with water if you are not ready for them yet. The protective film will prolong your apple’s shelf life.
·    It’s quite impossible to finish off your fresh picks in just one sitting, besides it’s not included in your doctors advice to have an apple overdose to cure all your age-related illnesses away! Give storage advices to people who attended your apple picking party such as how and where they should be stored away.
·    Apples are good for seniors. Why? It’s because it contains no fat or cholesterol and low in calorie too. It also has vitamin C which boosts your immune system. A serving of an apple is enough to provide your body with anti-oxidant it needs.
·    There are thousands of varieties of apples growing in the US alone. Each has their own distinctive taste and characteristics which will suit your purpose perfectly.
·    Apples are the most consumed fruit globally. It’s quite hard to miss them in any country as they are grown and imported everywhere!

Now that holidays are over and reality is slowly starting to sink in, we often find ourselves assessing the damage that has been done. The broken wallet, the additional work of putting away decors and whatnot and most of all, holiday bulges which will be a constant reminder for the months to come of how loose we were on our diet over the holidays. But, admit it or not, it cannot be helped. All we need to do now is reestablish our proper mindset and do some damage control!
Holiday bulges are a direst result of too much alcohol and sweets—staples of such festivities–during the holiday season. Tradition has it, holidays are meant to be enjoyed; a time to let go of all restrictions and just do whatever you want! It’s almost a sin to even hold back on all those yummy treats right? Especially if it’s you who cooked them! Don’t fret, gaining a pound or two should not throw you off the track, instead, consider it as a little obstacle which you will surely overcome in no time! Here are some ways to win your battle of the holiday bulges:
·    Flush them out. By now, your system must be drowning with alcohol and your liver with fatty substances. The problem is, these things are not easily flushed out unless you specifically take the effort in doing so.  Your number one, safest, natural detoxifier would be water. You can also explore other natural ways to detoxify yourself, just remember to ask your doctor about it prior to administration.
·    Load up on vitamin C. Vitamin C will boost your immune system which will enable you to fight off any potential diseases. Unfortunately, it gets depleted when mixed with alcohol. If you know you were a holiday drunkard, then this is the time to replenish your Vitamin C reserves.
·    Make fruits and vegetables your bestfriend! They will help you fill full on the stomach without you having to worry about additional pounds. Include them in most of your meals if you can’t help but eat other things but do snack on them.
·    Sweat it out. How else would you melt those holiday bulges? No tricks, just plain old sweat and try not to find a way to make it easier. The word “easy” is not really associated with “sweat”, you know.
·    No crash dieting! Did you know that crash dieting will actually make you fat? Not only you are doing yourself an injustice but also it will only make your blood sugar levels go haywire! Crazy sugar level is equal to energy depletion, weight gain and stress.
·    Get the right amount of sleep. For some reason, not getting an adequate number of sleeping hours is found to be the culprit for some weight gain incidents. It was said that your hormones have a lot to do with it.

Sports is one of the many things, we seniors, are always reminded about. In fact, we are highly encouraged to participate in any sports by our family, friends and doctors so that we can somehow fight the onslaught of the aging process. Because exercising has been a greatly cheered activity, the hazards of it are often overlooked and downplayed.

First off, even if seniors are encouraged to participate in activities that will make them sweat or just enjoy the moment, we should never push it too hard, especially if we lived almost half of our lives sitting in offices or working in front of a computer which takes most of the credit as to why our butts have grown so big all these years! Consider your mind and body as two separate entities; while your mind can suggest things your body can do, if your body is not accustomed to such stress, it is bound to break down. Aside from that, when we exercise, there are changes both inside and out of our bodies. Exercising can relieve the body of toxins, unfortunately, some important minerals and nutrients go along with it especially water. In such cases, you need to closely monitor your water intake during exercise to avoid getting the body dehydrated.

