A simple one-legged stand can help strengthen your lower body, ultimately improving your balance and reducing the risk of falls. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
Bad balance is a common cause of dangerous falls, especially among older adults.
Falls send more than 2 million adults to the emergency room every year and often result in lengthy rehab stays.
Preventing falls is a priority for staying healthy and preventing painful broken bones as you age. Easy strength and balance exercises that you can do anytime, anywhere, such as tai chi and yoga, can help you stay steady on your feet.
But first it’s important to know how good (or lacking) your balance is.
Grab a friend or loved one, a sturdy chair and a stopwatch to check your balance with a quick test called the single leg stance. It basically involves standing on one leg. Doctors use it to predict who might be at risk of falling.
Stand barefoot in front of the chair but don’t touch it. Cross your arms. Lift one leg up off the floor and start the timer. As you feel yourself start to sway, immediately steady yourself with the chair and stop the timer.
Here are the average times that indicate good balance when you stand on one leg based on age:
Ages 18-39: 43 seconds for men and women
Ages 40-49: 40 seconds for men and women
Ages 50-59: 36 seconds for women, 38 for men
Ages 60-69: 25 seconds for women, 28 for men
Ages 70-79: 11 seconds for women, 18 for men
Ages 80-99: 7 seconds for women, 5 seconds for men
If you become unsteady before your specific time, talk to your doctor. Illness, medication and even footwear can throw you off balance. Together, you and your doctor can find solutions.
You can improve your balance by practicing the one-leg stance, but as a training exercise, hold onto a chair and don’t let go.
Lift one leg for 15 seconds, rest and repeat three times, then switch legs.
The stronger your lower body, the steadier you’ll be on your feet.
For safety reasons, always have someone with you when trying a balance exercise for the first time. Or consider a group balance class.
Many community centers offer fun fitness programs to help adults prevent falls.
Saving money is important no matter your age or income level, but seniors often find themselves needing a few extra dollars here and there to make retirement work. Fortunately, there are practical ways to stretch a dollar, without breaking the bank.
Downsizing to a smaller home, getting rid of cable television, sharing expenses with friends and taking advantage of senior discounts are all effective ways to save money in retirement.
Downsizing
Larger homes cost more to heat, cool, furnish and repair, which is why downsizing the square footage makes a lot of sense for seniors. Moving to an assisted living community can amplify the cost savings, depending on the circumstances. Specifically, downsizing can reduce gas, electric, insurance, property taxes, and water bills, while minimizing upkeep costs like new carpet and landscaping.
Cut back on cable
Cable television isn’t cheap, especially when you factor in premium channels such as HBO, Showtime, and Cinemax. While it’s fun to have all of the sports and specialty channels, they aren’t always necessary, and they can cost more than $100 a month. Netflix and Hulu are much more cost-effective, allowing seniors to stream content via the Internet on their televisions. Both services combined allow retirees to watch movies and television shows at a fraction of the cost of cable.
Share expenses
Whether it’s carpooling to bingo, the movies or to the store to get groceries, ride sharing among seniors is an effective way to cut down on fuel costs. Transportation isn’t cheap, especially in areas of the country where cities are decentralized, or in the countryside where it takes some time to get back to more populated areas. Thus, lower fuel costs can help seniors. Ride sharing also cuts down on the wear and tear to older adults’ vehicles, extending a car or truck’s useful life and reducing maintenance costs.
Moving into an assisted living facility like Vista Springs can also help seniors spread the cost of entertainment, activities, and medical care among fellow residents, enhancing the quality of life for everyone involved. The costs of independent medical attention, food preparation, and daily entertainment is often-times cost-prohibitive for seniors living alone. Finding ways to share expenses among a group provides new and exciting possibilities for aging adults.
Senior discounts
Movie theaters, fast-food restaurants, fine-dining restaurants and similar establishments typically offer senior discounts at particular times, or on specific days of the week. Taking advantage of these opportunities can yield cost-savings and an active retirement, which is beneficial on multiple levels. The goal of retirement is not to stop spending money, but to enjoy the fruits of one’s labor of many years of working. Senior discounts allow seniors to get out and do more for less, which is positive for everyone in the community.
Seniors living off of a fixed income usually need to be cost-conscious to ensure a comfortable and rewarding retirement. But when you find ways to save money in an efficient, practical and common sense way, older adults can live a fun and enjoyable retirement.
Some of the runners at a previous Kentwood Valentine’s Dash 5K. (WKTV)
By WKTV Staff ken@wktv.org
The City of Kentwood will host its third annual Valentine’s Dash 5K on Saturday, Feb. 8, to benefit Kentwood’s Little Free Pantry, which provides food and personal care items to community members in need, no questions asked.
The city announced today that the 5K run/walk will start and end at the Kent District Library’s Kentwood (Richard L. Root) Branch, located at 4950 Breton Ave. SE. Check-in, on-site registration and packet pick-up will all take place at 9:30 a.m. The race will begin at 11 a.m.
The 5K route will include a combination of trails and roads with mile markers and Valentine’s Day candy stations. Valentine’s-themed costumes are encouraged for the occasion. Fellow participants will vote to determine who is the “best dressed” and awards will also be presented to the fastest runners. While the 5K is intended to be a fun run, it will be chip-timed.
Following the race, participates will be invited into the library’s community room for a party that will include music, snacks, a photo booth, the award ceremony and more.
“We’ve found this race route to be enjoyable for everyone from avid race participants to casual walkers,” Spencer McKellar, race organizer, said in supplied material. “Whether this is your first race or one of many you’ve completed, we think you’ll find our Valentine’s Dash 5K offers enough of a challenge and a lot of fun for a brisk Saturday morning.
“Invite your sweetie, family and friends to dress up and take on the course with you, then stick around for more activities at the after-party.”
Online registration costs $30 until Feb. 7, after which the price will increase to $35 for day-of registration. Participant packets include a long-sleeve shirt “and other goodies.” Runners who sign up as a couple will save $5 each.
If participants bring a non-perishable item or additional monetary donation for the pantry, they will be entered to win a special door prize.
The Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department is seeking volunteers to assist with the event. Those interested can sign up online.
“Signs, Signs, Everywhere there’s signs. Blocking out the scenery. Breaking my mind. Do this! Don’t do that! Can’t you read the signs?”
Five Man Electrical Band
Can you see this scene from “Rocky” and not hear the music in your head? Didn’t think so. (Promotional)
Fun music on a cold night
Stop and think about one of your favorite movies – it won’t be long before you start humming a few bars from the musical score. That’s the power of music in movies. Grand Rapids Pops says a big “Hooray for Hollywood” with Hollywood Hits with music from blockbuster films as Gone with the Wind, Ben Hur, Dr. Zhivago, The Way We Were and Rocky on Friday Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 17-19, in DeVos Performance Hall. Go here for the story.
No longer a death sentence
Currently, thanks to better screening and treatment, more than 17 million Americans who had cancer remain alive, the American Cancer Society says in a report. While this is good news, more good news may be coming. Go here for the story.
WKTV Journal In Focus’s audio only podcast of a Community Conversation on Homelessness featured Kentwood City Commissioner and community advocate Emily Bridson moderating along with Marshall Kilgore and, from left, panelists Hillary Scholten and Bo Torres. (WKTV)
Local immigration discussion
On the latest episode of WKTV Journal’s In Focus series of podcasts, immigration is the topic of speakers including City of Kentwood Commissioner Emily Bridson; Marshall Kilgore, Western Michigan Director for United Precinct Delegates; Hillary Scholten, candidate for the U.S. 3rd Congressional District; and Bo Torres, a Hispanic community leader. Go here for the story.
Fun fact:
7 percent and 1-in-12
Nearly 7 percent of Michigan residents are immigrants, while almost 1 in 12 residents is a native-born U.S. citizen with at least one immigrant parent. Source.
Dry beans, including black beans, are a staple in many Latin American cultures and many cultures around the world. If you have spent any time traveling in Latin America or the Caribbean, you know beans in some form are served at almost every meal. Beans are a great source of inexpensive protein and dry beans store well for a long period of time.
Just as a point of interest, rice and beans and beans and rice are two very different dishes, with the latter being more preferred. Rice and beans are a one pot dish, usually white rice and kidney beans cooked together with onions, garlic, maybe a few other spices and a little coconut oil. Beans and rice, on the other hand, are beans that are slowly stewed with onions, garlic and other spices, maybe even a pork hock for flavor. I like to add cumin, bay leaves and some Marie Sharp’s Habanero Pepper Sauce. This combination creates a delicious sauce to be eaten over a bed of rice.
I have been experimenting with several bean recipes as my son prefers beans to meat and will eat beans and rice every day if I let him. Black beans are by far our household favorite.
Fun facts about black beans
Black beans are botanically known as Phaseolus vulgaris.
Beans and legumes are the fruits or seeds of a family of plants called Fabaceae (also called Leguminosae).
Black beans have several common names including turtle beans, caviar criollo and frijoles negros.
These beans were and still are a staple food in the diets of Central and South Americans, dating back at least 7,000 years.
Black beans have a satiny black skin (technically dark purple) and a white center.
When cooked, the beans have a creamy texture and slightly sweet flavor.
Black beans are an excellent low-calorie, low-fat source of energy and fiber.
One half-cup serving of black beans gives you 8 grams of protein.
Aside from meat products, dry beans are the highest source of protein
available.
Dry beans have more fiber than any other unprocessed food at 15 grams per cup.
One cup of cooked black beans contains less than 1 gram of fat and only 227 calories.
Black beans are also a great source of folic acid, magnesium, potassium and iron.
Adding black beans to your breakfast food will also help your mood
because it helps to stabilize your blood sugar. This means that
including beans in your breakfast or lunch can help prevent that
mid-afternoon slump.
Michigan is the leading producer of black beans, with 58% of the nation’s total production.
Michigan’s Thumb counties, known for its rich farmland, produces more beans than any other place in the state.
Huron County is one of the top dry bean-producing counties in the nation.
Mexico is Michigan’s largest export market for dry beans, especially black beans.
Recipe for Black Beans and Rice
I was recently at a Cuban restaurant in Key West. They serve black beans and rice called Moros y Cristianos, translated literally to Moors and Christians. It is presumed the dish gets its name from the time when the Moors occupied the Iberian Peninsula. The black beans represent the Moors and the white rice represents the Christians.
This flavorful bean and rice dish, representative of Spanish occupation, is popular in Cuba. Every Cuban cook has their own version of the recipe. I’m not Cuban, but here is my version.
Ingredients
½ pound dry black beans cooked with 6 cups of water for 6 minutes in
pressure cooker. One option is to use 3 cups water and 3 cups chicken
broth.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, cut into ½ inch pieces
4 large garlic cloves, chopped (or 1½ teaspoons garlic powder)
1 tablespoon cumin
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon ketchup or tomato paste
1 tablespoon Marie Sharp’s Habanero Pepper Sauce (now readily available in the U.S.)
Directions
Heat oil in heavy, large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, bell
pepper, garlic and sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 5
minutes. Add 1 cup of beans to pan. Using back of fork, mash beans
coarsely.
In a crock pot, add bean and vegetable mixture along with remaining beans, the water/broth from cooking, cumin, bay leaves, tomato paste and pepper sauce. I leave the cover off or slightly ajar as the beans thicken and flavors blend, stirring occasionally.
Season beans to taste with salt and pepper. Serve over white rice and enjoy.
By understanding the implications of both numbers in a blood pressure reading, you may gain more understanding of your risk for heart disease and stroke. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
When it comes to blood pressure readings, the “top” number seems to grab all the attention.
