Health Benefits of Holidays

We have all heard about how the holidays can wreck our health ... overeating, gaining weight, drinking too much, forgetting to exercise, becoming exhausted or stressed and financial worry.  Knowing all this is enough to make us want to skip the holidays completely.

This is why I was delighted to learn that there are also some health benefits of holidays.  Perhaps we would enjoy this period of time more if we could just focus on the benefits and do what we can to minimize the risks.

Below are some ways you can fully enjoy the health benefits of holidays. 

Giving Really is Better Than Receiving

We all like to get presents.  Did you know that it also makes us feel just as good to give a present as it does to receive one?  In fact, many people feel better when they give someone a gift than when they receive one.  Of course, you do not want to overdo it and add to your financial worries.  However, when we focus on giving and helping others during the holidays, we really will feel better about ourselves.

Give the Gift of an Experience

Not all gifts need to be something that comes in a box or bag.  Why not give the gift of a trip, lessons, an evening at the theater or some other experience gift ... especially if it is something you can share with the recipient?  According to a 2014 Cornell study, people who anticipate an experience are happier than those who purchase an item.

Shopping Burns Calories

Is there any other time of the year when you find yourself walking through shops and malls more than you do during the weeks before Christmas and other gift giving holidays?  You burn between 200 and 300 calories every hour you spend mall walking.  Even if you do not do much shopping, it can help you to get out of the house and do some window shopping.  The holiday decorations and music will lift your spirits and you will burn calories at the same time!

Singing Holiday Songs is Calming

Did you know that singing can reduce your stress hormones and boost your natural oxytocin ... also known as the love hormone?  Singing also slows your breathing in a way similar to what happens when you practice yoga.  Even if you just softly sing along to the music in the grocery store or mall, you will feel good.

Some Holiday Treats are Healthy

As reported in other articles in this blog, one tablespoon of cocoa a day can lower your LDL cholesterol and blood pressure.  It also improves your cognitive function and contributes to a healthy blood flow.

Another treat that can help you is peppermint.  It reduces inflammation in the colon, although the amount in a candy cane may not be enough to accomplish this.  However, just sniffing a candy cane can reduce food cravings and cut the amount of calories you eat!

The Holidays Can Bring Out Feelings of Gratitude

Do you send out holiday notes or cards?  If so, consider mentioning the reasons you feel grateful for the year that has just passed.  People who jot down the reasons they are grateful tend to be more optimistic.  Some studies report that grateful people exercise more and see their doctors less.

Enjoy the Health Benefits of Holidays

Like many other health issues, your attitude can make all the difference.  Focus on the good aspects of the holidays, make sure you eat right, exercise and get plenty of rest.  Enjoy new experiences. Give fun gifts you can afford.  Sing.  Be grateful for anything good in your life.

Do these things and you truly will get the most out of the holidays.

Are you interested in learning more about improving your health as you age or other aspects of retirement planning?  If so, use the tabs or pull down menu at the top of the page to find links to hundreds of additional helpful articles!

You are reading from the blog:  http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com

Photo credit:  Photo of mall taken by author, Deborah-Diane.  All rights reserved.

Source:  "Why Holidays Are Healthier than You Think," Reader's Digest, Dec. 2014/Jan. 2015

How to Cope with Arthritis Pain

It seems that everyone I know in the Baby Boomer age group is dealing with sore knees, painful hands, irritated shoulders or other stiff joints.  Although arthritis may be a common part of the aging process, there is no reason to allow it to define who you are or to let it completely restrict your activities.  With a few modifications, most people can continue to enjoy everything they like to do.

Of course, if you suffer from arthritis and you are feeling stiff and sore, you may not feel like doing much of anything.  This is a poor decision.  Instead, if you want to continue to be active and busy, you need to learn how to cope with arthritis.

How to Cope with Arthritis Pain

While most people with arthritis may experience pain, stiffness and discomfort, there are several things they can do to ease that pain.

* Use the medications your doctor prescribes or suggests.  Your physician may recommend an over-the-counter medication such as a low dose of Tylenol or Aleve.  In more extreme cases, you may need to take a prescription medication.  You may have to try several different medications before you find the one that works best for you.  Don't give up until you find something that eases your discomfort so you can remain active.

*  Experiment with supplements that help some people with arthritis pain.  Among the supplements you may want to try, with your doctor's approval, are glucosamine combined with chondroitin or MSM.  Other people have been helped by taking fish oil, faxseed oil, and/or avocado/soybean oil.  Make sure your doctor knows what you are taking, so nothing you take conflicts with what they prescribe. With your physician's approval, however, you may find something that eases your stiffness.

*  Stay as active as possible.  You will become more flexible and have less pain if you participate in low-impact exercises such as yoga, walking, Tao Chi and water exercises.  Start gradually so you do not do too much too soon.  Make sure you do something for exercise every day.  It is also a good idea to break your exercise up into small pieces.  Strive to get a total of at least 40 minutes of exercise a day, but it can be broken into two or three sessions that are 15 to 20 minutes long.

*  Lose weight.  Each time you lose one pound, you will take four pounds of pressure off your hips, knees and ankles.  This will also help ease your pain.

*  When pain flares up, take time to rest your joints.  Alternating activity with relaxation is the ideal way to help your joints.  However, you do not want to remain inactive for too many days unless you are recovering from surgery or your doctor advises you to rest for a lengthy period of time. Otherwise, resume your activities as soon as possible.

*  Alternate heat and cold when your joints are inflamed.  In addition to taking medication and resting your joints, you may also want to use heating pads or cold packs on your painful joints.  It may also help to take a warm bath.

*  At times, you may want to apply a topical painkiller.  Many people have found temporary relief when they have used creams containing capsaicin on a sore, inflamed joint.

*  Practice relaxation techniques.  Your state-of-mind can have a tremendous effect on your level of pain.  Practice yoga, deep breathing, meditation, aromatherapy, guided imagery, hypnosis or other relaxation techniques to help you learn to be less sensitive to pain.

*  Consider natural treatments such as massage, acupuncture or acupressure. These alternative treatments may help you relax and reduce the pain you are experiencing.

*   See a chiropractor or osteopath if you think your arthritis pain has caused your body to get out of alignment.  Their adjustments can help you feel more comfortable and increase your range of motion.

*  Learn to listen to your body.  You need to recognize the signs of fatigue and be able to identify when you might be putting too much stress on a joint.  This will help you know when you should back off and modify your activity.  For example, if walking on land is too painful at first, you might want to try walking in a swimming pool.  Don't overdo it, though!

*  Modify your activities, as needed.  Finally, you may have to make some small changes to your lifestyle in order to accommodate your arthritis, especially if it is severe.  Depending on where you feel the most pain, you may need to do things such as purchase an electric jar opener, sit on a tall kitchen stool when cooking for any length of time, have your door knobs replaced by levers, or ask for other assistance devices.  You may benefit from a stair lift to help you get up to a second floor bedroom or a comfy chair lift that helps you get back on your feet after sitting.  Don't be embarrassed to ask for help when you need it!

You can also order products online that will help you adapt to your arthritis.  Use this Amazon link to see some of the different products that are available, whether you order them from Amazon or not.  Amazon has everything from special gloves, handy grips, topical medications and much more.  You may discover the perfect solution to a problem that has caused you to restrict your activities.

You can find more information about how to cope with your arthritis from the Arthritis Foundation at arthritis.org.

If you are looking for more health and retirement information, use the tabs or pull down menu at the top of the page to find links to hundreds of additional articles of use to Baby Boomers.

You are reading from the blog:  http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com

Photo credit:  morguefile.com

How to Avoid Poverty for Single Women Retirees

If you are a single women approaching retirement, you are at much higher risk of living in poverty as you age.  Approximately one out of three Baby Boomer women is either divorced or never married.  While they may have managed just fine on their salaries during their working years, the sad truth is that single women over the age of 65 who were never married, or who are divorced or widowed are three times more likely to be living in poverty. 

The statistics are even more dire for minority single women than they are for Caucasian women, although a significant number of single women of all races are impacted.

Poverty Rates for Retired Single Women Over Age 65

Caucasians - 1 out of 6
African-Americans - 1 in 3
Hispanics - 1 in 2

Reasons for High Rate of Poverty for Single Women Retirees

There are a variety of circumstances that contribute to the high poverty rates for single women over the age of 65.

*  Women who live with a spouse benefit from his Social Security benefits and pensions while he is alive.  In addition, they are eligible to receive their own payment that equals about one-half of their husband's Social Security, depending on the wife's age when she begins to collect.  If she becomes widowed, her Social Security benefits will usually be increased to close to what her husband was receiving before he died.  She may also have access to the proceeds of private pensions and investments.  Single women do not have the benefit of receiving as much income from a spouse.  Even if they are divorced and were married over ten years, at most they can only collect half of what their former spouse received in benefits, with no increase if he dies before her.

*  In general, women earn less than men, so the amount they have paid into Social Security and the amount they will collect based on their own earnings is often substantially less.  They are more likely to be in either lower paying or part-time jobs.  If they are unmarried at the time of retirement, their benefits are likely to be much lower than the benefits men receive.

*  Women often spend less time in the workforce because they are frequently expected to drop out periodically to act as caregivers ... either for their children, their parents or other members of their family.  On average, women caregivers take 12 years out of the workforce, which dramatically reduces their lifetime earnings and Social Security benefits.  This can have a devastating effect on retired women, since half of elderly women depend on Social Security as their only source of income.

