Mindful Living B O O S T

Fight Alzheimer’s By Finding Purpose

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 02:37:00 +0000

Finding purpose in life is its own reward, no doubt. But, it may also help ward off Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment, according to a report in the March issue of Archives of General Psychiatry Patricia A. Boyle, Ph.D. and colleagues at Rush University Medical Center, in Chicago, studied more than 900 older individuals without dementia, all participants in the Rush Memory and Aging Project.

Participants' purpose in life was measured by their level of agreement with statements such as, "I feel good when I think of what I have done in the past and what I hope to do in the future" and "I have a sense of direction and purpose in life." After an average of four years and a maximum of seven years of annual follow-up evaluations, 155 of 951 participants (16.3 percent) developed Alzheimer's disease. After controlling for other related variables, greater purpose in life was associated with a substantially reduced risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, as well as a reduced risk of mild cognitive impairment and a slower rate of cognitive decline.

Specifically, individuals with a score of 4.2 out of 5 (90th percentile) on the purpose in life measure were approximately 2.4 times more likely to remain free of Alzheimer's disease than individuals with a score of 3.0 (10th percentile). The biological basis of the association is unknown, but may result from the positive effects purpose of life is reported to have on immune function and blood vessel health, the authors suggest.

The result may have public health implications. "In particular, these findings may provide a new treatment target for interventions aimed at enhancing health and well-being in older adults. Purpose in life is a potentially modifiable factor that may be increased via specific behavioral strategies that help older persons identify personally meaningful activities and engage in goal-directed behaviors," the authors continue. "Even small behavioral modifications ultimately may translate into an increased sense of intentionality, usefulness and relevance."

Last year, Rush researchers, headed by Dr. Boyle, found that possessing a greater purpose in life is associated with lower mortality rates among older adults.

"Alzheimer's disease is one of the most dreaded consequences of aging, and the identification of modifiable factors associated with the risk of Alzheimer's disease is a top public health priority for the 21st century, particularly given the large and rapidly increasing aging population," the authors write as background information in the article. Relatively few of these risk factors have been identified, but data suggest that some psychological factors—including conscientiousness, extraversion and neuroticism—may be associated with Alzheimer's disease risk. - Third Age

Senior Fitness: The Secret to Healthy Aging

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 20:38:00 +0000

By Victor R. Martinez

EL PASO, Texas -- You may be over 50, but that doesn't mean that you can't be as healthy as you were at 20. There are millions of seniors across America who have embraced senior exercise and achieved a level of senior fitness that we've never seen in previous generations. These inspiring people can teach us all a thing or two about healthy aging.

Ignacio Cano is one of them. He runs between 20 to 25 miles a week and works out three or four days in the gym.

He has participated in more than 170 races including the Racefor the Cure and the TransMountain Challenge 20K Run.

Cano doesn't run just recreationally; he runs to win, and he does it well. A roomful of medals is a testament to his success.

By the way, Cano is 78 years old and didn't start running until he was 66.

From the Los Angeles Marathon to road races in Chihuahua City, Texas, Cano has worn out a lot of running shoes.

"After working all my life, I retired and I had nothing to do," Cano said. "Sitting home not doing anything made me go crazy. I worked around the house, but you can only do so much, so I took up running and it's been very, very good for me."

Cano, who has participated in the El Paso Senior Games for the past 10 years, will be inducted into the Senior Games Hall of Fame in April, along with Irene Araiza.

Sleep Soundly During Menopause

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 05:47:00 +0000

Getting a good night's sleep on a regular basis regenerates our body from head to toe, from hormones to neurotransmitters. Sleep is about as good as it gets for our bodies (yes, even better than sex!), but declining estrogen levels around the time of menopause can literally make sleep a hot commodity — if it's not night sweats, you're staring at the ceiling, wondering why you're tired but wide-awake.

Unfortunately, the sleeplessness experienced during menopause can create a vicious cycle: The less you sleep, the more moody, tense, and stressed you become, which leads to more insomnia. (As if you weren't going through enough!) Luckily, there are some ways to get your body the much-needed benefits of sleep — even when your hormones say otherwise. (If you try the following ideas and your inability to sleep persists, you should consult your doctor.)

First, look into passionflower, a well-known, all-natural relaxant. It's popular in Europe for its tranquil effects. Passionflower can be enjoyed as a tea or taken in capsule form. If you experience sweaty sleep due to hot flashes, wicking pajamas keep the moisture off your skin, leaving you dry and comfortable — and far more likely to catch a few z's.