Hence sports nutrition. It may not be one of the popular diets known today but it is indeed one of the most important ones existing. Here are some fast facts about sports nutrition that can benefit seniors:

·    Replenish with water. There are many sports drinks in the market today, different brands, different marketing styles but their one common denominator is their claim to replenish your body of lost minerals and nutrients when sweating. What you don’t know is that they are also packed with sugars, in form of carbs, which you don’t need. Sports drinks are only recommended if your body has been subjected to 1 and a half hours of continuous sweating. Anything below that can be handled by water alone.
·    Get to know carbs. When we go on a diet, we know that carbohydrates are one of the things we need to avoid. BUT, carbohydrate gives the body energy. If we try to limit or restrict intake, it will definitely affect our energy levels making it difficult to perform exercises. Carbohydrates, being our main source of energy should always be kept in balance. Truth be told, there are two kinds of carbs, I suggest you stay way from the bad ones.
·    Beware of supplements, especially those packed, packaged, processed.. anything that is not natural. These can be found in most gyms and fitness centres.
·    Keep a varied diet so that you ensure your body of getting all the right nutrients. No binge eating of course! Just maintain healthy portions when eating. Take note of your iron levels since it is important in maintaining stamina during exercise.
·    Calcium is also important to avoid bone injury and fractures from happening.
·    Regular checkups are highly encouraged so you can be properly monitored by your doctor.

If we take a closer look on how illnesses and diseases develop, we can easily see that the aging process has a lot to do with it. Whether we like it or not, our system goes in auto-decline or sometimes, parts of it just stop whatever they are assigned to do which signify trouble to the rest of the so-called parts. Our lifestyle is said to be the key to longer, fuller lives but let’s not forget the hereditary factor these illnesses may have. Also, there are things that were embedded in our genes the day we were born which may or may not affect our system in due time.

So why go natural? One, going natural is the best for our environment. If we support sustainable living, going natural is the only thing that makes sense right? And two, chemicals are never, and I repeat, NEVER, good for our body. In fact, chemicals a.k.a synthetic medications are known to trigger some underlying diseases while pretending to cure the ones you may have right now.  With that said, consider your meds to be a give-and-take matter: it will give you some but it will definitely take a lot! The problem is, nowadays meds and drugs seem to be the only way to cure diseases and illnesses. I would like to think that we are victims of times.

Staying young indeed has a lot of benefits especially to a chronologically aging body.  Aside from hearing praises from your wrinkled friends, just imagine the elation you’ll feel when someone mistaken you for someone younger.  Furthermore, you’re less likely to experience major diseases that come with age. While aging is inevitable, there are ways to delay or slow them up so that we can enjoy our lives longer than we are supposed to—and naturally!

·    Hydrate yourself. Tea, water, juices, soups.. just about anything that has water in it is good for you. As we all know, when we age, the body will need hydration more than ever. That’s because the level of hydration in one’s body tends to decrease with age resulting to wrinkled and dry skin.
·    Limit red meat from your diet. Although you may need red meat in your diet, it’s not that important as we age. Lean toward fish, vegetables and fruits as they will supplement most of the nutrients you really need as well as prevent an aging body in developing heart diseases—one of the major killers of all time!
·    Take natural and herbal supplements. Bear in mind that anything that is God given can never be bad for you, instead doubt those manmade ones because you never know what it can do to your body. The reason why you need to consult your doctor before trying any of these is because it may react with your current medications. I would suggest seniors to start them earlier in life while your body still has no need for synthetic supplements and maintenance pills.
·    Be a conscious-eater. Midlife crisis can bring about binge eating but the problem is, even after our midlife phase, we tend to carry our eating portions well into our golden age when we should have been watching what we eat closer than ever. While you’re at it, stay away from fastfood restaurants since they are focusing more on marketing than their costumers’ health.
·    Stay away from psychologically stressful situations. When we are stressed, the brain will fire signals to the body to combat the yet unknown stressor. It will try to find out what it is and since the stressor is not present inside the body, the brain will never stop giving out orders to its troops resulting to the body’s internal imbalance hence the “haywire” feeling that comes with stress. Bear in mind that anything which disrupts your body’s system is bad.

It is always advisable for seniors to get their daily dose of exercise since it helps the body to cope with age-related stress. Seniors are greatly encouraged to participate in anything that will keep their bodies moving, no matter how mild the activity may be. Bottom line is, we all need to move, to get up from that chair and shake immobility away!

One of the most preferred forms of exercise is running. Unfortunately, running, if not done properly can do more damage than good, not only to an aging body but even to the young and reckless. Although running has cardiovascular benefits, it also puts a lot of pressure in the knee and hip area causing pain every now and then. If not given enough attention, or if the body already has underlying disease waiting to happen, this pain can trigger or worsen an ailment. Except of course, if you consider skip, step and repeat as running marathons!

