Seniors Site

Aside from the age-related memory loss, you are most likely be experiencing a brain lag every now and then as well. This is when you lack sleep and you feel disoriented throughout the day or perhaps you work yourself to a point when everything gets blurred and hazy already. Unfortunately, a senior’s brain can be exhausted much easier than that of a younger person’s. Understandably, seniors experience more brain lags and do need more “kick-stating” than any other age group.

During a brain lag, your mind begins to wander. This is your brain’s way of coping and this should also be your signal to give your brain some rest. However, that doesn’t mean it cannot be revived anymore. Of course, you can still make it refocus on the task at hand, here are some handy tips to tide you over during those “brain-lag” moments:

•    Clear the clutter and organize according to tasks. This applies to your place of work as well as your mind. Think of it as placing everything in its rightful place, like filing your thoughts—and things–in folders. When you’re ready to work on them, you just pull them out and shut everything else—not related to the current task–out.
•    When someone is talking to you—and you know it’s really important for you to listen—but you find yourself drifting away, try to participate and ask questions.
•    Take a break. A couple of minutes out of your desk will help your brain get its much needed rest and be able to get back to work without being missed.
•    Find your own happy place. Think of a place that relaxes you then try to be there mentally. Tune out all the chaos that has been happening around you and try to focus on your being in this “happy place”.
•    If it gets heavy, seek help. There are things that you just can’t work out on your own. Know your limits and seek help when needed.
•    If a problem starts getting in the way, try to find a way to release them such as writing it down or talking it over with friends you trust.
•    List down your tasks and do them according to priority. This way you won’t be distracted by high priority tasks while doing those smaller and non-urgent tasks.
•    Learn how to meditate. Meditation is proven to help calm the mind and that is exactly what your mind needs.
•    Train your brain on your free time. You don’t have to assault it, do something fun and stimulating like brain games.
•    Grab a drink. Brain boosting drinks can help you kick start your brain. Examples of which are green tea, coffee, ginseng tea and smoothies.

Most seniors who are trying to lose weight may find “healthy eating” quite a challenge. You must know that your way to a successful weight loss starts with healthy eating habits. Unfortunately, this is also where most dieters fail. Eating is part of our existence, it nourishes us and enables our bodies to function right, aside from that, it fulfills us. However, it is quite easy to lose yourself over food especially if you have grown used to eating bad kinds. Below are some easy tips to control your eating habits:

•    Plan ahead. It is normal to get frustrated with the food choices you may have right now since you are just starting out with healthy eating. By planning your meals ahead of time, there won’t be a “nothing-to-eat” moment that may seduce you to eating unhealthy foods.
•    Do not look back. There’s no use counting those you cannot have, instead, be proud of yourself as you are “one day healthier than yesterday”.
•    Practice eating by portions. You don’t need to load it all up in one meal. In fact, experts say, if you do this, you are only training your stomach to take in more than it should. Eating by portions will help your body stay fueled all throughout the day without overeating.
•    Power up your breakfast. Make healthy choices for your breakfast, not hefty. Fiber is the most ideal during mornings, so does fruit.
•    Know your hunger. Are you “hungry” hungry or just nursing a craving? Or perhaps just needs to fill an “emotional” void? Do know that you only need to eat when your body needs it, all others are dangerous for your weight.
•    If you go hungry, try to fight the urge to eat more. My suggestion is to have a snack first such as crackers, just to have something in your stomach then wait a while before having your portion meal.
•    When grocery shopping, do not buy unhealthy foods, much less, bring them home as you are only inviting unwanted temptation.
•    Eat slowly and savor each moment. By eating slowly, you help ease the pressure on your digestion department since you already did half of their work. Aside from that, you’ll be able to enjoy the food you eat instead of absentmindedly stuffing yourself with junk.
•    Avoid comfort foods. Admit it or not, we all have them. The bad side of it is relying on these when the going gets tough..then tougher still.. The best way to combat comfort eating is to diverting your energy to something else, something more productive.

Here at seniors-site.com, we encourage seniors to stay active in order to promote quality of life and of course, enjoy what life may bring you during your retirement years. We are most particular with seniors enjoying the company of their family and friends, be able to do the things that are otherwise impossible back in your working years and keep balance on all aspects of your life. These things are indeed not possible if a senior opt to give in to the comfort of easy, couch-potato life most of us are offered with nowadays.

