Living Well - July

A QuarterlyMagazine

for People 45& Older

VOL. 3|JULY 2011

Fitness as thefountain of youth................2

Cut back on caffeine ........4

The wonder drug................5

How to stop early aging....7

Hearing loss ........................8

SYDNEY BRINK/DEMOCRATMilitary veterans Daryl Cook,left, and Roger Gordon walk fortheir health at the center.Gordon prefers not to keeptrack of his miles while Cook,along with his wife, Sandee,is a member fo the walking club.

LIVING WELL Wednesday, July 27, 2011PG 2

Democrat Staff

Staying mentally and physically active is keyto maintaining health and wellness for people45 years and older.According to health-related articles at the

AARP website (aarp.org/health), regular exer-cise helps promote physical fitness, improvebalance and coordination, and increases flexi-bility. James Fries, a pioneer researcher onhealthy aging at Stanford University told thewebsite: "If you had to pick one thing, one sin-gle thing that came closest to the fountain ofyouth, then it would have to be exercise."With cancer, diabetes and heart disease on

the rise among retiring Baby Boomers, thewebsite said people who continue to exercisesee a reduced chance of heart disease, highblood pressure, stroke, type 2 diabetes, many

cancers, and even mental decline and depres-sion associated with aging.The American Heart Association website

(heart.org) recommends 30 minutes of moder-ate activity a day, but stresses that three 10-minute periods of activity are almost asbeneficial to your overall fitness as one 30-minute session.The AHA found that without regular phys-

ical activity, the body slowly loses its strength,stamina and ability to function well. And foreach hour of regular exercise you get, you'llgain about two hours of additional life ex-pectancy, even if you don't start until middleage. Moderate exercise, such as brisk walking,for as little as 30 minutes a day has provenhealth benefits, including:

* Improves blood circulation, whichreduces the risk of heart disease* Keeps weight under control* Helps in the battle to quit smoking* Improves blood cholesterol level* Prevents and manages high bloodpressure* Prevents bone loss* Boosts energy level* Helps manage stress* Releases tension* Promotes enthusiasm and optimism

* Counters anxiety and depression* Helps you fall asleep faster and sleepmore soundly* Improves self-image* Increases muscle strength, increasing theability to do other physical activities* Provides a way to share an activity withfamily and friends* Reduces coronary heart disease in womenby 30-40 percent* Reduces risk of stroke by 20 percent inmoderately active people and by 27 percent

in highly active ones* Establishes goodheart-healthy habitsin children andcounters theconditions (obesity,high blood pressure,poor cholesterollevels, poor lifestylehabits, etc.) that leadto heart attack andstroke later in life* Helps delay orprevent chronicillnesses and

Fitness as the fountain of youthResearch shows any level of activity is beneficial for seniors

• Vital stim• E-Stim• Iontophoresis•Wound vac• Treadmill exercises• Bicycle exercises

• Trach care/ weaning• Pain management• Customized Alzheimer’sPrograms based on AllenCognitive Level Score

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Myra George, Sedalia Senior Center instructor for the Tai Chifor Arthritis class, leads her students through a warm-up routine.

photos by SYDNEY BRINK/DEMOCRAT

LIVING WELLWednesday, July 27, 2011 PG 3

diseases associated with aging and maintainsquality of life and independence longer forseniors.Myra George, a Sedalia Senior Center

member who teaches the center's Tai Chi forArthritis class on Tuesdays and Thursdays, saidshe sees benefits for herself through the twice-weekly routines."The deep breathing aspect of tai chi helps

reduce stress, and the movements help youwith balance issues. It has been really helpfulto me in that way," George said.With its focus on balance and coordination

based on long, sweeping motions that stretchand tone muscles while increasing joint flexi-bility, George said tai chi is a good startingpoint for seniors who may be looking to be-come active again."It is slow moving and a lot of it you can

do sitting down, so it is a pretty good way toget back active," George said.LaDonna Allen, the class' assistant instruc-

tor, said the class helps her stay active whilealso giving her a way to manage the stress ofacting as caregiver to her husband, who suffersfrom Alzheimer's disease."The best thing I ever did was to start this

class," Allen said. "I have a lot of stress athome and this is an opportunity for me to getout of the house, clear my mind and spendsome time being active."Allen said she can tell a difference from the

class just based on her own flexibility, and feelsbetter even if she is only able to do it a fewminutes a day."It is too easy for people to just retire and

then sit down and start watching TV, but thathas consequences," Allen said.Allen said she enjoys the opportunity to so-