Due to this very obvious hindrance in our path to fit and healthy body, many running-assisting devices were developed. One of these is a shoe invented solely for the purpose of running. A pair of good running shoes helps in supporting and protecting your feet while you run. However, runners should also be aware that even your trusty running shoes can get you hurt. According to a study released December of last year, running shoes only support your feet and never the knees and hips which receive most of the pressure from running. Studies also blame the elevated heels and the overall chunkiness of running shoes to be additional factors in causing injuries when running.

Although this report seems to be a discouraging one, running fanatics should never waver! Manufacturers are always on the lookout for new and inventive ways to improve and ultimately develop the perfect running shoes and I bet, it’s only a matter of time before they do so. In the meantime, for those who are thinking of buying their first pair of running shoes and got overwhelmed by the sheer number of it, here are some few tips to help you get by:

·    Analyze your gait. This is very important as it will help you choose the best running shoes for you. Only a professional runner or a fitness trainer can tell you exactly how you run i.e if you over or under pronate.
·    Buy shoes from stores that specifically sell running stuff such as running shirts, shorts, etc.
·    Take your time in trying several pairs. It’s okay to do that because salesclerks selling running shoes know that fit and form matters and you won’t be able to tell the difference if you don’t try sliding your feet into the shoe. If you feel uncomfortable in doing so, visit several stores and try a few at a time.
·    Some popular brands of running shoes allow the buyer to try running on them first then pay if you’re fully satisfied with the experience. Others will allow you to return them and exchange for another pair if you feel this pair does not compliment your running style.

Our elderly friends have certainly become health buffs in their own right! While exercising seemed impossible for seniors whose generation doesn’t include bulging muscles during their younger years, these alternative methods of keeping one’s body fit indeed got them hooked.

Yoga remains as the most recommended exercise for the elderly because it’s kinder to stiff joints and won’t cause any damage when done with a professional instructor. Aside from that, yoga adapts to one’s capabilities, not the other way around. To further prove that this kind of exercise is ultra safe, there are pregnant women who choose to belong to yoga classes than do any other form of exercise. Some of the known benefits of yoga are fitter and leaner body, relaxed mind and calmer being.

We all know how nasty the affects of old age can get. Fortunately, yoga alleviates these symptoms for a better you by helping you get in touch with yourself and boosting your self-esteem. In a way, yoga prevents emotional problems from occurring while the physical improvement it brings is a surefire way to delay, if not avoid, health problems from occurring. In other words, yoga is good for both mind and body which ultimately creates a positive outlook in a senior’s life.

All yoga poses or body positions have their own effects on the body. For seniors, the most popular of which are poses that can improve blood circulation and flexibility for better range of motion. On the other hand, breathing techniques which are introduced when doing yoga clear the air passages, allowing us to draw air from the lungs more easily.

When doing yoga, it is wise to gauge yourself during sessions. First timers should not find themselves tired and aching after a session, on the contrary, you should be calm and relaxed during and after each session. In order for seniors to achieve this, it is important that you respect your body’s limits and stop when it tells you so. Never, and I repeat NEVER, try to push yourself beyond your limits just because you saw the girl next to you did more. Yoga poses are done only if you can and achieving Yoga’s full benefits mean you should do the positions properly otherwise you are only exposing your body to injuries. Yoga should be simple enough to do, that’s why it has become one of the highly recommended exercises for seniors.

Other milder forms of exercise for seniors are brisk walking, swimming, tai chi and jogging. Exercise helps seniors fight age-related conditions that can affect our overall quality of life. When done on a regular basis, it delays signs of old age significantly.

In our effort to lead a much healthier life this year, we must first raid our own medicine cabinet—in this case, our collection of vitamins and supplements taken on a regular basis to keep us strong and nourished!

It was said that seniors are spending billions every year for supplements that promise better health, improve memory and endurance—sex included. No wonder, as they are considered as the top three concerns in a seniors’ life. In general, anything with the word anti-aging printed on the packaging is sure to grab our attention!