Research showed that inactivity makes the aging process go faster than it should. Not the natural aging process, but the way you use your body determines your life span as well as the quality of life you are most likely to have in your later years. With this said, staying active is the only way to go for seniors, that is, if you still want to stay on top of your game, wrinkles and all!

Staying active indeed has many benefits for seniors. Physically, it improves your mobility and flexibility—two things that are essential in staying independent. Muscle strength is also important as it goes hand in hand with your balance—the thing that keeps you from falling and breaking your precious bones. You can only improve your muscle strength if you stay active and do exercises and activities that actually encourage it. Furthermore, cardio exercises improve your cardiovascular capacity which prevents your energy levels from dropping unnecessarily.

Mentally, staying active boosts self-esteem and self-confidence since you are most likely be feeling good about yourself in general. This way, you are keeping depression at bay and adapt a more positive outlook in life. It reduces anxiety, and helps seniors focus on more important things.  Socially, it encourages seniors to participate in activities wherein there will be other seniors of the same interests thus enabling them to make friends and not feel isolated or alone. One good thing about being socially engaged is that it promotes social awareness making seniors more conscious of what’s happening around them.

Staying active need not be a scary affair for seniors especially to those who are not quite active. You don’t need a “muscle-man” type of programs and exercises as you are not competing for the title anyway. Just a simple walking or jogging can be an adequate starting point.  Even starting an activity that will encourage your body to move like gardening or volunteering is a good way to start your active lifestyle. However, it should be something that is within your interest range so you can stick with it on a regular basis. Bear in mind that staying active is not a one-time affair, it should be an ongoing affair and a part of you as a person.

When trying to lose weight, you most probably have heard 101 diet and exercise tips to make losing weight go faster. While maintaining an ideal weight and staying active is recommended for seniors to ensure quality of life, bear in mind that anything drastic will do you absolutely NO good and it may even be dangerous considering your age and health status. To avoid health risks, here are some diet myths along with their facts to guide you to healthy weight loss:

MYTH 1:  Targeted exercise is more effective than exercising the body as a whole.
FACT:  There’s no such thing as targeted exercise especially to a beginner and it can never be good for seniors. It is quite impossible to tell your body to burn fat in certain areas only. If you need to lose weight, aim for the overall body fat instead.

MYTH 2:  You need to lift weights in order to lose weight.
FACT: There are many activities you can engage in that will also make you lose weight and tone your body. Even a simple everyday cardiovascular exercise such as jogging or brisk walking can help you shed excess weight.

MYTH 3:  The more you sweat, the more calories burned.
FACT: When burning fats and calories, it doesn’t necessarily mean you need to sweat the same amount. You only sweat because your body is experiencing a temperature above normal and it needs to cool down. Try exercising in an airconditioned room—you will still burn fats but not sweat a lot.

MYTH 4: Eliminate a certain type of food in your diet, like carbo.
FACT: That is not healthy! If carbohydrate is sooo bad for your body, you won’t see it in the food pyramid! Your body needs carbo just as much as your body needs all the nutrients it can get from your balanced diet. The key is moderation.

MYTH 5:  Eat a heavy meal before exercising; you’ll burn it anyway.
FACT: Oh you’ll definitely get a burn—heartburn, that is! While it is not good to exercise on an empty stomach, please take note that digestion takes time so a heavy meal is a big no-no. Take small snacks, enough just to fuel the body while you exercise.

MYTH 6:  ALL fats are made equal.
FACT:  Granted that most fats are bad for your aging body, there are certain kinds of fat that are recommended to keep your internal system well oiled and working in harmony with one another. As rule of thumb, oils found naturally in food are good, those manufactured are not.

MYTH 7:  Smorgasbord on healthy foods.
FACT:  Again, moderation is the key to losing weight. Even if you are munching on something healthy, you won’t shed a stone if you continue to gorge yourself with food.

MYTH 8:  Eating after 6pm will make you fat.
FACT:  It’s not the “eating” part that is the problem, it’s the way your body processes food. You can still eat after 6pm, just as long as it is easily digestible by your body as the body’s metabolism tends to slow down during these hours.

MYTH 9:  Herbal weight loss products and preparations are safe.
FACT:  There are no hard and fast rules for losing weight except that there is a somewhat higher success rate in doing it the healthy way, that is, exercise and balanced diet. If you are going to introduce something new to your body, it is best to consult your doctor first.

