Category: health

Posted on

HOW LONG DO YOU WANT TO LIVE?

If you read the local obituaries, you know that more people are living longer than ever before. Modern health care and improved nutrition has extended the age that we die , far beyond  the normal age of death a century ago.  The question is, how much time, money,  and effort do you want to spend in order to extend your life.?   Do you  want to deprive yourself  of food and drink for decades,  with the hope of living longer than your ancestors.  How long do you want to live?

DO YOU WONDER HOW ITALIANS LIVE SO LONG?

A strict vegetarian diet is supposed to add 6 years to your life.  It’s not clear how long you have to give up ice cream, meat , butter, fish,  honey and eggs in order  to reap the benefits.  If , at age 40, your meals consist of broccoli, carrots, beans, . and you continue to deprive yourself of yummy food for the next fifty years, will you look back and regret it? How many picnics and family dinners will have left you dreaming of a piece of fried chicken and a slice of chocolate cake?

Let’s say you decide to take the exercise and fitness route to longevity. How many hours will you sweat it out on a treadmill or weight lifting machine in a musty gym? How many months and years of time must you spend jogging through the park in summer heat and winter rain?  And then, around the age of 60, will you  need knee or hip replacement for those joints you wore out in decades of pounding the pavement and pumping  iron?

Some health researchers advise us to skip alcohol altogether.  Or, if you must imbibe, limit yourself to one glass of wine a week.  Doesn’t that make you wonder how Italians, and Germans with their beer, ever make it to 90?

THE USDA FOOD PYRAMID IS STILL THE BEST GUIDE FOR A HEALTHY DIET

No , I’m not recommending that we all become obese couch potatoes.  I simply think that moderation in all things leads to a happier life.   As a dietitian, I still believe the USDA food pyramid is the best guide to a healthy diet.  A 4 oz  strip steak  is a better choice than a 16 oz rib eye.  https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2017/09/26/back-basics-all-about-myplate-food-groups    But you can limit your calories to around 2, 000 a day while still enjoying an occasional piece of cheesecake .

I believe that all of us should exercise at least 15 to 30 minutes a day as long as it’s possible.  Maybe a little bit more if you’ve not yet retired.

Moderation in all things might not get me past the century mark, but I’ll take eighty good years of enjoying life as I like it.

Posted on

HOMELESS LADY WASHES HAIR AT LIBRARY

Most everyone who lives in a metropolitan area  has grown accustomed to seeing homeless people at the library. We also know that soup kitchens serve hundreds of people every day.  It’s a fact of life that makes us uncomfortable, because we don’t know how to deal with it  But when I saw a lady coming out of the handicapped stall at the library with wet hair, it really hit me in the gut.  Should a homeless lady wash her hair at the library?

Should the library allow homeless to clean up in their restrooms
SHOULD LIBRARIES ALLOW THE HOMELESS TO USE THEIR RESTROOMS TO CLEAN UP?

It wasn’t clear if she had washed  her hair in the hand sink before she went into the stall, or worse yet, dunked it in the toilet. She seemed disoriented.  The bathroom smelled of her dirty bags .  There were food crumbs scattered all over the floor. After an initial reaction of revulsion, I was overcome with feelings of sympathy.  The woman wasn’t that old—maybe fifty.  She was someone’s child, granddaughter, maybe mother or wife.  She was a human being in desperate need of help. And I had no idea what to do.  And so, I merely smiled and left.

I couldn’t erase the scenario from my mind.  What should I have done?  I turned to an internet chat room (Reddit) and asked for other’s opinions.  Most agreed that there was nothing I could really do, except smile and leave.  Other’s felt that the library should not tolerate this type of thing because the woman could have Aids, STDS , and other infectious disease  that could endanger others.  Some said I should have reported it to an employee of the library.

I surfed the internet to see what other libraries do.  Many cities like Seattle  have specific policies and procedures for dealing with the homeless.  https://www.newstatesman.com/world/north-america/2018/12/how-seattle-s-public-library-stepping-deal-city-s-homelessness-crisis  Some have social workers available to help those in need.

