Content starts here
CLOSE ×
Search
Reply
Community Manager
Community Manager

You be the expert on health

What is the best tips you can share to live heathlier as you age?  It would be great to hear from real people on what works.  Share your successes.

AARPTeri
0 Kudos
69,786 Views
57
Report
Honored Social Butterfly

"... Get fresh milk delivery from a local dairy (hopefully organic or transitional)....".

 

Another small component I disagree with, except under some circumstances. I'm a big believer in Soy milk or Almond milk. Many people take in far more calcium than they need and if needed, some of the 'synthetic' milks are fortified with calcium.

   And, imho, taste better.............

 

I can't argue against the fact that getting local milk helps the local economy (I live very close to Wisconsin). But I can argue that milk is something produced in far higher quantities than needed and cows are definitely detrimental to the environment, along with beef we eat far too much of.  


"...Why is everyone a victim? Take personal responsibility for your life..."
32,339 Views
5
Report
Honored Social Butterfly


@retiredtraveler wrote:

"... Get fresh milk delivery from a local dairy (hopefully organic or transitional)....".

 

Another small component I disagree with, except under some circumstances. I'm a big believer in Soy milk or Almond milk. Many people take in far more calcium than they need and if needed, some of the 'synthetic' milks are fortified with calcium.

   And, imho, taste better.............

 

I can't argue against the fact that getting local milk helps the local economy (I live very close to Wisconsin). But I can argue that milk is something produced in far higher quantities than needed and cows are definitely detrimental to the environment, along with beef we eat far too much of.  


@retiredtraveler I understand your reasoning. Here’s the (rather long and involved, sorry) way we arrived at cow’s milk:

 

We were using local goat milk, and enjoyed it —made fabulous cheese, btw— but it wasn’t delivered, so that became a nuisance. Back then I was so busy with the farming detail that I couldn’t be bothered to knock the dirt off my pants for a trip to town. 🙂

 

I avoid soy because (I forget the actual number and am too lazy to look it up, but …) something like 90% of all soy sold in America is GMO. Also soy itself is controversial as a heat processed ingredient (though I do use red miso and tamari because fermented soy is not heat processed).

 

Almond milk, it has been reported, has very little almond in it, so to me it is a scam. Here’s an older Mother Jones piece by Tom Philpott, whose food articles I came to trust back when I was also a food/lifestyle columnist: http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2014/07/lay-off-almond-milk-ignorant-hipsters (I’m NOT calling you ignorant, just to be clear upfront. Tom has a lippy side to him, reflected in this headline, however I believe the data is well-researched.)

 

OK One of the things I like about milk from cows that graze some 4 hillsides away is that it is not mixed with milk from far away places and it is not processed through a huge plant which means we are protected from that level of factory food germs and additives.

 

ALSO DH needs all the vit. D he can get while my system is inefficient at absorbing calcium. Of the top 10 foods rich calcium listed on web MD (http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/10-calcium-rich-foods), we’re eating the top 5. A bit of milk every day in our coffee; sardines once a week; homemade yogurt 2 or so times a week; cheese once or twice a week and leafy greens 4-5 times a week. But the fortified cereals, fortified orange juice, soy, soymilk, and enriched breads we don’t consume at all mostly because we just don’t eat processed foods, but also because most those factory foods also contain additives.

 

BUT Here’s the thing about a healthy diet: there really is no one size fits all because we are each unique and our lifestyles are as well. So what works best for one may not work at all for another. And so we muddle on to our destiny, trying our best to be our best, eh?

 

PS and FWIW We have not eaten beef in nigh onto 30 years. We eat bison, elk, yak or kangaroo burgers at the rate of maybe 16 a year. I always mix the meat with oats, a choice aimed at reducing our red meat intake and boosting our consumption of  cholesterol cleansing oats. 🙂

 

 

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving
32,086 Views
4
Report
Periodic Contributor

generally speaking, unless you have some sensitivity, there are no "bad" foods, only bad diets.  and food is only one component of a healthy life. you could eat absolutely "perfect" your whole life and not be healthy due to certain personality characteristics, loneliness, depression, lack of exercise, or exposure to toxins. people who care more for others and don't have the ability to say no have weaker immune systems for instance. "read gabor mate's book "when the body says no" or bruce lipton's book "the biology of belief" or any of bernie segal, md's books. other things that are just as important as food are physical intimacy and forgiveness, and the fountain of youth...exercise. 