MYTH 10:  Skip meals to lose weight.
FACT:  A big NO. By now, you should know that skipping a meal is unhealthy. In fact, seniors are recommended to have 8 small meals all throughout the day to satisfy the body and at the same time, be able to maintain an ideal weight.

With all those medical mumbo jumbo our doctors have been talking about, we often find ourselves relying on the simplest of words. For example, if we’re told of atopic dermatitis, we are most likely to conclude that it has something to do with our skin, since there is that “derma” word on it. If your doctor is kind enough, he will tell you that atopic dermatitis is actually, in layman’s term, as simple as eczema. However, not all doctors are kind enough and most will have you running for a medical dictionary—and fast!
Which led me to believe that the same clouded notion surrounds the words “same-day surgery”.  If we are to inspect the words piece by piece, you will find “same-day” which means “today” and “surgery” being a “procedure”. If put together, you are to get “procedure done today” but what really comes with it and how will it benefit seniors?
For not-so-informed seniors, same-day surgery is also referred to as outpatient admission. It usually doesn’t require after-procedure hospital stay as well as pre-procedure prep time but may vary from one case to another. Basically, a simple procedure not requiring the patient to stay before and after would be minor surgical operation, nonsurgical operation, diagnostic procedure and most therapeutic treatments.
Of course, not staying in hospitals after a procedure would mean cutting cost on your hospital bills, which I find quite pleasing. On the other hand, for someone who fears pain, I doubt if same-day surgery would ever have a place on my itinerary some time soon. Do note that all surgeries, no matter how minor or major, requires some care after the procedure itself, so if you are in doubt that there will be someone capable to care for you when you get home, I say you’re better off to an overnight hospital stay than risk infection and other health maladies.
When you’re due for same-day surgery, it is better to plan ahead. Here are some tips to start you off:
State your concerns and ask your doctor if this is the best solution for you. Most same-day surgeries are not emergency procedures so you still have time to sort things out. Know when the procedure is due and see if you can still do your own research about the procedure.
All surgeries have their own benefits and side-effects. Since it is your body, you have all the right in the world to refuse a procedure if you feel you don’t need it. You can always get a second opinion if in doubt.
Know all about the facility wherein the procedure would take place, especially if it somewhere unfamiliar to you.
Make sure you bring along your personal medical/health records and show them to doctors and nurses who will attend to you during the procedure.
Enlist help from people back home. Make sure you have someone to help you when you get home.

Your weight loss woes do not end with bariatric surgery. It should never be considered as a cure for obesity, instead it should be treated as an aid to boost you on your way to healthy eating—and living, in general. This is where, oftentimes, obese seniors who underwent the knife go wrong—they instantly assume that bariatric surgery will automatically slim them down without having to exert any effort at all!
Weight management is a choice. You choose to lose weight because it will make you feel better. Aside from that, healthy living will help you tremendously in improving your quality of life. These reasons alone are enough to help you choose wise decisions in life, including bariatric surgery.
Before you go on a weight loss surgery, your doctor will require series of tests, along with ample prep time to have you ready for the surgery itself, and indeed life after it. As mentioned earlier, weight loss surgery is just a part of your weight loss journey and not totally depended on it. It is essential for seniors who just had bariatric surgery to submit themselves to capable hands of professionals—that is, a team of experts who will guide you on how to handle your newfound body, physically and emotionally. Recovery process is usually tediously slow and the adjustments are tough but staying positive and really patient about it can bring you desired results in no time.
Adjustments in your eating habits must be the hardest for seniors who underwent bariatric surgery. You are most likely be provided with postsurgery dietary guidelines which you must follow to a tee. Some of the most common rules after a bariatric surgery are:  chewing your food thoroughly before swallowing and maintaining an interval between swallows are important since it will allow your digestive tract to process the food first before dealing with the next. Also, a patient is to limit intake of hard to digest foods such as steaks or pork meat. In a malabsorption procedure, the senior is advised to avoid sweets and sugary foods. Carbonated drinks are also a big no-no since they are known to stretch your stomach pouch. Alcohol consumption can also bring about more serious complications to a bariatric surgery patient than with a normal functioning digestive system.
As you can see, meal planning is very important, so as having a healthy diet. Those things that were mentioned earlier are more or less, the same things you need to do if you are aiming to lose weight, with or without a surgery. Joining support groups will help you on your way to recovery and be able to fully adjust to your new lifestyle.