Aside from eating healthy, we seniors need to take additional supplements. Admit it or not, our bodies can no longer process our food the way it used to. The food we eat, no matter how healthy, can no longer provide us our daily nutritional needs. On the other hand, too much synthetic vitamins and we get a chemically-drenched body. With that said, it is but normal to have a balance somewhere.

Nowadays, alternative health products are popular. Part of the reason why there are thousands, if not millions of health products sporting the words “natural” and “herbal” to go along with “anti-aging”. Before we continue with the list of recommended supplements for older adults, it’s highly advisable for seniors to buy only from reputable companies. They may be a little expensive but you know you’re getting the real deal. Also, please remember that anything you take—even food—can react with the medications you are currently taking so it is wise to consult your doctor first if a certain product interests you, to avoid any health complications from happening.

·    Vitamin E. Vitamin E has a long-established reputation of being an anti-aging supplement which works from within. Since it is naturally occurring in our bodies, it is assumed that Vitamin E can do no harm to one’s body when introduced moderately.
·    Calcium. Of course, who doesn’t want stronger bones in their golden years? Unfortunately, it seems that the recommended minimum age for taking calcium is getting lower and lower by the minute! Maybe this generation is not getting enough calcium in their diet hence the supplements.
·    CoQ10. Naturally produced by the body, CoQ10 is said to decrease in number as we age resulting to heart disease, Parkinson’s disease and even cancer. It also aids in metabolic activities inside the body.
·    Garlic. When eaten raw and in large amounts can help stabilize your cholesterol levels, albeit temporarily. Garlic is known to improve blood circulation.
·    Melatonin. For seniors who are having trouble getting their goodnight’s sleep, this is for you! Melatonin is naturally produced by the body but like any other substances found inside of us, it tends to lessen with age.

To welcome the year right, I’m happy to announce that according to CDC or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention we are now experiencing an all time high in life expectancy! CDC’s press release was made last August 19, 2009. Indeed, it came as great news for seniors since it was reported that age-related deaths have now gone down. The press release also contains interesting facts about death and mortality rates as well as life expectancy and survival rate. You can view the press release here.

As usual, the two leading causes of death are cancer and heart disease. Simple explanation has it that the latter is somewhat controllable but can attack anytime without any warning while the former still has no known cause, as well as cure. Running fourth with a very large percentage difference from the two is respiratory disease and somewhere further down are Parkinson’s, liver and Alzheimer’s diseases.

So what are your chances of having a long and happy life? High of course!—especially if you make it happen. By taking the extra effort in making sure you are living a healthy lifestyle and avoiding the things that may harm you, longer lives are sure to be within reach. Of course, longevity should come with quality of life. Basic rules still apply:

·    Exercise. I’ve noticed that seniors are now getting into sports and just being active, enjoying what life brings. With the advent of technology, we’re able to free ourselves from the bond that ties us in close, office spaces and out to the world! Work-at-home jobs enabled us to have the flexibility to participate in other activities we truly enjoy doing.
·    Personal health maintenance. This includes taking preventive measures to ensure you are adequately covered. The government is now active in making it easier for us to take care of ourselves. It seems that the government’s health campaign, Healthy People 2010, is indeed a success! Regular checkups are still the best, no matter how much you dread it!
·    Healthy diet. Diet is not all about losing weight. You should only lose weight if you have excess pounds that are threatening to kill you. A healthy diet should mean a diet that is good for your body. Seniors should never eat in excess nor deprive the body of the nutrients it needs, only in healthy portions recommended by your doctor. Also, it’s best if you stay away from the nasties such as fatty and sugary foods.
·    Socialize. According to a study made in Australia, it was found out that friends are very important in a senior’s life. The study concluded that seniors with a large network of friends fared better than those who keep only a few.
·    Broaden your horizons. Travel a lot. If with budget constraints, then explore your city or its neighboring towns. Learn new things and share your life with others. The idea behind it is to bring back your zest for life.

Holidays are not only meant for giving gifts and exchanging cards. Along with it comes good food and unhealthy practices. While it’s quite understandable due to the jolliness of it all, we should always remember that keeping healthy still means a lot to an aging body but that doesn’t necessarily mean we must miss out on the fun!