I ‘m not sure if librarians are in a position to deal with such problems.  In our town, various non profits provide homeless shelters.  But shouldn’t the government bear some responsibility ? Homeless people were probably once taxpayers, maybe served our country in the military.  At the very least, we should have public bathrooms where the homeless have access to showers. I know that security would be a problem, but it seems like that could be dealt with.  The poet John Donne would tell us that any man’s misery diminishes us, because all of us are involved in mankind.

 

‘No Man is an Island’

No man is an island entire of itself; every man

is a piece of the continent, a part of the main;

if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe

is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as

well as any manner of thy friends or of thine

own were; any man’s death diminishes me,

because I am involved in mankind.

And therefore never send to know for whom

the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.

John Donne, 1624

 

Posted on

ARE YOU SMOKIN’ HOT OR COLD?

Do you love hot weather?  Anyone who reads my blog knows that I don’t.  Yes, it’s great to have a green lawn and pretty flowers.   But I really don’t like air conditioning.  A sweater is a must if you’re going  from a blazing hot day into a store, movie, restaurant or just about any public place. It’s always too cold inside for me.  And my own home is no exception.  Summer is when the battle of the thermostat begins. Are you smokin’ hot or cold?

A MAN MAY SWEAT WHILE A WOMAN SHIVERS AT THE SAME THERMOSTAT SETTING

Your husband may turn down the thermostat  when you’re out in the kitchen fixing breakfast.  He’s hoping you won’t notice.  And then,  all of a sudden, you’re breaking out in goosebumps.  My husband, being a kindly person,  hates to see me shiver.  At that point,  he will turn the air conditioning down until my lips are no longer blue.  Half an hour later, he’s breaking out in a sweat and pulling off his shirt.  Now, I’m turning down the thermostat, and putting on a sweater.  After all, it’s the same as winter.  You can always dress for warmth,  but there isn’t much you can do if you’re too hot, except maybe jump in a swimming pool.

Unfortunately, we don’t have a pool at our house.  Been there, done that, many moons ago when I lived in Florida.  Pool maintenance took both money and energy.  At times, I felt like a janitor,  and vowed I would never have a pool again.

Are you way too hot or too cold?

The battle of the thermostat started in Indiana last week, when the temperatures got up into the 80’s. I’m bracing myself, because I know it will go on all summer. Every place  I go— supermarket, restaurant, hotel—it’s going to be too cold.  Last July, ,I sat an hour in a frigid doctor’s office and came down with a miserable summer cold. Why do doctors think it’s healthy to make their patients sit in a freezer?

MANY WOMEN FEEL COLD IN THE WORKPLACE, AND NEED A COVER UP.

One solution we’ve come up with  at home is an auxiliary air conditioner in one upstairs bedroom. The sweaty person can sleep in the cool room,  on dry sheets, and the cold blooded one can  enjoy the warmth and humidity they crave.  It’s not very romantic, but it sure beats the battle of the thermostat.

Posted on

ARE SUNTANS STILL SEXY?

As I recall, the popularity of having a  a suntan coincided with Hollywood’s  production of more  technicolor movies. The  Wizard of Oz was made in color in 1939 . But it wasn’t until the 1950’s that the process was cheap enough for studios to make fewer black and whites.   As a teenage girl at the time, I desperately wanted to have the beautiful, even colored skin tones of stars like Jane Russell and Elizabeth Taylor.  After seeing  a technicolor movie, I would go home, look in the mirror, and realize that my splotchy, pink and white skin just didn’t measure up.  The only remedy  was to acquire a suntan.  After a few hours lying on a blanket in my backyard, I thought I looked more alluring.   But are suntans still sexy?

Technicolor movies in the 50’s started the suntan craze.

Most of my teenage girlfriends didn’t have to work part time jobs for spending money.  While I was slaving away as a salesclerk or stenographer in the summer, my friends were basking in the sunlight.  They slathered on baby oil with iodine to acquire enviable dark suntans. I tried catching up  on my days off,  but I was too fair skinned to begin with.   Now, many of those girls  I envied are getting treated for melanoma and other skin cancers.

