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Doctor’s Senior Exercise & Health Newsletter November 15, 2001 In This News Letter Introduction*** The Doctor’s Senior Exercise & Health Newsletter is written bi-weekly, solely for information to help seniors, baby boomers and anyone else who may have an interest in staying healthy, living a vigorous, active lifestyle and combating the aging process. The newsletter also includes know-how in the form of useful tips and links to more extensive material on the Internet. It is not meant to prescribe treatments for any particular condition except as something that the individual may wish to discuss with their healthcare professional. Doctor’s Senior Exercise Newsletter strives to give you the best available news that we hope will help in your efforts to maintain a vigorous, pain-free way life. However, you should always seek advice from your healthcare professional before trying any new treatments that you may feel can help you. Discussing your intentions with your doctor is always the proper procedure. Web site: http://www.doctorsexercise.com How to subscribe: Click Newsletter on the left menu at website for more info and to subscribe or browse directly to: http://pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/doctorsexercisenewsletter E-Mail address: newsletter@doctorsexercise.com Healthfully yours*** What is the largest organ in our body? The answer is our skin. With the approach of the winter season, your skin will take a beating with the lessening of humidity, and the additional layers of clothes that will interfere with the skins ability to breathe properly. The skin will lose moisture and become drier as the season progresses. It is important that the skin is kept well moisturized all year round and even more so in the dry months of winter. Using a good moisturizer on a daily basis is a must. Individuals must find a moisturizer that works best for him or her. Be aware that the most expensive is not always the best. Start with one that is inexpensive, but with a good brand name company that specializes in moisturizers. There is also another way to protect the skin in addition to using the moisturizers. We all know that showering and bathing tends to dry the skin by depleting the natural oils secreted by the skin. This can be prevented to a great extent by using this great method of restoring the oils to the skin. Have a bottle of baby oil ready in the shower or near the bathtub. A very light mineral oil can be used, but I find the baby oil lighter and won’t be quite as sticky. Follow the following procedure. 1. After the shower or bath, sponge-dry the entire body, squeezing the sponge often to remove excess water from the body. 2. Next apply the baby oil to the entire body by placing a little in your hand and spreading over one area at a time. 3. When the entire body is covered with the oil, use your towel to pat dry, but do not rub, as that will remove the oil you have applied. 4. After you emerge from the shower or bathtub, you may still feel a little damp, but that feeling will pass within a few minutes as the air-dries you. Using this procedure in combination with the daily application of a good moisturizer, will keep your skin smooth and healthy all year round. Health Hint*** The cold and flu season is just around the corner. A few precautions now can be a great preventive in staying cold or flu free. Maintaining and strengthening our immune systems is the single most important thing you can do to fend off the bacteria and viruses that cause these pesky and often serious diseases. This of course is not a guarantee that you won’t get a cold, flu or other respiratory infections if you are exposed to the germs or viruses that are the causative agents. However, by strengthening the immune system, the duration will be shortened, and the symptoms will not be as severe. The strengthening of the immune system can be accomplished with the proper nutrition, including, vitamin and mineral supplementation and a regular exercise program. We are being exposed constantly to all types of bacteria and viruses. Any time we enter a public restroom, in a restaurant, or wherever, the chances of getting some type of infection, is always there. Eating out and not knowing how the food was prepared and by whom, greatly enhances the chance for picking up some kind of bacteria or virus. We must aid our defenses against such onslaughts. Eating the foods that will be high in the natural sources for the antioxidants, vitamin A, C, E, and Zinc strengthens the immune system, and aids the body in fighting the breakdown of cells during any onset of an illness. Foods that are rich in Vitamin A are: Carrots, Broccoli, Spinach, Sweet