Finally, practice good sleep hygiene — turn in at the same time every night, wind down with a cup of hot tea or milk, and enjoy a warm bath or shower and some deep breathing before bed. Also keep your bedroom cool and abstain from caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, or exercise for at least a few hours before hitting the hay. You'll be snoozing in no time! Dr. Laura Berman

Keep Your Marriage Healthy at Any Age

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 16:29:00 +0000

By Kate Stinchfield

First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes decades of time together strewn with a minefield of potential relationship wreckers. It’s a wonder that anyone ends up walking off into the sunset, hand-in-wrinkled-hand, with a silver-haired mate. What do those geriatric lovebirds know that you don’t?

Well, the truth is that even in so-called happy marriages, both partners probably fantasize some of the time—or even much of the time—about throwing in the towel. A new Woman’s Day and AOL Living poll found that a shocking 72% of women surveyed have considered leaving their husbands at some point. But despite the occasional rocky patch, 71% expected to be with their husbands for the rest of their lives. So how do you make it to the finish line with your relationship intact?

Each decade will have its own drama, be it child-rearing, layoffs, second careers, and middle-aged angst, along with a big helping of the in-sickness-and-in-health stuff. Here’s how to have a healthy relationship every step of the way.

1. Watch your waistline
Now that you’re married, you can finally relax and skip the gym, right? Wrong. Wedded couples tend to have fatter waistlines, which can spell trouble in terms of sexual attraction and general health. A 2007 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that your chances of becoming obese increase by 37% if your spouse becomes obese. So unless you want “till death do us part” to include chronic health issues like heart disease and diabetes, it’s important to establish healthy eating habits early on. But warding off weight gain isn’t as simple as whipping up a healthy meal together. Eating with anyone—from your spouse to coworker—can cause you to consume 33% more than you would solo.

Being aware of the potential fatty pitfalls of marital bliss may be enough to keep your portion sizes in check. Spend couple time checking out local farmers’ markets on the weekends in an effort to consumer fresher, low-calorie fare. Or schedule an exercise date to work off some of your hearty, homemade dinners.

2. Have a financial plan
Nearly 40% of married people admit to lying to their spouse about a purchase, according to a 2004 poll, and money woes can quickly send your marriage south. In fact, money is the number-one reason couples fight, and relationships tend to suffer during poor economies. You should discuss and agree upon some hard financial ground rules, preferably before you tie the knot.

Don’t fret if you’re a spendthrift and your partner pinches pennies. “It’s probably not a good thing to have the exact same philosophy about money, “ says Ken Robbins, MD, a clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. “But financial issues are best to resolve early on. You want to decide who is going to pay the bills, how much discretionary spending is reasonable, and how you’re going to keep track of it all.”

Next page: How sex and power come into play

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Just Say No to Aging?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 21:00:00 +0000

A provocative new book from a Harvard psychologist suggests that changing how we think about our age and health can have dramatic physical benefits.

By Wray Herbert | Newsweek Web Exclusive

Apr 14, 2009 | Updated: 10:28 a.m. ET Apr 14, 2009

Imagine that you could rewind the clock 20 years. It's 1989. Madonna is topping the pop charts, and TV sets are tuned to "Cheers" and "Murphy Brown." Widespread Internet use is just a pipe dream, and Sugar Ray Leonard and Joe Montana are on recent covers of Sports Illustrated.

But most important, you're 20 years younger. How do you feel? Well, if you're at all like the subjects in a provocative experiment by Harvard psychologist Ellen Langer, you actually feel as if your body clock has been turned back two decades. Langer did a study like this with a group of elderly men some years ago, retrofitting an isolated old New England hotel so that every visible sign said it was 20 years earlier. The men—in their late 70s and early 80s—were told not to reminisce about the past, but to actually act as if they had traveled back in time. The idea was to see if changing the men's mindset about their own age might lead to actual changes in health and fitness.

I know this sounds a bit woo-wooey, but stay with me. Langer and her Harvard colleagues have been running similarly inventive experiments for decades, and the accumulated weight of the evidence is convincing. Her theory, argued in her new book, "Counterclockwise," is that we are all victims of our own stereotypes about aging and health. We mindlessly accept negative cultural cues about disease and old age, and these cues shape our self-concepts and our behavior. If we can shake loose from the negative clichés that dominate our thinking about health, we can "mindfully" open ourselves to possibilities for more productive lives even into old age.Langer's findings were stunning: After just one week, the men in the experimental group (compared with controls of the same age) had more joint flexibility, increased dexterity and less arthritis in their hands. Their mental acuity had risen measurably, and they had improved gait and posture. Outsiders who were shown the men's photographs judged them to be significantly younger than the controls. In other words, the aging process had in some measure been reversed.

Consider another of Langer's mindfulness studies, this one using an ordinary optometrist's eye chart. That's the chart with the huge E on top, and descending lines of smaller and smaller letters that eventually become unreadable. Langer and her colleagues wondered: what if we reversed it? The regular chart creates the expectation that at some point you will be unable to read. Would turning the chart upside down reverse that expectation, so that people would expect the letters to become readable? That's exactly what they found. The subjects still couldn't read the tiniest letters, but when they were expecting the letters to get more legible, they were able to read smaller letters than they could have normally. Their expectation—their mindset—improved their actual vision.

That means that some people may be able to change prescriptions if they change the way they think about seeing. But other health consequences might be more important than that. Here's another study, this one using clothing as a trigger for aging stereotypes. Most people try to dress appropriately for their age, so clothing in effect becomes a cue for ingrained attitudes about age. But what if this cue disappeared? Langer decided to study people who routinely wear uniforms as part of their work life, and compare them with people who dress in street clothes. She found that people who wear uniforms missed fewer days owing to illness or injury, had fewer doctors' visits and hospitalizations, and had fewer chronic diseases—even though they all had the same socioeconomic status. That's because they were not constantly reminded of their own aging by their fashion choices. The health differences were even more exaggerated when Langer looked at affluent people: presumably the means to buy even more clothes provides a steady stream of new aging cues, which wealthy people internalize as unhealthy attitudes and expectations.

Langer is not advocating that we all don uniforms. Her point is that we are surrounded every day by subtle signals that aging is an undesirable period of decline. These signals make it difficult to age gracefully. Similar signals also lock all of us—regardless of age—into pigeonholes for disease. We are too quick to accept diagnostic categories like cancer and depression, and let them define us. Doing so preempts the possibility of a healthful future.

That's not to say that we won't encounter illness, bad moods or a stiff back—or that dressing like a teenager will eliminate those things. But with a little mindfulness, we can try to embrace uncertainty and understand that the way we feel today may or may not connect to the way we will feel tomorrow. Who knows, if we're open to the idea that things can improve, we just might wake up feeling 20 years younger.

Herbert writes the blog We're Only Human at www.psychologicalscience.org/onlyhuman.

Boomers & Empty Nesters Celebrate Valentine's Day

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 20:36:00 +0000

By
Natalie Caine

Empty Nesters and Boomers are partnering and going solo. What can they do to celebrate love? I love using my digital camera. I am a lover of gardens, oceans, and forests and lakes. I take my camera and shoot. I have no idea what speed or distance to stand. I experiment.

This week, I keep my photo of the feather image by my computer because it reminds me to flow. Love is a flow. Flow rather than getting stuck in your head or bored. I also keep a flower photo to remind me of wonderment and that Spring will return. Isn't that love?

When I am doing things I love then I have more to give others. Life changes. Change is normal. I think changes keep us trusting rather than controlling. Change opens you to creativity. What do you know about yourself that you love doing?

You know I believe the more you know who you are and aren't the more you can really see the other person. ..BE with another person. Celebrate love in a new way today. What will that be for you?

Spotlight on Restorative Yoga

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 07:58:00 +0000

Let's face it: Some yoga poses taste a little bit sweeter than others. And if yoga were a smorgasbord, restorative postures would most definitely be at the dessert table. These soothing and well-supported poses offer us the opportunity to linger quietly for a few moments and savor the simple sweetness of life.

In an ideal world, every asana would feel restorative. But those that fall into the special category of restorative poses have a particular ability to leave us nourished and well rested. These postures are usually deeply supported by blankets, blocks, or other props and are held for several minutes at a time.

Restorative practice can be intimidating for beginners—all those props! But just a few guiding tips will help you start a regular restorative practice of your own. Start out with a few minutes of gentle movement before settling into a restorative pose or practice. A little stretching will warm the muscles and create space in the body to prepare it for relaxation. Movement will also give your body a chance to shed its restlessness and activity before settling into a place of stillness.

Skin Care for Aging Skin

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:02:00 +0000

Stop age spots in their tracks with sunscreen, and turn bath time into pampering. By Melanie Winderlich Medically reviewed by Cynthia Haines, MD

In a society so focused on looking young, many products and treatments promise to turn back the hands of time and miraculously get rid of wrinkles, age spots, varicose veins, and other signs of aging. Go one step better: Exercising a little protection can do your hands and the skin on the rest of your body a world of good.

Skin Care: Wrinkles in Time "As we age, skin is losing its elasticity and ability to come back to its normal state," says Rox Anderson, MD, professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School in Boston. "Think of your aging skin as an old rubber band — it doesn't come back right away over time." This is because skin loses elastin — the fibers that create a tight, youthful feel — and collagen. We also lose the fat below the layers of skin, which causes the outer layer to thin and droop, forming wrinkles.

Genetics plays a part in whether wrinkles will be in your future. If your parents have wrinkles, you'll probably inherit this trait. However, there are other factors at work to form and deepen wrinkles — sun damage, poor skin care, and smoking may cause you to look older than you are.

Sun damage. "If you never went out in the sun, you'd still look young at age 90," says Dr. Anderson. Nothing ages skin quite as much as ultraviolet radiation from the sun or tanning beds — and we’re not just talking about your face. Besides premature wrinkling, the sun causes lentigines, otherwise known as "liver spots" or "age spots," that can dot your shoulders, chest, and arms, for example. These flat, brown spots are harmless (once properly identified by a dermatologist), but the skin cancers that may develop fromcontinuous sun exposure are not. The American Cancer Society estimates that more than 1 million new cases of skin cancer are identified a year in the United States.
Poor skin care. If you're not taking care of your skin, your skin won't take care of you. As we age, our skin grows drier and may become flaky and scaly. These signs look worse with neglect.
Smoking. Picking up a cigarette can damage much more than just your lungs. Research shows that smoking contributes to wrinkles and skin aging. In addition to the cosmetic effects of smoking, the habit seems to contribute to the development of skin cancer — the cause is unclear but could be from cigarettes acting as a skin carcinogen or suppressing the immune system.

Skin Care: Delaying the Aging Aging is a part of life, but you still have some control over how you’ll look in the future. "What you do every day affects what you look like and how people look at you," says Anderson. If you sunbathe religiously and smoke like a chimney, your skin may mistakenly tell strangers that you're a lot older than you actually are. On the flip side, good behaviors and habits can help you stay look younger, longer. Here are some tips to help skin age gracefully:

Protect against the sun. It's unrealistic to avoid the sun completely, but you can preserve your skin by wearing sunblock with a minimum SPF of 15, a large-brimmed hat, and protective clothing. Pay careful attention to your hands, reapplying sunscreen often — hands can quickly give your age away if they are dry and freckled with brown spots. Besides looking good, this protection can help guard against the development of many skin cancers.
Follow a healthy skin care regime. Pay as much attention to the skin below your neck as you do to your complexion. Bathe with warm water, not hot — it’s not as drying. Use a gentle body wash or soap-free cleanser to avoid stripping the skin of its natural oils. A rich body lotion, applied right after bath time, can help moderate cases of dry skin. Give special care to rough elbows, knees, and heels.
Eat a healthy diet. The health of your skin can be improved from the inside out. Anderson recommends eating foods rich in healthy oils and antioxidants, substances that protect your cells against free radicals. Fish, rich in omega-3 fatty acids, and green, leafy vegetables are natural antioxidants that are superior to supplements, says Anderson. Green tea also has a high level of antioxidants, called catechins, which may help protect against sun damage. Be sure to drink plenty of water, too, to stay hydrated.

Taking care of your skin at every age is crucial to looking and feeling your best. If you notice significant, sudden changes in the appearance of your skin, always visit your dermatologist.

Gentle Wonder of Integral Yoga

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 20:04:00 +0000

An integral yoga class includes chanting, breathwork, and meditation, as well as physical poses. Integral Yoga combines a wide range of yogic practices—doing asana, studying spiritual texts, helping others, chanting mantras, and sitting in meditation—that lead to harmony and happiness. It was founded by Swami Satchidananda (1914-2002), an Indian monk and student of Swami Sivananda. He spread his teachings throughout the West with the slogan, "Truth is one, paths are many."

Many practitioners view the physical poses as a path to quieting the body and mind for deep meditation. Integral's gentle poses and emphasis on meditation make it an ideal practice for the elderly, people with back pain or chronic illness, and pregnant women.

For more on this and other yoga, please visit YogaJournal.com

The Ultimate Expert Tips for Staying Young

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 17:35:00 +0000

Stay energized
Women are roughly twice as likely as men to get depressed, which can make them feel worn out and weary beyond their years. To guard against energy-sapping blues, get enough B vitamins: They may help ward off depression and play a role in how cells produce energy, says Christine Gustafson, MD, an integrative medicine specialist in Alpharetta, Georgia.

