Healthy Aging Quick Tips
http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/healthy_aging/healthy_aging_quick_tips?utm_source=EWHNL
1. Keep an eye on fat.
As you age, your metabolism slows, and so your calorie needs decrease. Fat is relatively high in calories so be sure to eat only moderate amounts of healthy kinds (like monounsaturated fats in olives and avocados and omega-3s in fish). Limit saturated fats by choosing lower-fat versions of milk, yogurt and cheese and opting for fish, lean poultry and legumes in place of fatty red meats. Keep in mind that many low-fat or fat-free products—even healthy ones like yogurt—often contain added sugars, which bump up the calorie content. Read labels.
2. Mix foods and meds mindfully.
Food, alcohol and dietary supplements can interact with prescription drugs, changing the effectiveness of the drug or the way your body absorbs nutrients. For example, vitamin K can make the blood clot faster, so if you're on a blood-thinning medication, your doctor may tell you to avoid large amounts of foods that are high in K. These include leafy greens, such as kale, spinach, broccoli and Brussels sprouts. Keep your doctor and pharmacist informed about any vitamin, mineral or herbal supplements you are using. And ask about interactions between whatever you are taking and food or alcohol.
3. Go fish for healthy vision.
Some research shows that people who have a higher dietary intake of foods containing omega-3 fatty acids from fish have a reduced risk of advanced age-related macular degeneration, a condition characterized by the deterioration of the central retina (a.k.a., macula) that is the leading cause of blindness in people over 50. Each week, aim to eat two servings of fish. Top a vegetable salad with poached salmon for lunch; serve a savory tilapia recipe for dinner.
4. Fill up on fresh fruit.
Unfortunately, constipation often becomes more common as you age—but you filling up on fiber and fluids can help improve digestion. Water and fiber are two main components of fresh fruits (which provide disease-fighting phytonutrients too), so eat a colorful mix: berries, oranges, grapes, pears, watermelon… whatever you like best!
5. Start the calcium count in the morning.
The risk for osteoporosis increases with age, but getting enough calcium (1,200 mg per day is the recommended amount for people over 50) can help reduce your risk. Get halfway to this goal—before lunch—by including a cup of calcium-fortified orange juice at breakfast and having a cup of low-fat yogurt for a midmorning snack.
6. Iron out changes in recommended nutrient intakes.
After menopause, women need only 8 mg of iron each day (same as what men need)—that’s less than half of the recommended intake of the mineral for women of child-bearing age. Too much iron can be harmful, particularly for people who have hemochromatosis, a genetic condition that causes a buildup of iron in the body’s organs. You don’t have to scale back on healthy iron-rich foods like lean meats, beans and leafy greens, but if you’re taking a multivitamin that includes iron, check to see that it doesn’t exceed your recommended 8 mg.
7. Write what you bite.
If middle-aged spread is creeping up on you—literally—try writing down what you eat in a food journal. Studies show that people consistently tend to underestimate what they eat and keeping track can give you a more accurate idea of how many calories you’re consuming and also help you see where you might cut back.
MY THOUGHTS
Why does everything seem to be harder to do when we're older? Maybe if we were more mindful of our health when we were younger, there won't be much maintenance required.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Sunday, May 15, 2011
LOWER EDUCATION AND FASTER AGING????
Study links lower education to faster aging
Published May 12, 2011
LONDON (Reuters Life!) - People who leave education with fewer qualifications are prone to age more quickly, scientists said on Wednesday.
Researchers from Britain and the United States examined the length of sections of DNA known as telomeres from around 450 people taking part in a long-term health study and found that people who did less well at school had shorter telomeres, suggesting they may age faster.
Telomeres are sections of DNA that cap the ends of chromosomes, protecting them from damage and the loss of cell functions associated with aging. Shorter telomeres are thought to be an indicator of faster aging.
"The key implication of this study backs up one of the main messages to have come out of long-term studies..that your experiences early in life can have important influences on your health," said Stephen Holgate, of Britain's Medical Research Council, which part-funded the research.
He said that as with all observational research, it was difficult to establish the root causes of these findings, but said the study provided evidence "that being educated to a higher level can benefit you more than in the job market alone."
