Your periods are so heavy and irregular, you are left exhausted and weak. You never know when your period is going to appear, and during it, you can barely stay ahead of the mess. The cramps are not too bad, but once the bleeding starts, you know you are in for several bad days followed by a week of spotting. When the bleeding stops, the aftermath means being tired with less motivation to run or lift weights, let alone go for a brisk walk.
What is your diagnosis? Probably perimenopause.
Probably is an important word as just because someone might fit the story for perimenopause, it is necessary to make sure the irregular periods are not caused by anything else.
Perimenopause is the normal life phase when periods start to change as your ovaries run out of follicles, or immature eggs. Hormone levels change and fluctuate.
The result? Irregular periods, often close together or spaced out and sometimes heavy and sometimes light. These changes can also be caused by an over- or under-active thyroid, changes in weight such as rapid loss or gain, high prolactin levels, polycystic ovary, and conditions which affect the uterus such as polyps or fibroids.
Especially in women who are overweight, with diabetes or high blood pressure, it is crucial to make sure the uterine lining is not too thick, which could be caused by pre-cancer or uterine cancer.
A patient I’ll call Molly came to see me to figure out why she felt so tired all the time.
At 48, she could hardly keep up with life, including her high school kids’ schedules, spending time with her husband beyond comparing schedules, and her full-time job.
Her work was hosting a biggest loser contest, and she felt too tired and lacked motivation to start an exercise plan or make any real attempt at eating healthy in order to lose 15 pounds. Her periods interfered with work in that she had to leave a planning meeting because she felt her period start and feared she would make a mess.
What made matters worse, she was planning for a dream trip with several families and worried about bleeding while on the trip.
Her recent blood work revealed that her hemoglobin blood count was 10 and her iron (ferritin) was 15, which prompted her primary care doctor to find her a gynecologist. She had lost enough blood on a regular basis and couldn’t take enough iron to make up what her body needed.
Her doctor ruled out thyroid or prolactin problems. She had an ultrasound and came to see me, hoping for some options to get her irregular and heavy periods to stop.
She appeared otherwise healthy except for being slightly overweight. Her cholesterol and blood sugar levels were borderline high and thyroid and prolactin normal. Her ultrasound—done after a period—showed a normal lining thickness and no fibroids or any other abnormality.
We talked about the phase of life she’s in and her options.
Because her periods were so heavy, it would be a good idea to first sample her uterine lining with an endometrial biopsy. Because she did not smoke and had no family or personal history of blood clots, she was still a candidate for the low-dose birth control pills, which could be used to help her not have her period while on a trip.
Another option: bioidentical FDA-approved progesterone to take from day 10 of her cycle for 15 days, which could make the periods more regular and light, but would not provide birth control. An IUD with progesterone could also work for her as it would give her birth control as well as control heavy bleeding.
After a good discussion about the pros and cons of each option, she chose an IUD as she also needed birth control, and we placed the IUD in time to ensure her periods would at least be better, if not gone.
In terms of the other symptoms of perimenopause, she chose to focus on a healthy lifestyle now that the periods would no longer be the issue.
She chose a schedule of short daily workouts to fit in between other obligations, having been reminded she needed to care for herself in order to care for others.
This included all of the SEEDS and supporting her system with consistent sleep, water, multivitamin, Vitamin D, iron-rich foods, calcium in her diet, exercise—a bit every day—and a short time of quiet and gratitude every day.
Technology can seem overwhelming to those who didn’t grow up with it, and too often seniors give up on trying to understand new advancements. While it’s true that adapting to technology doesn’t come as naturally to seniors as it does to younger generations, there are a lot of benefits of technology that you should know about. One example is apps, a downloadable application that can be used on a phone or tablet.
1. Healthcare apps
Seniors can use apps to access healthcare information faster. Many healthcare facilities and doctors use apps to create patient portals and upload your medical information for you to view. Doctors can also have chat lines to be available after office hours for emergency medical questions.
Some healthcare apps even allow you to fill prescriptions online, saving you a phone call or doctor’s visit when you need medications refilled on short notice. You can also use a health app to monitor symptoms of chronic conditions.
Ridesharing apps allow you to get a ride without needing a car yourself. These apps will share your location with a certified driver who will pick you up and take you where you need to go for a small fee. No parking needed!
These apps are great for seniors because if you don’t have a car or don’t feel comfortable driving someplace you can have a source of transportation.
Social media apps are some of the most popular among people of all ages. While you may have a Facebook account on your computer, it can be a great asset to have the app downloaded on your phone or tablet as well. Then you can easily see photos, posts, and updates from friends and family.
Staying connected to people is an important part of senior health. Socialization is a big part of ensuring that your cognitive functions continue to operate healthily as you age. Social media apps can help you keep in contact with people, as well as sharing your own thoughts and events.
As mentioned above, finding ways to help keep your brain functions healthy is an important aspect of maintaining your cognitive and memory health. In order to help, there are apps specifically made to challenge your brain and improve your mental functions. You can learn new skills, thought patterns, and languages through apps, and most can be explored for free.
Let’s face it: grocery shopping is a chore at any age. However, it becomes especially difficult as a senior to find the time and energy to drive to the store, find everything you need, get it up on the checkout line, carry your bags to the car, haul them all inside, and put everything away. So why not use apps to cut out some of these steps?
Grocery delivery apps like Shipt and other food delivery apps can take all the travel time out of finding the foods you need to stay energized and healthy.
From simple slips to more serious reminders, it’s important to have a
system in place to help us remember when something important comes up.
Apps can help with sound and vibration notifications that capture our
attention. Different apps have features that may be better for your
memory, so play around to find one that fits your needs!
It’s the Golden Age of Television, and you don’t want to miss a minute! There are so many different television and movie watching opportunities, so having the ability to watch your favorite programs from anywhere is a great benefit of app technology.
If watching television isn’t your go-to activity, there are still plenty of ways to find entertainment with reading apps. Whether you pay for a monthly subscription with Amazon Kindle, or want to borrow library books to read online, there’s an app for you! You can even listen to books through Audible, which reads books out loud so you can hear your favorite story while doing other tasks.
If you still want more entertainment, there are an abundance of gaming apps that you can try out. Some are puzzle based, which can help build cognitive functions, some are played against other people, and some are just great for passing time.
No matter what type of games you like to play, there are apps available for you. These apps are so popular that they have an entire tab under your app store to search within! Take a look and see which apps are going to provide you with the most fun.
10. Music apps
Music is one of nearly everyone’s favorite pastimes, and is especially great for seniors. As with other forms of entertainment, there are more options available now than ever before. And, with the help of music apps, you don’t need to have any equipment beyond a phone or tablet to enjoy all your favorite songs.
For almost anything you can think of, there is an app that can help. While technology may seem overwhelming, getting some help from a younger family member or friend to really understand tools like apps can make technology a great addition to every senior’s life!
Taking medication for high blood pressure or high cholesterol can reduce the odds of stroke. Researchers also suspect improvements in diet, exercise and lifestyle are contributing to better outcomes. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
Starting in the late 1980s, stroke rates among older Americans began to fall—and the decline shows no signs of stopping, a new study finds.
The researchers found that between 1987 and 2017, the rate of stroke incidence among Americans aged 65 and older dropped by one-third per decade.
The pattern has been steady, with no leveling off in recent years.
It’s not completely clear why, according to researcher Dr. Josef Coresh, a professor at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, in Baltimore.
Over time, fewer older adults in the study were smokers, which is a major risk factor for stroke. On the other hand, some other risk factors—such as high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes—became more common.
Of course, those conditions can be treated. And it’s known that for any one person, getting high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes under control can cut the risk of stroke, Coresh said.
“However,” he added, “at the population level, we found that the decline (in strokes) was larger than what would be predicted from risk factor control alone.”
That suggests something else is going on, Coresh said.
The findings are based on data from a long-running heart health study that began in 1987. At the outset, it recruited almost 15,800 adults aged 45 to 64 from communities in four U.S. states.
A previous study found that the stroke rate among the participants fell between 1987 and 2011—a decline seen only among people aged 65 and older.
The new analysis, published online recently in JAMA Neurology, shows that the trend continued between 2011 and 2017.
Over 30 years, Coresh’s team found, there were 1,028 strokes among participants aged 65 and older. The incidence dropped by 32% over time.
In more recent years, many more older adults were on medication for high blood pressure or high cholesterol, versus the late 1980s. But risk factor control did not fully explain why the stroke rate dropped so much, according to Coresh.
He said that other factors not measured in the study—including exercise, salt intake and overall diet—might be involved.
Dr. Larry Goldstein, a spokesperson for the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, made another point: The study could not account for exactly how well-controlled people’s blood pressure and other risk factors were.
That could go a long way toward explaining the decline in stroke incidence, according to Goldstein, who is also a professor of neurology at the University of Kentucky.
