This Heart Month, we are all a little more aware of ways we can help our heart stay healthy. And one of the best ways, according to the American Heart Association, is by eating the right foods. Have you ever heard, “You are what you eat”? Well, it may be truer than you know. Just by eating the right foods, you can reduce the risk of heart conditions, and all of the medications and doctor visits that follow. But before you can make any big diet-change plans, you need to know what you are eating now. The best way to
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Monthly Archives February 2014
Pesticides Linked to Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s
Both Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease affect the brain severely. While they have strong genetic components, the question remains why these conditions are on the rise. Certainly there must be some environmental factors involved. Well, researchers may have found at least part of the answer: pesticides. Pesticides have long been linked to dangerous health conditions, and now more research is pointing to how they are linked to both Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. The Parkinson’s research has been ongoing for the last thirty years when a pair of young adults came to the ER with Parkinson’s-like features. Their bodies seemed “frozen” and not
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How to Stay Safe in the Cold
Many assume that they will be able to tell when they are getting too cold. But that may not be true for everyone. Seniors are more susceptible to hypothermia than nearly every other age group. Due to decreased activity, seniors usually produce less body heat, which makes it more difficult for them to warm up once they feel cold. And that’s if the senior notices that he is getting too cold to begin with. Some medical conditions and medications can suppress the nervous system, resulting in decreased awareness that they are getting dangerously close to hypothermia. So, how should seniors
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The Secret Dangers of Sugar
Sugar. It makes life a little sweeter. Unfortunately, it could also make life a little shorter or just less healthy. We all know that too much sugar is not healthy, but few know how dangerous it really is. It affects our body in many ways, some of which could be potentially fatal over time. So if you need a reason to put down the Valentine’s chocolate, here are four body parts on which sugar wreaks havoc. Your heart. Although doctors aren’t exactly sure how sugar leads to deadly heart problems, they know it causes many changes in the cardiovascular system.
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Stay Healthy By Knowing Your Heart Risk Factors
February is the month when people decorate their windows with red hearts and spend time with their special someone. It is also a time to thing about taking care of your heart. That’s because February is Heart Health Month. Heart Month is designed to bring awareness to a condition that takes more women’s lives each year than all types of cancer combined: heart disease. Heart disease strikes one in three women and often goes unnoticed until it is too late. So each year the American Heart Association puts forward several programs to bring heart disease into the national conversation. As
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Ward Off Dementia By Staying Active
As dementia affects more seniors, doctors and scientists are working harder than ever to find answers. The results of one of those studies have just come to light, and it gives women another reason to stay fit. The research suggests that women who have higher levels of estrogen, especially when combined with diabetes, are more likely to be diagnosed with dementia in their senior years. Seniors who have a lower body weight have not one, but two strong advantages to avoid dementia. First, Type 2 diabetes is directly related to being overweight. The increase of fatty tissue increases the resistance
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How to Manage Caregiver Stress
Caring for a family member with dementia is truly a labor of love. Once you get past figuring out how to assist with various aspects of care giving, there is an emotional component that never quite gets easier. It’s a combination of stress and the sadness of watching your loved one’s memory slip away. Because you can best care for the senior when you are well, taking care of yourself is essential. Here are a few things that you can do to keep yourself healthy and happy: Exercise. Exercise keeps the body health and the mind at ease. Working out
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5 of the Best Arthritis Treatment Options
Nearly half of all seniors suffer from arthritis. This condition, brought on by wear and tear, commonly affects the knees making it difficult to climb stairs or even walk. But once a senior is diagnosed with osteoarthritis, what do you do next? Here are 5 of the best treatment options available to seniors with arthritis: Make lifestyle changes. The idea is to put less stress on the affected joint, so weight maintenance is important. Maintaining your weight can be difficult as exercise is painful. Try exercises that can be done while sitting down. Swimming may also be a good alternative
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5 Fun Games to Help Seniors Ward Off Dementia
According to a variety of studies, brain-building activities help to keep neurons firing actively. In fact, seniors who regularly participate in brain-stimulating activities are over 60% less likely to be later diagnosed with dementia than those who don’t. With that in mind, here are a few fun games to try that will give your brain a good work out: Use Seven Words. This one will challenge your brain and your creativity. Attempt to describe your day or tell a short story in only seven words. It’s harder than you would think. Play with Numbers. Bored waiting for a doctor’s appointment?
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