Potatoes, Kale, Endive, Winter Squash, Fresh or Dried Apricots, Watermelon, Cantaloupe, Mustard Greens, Cabbage, Leeks, Watercress, Red Peppers, Turnip Greens, Fish and dairy products. Foods that are rich in Vitamin C are: Broccoli, Tomatoes, Cabbage, Turnip Greens, Brussels Sprouts, Watercress, Kale, green vegetables, and of course all Citrus Fruits. Foods that are rich Vitamin E: Spinach, Brussels sprouts, Broccoli, Kale, Turnip Greens and other green leafy vegetables. Foods that are rich in Zinc: Whole Grains, Wheat Germ, Wheat Bran, Whole Grains, and some Seafood’s and Oysters. Also, Poultry and lean Red Meat. Unfortunately, most of us do not eat a properly well balanced diet. That is why additional supplementation can be extremely important. One should not wait for a cold, flu or respiratory infection to strike, and then start taking megadoses of vitamins and minerals. Taking these supplements on a daily basis will help in keeping the immune system strong and ready to fight off infection. In addition to eating a well balanced diet, we must keep the body moving. Living a sedentary lifestyle weakens our immune system, and even if we eat the best balanced diet, that won’t prove to be enough to keep the body from working at its optimum level in warding off illness. There are many thoughts on how much exercise is needed. Some authorities will say that you should exercise 1 to 2 hours on a daily basis 5 times a week, and others maintain that 3 times a week is sufficient. And, there are many variations along these lines that are too numerous to mention. It is my opinion that you could exercise 15 to 20 minutes daily; 7 days a week and get the optimum needed benefits. Choosing the proper program will assure that you will remain with the program. It can be simple yet effective. In addition to the exercise program, you must keep being as active as possible. Take daily walks and walking instead of using your car when feasible. Walking up and down stairs whenever you can. This will all help in strengthening your immune system. As previously mentioned, there are no guarantees that a cold, flu or a respiratory infection won’t strike. Should that happen and the coughing, sniffling and sneezing begins, you must start an aggressive attack against the invaders. By fighting back in this fashion, you will shorten the usual 7 to 10 days for the average cold to run it’s course, and you won’t have the usual feeling of malaise that accompanies these symptoms. Drinking fluids all day long is a must. Sipping small amounts of water very frequently will not cause you to become overwhelmed with fluids and you will be able to handle larger amounts. Drinking hot tea and lemon to which you can add some honey is very soothing for your throat. That will also increase your fluid intake. When drinking fluids, let’s not forget “Chicken Soup”. It is a known fact that Chicken Soup does have a beneficial effect on easing and even shortening the symptoms of a cold. The great Jewish Philosopher and Physician, “Maimonides” (1135-1204) mentioned this fact in his writings. There are many hypotheses as to why chicken soup is so beneficial. Some feel that it is the vegetables that are so rich in antioxidants. Others are of the opinion that it is the steamy liquids. It could be a combination of both, but the fact remains, it has great value. Now, more than ever you should be eating the foods that are high in antioxidants. You may want to increase your vitamin C at this time. Do not increase your vitamin A above 25,000 I.U. Mega doses above this amount of vitamin A can be toxic. If you have been taking zinc 50 mg., you may want to stop that and take Zinc Lozenges instead, especially with a sore throat, and follow the directions on the bottle. Rest is extremely important and can prove most efficacious in helping the body’s natural resources in fighting the infection, easing the symptoms and shortening the duration of the cold. During this period you should refrain from strenuous exercise, and even omit exercising entirely. The watchword is REST, and allow the body’s natural resources to fight the invaders and let the immune system do its’ work. Doc Cane Copyright, Disclaimer, and Trademark Information Copyrightã 1997-2001 Emanuel M. Cane. All rights reserved. Except stated below, this material or parts thereof may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed by any means whatsoever without explicit, written permission from the author. You may circulate copies of the Doctor’s Senior Exercise & Health Newsletter by Manually forwarding it, providing you forward the issue in it’s entirety, no fee is involved, and you may forward no more than three issues to any one individual. 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