31,159 Views
1
Report
Honored Social Butterfly


@evelevrae1 wrote:

generally speaking, unless you have some sensitivity, there are no "bad" foods, only bad diets.  and food is only one component of a healthy life. you could eat absolutely "perfect" your whole life and not be healthy due to certain personality characteristics, loneliness, depression, lack of exercise, or exposure to toxins. people who care more for others and don't have the ability to say no have weaker immune systems for instance. "read gabor mate's book "when the body says no" or bruce lipton's book "the biology of belief" or any of bernie segal, md's books. other things that are just as important as food are physical intimacy and forgiveness, and the fountain of youth...exercise. 


@evelevrae1 Agreed: food is only part of it. Lifestyle, DNA, where you live, your job, what you think about, how you relieve stress, the list of components goes on and on, doesn't it? 😉

 

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving
31,190 Views
0
Report
Contributor

Let’s get to the truth about milk:

Milk contains sodium and sugars.

Mild depletes calcium from the bones.  

Countries with the greatest milk consumption also have the highest rate of bone fractures and osteoporosis.

Milk increases growth hormones:  Insulin-like growth factor-1

Milk raises estrogen.

Cows suffer on factory farms

Cows produce between 70kg and 120kg of methane per year which has a negative effect on our climate.

Dairy cows are artificially inseminated each year to produce milk.

Once the calf is born it is taken away from the cow, the cow will bellow for several days.

  Some of the calves are moved to veal crates where they are confined to a two foot wide stall in      order to minimize their movements.   

Dairy products increase the probability of cancer.

Milk is the leading cause of allergies.

 

31,846 Views
1
Report
Honored Social Butterfly


@ss26399184 wrote:

Let’s get to the truth about milk:

Milk contains sodium and sugars.

Mild depletes calcium from the bones.  

Countries with the greatest milk consumption also have the highest rate of bone fractures and osteoporosis.

Milk increases growth hormones:  Insulin-like growth factor-1

Milk raises estrogen.

Cows suffer on factory farms

Cows produce between 70kg and 120kg of methane per year which has a negative effect on our climate.

Dairy cows are artificially inseminated each year to produce milk.

Once the calf is born it is taken away from the cow, the cow will bellow for several days.

  Some of the calves are moved to veal crates where they are confined to a two foot wide stall in      order to minimize their movements.   

Dairy products increase the probability of cancer.

Milk is the leading cause of allergies.

 


@ss26399184 Can you provide a reference for these assertions? The reason I ask is that I suspect the article(s) you read were not talking about local small dairy produced milk. Some of this is true about all cows, however some of this is not true about small dairy produced milk.

 

In my post I mentioned organic or transitional local milk, which will not have added sweeteners (all milk has lactose, which is a sugar, most if not all factory farm produced milk will contain sweeteners).

 

Milk from organic cows does not contain growth hormones. (That said, I recall a few years back that one of the commercial organic milk producers was proven to be substituting non-organic milk when there was a shortage, so there's that...) 😜

 

Here's information on the controversy regarding milk and cancer: http://www.pcrm.org/health/cancer-resources/ask/ask-the-expert-dairy-products

 

Here's what Harvard has to say about the bone depletion controversy: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/calcium-full-story/

 

And here's my bottom line: nearly everything we do (eat, drive, have children, build houses, post things on the Internet, flush the toilet, whatever) extracts resources from the planet. Clearly some activities are worse than others, yet we all must decide for ourselves how we will live and what responsibility we will take for our resource use. 

 

For me, having the milk delivered in glass from a local organic dairy strikes a fine balance.

 

 

 

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving
31,846 Views
0
Report
Honored Social Butterfly

Learn something new! Learning is a fun way to remain mentally sharp. There are many ways to keep learning, and here are a few to get you started:

 

You can enroll at a community college, sign up for a class through your local senior center or you can take classes online.

 

I like the daily 5-minute classes through Highbrow (http://gohighbrow.com). These are free, quick, and interesting 10-lesson courses and I can learn something new without leaving home. Perfect. (More about Highbrow here: http://community.aarp.org/t5/Brain-Health/Free-Lifelong-Learning-Through-Highbrow/m-p/1811880#U18118...)