Lately, I have been obsessed about obesity—as evident to my recent posts. I don’t know, maybe there are things that when you start talking about, it just never ends. And yes, I have been a fervent devotee of seniors leading an active, healthy lifestyle—one that has a fit body and able to walk at least a hundred steps without having to catch their breath. A dreamer, yes I am, since I dream that all seniors would be able to play with their toddler grandkids and still go out on a date at the end of the day.
With this in mind, I try to get every senior dropping by this blog as informed as possible. Obesity is almost always blamed to inactivity and poor diet—or overeating. Now, let’s add to that yet another factor seniors must consider when dealing with obesity:  the hormone-wrecking chemical obesogen.
As the term may suggest, obesogen was termed as such since the chemical was believed to be causing obesity or at the very least, that stubborn fat you just can’t burn no matter what. Obesogen is considered as endocrine receptors—substances that disguise and act like hormones but what they really do is disrupt the physiologic function of natural hormones found inside your body causing adverse biological effects to humans and animals alike. In other words, it’s no longer a matter of burning more and consuming less calories as your environment is already having a direct effect on how you gain weight.
While your hormones play so many vital roles in your body such as controlling your body clock, your metabolism rate and even your moods, obesogen particularly affects the way your body handles body weight. Just imagine how frustrating it is if you’re trying an all-fruit-and-veggie diet and still not see results, just because the very food you are eating is laden with invisible sheath of obesogen? Here are the things you can do to prevent obesogen from entering your body:
•    Go organic. Organic food can be expensive, yes—a common complaint from seniors who are trying to make ends meet. However, if you have ample time on your hands and you enjoy gardening, why not start growing your own produce? These things you can grow for personal consumption or sell within your neighborhood.
•    Do without plastics. Try to avoid using plastics such as plates and food containers—even reheating with microwavable containers. Known obesogens are plastics-based which means they can be found in most plastic products found inside your home.
•    Grass-fed vs. grain-fed. Of course, I am talking about meats. Grass-fed ones are leaner which are better for your health. Aside from that, grain-fed meats are usually contaminated with obesogen.

For a senior with limited range of motion, food preparation becomes almost impossible. That must be the reason why Meals on Wheels and other nutrition programs for seniors are popular. Nonetheless, we still need to have something in the pantry for a quick fix in cases of emergency, that is, if food is nowhere to be found! Here are some things you can keep in stock as they are healthy for you and their shelf life is quite longer than others:
•    Granola bars or energy bars. Nothing can be quicker than grabbing a pack, tearing it open and munching up anytime you want to! It can even satisfy your sweet tooth as most granola bars are flavored—flavors ranging from peanut butter, to vanilla, to chocolates.
•    Crackers. The ever dependable crackers! Salted, sweet, savory, whole wheat, multigrain.. –you name it, your friendly neighborhood supermarket is most likely to have it!  Just make sure that you pack them in re-sealable containers so they will maintain their freshness.
•    Trail mix. Trail mixes are good for you. They have nuts and they are energy boosting foods. Same as your crackers, they should be stored in vacuum sealed, re-sealable plastic containers to maintain freshness.
•    Peanut butter. Unless you are allergic to nuts then peanut butter must be the best quick fix for seniors since it can be paired with just about anything!
•    Freeze dried fruits. They are high in fiber and rich in anti-oxidants. In other words, they will help your digestive system to move a little smoother while keeping you younger looking.
•    Canned soups. Contrary to popular notion, not all canned soups are bad. Some are made especially for people with health problems. All you have to do is check labels and make sure you are getting exactly what you need and not those you don’t need at all!
•     Power beverages. They can be filling, energy boosting as well as nutritious, not to mention great tasting too. They can also be stacked in the fridge for a quick fix whenever you feel like it. Find one that makes miracles with your metabolism.
•    Fruit juices. They are great when chilled and you need to satisfy your sweet tooth without having to worry about calories. Also, most fruit juices in the market today are fortified with vitamins which can be beneficial for you.
•    Cereal. They can be eaten dry or with milk. Either way, they are so convenient, they deserve a place in your pantry!