Suntans have acquired a bad reputation in the past few years, due to warnings from the American Cancer Society. And yet, suntan parlors continue to thrive, and people going South for the Winter still come back sporting a tan. The truth is this:  most people look younger and more attractive with a light suntan.  Unfortunately , those fake, parlor suntans don’t work so well.  They may produce a ghastly, greenish yellow suntan  that makes a person look like  someone  out of a horror movie.  And they still carry the danger of skin cancer.

The American Cancer Society urges people to use strong sunscreens when out in the sun .  That advice has helped with the skin cancer problem but  now there are scads of people with Vitamin D deficiencies because they don’t get enough natural sunlight. https://health.usnews.com/wellness/articles/2018-07-18/how-much-time-in-the-sun-do-you-need-for-vitamin-d

Surprisingly, the medical profession now tells us to get 15 minutes a per day of natural sunlight, without  using a sunscreen.   By following their advice this season, you can probably acquire a light, healthy tan while getting enough Vitamin D to make your bones stronger.   So yes, it’s still okay to have a  light suntan.  Just acquire it slowly and don’t overdo it.

Suntans are still sexy!

Posted on

CITY BASHES SENIOR TRASH CANS

Managing trash can be difficult for seniors who want to stay in their own homes.  Those big, ugly  heavy trash containers must be hidden from the street except on trash collection days. When it got too hard to drag the big cans along our driveway,  we prevailed upon the city garbage collectors to give us two smaller cans, which made the entire task doable. They grudgingly agreed to bring us two of the smaller containers.  That went on for a few years. But then, last week, the city bashed our senior trash cans.

dRAGGING LARGE TRASH CAN MAKES IT DIFFICULT FOR SENIORS TO STAY IN THEIR OWN HOMESS IT
DRAGGING HEAVY TRASH CANS IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE FOR ELDERLY

Here how it happened.: When I went to get the morning newspaper, I saw that the cans hadn’t yet been emptied.  While I walked upstairs, my husband heard the rumble of the garbage truck.   By the time we had our coffee and read the newspaper,  we saw that the blue cans had disappeared!

Our city has a contract with a  waste management company, and believe me, there are big bucks involved.  Once upon a time, they provided the handicapped and elderly with smaller, lightweight containers. Then, they decided it was too much bother picking them up with their automated trucks.  They made it clear they weren’t happy when we demanded the smaller cans.  Grudgingly, they went along with the deal, but finally, they put an end to it all this week by throwing our cans into their shredder.

When I called to complain, I was informed by both the company and the mayor’s office that they couldn’t locate any more of the little containers. They could only provide us with another, large container. It had to be done their way, or no way.

Many seniors have children living nearby who can help out.  Unfortunately, our children are scattered across the country. These are the kinds of problems that force seniors into retirement homes before they really want to give up their independence.

After I voiced my unhappiness with their blatant  disregard for the needs of  the elderly/ handicapped ,  the mayor’s office called  my husband. They  said that if we would leave our trash  can out where it was in plain view from the street, a trash collector would perform the difficult??? task of walking a few feet to manually pick up the can and  feed the contents into the truck.  It remains to be seen how long they are willing to do this.  Or, will they pull another vanishing act?

We have paid our taxes in this community for over 50 years.  Is it too much to ask for a little consideration for citizens over the age of 80?  Maybe so.

 

Follow Up:  Trash can was not picked up when promised and as of today, May 19, it is still full, despite repeated e mails from mayor’s office saying that Republic will pick it up.

May 24:  A miracle just happened.  This afternoon, Republic brought us two of the smaller cans for handicapped people.  They are exactly like the ones they shredded last week.  I guess they decided that would be easier than putting up with our constant complaints.  As my husband said, ‘the squeaky wheel gets the grease.”

Posted on

VAPING GRANDPA GREETS SCHOOL BUS

While driving home from the mall on a winding  road, I came to a stop behind a school bus as a young girl disembarked.  Since I was several cars back, I could see the child running up the hill toward a house at the top.  A  gray haired man coming from the opposite direction came to greet her.  A tender moment, yes? Except, he was surrounded by a vaporous cloud  coming from his right hand.  I’m not sure if he was her grandpa or another relative, but it seemed like a bad thing to do. Should a vaping grandpa greet the school bus?

