August 2006

An ounce of Prevention…. 

56.  Keep an eye on your cholesterol.  If you don’t know what it is, it’s a pretty good time to find out.  Cholesterol has become so commercialized, you know. I’m afraid it might just get to the point where people think of ridiculous commercials when they hear the word “cholesterol.”  It’s actually, of course, very serious when the numbers are out of whack.  Diet and exercise can help keep the numbers where they need to be, but if they run very high, the doctor may need to prescribe medication.

57.  Get checked for diabetes, especially if it runs in your family.  It’s estimated that 6.2 million Americans have this disease and don’t yet know it.

58.  Keep an eye on your blood pressure.  Hypertension (High Blood Pressure) can lead to stroke, heart attack, heart failure, and kidney failure.  Get it checked and keep an eye on it.

 59.  See your dentist regularly.  Not only is it essential for your smile, a dentist can also check for signs of abnormalities, such as oral cancer and gum disease.

60.  Get a Pap Smear.  The American Cancer Society estimates that 9,710 cases of invasive cervical cancer will be diagnosed this year.  A regular pap smear could save your life……when caught early, cervical cancer is one of the most treatable forms of cancer.

technorati tags: eatinghealthy, sodium, heartdisease, stroke, aging

  16.  (If you’re wondering, 16 what?, please see the previous posts, How to Live to Be 100 Part 1 and How to Live to Be 100 Part 2)  When I read the following statistic, “60 Percent of people who commit suicide suffer from a mood disorder like depression,” my mind snapped off a sarcastic quip that began with “No” and ended with “Sherlock.”  Then, I started thinking about it.  I guess at the heart of that statistic is the fact that many people are depressed and don’t even really realize it.  Sure, they know they don’t feel on top of the world by any means, but they assume it’s the world that’s out of whack - not them.

If you ever have a mean case of the blues that just won’t fade, don’t make the mistake of thinking that it’s something you have to live with.  Life without the blues is so much sweeter!  Getting treatment for even mild depression will add years to your life - and what years they could be!

  17.  Shhhhh.  Have more intimate relations with your spouse.  Sex actually releases pain-busting endorphins and gives your immune system a boost. So, that “Not tonight, I’ve got a headache” won’t quite cut it.   Shhhhh.

  18.  Don’t be a tanorexic.  Most skin cancer could be prevented by wearing sunscreen with at least SPF 15, a hat, and covering up.  Skin cancer is a lot more serious than people give it credit for, and it should be treated that way.  We all know we should never pour cigarette smoke into our lungs, unless of course we want lung cancer.  When will we learn that the sun is to our skin what smoke is to our lungs:  An enemy that is NO WHERE near worth entertaining.

  19.  Speaking of smoking, don’t do it.  I could devote an entire post to this one alone - in fact, if you search “quit smoking” on this blog, you’ll see that for yourself.  But here’s one more piece of information that may help you, or someone you love:  If you quit smoking before you turn 50, you reduce your risk of dying in the next 15 years by half.

  20.  Choose the exercise that best suits you.  We’ve already praised and promoted walking in an earlier post, and you really should start a walking routine today and keep at it, for at least 30 minutes every day.  The fresh air and the exercise will do you wonders.  Your cardiovascular system feeds off of these walks.  If there were a way for me to MAKE you start walking, I’d do it!

There are other exercises that you might want to do with the walking.  For example:

Yoga - Lowers your blood pressure, improves strength, coordination, and flexibility.

Pilates or Tai Chi - Improves strength, coordination, and flexibility.

Bike Riding - A great workout that improves your balance and strength.

Swimming -  Improves muscle strength, uses up a lot of calories, works out your respiratory system - all without pressure on your joints.

Tennis - A favorite of mine when Kentucky doesn’t feel like the inside of an oven.  Tennis allows you to enjoy the outdoors, burn many-many-many calories, increase your strength and give every system in your body an amazing workout - all while having a lot of fun.  Hard to beat that.

  21.  While we’re on the subject of exercise, you might want to take a peek at your abs.  A Canadian study found that people with weak abdominal muscles didn’t live as long as others. 

  22.  Start taking the stairs instead of the elevator.  Stair-climbing helps protect you against osteoporosis.

 With all this talk about exercise, I’ve probably worn out my welcome, so I’ll end Part 3 right here - on the stairs.  Besides, I have a walk to take, sit ups to struggle through, and an appointment with Subway. 

By the way, have you ever gotten a Vegetarian Sub at Subway???  You can get creative with the bread, cheeses, vegetables, and sauces - so each time seems like a different sandwich.  I’ve gotten stuck on one that’s heavenly, though:  White bread, American cheese, lettuce, banana peppers, olives, tomatoes, onions, and spinach - with the thing that makes it all swing, Sweet Onion Sauce.  It’s an amazing sandwich that’ll keep you from missing the fried sandwiches, red meat, and french fries that are doing us all in.

Joi

P.S. If your “neck of the woods” is as hot as we are here (We’re Kentucky Fried right now) - take it easy when you’re outdoors.  Stay hydrated - and be sure, be sure, be sure to give your pets LOTS of fresh, cool water and shade.  Our dog loves to have the hose turned on him - I spray it up in the air, so the water falls like rain.  Then we both get soaking wet, cool and all kinds of happy.

“Age isn’t important, unless you’re a cheese.” ~Helen Hayes

I thought this one went perfectly with the series of posts that are going on right now - and it’s SO TRUE!