 

But, hey, don't listen to me, listen to these two:

 

“Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death.” ― Albert Einstein

 

“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.” ― Henry Ford

 

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving
32,045 Views
0
Report
Honored Social Butterfly

Can you trick yourself into consuming smaller portions? Experts say yes. Here now a few tips to get you started:

 

Rather than putting serving dishes on the table; dish plates at the stove and carry them to the dining room. This way you cannot as easily take a second helping.

 

Use a smaller plate. This is a visual trick: if the plate is huge the portion seems smaller, and we are more likely to feel the need for a second helping. However, if the plate is small the same sized portion seems larger and we are more likely to feel satisfied with the quantity.

 

At a restaurant, ask for a doggie bag when the food arrives: dish a portion to go before starting your meal. Woot! Now you've gotten two meals --and half the calories-- for the price of one!

 

 

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving
32,058 Views
0
Report
Honored Social Butterfly

Need to reduce cholesterol but can't give up butter?  I have a suggestion: better butter.

 

Mix equal parts olive oil and softened butter for a buttery result that tastes great, spreads well and replaces 50% of the bad fat with good fat.

 

Here's how:

Let the butter soften on the counter, mix in olive oil, then refrigerate. A word of caution: do not heat the butter on the stove or in the oven, as butter separates when heated to a liquid form and you'll end up with milky water in the bottom of your butter dish. Instead, if you need to speed up the process, set the butter near a toaster oven in use or a coffee pot in use or close to a pot of something on the stove, but watch the butter carefully. Don't let the butter liquify. 

 

 

 

I mix up a pound of butter at a time and put the better butter into one cup glass bowls. I use this mixture on toast, in stovetop cooking and in most baking. (Sometimes real butter is the only way to get the result one seeks in baking.)

 

My cholesterol ratio, btw, is an astounding 50/50. That, my doctor says, is almost certainly genetic. Dad died of heart disease, so I'm not so sure about that...

 

 

 

 

 

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving
31,935 Views
0
Report
Honored Social Butterfly

Subscribe to an email service that sends out uplifting, positive, inspiring messages each day. Read that email before breakfast.

 

This could be Scripture, famous quotes, positive affimations, whatever floats your boat, but the point is that getting your mind thinking happy thoughts will help you create a happier you. A happier you is a healthier you.

 

 

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving
31,910 Views
0
Report
Honored Social Butterfly

Here's a sneaky way to get more exercise: always park in the stall farthest from the front door. 

 

This may add a mere 50 steps, but if you do this every time you park in a public spot, you can add hundreds of extra steps each day.

 

Another sneaky way to turn a parking lot into your personal exercise area is, after you've parked in the north forty, to grab a stray shopping cart and push that all the way to the store. This adds a bit of resistance to your trek across the parking lot and thus burns a few more calories.

 

There are other benefits to these behaviors: usually the farthest away parking spot is open, so in seeking that spot immediately, you'll find you don't have to spend as much time looking for an open stall as you do with the nearer ones. Also, since there are fewer people parking in the north forty, your vehicle is more protected from door dings and the like.

 

The habit of picking up stray shopping carts, likewise, helps to clear the lot, which in turn reduces everyone's risk of shopping cart dings on their car.

 

 

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving
28,607 Views
2
Report
Honored Social Butterfly

"....The habit of picking up stray shopping carts, likewise, helps to clear the lot, which in turn reduces everyone's risk of shopping cart dings on their car.....".


Yeah. We started that decades ago. It wasn't for the fitness. More for protection of the car.  We also think it's ridiculous, and we always see someone doing this when at a mall, driving around in circles so they can get closer to the door. Of course, we've parked in the 'back 40', watch them circle, and usually are in the door while they're still driving.


"...Why is everyone a victim? Take personal responsibility for your life..."
28,942 Views
1
Report
Honored Social Butterfly


@retiredtraveler wrote:

"....The habit of picking up stray shopping carts, likewise, helps to clear the lot, which in turn reduces everyone's risk of shopping cart dings on their car.....".


Yeah. We started that decades ago. It wasn't for the fitness. More for protection of the car.  We also think it's ridiculous, and we always see someone doing this when at a mall, driving around in circles so they can get closer to the door. Of course, we've parked in the 'back 40', watch them circle, and usually are in the door while they're still driving.