*  In addition to qualifying for lower Social Security benefits, women also tend to have much less money saved in private retirement accounts and pensions.

*  Women tend to live about 3 to 4 years longer than men, on average, which means their meager savings must last longer.

*  The average man over 65 receives $27,657 a year in income from a combination of Social Security, pensions, dividends and other income; the average women over 65 receives only about $15,323 a year from all income sources.

*  Marriage rates continue to decline, which means the issue of poverty in retirement for single women is likely to continue for generations.  In fact, it is estimated that 25% of young adults will never marry.  When this is added to the number of women who will be divorced or widowed, many young women are likely to face the same situation as the women in the Baby Boomer generation.

Proposed Government Solutions to Reduce Poverty for Single Women Retirees

Currently, no one has come up with a solution to the issue of how to help single, elderly women retirees.  Here are some of the ideas that are being tossed around:

*  Expand Social Security benefits for people over the age of 80 or 85 ... an age group that is primarily female.

*  Change the way Social Security benefits are calculated so that women get credit for those periods of time when they are working as full-time, unpaid caregivers for their children, parents or other family members.

*  Giving everyone either a flat minimum payment or a means-tested minimum benefit, regardless of their marital status or how much they have earned during their working years.

What Women Can Do to Lower Their Own Poverty after Retirement

Many women who are struggling to make ends meet month after month may not be able to do very much to improve their situation.  However, until the government makes changes, there are a few things women should try to do, if possible:

*  Work full-time rather than part-time, for as many years as possible, to increase the amount of Social Security benefits they will receive in the future.

*  Look for jobs with the government or employers who provide a private pension or match contributions to a 401(k).

*  Contribute to an IRA or other pension plan.

*  Delay retirement until age 70 in order to maximize their Social Security benefits.

Other Help for Low Income Retirees

In addition, there are programs available to help low income retirees.  You may be interested in reading my article on this topic:

"Public Assistance for Low Income Retirees"

Source:

"The Next Social Security Crisis: Why American Women are Bearing the Brunt of the Retirement Crunch,"  Time Magazine, August 3, 2015, pg. 48.

If you are interested in more information about financial planning for retirement, where to retire, health issues, family challenges and more, use the tabs or pull down menu at the top of the page to find links to hundreds of additional articles.

Photo credit:  Morguefile.com

Update on the UCI 90+ Study at Laguna Woods Village

During the past few years, I have been following the 90+ Study in which researchers from the University of California in Irvine have studied people who live to age 90 or older.  They refer to them as the Oldest of the Old.

The UCI findings have been fascinating.  The study has been conducted on residents of the retirement community where I live who are over the age of 90.  However, when the project first started, these people were in their 60s.  As a result, the researchers have learned a great deal about this group of people.

Recently, I once again attended a speech by Dr. Claudia Kawas of UCI in which she discussed her major findings.  She and her team of researchers have learned a number of things about the lifestyle choices and genetic makeup of people who manage to live to be 90 years old.  Below you will find data from their website, 90study.org, which summarizes what they have discovered.

Major Findings from the 90+ Study Listed on Their Website

*  People who drank moderate amounts of alcohol and coffee lived longer than those who abstained.  However, as you will see later in this article, living a long life is not the same as having a clear mind and a good quality of life.

*  People who were overweight in their 70s lived longer than normal or underweight people did.  Again, a long life does not mean you will avoid dementia or disability.

*  Over 40% of people who live until they are between 90 and 100 years old will suffer from dementia; almost 80% of the people in this age group are physically disabled.  Both conditions are more common in elderly women than men.

*  About half the people over the age of 90 who have dementia do not have sufficient neuropathology in their brain to explain their cognitive loss.  This means that some people develop dementia, even when an autopsy does not show that there was anything seriously wrong with their brain.

*  People aged 90 and older with an APOE2 gene are less likely to have clinical Alzheimer's dementia, but are much more likely to have Alzheimer's neuropathology in their brains.  In other words, an autopsy may show that their brains have damage that would normally indicate Alzheimer's, but there were no clinical symptoms of the disease while they were alive.

More Findings from the 90+ Study about Dementia

In addition to the items listed above, Dr. Kawas reported a few additional facts about dementia during her recent presentation at Laguna Woods Village.

*  At age 75, there is about a 5% risk of dementia. At age 80, senior citizens have about a 10% risk.  The risk currently doubles approximately every five years.  At age 85, the rate is 20%.  At age 90 and older it is 40%. 

