Category: Health

  • Nutrition Facts Food Labels Explained

    Making healthy dietary choices can help you feel your best and stay active. It can also help you lower your risk of developing some health conditions that are common among older adults. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has a tool to help you make informed food choices that can have positive effects on…

  • Dental Caregiving

    Early in my dental career, I was the dental advisor for elder care facilities in Honolulu. The most challenging tasks were demonstrations on dental care. Some patients were extraordinarily combative!

  • For Med Safety, Work With Your Pharmacist

    When medications are not properly administered, the result can be harmful — even fatal. Research indicates there is a vital need for people to manage their medications to avoid adverse drug reactions. This is especially true for our kūpuna.

  • Caregivers’ Tips for a Healthy Smile

    Most caregivers know good oral health is important at every age and is a clear indication of their patient’s overall health. Some things caregivers should look for are signs of change in the patient’s mouth. Has there been recent tooth loss, discoloration or dryness? Often, seniors may experience those conditions, which affects how they digest…

  • SEED for the Holidays

    The holiday season is a time of joy, but for many, it’s a challenging time as well. When the body holds too much tension and emotional energy, it can affect the immune system, making a person more prone to illness, as well as depression. And while we all want to enjoy this time, if we’re…

  • Battlefield Acupuncture for Pain

    Chronic pain is a serious problem for many of us, including combat veterans and soldiers. Unfortunately, pain medications, including opioids, often have limited efficacy and may impose adverse effects.

  • Hearing Tips During the Pandemic

    This has been a tough year. Our lives have been disrupted at the least and dramatically changed at the worst by COVID-19. The effects are far-reaching and life-changing for us all — especially for our kūpuna. For those with hearing problems, it’s even more difficult to understand conversation when the speaker is wearing a mask.

  • Stay Independent

    Each year, one in four seniors suffers a fall, leading to injuries and emergency room visits. Although they are preventable, falls can lead to a loss of independence.

  • Regain Your Posture as You Age

    Forty years ago, medical exercise specialists Debbie and Norm Compton met in Hawai‘i and made fitness the key element in both their personal and professional lives. Personal training, stunt work, injuries and their continual quest for excellence compelled them to write Stacking: Your Skeletal Blueprint for Posture. In their book, the Comptons share techniques for…

  • Sugar is Bad for Your Teeth & Mind

    I love sugar! Sugar makes desserts, candies and drinks taste wonderful! The bacteria in our mouth love sugar, too. Eating foods that contains sugar instantly activates bacteria for 20 minutes. As bacteria devour the sugar, their waste is acid. Acid is one of the few things that can destroy your enamel and may contribute to…

  • Virtual Training: Think About It!

    Seniors are less likely to attend community fitness classes and participate in face-to-face networking  due to social distancing mandates put in place for our safety during the pandemic. Enter virtual training!

  • Healthy Smiles Can Prevent Alzheimer’s

    It’s no secret that poor oral health can lead to many overall health issues, such as heart disease, diabetes and other ailments. But studies show poor oral health may also lead to an increased risk of dementia. People who have gum disease for 10 years or more are 70 percent more likely to develop Alzheimer’s…