|
Welcome to my newsletter, ELDER TALK.
STRESS ... 
The state of the Union is causing stress for most all of us. This insidious culprit is responsible for increased heart attacks, anxiety attacks, out-of-control diabetes, mental anguish, loss of sleep, depression and more. Our bodies are affected by our minds and the way we think. If you are one of these people who have lost much in this latest financial fiasco, don't feel alone. You are not! Remember, that we essentially have no control of at least 10% of what happens to us, but we do have mental control, at least 90% of how we might react to negative change and that is through our ATTITUDE. Be sure to "beef" up on your vitamins, especially Vitamin B complex, a natural anti-stress vitamin. Learn to meditate and relax through this modality in a quiet place for at least 10 minutes a day. And get more active physically to "burn-off" the stress causing chemicals in your body. Exercising at least 30 minutes a day will help. Stay calm and maintain your mental equilibrium. Things always work out for the best.
MANAGING FAMILY CRISIS 
It seems that when people call me it is usually around a family crisis of sorts and a full moon. What to do with my aging parents; what to do with Aunt Em, who is not remembering her way back to her farm in Kansas; I am not able to do homework with my grandkids anymore because I have trouble with the numbers; I have difficulty remembering names of people, are all things that I hear from people on a daily basis. What to do? One must make a plan and find out the things that are behind the challenges at hand. How do we do this? First of all, we look at the person who has the situation. Is there too much going on in their life? Do they have ongoing multi-tasking which is creating stress for them? Are they progressively getting worse on all levels or just one? Do they, themselves notice physical and mental changes? These are all things we need to find out. The level of change is what we need to know in order to gauge how to work with it. Testing is in order, both cognitively (mental) and physically. Then we will know if there is a physiologic component to the problems. We also need to assess who thinks there is a problem within the family or the circle of friends of the individual in question. The process is difficult but rewarding in the end. We must play detective and I, as a Clinical Gerontologist, must be included in helping in the decision and planning portion of the process as a guide of sorts. Don't leave home without one…FAD DIETS 
There are many diets on the bookshelves these days and many plans from Jenny Craig to Weight Watchers as well. One must take a good hard look at these if you wish to lose weight; but overall concern for your body is important if you are medically compromised in the process. If you are diabetic, it is important to at least see a nutritionist, at first, to determine a good regimen for you to have with daily meals. If you think that living on a fruit diet is good, watch out. Fruit has lots of sugar in it…natural, yes, but it can be dangerous to a diabetic. One piece or serving of fruit a day is usually about enough. If you have lipid metabolism problems, that is, trouble with high triglycerides and cholesterol, then with or without medication one needs to watch fat intake and sugar as well. Both diets high in carbohydrates and protein can produce sugars that lead to increased fats in the system. I, for one, have given up red meat about three years ago. My lipids are lower but not completely because I have a problem with not having an enzyme that breaks down fats. So I must do regular exercise to burn off excess calories in order to enhance whatever I eat in the first place. It is not as simple as one may think; just reducing the food intake can be another problem for elderly people who are medically compromised. We need food and drink (water) daily to survive. Many elders, who can not afford to buy much these days, are "skimping" on their meals and drinking less water as well. Both of these life-enhancing entities are necessary to maintain normal body function and the ability to think. Some diets can cause memory loss in older individuals who are not getting enough of what they need to function properly. So before you go on a diet, make sure you talk to a dietician or nutritionist. Get your physician to write a prescription for both of these consultations. "Know before you go" is what you need to remember when it comes to diets.
MY ATTEMPT AT A LITTLE HUMOR 
Q: What can a man do while his wife is going through menopause?A: Keep busy. If you're handy with tools, you can finish the basement. When you are done you will have a place to live! Q: How can you increase the heart rate of your 50+ year old husband? A: Tell him you're pregnant! Enjoy life…live with no regrets. **Watch for my new book: "A New Wrinkle: What I Learned from Older People who never acted Their Age." - Dr. Eric Shapira, Clinical Gerontologist |
Aging Mentor Services Counseling and Assessments for Seniors and Families in Transition Website Phone: 650-728-5827 
Try Your Hand at the Food Chain Puzzle!
Contact Dr. Shapira
AMS Blog Articles on Aging Newsletter Archives > Winter 2008 > Spring 2008 > Summer 2008 |
Copyright © 2008 Aging Mentor Services