Archive for July, 2010
Seniors Can Eat Healthier Fruits & Vegetables
- Image via Wikipedia
Lately, every publication that comments on eating healthy foods stresses the importance of eating organic fruits and vegetables. Granted the arguments for eating organic foods are very strong the question can be asked is this true in the case of all fruits and vegetables. Might it be possible to find some common, popular fruits and vegetables that are very healthy, but not necessarily organic? This possibility is very important to seniors who are concerned about their senior health, but who are watching the cost of food as a large part of their budgets, because organic foods are generally considerably more expensive than non-organic foods.
It turns out that there is some good news for seniors who are concerned about taking preemptive aging steps to foster their senior health. A number of fruits and vegetables qualify as healthy, because they are not covered with harmful pesticide residue. Seniors can eat these fruits and vegetables in place of organic ones and use the money they save to buy the other vegetables and fruits in the organic category. Among the vegetables that qualify as healthy in the non-organic category are: Sweet corn, sweet peas, asparagus, cabbage, eggplant and sweet potatoes. The fruits that meet the healthy criteria are honeydew melon, watermelon, cantaloupe, pineapple, avocado, and kiwifruit. Seniors can afford to eat non-organic fruits and vegetables from the above lists and foster their senior health.
Senior Men Can Enjoy Avocadoes for Prostate Health
- Image via Wikipedia
This post is written for senior men who are concerned about promoting their prostate health and avoiding the effects of prostate cancer. Two of the possible paths taken by a developing prostate cancer include either the path of androgen-dependent or the path of androgen-independent cancer cells. Both of them will result in deadly consequences unless they are stopped. Current therapies can target the androgen-dependent prostate cancer cells and delay them in the short term. Androgen-independent cancer cells are much more difficult to treat and they tend to metastasize. What is needed is a way to inhibit the growth of both types of cancer cells.
It turns out that there appears to be some genuine hope on the horizon for senior men in terms of reducing their risk of prostate cancer. Recent research at the University of California has found that avocadoes are loaded with nutrients that promote prostate health and inhibit the growth of both the androgen-dependent and androgen-independent prostate cancer cells. Avocadoes are loaded with carotenoids including lutein, zeaxanthin, alpha-carotene, and beta carotene. They also contain a significant amount of vitamin E and they are a source of monosaturated fatty acids. Apparently the fatty acids assist the absorption of the carotenoids into the blood. The researchers discovered that extracts of the carotenoids and vitamin E from avocadoes inhibited the growth of both the androgen-dependent and androgen-independent prostate cancer cells.
Prevent Brain Aging with Omega-3 Fatty Acids
- Image by Getty Images via @daylife
For seniors who are concerned about maintaining their senior health brain aging is one of the major fears, because of the debilitating consequences of age related cognitive decline which is caused by Alzheimer’s and other chronic diseases. As we age the amount of omega-3 in brain cell membranes decreases in the critical memory-processing areas of the brain. Similarly in some chronic brain disorders the amount of omega-3 decreases in the brain cell membranes. Before it declines due to the effects of aging up to 8% of our brain’s weight is composed of omega-3 fatty acids. The omega-3 fatty acids are composed of both DHA and EPA. They are found naturally in cold water fish such as salmon.
In recent laboratory and animal research the researchers found the omega-3 fatty acids halted the age-related loss of brain cell receptors essential to memory production. In addition these studies suggested that supplementing with omega-3 may enhance brain function. This is very promising news for seniors who are concerned about taking preemptive anti-aging steps to maintain their senior health against brain aging. Provided these results hold up in trials with human subjects, then it will mean that seniors can supplement with omega-3 fatty acids to preempt or to halt the age-related loss of brain cell receptors which are essential to memory production.
Delicious Juice Drink for Senior Health
- Image by MookieLuv via Flickr
One of the enemies of senior health is clogged arteries. Several options that are available to provide relief for folks with this condition include, bypass surgery, angioplasty, and chelation supplied by an alternative medicine doctor. If a patient opts for chelation they are in for a long procedure that is unpleasant and expensive. Angioplasty does not always insure a long time remedy, because up to 40% of them suffer re-narrowing of their arteries in less than half a year’s time. The third option bypass surgery is expensive and carries an element of danger, because a small percentage of patients die on the operating table.
There is some good news for seniors who are concerned about taking preemptive aging steps to foster their senior cardiovascular health. It turns out that there is a fourth option that does not require any drugs, surgery or IVs. This option is safe, inexpensive and best of all it is effective. The fourth option is delicious pomegranate juice which is already known for a number of health benefits. Pomegranate juice is already known to supply a rich source of antioxidants and be a defense against prostate cancer, but it can also prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol which results in preventing arterial plaque or clogged arteries. In a controlled test folks that drank about 2 ounces of pomegranate juice a day reduced their plaque measurements by 13% in 3 months and more than 33% in a year. Over 2,300 years ago Hippocrates the ancient Greek physician who is known as the Father of Medicine said that we should “Let food be your medicine”. Today the words of Hippocrates are being verified in our time by findings such as this about the benefits for cardiovascular health from drinking pomegranate juice.
Walk Frequently for Senior Health.
- Image by gretchichi via Flickr
The latest statistics show that about 50% of American adults to not engage in exercise despite the common knowledge that exercise is very beneficial for a healthy life. Seniors who are concerned about taking preemptive aging steps to foster their senior health need to take the big important step of exercising frequently. It turns out that one of the simplest exercises that many seniors can perform is walking. For seniors even walking slowly can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. Obviously walking farther, faster, and more frequently will provide greater benefits for senior health. It turns out that walking is a generally ideal exercise for many seniors, because it can be tailored to each person’s ability and needs.
Walking at any level of exertion will increase breathing and heart rate which will improve the health of the entire circulatory system including the heart. Walking regularly will generally improve balance, coordination, and leg muscle strength. A recent study reported that very senior men who walked more than two miles a day reduced their risk of dying by 50% compared with those who walked less than a mile every day. It turns out that walking which improves cardiovascular health usually results in attaining a healthy weight, because obesity is the enemy of good health. Obesity is linked to cardiovascular disease and many cancers. Among the cancers that strike seniors breast cancer afflicts women and prostate cancer afflicts men. Walking can promote a healthy weight, prostate health in men, and breast health in women.
