Tag Archive for 'Aging'

More seniors are turning to marijuana to ease the pains that come with age

Published on February 24, 2010 in Health and Wellness. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Marijuana is usually thought to be linked with promiscuous teenagers, but using the illicit drug is now getting more popular with some of the people from the baby boomer time of the 60′s and 70′s. From 2002 to 2008, the amount of people aged 50 and older using marijuana went from 1.9 percent to 2.9 percent, according to surveys from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

The most extreme rise in use was seen in the 55- to 59- year- olds, whose marijuana use more than tripled from 1.6 percent in 2002 to 5.1 percent. It is expected that there will be more increases in use as the 78 million boomers who were born between 1945 and 1964 get older. Many boomers tried it decades ago. Some have been smoking it ever since and others are trying it again now that they are in retirement, either for fun or as a way to help with the aches and pains of getting older. One lady interviewed said that marijuana has helped her get better sleep than using pills ever did. Another man who suffered from degenerative disc disease and arthritis said that he was amazed at how well it worked after previously turning to all kinds of drugs for his crippling pain. He now claims that he is virtually pain free.

All this said, Dr. William Dale, chief of geriatrics and palliative medicine at the University of Chicago Medical Center, warns that older people who use marijuana are at possible risk for falling if they get dizzy. He also said that smoking increases the risk of heart disease and it can lead to cognitive impairment.

Stretching found to be beneficial to the heart

Published on November 4, 2009 in Health and Wellness. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

We all know that any aerobic exercise is good for your heart and research has revealed that it can delay the hardening of arteries that often occurs during the aging process. New discoveries now indicate that flexibility may also have a positive effect on keeping the arteries healthy.

Your risk for getting heart disease and stroke may be able to be predicted from a basic flexibility test. The American Physiological Society has published a new study giving evidence to the fact that with women and men over the age of 40, the capability to touch one’s toes can reveal the hardness of the arteries.

Hardening of the arteries may increase blood pressure and is a huge factor in the cause of heart disease. Past research has shown us that aerobic exercise can assist in slowing the process of stiffening arteries as we age. Now researchers are discovering that staying flexible is definitely beneficial to the arteries.

New book tells how to retrain your brain so that you are healthier and slimmer

Published on May 12, 2009 in Health and Wellness. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , .

Wouldn’t it be great to personalize your diet to take care of specific health problems? Well, you can according to Dr. Eric Braverman. He is the author of the new book, “Younger (Thinner) You Diet” ($25.95, Rodale Press). Eric is the director of the PATH  Medical Center and PATH Foundation (pathmedical.com) and the clinical assistant professor of neurological surgery at New York Presbyterian Hospital. He is the author of several books, but is probably most known for his best-selling book, “Younger You”.

Braverman says that you don’t need to count calories or fat grams. Just eat the right foods, supplements, teas and spices and you can grow new brain cells. He says that a certain type of diet can help heart conditions, aging skin, weak muscles or achy joints. According to him, every activity in your body is controlled by electricity that is given off by the brain. These activities include weight loss and disease. There are four brain chemicals that help this electricity get to the body in the correct way. These chemicals are called dopamine, acetylcholine, GABA and serotonin.

Dr. Braverman believes that you can become smarter as you age and that you might one day get younger as you get older. He thinks that the capability exists to feed everyone and to extend lives.

In his new book, he talks about how to retrain your brain so that your food addictions and cravings will disappear, helping you to stop self-medicating yourself with fattening foods. He says that by switching the foods you eat to ones that heighten the chemistry in the brain, your metabolism is boosted so that you begin to lose weight right away. His book also discusses what foods increase the production of dopamine, which is the chemical in the brain that begins the fat-burning mechanism.

He says that if you follow the book, you should lose weight and drive back the aging process. Dr. Braverman claims that he has helped thousands of patients.

Improving balance can prevent falls as we age

Published on November 3, 2008 in Health and Wellness. 0 Comments Tags: , .

Getting older often means a decline in our vision, hearing and coordination, but the decline of our balance is one thing that can be slowed. Now new research indicates that it is very important to work on slowing the deterioration of our balance.

When we no longer have our balance, we become accessible to falls. Falling can be hazardous at any age, but according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is the fifth-leading cause of death for people aged 65 and older.

To prevent falls, the CDC suggests exercising routinely to sustain muscle. They also recommend getting enough vitamin D and calcium to support bone strength.

An increasing amount of physicians and physical therapists suggest doing exercises specifically created to challenge the complicated system of reflexes that control our stability. It is even suggested that even young people should begin doing these exercises.

Many people who begin a program that incorporates these types of exercises are surprised to find out how their balance has deteriorated over time. Frequently balance is underestimated in how significant it is to getting around the everyday risks in daily life such as escalators and uneven sidewalks.

Samples of things to do to improve balance include balancing on the floor with one foot, standing on a pillow, walking on grass instead of concrete and looking around in different directions while walking instead of just looking straight ahead.