The study participants were separated into four education groups: those who had no qualifications at all, those who left formal education after exams at around 16 years of age, those who left after exams at around 18 years, and those who earned a degree from a university or other higher education institution.
The research was published in the journal Brain, Behavior and Immunity on Wednesday.
The results showed that people with lower educational achievements had shorter telomeres, indicating that they may age faster, and the study also offered strong evidence that this is not affected by people's social and economic status later in life, as was previously thought, the researchers said.
"We already know from previous research that people with poor backgrounds are prone to age more quickly," said study researcher Andrew Steptoe, of University College London.
"Education is a marker of social class that people acquire early in life, and our research suggests that it is long term exposure to the conditions of lower status that promotes accelerated cellular aging."
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/mh6KV2 Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, online April 23, 2011.
MY THOUGHTS
Wow! I won't go that way. I've never seen anyone who look older for lack of a diploma.
Published May 12, 2011
LONDON (Reuters Life!) - People who leave education with fewer qualifications are prone to age more quickly, scientists said on Wednesday.
Researchers from Britain and the United States examined the length of sections of DNA known as telomeres from around 450 people taking part in a long-term health study and found that people who did less well at school had shorter telomeres, suggesting they may age faster.
Telomeres are sections of DNA that cap the ends of chromosomes, protecting them from damage and the loss of cell functions associated with aging. Shorter telomeres are thought to be an indicator of faster aging.
"The key implication of this study backs up one of the main messages to have come out of long-term studies..that your experiences early in life can have important influences on your health," said Stephen Holgate, of Britain's Medical Research Council, which part-funded the research.
He said that as with all observational research, it was difficult to establish the root causes of these findings, but said the study provided evidence "that being educated to a higher level can benefit you more than in the job market alone."
The study participants were separated into four education groups: those who had no qualifications at all, those who left formal education after exams at around 16 years of age, those who left after exams at around 18 years, and those who earned a degree from a university or other higher education institution.
The research was published in the journal Brain, Behavior and Immunity on Wednesday.
The results showed that people with lower educational achievements had shorter telomeres, indicating that they may age faster, and the study also offered strong evidence that this is not affected by people's social and economic status later in life, as was previously thought, the researchers said.
"We already know from previous research that people with poor backgrounds are prone to age more quickly," said study researcher Andrew Steptoe, of University College London.
"Education is a marker of social class that people acquire early in life, and our research suggests that it is long term exposure to the conditions of lower status that promotes accelerated cellular aging."
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/mh6KV2 Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, online April 23, 2011.
MY THOUGHTS
Wow! I won't go that way. I've never seen anyone who look older for lack of a diploma.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
BEAUTY ON A BUDGET
David Creel: Beauty on a budget
David Creel (contact)
May 14, 2011 11:33:00 PM
Pinching pennies? Clipping coupons? It helps to shave off a buck or two here and there, but it's not just for milk and bread anymore. Nowadays, folks are putting their beauty on a budget as well.
If the average salon client visits her favorite stylist once a month for a haircut and color costing $100 (some less, some considerably more), over one year she will drop at least $1,200 for the sake of beautiful hair. That's no small expense.
I have been teaching women from behind the chair in my salons, in my beauty columns and even my Millsaps College workshops, about strategies to get the most bang from their bucks. Some might want to consider investing in at-home foolproof fixes such as quality haircare products to keep split ends under control. By using a thermal styling fixative, which is a protective barrier that repels heat, on the hair strands prior to daily heating instruments such as flat irons, curling wands and blow dryers, that five-week trim can be cut down to every eight weeks, maybe more. Ching, ching!
Next, if money is at all any issue, consider a hairstyle that grows out more naturally, requiring less time in the styling chair. Warm up to one of the season's new bobs, layered or one-length, and your hair will need less sprucing up and tend to grow out more gracefully.
Even though I love a pixie, if you are in search of low-maintenance, pass on the shorter pixie cuts that only do well with monthly snips. With any of these cuts, consider asking your stylist for softer, rounded layers instead of blunt, choppy pieces. While stunning to behold, the latter will beg for more attention in a few weeks, and we are trending towards more time in the sun, not the salon, right?