You are indeed a certified senior approaching the age when medications comes first than food, IF, you spend more time in drug stores than you would in a grocery store. Also, if you have become chummy enough with the pharmacist to the extent that you both are already calling each other by first names. However, shopping in a drug store is no fun, not to mention expensive. After all, you only go to a drug store if: one, your doctor told you so and two, you ran out of medications which is bad for your health.
Saving on medications can be tricky but very much doable. I have heard friends and relatives sharing their own tips and tricks on how to cut drug store costs, some of them even driving to the next city and beyond just to take advantage of discount stores and shops which can guarantee a 2-month supply in a month’s cost, if you are to buy locally. Some just keep a vigilant watch over sales and promos printed on local newspapers. I, for one, scour the internet for such sales and print out coupons if necessary. I say, times like these call for drastic measures!
Here are some of my favorite money saving tips on drug stores for all seniors out there:
•    Join your local drug store’s money-saving program. They usually offer one to their most loyal customers. It may be in forms of discount cards, loyalty programs, reward points, rebates or gift certificates. Whatever it is, grab the opportunity while it is there.
•    Use coupons found elsewhere. Coupons are real lifesavers and they are virtually everywhere! They can be found in newspapers, the internet, and even with your latest batch of meds. You just have to find them.
•    Most drug stores usually offer rebates on cash purchases. If you have money on-hand, and you think it’s good enough of a deal for you, then pay cash!
•    Go for generic brands. Usually, branded meds are more expensive than generic ones. It is not because of the quality but sometimes, it all boils down to the name. For your own safety, take some time to examine and compare their active ingredients. If they are of the same composition, then choose the generic one.
•    Go for bulk, just consider the expiry date. Bulk purchases, of course, will save you a lot as they are usually offered at such low price however, some drug stores will do this just to get these meds off their hands before its expiry date.
•    Try purchasing online. Drug stores selling online usually offer their meds at discounted prices, some may even deliver the meds for free, saving you both time and money.

Migraine strikes at any age, in fact there are people who swear they were born with it and have been battling with migraine attacks for as long as they can remember. However, in a senior’s case, doctors are more careful—apprehensive, even–in treating migraines since there are factors which need to be considered first such as medications and illnesses the senior may have at the moment. Furthermore, healthcare providers believe that treatments available for migraine sufferers tend to cause more discomfort for seniors, hence doing them more harm than good. That alone compels doctors not to treat seniors with migraine problems. Here are some of Migraine’s myths and facts to help you understand the said condition:
MYTH #1:  Migraine is a psychological condition.
FACT#1:  Migraine is an all-together different condition than the one you are most likely to have when you are suffering from depression or other psychological condition. It is a serious physical condition categorized as neurological disorder which can be triggered by varying factors.

MYTH #2:  Migraine is an imaginary disorder brought about by the person who imagined it.
FACT #2:  Migraine is really a medical disorder and can be treated. Go ask your doctors about it.

MYTH #3:  Since migraine attacks are often without warnings, your doctor cannot do something about it.
FACT #3:  Yes, migraines are without cure but it can be controlled. Most migraine attacks have their own triggering factors, if you actually know them, you can avoid them hence lessening your chances of having one.

MYTH #4:  Migraine personality—that is, your personality brings about migraine.
FACT #4:  Although many studies suggest that your personality causes migraine, there is no scientific basis backing it up. Not even your lifestyle can be blamed for migraine attacks.

MYTH #5:  Migraine attacks are signs that there’s something terribly wrong with your brain.
FACT #5:  A brain tumor can indeed cause headaches but migraine won’t. As said earlier, migraine is an all-together different condition and should be treated as same. This is also the reason why doctors are most likely to have a suspected migraine sufferer undergo certain lab tests first to eliminate other possible causes of headaches before they can conclude that you indeed have one.

MYTH #6:  Allergies cause migraine attacks.
FACT #6:  Migraine and allergy are closely associated with each other, yes, but they are two different conditions. Although they share some similarities in terms of pain experienced by their sufferers, there are marked characteristics between the two.

MYTH #7:  Migraine attacks are only bad headaches. Nothing to worry about.
FACT #7:  Migraine is a condition, headache is a symptom. Seniors should know that headaches go away the minute the underlying cause of it is remedied. However, migraine cases require specific treatment and medications to solve it.