But a large, new study confirms that both numbers are, in fact, critical in determining the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Blood pressure measurements are given as a “top” and “bottom” number. The first reflects systolic blood pressure, the amount of pressure in the arteries as the heart contracts. The second reflects diastolic blood pressure, the pressure in the arteries between heart muscle contractions.
For years, systolic blood pressure has been seen as the one that really matters. That’s based on studies—including the famous Framingham Heart Study—showing that high systolic blood pressure is a stronger predictor of heart disease and stroke.
At the same time, though, doctors measure both systolic and diastolic blood pressure—and treatment guidelines are based on both. So just how important is that diastolic number?
“The idea behind this new study was to address the confusion,” said lead researcher Dr. Alexander Flint, an investigator with Kaiser Permanente Northern California’s division of research.
Using medical records from 1.3 million patients, his team confirmed that, yes, high systolic blood pressure was a stronger risk factor for heart attack and stroke.
But those risks also climbed in tandem with diastolic pressure. And people with normal systolic readings were still at risk if their diastolic pressure was high.
“There’s been a common belief that systolic blood pressure is the only one that matters,” Flint said. “But diastolic definitely matters.”
He and his colleagues reported the findings in a recent issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
The definition of high blood pressure has gotten a revamp in recent years. Guidelines issued in 2017 by the American College of Cardiology and other heart groups lowered the threshold for diagnosing the condition—from the traditional 140/90 mm Hg to 130/80.
The fact that treatment guidelines include a diastolic pressure threshold implies that it’s important.
And indeed it is, said Dr. Karol Watson, a member of the ACC’s prevention section and leadership council.
In fact, she said, doctors once thought that diastolic blood pressure was the more important one, based on research at the time. Then came the studies showing that systolic pressure was generally a better predictor of people’s risk of heart disease and stroke.
In addition, Watson said, high systolic blood pressure is more prevalent, because of natural changes in blood pressure as people age.
“As we get older, systolic blood pressure keeps marching up,” she explained. Diastolic blood pressure, on the other hand, generally peaks when people are in their 40s to 60s—and then it declines.
But it’s clear, Watson said, that while systolic and diastolic blood pressure are different they both deserve attention.
In the latest study, cardiovascular risks rose with each “unit increase” in systolic pressure above 140, by about 18% on average. Meanwhile, each increase in diastolic blood pressure above 90 was tied to a 6% increase in heart disease and stroke risk.
The researchers saw a similar pattern when they looked at blood pressure increases above the 130/80 threshold. That, Flint said, supports the 2017 guideline shift.
The findings are based on over 1.3 million patients in the Kaiser Permanente health system who had roughly 36.8 million blood pressure readings taken from 2007 through 2016. Over eight years, more than 44,000 patients had a heart attack or stroke.
According to Flint, it’s the largest study of its kind to date.
The bottom line for patients, Watson said, is that they should care about both blood pressure numbers.
In her experience, she noted, patients often point to the number that’s in the normal range and say, “But look how good this is.”
Flint agreed, saying that no one should “ignore” the diastolic number.
“It’s important not only in blood pressure treatment, but on the side of diagnosis, too,” he said.
As caregivers and clinicians navigate the various phases of cancer survivorship, it spotlights the ever-present need for resources that optimize care. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
More Americans are surviving cancer and their numbers could top 22 million in another decade, the American Cancer Society says.
Currently, thanks to better screening and treatment, more than 17 million Americans who had cancer remain alive, the society said in a report.
While this is good news, it comes with a cautionary note.
Cancer survivors often have long-term difficulties. Many must also overcome barriers to get the treatments they need, the researchers said.
“People with a history of cancer have unique medical, psychosocial and economic needs that require proactive assessment and management by health care providers,” said report co-author Robin Yabroff. She’s senior scientific director of health services research for the cancer society.
“Although there are growing numbers of tools that can assist patients, caregivers and clinicians in navigating the various phases of cancer survivorship, further evidence-based resources are needed to optimize care,” Yabroff said in a society news release.
The report estimated that 8 million men and nearly 9 million women have a history of cancer.
Among the survivors, 68% had their cancer diagnosed five or more years ago and 18% at least 20 years ago.
Also, while nearly two-thirds of survivors are 65 or older, nearly 66,000 survivors are 14 and younger. Close to 48,000 are 15 to 19 years old.
Because of the growing and aging population, survivorship is increasing even though the number of women who develop cancer remains stable and the number of men with cancer declines, the researchers found.
The most common cancers among men are prostate, colon cancer and melanoma. Among women they are breast, uterine and colon cancer.
The report was published in the journal CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.
Researchers found that women following a low-fat diet reduced their overall calories, changed their cooking methods and reduced portion sizes of meat and dairy products. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
Health experts have long touted the benefits of a low-fat diet for preventing heart disease, but now a large study suggests it might do the same against breast cancer.
Researchers found that eating low-fat foods reduced a woman’s risk of dying from breast cancer by 21%. What’s more, the women on low-fat diets also cut their risk of dying from any cause by 15%.
“This is the only study providing randomized controlled trial evidence that a dietary intervention can reduce women’s risk of death from breast cancer,” said study author Dr. Rowan Chlebowski.
He is from the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance, Calif.
Diet has long been suspected to be a factor in cancer.
Obesity has been linked to 12 different types of cancers, including postmenopausal breast cancer, according to the American Institute for Cancer Research. And, a diet full of healthy foods, such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes is thought to help protect against cancer.
Chlebowski noted that previous studies have shown a higher cancer incidence in countries where people tend to eat more fat.
The latest study looked at the effect a low-fat diet might have on the incidence of breast cancer and death.
Nearly 49,000 postmenopausal women from 40 centers across the United States were included in the study. The women were between the ages of 50 and 79 and had no history of previous breast cancer.
Eighty percent of the women were white, which Chlebowski said matched the population when the study began.
Between 1993 and 1998, the women were randomly assigned to one of two dietary groups. One group was assigned to a normal diet. This diet had about 32% of their calories from fat. The low-fat group had a target of 20% or less of calories from fat.
Chlebowski said the low-fat diet was close in content to the Dietary Approaches to Stopping Hypertension diet, or DASH diet. This emphasizes eating vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grains, while avoiding high-fat meats and dairy products, according to the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
The low-fat group lost a modest amount of weight. Chlebowski said there was about a 3% difference in weight between the groups. He said the researchers factored the weight difference into their calculations and that weight alone didn’t affect the risk of death.
Women in the low-fat group adhered to the diet for about 8.5 years and both groups were followed for an average of nearly 20 years.
The women in the low-fat group weren’t able to achieve the 20%-or-less target for fat, but they did manage around 25%, according to the researchers. And they did increase their intake of fruits, vegetables and grains.
“The diet was more moderate than originally planned. But we saw a diet of 25% to 27% fat is largely achievable,” Chlebowski said.
He said the researchers don’t know if any individual components of the diet were more important than others, but they hope further study will tease that out.
In the meantime, Chlebowski said he thinks the message should be one of dietary moderation rather than looking for any one particular food or food group.
He said the women in the low-fat study group reduced their overall calories, changed their cooking methods and reduced their portions of meat and dairy products.
The findings are to be presented soon at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting in Chicago. Findings presented at meetings are typically viewed as preliminary until they’ve been published in a peer-reviewed journal.
ASCO breast cancer expert Dr. Lidia Schapira, from Stanford University, noted that this study shows “what we put on the plate matters. It’s worth coaching and pushing patients to put more fruits and vegetables on their plates.”
She added that even when women didn’t reach the more stringent dietary fat goal of 20%, they still showed a health advantage from trying to reduce the fat in their diets.
Dr. Monica Bertagnolli, president of ASCO, said these findings were “really, really striking.”
She noted, “This was not an incredibly restrictive diet. People were able to adhere to it pretty well.”
And yet, the incidence of breast cancer went down by 8% in the women on low-fat diets.
“They were getting fewer breast cancers and even when they did get breast cancer, their death rate was reduced,” Bertagnolli said.
Craving something sweet? It may be tempting to gobble up old favorites like candy, chocolate, cookies and cupcakes.
But where does that get you? Lots of calories. Refined sugar. Virtually no nutritional value.
As an alternative, it may be time for you to consider one of nature’s sweet treats: dates.
Along with its caramel-like sweetness, this delectable fruit delivers a healthy dose of antioxidants, fiber, potassium, magnesium, vitamin B6, plant-based iron and an array of other vitamins and minerals.
And it’s hard to go wrong with a natural food.
“There are a multitude of naturally delicious fresh and dried fruits, such as dates, that provide sweetness with fiber, lowering the glycemic load impact,” Spectrum Health dietitian Caren Dobreff said.
Dates vary by size and weight, so the nutrient information can vary widely. Larger dates can weigh up to 24 grams—and pack about half a gram of protein and just under 1.6 grams of fiber. Smaller dates can weigh about 8 grams and provide 6 grams of carbohydrate, 5 grams of natural sugars and less than 1 gram of fiber.
Dobreff said those smaller dates may be a better fit for those needing to watch their daily total sugar intake, even if it is natural sugar.
Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat
Dates work as a sweet treat on their own, but there are many ways to incorporate them into your cooking and baking, Dobreff said.
“We take a recipe and we give it some interest and a little bit of sweetness, but not off the charts,” she said.
Eliminating refined sugars and replacing them with natural sugar, as found in dates, can help you recalibrate your taste buds to what nature intended for sweetness.
“I want people to have a real idea of what sweet is supposed to taste like,” Dobreff said. “All the added sugars, syrups and artificial sweeteners have given us an unrealistic idea of what sweet is supposed to be like.”
When using dates, Dobreff recommends using the whole date as opposed to products such as date sugar, which is made from dehydrated dates ground into a granulated sugar, or date syrup, which is made by boiling the dates and reducing the liquid to a honey-like consistency.
“The whole food is going to have higher fiber content, which is incredibly important when it comes to regulating your blood sugar level,” Dobreff said. “Added sugars and syrups have virtually no fiber, which has a stronger impact on our blood glucose level.
“And, as we all know, what goes up must come down—and then we have a sugar crash.”
Here are Dobreff’s tips for incorporating dates into your diet:
Use them in baking to replace chocolate chips or candies. If you’re making homemade protein bars or energy bites, add dates for something different.
Add dates to a leafy green salad or to a whole grain salad, such as farro or quinoa.
For a finger-food snack, cut the date open butterfly-style and put peanut butter or almond butter inside. Kids love this one.
Chop them and add them to roasted vegetables such as Brussels sprouts, tossed in balsamic vinegar. “It makes for a wonderful, healthy comfort food,” Dobreff said.
Instead of raisins, add chopped dates to your hot cereal or oatmeal. Go a step further and add apples and cinnamon.
Try these recipes from Spectrum Health’s culinary medicine classes: coconut pecan date rolls and roasted cauliflower salad with dates and golden raisins.
Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat
When shopping in the grocery store, you’ll find dates in the baking or produce section near the dried fruits and nuts. They’re usually offered as organic, too, if you desire.
Remember to remove the pits when you prepare them, Dobreff said.
Dates are a great way we can add nature’s sweetness to our cooking, all while avoiding refined sugars.
“I am hoping that people will think more about, ‘How can I make this dish taste good and use more of a whole food natural ingredient?’” Dobreff said.
As people age, things change in many aspects of their lives. It might be the loss of social interaction with dear friends and relatives who move to other states for a lower cost of living and warmer climates. Friends and family may move, and it is important to be supportive, but it’s still painful emotionally. When other friends or relatives pass away, this creates new painful feelings of loss.
The importance of connection
Most aging adults benefit greatly from being in diverse and exciting social communities that offer a variety of social gatherings and physical activities such as low and medium impact exercise classes, swimming activities, as well as a range of motion chair exercises to upbeat music. And according to exciting research from AARP and Harvard Health Publications, regular exercise changes the brain to improve memory and thinking skills.
Groundbreaking brain research
This exciting research highlights one of the many positive reasons why this happens with seniors. Researchers found that regular aerobic exercise that increases your heart rate and stimulates your sweat glands appears to boost the size of the hippocampus, which is the brain area involved in verbal memory and learning. The lead research mentioned another interesting point involving brain fog that affects many aging adults. With these types of exercises, the brain fog goes away. That is amazing.
Unfortunately, resistance training, balance and muscle toning exercises did not have the same results, but they are still important forms of exercise for other reasons such as an increase in strength, firmness, and stability with balance affecting your legs and feet.
In assisted living communities, you will not be on your own to attempt to figure out and structure a workout plan. That is taken care of since the community has professional trainers there to guide, train, and supervise your activities. They are highly skilled and experienced in dealing with seniors, by keeping a watchful eye on your activities, it will help to keep you from overdoing things. Also, this certainly beats the fees charged by fitness centers and gyms.
Aging adults can thrive in assisted living communities versus aging in place and living alone at home. Even seniors who live alone in a new home face the same issues with isolation, security issues, and in some cases driving restrictions apply due to medical, or vision problems.
Seemingly endless possibilities
In assisted living communities like Vista Springs, there are plenty of opportunities to meet new and vibrant people who share your interests and tastes whether it’s playing pool, poker, movies, jazz, dancing, or even learning a new computer language.
School is back in session, and if your child has had his or her annual checkup, their doctor might have talked to you about the importance of kids and adults obtaining the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.
The HPV vaccine can prevent genital warts and penile cancer in men; cancer of the cervix, vagina and vulva in women; and anal and throat cancer in both men and women.
The HPV vaccine keeps the body from becoming a carrier even if a person is exposed to the virus through sexual contact.
A patient of mine I’ll call Deb recently went through some fairly intense testing to rule out cervical cancer, and it was very stressful for her.
She came to see me for her annual exam and Pap smear, and she had experienced abnormal Paps in the past. She even had to have a colposcopy to make sure she didn’t have cervical cancer. Fortunately, Deb did not have cancer, but she wanted to make sure her kids wouldn’t have to endure the same procedures and worries she endured.
I recommended the HPV vaccine to give her some reassurance for her children.
The HPV vaccine is available in three different brands, each covering two, four or nine different types of the virus. The vaccine is given in three doses within a 24-week period. It can be given to both boys and girls and it has been shown to be safe and effective for females and males between the ages of 11 and 29.
The vaccine can also be given even if the person already has the HPV virus, because it can protect against other types of viruses as well. The optimal range for girls and boys to receive the first shot is between the ages of 11 and 12, because the immune response is better the earlier it is given. In addition, whether or not we like to think about it, kids often have sex before we suspect they do.
In countries where vaccines are more mandated, the HPV vaccine rate is approximately 80 percent. In the U.S. the rate is 54 percent for the first shot and only 33 percent for all three shots. The higher the rate of vaccination, the fewer the women who will develop cervical cancer.
Bottom line: Get your kids vaccinated.
So, why is our vaccination rate so low compared to other countries? In a survey, parents gave the following reasons for choosing not to get their kids vaccinated against HPV:
They think the vaccine is unnecessary.
They think the vaccine is ineffective.
They think the vaccine is unsafe.
They don’t understand the details of the HPV vaccine.
They don’t think their children would have sex that young.
Health care providers know the vaccine is safe, effective and necessary—and they know that parents need to learn more about the vaccine and appreciate the reality that some children will have sex at a young age. There is excellent information available to support the decision to vaccinate kids early.
I am happy that Deb trusted me and was willing to consider the vaccine to reduce her daughter’s chance of having abnormal Pap smears in the future.
Even if the shot has been given, it is still important to screen for HPV and abnormal cells on the cervix. Pap smears should be started at age 21 and performed every three years after that.
I follow the recommended guidelines to start co-testing of the Pap and HPV at age 30; if the results are negative, repeat the test every three years. If there are abnormal cells present, the next step is to do a colposcopy, where we look at the cervix with a telescope and take a biopsy of the cervix.
Of course, there are several other ways to prevent the HPV virus, and I told Deb to give the following advice to her children:
Do not smoke.
Use a condom every time.
Delay sex until after age 15.
Deb appreciated the information I shared with her and scheduled
appointments for her kids to get their vaccines during their checkups.
As a gynecologist who has had to perform hysterectomies on many women because of cervical cancer, I’m very happy that Deb made the choice to have her kids vaccinated.
Bad eating habits begin at a young age in American children, a new study finds.
Researchers analyzed data from more than 1,200 babies (aged 6 to 11 months) and toddlers (12 to 23 months) between 2011 and 2016.
They found that 61% of babies and 98% of toddlers consumed added sugars in their typical daily diet, mainly in flavored yogurt and fruit drinks.
Infants consumed about 1 teaspoon of added sugars daily (about 2% of their daily calorie intake) and toddlers consumed about 6 teaspoons (about 8% of their daily calories).
The main sources of added sugar for infants were yogurt, snacks and sweet bakery products. For toddlers, the top sources were fruit drinks, sweet baked products and candy.
Asian toddlers consumed the fewest added sugars (3.7 teaspoons) and blacks the most (8.2 teaspoons).
The study was published online recently in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
“This has important public health implications since previous research has shown that eating patterns established early in life shape later eating patterns,” lead investigator Kirsten Herrick said in a journal news release. She’s a researcher with the Division of Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The findings did bring some good news: The percentage of babies and toddlers whose daily diets include added sugars declined, as did the amounts they consumed.
But consumption of added sugars remains high among young children.
Herrick noted that a previous study found that 6-year-olds who had consumed any sugar-sweetened drink before their first birthday were more than twice as likely to drink such beverages every day than those who had not.
“Previous research into the diets of children over 2 years old associated sugar consumption with the development of cavities, asthma, obesity, elevated blood pressure and altered lipid profiles,” Herrick said.
Only one U.S. health organization—the American Heart Association—offers guidelines on sugar consumption for children under age 2, researchers noted.
“Our study’s findings about infant and toddler diets should raise awareness among health organizations and practitioners and inform future guidelines and recommendations,” Herrick said.
She advised parents to be cautious about added sugars in the foods they give babies when weaning them.
Parents should talk to a health care provider about which solid foods to introduce, and check the nutrition information on food labels.
We’ve all seen, heard, or perhaps even dreamed about the picture-perfect retirement: sunny skies, warm nights, brunch in the morning, cocktails in the evening. For retirement-aged adults after World War II, relocation to destination retirements was made possible by the additional savings that Medicare allowed on top of Social Security a few decades earlier. Add on the pensions from employer loyalty, and it’s easy to see why “the good life” picture of retirement was popular. Nowadays, aging adults may not have the means for the retirement life that existed in the ’60s, but staying in your state doesn’t mean settling for second best. Here’s why:
Memories keep you sharp and happy
A study from the University of Pennsylvania in 2013 reported that being in a place associated with a particular memory allows people to recall that memory more clearly. For example, think about how you might feel around your old neighborhood, or at an orchard that your family went to every year. This relationship between spatial and episodic memory means that being in a place with rich memory associations exercises your hippocampus, strengthening the brain’s ability to remember more for longer. While making new memories in a new place can be fun and exciting, there’s more to staying in your state for retirement than comfort and nostalgia. If you’re worried about memory loss as you age, familiar places can help you stay sharp.
Family, friends, networks, support
While life can carry us and our families and friends anywhere, chances are that wherever you are, you have a network of loved ones, work relationships, acquaintances, and connections. The benefits of having established relationships with the people around us are pretty obvious, as staying social in retirement can aid memory, keep you active, and entertain, but there are other ways that keeping your network into retirement can make your life easier.
More and more retirees are choosing to continue working in some capacity for longer. While the idea of working past retirement may make you cringe, part-time work, consultancy, and even entrepreneurship can help give life focus and increase self-sufficiency for aging adults. And even after you’ve retired from your career, your network of friends, business contacts, and coworkers can help you find the right gig in a market where half of all available jobs are never posted.
Staying near family and friends also means having support, no matter what. Your network can help with little, everyday things, like getting a ride to the doctor’s office, or watering your plants when you take a vacation. It’s possible to make new connections after a move for retirement, but nurturing existing relationships is usually easier, more fun, and more relaxing.
Smaller moves, less stress
We’ve explored before how choosing assisted living Michigan communities can enrich retirement life, and when the community is close to home, it’s so much easier. A short distance move is more affordable and less stressful than packing up and moving to a different state. Not only is moving easier, but staying in your state means no difficulty making arrangements for cars, personal IDs, insurance, and more. You may ask yourself, “Why relocate to assisted living near me when I can just stay in my home?” Aging in place is becoming a popular option for many retirees, and it may be right for you, but there are many considerations to take into account: check out our comparison here.
As another cold winter approaches, you may be dreaming of a warm-weather retirement, but there’s so much more to staying in Michigan than meets the eye. Like a cozy blanket and a hot drink on a snowy night, there’s comfort and joy in staying in your state for retirement.
Intermittent fasting—the fancy term for going up to 14 or 16 hours without eating anything—is all the rage these days.
Dietitians and their celebrity clients are touting it as the latest and greatest weight-loss tool.
And there’s been some promising evidence that the approach may even lower the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, one of the most serious chronic illnesses in the world.
Researchers who have linked intermittent fasting to improved sensitivity to insulin also recently discovered it might lower pancreatic fat in rats. And that may reduce the odds of developing diabetes.
In a small study of humans with pre-diabetes, participants who ate from the hours of 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. saw significant improvements in their insulin sensitivity and blood pressure.
But don’t approach intermittent fasting without some measure of caution.
Kristi Veltkamp, MS, RD, outpatient dietitian at Spectrum Health Blodgett Hospital, said it makes sense to take intermittent fasting with a healthy sprinkling of skepticism, especially when it comes to its relationship to diabetes prevention.
“Some people do lose weight when they try this style of eating,” she said. “And the No. 1 way we know to prevent diabetes is by losing weight.”
Even shedding as little as 5 to 10% of your body weight can reduce the risk of diabetes by 58%.
“So this type of eating may be helpful because people are losing weight,” she said. “But that doesn’t mean intermittent fasting gets the credit. From that perspective, any weight-loss method can be said to lower diabetes risk.”
The strict timing of meals can have a significant downside for some people.
“Often, they get so hungry that they overeat during their eight-hour window, sometimes making poor food choices,” Veltkamp said.
For others, it’s just not convenient, especially if they are trying to eat meals as a family.
Most people consume the last meal of the day in the evening, not by 3 p.m.
“By all means, experiment,” she said. “For example, often people are surprised to discover that they feel better eating breakfast later in the day.”
But until more conclusive data emerges, pay close attention to the guidelines already proven to prevent diabetes.
5 proven ways to keep diabetes at bay:
1. Eat the Mediterranean way
If you haven’t already experimented with a Mediterranean diet, now’s the time. Eating meals with plenty of fish, vegetables, whole grains and olive oil has been linked to an 83% lower chance of developing diabetes.
2. Nix the nighttime snacks
Even if you never try intermittent fasting, those evening snacks—often scarfed down in front of the TV—can sabotage any healthy diet. Once you’ve left the dinner table, try to stop eating for the evening.
3. Pay attention to protein
Veltkamp recommends including some protein in every meal and snack. This includes dairy, nuts or cheese. “It keeps people full longer and helps with cravings,” she said.
4. Quit bashing carbs
While processed foods, soft drinks and white sugar cause rapid ups and downs in glucose levels, Veltkamp worries that too many people vilify all carbohydrates.
Whole grains and fruits are a healthy part of every diet, she said.
“Sugar isn’t all bad,” Veltkamp said. “I’ve yet to have to tell a patient that they’re eating too many apples.”
5. Strive for flexibility
Finally, when you’re looking for a lifetime approach to healthy eating, it’s smart to be gentle with yourself.
While all-or-nothing diets may be the craze—from the Keto plan to Whole 30—she advocates a much more forgiving approach, with an 80/20 rule.
Strive for solid, sensible meals 80% of the time, then relax with the remaining 20% of meals.
Rob Buitendorp didn’t worry much about the little lump he found on his neck, behind his right ear.
It didn’t hurt, didn’t get in the way. He had no problems swallowing or speaking.
But he had a doctor’s appointment in three weeks, so he decided to ask about it then.
He is so glad he did.
Buitendorp, a 73-year-old retired insurance adjuster, is one of the growing number of people diagnosed with HPV-related throat cancer. And thanks to his quick reaction, he benefited from early detection and treatment.
“If the cancer is detected early, then patients are more likely to have a choice of effective cancer treatments,” said Thomas O’Toole, MD, a Spectrum Health head and neck surgical oncologist.
It is the most common HPV-associated cancer in the U.S.—more common even than cervical cancer. But the lack of awareness about the disease hampers efforts to combat it.
“This is an epidemic,” Dr. O’Toole said. “It can happen to basically anybody and it’s the scariest thing. It really strikes middle-aged healthy people out of the blue.”
Photo by Chris Clark, Spectrum Health Beat
Early detection is key to surviving—or suffering fewer physical effects. But the earliest signs often go unrecognized by patients and, sometimes, even by doctors, Dr. O’Toole said.
The most common early symptom patients notice is a painless bump on the neck. A sore throat is the second most common sign. Too often, people wait months, hoping the problem will go away, before they seek medical care.
“If you have a bump on your neck and it’s been there for more than two weeks, you should go to your doctor, even if you don’t feel any other symptoms,” Dr. O’Toole said. “The quicker we get a diagnosis, the quicker you can get treatment, which is important in terms of improving patients’ survival.”
He recommends the HPV vaccine to prevent the cancer from occurring.
The Food and Drug Administration initially approved the vaccine for youths age 9 to 26 years. But in October 2018, it expanded the approved use of the vaccine to include men and women age 27 to 45 years.
“Because HPV-related cancers may develop decades after exposure to the virus, it may be a while before we see the impact of the vaccine on the incidence of oropharynx cancer,” Dr. O’Toole said.
Cancer rates on the rise
In the 1980s, the medical community began identifying problems with throat cancers related to the human papillomavirus, or HPV.
As smoking became less popular, the incidence of most head and neck cancers declined, as expected. But one form began to show up more often—cancer of the oropharynx.
If you open your mouth and look in a mirror, you see much of oropharynx at the back of your throat. It includes the tonsils, the base of the tongue, soft palate and the back wall of the swallowing passage.
Long before Buitendorp’s diagnosis, lab analysis of oropharynx cancers began to find evidence of a virus in the tumors. They identified HPV in 15 to 20 percent of tumors in the 1980s, and in 80 percent of tumors by 2004.
Photo by Chris Clark, Spectrum Health Beat
HPV viruses, which can be sexually transmitted, are common and doctors believe many people have been exposed to them.
“It’s only rare that people end up with cancer from it. It’s something we don’t fully understand—who’s going to develop cancer,” Dr. O’Toole said.
Treatments for cancer of the oropharynx include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.
“We try to identify what we think is going to be the most effective treatment for the patient with the fewest side effects,” Dr. O’Toole said.
To reduce delays in diagnosis of throat cancer, the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery has developed a clinical practice guideline for evaluation of adult patients with a neck mass, Dr. O’Toole said.
“They recommend that when adult patients have a neck mass for more than two weeks or of uncertain duration without signs of infection, there should be an examination of the upper aerodigestive tract, including the oropharynx and larynx,” he said. “This usually will require referral to an otolaryngologist.
“Dr. O’Toole’s office called and said this is something that should be seen immediately.”
Bob Buitendorp
When Buitendorp’s internist looked at the lump on his neck in February 2018, he recommended seeing an otolaryngologist. He gave him the phone number for Dr. O’Toole.
When he arrived home, Buitendorp discussed it with his wife, Ruth. He figured he would follow up on the advice—eventually—but he wasn’t worried. The bump was painless.
“In my family, we have a problem with procrastination,” he added.
Fifteen minutes later, a phone call surprised him.
“Dr. O’Toole’s office called and said this is something that should be seen immediately,” he said.
Photo by Chris Clark, Spectrum Health Beat
At the first appointment, Dr. O’Toole examined Buitendorp’s throat and showed pictures of a suspicious area on the right tonsil.
“He showed me a growth on the inside that was directly related to the external growth,” Buitendorp said.
Dr. O’Toole performed a fine needle aspiration biopsy in the office. Later, in an operating room, he performed a biopsy of the tonsil, which confirmed an HPV-related cancer.
Dr. O’Toole performed the operation with the use of the da Vinci robot. The minimally invasive procedure is performed through the mouth. He made only one incision a few inches long in the neck to remove lymph nodes.
The minimally invasive approach makes recovery easier, he said.
A more traditional approach could involve cutting the jaw in half and opening the face like a book. Or a surgeon might make an incision across the neck and take apart the muscles that attach the voice box to the jaw.
“All those things disrupt the muscular attachments,” he said.
He advises patients considering surgery to get an evaluation by a surgeon who can perform a minimally invasive operation.
Dr. O’Toole removed the tumor, which affected the back of the tongue, tonsil and throat. And he removed 66 lymph nodes.
Buitendorp spent five days in the hospital recovering.
“Everything went better than I ever expected,” he said. “I was talking the first day.”
After the surgery, Buitendorp didn’t eat for a week. He lost 25 pounds.
Photo by Chris Clark, Spectrum Health Beat
In the year since then, he has worked with speech therapists to regain the ability to eat a variety of foods. He takes small bites and eats slowly.
“I’m also getting my taste buds back slowly,” he said.
The post-surgery weight loss is common, Dr. O’Toole said.
“Most people can expect to lose 10 to 20 percent of their body weight,” he said.
Buitendorp knows the cancer or the treatment could have taken a far greater toll without quick treatment.
“This could have been serious if I had not said something to (my doctor),” he said. “That is the key. If you see something wrong, talk to your doctor.”
Everyone hates you. You’re a freak. You’re a loser.
Did you react viscerally to these hurtful words? Did the phrases make you cringe or recoil, maybe make your stomach uneasy or your muscles tense?
If so, you just experienced—ever so slightly—the pain, fear and hurt that victims of bullying experience on a daily basis.
Bullying happens every day, in every school building, in every neighborhood throughout the country. But changes in society and technology have brought us to a place where bullying has become especially rampant and particularly vicious.
Dr. Lowery regularly works with young people who are bullied on a daily basis. While such professionals see firsthand the harm that it causes, it doesn’t mean the rest of us should be blind to it.
The same mechanisms that allow bullying to become widespread—the Internet, social media, instant communication, smartphones—are also tools that inform us about bullying. We’ve all seen stories in the news, or on Facebook, about families and children who have left communities to escape bullying. We’ve read stories about adolescents driven to suicide because of relentless bullying online or at school.
What’s going on and how can we stop it?
Who’s at risk?
Bullies pick targets who are perceived as vulnerable and less likely to fight back or tattle, Dr. Lowery said.
A New England Journal of Medicine report found that gender issues also play a major role in identifying children most at risk of bullying. The study interviewed about 4,270 fifth-graders, following up with them in seventh and 10th grades. Across all grades, the children identifying or perceived as gay, lesbian or bisexual were 91 percent more likely to be bullied.
Many other children are also targeted every day, for different reasons.
They’re perceived as different from peers—overweight or underweight; wearing glasses or different clothing; new to school; unable to afford items other kids consider “cool.”
They’re perceived as weak or unable to defend themselves.
They’re depressed or anxious, or they have low self esteem.
They’re less popular than others and they have few friends.
They don’t get along well with others, they’re seen as annoying or provoking, or they antagonize others for attention.
Effective school programs, awareness campaigns and legislative protection can help protect children, Dr. Lowery said, but such measures can’t completely erase the harmful behaviors.
Dr. Lowery screens for bullying risk with her patients by asking questions during any exam. She noted a few trouble signs to watch for:
Depression and anxiety
Isolation
Mood changes, especially after time on social media
School avoidance
Such symptoms can be attributed to many different causes, but bullying is high on the list. It’s important for parents and teachers to intervene early and get help, she said.
The great agitator: social media
Social media and addiction to technology have without a doubt escalated the problems associated with bullying, Dr. Lowery said.
Bullying is potent in itself. Add social media and instant communication, and it takes on a vicious life of its own.
Children today feel tremendous pressure because the bullying doesn’t stop when they get home from school; there are now no limits to how far bullying can spread.
If you’re a bullied child, there is no escape.
“Because kids are so attached to their technology, it can appear as if they are even going along with it, watching their own abuse play out,” Dr. Lowery said, recalling a patient who was being bullied on Facebook. “When I suggested she simply stop looking at her phone, she said, ‘This phone is my life. Social media is all I’ve got.’”
It’s dangerously counterproductive. “It’s a Catch 22 where they don’t have social relationships or social acceptance, but they can’t look away from the social media,” Dr. Lowery said.
Parents need to help their children set proper values on things like smartphones and social media.
“I had a young lady who was suffering and miserable from bullying,” Dr. Lowery said. “I said to her, ‘No more Facebook. You don’t need social media to survive.’ You have to convince them to take steps.”
One of the key differences in children who are equipped to respond appropriately to a threat and those who aren’t: Support.
Support at home, support at school, support in their life.
Dr. Lowery said she’s seen children perform better when they’re linked to someone who can provide guidance and support: An in-school advocate, a teacher, counselor, a bus driver, or any mentor who can help that student regularly while at school.
“Bullying is not easy to stop,” Dr. Lowery said. “If a child comes to us for an assessment—particularly if they are reluctant to open up at home—we can at least become more informed and take steps before serious damage happens.”
At home, families need to encourage open communication, especially when it involves technology and social media.
“You’ve got to know what is happening on social media with your kids, regularly,” she said. “Ask about it, check in and tackle it together. Set limits. Get off the social media regularly, so that life without it feels normal, too. Brainstorm for activities to replace social media during those breaks.”
Parents need to help their children understand that social media “checkups” aren’t a form of punishment; they’re simply an added layer of protection that lets kids know “you have their backs,” Dr. Lowery said.
Proactive
When bullying happens, it comes down to helping kids know they’re connected and they have options.
“If we can help with counseling resources, assessments or even medication, sometimes we can help navigate the administrative pathways with parents and the teens,” she said.
While Dr. Lowery believes a traditional school setting has great value, it must sometimes be set aside for the health of a child. When a bullying situation has become too traumatic or has spiraled out of control, Michigan offers other alternatives, such as homeschooling or an online curriculum.
“Whether it allows a student to take a step back or becomes the permanent solution, (it) depends on the school’s resources and the family,” Dr. Lowery said. “But it’s better than letting a young life spiral out of control. Suicide is a real risk related to bullying.”
When moving into an assisted living facility, the shift can be hard for both the resident and their family. You may have moved your loved one into an assisted living facility to help them be more social and gain a new community, but that doesn’t mean your job is done. Staying in touch and involved in your loved one’s life can make a huge difference in how they receive their new circumstances and their quality of life.
Here are a few ways to stay in touch and stay involved even if you are far away.
Get to know the community
If possible, when your loved one first makes the move, try to meet the other residents, their families if possible, and get to know the staff. When you’re involved, it will be easier for your loved one to connect a new life to their old one and find comfort in familiar interactions. While they may be hesitant to reach out and let others in at first, by breaking the ice for them, you can invite them to connect to others.
Plan visits
If you are close enough that you can visit on a regular basis, plan out those visits on a calendar and put that calendar in a visible place. This gives your loved one something to look forward to and planning out a whole month can make upcoming weeks more exciting. But, be sure to take the dates on the calendar seriously. Once the visit is on the calendar, every effort should be made to keep it. A missed date is worse than no planned date at all.
Send care packages
Fun packages can make the space between visits or scheduled calls more eventful and give your loved on something else to look forward to. But, when planning a package, get specific. Fill it with items that are personal to your family member, not just generic items. Try, books you’ve talked about, snacks you know they like, special pens if they like to do the crossword. These all show you are thinking about them when putting the package together. Getting these items can add an extra lift to their day even when they can’t see.
Listen
Even if your visits don’t happen often due to distance or other reasons, make the most out of the time you do have by truly engaging and listening to your loved one. This means acknowledging any challenges your loved one might be facing and recognizing that life has changed for them. They may feel as though they’ve lost something and, even if you know it’s the best choice, you should acknowledge those feelings. Ask questions that reveal genuine facts about their lives, not just surface level questions about the weather.
Use technology
If you can’t be with your loved one, there are still ways to keep in touch. Technology has given us countless ways to reach out across distance and taking advantage of these advances is crucial when managing a long-distance relationship with your loved one. Video chatting through FaceTime or Skype will offer face-to-face contact and can close the distance even more than a phone call.
Smartphones are becoming more and more common, and even older generations are taking advantage of their perks. Send a daily text with pictures and updates to your loved one and bring a smile to their face.
Folks with loved ones at a Vista Springs community can take advantage of our newest addition, Care Merge. This app is updated daily by the staff with images and updates about your loved one. Access your family member’s profile with a password and experience their everyday activities to ensure they are living full of life.
Whether it’s a big visit or a small gesture, just reaching out is a great way to make sure your loved one knows you care.
On the latest episode of WKTV Journal In Focus, we begin the new year with topics that, to some, are hot-button issues: the implementation of the state’s recreational marijuana law — and licensing of facilities approved to sell the now legal product — as well as how Kent County handles the difficult job of animal control.
First, we will talk with the man in charge of the state’s marijuana regulatory efforts. Then we talk with Kent County Health Department’s top health official, who was selected to modernize and improve the county’s animal control efforts.
In Focus is Michigan’s Marijuana Regulatory Agency, the agency which has been responsible for implementing the regulatory program enacted under the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act. In simple terms, the MRA is the state office which controls both the state’s medical and recreational marijuana distribution facilities.
With us is the agency’s Executive Director, Andrew Brisbo, who was appointed by Governor Whitmer to lead the MRA, the successor to the Bureau of Marijuana Regulation.
Also In Focus is Kent County Animal Shelter, which is administered by the Kent County Health Department. Late last year, the Kent County Board of Commissioners Executive Committee received an update on an on-going reorganization of the shelter conducted, in part, due to past criticism of the shelter’s operation.
With us is the person ultimately responsible for the shelter’s reorganization, Kent County’s Administrative Health Officer Adam London.
WKTV Journal In Focus airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel (see our Weekly On-air Schedule for dates and times). All individual interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.
Winter gatherings might not seem complete without a warm crackling fire, but when a get-together includes kids, safety needs to be on everyone’s mind.
First of all, a window should be cracked open to provide proper ventilation whenever a fire is burning, advises the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Then, the group suggests, take these additional steps to help avoid fire-related accidents and injuries:
Check the damper or flue before starting a fire. This can be done by looking up the chimney with a flashlight or mirror. Make sure the flue is open. Then, keep it open until the fire is out completely so that all smoke goes outside. It’s also important to check for animal nests or other blockages in the chimney that could cause smoke to fill the house. Chimneys should also be checked at least once a year by a professional.
Avoid burning wet or green wood. Dry and well-aged wood burns evenly and creates less smoke and soot that can build up in the chimney. It’s also a good idea to burn smaller pieces of wood on a grate. They will burn more quickly and generate less smoke than larger logs.
Don’t allow ashes to build up. Once a fire is out, the ashes left behind should be removed. Ashes restrict air supply to burning wood, which produces more smoke. There should never be more than an inch layer of ashes in a fireplace.
Clear the area around the fireplace. Placing furniture, curtains, decorations, newspapers, books or other items near a fireplace could result in a house fire. Nothing flammable should be stored too close to a fireplace. Also keep a fire extinguisher handy.
Don’t leave fires unattended. There should always be an adult in the room when there’s a fire in the fireplace. Never leave children alone in a room with a fire. Children should also be taught about fire safety. And, before leaving the house or going to bed, make sure that the fire is completely out.
Use safety screens. Hot glass doors in front of a fire can cause serious burns. Installing a safety screen in front of the fireplace can reduce the chance of an injury.
Store fireplace tools out of children’s reach. Kids can be tempted to play with the tools. Also store lighters and matches out of sight.
Equip your home with smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Check the devices monthly to make sure they’re working. Replace their batteries at least once a year.
Federal health officials have unveiled plans to allow prescription drug imports from Canada and other foreign nations.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is proposing a rule under which states could import some prescription drugs from Canada, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar announced recently.
The agency also plans to make it easier for drug manufacturers to import their own FDA-approved drugs that are manufactured abroad and intended for sale in other countries.
“This would potentially allow for the sale of these drugs at lower prices than currently offered to American consumers, giving drug makers new flexibility to reduce list prices,” Azar told reporters.
Azar touted the proposals as “historic.”
All imported drugs would have to be FDA-approved, tested to ensure quality and relabeled to meet U.S. labeling requirements, added Admiral Brett Giroir, the assistant secretary for health.
State programs created to import medications would be limited to pills that patients would typically get from a pharmacy, Azar said.
Injectable products, controlled substances, biologic products and intravenous drugs would not be allowed.
States would create these programs, possibly in conjunction with wholesalers or pharmacies, and then submit them to FDA for approval, Giroir said.
However, drug manufacturers would be able to import any of their own products from other foreign countries, Azar said. That would include products such as insulin, which has recently been subject to steep price hikes.
“Every product is available for importation from every country by a manufacturer,” Azar said. “There is no restriction there, if a manufacturer is willing.”
The manufacturer pathway is intended to address the “bizarre” system of drug rebates that some pharmaceutical companies have blamed for high prices, Azar said.
“Even if the drug company would like to lower the list price of their drug, they may actually be precluded from doing so because of their arrangements with these middle men, where they have to funnel a certain amount of rebate money to those middle men,” Azar said.
Drug companies have said if they can get a new National Drug Code for an imported version of the exact same medicine, then they would compete against their own products at a lower list price, Azar said.
The new proposals are only aimed at brand-name drugs, Giroir said.
“The draft guidance does not address generic drugs because we are not aware of similar private market challenges for reducing the cost of generic drugs,” Giroir said.
The FDA is open to considering similar proposals for generic if warranted, he added.
The officials could not say how soon patients will benefit from these proposals, but said that the manufacturer’s guidance will likely move faster because it faces fewer regulatory hurdles.
Longevity science is targeted not only towards extending our natural life spans, but also improving the quality of life overall. Longevity science has grown in recent years into a complicated and advanced discipline, with a variety of studies emerging that may have very real benefits within our lifetimes. Here are some of the tips and tricks discovered that appear to slow the process of aging.
Keep mentally active
Crossword puzzles and Sudoku are popular for a reason. Keeping yourself mentally active is one of the keys to reducing mental aging, such as dementia and the symptoms of Alzheimer’s. While keeping mentally active is not a cure to either of these issues, it can significantly slow down their progression. Play memory games, read books, and do other mentally focused activities each day.
Get your exercise
Physical fitness is important not only to keep you comfortable and healthy but also to keep your mind sharp and your spirits raised. Exercise has been shown to improve cognitive performance and mood. That doesn’t mean that you need to take a step aerobics class each day. Taking a long walk, gardening, and hiking are all excellent examples of physical activities that will slow down the aging process without being too intense.
Invest in hobbies
Hobbies are one of the best ways to keep yourself active. Knitting, book clubs, and other social hobbies can fulfill multiple needs at once — and all hobbies provoke thought. Think about the things that you enjoy doing; if you enjoy doing it, there’s almost certainly a group devoted to it. There are even groups available for individuals who enjoy scrapbooking and other relaxing activities. Your hobbies are one of the things that will likely keep you the most active outside of the house.
Stay social
Whether you volunteer at a local community center or simply chat with your friends, remaining well-socialized is one of the keys to keeping yourself active and fit. Socialization isn’t just a basic human need; it also involves a lot of mental stimulation. When you carry on a conversation with your friends, you’re remembering things and applying logic — both things that will keep your mind sharp. Remaining well-socialized also helps keep you motivated.
Eat right
Studies have shown that the cultures with the most longevity tend to eat diets that concentrate on lean meats, fruits, and vegetables. These diets often include high amounts of good fats, such as those found in avocados and olive oils. Red meats and starchy staples are relatively rare. By eating right, you can both feel better and potentially slow down your aging process. Antioxidants are also said to have a positive effect.
Slowing aging isn’t just about living a long life — it’s also about living a comfortable one. In general, keeping both physically and mentally active is one of the best ways that individuals can slow down the aging process and remain youthful and vital even in their later years.
Apart from the sheer fun of owning a pet, having a dog enhances well-being and even personal growth in many ways.
Caring for a dog teaches kids responsibility and offers everyone in the family unconditional love.
Many studies have found that the social support that dogs—and pets in general—provide boosts their owner’s emotional health.
There are also many physical benefits to dog ownership.
Walking Rover on a regular basis—once or twice every day—can help you reach your own daily exercise goals and, in turn, lower your heart disease risk.
In fact, according to one study, owners who walk their dogs on a regular basis are over 50% more likely to meet minimum exercise guidelines. Surprisingly, though, many people simply don’t walk their dogs enough for them or their pets to get in a good workout.
The advantages of having a dog extend beyond the home.
Bringing your pooch to work can reduce your stress.
And studies by researchers at Central Michigan University suggest the presence of a four-legged “co-worker” can boost cooperation, bonding and trust among employees.
That’s important because getting people to work effectively as a group is often a challenge, even when companies try to engage staffers with activities like team-bonding exercises.
For the study, researchers divided participants into groups with and without a dog and gave each group creative tasks to complete. People in the groups with a dog showed more enthusiasm and energy and felt more closeness and trust than those without a dog.
It seems that having a dog in the room encourages kind and helpful behavior, which in turn can help boost how well you do.
If your workplace morale needs a jolt, consider a canine addition to the staff.
Winter in the Midwest is no joke! Sudden storms and freezing temperatures can make life difficult for anyone who lives here—especially for seniors. It’s important for seniors to have a steady internal temperature, as their bodies aren’t able to regulate body heat and maintain warmth the way they could when they were younger.
In the Midwest, winters can be extremely harsh, so it’s important that you take the necessary steps to ensure that your senior loved one is staying warm. From making sure their apartment is full of blankets and sweaters to limiting outdoor exposure as much as possible, there are plenty of ways you can help protect your loved one and keep them warm!
1. Turn the heat up
While most of us are used to turning down the heat in winter to help save money on heating bills, a senior’s home should be kept at a warmer temperature to protect them from getting chills. Remember, a senior’s body loses heat faster than people middle aged or younger. A senior’s home should be kept at 70 degrees during the winter at the very lowest.
2. Prepare for outages
Harsh storms can sometimes cause power outages at the most inopportune moments. Having no heat or light is a dangerous situation, so help your loved ones prepare for the risk by:
Stocking their house with flashlights and batteries
Keeping an eye on the weather report and encouraging your loved one to go stay with family before big storms
Reminding loved ones to keep their cell phones charged
Having a case of bottled water and shelf-stable foods in case of multiple-day outages
3. Dress in layers
It’s always easier to take layers off when you get too hot than it is to try and add them on after you’ve gotten too cold. Putting on a sweater after your internal body temperature has dropped often means a slow reheating process.
Encourage your elderly family members to wear multiple layers, which will help them maintain their body temperatures. And remember, layering isn’t just for heading outside, it’s equally as important to have extra clothing while staying indoors as well.
4. Keep blankets nearby
When we start to feel chilly, throwing a blanket over ourselves is a great way to quickly warm up. In your loved one’s home, make this simple task even easier by strategically leaving blankets in places where they might need them, such as near chairs or by their bed.
5. Warm drinks and foods
Eating and drinking warm foods can help encourage the body to maintain its internal temperature, as well as proving the essential nutrients needed for the body to maintain its mass and health during the winter. Rather than cold foods and iced water, encourage your senior family members to have foods like hot soups and tea.
6. Cover extremities
It’s important to remember in colder months that the hands, feet, and head are the parts of the body that get chilled and lose their warmth first. With that in mind, it’s essential for these extremities to be protected in winter.
Hats, mittens, gloves, socks, and slippers are all examples of clothing items that are necessary to keep an elderly loved one from getting too cold throughout the winter. Hats and gloves can be worn inside to stay warm if needed, and having these clothing items nearby is helpful, so seniors don’t need to go searching when they get cold.
7. Safety when traveling
Just like we need to prepare for a power outage, it’s important to prepare for vehicle breakdowns in winter as well. If your loved one travels alone, ensure they keep extra coats, blankets, and even boots in their car in case of an emergency. Similarly, if they are being driven by someone else, make sure they have extra warm clothes and water with them in case of an emergency.
8. Limit outdoor exposure
The worst of winter weather is obviously found outdoors. Freezing temperatures, ice, and wet snow that chills us quickly are all dangerous features of a Midwest winter. In order to protect your loved one, do what you can to keep them out of the elements.
Helping keep a loved one indoors can mean anything from running errands for them to doing what you can to encourage them to enjoy the weather from inside the home rather than out of it. Keeping seniors inside helps them stay warm, and also reduces the risk of dangerous falls.
While Midwest winters are more punishing than in other areas, they are still manageable with a plan and some preparation. Helping your senior loved ones stay warm is a wonderful to keep them safe from the elements, even as the winter storms rage outside.
“Just this side of Heaven is a place called the Rainbow Bridge.” — unknown
Almost without exception, someone during the monthly grief support group I facilitate will ask about or refer to ‘The Legend of the Rainbow Bridge’.
The Rainbow Bridge tells of a pastoral place filled with green meadows and hills located just outside of Heaven’s gates. According to the Legend, when a companion animal dies, he goes to this place — free of illness and injury but saddened by the continuing absence of his human companion. The animal, it continues, playfully romps with other animals as they patiently await the arrival of their human companions. Upon the death of an animal’s human companion, the two reunite to walk over the Bridge into Heaven, hand-in-paw, to live eternally ever after.
It is unknown who originally penned The Rainbow Bridge. A number of people claim authorship including the following: Paul C. Dahm, a grief counselor who is said to have written the poem in 1981 and published it in a 1998 book of the same name; William N. Britton, author of Legend of Rainbow Bridge; and Dr. Wallace Sife, head of the Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement, whose poem All Pets Go to Heaven appears on the Association’s website as well as in his book, The Loss of a Pet.
Today, The Rainbow Bridge appears in publications as well as websites throughout the world. Veterinarians routinely provide copies to their human clients upon the death of a companion animal. There are a stack of take-home cards with the words printed on them sitting on a small table alongside a box of tissues in the Serenity Room, the room offered to people whose animals have just died, at the Humane Society. The Legend has inspired writers to gently dissect the rainbow by color and meaning and use it as a launching point for the development of a grieving kit. There is even an interactive virtual memorial home for companion animals at http:/www.rainbowsbridge.com.
The Rainbow Bridge is undergirded by what some would believe to be religious ideas of an afterlife and Heaven. While none of the world’s religions ascribe to such a place, in Genesis, the first book of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament in the Judeo-Christian tradition, after the Flood, God establishes a covenant Noah and “every living creature.” God tells Noah to keep an eye out for rainbows, as they will forever serve as a reminder of God’s eternal promise.
The Legend also shares similarities with the setting of Canadian Margaret Marshall Saunders’ 1902 book, Beautiful Joe’s Paradise. Her book was a sequel to her 1893 story, Beautiful Joe, for which she had won a Humane Society writing contest. Saunders’ vision in her book differs slightly from that of The Rainbow Bridge. In Saunders’ imagination, companion animals arrive to a green land to heal and learn from neglect and abuse suffered during their lives. When ready, animals are taken to Heaven by a balloon.
When The Rainbow Bridge is broached in our Group, the reactions mimic those I’ve received to my informal inquiry made in preparation for writing this month’s column. Most people experience an extreme response. Either the Legend provides a great source of comfort, or it evokes an expression of scornful derision.
Yesterday, a veterinarian friend of mine shared her love-hate relationship with the idea. On the one hand, she finds it to be a kitschy cliché to which people desperately cling for comfort. On the other, it actually is a source of deep comfort and healing. She went on to share that she had recently attended a conference in which The Rainbow Bridge was put to music and played during a guided grief meditation. My friend admitted to being instantly reduced to tears.
In the end, the critical question isn’t whether one believes in the existence of The Rainbow Bridge or not. What matters is whether The Rainbow Bridge is a meaningful source of comfort and light in the painful and dark journey of grieving.
Animal advocate and attorney Ginny Mikita is the founder of Animal Blessings, an organization dedicated to honoring the sacred worth of all animals. Mikita’s companion animal loss support services include facilitating a monthly Companion Animal Loss Grief Support Group, officiating an annual Memorial Service in December, writing grief columns for local publications and speaking at gatherings — local and national — of animal care and protection professionals. Additionally, Mikita regularly officiates Blessings of the Animals in both religious and secular environments.
It’s important to be involved with your loved one’s health as they age so you can best assist them with medications, doctor’s visits, and other care needs. While being aware of the physical needs of your family members is essential, it’s equally important to be mindful of the state of their mental health.
Seniors can often suffer from loneliness and depression that goes undiagnosed and untreated. Typically this omission comes from the fact that seniors tend to hide mental health concerns from their families out of guilt or shame. That’s why it’s critical to know what signs to be on the lookout for in senior family members and understand how depression and loneliness manifest in elderly people.
A serious epidemic
Shockingly, many people are under the impression that loneliness and depression in old age are a normal part of the aging process. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Loneliness and depression are diagnosed medical conditions that aren’t just a part of growing old, but are part of a serious epidemic in seniors.
Just as with younger people, untreated depression and loneliness in seniors can have severe consequences on both mental and physical health. And, when paired with other health conditions that many older people experience, the symptoms of these mental health issues can have even farther-reaching long-term effects.
Four unexpected consequences of loneliness and depression
Senior loneliness is a specific type of social isolation that occurs when an older person no longer engages in the world around them as they did when they were younger. This condition often occurs in seniors who live at home and don’t have daily social interactions.
While living at home rather than moving to a senior living community is a favorable idea for most seniors, it can become extremely lonely if transportation and mobility become limited. And, if children and grandchildren are too busy with their own schedules to visit often, older family members can find themselves alone and overwhelmed with feelings of worthlessness and detachment.
Less frequent communication with family and friends
Debilitating medical diagnoses
Despondent attitude
What is senior depression?
Like loneliness, senior depression is often the result of changes in health, mobility, or mindset. While it’s reasonable for seniors to have some feelings of anger or sadness about their changing position in life, a serious mental health condition like depression is different than these general emotions and should never be taken lightly.
If you believe a loved one is suffering from depression, speak to them immediately and ensure they have access to the necessary resources should they reach a breaking point, such as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
Depression should never be ignored, even if having a conversation with your senior family member about their mental health is difficult. By being open and willing to listen to them while also being on the lookout for signs that overall sadness has progressed into something more, you can help protect your loved ones.
Signs of senior depression
Overwhelming feelings of sadness, hopelessness, shame, or guilt
The consequences of senior loneliness and depression are frightening to consider, but the good news is that there is plenty that you can do to help your loved ones. The number one thing you can do is to be there for your family members and make time to check in and visit with them.
In addition, you can offer them rides to social events if you live close by, take them out for dinners and shopping trips, and encourage them to find new opportunities to engage with other people. Socialization is essential for maintaining cognitive and mental health in old age, so doing your part to help seniors stay social goes a long way in preventing and treating loneliness and depression.
If you are still concerned that your loved one isn’t getting the necessary interactions they need to stay healthy, you might want to talk to them about assisted living. Assisted living provides seniors not only with the care services they need to age in place, but plenty of opportunities for making new friends and relationships with other residents.
A typical workout doesn’t give you license to eat whatever you want.
Even a full hour of vigorous skiing burns just 600 calories—less than the amount in a super-sized fast food sandwich. That’s why it’s important to think of exercise as just one part of a shape-up plan.
Exercise works the cardiovascular system and builds muscle, but it takes calorie restriction to also lose weight. Small diet tweaks that you can make when you’re building a healthier body through exercise will maximize your efforts.
Here’s what you need to know about nutrition when you work out regularly.
You don’t need to fuel up like a marathon runner, but give your body some nourishment about two hours before every workout to make exercise more effective. Have a small meal with healthy carbs and protein and some fat. If eating two hours in advance doesn’t work with your schedule, aim for a small snack about an hour before your workout.
It’s also important to eat a small meal with carbs and protein within two hours after your workout to give your body the nutrients it needs.
Keep in mind that “calories in and calories out” is a balancing act that varies from person to person.
So whether you’re trying to lose weight or maintain, keep a journal that records the amount of calories you get from food as well as the amount of calories burned off during workouts to see if your intake needs to be adjusted up or down.
Beware of so-called training supplements. These products aren’t regulated and their claims may not have any science behind them.
If you’re getting a good amount of whole foods in your diet—that is, unprocessed and unpackaged foods—you shouldn’t need any of these aids.
Finally, it can’t be stated often enough: Drink water as needed before, during and after exercise to stay hydrated, especially in hot and humid conditions.
Many people have heard the term “hospice” without really understanding exactly what it is or what hospice care provides. Those who don’t understand the term have probably never had a reason to think about it, and most don’t think about it until they are in a situation that requires it.