cialize through a classroom setting, rather thanwalking or other, more solitary forms of exer-cise."Not only does it improve your physical fit-

ness," Allen said. "It also improves mental fit-ness. The breathing and relaxation techniqueshelp reduce stress, plus it is just good to bearound a supportive group of people. In termsof mental and physical fitness I think the ben-efit to seniors is priceless."Tami Hesseltine, county services director at

the center, said classes offered through the or-ganization are meant to encourage both physi-cal and mental activity — from tai chi and yogafor the body to art and creative writing classesfor the mind."I hear very positive things about Myra and

tai chi, and the yoga class is just starting tobuild. We try and offer a range of classes so

that we are giving as many people as possiblean option," Hesseltine said.She said the center does face some space

limitations, but is looking to possible fundrais-ing and future expansion to help free up spaceand provide seniors with even more optionsfor staying active and healthy.Hesseltine said, "Just staying active enough

to come out for lunch and talk with friends issomething that can reduce stress and help im-prove quality of life."

Irene Reneault, who teaches yoga at the center, remains seatedas she demonstrates a position to her students.

photos by SYDNEY BRINK/DEMOCRAT

FIND OUT MOREFor more information onclasses offered through theSedalia Senior Center,

call 826-0713. People shouldspeak with their doctor to makesure they are fit enough to begin

an exercise routine.

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We live in a caffeine-fueledsociety.Here in America, most of

our non-alcoholic beveragechoices are packed with caf-feine. Soda, coffee, tea and en-ergy drinks are chock full ofthe stuff, or at least other sub-stances that have the same sortof effect on the body.And with that in mind, it’s

hardly surprising to find that thousands ofAmericans deal with caffeine addiction everyday without even realizing it.Some people are grouchy and irritable

when they wake up each morning. Luckily, themorning gets a little easier after that first cupof joe.There are whole offices and whole families

that simply cannot function properly withoutthe proper A.M. dosage of caffeine. It’s be-come something of a pop culture trope in oursociety — adults wake up with caffeine be-cause they seem to need it. And then they keep

dosing all day because they keep on needing it.But few realize that this is a cycle perpetu-

ated by a caffeine addiction instead of being anatural occurrence.We sleep to rest, we sleep to recharge and

so few seem to realize that it’s just not naturalto wake up an average night’s sleep feelingawful. The morning is when we should feel ourbest because we’ve just spent hours resting ourbodies. In our natural state, each of us is a“morning person” but due to the proliferationof caffeine some of us have developed anaversion to the early hours of the day.For many Americans the morning is rough

because the benefit of a restful night’s sleephas been negated by the symptoms of caffeinewithdrawal. For them, sleep only means ex-tended time without the caffeine levels thatyour body now expects. So your body punishesyou in the morning because you weren’t givingit the stuff it needs.And then when you finally get that caffeine

into your system it feels good, it feels right.But it’s really just getting you back to how youshould normally feel. But man, that caffeine re-ally is a wonder drug, isn’t it? Gets me throughthe day, let me tell you.And then there are even some who use caf-

feine as a sleep substitute - but it’s just nothealthy. When someone who is tired drinks oreats something that has caffeine in it they don’t

feel tired any more, sure. But they really coulduse that sleep that their body was trying to get.Everything isn’t just even when you replace

sleep with drugs. The slate doesn’t get wipedclean and it’s not nearly as good for you as ac-tually getting the sleep. Caffeine just makes youthink that you’ve got enough sleep but the lackof deep rest is still wearing out your bodyfaster than you might realize.Caffeine’s stimulation of the central nerv-

ous system grants it a classification as psy-choactive substance, which also includes drugssuch as marijuana, heroin, LSD and alcohol.But even with all that in mind caffeine

shouldn’t be avoided at all costs — studieshave shown that occasional caffeine use ishealthy and can have positive effects on thebody, including increased resistance to liverand heart disease among others.But we shouldn’t allow ourselves to be-

come addicted to it. Dependence on anythingis not healthy.So the next time you wake up, fight

through the urge to have that cup of coffee.Drag yourself to work and avoid the breakroom. See if you can go a whole day withoutcaffeine. Repeat until you stop feeling terriblein the morning. It will happen, eventually, andyou will find that you get enough of a naturalmorning boost from a good night’s sleep.