Hair coloring is a big ticket salon expense that can drain your summer beach trip allowance, so opt for some of the following color cost choppers. During the summer months, ask for a color gloss, which is a semi-permanent, non-ammonia hair color option that gradually fades away with no line of demarcation (read: roots) staring back at you. The best part is that you know you are giving your locks their own vacation from harsher chemicals, if only for a season.
Those old habits of coloring the strands of hair "as close to the scalp as humanly possible" is giving way to a more modern approach with color "floating" throughout the hairstyle. It lends a more natural effect which ultimately calls for less time with foils, a diet coke and this month's ELLE magazine in your lap at the salon. Ching, ching again.
So, my last piece of advice for beauty on a budget is to never trade the quality hair service for the quest to save a few George Washingtons, but do begin the dialogue about your hair budget with the stylist of choice. I speak with my clients often about a strategy and long-term plan for us to reach their ultimate hair goals together -- beautiful hair without breaking the bank.
A new resident of Columbus’ Southside, David Creel has owned two successful salons and written about beauty for many newspapers and magazines, including VIP Jackson. He is a former style columnist for the Clarion-Ledger.
MY THOUGHTS
For me it's quite simple-if you can afford go and have the most professional beauty consultant you can find. Hopefully, vanity will diminish as you get older.
David Creel (contact)
May 14, 2011 11:33:00 PM
Pinching pennies? Clipping coupons? It helps to shave off a buck or two here and there, but it's not just for milk and bread anymore. Nowadays, folks are putting their beauty on a budget as well.
If the average salon client visits her favorite stylist once a month for a haircut and color costing $100 (some less, some considerably more), over one year she will drop at least $1,200 for the sake of beautiful hair. That's no small expense.
I have been teaching women from behind the chair in my salons, in my beauty columns and even my Millsaps College workshops, about strategies to get the most bang from their bucks. Some might want to consider investing in at-home foolproof fixes such as quality haircare products to keep split ends under control. By using a thermal styling fixative, which is a protective barrier that repels heat, on the hair strands prior to daily heating instruments such as flat irons, curling wands and blow dryers, that five-week trim can be cut down to every eight weeks, maybe more. Ching, ching!
Next, if money is at all any issue, consider a hairstyle that grows out more naturally, requiring less time in the styling chair. Warm up to one of the season's new bobs, layered or one-length, and your hair will need less sprucing up and tend to grow out more gracefully.
Even though I love a pixie, if you are in search of low-maintenance, pass on the shorter pixie cuts that only do well with monthly snips. With any of these cuts, consider asking your stylist for softer, rounded layers instead of blunt, choppy pieces. While stunning to behold, the latter will beg for more attention in a few weeks, and we are trending towards more time in the sun, not the salon, right?
Hair coloring is a big ticket salon expense that can drain your summer beach trip allowance, so opt for some of the following color cost choppers. During the summer months, ask for a color gloss, which is a semi-permanent, non-ammonia hair color option that gradually fades away with no line of demarcation (read: roots) staring back at you. The best part is that you know you are giving your locks their own vacation from harsher chemicals, if only for a season.
Those old habits of coloring the strands of hair "as close to the scalp as humanly possible" is giving way to a more modern approach with color "floating" throughout the hairstyle. It lends a more natural effect which ultimately calls for less time with foils, a diet coke and this month's ELLE magazine in your lap at the salon. Ching, ching again.
So, my last piece of advice for beauty on a budget is to never trade the quality hair service for the quest to save a few George Washingtons, but do begin the dialogue about your hair budget with the stylist of choice. I speak with my clients often about a strategy and long-term plan for us to reach their ultimate hair goals together -- beautiful hair without breaking the bank.
A new resident of Columbus’ Southside, David Creel has owned two successful salons and written about beauty for many newspapers and magazines, including VIP Jackson. He is a former style columnist for the Clarion-Ledger.
MY THOUGHTS
For me it's quite simple-if you can afford go and have the most professional beauty consultant you can find. Hopefully, vanity will diminish as you get older.
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