Grandparents who vape grew up when it was commen to smoke around children
SHOULD A VAPING GRANDPA DITCH HIS E-CIGARETTE WHEN HIS GRANDCHILD IS AROUND?

When I was a child, most adults smoked—including my parents.  Consequently, I started smoking as a teenager.  That was the tobacco industry’s heyday. No one connected smoking with cancer.  Cigarette ads featured movie stars who made it seem glamorous.  On college campuses, free cigarettes were passed out to encourage smokers to start smoking particular brands.  It took me 20 years to stop smoking.

Fast forward to the 21st century. Exposing children to secondhand smoke is considered child abuse.  Parents who smoke go outside and hide behind the garage to vape.    For their own sake, I wish they could quit, but at least they are trying  to protect their children.

Let’s go back to Grandpa, and give him some credit.  Maybe he’s turned to vaping as  an attempt to reduce his addiction to nicotine.  Perhaps he was outside with the idea of having a smoke  before his granddaughter got home from school.  Maybe she arrived earlier than expected.  But still, he had to have seen her running up the hill.  Why didn’t he ditch the e cigarette the moment he spotted her?  He’s obviously a caring person  who loves the little girl.  She isn’t a latchkey kid.  She has someone waiting for her to get off the school bus.  So, he’s doing a good thing, there.  But, in a few years, she will be a teenager, and she will know exactly how to vape.

According to  statistics compiled from 2011 to 1015,  vaping is the most popular form of tobacco use among teens. In the US, e-cigarette use rose by 900 percent among high school students..

By 2016, over two million middle and high school students had tried e cigarettes.  40 percent of vapers from age 18 to 24 had not been smokers before.

A growing body of research suggests that that vaping is dangerous for teens.

https://www.yalemedicine.org/stories/teen-vaping/

Stop vaping, Grandpa!

 

Posted on

6 FAVORITE CREATURE COMFORTS

Some of the things that make life enjoyable  don’t require much material wealth.  These are simple pleasures you can enjoy whether you live in a beachfront mansion or in a small apartment building. Here are my 6 favorite creature comforts.

#1. Comfortable bed.  No matter how your day has gone, or whether you’re coming down with a cold, the most welcome thing you can look forward to is a good night’s sleep.  If your mattress is hard, soft, or lumpy, watch for mattress sales.  This is the best investment you will make in terms of your own well being.

#2. Warm bath or  hot shower.  Nothing is more soothing than a long soak in a warm bath.  People don’t take baths so much anymore, but if you have a tub and the time, one of the most pleasurable things you can do Is sprinkle some bath salts in your bathwater, lay back, close your eyes, and bask in the solace of water.    Showers aren’t quite as relaxing, but they are refreshing and invigorating.  Who doesn’t feel good when they step out of the shower?

mANY CREATURE COMFORTS MAKE LIFE ENJOYABLE EVEN IF YOU AREN'T WEALTHY
YOU NEEDN’T BE RICH TO ENJOY THE COMFORT OF A WARM BATH OR HOT SHOWER

#3. Morning coffee.  We load up our coffee maker each night before bedtime, so that a press of a button makes hot coffee available in minutes.  Some people don’t like coffee, but maybe a cup of tea or hot chocolate?  Sit down for a moment and sip a warm beverage while  gathering strength to face the day.

#4. Sunlight on your face.  This is more difficult in winter, but now that spring is here, try to find 15 minutes to lift your face to the sky and bask in the warmth of the sun.  Doctors tell us that it’s good for our health to spend a little bit of time in the sun each day.  They don’t recommend more time than  a quarter or an hour in the sunlight unless you’re using a very strong (50) sunscreen.

#5 Fragrance of  flowers.  Besides enjoying the sheer beauty of all the flowering trees and shrubs, stop and smell the lilacs , hyacinths,  and all the other fragrant flowers and bushes.  If you don’t have your own garden,  you can always go to a park or step inside a florist shop.

#6. Curling up with a good book.   Never has it been easier to find a good book to read. If you don’t like downloading e books, go to the library and check out the latest best sellers for free!

Those are my favorite creature comforts, but you can probably add more to the list.  The next time you’re feeling frazzled and stressed, reach out for one of these creature comforts, and enjoy life!