But while the latest findings are good news, there are also more sobering stroke statistics, Goldstein said. Although strokes are most common among people aged 65 and older, they strike younger adults, too, and the incidence of stroke among younger people has been inching up in recent years.
Plus, Goldstein said, the death rate from stroke—which had been declining—has recently “stalled” and is starting to reverse course.
“It might be because folks are now having more severe strokes,” Goldstein noted.
It’s critical, he added, that people be aware of the signs of stroke and get help quickly if they think they, or a family member, is having one.
Some of the warning signs include a drooping or numbness on one side of the face; arm weakness or numbness; slurred speech; sudden confusion or difficulty seeing or walking; or, as Goldstein described it, “the worst headache of your life.”
His advice: “Don’t delay getting help. Time saved is brain saved.”
Tramell Louis Jr. has diabetes, and his friends all know it.
So when he collapsed at lunch while waiting to place his order, his buddy thought Tramell was having a diabetic attack.
He helped him out to his car and called LaGenda, Tramell’s wife, who drove to meet them outside the restaurant.
It didn’t take her long to figure out that this was no low-blood-sugar attack, so she followed her instincts and called 911.
“I’m asking him questions and he’s looking at me, but he won’t respond. So at that point I knew something was grotesquely wrong,” she said. “I just knew it wasn’t related to the diabetes.”
As she watched “his mouth go crooked,” she wondered whether he was having a stroke.
Clot retrieval
An ambulance took Tramell to the emergency department at Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital, where doctors confirmed LaGenda’s suspicions: At age 37, her husband had suffered an acute ischemic stroke.
The doctors quickly got him hooked up to an intravenous drip and administered a clot-busting medicine known as IV tPA. As the only drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treating acute ischemic stroke, this is the standard of care in a case like Tramell’s.
At the same time, emergency room staff called one of the hospital’s stroke specialists, who ordered a CT angiogram to pinpoint the source of the stroke. Tramell was rushed to the interventional radiology suite for imaging.
With the images on screen, the Spectrum Health Medical Group neurointerventionalist could see that Tramell was a perfect candidate for an advanced intervention called a mechanical thrombectomy, or clot retrieval.
Tramell’s brain scans showed two blood clots—one in the carotid artery in his neck and the other lodged in the left-middle cerebral artery, a major artery supplying the brain.
This second clot had shut down the blood flow to the left side of his brain, like a dam blocking a river.
“When the doctor showed me the CT scan of his brain, you could clearly see that (one) side of his brain had no blood flow to it at all,” LaGenda recalled.
Time is brain
With stroke, speed is everything. The longer the brain is deprived of blood, the more damage the brain suffers.
Studies have shown that for every minute blood supply is blocked, approximately 2 million neurons die.
So if a patient fits the criteria for intervention, “the sooner you start the procedure, the sooner you take out the blood clot, the sooner you restore the blood flow, the better the outcomes at three months.” That’s the standard measurement in the United States today.
Thankfully, Tramell beat the clock. From the moment he arrived at the hospital to the time he underwent surgery, less than an hour had passed.
Because there were two clots, the doctor used a two-step process to retrieve them. First he inserted a catheter into a blood vessel in the patient’s groin and fed it up to the carotid artery. Using a tool called the Solitaire device, he trapped the first clot in a tiny mesh stent and pulled it out.
Photo by Taylor Ballek, Spectrum Health Beat
Then he repeated the technique, fishing out the clot in the central brain. Immediately the blood began to flow again, in what doctors call complete recanalization—the channel was open again.
The results for Tramell proved to be dramatic.
His symptoms—loss of language function and right-side weakness—improved literally overnight, said Vivek Rai, MD, a neurologist with Spectrum Health Medical Group who specializes in stroke and vascular neurology. He took over Tramell’s care after his release from intensive care.
“After the procedure, the next morning when he woke up, he was night and day,” Dr. Rai said. “And he continued to do so well.”
Now that Tramell is in the clear, Dr. Rai will see him annually in the neurovascular program’s stroke clinic, keeping tabs on his carotid artery disease, which was the cause of the stroke, and monitoring his general health. To prevent a future stroke, Tramell will need to take aspirin and cholesterol medication, and carefully control his diabetes and blood pressure.
Driven to change
At five months post stroke, Tramell is feeling better than ever.
“I feel great. I really do,” he said. “I feel healthier than I have in a long time.”
He looks and sounds healthy, too, with no lingering effects. At least, none that a bystander would notice.
“The only problem I have is my speech,” he said. “When I speak, if it’s a word I haven’t used after I had my stroke, it takes—it’s like a pause and then I have to remember the word and then it jogs it, and then I start using it fluently.”
The stroke served as a major wake-up call for the father of two. Realizing his life could be snatched from him—separating him from his wife and children—brought out strong emotions.
“I felt anger, extreme anger—with myself. I just knew I had to change. I had the worst—the worst—eating habits in the world,” he said, noting that before he started taking insulin, he weighed over 300 pounds.
Today Tramell is eating better, faithfully taking his medications, drinking more water, kicking his soda habit and “running on a treadmill like crazy”—even when his job as a shipping and receiving clerk keeps him at work late.
“My wife—she’s the one that motivates me to do all the things I do,” he said.
Making a conscious decision to let go of anger and resentment rooted in the past will help you focus on what’s important today. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
It’s surprisingly easy to hold a grudge, but whether it involves a friend, a co-worker or a loved one, it can fill you with bitterness, keep you stuck in the past and even lead to anxiety or depression.
That means you’re the one suffering from the situation—and not necessarily the subject of your anger and irritation.
Besides the emotional toll, researchers from Glasgow Caledonian University and Edinburgh Napier University, in Scotland, found that holding a grudge can also heighten feelings of physical pain, even if that pain has nothing to do with the incident in question.
So if your lower back is bothering you or you have the achiness of arthritis, your pain can feel worse if you’re stewing over the grudge.
Letting go of a grudge starts with forgiveness. That doesn’t mean you’re excusing the behavior the other person exhibited—and you may never forget it—but if you can forgive the person for their mistake, you can break free of the hold he or she has had on your life.
The benefits are wide-ranging and immediate.
Making a conscious decision to let go of the anger and resentment that keeps you rooted in the past will allow you to focus on your present and what’s important to you today.
Letting go of grudges frees you to focus on the positive relationships in your life—the ones that bring you true happiness and contentment. It also lessens feelings of anxiety and hostility while improving self-esteem and your health in general.
As you let go of grudges, they will no longer define you and you’ll feel like a burden has been lifted from your shoulders.
As the days get cooler, the autumn landscape blooms with golds, oranges, and reds of the changing leaves. From scenic drives along the Lake Michigan shoreline to winding trails through the inland forests, West Michigan celebrates the colors of the season with color tours, unique viewing experiences, and special fall stops along the way.
Driving, biking, and walking color tours
Jump into the car, onto a bike, or motorcycle and wander along the Harbor Country Fall Motor Tour. You’ll find easy stops to shop, pick a pumpkin or grapes, and ease back with great eats and an end-of-ride drink along the routes that runs between New Buffalo, Three Oaks, Union Pier, Lakeside, and Bridgman in Southwest Michigan.
The best places to view the fall colors in South Haven are on the nature trails. Hike or bike the Kal-Haven and Van Buren Trails, or kayak the Bangor/South Haven Heritage Water Trail under a canopy of fall colors.
Experience the fall colors of the Holland area as you climb Mount Pisgah, a towering dune east of Holland State Park, which is accessible via a boardwalk and stair system. With its apex 157 feet above Lake Michigan, the boardwalk culminates with scenic views of Lake Macatawa, Lake Michigan, and Big Red Lighthouse, surrounded by a heavily wooded area in vibrant hues of orange, red and, yellow. Or view the fall colors from the comfort of your car — here are a variety of driving routes around the greater Holland area.
Whether you are driving, hiking, biking or paddling, Ludington is a great place to explore the beauty of the fall season.
For the first three Saturdays in October, Muskegon and White Lake invite you to celebrate the vibrant colors of the area woods, dunes, and water with the Depot-to-Depot Fall Color Tour. Drive your car or ride your bike along this self-guided route that stretches from the Muskegon South Pierhead Light to the White River Light Station. Travel on some of Muskegon’s most scenic roads along Lake Michigan and the West Michigan Pike Byway. This tour is free and participants will receive fall refreshments and coupons to area businesses. There are also free pumpkins for the children and complimentary Visit Muskegon postcards for the grownups (while supplies last). Stamp your map at the designated stops and enter to win 2 round-trip passes for the Lake Express High-Speed Ferry between Muskegon and Milwaukee to use in the 2020 season. Check in on social media for chances to win weekly giveaways using #VisitMuskegon, #D2D19, and #LiveWhiteLake.
With Fall on its way, so is the Mecosta County Fall Color Tour. The 2nd Annual Fall Color Tour is being coordinated by Jeep Freakz of Michigan, and they’ll be riding with the Reed City Trail Rides Off Road Group. On Saturday, Oct. 5th, from 11:30am-5:30pm, the groups plan to travel to Hungerford before exploring other local trails throughout Big Rapids and Mecosta County.
You can also enjoy a Mecosta County Color Tour through self-guided canoe and kayak trips down the Muskegon River. Stop in to the Welcome Center at 127 South State Street in Big Rapids, or visit BigRapids.org to pick-up/download the Color Tour brochure.
Manistee County has two fall color seasons: Inland and Coastal. Check out the latest fall color tour routes and videos for weekly fall color updates live from around Manistee County and Northern Michigan.
Great color, beautiful scenery and interesting places to stop — you’ll find it all in the Petoskey Area. Five suggested routes take you in and around Harbor Springs, Petoskey, Charlevoix, and Boyne City — some offer lake views and all are known as favorite places to enjoy fall’s splendor.
The drive around Lake Charlevoix is a great color route; this journey will take you on the Breezeway through both East Jordan and Boyne City. The surrounding countryside is full of gently rolling hills and abundant foliage that is sure to satisfy that fall color trip you’ve been waiting for.
The contrasting evergreen and hardwood forests of the Grayling area are spectacular in autumn. Nature enthusiasts will enjoy a leisurely drive down the back roads, biking or hiking through Hartwick Pines State Park, or taking in the riverside colors while canoeing down the world famous AuSable and Manistee Rivers.
Set on the shores of Lake Superior, Travel Marquette has partnered with Noquemanon Trail Network (NTN), the leading trail network in the Central Upper Peninsula of Michigan, to deliver ‘Trail Talks’, enriching and engaging talks and expert led tours of the region throughout the 2019 summer and fall season. On Oct. 16 from 6:30-8:30pm, Travel Marquette and NTN will host a Picture This Trail Talk where expert photographer Shawn Malone shows trekkers how to capture the beauty of fall foliage with all levels of equipment including smartphones. Register for free to help organizers plan for the event. Location to meet the group: Marquette Board of Light and Power, 2200 Wright Street, Marquette, MI 49855.
Unique ways to view the fall foliage
Watch as Benzie County transforms into a kaleidoscope of color during Fall Chairlift Rides at Crystal Mountain in Thompsonville. Fall Chairlift Rides are available select dates through the month of October.
Enjoy the beautiful fall colors from the deck of the 77′ schooner Inland Seas as she sails around Suttons Bay. Fall is a relaxing season in northern Michigan as temperatures are comfortable and traffic is light. On this sail, participants can help the crew in raising the sails and steering the ship, or just sit back and relax while taking in the wonder our Great Lakes provide us. Cost is $30 for adults and $20 for children. For more information, visit schoolship.org/buy-tickets.
Courtesy West Michigan Tourist Association
Two of the Mitten’s premiere paddlesport rivers, the Pine and the Big Manistee, wind their way through beautiful river valleys, revealing new color palettes at every bend. The Pine River Paddlesports Center in Wellston is here to make your fall color tour on the river an absolute breeze.
Experience Mother Nature’s fall color show from a different perspective. Hop on the Blue Chairlift in Shanty Creek Resort’s Schuss Village in Bellaire for a colorful ride to the top of Schuss Mountain. Just $5 per person, Chairlift Rides take place from noon-4pm on Saturdays through Oct. 19th.
Take a fall foliage tour via the Chippewa River by kayak or canoe and explore the fall foliage or hike to the “elusive” mountain in Mt. Pleasant, Bundy Hill Preserve, home to the highest point in Isabella County.
Home to more than 100 lakes, including two chains of lakes, getting out on the water in Coldwater Country is the best way to see the fantastic fall foliage. Launch a boat, kayak, or canoe at one of the many public access points or rent a boat from one of the area marinas to get out on the water.
Stops to add to your color tour
Looking for the perfect spot to take in the fall color with a glass of wine in hand? Located on the 16th floor of Grand Traverse Resort and Spa in Williamsburg, Aerie Restaurant & Lounge gives you 360-degree views of Northern Michigan and Grand Traverse Bay. Best of all, Aerie is a three-time Wine Spectator Award of Excellence winner, so whether you’re looking for an Old World classic or a local favorite, you’ll find the perfect bottle.
The Courtyard by Marriott Petoskey is your perfect beginning and end to your fall color tour. Only 15 minutes from M-119, the new property offers refreshing rooms and a bistro to share with family, friends, and loved ones alike.
After a day of exploring Northern Michigan, stop in downtown Charlevoix for dinner, a craft beer, or a tasty treat. Explore downtown boutiques for fall discounts and one-of-a-kind merchandise. While taking a fall color tour, celebrate nature’s harvest at the annual Apple Festival, Oct. 11th-13th, where you can enjoy an art and craft show, a variety of food vendors, and family friendly events. Stop at Friske’s Farm Market in Atwood to enjoy numerous tasty treats like a slice of apple pie, you-pick apples, and apple cider.
Lewis Farms & Petting Zoo in New Era is the perfect place to stop for all your fall favorite goodies along the beautiful drive up US-31 between Muskegon and Ludington. Stop in the market for apple cider and fresh donuts, pick up some delicious Michigan apples, or grab a bag of our homemade kettle corn to snack on along the way.
Crane’s is a family owned, family run business that has been a treasured travel destination in West Michigan for decades, nestled in the lush, rolling hills of their family’s fruit farms just minutes from Lake Michigan’s shore.
Special events to celebrate autumn colors
An annual celebration of autumn, Chrysanthemums & More, on display now through Oct. 27th at Frederick Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids, is the largest show of its kind in Michigan, featuring expansive chrysanthemum displays, fall foliage and family friendly activities. Mum Day, Oct. 20th will provide members and guests an opportunity to interact with horticulture staff and learn more about the fascinating chrysanthemum and fall themed plantings.
Courtesy West Michigan Tourist Association
Gaylord’s Treetops Resort will be holding a Fall Color Tour and Progressive Dinner on Oct. 5th and a Farm 2 Fork dinner on Oct. 12th.
Celebrate the vibrant fall colors of Southwest Michigan. Maple Row Sugarhouse is one of the stops on the Three Rivers Chamber of Commerce’s Fall Color Tour, which takes place Oct. 13th from 10am-5pm. Tour the Sugarbush and learn how maple sap is collected, enjoy samples of many different maple products, and learn how the French colonials made maple syrup and maple sugar.
Otsego Resort in Gaylord will host Wine & Cheese Color Tour Saturday, Oct. 19th, beginning at 2pm.
What you don’t know about bone health may hurt you. Get in the know with a doctor’s expert information about osteoporosis. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
The sunny days of summer are long gone, which means it’s time for all of us to start taking our vitamin D supplements.
Vitamin D is a necessary and crucial component of bone health. Unfortunately, we often don’t think about bone health until it is too late and the damage is done.
Osteoporosis, a condition in which the bones become brittle and fragile from loss of tissue, is often a silent disease. By the time a fracture occurs, there are usually several other bones already affected.
The good news is that osteoporosis can be prevented. And, if your bones are already weak, there are ways to keep more loss from happening and strategies to keep fractures to a minimum.
Bone mass reaches a peak
Our bones are constantly turning over and renewing. In fact, there are cells that build new bone and others that break it down to make way for new bone.
Our bone mass level and fracture risk depend on the rate of new bone growth compared to the rate of breakdown.
Most women reach a peak bone mass at age 32 and lose a small amount of bone mass every year. In the first five years of menopause, if a woman does not take estrogen, her bone loss will accelerate, increasing her risk for issues such as osteoporosis.
If we aren’t active enough, our builder cells don’t think they are needed and won’t make new bone. Osteoporosis can result, making our bones weak enough to increase the risk for a fracture from minimal trauma—like stepping off a curb awkwardly or a minor fall.
We also need to be aware of a similar but less severe disease than osteoporosis: Osteopenia can occur when the bones are thinner than they should be at a given age.
Osteoporosis has a staggering effect on women’s health.
The most common fractures occur in the hip, but can also occur in the wrist and upper leg bone, with a possibility of micro fractures in the spinal bones.
You may be surprised to learn that another, less well-known complication of osteoporosis is the loss or cracking of teeth and poor healing after dental procedures.
Unfortunately, the effects of osteoporosis impacts our lives in many different ways. There may be surgeries to repair fractures, time off work and physical therapy. Complications from surgery may also occur, including weight gain, muscle weakening, infection, pneumonia and even stroke. Chronic pain can become an issue as well, especially for spinal bone fractures.
The risk factors of osteoporosis are numerous, but the most common are aging, vitamin D deficiency, inactivity, oral steroid intake, cigarette smoking and poor calcium intake.
For women who are underweight, they are at risk of rapid bone loss due to not having enough stress on their bones. There are many other, less common risk factors, including the following: medical issues such as eating disorders and poor nutrition, excessive consumption of carbonated sodas, and poor absorption of nutrients due to colon problems (prior gastric bypass or Celiac disease).
A family history of osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, early menopause due to surgery or chemotherapy, or lupus can also increase a woman’s risk of developing osteoporosis.
Options and opportunities
I had a patient I’ll call Sue several years ago who was diagnosed
with osteoporosis. I saw Sue in my office just after she started
menopause.
As I always do with my menopause patients, I asked about her risk factors for accelerated bone loss. Sue was at a healthy weight but only exercised occasionally. She didn’t have any medical risk factors and had never had a fracture before, but she had also never taken a vitamin D supplement. Because Sue was in menopause and had never taken vitamin D, I ordered a DEXA scan—an enhanced form of X-ray technology that is used to measure bone loss.
When I called Sue with the results of her DEXA scan, she was not pleased. Her results showed that she had osteoporosis, and she had a greater than 20 percent risk for an osteoporotic fracture in the next 10 years. She also had a greater than 35 percent risk of a hip fracture during the same time period.
Sue’s reaction was very typical of many others when they are told they have osteoporosis. She was angry at herself, but she was also angry at the medical community because, at that time, we were not yet routinely recommending vitamin D supplementation.
She had always been told to wear sunscreen, which she did, whenever she went outside. And now she was being told a lack of vitamin D possibly contributed to her osteoporosis diagnosis? It just didn’t seem fair.
Once Sue’s anger subsided, we discussed what she should do next. I tested her for thyroid disease, vitamin D deficiency and parathyroid disease. Since Sue was in menopause, we discussed estrogen patches and pills that are FDA-approved for the prevention of osteoporosis. Sue chose not to take estrogen, but she was open to other options.
Although the tests showed Sue’s vitamin D level was very low, her other tests were normal—good news! So, we came up with a plan to keep Sue’s bones as healthy as possible.
I explained that the most important factors for keeping bones strong and preventing fractures is to eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly. I recommended Sue start on a prescription vitamin D tablet of 50,000 IU per week for two months and then 2,000 IU per day after that. I also suggested calcium-rich foods such as dairy products, almond or soy milk, and dark, leafy greens.
For exercise, we created a routine that included walking, jogging, Zumba classes and weight lifting. On days when Sue simply couldn’t fit in a workout, I advised her to jump up and down 50 times as a way to remind her bones to stay healthy.
In addition to diet and exercise, we discussed a few different prescription drugs, such as Raloxifene or Bisphoshonates, that help treat and prevent osteoporosis.
In the end, Sue chose to look at the situation as a gift. She strove to maintain the bones she already had and make them as strong as possible.
So many women come into the office and share now familiar symptoms.
“Why am I gaining weight?”
“I do not feel like myself!”
“How do I avoid a heart attack so I do not suffer like my mom?!”
“I am afraid to go out in the winter because I do not want to break a hip.”
“How do I deal with all of my stress?!”
Women’s health is different than men’s health and the topic deserves research and attention to better recognize and offer the best prevention and treatment options to women.
Menopause symptoms are important to understand and treat as these symptoms can be a sign more is going on under the surface.
Low estrogen causes hot flashes, night sweats and vaginal dryness. It also accelerates development of heart disease, bone loss, diabetes and obesity.
Emotional changes can be a sign of the existence of a high level of stress from handling kids and aging parents. Or this can be a red flag symptom of changing levels of brain chemicals, less sleep and a need for improved coping tools.
Women who cope well with life and body changes have three things in common:
1. They believe they deserve to be happy.
2. They keep a support network around them.
3. They ask for help when they need it.
A patient I’ll call Katie came to us because she was facing the perfect storm of menopause and felt like it was a hurricane.
She had all the symptoms—hot flashes, night sweats, irritability, insomnia, bladder urgency and low sex drive.
She no longer felt motivated to get up early to exercise and ate cookies at 3 p.m. to stay awake.
She and her husband argued about minor things, especially about how to deal with their son who was failing his class. Her mom, who’d suffered a stroke, fell and broke her hip in the assisted living center.
Work seemed crazy as her boss had left and she had to do both their jobs until a replacement could be found.
Katie came to us because she heard we could help with hot flashes. We certainly could offer meds and call it a day, but we see such a situation as an opportunity to become her partner in her health and consider all options.
This included a practical plan for a healthy lifestyle using the SEEDS, tracking and treating her symptoms, and assessing her health risks for bone loss, stroke and heart attack.
We also know emotional health is a big part of healthy aging. We support this facet of wellness by listening, discussing how the SEEDS can support the body and mind, and also having a team that includes a psychotherapist who can help our patients cope with strong emotions.
Three months later, Katie had improved sleep, better moods, only a rare hot flash, and she and her husband had a plan worked out with their son. Her mom had started to heal and feel better, and she was excelling in her new role at work.
Further, she ate better, took her vitamin D and calcium, and made time for small bursts of exercise. She no longer needing cookies to stay awake.
Best of all, she had a plan to reduce her risk of stroke, heart attack and bone loss.
Her hurricane of menopause had passed and life returned to smooth sailing.
Autumn is just about here — and that means it’s time to fill your calendars with some fun, fall-themed events. This season of cool nights, brisk mornings, and changing leaves is a lovely time to refresh with new activities. Whether you’re a Pumpkin Spice Latte fan or you’re counting down the days until you taste Thanksgiving stuffing, here are some senior-friendly fall activities to enjoy autumn with your loved ones.
1. Decorate for fall
Take an hour — or if you’re inspired, a whole weekend — and put away those summertime clothes and household items you won’t need this fall. Once you’ve de-cluttered, it’s time to decorate.
Create a fall centerpiece for your table with miniature pumpkins and dried leaves.
A cozy, plaid blanket is a nice touch for a recliner or rocker.
Turn your door into a lovely autumn entrance with a festive seasonal wreath.
Collect fallen leaves to use in your decor.
Embrace warm fall colors like red, orange, and yellow.
Have fun with pumpkins. Display them on festive plates, in glass vases, or on a bookshelf.
2. Create autumn-themed artwork
Creating beautiful things is fun and therapeutic for all of us, no matter our age. During the fall months, craft stores overflow with wreaths, pumpkins, and scarecrows, and a quick internet search turns up ideas for dozens of easy projects.
Cut paper or fabric into leaf shapes and hang a garland from a fireplace or doorway.
Paint stay acorns or even dip them in glitter.
Press fallen leaves and frame them for a striking autumn wall hanging.
If in-depth craft projects aren’t right for you, an autumn-themed adult coloring book is a calming option. Psychologists recommend coloring as a relaxation technique. There is a huge variety of coloring books available today, so you’ll be sure to find one that suits your style.
3. Enjoy the brisk fall weather
For those of us who couldn’t spend much time outside during the hot summer, the autumn months are a perfect chance to relax outdoors. Many communities offer fun fall activities for the whole family, such as corn mazes, hay rides, or pumpkin patches.
To ensure a healthful day outdoors, remember to check the weather report. Fall weather can change unexpectedly, so make sure you choose appropriate clothing. Don’t forget hats and sunscreen — UV rays can still cause skin damage even on cloudy days. Also, hydration is essential even after the hot summer months, so make sure to bring extra water.
4. Enjoy autumn treats
Everyone has a favorite fall flavor, from spiced apple cider to the classic Thanksgiving pumpkin pie. Whether you’re an experienced chef, or if a trip to the local bakery is more your style, make time for a special fall meal.
If you or your loved ones are creative in the kitchen, plan a day of cooking together. For aging adults who are not as active as they once were, perhaps more able loved ones can assist with shopping for a favorite fall menu to prepare and enjoy. Some families have traditional recipes perfect for this time of year. Or you can keep it simple and just enjoy a delicious slice of pie after lunch.
These senior-friendly fall activities are a great way to have a refreshing autumn season with your family. Whether you’re crunching through piles of brightly colored leaves or carving a fat orange pumpkin with your grandchild, fall is a special season and a great time to rejuvenate.
Exercise is a great way to stay youthful and even turn back the clock on aging.
If you’re new to exercise or simply want a fitness reboot, here are ideas by the decade.
In your 20s
Experiment with different workouts to find what you enjoy. Make exercise a regular habit that you won’t want to give up, even when career and family make heavy demands on you.
In your 30s
Short on time? Try three 15-minute walks spread throughout the day. To stay fit and retain muscle, do cardio just about every day and strength training two or three times a week. If you’re new to exercise, take classes or have a personal trainer create a program for you.
In your 40s
Enhance your weekly routine by doing both low-intensity exercise, like yoga for stress relief and flexibility, and high-intensity workouts, like interval training or a spin or kettlebell class, to boost calorie burn and muscle elasticity. Expect longer recovery times after high-intensity workouts, so make sure to get enough sleep.
In your 50s
Regular exercise remains a must, but ask your doctor for modifications if you have any chronic conditions. Varying your workouts or taking up a new sport will engage your brain as well as different muscles. Get in at least one or two high-intensity workouts a week and try to take active vacations that include favorite pastimes like biking, hiking or even walking tours.
In your 60s and beyond
Stay fit and strong to stay independent longer, and stay socially engaged by taking group classes. Stick with strength training, but consider using machines rather than free weights for more control. Water workouts may be easier on joints, too, especially if you have arthritis. But always keep moving. Try tai chi for flexibility and balance, and go dancing for fun and fitness.
Your efforts to help the planet don’t have to take a vacation just because you are traveling. Many West Michigan destinations, businesses, and organizations are making sure to do their part to promote eco-friendly and sustainable practices to conserve energy and minimize environmental impact.
Eco-friendly lodging
Crystal Mountain’s village in Thompsonville has been built iteratively, piece-by-piece, over time and the same approach has been applied to make meaningful strides toward a more sustainable future, such as:
Designing the resort as a pedestrian- and bike-friendly village, reducing use of carbon-emitting transportation
First resort in Michigan to invest in wind energy credits, offsetting the carbon footprint of the Crystal Clipper high-speed quad chairlift to help supply the grid with more clean, renewable energy sources—reducing CO2 emissions by 174,000 pounds annually
Building the first LEED-certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) spa in the Midwest—one of only four in the nation in 2009—that uses 28% less energy than a baseline structure
First northern Michigan resort to provide complimentary electric vehicle charging stations
Including a closed-loop, geothermal heating and cooling system as part of a $12 million expansion to the Inn at the Mountain (2018), reducing CO2 emissions by 150,000 pounds per year
Setting aside a 30-acre wooded preserve leased to Michigan Legacy Art Park for $1 per year
LED lighting in accommodations and public spaces, including the resort’s 33,000 square-foot conference facility
In-room recycling, electric golf carts, re-fillable bath amenities, efficiency sensors for irrigation and snow-making and more
Courtesy West Michigan Tourist Association
Grand Traverse Resort and Spa’s Green Committee is dedicated to creating a sustainable vacation experience. Here are just a few of the ways Grand Traverse Resort, located in Williamsburg, works to improve their carbon footprint:
Partnership with TerraCycle, to recycle partially used and empty toiletry bottles. TerraCycle provides the Resort with a penny for each bottle, saved up to donate to local green nonprofits.
Partnership with Eminence Organics, which plants a tree for each product sold. To date, over 3,500 trees have been planted.
A composting program with Bay Area Recycling for Charities that directs roughly 100 tons of food waste from the Resort’s dining outlets away from landfills.
In 2016, the Resort replaced an aging boiler with a Micro CHP (Combined Heat and Power) unit with an engine that runs on natural gas to generate electricity with useful heat—clean hot water—as a by-product of cooling the engine. The Micro CHP is estimated to save up to $20,000 in electric energy each year, and received an EPA certificate of approval for commercial emission standards.
The Golf & Grounds team has won numerous awards for their eco-friendly approach; resort is certified as a Michigan Turf-grass Environmental Steward; is adding space to the no-mow natural zones on the 900-acre property.
The Resort is eliminating single-use plastic products from the property—a work in progress.
In Mecosta County, being eco-friendly is something that hospitality businesses are familiar with—most hotels have a detailed Green program as part of hotel policy.
The Holiday Inn and Conference Center in Big Rapids has an eco-friendly initiative known as the “Green Engage”, striving to provide a sustainable environment. This particular hotel achieves these policies through the maintenance of the building as well as housekeeping—ensuring that there is energy-efficient output on all room units, light bulbs, furnaces, etc. Housekeeping offers guests opportunities to re-use personal items like towels and toiletries.
Your headquarters for Upper Peninsula outdoor adventures in Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula and Isle Royale National Park, the Keweenaw Adventure Company hosts Lake Superior sea kayaking and world-renowned Copper Harbor mountain biking. Environmentally conscious and community players, the Keweenaw Adventure Company celebrated their 25th Anniversary this season, and are proud to be “ultimately contributing to the region’s well-being through education, stewardship, conservation and sustainable tourism.”
Courtesy West Michigan Tourist Association
For over 30 years, Inland Seas Education Associationin Suttons Bay has been teaching people about protecting the Great Lakes through their programs on tall ship schooners. Participants engage in hands-on activities as they collect lake samples and analyze them to determine the health of the Great Lakes. Some of the programs also collect microplastics. Individuals also get a chance to raise the sails and steer the ship. Click through to find more information about ISEA public programs.
A hidden gem tucked behind tall dune hills, Lost Lake at Muskegon State Park is a botanical treasure with plants found in both bog and coastal plain marsh habitats. A three-mile, unpaved trail leads around Lost Lake, easily accessed from the Snug Harbor parking lot. A wheelchair-accessible trail from the Muskegon Winter Sports Complex leads to an accessible overlook and viewing scope on the wetland’s north side.
John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids is committed to conserving resources and in doing so strives to make all of their operations as green as possible. The Zoo stays green by diverting 80% of waste from landfills through compost and recycling. They offer compostable straws and other plastics at the concession stands and have a variety of sustainable gift options in the gift shop. The Zoo is also committed to conserving endangered species around the world and right here in West Michigan. Every year John Ball Zoo sends zookeepers out into the field to help native species like the Kirtland’s warbler, Massasauga rattlesnakes, piping plovers, and wood turtles.
Sustainable eating and shopping
Going Green in Ludington is made easier with a number of restaurants using compostable containers, utensils, bags, and straws, or implementing a no-straw policy. Stores use biodegradable paper bags, eco-friendly cleaning practices, and some businesses have promotions in place with donations going to local eco-minded organizations.
Visitors looking to minimize their impact on the planet can feel good about visiting the BarFly Ventures restaurant family, which includes HopCat locations in Grand Rapids,Kalamazoo,East Lansing, and Holland, as well as Stella’s Lounge in Grand Rapids and Grand Rapids Brewing Co. The businesses recycle all metal, plastic, cardboard, and glass and locally compost all food scraps, napkins, straws, and any other organic materials, diverting up to 90 percent of their waste from landfills and incinerators and helping to create soil instead of trash. BarFly has helped raise more than $50,000 for local clean-water nonprofits.
Courtesy West Michigan Tourist Association
Visit the HollandFarmers Marketon Wednesdays and Saturdays 8am-2pm and support local agriculture. By purchasing locally grown produce, shoppers and vendors cut back on packaging and emissions that would otherwise be used to transport goods to grocery stores from across the country.
Crane’s Pie Pantry in Fennville has gone strawless. Paper straws are only available on request. If you refuse a bag in the bakery or bring your own reusable bag, you leave with a free donut.
It’s not always possible to lower cholesterol through diet alone—sometimes there’s no way to override your DNA. Sometimes medication becomes a must.
But certain foods can be part of the plan to improve your numbers, to both lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the bad one, and raise your high-density lipoprotein (HDL), the good one.
First, choose foods with soluble fiber.
Think of this type of fiber as a magnet, drawing cholesterol out of your body. Good sources are oats, oat bran and barley, along with beans, eggplant and okra. When used in recipes, these foods tend to take on the flavors of other ingredients, so be adventurous with recipe planning—and generous with herbs and spices.
Apples, grapes, strawberries and citrus fruits are good choices because of their pectin, a type of soluble fiber.
Next, go for foods with polyunsaturated fats. These include vegetable oils like canola, sunflower and safflower, as well as fatty fish like salmon, rich with omega-3 fatty acids, and most types of seeds and nuts.
Plant-based foods also contain substances called plant sterols and stanols, which help keep the body from absorbing cholesterol.
Particularly good sources are Brussel sprouts, wheat germ and wheat bran, peanuts and almonds, and olive, sesame and canola oils.
In terms of foods to limit, talk to your doctor about your unique needs. High-cholesterol foods like shellfish and eggs aren’t as dangerous as once thought. The verdict is still out on the saturated fat found in meat, but some research has found that full-fat yogurt, milk and even cheese may be good for you.
The one type of fat to completely avoid is trans fat.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned its addition to foods in 2018, but because of extensions granted to some manufacturers, certain items could be on store shelves until January 2021. So keep checking the ingredients on any packaged foods you’re considering.
Being a full-time caregiver for your loved one is a taxing job. It takes a lot of energy and time to give good care, not to mention the emotional toll it takes. Caregiving is a difficult journey, and it takes a lot out of you. Because of that, many caregivers can suddenly find themselves burned out.
Caregiver burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion brought on by the stress of full-time caregiving. Avoiding caregiver burnout should be a top priority for you as a caregiver. After all, how can you give your best effort to caregiving if you aren’t in good health yourself?
Here are some ways to take care of your health and avoid burning out.
Find Other Caregivers in Your Area
Building a support network of other caregivers can be a big asset in avoiding burnout. Meeting with people who can understand and sympathize with your situation is a great outlet for your stress, and talking with people who experience similar feelings as you can help you feel less alone and isolated during your time as a caregiver.
You can meet other caregivers through online groups, Facebook pages, support meetings, or by asking medical professionals if they are aware of any type of caregiving support groups in the area. Social media and technology allows you to stay connected to your support group when you need them.
Take Respite Breaks
There aren’t regular breaks from caregiving like there are for other jobs. You don’t get weekends off, and your hours aren’t from 9am-5pm. You are constantly on the clock and need to be prepared at all hours of the day, every day. One way to regain some energy is to use a respite care service. Respite care is temporary, professional care of a dependent person that provides relief for usual caregivers.
Taking advantage of respite care helps you avoid isolating yourself, lets you stay healthy and avoid exhaustion, and allows you to stay focused and remain positive. You also don’t have to worry about the quality of care your loved one is receiving when they are at an assisted living community or other senior care center that offers respite care.
Keep an Eye on Your Health
Another important step in avoiding caregiver burnout is to keep a close eye on your own health. Remember, you can’t take care of your loved one if you aren’t doing well yourself. Staying active, exercising, and eating right are all ways to keep your health in check.
You also need to watch out for signs of stress and depression, which can signal caregiver burnout. Signs to look out for include:
Feeling sad, hopeless, or empty.
Losing interest in things that used to bring you joy
Outbursts and sudden changes in emotion
Changes in appetite
Changes in regular sleep patterns
Increased anxiety and restlessness
Trouble thinking clearly
Feeling extremely guilty and constantly blaming yourself
Frequent thoughts of death or suicide
If you experience these symptoms, seek medical help. There are services dedicated to helping caregivers maintain their mental health, and you can take advantage of those services.
Stay Organized
It’s easy to get overwhelmed with the stress of caregiving and burnout, so help yourself by keeping organized where you can. By staying organized, you don’t have to worry about where your loved one’s insurance papers or appointment schedules are.
Set up calendars either online, on your phone, or in paper form to organize appointments and meetings. File away paperwork in an orderly fashion that you can remember later on. You can also create daily checklists and task lists so you don’t have to worry about what you need to get done in a single day.
Organizing your life can help you feel more relaxed and confident in your role as a caregiver. It doesn’t take a lot to organize, but it can go a long way in reducing your overall stress and your likelihood of burning out.
Find Caregiving Services Near You
There are services and companies that provide caregiving assistance to people who need extra help. The National Eldercare Locator can help you find caregiving services around you. Examples of caregiving services include:
Meal deliveries
At-home nurses or physical therapists
Housekeeping services
Doing “elder-proofing” in your home with ramps and handrails
Legal aid
Financial counseling
Taking advantage of these services doesn’t mean you are incapable of
doing these things on your own— it just means that you don’t have to do it alone. Using these services can help you avoid feeling isolated and burning out.
Accept Help from Family and Friends
Along with accepting help from caregiving services, you should also use the help offered to you by family and friends. It can be hard to admit that you can’t do everything on your own, but everyone will be better off when you do. Not only does this greatly reduce your odds of burnout, but it will make your family feel better to be able to help you as well, even in small ways. Family and friends can help with:
Cleaning
Cooking
Doing house and yard work
Grocery shopping
Driving you and your loved one to appointments
Running errands
The last thing you want to do as a caregiver is burn out. By using these tips as a guide, you can avoid burning out and relieve some of your stress so you can be a better caregiver to your loved one.
After a little heat wave, fall is in the air. Families and friends gather around the television to watch football, and the leaves are just starting to turn color. There are many things to love about fall, but some of our favorites are the foods we associate with the season. We have hand-picked these heart-healthy, antioxidant loaded recipes because they remind us of cozy autumn evenings, warm colors, and the bountiful harvest we receive every year, here in the Midwest.
Appetizers and soups
Baked Brie Envelopes: These bite-sized pastries feature melty brie cheese paired with the beautiful fall flavors of cranberry, citrus, and cinnamon. With the perfect amount of sweet and salty, these tasty morsels can hold their own as an appetizer or a stand-alone snack.
Three Sisters Soup: The name of this hearty soup refers to the Native American practice of planting squash, beans, and corn together. In each stage of their lives, these plants would nurture one another and encourage a good harvest. This soup is creamy, and packed with protein and fall flavor for a dish suitable as a companion to a main course, or on its own for quiet evenings.
Main dishes
Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Apples: This delicious dish is great for chilly autumn days, with the smells of tender pork and roasting apples in the oven warming you inside and out. Apple picking is one of many great fall activities for seniors and their loved ones, as is making and eating a meal together. As this dish is low in saturated fat and high in protein, everyone is sure to get plenty of energy for fall fun.
Fennel-Garlic Braised Brisket with Roasted Peppers and Potatoes: With a name that’s just as much of a delicious mouthful as the meal itself, this brisket is rustic and wholesome. This heart-healthy recipe is easy-going, and makes plenty for everybody at the table — plus leftovers for sandwiches. EatingWell.com suggests a “flat” or “first” cut of brisket for a leaner meat, and to be sure to call your market to make sure they have what you want.
Desserts and snacks
Apple Nachos: Make good use of your apple-picking adventures with these fun apple “nachos.” Drizzled with peanut butter and honey, and topped with dried fruits and roasted nuts, this snack allows the many wonderful flavors of Midwest apples to shine. Combine sweet, tart, and spicy apples for maximum fall flavor, and make sure to snag a few slices before they all disappear.
Toasted pumpkin seeds
Toasted Pumpkin Seeds: Pumpkins are fun for carving and decorating as well as eating, but make sure not to throw away the seeds. This recipe for toasted pumpkin seeds is sweet and savory with a little cayenne kick. Great as a snack, dessert, or even as a topper for soups and salads, pumpkin seeds contain tons of healthy vitamins and minerals. Who knew?
With all the fun of fall to experience, these healthy autumn recipes will be sure to get you excited for activities like hayrides, apple picking, and more. It’s always amazing how the nutritious produce grown in our backyards can be transformed into these heart-warming meals. Just be sure to make a little extra and pack them along for those longer adventures!
Not a creature was stirring—except for Myra Moritz, 61, a Hudsonville, Michigan, business supervisor who had no plans of missing work.
But something felt a little odd that day. A sluggish left arm. And a heavy hip.
“It got worse over the day,” Moritz remembers. “I told my husband the next morning that I was having a stroke.”
Her husband, Dennis Moritz, took her to Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital, where doctors soon confirmed what she suspected: She had suffered a stroke.
Lifestyle change
Not all strokes move quickly.
While minutes and seconds certainly matter when treating the victims, the type that hit Moritz had been slow-moving.
“I was too late for that magic pill that turns a stroke around,” she said. “But the staff immediately started tests and treatment and they found I had 95 percent blockage in my right artery and 75 percent in my left.”
In the years leading up to the stroke, Moritz underwent treatment for high blood pressure and high cholesterol. She also had five successful bypasses eight years prior, with surgery performed at Spectrum Health Fred and Lena Meijer Heart Center.
Photo by Chris Clark, Spectrum Health Beat
She knew enough about stroke to recognize her condition, even though she didn’t experience the more classic FAST symptoms associated with stroke:
F—Facial drooping
A—Arm weakness
S—Speech difficulties
T—Time to call emergency services
“I did not have any facial drooping or slurred speech,” Moritz said. “But as the day went on, I felt more weakness in my arm. And my brain was getting foggy. I was having trouble comprehending.”
Justin Singer, MD, Spectrum Health Medical Group neurosurgeon, served on the stroke team that treated Moritz.
“Myra had severe bilateral carotid stenosis, or carotid artery disease,” Dr. Singer said. “Lifestyle habits that contribute to this are high blood pressure, cholesterol, smoking, but also genetics. She had these high risk factors.”
To reduce Moritz’s chances of having another stroke, Dr. Singer performed carotid endarterectomy on her right artery. This surgical procedure removes blockages in the carotid arteries of the neck.
Carotid endarterectomy is not a cure, Dr. Singer said. Arteries can become blocked again if conditions such as high blood pressure and cholesterol are not controlled. This causes new plaque buildup.
“So I quit smoking,” Moritz said. “That was the last day I smoked.”
Moritz immediately began to exhibit mild seizures during rehab.
Photo by Chris Clark, Spectrum Health Beat
“That’s not uncommon after a stroke,” Dr. Rector said.
But the seizures were enough to set Moritz back in her recovery.
“After the seizures, my memory seemed to be more affected,” Moritz said. “I was very tired. And about six days later I started to have hallucinations—probably a side effect from some of the meds I was taking to control the seizures.”
Moritz remembers seeing pirate ships sailing across the lake outside her window at Blodgett Hospital. Dogs she had owned in the past, now dead, suddenly trotted into the room to greet her. When she reached out to pet them, there was nothing there.
“I learned to check with my husband before trusting anything I was seeing,” she said. “And then I also realized that if I blinked, if it was a vision, it would go away.”
The good news: Moritz wasn’t bedridden during recovery.
Under Dr. Rector’s guidance, the rehab team gave her a proper workout to strengthen her left leg and left arm.
She practiced ascending and descending the stairs. She’d get in and out of a pretend car, use the bathroom independently and improve her balance with a walker.
“All the things I needed to be able to do when I go home,” Moritz said.
A return to normal
Before the stroke, Moritz would swim 60 laps twice a week at an indoor pool.
It may be a while before she achieves that level again, but her prognosis is excellent.
Photo by Chris Clark, Spectrum Health Beat
On leaving the hospital a little more than a month after her stroke, she felt optimistic and strong.
“A physical therapist comes out to the house three times a week to work with me,” she said. “That will go down to twice a week soon. My brain doesn’t feel foggy anymore and my appetite is better.
“Although, maybe that’s not so great,” she laughed.
Her doctors have recommended a Mediterranean diet, heavy on fruits and vegetables. She expects to drive again in about six months, when the risk of seizure has passed.
“Myra has made a remarkable recovery,” Dr. Rector said. “By the time she was discharged, we scored her 4 out of 5. We expect her to eventually return to normal or near normal.”
The directive from her doctors: control blood pressure, screen for hypothyroidism, stay active, maintain a healthy diet and keep watch on any reoccurring stroke symptoms.
And don’t smoke.
“An amazing group of doctors and nurses and rehab people have worked with me,” Moritz said. “Everyone has been so kind and supportive throughout every step of my recovery. My rehab people always ask me during my exercises: ‘Can you do one more?’”
Many seniors who reach retirement age start to slow down and decrease the time they spend exercising—or just stop exercising altogether after feeling fatigued from activities that at one point had been easy. However, doing so may have some serious consequences.
Choosing not to exercise as a senior can have a negative impact on your health. As you age, exercise becomes more than creating a healthy habit. Even simple exercises can give you significant benefits to your overall health—sometimes even more so than when you were younger.
1. Exercise stops muscle loss
Muscle loss starts to affect all adults around age 30, with an estimated 5% loss of muscle in each subsequent decade. This process can speed up quickly around 65 years of age, which is why seniors can rapidly lose muscle mass and become enfeebled in a matter of a few years.
There’s no way to completely halt muscle loss, but exercises ranging from more intense weight-resistance training to simple daily exercise like walking and functional movements that use a wide range of muscle groups can slow the progress of muscle loss.
2. Exercise improves mental health
Exercise is a huge stress reducer and releases hormones like endorphins that improve overall mental health and make you happy. A regular release of endorphins through exercise can significantly lower your risk of becoming depressed as you age. In addition, seniors who exercise have better moods and more self-confidence than seniors who don’t exercise.
3. Exercise builds stronger bones
Falling and hurting yourself or breaking bones are some of the most devastating injuries that seniors can suffer from. Breaking a bone and losing bone strength creates long-lasting negative impacts on other areas of senior health. Exercise, usually in conjunction with good foods, can help build stronger bones that are able to withstand wear and tear without breaking.
4. Exercise keeps your weight in check
Metabolism and the ability to naturally burn calories slows down as you age, which is one of the main reasons why it’s difficult for seniors to lose or maintain a consistent weight as they grow older. Regular exercise can burn calories and speed up your metabolism which helps you control your weight.
5. Exercise decreases the risk of falling
Damage from falls are some of the most debilitating injuries to seniors, as they both limit independence and can actually reduce life expectancy. A good exercise routine can improve flexibility, stamina, balance, coordination, and strength in seniors. All of these things combined can work together to reduce the risk of falling.
6. Exercise helps you sleep better
Sleep is important as it gives seniors energy for their day and allows the mind to rest and maintain good health. Sleep is also an important factor in reducing senior depression and irritability while at the same time improving concentration and motivation.
Regular exercise can help you fall asleep quicker and stay asleep for longer—beating the insomnia that often keeps seniors from getting their recommended levels of sleep. Exercising can also help you feel more energized when you wake up after a good night’s sleep.
7. Exercise prevents disease
One of the most well-known benefits of exercise is that it helps to prevent a number of serious diseases that affect not only seniors, but adults of every age. This can include heart-related diseases like high-blood pressure and heart attacks, along with other diseases like diabetes and osteoporosis.
Exercise also has been shown to improve immune health—as people who exercise regularly get sick less often than people who don’t exercise at all—along with digestive and gut health.
8. Exercise reduces the risk of memory disease
Exercise and physical activity has been shown to reduce the chances of coming down with serious memory diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Exercises that include multiple parts or are more detail-oriented can improve cognitive functions by working areas of the brain that might not otherwise be stimulated.
9. Exercise encourages socialization
Most senior exercise ends up becoming a group activity, especially for seniors who are exercising in the same senior living community. This leads to increased odds of having more social engagements and opportunities to make friends and cultivate relationships.
Even if you exercise alone, the added energy gained from a daily exercise routine can help you feel motivated to socialize rather than isolating yourself. Seniors who live more sedentary lives might not be as willing to get up and leave the comfort of home, despite the benefits of socialization.
Not all exercise needs to be intense in order to have a large impact on senior health. Even simple chair exercises, stretches, or short walks can make major long-term improvements to overall senior health. Understanding what your limits are and finding exercises that fit your lifestyle can help you improve your health, both physically and mentally for years to come.
With thousands of visitors flocking to Northern Michigan annually to catch the peak of autumn color, the Manistee County Visitors Bureau (Visit Manistee County) is making it easier to see fall colors in the region that also boasts two distinct fall color seasons, offering free fall planning tools to help visitors plot their autumn visit, along with a host of seasonal events and attractions.
“The fall season is a key draw to our beautiful part of the state, and we are so fortunate to have two distinct phases that extend our season — our inland region shows earlier signs of fall color, and our Lake Michigan coastline stays green longer with warmth from the lake,” said Kathryn Kenny, executive director of Visit Manistee County. “We want to make it easy for visitors to find everything they need at their fingertips to have a wonderful autumn getaway while enjoying the longer color season here.”
2019 Fall Color Guide – Developed for the first time this year as a stand-alone guide for the fall season, this free, downloadable 36-page fall color guide provides top photo spots; three color tour driving routes (inland, coastal and Lake Michigan coastal tour/M-22 scenic drive) with food, shopping and lodging stops along the way; plus evening activity suggestions. Visitors also can request a free printed guide in the mail by contacting the visitors bureau at 877.626.4783.
Biweekly fall color update videos – Visit Manistee staff provide twice-a-week, short video updates about where the leaf color is around the county to help with travel plans. The latest video appears on the fall landing page, and past videos are archived on Facebook.
Fall “color dial” – Two color dials are updated every few days – one for the coastal region and one for the inland region – visually depicting the leaf color from green for “still early” or “here and there,” to yellow for “feels like fall” and “good color,” to red for “great color” and “peak color.” A short description of the current status is listed below the dial.
Visit Manistee County highlights three primary fall color driving routes in its new 2019 Fall Color Guide, which can also be combined with additional tours from the Manistee County Self-Guided Tour series of the county for fall leaf peeping. Driving tours for the best chance to see fall colors include:
Inland Fall Color Tour– This 175-mile scenic inland loop takes visitors east into Manistee County toward higher elevations and dense hardwoods of Manistee National Forest, plus along winding dirt roads and through tunnels of trees. (Can be combined with the Bridges and Dams Tour and Quilt Trail Tour.)
Coastal Fall Color Tour– This scenic route traversing 130 miles of Manistee County’s shoreline along both Lakeshore Drive and the start of the famous M-22 passes through coastal towns like Onekama and Arcadia while offering expansive glimpses of Lake Michigan at vistas like Arcadia Overlook. Fifteen points of interest are mapped out, along with fun facts and diversions. (Can be combined with the Natural Wonders Tour and U-Pick & Farm Markets Tour.)
Lake Michigan Coastal Tour /M-22 Scenic Drive – Manistee County is the gateway to scenic Michigan Highway M-22, which this 150-mile route follows from Manistee County north along Lake Michigan past 21 points of interest and through 11 communities, all the way to Northport and down to Traverse City. (Suggested in conjunction with the above-mentioned Coastal Fall Color Tour.)
Fall events and attractions
Manistee County also features fall events and attractions that cater to adults and families alike:
Hops and Props on the River, Manistee, Sept. 21. This fall favorite features classic wooden boats and craft beer, cider and wine. Visitors can taste their way through more than 100 beers from 35 Michigan breweries, view classic Century boats (originally manufactured in Manistee), and listen to live music.
Little Manistee River Weir – Fall Egg Harvest, Manistee, tours scheduled in the fall and group tours by appointment. (Call 231.775.9727, ext. 6072 to check tour dates.) This occurs once a year when the DNR Fisheries Division harvests chinook salmon eggs from the weir that is used to block fish on the Little Manistee River. The eggs are sent to state fish hatcheries to be reared and stocked across Michigan and other states. During the fall egg take, visitors can tour the operation and view salmon from a platform.