Good on ya.

 

I'd say this habit, aside from being a 'good citizen' behavior, is unlikely to produce much physical conditioning for a guy who, like you, has never lost it and who continues to workout. But it is an easy way to get exercise if you are someone who has let the years add dress sizes and if you are uncertain what might be a worthwhile life adjustment toward a goal fitness.

 

I does seem silly to spend gas and time on a closer stall. Maybe I should have mentioned that driving immediately to the far edge of the parking lot might save gas money as well as time. I often stride past those who circle around like you say, after having parked my car far away and grabbed a cart. Typically, I do enter the store ahead of them, but I figure my 32" inseam has a little something to do with that.

 

 

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving
29,012 Views
0
Report
Honored Social Butterfly

Here's another tip. Thought about this one while getting in my 4.5 mile walk: eat lots of avocados, bananas and sweet potatoes.

 

Why?

 

Avocados are a 'good' fat and have been shown to lower cholesterol in overweight people. Avocados also have a good amount of fiber, and 20 vitamins, including potassium which helps lower blood pressure. 

 

Bananas are a great source of potassium, which will help you sleep better (and better sleep is key to health). Also they are a good source of fiber, and are high in antioxidants. They are an excellent source of tryptophan, which the body converts to serotonin. As anyone with SADS or depression knows, keeping your serotonin level up is key to emotional stability.

 

Sweet Potatoes are quite possibly the most nutritious vegetable of all. They're high in fiber, low in calories and a terrific source of vitamin A. Vitamin A is linked to anti-aging benefits, cancer prevention and the maintenance of good eyesight. 

 

These three foods, while not magic bullets, can help undo a lot of damage done by less-than-stellar eating habits.

 

 

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving
29,199 Views
9
Report
Honored Social Butterfly

@Epster - Three of my favorite foods! 🙂


Registered on Online Community since 2007!
27,751 Views
6
Report
Honored Social Butterfly


@EveRH wrote:

@Epster - Three of my favorite foods! 🙂


@EveRH Rock on!

 

We started getting serious about consuming these three foods a couple of years back. We eat probably 6 avos a week (splitting them, so 3 each); a banana a day (has helped us both get better sleep); and sweet potatoes at least once a week. 

 

Usually the bananas we eat out of hand, but the avos either accompany poached eggs and hot sauce atop whole wheat bread or poached eggs atop a savory oatmeal (generally fixed with sauteed greens, onion and tomato) for breakfast. Sweet potatoes prepare nicely in a wide variety of ways, however last time I served them (Monday) I tried a new recipe: hassleback sweet potatoes baked with a spicy honey mustard sauce and topped with chopped pecans and parsley. That was pretty special. A lot of times I just steam them: sweet potatoes don't really need anything done to them.

 

🙂

 

 

 

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving
27,782 Views
5
Report
Honored Social Butterfly

@Epster - Sweet potatoes are delicious just baked or steamed plain .. or with a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice!

 

This may sound like an odd combination, but I love diced avocado, diced mango, and finely diced red onion, with a little balsamic vinegar. Also great with fish or shellfish, for the non-vegetarians.


Registered on Online Community since 2007!
27,812 Views
4
Report
Honored Social Butterfly


@EveRH wrote:

@Epster - Sweet potatoes are delicious just baked or steamed plain .. or with a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice!

 

This may sound like an odd combination, but I love diced avocado, diced mango, and finely diced red onion, with a little balsamic vinegar. Also great with fish or shellfish, for the non-vegetarians.


@EveRH Doesn't sound strange at all: I do the same when mangos are in season (can use peaches as well).

 

When our pears were just ripe I made roasted pears and sweet potatoes at least once a week. More than once we ate that as dinner. So yummy. 

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving
27,879 Views
3
Report
Newbie

Another great cool dish is avocados, hearts of palm and papaya with some lime juice and cilantro.  Just had that here in Costa Rica at a health resort and it was great.

 

Here is my tip for healthier living:  To get in all those servings of vegetables, I double, triple, quadruple, whatever the amount of vegetables in a recipe.  If it says 1/4 cup of celery, onions, mushrooms or whatever, why not a full cup?  I do it all the time and nothing has been ruined.  

32,198 Views
0
Report
Honored Social Butterfly

@Epster - I know some people who just don't like vegetables; I feel sorry for them!


