Category: Health

Actively Aging: Safe Activities for Seniors

Staying physically active as you age is crucial for maintaining overall health and well-being. Regular activity can help improve mobility, sleep and mental health, while reducing the risk of falls and injuries. Here are some beneficial activities: Walking together: Simple and effective, walking around safely with a friend inside or out can boost cardiovascular health.…
Make Good Oral Hygiene a Priority

Older adults can keep their teeth by practicing good oral health habits: brushing twice a day for two minutes with a fluoride toothpaste, flossing daily and visiting a dentist on a regular basis. As we age, we become more susceptible to tooth decay and gum disease, partly due to decreased saliva production. Certain prescription medications…
Harvesting Wellness: Nutrient-Dense Foods

Physical health enables us to lead active lives, with food intake being a primary determinant. The food we consume not only provides us with energy, but also influences our weight, diversity of gut bacteria, immune system strength, inflammation levels and rate of aging. The nutrient density of our produce is an important factor. Studies reveal…
Smile More in Your Retirement

Retirement can open the door to many wonderful experiences — more time with your ‘ohana, an opportunity to try a new hobby, a chance to travel more or maybe just a break to enjoy life at a more relaxed pace. While you enjoy this next chapter of your life, it’s important to maintain good oral…
Top 10 Yoga Benefits for Seniors

Practicing yoga can improve quality of life for seniors. As with any exercise regimen, check with your doctor before beginning yoga for the first time as a senior citizen. ■ Reduce stress: With its combination of low-impact exercises and breathing techniques, yoga can have a relaxing effect on the body and mind, leading to a…
Get Paid to Take a Walk?

A Medicare beneficiary was surprised and thrilled to learn her health plan was interested in tracking activities like walking, volunteering, social activities, annual health checks and even scheduling preventive services. Those behaviors are associated with maintaining a healthy lifestyle and improved health outcomes if illness does strike. She could relay her activities by phone or…
Tune-Up for a High-Performance Life

How can you optimize your life so you can not only live longer, but better? Using an automobile analogy, the better you take care of your car, the better it will perform and the longer it will last. Muscle atrophy is the reduction of muscle mass and fiber size caused by disuse or neurogenic conditions.…
Pain Management for Quality of Life

“I go to bed feeling fine and wake up injured.” It’s abnormal to awaken with pain daily. But many think pain is to be expected as they age or are unfit, so they don’t contact their doctor. If you’re regularly in pain, talk with your doctor about pain management options — especially if you frequently…
Protect Your Smile at Every Age

Healthy smiles are for everyone, at every age. However, no one should take a smile for granted. It takes diligence to maintain strong teeth and healthy gums. Start with a routine of brushing twice a day and flossing daily. These simple tasks go a long way in keeping your teeth and gums healthy. Sometimes it…
Eat Superfoods to Feed Your Brain

It turns out you can feed your mind with food in addition to knowledge. Researchers have found superfoods for the brain that are part of what’s known as the MIND diet—Mediterranean-DASH Diet Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay.