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Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Will you SHINE today?


It’s easy to lose track of your day.  You may begin with a plan, but, as like most things, you cannot predict the unpredictable.  Factors manage to squeeze their way into our lives to test us, emotionally and strategically.  And our lives become a balancing act.

In an article provided by The Toronto Star, Dr. Lorraine Maita, 55, a specialist in geriatric health and health consultant fortune 500 companies, says that moderation and balance are the secret to a long, healthy life.  Despite what we are presented with in our daily lives, there is a good for every bad, a yin for every yang.   

The Star outlined Maita’s family history as one of high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes, but she has none of them.  “She keeps a keen watch on her health and, the minute she sees her blood pressure or cholesterol climbing, she tackles this with activity and diet right away.”

Modern medicine has helped people live longer, but infectious diseases have been over taken by life-style related chronic degenerative conditions, Maita explained to The Star, citing heart disease, stroke and arthritis.

“I say a person should SHINES is for stress management; H for hormone balance; I is for intake, including environmental toxins and preservatives; N is for nutrition and E is for exercise. There should also be another S for supplements, that’s a good thing to do. Many people are deficient in lots of nutrients such as magnesium, B vitamins, fibre and Vitamin D,” she said.

Although people are aware that stress is a daily affect on their life, they are unaware how it affects them and to what extent.  Maita said, “Stress really affects our hormones — adrenalin and cortisol. They raise blood pressure and heart rate and after the event you can feel very tired. If cortisol stays high, it takes calcium out of bones, decreases muscle mass and stores fat around the middle.”

This can be managed by minor activities, such as yoga, an exercise that helps control your breathing, which in turn slows down the adrenaline and cortisol levels that may have been affected by stressful events.  Maintaining strength in old age is key, especially for women, as they are not as strong with their hands and, if the core is not strong, they can easily fall and fracture a wrist, explained Maita.

Some people age well, while others don’t. “I have been on hikes with people in their 80s outpacing me,” says Maita, “Like anything else, if you don’t use it you lose it.”



Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Talk That Talk: Alzheimer's


A few months ago, in the post Living a full life, despite Alzheimer’s, we focused on bringing awareness to Dementia and the affects that Alzheimer’s has on an individual, such as causing problems with memory, thinking and behavior.  It’s a quiet disease with a progression that varies, but it’s affects on the individual and their family and friends are quite similar.   

Living with Alzheimer’s is not an easy feat, nor is watching a loved one suffer with it.  It changes the atmosphere of a home, or relationships that have been built.  And sometimes the person you once knew is no longer “present”.  Although there are research facilities that strive to find a cure, there are preventative measures and ways to cope with this life-changing disease.   

SERC is inviting you to ‘Acceptance and Adaptation’ (understanding Alzheimer Disease and Related Dementia) talk at Sheridan College on March 28 at 7 p.m..  This discussion, headed by Kim Fitzpatrick, will focus on what the disease is, how loved ones can manage the life-changes it brings, validation therapy and more. 


SERC Information for March 28

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Sweet Dreams


Monday morning brought what felt like a rather shortened routine for me, so I can only imagine what it felt like for others.  Thanks to Daylight Savings Time, clocks shot ahead an hour and created a hefty shift for some people.  The day comes faster, and night (feels like it) is delayed a little longer.  But as much as this change signals the promise of summer that sits just around the corner, the disruption can cause an unhealthy shift in our sleep patterns.

No matter who you are or how old, sleeping well is important for maintaining a physical and emotional well-being.  For the aging adult, a good night’s sleep is  essential for the body to make its proper repairs from the day.  It helps improve concentration and memory formation, and refreshes your immune system, which in turn helps to prevent disease.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, “As people age they tend to have a harder time falling asleep and more trouble staying asleep than when they were younger. It is a common misconception that sleep needs decline with age. In fact, research demonstrates that our sleep needs to remain constant throughout adulthood.”  Sleep requirements vary from person to person, but most adults tend to require 7.5 to 9 hours of sleep per night to function properly the next day.  A sleep study done by the National Institutes of Health found that healthy older people may require about 1.5 hours less sleep than younger adults.  

It’s been stressed, though, that how you feel after your sleep is a more important consideration than how many hours it has been suggested that you sleep. Charles Morin of Laval University in Quebec City, an insomnia researcher told The Globe and Mail that, “Among my patients, those who go to bed at 11 p.m. and get up at 6 a.m. are more rested [than] those who go to bed at 10 p.m. and get up at 8 a.m.”

To avoid poor sleep habits, Helpguide.org has provided a list as to how aging adults can improve their sleep.  To see, click here


Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Citrus Power, Seriously


Mmmm, juicy!  That little orange you see sitting on the front of your juice container is stronger than you think.  A recent study that was published a few weeks ago in the online Stroke journal, and reported by The Globe and Mail, eating more oranges and grapefruit may help reduce stroke risk thanks to their flavonoid content.

The study compiled 14 years of data from the U.S. Nurses’ Health Study that involved 69,622 healthy women who would report their food intake every four years.   Researchers reported that “over the course of the study, only 1,803 individuals had strokes occur, half of which were ischemic strokes – caused when blood clots interrupt blood flow to part of the brain.” 

The study also found, that the higher the intake of flavanone – a flavonoid found in citrus fruits – women had, were 19 per cent less likely to suffer a blood-clot related stroke compared to the individuals whose diet contained less.

The majority of flavanones (95 per cent) are found in oranges, grapefruit and their juices.  The Globe reported that, “The women who had a higher intake of citrus consumed 63 milligrams a day – an amount that can be found in 1 pink grapefruit, 1 large orange, or 1 large cup of orange juice made from frozen concentrate.”    

Citrus packs a big punch, full of natural healthy vitamins that benefit your body in the long run.  They contain vitamin C, folate, potassium, thiamin, vitamin A, calcium, magnesium and fibre.  And a citrus fruit rich diet has its perks, for it’s been associated with a lower risk of digestive tract cancers, lung cancer, colon cancer, and pancreatic cancer. It's never too late to start your citrus intake, old or young, a healthy diet is important to maintain.   

Who knew that the benefit of consuming these little guys could be so great?



Click below for 10 ways, The Globe and Mail has listed, to enjoy citrus: