It’s been called both dangerous and harmful, and we’re told we are, as a society, doing way too much of it. And that it can hurt our health in a big way. When you hear these descriptions of sitting – something we all do from infancy all the way through to old age – it’s hard to believe something that seems so, well, harmless is instead so harmful. Since physical inactivity is the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality, responsible for 3.2 million deaths each year, it makes sense that the epidemic of sitting is the new scary. And the fact is that we are doing { Read More }
So This is Why We Can’t Let Go of Our Cell Phones
I’ve been reading a lot lately about how harmful our phones can be to our health. And these articles aren’t referring to the long-debated concerns about radiofrequency radiation and cancer risk. No, this time they’re suggesting a different animal. There’s an increasing body of evidence that suggests the time spent on our smartphones interferes with everything from sleep to self-esteem. And some suggest that putting down your phone may just help you live longer. We all have a phone. And we all want to live longer. The problem is, we can’t all put down our { Read More }
Ten Things Everyone Over 50 Needs to Know About Strokes
I recently found out that a friend of my husband’s had a stroke a few weeks ago. That jolted me, big time. Although we are in this so-called midlife, after all - and I'm fully aware that health risks increase with age - I suppose I don't feel that we're "old enough" for something like this to happen. But that way of thinking is faulty, and this is proof. My husband is hoping to speak to his friend sometime this week, and I’m sure we’ll learn more then. Although his wife has been in touch and assures us that the stroke was “mild,” it’s still worrisome. And in thinking about it, I realized { Read More }
How to Hear Better When Your Hearing Goes South
Pop quiz: What, besides sex and sleep, change with age? “It’s not just sex and sleep that change with age,” wrote Frank Bruni in a recent New York Times article. “It’s supper.” If you’re over 50 there’s no doubt you understand perfectly well what he’s referring to here. Never mind the type of food you prefer. Forget about the popularity of the restaurant. Or its raving reviews. And how important, really, is the restaurant’s lighting, mood or ambience? If it's too noisy, all bets are off. Because there’s no greater appetite-killer than trying to enjoy a meal and a conversation in a { Read More }
Tips for a Better Colonoscopy
“Ooh, I love the way this colonoscopy prep tastes – bring it on!” said no one, ever. Let me reassure you. It’s so common to dread it. In fact, it’s the procedure before the procedure that causes most people – myself included – the most angst. It's hard to find an equivalent of unpleasantness. (All I can think of is going to the dentist times a zillion.) But it’s a necessary evil. A squeaky-clean colon is the best – and only – way to detect colon polyps and colon cancer early, when it’s easiest to treat. Any debris or particle left behind could be covering up or hiding something serious lurking { Read More }
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