But, hospice care is something everyone should understand because you never know when a family member may require hospice services. But, before we answer, ‘what is hospice care?’ It’s important to point out that there are a lot of misconceptions about hospice. So, let’s start by talking about what Hospice care is NOT.
Hospice is NOT:
Just a place or facility
Whether you desire the full-time care of a Hospice facility or the convenience of a team of caregivers in the comfort of your home or in an assisted living community, hospice care offers flexibility.
Just for cancer patients
A long-standing myth, hospice provides end of life care to those with a wide range of end of life conditions such as kidney failure, heart failure, and advanced dementia or Alzheimer’s.
Just for the patient
Many hospice services provide not only medical care for the patient but grief counseling and after death assistance for the family.
Permanent
Hospice is not a permanent choice. Anyone in hospice care may choose to leave and receive curative treatments at any time.
So, what is hospice care?
Hospice is medical care geared toward maintaining and improving quality of life for an individual whose illness or condition is likely incurable. Hospice is offered as an option when all curative measures have been exhausted and the life prognosis is six months or less.
Hospice IS:
Well-rounded care
Hospice care doesn’t just focus on one aspect of end-of-life care, like pain management. Pain management is part of it, but hospice professionals look at the whole life of the patient. They want to make them comfortable, help them engage in life as much as possible and help ease their minds and hearts. To do that, they provide not only medical care but emotional care as well.
A team of caregivers
Hospice isn’t just a single individual. To provide proper, end of life care, a team of professionals works together to administer medications, provide support, give physical therapy, and provide all the services that account for a fulfilled life, all the way to the end.
Respite care
Even those individuals who have vowed to care for their sick loved one sometimes need a break. In order to provide the best care possible, they need to be able to step away from time to time and leave their loved one in the care of someone they trust. Many hospice providers offer respite care so, even if you haven’t turned to a facility for full-time hospice help, you can still get the help you need when you need it.
Affordable
Many insurance plans cover a portion of the expense for Hospice care but for those that don’t, it is “covered by Medicare (through the Medicare Hospice Benefit), Medicaid (in most states), and The Veteran’s Health Administration,” according to the American Hospice Foundation’s website.
While different programs may offer different benefits, you can find a list of the services most Hospice Care Services provide on the the Hospice Foundation of America’s website. You should be sure to ask any facility or service you are considering what exactly they provide.
The quest for health and fitness can be a difficult challenge with the hectic pace of busy schedules and the bustle of the holidays.
It seems that New Year’s Day offers us all a fresh new outlook and opportunity to start the year with optimism and hope to improve our lives.
Health and fitness is a journey that requires dedication and commitment.
There is no easy quick fix, patch, pill, cleanse or detox that will replace optimal nutrition and exercise.
Sometimes we can get side-tracked by injury, self-doubt, medical issues and a host of things, which complicate and derail our health goals. It is important to never give up and always continue to fight the good fight for your health. You are worth it!
Jan. 1 is a great time to start by making a resolution to strive for health.
Here’s how:
1. Schedule your annual
A physical exam with your primary care physician or provider should be first on your list. Make sure you are up-to-date on your screening labs, preventive cancer screenings and immunizations.
If you are starting an exercise regime or have weight-loss goals, this is an excellent time to discuss your options with your doctor and create a plan that will hold you accountable at future follow-up appointments.
2. Strive for 60 minutes of exercise a day
This could be broken up into smaller bits of time throughout the day. For example, you could take the stairs at work or park farther from an entrance.
3. Find a workout partner to hold you accountable
You are much less likely to let another person down. You can keep each other on track virtually through text messages or agree to meet in person to walk or exercise.
4. Add exercise to your schedule, and hold firm
Exercise either before work or on your way home from work. It is much easier to either get it done before the day starts or before you get home.
5. Prep your work-out items the night before
If you are an early morning exerciser, get all set well in advance of the alarm going off.
Sometimes sleeping in your exercise clothes might be the trick until you get into the habit of rising early. Set your shoes out, have your water bottle filled and things ready to go.
6. Get at least eight hours of sleep
Studies have shown that adequate sleep reduces stress hormones and will help with weight loss and overall health.
7. Drink enough water
Stay hydrated. This means 64 ounces for an average size adult. (Sorry, caffeinated beverages don’t count.)
8. Cut screen time
Decrease the amount of time spent in front of screens (TV, computer, tablet, phone) and move as much as possible.
Consider walking on your lunch break or taking a 10-minute walk around the house instead of checking social media posts.
9. Fill up on fruits and veggies
Make half your plate fruits and vegetables at all meals. This is an easy way to increase the amount of healthy foods without taking the time to measure anything.
10. Know the stats
Research shows it takes 21 days to make a habit. If you fall off the wagon, climb back on. The ride is much more enjoyable when you are doing positive things for your health.
Commit to just the day in front of you and make it great. Pretty soon, you might have an entire compilation of days that could add up to a new, healthier you.
Bullied teens are more likely to develop mental health problems—and people with mental health problems are also more likely to become bullies, researchers report.
Even though many studies have shown that being bullied can leave mental scars, “no studies to date” have tested the notion that mental health issues might also help drive bullying, explained study author Marine Azevedo Da Silva. She’s a postdoctoral researcher in Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, in New York City.
For the study, the researchers analyzed data from 13,200 U.S. youth, aged 12 to 17, and found that:
79% said they’d never bullied others
11% said they’d bullied others over a year ago
10% said they’d bullied others in the past year
16% said they’d bullied others over a month ago
5% said they’d bullied others in the past month
Youth who said they’d been bullies were more likely to have a moderate to high rate of mental health problems than those who said they hadn’t bullied others.
The study also found that teens with moderate to high rates of mental health problems were more likely to bully others, compared to those without such issues.
In other words, the link between mental health issues and bullying “is likely to be bidirectional,” Azevedo Da Silva said in a school news release.
According to study senior author Dr. Silvia Martins, the findings suggest that efforts to stem bullying “should consider how to take into account and handle negative feelings and mental health problems” of young perpetrators.
Martins directs the Substance Abuse Epidemiology Unit at Mailman.
It’s estimated that between 18% and 31% of U.S. youth are involved in bullying, the researchers noted.
The study was published recently in the Journal of Adolescent Health.
“There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.”
— The eternal optimist
Hope is a roof over your head
The 3:11 Youth Housing Program is for youth ages 18 to 24, to transition from homelessness to stability. They focus on that age range because it’s when people are entering adulthood. It now consists of eight rehabbed duplex-style homes in Grand Rapids, each with room for three to four youths and a mentor or mentor couple. More info here.
Still time
David Wiesner (American, b. 1956), Art & Max, 2010. (Supplied)
If you haven’t taken your kids to the Grand Rapids Art Museum yet during winter break, you’re still in luck. The GRAM will waive admission fees for visitors age 17 and under through Jan. 5.
Grieving the loss of a loved one?
The holidays can often serve as a stumbling block on the journey from grief to healing. The topic of grief is not often something anyone wants to talk about, especially at a time of year that, for most, is a time of great joy and happiness. Here are some tips on how to cope.
Fun fact:
It’s nothing new
Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq) began the concept of celebrating the new year in 2000 BC. Back then, people observed new year in mid-March, around the time of the vernal equinox. See? We’re not so special.
“Baby boomers are a lot more willing to embrace hearing aids than their elders were,” said Debbie Youngsma, AuD, CCC-A, an audiologist with Spectrum Health Medical Group. “They are into their smartphones. They are into all that technology. And hearing aids are smart.” (Chris Clark, Spectrum Health Beat)
There long has been a big gap between the number of people with hearing loss and those willing to wear a hearing aid.
But tech-savvy baby boomers just might be the ones to narrow that gap.
“Baby boomers are a lot more willing to embrace hearing aids than their elders were,” said Debbie Youngsma, AuD, CCC-A, an audiologist with Spectrum Health Medical Group. “They are into their smartphones. They are into all that technology. And hearing aids are smart.”
The number of people with hearing loss is growing as rapidly as hair is graying in the baby boomer population.
According to a recent federal report, 17 percent of Americans—1 in 6—say they have trouble hearing. Not surprisingly, the number increases with age. Forty-three percent of those over 70 report hearing loss.
Those self-reported numbers likely don’t capture the full picture, Youngsma said.
People don’t always recognize when they have trouble hearing. Why? The loss may occur too gradually to notice. They may have never had their hearing checked. Or they could be in denial.
“Less than 21 percent of those with hearing impairment are wearing hearing aids,” she said.
Those who do get hearing aids wait an average of seven to 10 years to seek help. That’s a lot of missed conversations.
Accepting the technology can mean a big difference socially and emotionally, Youngsma said.
“Untreated hearing loss usually results in isolation and withdrawal from social situations,” she said. “They can get depressed, frustrated and lonely.”
“Obviously, the earlier you get (hearing aids), the easier it’s going to be to adjust and get back into the world of hearing.”
Tired of saying, ‘What?’
Rochelle Morris, 52, said she didn’t realize how much she missed before she got hearing aids two years ago.
She traces problems with her left ear to a car accident in 2004, when the air bag deployed and slammed into the left side of her head.
She started noticing problems hearing about five years ago. She often asked co-workers or family members to repeat something. She missed the punchlines of jokes.
“I felt myself not doing things because I didn’t want to say, ‘What?’ or ‘Say that again,’” she said.
Morris resisted the idea of wearing hearing aids—until she saw how small and unobtrusive they are.
“I pictured an old person and was really kind of embarrassed about it,” she said. “I didn’t need to be, because you don’t even notice it.”
Within a couple of days, she embraced the technology.
Youngsma said she is encouraged to see the stigma waning, particularly among the young baby boomers.
Many are still in the workforce, and communication is crucial to performing their jobs. They also are more likely than their elders to see a hearing aid as just one more technological device—to add to their tablet, laptop, smartphone, Kindle, FitBit or Apple Watch.
“You can act like you’re texting while you’re changing what the hearing aids are doing,” she said.
For Morris, hearings aids opened up a world of sounds she had missed—from the wind blowing through the trees to conversations with her husband, Brian, and their children, Anna and RC.
And when she could hear better, her balance improved.
Causes of hearing loss
Injuries, like the one Morris sustained, are one of several causes of hearing loss, Youngsma said. Others include aging, ear infections, cancer treatments and exposure to noise—either cumulative or one loud burst.
And remember when your parents would tell you to turn down your music? Well, they were on to something. Going to loud concerts, or listening to loud music with ear buds, can take a toll on your hearing.
Impacted ear wax also can cause temporary problems with hearing.
“Hearing loss is the third most common complaint, following hypertension and arthritis, in older adults,” Youngsma said.
Proper dental care is an essential part of aging healthfully. As we grow older, our oral health has an even bigger impact on our overall well-being than in past years, so maintaining a dental hygiene routine is important.
While brushing and flossing routines remain central, some additional steps are important for seniors’ dental health. People with dementia, severe arthritis, or mobility struggles need assistance with this crucial habit, so make sure your aging loved ones have the help they need. With these things in mind, you can prevent future problems and ensure the best oral health possible.
Tips for improving senior dental care during aging
See your dentist at least every six months. Routine cleanings help prevent decay and cavities, and also allow your dentist to detect gum disease in the early, reversible stages.
Let your dentist know of any health conditions or new medications that may lead to oral problems. Tell them right away if you ever experience increased sensitivity.
Quit smoking. In addition to the risk of lung cancer, smoking can lead to gum disease, tooth decay, and tooth loss.
Brush twice a day with a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride-containing toothpaste, and floss once a day.
If you wear dentures, remember to clean them daily. Remove them for at least four hours a day, preferably at night.
Eat whole foods and avoid sugar. Processed, high-sugar foods do not support oral health in any way, but teeth and gums thrive on a high-fiber diet.
Medical conditions connected to oral health
Many of the health problems that concern seniors are linked to oral health. A strong dental hygiene routine doesn’t just support your teeth and gums; here are a few of the ways excellent dental care is connected to overall health:
Cardiovascular disease
Oral health is closely connected with our heart health. Periodontitis allows bacteria below the gum line, contributing to the spread of toxins through our body. Studies have found that severe periodontal disease is associated with higher risks of stroke and double the risk of fatal heart disease, and in some cases, tooth infections can cause infection in the heart’s lining or valves. In the absence of gum disease, fewer bacteria are present in the cardiovascular system. While researchers don’t fully understand the connection between oral and heart conditions, it’s clear that good dental hygiene supports the cardiovascular system.
Pneumonia and respiratory problems
Poor oral health can contribute to pneumonia. In fact, some studies have shown a higher mortality rate in pneumonia patients who also have more gum problems. When bacteria from the mouth is inhaled into the lungs, an infection may occur in the respiratory system and existing medical conditions can become much worse. Regular brushing and cleaning helps remove dangerous oral bacteria and helps prevent internal infection.
Diabetes
Oral health is essential for people with diabetes. Gum disease inhibits the use of insulin, and high blood sugar leads to gum infections. People whose glucose is poorly managed suffer from gum disease much more often than those whose glucose is well-controlled, so stay mindful of your blood glucose levels.
These are just a few of the ways doctors and scientists have demonstrated the essential role played by our oral health. With education and energy put toward dental hygiene, you or your aging loved ones can enjoy a healthier, more comfortable daily life.
It’s intuitive that acne causes depression, but a massive new study out of England shows just how devastating acne can weigh on people’s psyches.
Researchers, following nearly 2 million men and women in England over a 15-year period, found a 63 percent increase in clinical depression in the first year people had acne compared to those without acne.
Most people were younger than 19 at the start of the study, but they ranged in age from 7 to 50.
“This is not surprising,” said Adele Cadieux, PsyD, a pediatric psychologist with Spectrum Health Helen Devos Children’s Hospital. “Unfortunately acne begins when kids are much more focused on their physical appearance” than other qualities.
Acne is mostly unavoidable: About 85 percent of people will experience a breakout at some point, making it the most common skin condition in the U.S., according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Women are more likely to get acne, and more likely to suffer depression because of it.
There are ways, however, to reduce children and teens’ risk of suffering depression after an outbreak.
Recognize the signs
Acne is a skin condition in which hair follicles become plugged with oil and dead skin cells. This can cause whiteheads, blackheads or pimples on the face, forehead, back, chest and shoulders.
Many people think of acne as a relatively benign condition, but the study shows otherwise, researchers said.
“For these patients with acne, it is more than a skin blemish—it can impose significant mental health concerns and should be taken seriously,” Dr. Isabelle Vallerand, the lead researcher, noted in a statement.
Parents concerned about their children should look for possible signs of depression.
“If (kids) mention they might not want to go social or extracurricular activities, or their child’s behavior or grades start changing, or they seem more withdrawn,” those could be signs the child is struggling with something, Dr. Cadieux said.
“Whether the child identifies whether any of this is related to acne or not, it’s important to take that next step of trying to evaluate what’s contributing to these changes.”
The best way to find out answers: Ask questions, Dr. Cadieux said.
If kids seem reluctant to talk to their parents, take them to a pediatrician or encourage a special teacher, coach or religious figure to talk with them, she said. Sometimes children are more likely to open up to non-family members than they would a parent.
‘You’re on a stage and being judged’
An effective way to gird children and teenagers against depression is to focus on qualities other than physical appearance.
“One of the things that is really important for kids is to focus on aspects of their life that are going well,” Dr. Cadieux said. “Families can be very important in providing some of that feedback, whether it’s their personal qualities, their skills, really anything other than focusing on physical appearance.”
Fostering those other skills and qualities—getting them into music classes, sports leagues, coding or theater camps, depending on their interests—can also help them form an identity around those qualities rather than their physical appearance, doctors said.
If those efforts don’t work, counseling is an option.
The increase in risk of depression is the worst in the first year of acne, and lasts for five years, the study showed. Although still high, the increased risk of depression decreases each year after the first year of diagnosis.
After five years, the increased risk disappears, even if the acne persists. This also isn’t surprising, Dr. Cadieux said.
“As you get older, your maturity level changes,” she said. “In adolescence, you’re so focused on physical appearance, as if you’re on stage and being judged.
“But as you transition into adulthood, you begin to recognize your skills, abilities and successes—you can build your self-esteem on these and not focus as much on physical appearance. These can help reduce the risk of depression.”
By Chia-Hui Neilly, NP-C, Barry Community Health Center
Type 2 diabetes is a condition where the body is unable to maintain normal levels of blood glucose using a hormone known as insulin. Currently, more than 100 million people in the U.S. are diabetic or pre-diabetic. If this trend continues, almost 1 in every 3 people will have this condition (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017). Moreover, diabetic and pre-diabetic patients are more prone to heart attacks, strokes, and other health problems than other individuals.
1. What are the risk factors for type 2 diabetes?
Overweight and obesity: The more fatty tissue, the higher chance for type 2 diabetes
Inactivity: Inadequate physical activity leads to weight gain that causes type 2 diabetes.
Smoking: Smokers are susceptible to type 2 diabetes, and non-smokers are more immune to heart disease, stroke, and other illnesses
A family history of diabetes is associated with a high risk of type 2 diabetes.
Pregnancy-onset diabetes (gestational diabetes) increases risk of type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes.
Polycystic ovary syndrome, characterized by an erratic menstrual cycle, obesity, and excess hair growth, is also a risk factor for type 2 diabetes.
What is the first step to preventing diabetes?
Always observe for type 2 diabetes symptoms, which include: increased thirst and hunger, frequent urination, fatigue, headaches, and blurred vision.
What are the best strategies to prevent type 2 diabetes?
You may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by doing the following:
Lose excess weight by balancing food intake and physical exercise. A 5% to 10% reduction in weight significantly lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes and substantially improves one’s health status.
Stay active for at least 30 minutes daily to prevent excess weight gain and reduce fatty tissues. A relatively high-paced walk with no extra gymnastics per day is an adequate physical activity to maintain a healthy body.
Avoid sedentary behaviors such as physical inactivity, continuous watching of television, and prolonged sitting sessions.
Adopt health-conscious diets and behaviors to avoid being overweight and to counteract other food-related risk factors for type 2 diabetes. To achieve this goal, one needs well-balanced meals that contain the following items.
A variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains
Protein from diverse sources, including seafood, white lean meat, poultry, eggs, legumes, nuts, seeds, and soy products
Fat-free or low-fat dairy products, namely milk, yogurt and cheese, and soy milk
Nut-based oils such as olives and avocados
What other dietary measures are effective to prevent type 2 diabetes?
Limit daily consumption of meat, sweets, and refined grains.
Avoid sweetened drinks such as soda and juice.
Maintain the recommended portion sizes in every meal by filling the plate with ¼ grains, ¼ protein, ½ fruits. Additionally, consume six to eight glasses of water daily.
Always consume a high-fiber diet to enhance digestion, facilitate weight management, and control blood sugars.
Limit the amount of alcohol to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. The recommended daily liquor intake for men is two drinks, but women should ingest half that amount.
Are there tests for type 2 diabetes?
Three different tests for type 2 diabetes are available. However, your primary care provider will determine whether one test is adequate to confirm an individual’s diabetic status.
Please feel free to contact us for any questions, comments, or concerns. Importantly, discuss with your primary care provider about testing for type 2 diabetes.
Older women, beware: New research warns that drinking a lot of diet sodas or artificially sweetened fruit juices may increase your risk for stroke.
In a study that tracked nearly 82,000 postmenopausal women, those who drank two or more diet drinks per day saw their overall stroke risk rise by 23 percent, compared with those who consumed diet drinks less than once a week.
Blocked arteries were often the main culprit, with heavy diet drink consumption linked to a 31 percent greater risk for an ischemic stroke, which is triggered by a clot, the study findings showed.
Study author Yasmin Mossavar-Rahmani acknowledged that an “association does not imply causation.” But she stressed that the findings held up even after taking into account the nutritional value of each participant’s overall diet.
So, “we can’t assume these diet drinks are harmless, particularly when consumed at high levels,” Mossavar-Rahmani said.
“The take-home message is that these findings give us pause,” she added. “We need to do more research on why we are seeing these associations. What are the scientific mechanisms? Is there something about the artificial sweeteners, for example, that affect the bacteria in the gut and lead to health issues?”
Mossavar-Rahmani is an associate professor in the department of epidemiology and population health’s division of health promotion and nutrition research at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, in New York City.
The study authors pointed out that the American Heart Association has recently underscored the lack of sufficient research into the cardiovascular impact of diet sodas. Until more work is done, the AHA says the jury remains out on whether artificially sweetened beverages do or do not hasten heart disease.
Women in the latest study were between 50 and 79 when they first enrolled in the Women’s Health Initiative trial between 1993 and 1998.
Investigators tracked the general health of all the enrollees for an average of nearly 12 years. During that time—at the three-year mark—all the women were asked to indicate how frequently they consumed diet sodas and diet fruit drinks over a three-month period.
The researchers did not take note of which brands of artificially sweetened drinks the women drank and so did not know which artificial sweeteners were being consumed.
That said, nearly two-thirds of the women consumed diet sodas or drinks very infrequently, meaning less than once a week or never. Only about 5 percent were found to be “heavy” consumers of artificially sweetened drinks.
After taking into consideration a variety of stroke risk factors—including blood pressure status, smoking history and age—the study team concluded that heavy consumption of diet drinks did appear to be tied to cardiovascular risks in a number of ways.
For example, those women who drank two or more diet beverages a day saw their overall risk for developing heart disease increase by 29 percent. They were also 16 percent more likely to die prematurely from any cause.
Certain groups fared even worse: Among obese women and black women with no history of heart disease or diabetes, a diet drink habit pushed clot-driven stroke risk up by roughly twofold and fourfold, respectively, the researchers reported.
Whether or not the findings would apply to either men or younger women remains unclear, the study authors noted.
The findings were published online recently in the journal Stroke.
Lona Sandon is program director of the department of clinical nutrition at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.
She agreed that more research is needed to further explore a possible diet drink-heart disease connection. But for now Sandon offered simple advice: diet or regular, sodas offer no nutritional value other than calories.
“If they replace other drinks, such as milk and 100 percent fruit or vegetable drinks, then these women miss out on valuable nutrition for protecting the heart and vascular system,” Sandon warned.
“The nutrition you are missing because you are drinking artificially sweetened beverages instead may be the real problem,” she said.
A group representing the artificial sweetener industry offered another caveat about the findings — that many women who drink diet drinks are already struggling with weight issues.
“It is likely study subjects were already at a greater health risk and chose low-calorie sweetened beverages to manage their calorie and sugar intake as these products are proven safe and beneficial for those managing their weight and blood glucose levels,” said Robert Rankin, president of the Calorie Control Council.
“The contribution of reverse causality, meaning that individuals already at a greater risk of stroke and cardiovascular events chose low-calorie sweetened beverages, is very likely the cause of the associations presented by these researchers,” the council added in a statement.
