Doctor’s Senior Exercise & Health Newsletter

April 1, 2006               

 Issue Vol. 6 No. 4

 In This Newsletter

Introduction

Healthfully yours

Health Hints

 Introduction***

 The Doctor’s Senior Exercise & Health Newsletter is written monthly, solely for information to help seniors, baby boomers and anyone who may have an interest in staying healthy, living a vigorous, active lifestyle and combating the aging process. It does not constitute the practice of medicine and is not meant to prescribe treatments. It is offered strictly as an educational aid. Any medical problems you may have, we recommend that you seek the help of your physician or other healthcare professional. Discussing your intentions with your doctor is always the proper procedure. The newsletter also includes know-how in the form of useful tips and links to more extensive material on the Internet. You may wish to share this newsletter by sending a copy to a friend, neighbor or relative and suggesting they subscribe to it.

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 Healthfully Yours***

 “Thanks For The Memory”***

 Wondering where you left your glasses, car keys, or even misplaced a book you were reading is something that has happened to all of us, at one time or another. This in itself is not serious matter unless it becomes a constant scenario. Even having this happen from time to time can cause some very serious thoughts. Memory lapses when you have difficulty remembering someone’s name is also something that happens to all of us more often than you can imagine. I’m getting forgetful. Am I losing my mind? Am I getting senile? Is it Alzheimer’s? Most people may take these incidents as part of growing older and are something that it is to be endured as part of the aging process.

 Fortunately, it is just an illusion and they are mistaken, as it is the furthest thing from being accurate. It does not mean we have to go quietly into the sunset without combating memory loss. The brain should be considered as another muscle in the body, and should be treated as such. We know that muscles need to be used, because, “if you don’t use it, you lose it”, and this applies to our minds as well.

 We know that exercising the body will maintain the body’s strength, tone, flexibility, and balance, keeping it vigorous throughout the senior years. This same principle has to be applied to the mind in the same way. How we use this premise will be discussed in the health hints below.

 Many red flags are raised when an individual becomes more and more forgetful. They may be unable to perform such mundane tasks as their usual household chores that were commonplace just a short-while ago. The individual may not even be aware that these subtle changes are taking place. In many individuals, cognitive dysfunction begins in an insidious manner. To friends and family, it gradually becomes apparent that there is something happening with the individual that is just not right. There are changes in their behavior and emotional responses. The personality traits can change in many ways. The individual can assume a docile attitude, which can suddenly become belligerent. Mood swings will start to occur more frequently and become a way of life.

 Many of these scenarios are preventable when serious thought is given to taking the proper steps in the earlier years of our lives. But, it is never too late to start taking the proper steps and begin to exercise our brains and bodies.  As mentioned previously, exercise and nutrition are the basic steps that need to be adhered too.

 As to the composition of the brain, we know that it is about 70 percent fat. With that in mind, the brain will require the proper nutrients to maintain proper functions, as well as our bodies. As well you know, that in this day and age, everything we strive to eat is the fat-free or low fat variety of foods. These foods in our every day diet will certainly deprive our brain of the proper amount of needed fats. The body will also suffer from this deprivation of at least a 30 percent fat intake on a daily basis to maintain normal functions.

 In discussing the fat requirements for the brain and body, we must warn of one caveat. That is the warning to avoid “transfats”. These are the bad fats that will clog the arteries of the brain and the body. The polyunsaturated and monosaturated fats are the healthy fats that should be included in the diet.

 Having said that, we then need to concentrate on how we are going to keep our minds as sharp going into our golden years, as it was during the days of our youth. We will discuss this in the health hints below.  