Registered on Online Community since 2007!
28,123 Views
1
Report
Honored Social Butterfly


@EveRH wrote:

@Epster - I know some people who just don't like vegetables; I feel sorry for them!


@EveRH I puzzle this question as well. We're not vegetarians --we actually raise 50% of our own meat-- but are conscious about meat consumption. This week alone we enjoyed meatless dinners 3 times.

 

* as of 2 years ago, that's down from raising 99% of our own meat, as we shift gears and prepare for retirement 

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving
28,254 Views
0
Report
Honored Social Butterfly

I've been hoping that the radioactivity in bananas would turn me into a superpower. Has not happened yet. (yes, all bananas are radioactive due to an unstable isotope in the potassium).

 

Image result for radioactive bananas cartoon


"...Why is everyone a victim? Take personal responsibility for your life..."
29,242 Views
1
Report
Honored Social Butterfly


@retiredtraveler wrote:

I've been hoping that the radioactivity in bananas would turn me into a superpower. Has not happened yet. (yes, all bananas are radioactive due to an unstable isotope in the potassium).

 

Image result for radioactive bananas cartoon


Giggling.

 

Yes, this is true. So are bricks. Potatoes. You. Me. The sun. 

 

Still, I'm more concerned about the slight chance of bringing home a tropical spider in a bunch of bananas than the fact that potassium, an essential mineral, contains a low level of radioactivity. 🙂

 

PS Sorry about your bad banana supply, though. My near daily consumption of bananas has turned me into a super power. (Shhh! Don't wake me, I'm dreaming)

 

 

 

 

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving
27,743 Views
0
Report
Honored Social Butterfly

Your daily habits define your health. If you sit most every day, you'll be soft. If you consume too many calories, you'll gain weight. If you want to be healthy and fit, you'll have to devote yourself to that goal.

 

 

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving
29,100 Views
0
Report
Honored Social Butterfly

Tip: Be careful not to fall into the trap of making excuses for when "it's OK" to cheat from a healthy diet. People say, "it's only when I eat out" .. but if you do that 3 or 4 times a week, cheating/eating unhealthy becomes more the rule than the exception.


Registered on Online Community since 2007!
28,848 Views
0
Report
Honored Social Butterfly

Nothing 'exotic'. Just the same advice written countless times. Get enough sleep, eat a healthy, balanced diet, exercise regularly, and keep active in some way that keeps you connected with other people.

   Additional advice is to get regular checkups, and if you have some kind of medical condition, do what you need to treat it.  

  Epster is spot on.... I'm pushing 67, DW is going to turn 65. We're still doing mountain day-hiking at 8-12 miles a day on our trips, biking (not like Epster), walking at least an hour and a half a day, and off to the gym for two hours a day weight lifting and aerobics. We do our own cooking and go out to eat once a week, on Sundays, after we've done a two-hour walk someplace.

   Still plenty of time in the evenings to watch all that Brit TV we watch. Smiley Tongue


"...Why is everyone a victim? Take personal responsibility for your life..."
28,893 Views
0
Report
Social Butterfly

Exercise your mental health to keep it optimistic because it benefits your overall health.

28,856 Views
0
Report
Honored Social Butterfly

Gracious, I've been doing that since I've been back from a much needed hiatus. LOL 🙂

 

We get up hours before the sun and get going; eat low fat, high fiber, low sugar, low salt, fresh, cooked from scratch (and probably raised right here) organic fare; exercise like we mean it every day; think positively; celebrate often; keep learning and keep stretching to be better.

 

We don't compare ourselves to or compete with others (on race day we are only competing with ourselves); we don't worry about what others may think about us; we don't drink more than half a beer a week (Christmas was an exception); we never smoked; we never did drugs; we don't avoid doing something because it seems difficult and we don't let hate live in us.

 

Simple clean living recipe, I think. 

 

The results? Though 3 of 4 parents died from lifestyle diseases, and 6 of 8 siblings have lifestyle diseases, we are so far blessed with perfect health.  

 

 

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving
28,753 Views
0
Report
cancel
Showing results for 
Show  only  | Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
Users
Need to Know

"I downloaded AARP Perks to assist in staying connected and never missing out on a discount!" -LeeshaD341679

AARP Perks

More From AARP