Dairy, beans, meat, seafood, and eggs are good sources, but if you eat few (or none) of those foods, a supplement might make sense. Look for a B-complex supplement that contains brain-boosting B12, Dr. Gustafson says, like Jarrow B-Right Optimized B complex ($14.95).

Your 40s

Get to bed
Women report more sleep problems than men, especially starting at age 40. Blame topsy-turvy hormone levels in perimenopause (the 5 to 10 years before the change), not to mention everyday stress that only seems to worsen during this decade. The good news? Getting more restbetter equips you to fight off conditions, like memory loss, high blood pressure, and a weak immune system, all of which make you look and feel older.

Besides forcing yourself to go to bed earlier, Dr. Gustafson recommends a magnesium supplement. When you’re stressed, the mineral gets used up quickly, and a deficiency may lead to frequent sleep problems, possibly because it interrupts proper electrical activity in your brain. Look formagnesium aspartate or glycinate ($12.29), rather than magnesium citrate, which can upset your stomach. And make a habit of eating almonds—they’re rich in magnesium.

Beat the bulge
Before you had children, a tummy pooch was never an issue, right? But now changing hormone levels are cueing your cells to store more fat—and the ab region is storage central. Changing the way you exercise may help you fight off the bulge. Dr. Gustafson believes that working out more frequently—20 minutes five days a week, say, instead of hour-long sessions three days a week—trains your body to burn fat faster. Another smart adjustment: Structure your diet around fresh veggies and whole grains—foods that encourage your cells to burn fat, not store it.

Keep your wits
With age comes wisdom, but finding your keys is another story. Avoid that addled feeling by exercising your brain. “Research shows people who do things with their minds tend to have less memory loss,” Dr. Gustafson says. Novelty is important; you won’t fight cognitive decline with-out trying something new. Take a community ed course in graphic design, find your inner Julia Child in a cooking class, or tackle an engrossing classic like Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina. Also, eat more brain food, like salmon and tuna.

Your 50s +

Erase the evidence
If night creams, exfoliators, and sunblock aren’t keeping wrinkles out of your life, a hyaluronic acid–based facial filler, like Juvéderm or Restylane, might be your best bet. “A single shot lasts up to one year, requires no skin testing, and, other than possible bruising and tenderness, has few bad reactions,” Dr. Buka says. (The cost? It’s a $500 to $800 investment in yourself.) Check that your derm is a member of the American Academy of Dermatology and can show you before-and-after pictures.

Another option is supplementing with potential wrinkle fighter N-Acetylcysteine ($23.99). “We’ve known about this amino acid for a while, but the fascinating new data is on its benefits for skin health,” Dr. Buka says. Talk to your dermatologist before trying it, so you can ask about any potentially risky interactions with other medications you may be taking.

Ache Less
Osteoarthritis (OA), the degeneration of cartilage in the joints, often rears its ugly head in the 50s. (OA is more common in women than in men, affecting upwards of 16 million of us.) Exercise may help you avoid the aches; just make sure you vary your routine and include several types of low-impact activities, like biking, swimming, or any water-based fitness class—one of the best options for women who want to stay fit without putting extra stress on their joints, says Cole.

An anti-inflammatory omega-3 fish oil supplement may help, too. Dr. Gustafson, who is approaching 50 and runs regularly, takes a fish oil pill every day. She prefers the Nordic Naturals brand ($16.95).

Stay frisky
Feeling too old and tired (or too dry) for sex? Then talk to your doctor about hormone creams to relieve vaginal dryness, which is a common side effect of plummeting estrogen levels. (Short-term use is thought to be safest.) Or experiment with a lubricant containing L-arginine, which stimulates blood flow, setting the stage for the big O. Some experts also suggest an herbal supplement combining Peruvian maca root and deer antler velvet, which may help free up testosterone, a key to boosting libido. “If you’re going to try herbs, try this,” Dr. Gustafson says. Check out Amazon.com for various brands of the lube and herbal supplement.

Seven ways to turn back the clock
When you make a change, how much of a difference will really show up? Everyone reacts differently, says Bobby Buka, MD, a New York City dermatologist, but the changes listed here can lead to dramatic improvements.

Try this change	Years it takes off your face and body
Use SPF 30+ sunblock everyday	20
Quit smoking	20
Use a retinol or retinoid product for a year	10
Get one shot of a hyaluronic acid filler	10
Exercise at least three times a week	10
Lose 10 pounds	5
Get eight hours of sleep a night	5

Health.com