Cut back on caffeine to improve health

TravisMcMullen

——DEMOCRATCOLUMNIST

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By Travis McMullenFor the Democrat

The summer heat can prove to be a seri-ous threat to your health.Now I know there are some who are sick

of seeing summer heat health tips but cur-rently it is the most serious external healthconcern. That big ball of fire in the sky cando some serious damage to you if you don’ttake the proper precautions when you’re out-side.The Centers for Disease Control and Pre-

vention’s Web site (cdc.gov) offers some tipsfor coping with weather such as we are expe-riencing, including:• Don’t drink liquids that contain alcohol

or large amounts of sugar — these actuallycause you to lose more body fluid.• Electric fans may provide comfort, but

when the temperature is in the high 90s, fanswill not prevent heat-related illness. Taking acool shower or bath, or moving to an air-conditioned place is a much better way tocool off.• Wear lightweight, light-colored, loose-

fitting clothing.• Never leave anyone — including pets

— in a closed, parked vehicle.• Since infants and people older than 65

can be especially susceptible to heat-relatedillnesses, this is a good time to be a goodneighbor and check on those who are mostlikely to need assistance to cope with the blis-tering weather.But I’m not just going to make a list: I’m

going to tell you specifically why each ofthese tips should be followed.The first and most obvious tip is: drink

more liquids. Non-alcoholic and low sugar

Water is the wonder drug to combat heat

New band-aid procedure treats lumbar stenosis painIf you are over age 50 and su�er from lower back pain that is relieved by leaning forward – such as on a shopping cart – or sitting down, you may be experiencing the symptoms of lumbar spinal stenosis.

LSS is a degenerative, age-related narrowing of the lower spinal canal that causes pressure on the nerves and leads to pain and immobility. LSS is a common condition

diagnosed in 1.2 million Americans each year.In the past, if conservative pain treatment using medications, physical and chiropractic therapy

and epidural steroid injections failed, all that was available was open spine surgery. Now there is a new band-aid procedure called Minimally Invasive Lumbar Decompression

that doesn’t change the stability of the spine.“This new treatment �nally allows me to treat the cause of the stenosis,” said Daniel Bruning,

a physician and co-founder of PainCARE. During the MILD procedure, the physician removes the bone or tissue causing pressure

on the nerves through a puncture the diameter of a pencil. There are no incisions, implants, stitches or staples – only a band-aid is required.

The new procedure has a very high success rate for the right patients, and in most cases patients can go home the same day. There is no down time or rehabilitation as there is in traditional LSS surgery.

“Studies on patients around the country have been nothing short of dramatic,” said physician and PainCARE co-founder Kimber Eubanks.

For more information, see PainCARE’s website at www.kcpaincare.com


beverages are the best. What we all reallyneed is water.There’s that old line about the absolute

minimum amount of water we must drinkcomes out to 8 glasses a day. I’ve heard doc-tors repeat it, even though it’s not really true.On a normal day in a normal climate you canjust have a drink when you get thirsty andyou’ll really have all the water you need. Youdon’t essentially need to force 8 glasses ofwater down your throat each day under nor-mal circumstances, though it is important toget some water in your diet.But during a summer like this one the

eight glass doctrine isn’t too bad of a guide,because hot weather can evaporate essentialfluids from your body at an alarming rate.You need water for digestion, and so the var-ious cells in your body won’t dry up and stopworking. You need water to replace the sweatthat rolls down your forehead and you need

water to lubricate the various functions ofvarious organs.If you wait to have a drink until you actu-

ally get thirsty in this weather it might alreadybe too late. We lose water so fast that ourbodies might not even register the “thirsty”impulses early enough to prevent dehydra-tion.That’s one of the real enemies here: hy-

dration. The early symptoms include drymouth, sunken eyes, and low output ofthings like urine and sweat. The clearest signis darker urine. If your output is closer to teathan Mountain Dew than you definitely needto drink some water, a lot of water. If itkeeps up despite serious aqua intake youmight even need to see a doctor.And the worst thing is that our very

young, our very old and our pets can’t alwaystell us when they are dehydrated. A dog or asmall child don’t really know what “dehydra-

tion” is and even if they could determinethat something was wrong and then figuredout that something should be done theyprobably won’t realize that water can solvetheir problems.So don’t just focus on keeping yourself

cool and hydrated - focus on keeping yourfamily and pets comfortable, too. Most rea-sonable adults can manage themselves prettywell on a hot summer’s day but others mightneed help responding appropriately.Drink lots of water, only go outside when

it is absolutely necessary and never, everleave your young loved ones in hot space likea car that isn’t running or a building thatdoesn’t have air conditioning. Not even for asecond. The heat can devastate them morequickly and their health could be in seriousdanger in just minutes.Be careful out there.