 Health Hints***

 A sharp mind is part of our physical well-being. Maintaining mind and body requires that we do not become sedentary in our minds as well as our body. Stay active at all times. Start an exercise program and stay with it. Intermittent exercise won’t help in the long run. A regular exercise program not only helps the body, but will help the brain as well, by increasing the blood flow to the brain. The increased circulation also increases the amount of nutrients feeding the brain. Exercising the brain will require starting certain lifestyle changes as follows:

 

1. Do not let the brain stagnate. There are many ways to maintain an active lifestyle, and exercise the brain as well.
2. Do crossword puzzles, or other types of mind challenging games.
3. Keeping a daily log or diary is very helpful. Write down your thoughts. Reminiscing about events that have occurred in the past can be very rewarding.  
4. Call friends on the phone regularly.
5. Meet a friend or friends for breakfast, lunch or dinner, or just to go to the mall.
6. Meet friends to go walking or join a walking club.
7. Go to a community center, where you will meet friends and make new friends.
8. Volunteer once or twice weekly in a hospital, or a service organization.
9. Start an exercise program. Physical activity is a must. Walking is excellent. Walk to stores, banks beauty parlors, etc., instead of using your car whenever possible. Walk stairs, instead of using the elevator whenever that is possible. 
10. Get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation can play havoc with your brain.

 As mentioned previously, the brain is about 70 percent fat. Of that 70 percent, at least 25 percent is made up of a fat called “docosahexaenoic acid”, (DHA). Incidentally, concentrations of DHA can also be found in the heart making this a heart healthy fat as well. This is a polyunsaturated fatty acid found in fishes such as, salmon, blue fish, sardines (with the bones), mackerel, and anchovies. That is why fish has the reputation of being called “the brain food”. Without the brain getting enough of the proper nutrition, brain cells will be deprived of the necessary nutrients to keep them functioning at normal levels. Low levels of DHA can cause a variety of conditions. Some of these conditions are, diabetes, visual impairment, anxiety states, depression, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, ADHD, PMS, and other conditions of the nervous system. It is extremely important that our diets have these nutrients.

 Foods to include in your diet:

 

1. Fish and seafood should be eaten two to three times weekly. Avoid seafood with high mercury levels.
2. Poultry on a daily basis as you desire. Including chicken and turkey. White meat is the best.
3. Meats that are low in fat, not showing fat grains running through it, and eaten sparingly, once a week.
4. Vegetables can be eaten as often as you like without limit. Eat one starchy vegetable daily. This can be sweet potatoes, yams, corn, etc
5. Fruits, at least two servings daily. Dried fruits are avoided on regular basis, because they have high sugar content.
6. Legumes such as Lima, navy, and pinto beans, and lentils.
7. Nuts and seeds, one serving daily, such as walnuts, almonds, peanuts, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, flax seed and sesame seeds.
8. Breads should consist of the whole grain variety, and white should be avoided.
9. Grains, such as whole wheat, oatmeal, brown rice, barley, buckwheat, etc. Have at least one serving daily.
10. Dairy foods should consist of yogurt, cottage cheese, tofu, and eggs, preferably omega 3-enriched eggs that can be eaten twice weekly.
11. Oils should be used in the preparation of your foods. Use only the polyunsaturated or monosaturated oils. Such oils are, olive oil, canola oil, walnut oils, pumpkin seed oils and flaxseed oils.

 Foods to be avoided:

 

1. Fried foods of any kind.
2. Meats that is high in fat content. Avoid the meat that has a high fat content with a lot of fat running through it, such as bacon.
3. Packaged deli foods. They are usually very high in salt content, as well as the wrong types of fat, and nitrites.  
4. Avoid fish that have high concentrations of mercury such as shark, while albacore tuna, king mackerel, halibut, swordfish, and tilefish.
5. Refined starches and grains, such as white bread, rolls and any type of baked goods using hydrogenated oil.
6. Sugar and artificial sweeteners, such as apartame and saccharin. Also avoid corn syrup, dextrose, fructose and maple syrup.
7. Cakes, pies and anything baked with sugars and hydrogenated fats.
8. Snack foods. Almost always high in sugars, salt, hydrogenated fat and very often the bad trans-fats. These are the chips that are so often in large quantities.
9. Soda and colas that have a high content of artificial sweeteners and caffeine.
10. Avoid anything prepared with the bad trans-fats such as hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats, margarine, lard, shortening, corn oil, palm oil and soy oil.

 Above all, prevention of the occurrences that the aging brain is prone to, is a matter of the individuals mindset and the steps that are taken to prevent the pitfalls and road blocks that we encounter as we grow older. Following the above regime will go a long way to ensure that you achieve this goal,

  Doc Cane