By the way, staying healthy is not limited to the physical aspects of it alone. Sometimes, holidays can also bring about emotional and mental stress. In order for us to really enjoy our holidays, we must take some precautionary measures thus allowing us some time to breath. This is really important so that after the holidays, we can easily slip back to our old routines and not feel drained and emptied.

For quick and easy ways to maintain right equilibrium over the holidays, here are some suggestions:

·    Renew your spiritual grounds—Christmas rush can easily make us forget what the holidays are really for. Renewing your faith in God will certainly give you the spiritual satisfaction you might have been looking for.
·    Renew your senses—It’s easy to overlook things that are there for you to see especially if you were bound with obligations and responsibility. This is the perfect time to get to know your self again and discover new things around you.
·    Plan ahead—To plan is to organize. If you plan early, you will be able to do things according to their right timing thus allowing yourself some time to rest and relax before the big day. Also, planning eliminates stress of last-minute whatnots.
·    Let go of your baggage—Holidays can also mean family get-togethers which sometimes prove to be a painful affair. Old quarrels can easily be brought up and long overdue spats rekindled. You, being the oldest of the pack should be the first one to let go of old arguments and promote love within the family.
·    Indulge yourself—Not by eating of course! Indulging yourself should mean keeping your overall outlook happy and light. Treat yourself to a day in spa with your partner or do something you have been meaning to do for quite sometime.
·    Discover outdoors—If you are one of the many seniors working indoors and spending too much time doing everything else over the internet then now is the time to go out and discover the joys of outdoors. You’ll be amazed on how the world evolved the last time you were out!
·    Choose what you eat—People nowadays are more conscious of the food they eat so it’s fairly easy to skip on the unhealthy stuff and be on the healthier side. If you feel you are going in a war zone where healthy foods are not an option, then it’s best to prepare and bring your own food while disguising it as your contribution to the festivities. This way, the host won’t feel offended if you choose not to eat the unhealthy stuff.
·    Stick with your exercise routine—This may be the hardest to keep since it’s really tempting to just sleep, eat and be merry all holiday long. Unfortunately, two weeks of being “merry” will certainly make a dent out of our healthy lifestyle so better exercise than regret later.
·    Hydrate yourself—Make water your best buddy this Christmas. Why? It’s because it’s never good to be dehydrated. That’s why.

This Christmas, it becomes really important to have peace of mind, or else, you don’t stand a chance of having a jolly one! Personally I see peace and Christmas go hand in hand so when you say the latter, the former becomes hundred times magnified that sometimes it almost becomes depressing to even think of.

In this day and age when everyone seems to be restless and running from one place to another is a way of life, it’s quite hard to find some peace of mind amidst all. Due to this fact, peace of mind becomes the most sought after state but indeed an elusive one. For one, peace of mind is practiced. It’s something you follow to avoid stressful thoughts thus achieving calmer mind. This must be the reason why meditation became popular to our age group as the practice sets definite steps to achieve your own peace of mind.

Decluttering your life is the easiest way to achieve peace of mind. Here are some ways on how to find peace of mind and be able to live at peace with yourself:

·    Do without all things negative. Negativity invites negative thoughts because even if you refuse to acknowledge it, negativity seeps into you and settles into your subconscious mind. An example of which is a nasty humor you heard in passing or even a person with negative outlook in life.
·    Never harbor grudges. It’s okay to feel hurt as we are humans with humanly feelings but grudges are altogether a different matter as it sometimes compels you to act upon it in forms of revenge.
·    Worry no more. As long as you’ve done your best, there’s nothing much you can do about something so it’s better to let it go and not to worry about it anymore. If it turns out badly, you know you did your best and that was all you can do.
·    Don’t take everything personally. Things happen for a reason and most of the time, that reason is not you. It’s just that you were there and you got affected by the situation but it doesn’t mean the situation was meant to attack you.
·    If someone is causing you stress, stay away from that person. This person is not healthy for you, that’s all. It also applies to jobs you hate doing.
·    Don’t try changing something that is beyond your control. It’s not everytime that you can change something to your own liking. Learn to accept things as they come.
·    Be more flexible. With maturity comes flexibility. Learning to be flexible will help you adapt faster to your environment thus eliminating the possibility of stress.
·    Know where your limitation lies. As a person, there are things you can do better than others unfortunately, there are some you do only averagely. Trying to push yourself unreasonably will only induce unnecessary stress.