*  While moderate alcohol and caffeine consumption may help you live longer, it does not appear to prevent dementia.  Taking Vitamins E and C did not appear to help, either.  However, physical exercise does seem to "increase the production of a key brain nutrient called brain-derived neurotrophic factor."  Exercise is the only lifestyle choice Dr. Kawas mentions in her website that definitely seems to make a difference in brain function later in life.

increases the production of a key brain nutrient called brain-derived neurotrophic factor - See more at: http://www.mind.uci.edu/research/cutting-edge-alzheimers-research/diet-and-exercise/#sthash.O3ebpG0v.dpuf

increases the production of a key brain nutrient called brain-derived neurotrophic factor - See more at: http://www.mind.uci.edu/research/cutting-edge-alzheimers-research/diet-and-exercise/#sthash.O3ebpG0v.dpuf

increases the production of a key brain nutrient called brain-derived neurotrophic factor - See more at: http://www.mind.uci.edu/research/cutting-edge-alzheimers-research/diet-and-exercise/#sthash.O3ebpG0v.dpuf

*  While many people assume that Alzheimer's Disease is the only cause of dementia, there are actually over 100 different pathologies or symptoms of diseases which appear to cause dementia.  For example, irreversible dementia can also be caused by vascular problems, a stroke, brain injury, sleep apnea, Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease.  As reported above, people can have the Alzheimer's neuropathology in their brain and NOT develop dementia.  If they have the Alzheimer's neuropathology and one additional dementia pathology, they are much more likely to develop dementia symptoms.  If they have the Alzheimer's neuropathology and two additional dementia pathologies (or symptoms of brain diseases), they almost always have dementia symptoms that can be observed while they are alive.

*  On the other hand, approximately 40% of people with dementia have none of the pathologies or disease symptoms which are known to cause dementia.  In these people, the cause of their dementia is unknown!

*  Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia (defined as a decline in memory and cognitive abilities severe enough to interfere with everyday functioning).  Alzheimer's accounts for 70% of cases of dementia.

*  Alzheimer's is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States, often because the patient becomes bedridden and develops pneumonia.

*  One out of nine people age 65 or older and one out of three people age 85 or older are living with Alzheimer's Disease. 

*  Age appears to be the greatest risk for dementia.  No matter what you do, the longer you live, the greater your risk of becoming mentally impaired.
 

How to Learn More About the 90+ Study from UCI

Many of us are going to want to continue to follow the 90+ Study and readers can watch for future reports in this blog about the findings in the coming years.  Here are a few other ways you can learn more and, in some cases, help.

*  You can sign up to participate in a trial at:  TrialMatch.alz.org

*  You can follow the UCI 90+ study and, if you wish, make a donation at:  90study.org

*   You can read more on the background and findings of the UCI study in my article:  The UCI 90+ Study at Laguna Woods Village. 

If you are looking for more information that will benefit you as you age, use the tabs or pull down menu at the top of this page to find links to hundreds of additional articles on medical issues, where to retire, financial planning, family relationships and more.


You are reading from the blog:  http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com

Photo credit:  Photo of Laguna Woods Village taken by author, Deborah-Diane.

People who drank moderate amounts of alcohol or coffee lived longer than those who abstained.

People who were overweight in their 70s lived longer than normal or underweight people did.

Over 40% of people aged 90 and older suffer from dementia while almost 80% are disabled. Both are more common in women than men.

About half of people with dementia over age 90 do not have sufficient neuropathology in their brain to explain their cognitive loss.

People aged 90 and older with an APOE2 gene are less likely to have clinical Alzheimer’s dementia, but are much more likely to have Alzheimer’s neuropathology in their brains.

- See more at: http://www.mind.uci.edu/research/90plus-study/#sthash.Ynp7gWGK.dpuf

People who drank moderate amounts of alcohol or coffee lived longer than those who abstained.

People who were overweight in their 70s lived longer than normal or underweight people did.

Over 40% of people aged 90 and older suffer from dementia while almost 80% are disabled. Both are more common in women than men.

About half of people with dementia over age 90 do not have sufficient neuropathology in their brain to explain their cognitive loss.

People aged 90 and older with an APOE2 gene are less likely to have clinical Alzheimer’s dementia, but are much more likely to have Alzheimer’s neuropathology in their brains.

- See more at: http://www.mind.uci.edu/research/90plus-study/#sthash.Ynp7gWGK.dpuf

People who drank moderate amounts of alcohol or coffee lived longer than those who abstained.

People who were overweight in their 70s lived longer than normal or underweight people did.

Over 40% of people aged 90 and older suffer from dementia while almost 80% are disabled. Both are more common in women than men.

About half of people with dementia over age 90 do not have sufficient neuropathology in their brain to explain their cognitive loss.

People aged 90 and older with an APOE2 gene are less likely to have clinical Alzheimer’s dementia, but are much more likely to have Alzheimer’s neuropathology in their brains.

- See more at: http://www.mind.uci.edu/research/90plus-study/#sthash.Ynp7gWGK.dpuf