NewsUSADermatologists can't stress it

enough: How you treat your skinnow will affect its future appear-ance. While it may seem silly toworry about wrinkles long beforeyou have any, it's true that prepara-tion pays off.According to dermatologists,

more women in their twenties areasking for anti-aging tips. So, whatcan you do keep your skin lookingyoung and healthy? Kiehl's Since1851, a company that specializes inskin and hair care formulas derivedfrom natural ingredients, offers thefollowing tips:* Rest up. There's a reason "you

look tired" and "you look great"aren't synonymous. But did youknow that the position in whichyou sleep can also affect yourlooks? If you sleep face-down,fluid can collect beneath your eyes.Try sleeping face-up with yourhead slightly elevated with pillows.If you do wake up with facial swelling, trytapping the skin beneath your eyes or apply-ing a cold compress.* Apply vitamin C. Your skin contains

more vitamin C than any other antioxidant,including the much-touted vitamin E. Tokeep vitamin C at an optimal level, make sureyou are applying a skincare formula that con-tains plenty of vitamin C."Vitamin C helps keep skin even and

bright, and it offers potent antioxidant pro-tection from environmental stressors, such aspollution and sunlight," said Dr. AdamGeyer, fellow of the American Academy ofDermatology, Instructor in Clinical Derma-tology at Columbia University and Kiehl'sBrand Ambassador.Two of Kiehl's products, "Powerful-

Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate" to im-

prove tone and texture all over the face and"Line-Reducing Eye-Brightening Concen-trate" formulated specifically for the eye areato boost radiance and minimize wrinkles,contain 10.5 percent vitamin C. Unlike manyretinol products, they won't cause photosen-sitivity and irritation and are gentle enoughfor twice-daily use. Apply them after cleans-ing, both day and night to obtain the greatestresults.* Reduce your sodium intake. You can

make your doctor and your skin happy at thesame time! When you eat too much sodium,you can cause your body to shift fluid intoextracellular spaces, especially beneath youreyes. Avoid excess sodium intake to benefitboth your health and your skin.For more information, visit

www.kiehls.com.

Tips to Put a Stop to Early Aging

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NewsUSAData from many studies suggest that the

incidence of Alzheimer's disease is on the rise.However, many of the symptoms associatedwith early Alzheimer's disease are the same asthose associated with hearing loss.According to a recent study led by Frank R.

Lin, MD, PhD, of Johns Hopkins Medical In-stitutions, the risk of dementia increasedamong participants with at least a mild 25-deci-bel hearing loss<http://www.MD-HearingAid.com>. Participants with moresevere hearing loss were most likely to be diag-nosed with dementia -- and even Alzheimer's.The relationship between Alzheimer's andhearing loss should come as no surprise. Afterall, you can't remember what someone said ifyou didn't hear them say it.Several symptoms are common to both

Alzheimer's and untreated hearing loss. Thesesymptoms include depression, anxiety, feelingsof isolation, and problems talking and under-standing what is being said. In addition, peoplewith either Alzheimer's or unidentified hearingloss may have inappropriate responses to socialcues, lower scores on tests of mental function,attitudes of denial, defensiveness or negativityand increased distrust of others' motives, eventhose of family and friends. Individuals withunidentified hearing loss may appear paranoidand excessively concerned that others are talk-ing about them."Untreated hearing loss is a significant

quality-of-life issue," said Sreek Cherukuri,MD, a board-certified ear, nose and throatphysician based in Chicago, Ill. "It can causemarital and family strain, lead to social isola-tion, depression and anxiety. And the solution

is so simple."To help more people improve their lives by

improving their hearing, Dr. Cherukuri de-signed the MDHearingAid, a comfortable,cost-effective way to improve hearing. "I couldsee no reason why we couldn't develop a qual-ity hearing instrument for about the price ofan iPhone," he said.If you are concerned about a loved one

who is experiencing any of the symptomsmentioned above, talk to a doctor about test-ing for hearing loss. In several studies, even pa-tients with Alzheimer's showed improvedability to understand and communicate afterthey were fitted with hearing aids."Our mission is to remove cost as an ob-

stacle for the millions with hearing loss thatcannot afford a custom hearing aid," said Dr.Cherukuri.

Concerned About Alzheimer's?It Might Be Hearing Loss Instead

Living Well - July

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