Onekama Fall Festival, Onekama, Oct. 12. This annual tradition features live entertainment, arts and crafts, scarecrow and pumpkin decorating contests, pet parade, hay rides, food wagon and other family-friendly activities.
Manistee Ghost Ship, October weekends. The historic 1931 S.S. City of Milwaukee car ferry transforms into the Manistee Ghost Ship, where visitors explore five decks of thrills, scares and ghostly beings. Admission fee.
Scenic Airplane Tours, October weekends. Enjoy a bird’s-eye view of Michigan’s fall colors on a scenic flight over Manistee County. Orchard Beach Aviation conducts two scenic flights – one over downtown Manistee and the Lake Michigan shoreline, and one of the M-22/Portage Lake area – for $30 per person (two person minimum) departing from Manistee County Blacker Airport.
Sunset Cruises, Manistee, Daily through mid-October. Enjoy a privately chartered cruise on Lake Michigan with someone else captaining the boat. Inn Fun Cruises offers day trip and two-hour evening sunset cruises on its 28-foot Bayliner where guests are treated to light snacks and beverages from local restaurants. Guests can bring alcoholic beverages as well. Guests meet on the dock behind Taco ‘Bout It and cruise around Manistee Lake, Manistee River channel, and out to Lake Michigan (weather permitting) to see the sun set. Groups of up to six are welcome, with pricing for the sunset cruise ranging from $250 for 1 to 2 people, to $450 for 5 to 6 people.
Visit Manistee County encourages visitors this fall to tag their photos and posts on social media with #MyManistee and #FallFilter for a chance to be featured in Visit Manistee County’s fall campaign.
If you’re a runner who wants to make sure you are eating right before, during and after a race, Spectrum Health dietitian Kristi Veltkamp has two words for you: whole foods.
“You don’t need to buy pricey supplements,” she said. “Whole foods are the best way.”
They focused on protein and carbohydrates and how they are readily available in the form of whole foods.
Complex carbohydrates—plentiful in whole grains, fruits and vegetables—are great for athletes, Veltkamp said. But don’t confuse them with the simple carbs like those found in a white bread, sodas and French fries.
And don’t think that all your protein must come from meat, Veltkamp added. Edamame, beans, chickpeas and nuts are great options. Keep in mind that one cup of edamame contains a whopping 18 grams of protein.
Here are a few other options for a nutrient-rich diet:
The nitrates found in celery, leafy greens and beets convert to nitric oxide in the body, which increases blood flow and improves aerobic endurance.
Vitamin D regulates the way your body responds to inflammation. Foods high in Vitamin D are fatty fish, egg yolks and fortified dairy products.
Foods high in omega 3, including salmon, tuna, walnuts and chia seeds, support brain health and reduce inflammation.
Consuming fruits and vegetables that are high in vitamins C, E and A reduce the imbalances in the body caused by exhaustive exercise. These include dark leafy greens, nuts, seeds, avocado, broccoli, berries, citrus, tomatoes, carrots and sweet potatoes.
Herbs and spices such as ginger, turmeric, garlic, cinnamon and rosemary contain antioxidants, minerals and vitamins.
Spectrum Health Culinary Medicine chef Elizabeth Suvedi teaches people about the power of whole food dishes. (Photo by Taylor Ballek, Spectrum Health Beat)
“I hope people leave here inspired and wanting to cook,” Suvedi said as the group prepared Moroccan-spiced salmon, chicken salad with apples and raisins, coconut pecan date rolls, purple cabbage and edamame salad and several other dishes. Then they sat down to enjoy them.
As Suvedi prepped the dishes, she queried runners about their training leading up to race day, sharing that she’ll be running the 5K with her husband and sons. It will be her first-ever race.
“After I run I feel so good,” Suvedi said. “I feel like I have accomplished something big.”
When summer fruits and vegetables start to disappear from grocery stores and the action shifts indoors to watching sports and munching on unhealthy snacks, it helps to have a diet plan in place to avoid weight gain.
First, remember that farmers’ markets are still open across the country. You can buy local as long as you make the shift from summer crops to fall ones.
That means tomatoes and cucumbers give way to offerings like root vegetables, including carrots, parsnips and turnips and the wide variety of squashes such as acorn, butternut, Hubbard and kabocha.
These are all great for hearty, cook-ahead soups and stews for dinners and brown bag lunches.
Vegetables in the orange family, including sweet potatoes, are rich in vitamin A.
But don’t overlook nutrient-dense dark, leafy greens like varieties of chard and bok choy.
Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables may be abundant in your area and they taste great roasted with a slight drizzle of olive oil and finished with a splash of balsamic vinegar—hearty enough for a vegetarian meal.
Though local melons, stone fruits and many berries may be gone, explore sweet fall fruits like apples, pears and grapes, as well as the more exotic pomegranates, persimmons and quince, the season’s first cranberries and even fall raspberries.
Have fruit salads ready to snack on instead of greasy chips and crackers, or make a batch of baked apples or poached pears to satisfy a sweet tooth.
A quick look at the ingredients will tell you which foods to avoid. If it sounds like a chemistry experiment, steer clear. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
Eating healthy has become one of the most confusing and frustrating tasks of 21st century life.
Many products are no longer made of actual whole food ingredients. Instead they include chemicals, additives and preservatives, or they’re simply “food-like” products. In some cases whole foods have been processed into added ingredients.
How can we ever know what is best to buy at the store?
To get you started, here is a list of ingredients to avoid:
1. Sodium nitrates/nitrites
Sodium nitrates and nitrites are found in processed meats as a preservative. Processed meats include deli meats, sausages, bacon, hotdogs and the like. This preservative has been strongly linked to cancer. Look for “nitrate or preservative-free” meats, or better yet, fresh meats.
2. Hydrogenated oils, aka trans fat
Hydrogenated oils are vegetable oils that have been processed in such a way that the foods they’re in—and the oils themselves—are more shelf-stable. It’s good for food companies but not for your body. Trans fat increases cholesterol and your risk for heart disease and diabetes. It is found mostly in fried foods and bakery products.
Keep trans fat as low as possible and beware—labels can say “0 grams trans fat per serving” and still have up to half a gram of trans fat in the product. Look at the ingredients to be sure!
3. Sugar in all its forms
Sugar comes in many forms—high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, agave nectar, honey, maple syrup, dextrose sucrose, rice syrup, cane juice crystals, maltodextrin, fruit juice concentrate and so on.
And I think we are all aware of the dangers of too much sugar—diabetes, obesity, high cholesterol and the like. But it can get tricky with all the various names. Sugar is used as a preservative and, of course, a flavor enhancer. It can even trick your mind into wanting to eat more. It comes in many forms on ingredient labels and it’s almost impossible to eliminate.
Women should keep their intake of added sugar below 24 grams and men should keep it below 36 grams.
4. Artificial flavors and colors
These include any flavorings that say “artificial” or that list colors such as blue, lake, red, yellow 1, 2, 3 and caramel color. The research findings on artificial flavors and colors are mixed, but many people find they are sensitive to these ingredients with various side effects.
The fact is, they are artificial. This means they’re not made from food products that are meant to go in the body. They are also a good sign that the food product is highly processed and does not contain other healthy ingredients.
5. Artificial sweeteners
Artificial sweeteners—sucralose, aspartame, saccharin, etc.—are many
times sweeter than sugar, without the sugar. Research on artificial
sweeteners has also been in high debate, with most unsafe effects coming
from very high doses.
However, there is no way to draw a line on a safe amount and, again, they are artificial and not a natural food. This only raises questions about how the body can handle it.
Research has looked into links to cancer, migraines, weight gain, craving sweets, increased risk of metabolic syndrome, Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Artificial sweeteners may even alter the good bacteria in your gut. And that’s just to name a few of the possible side effects!
6. Oils: Corn, vegetable, soy bean
These oils contain more of the omega-6 fats than most other oils. While these oils are an essential part of our diet, too much can be problematic. Omega-6 fats lead to inflammation, and inflammation leads to a host of other illnesses, including heart disease.
Most Americans get too much oil, as it is such a common ingredient in packaged foods. These oils can also be damaged (oxidized) if not processed and stored correctly, which leads to more damage inside your body.
7. Enriched wheat
This flour has been processed to remove the bran and endosperm of the
wheat grain, leaving you without essential nutrients such as fiber, B
vitamins, vitamin E and minerals. Look for whole wheat as the first
ingredient in any grain product.
8. Carrageenan
Carrageenan is a food additive extracted from seaweed. It is used to help thicken foods and is commonly found in low-fat dairy products and dairy alternatives to make them feel creamier. Research has linked it to gastrointestinal diseases (Crohn’s disease, abdominal pain, etc.) and inflammation, which then leads to heart disease, cancers and diabetes with constant inflammation.
9. Potassium or sodium benzoate
Potassium and sodium benzoate are preservatives added to soft drinks and juices to inhibit the growth of mold, bacteria and yeast. This chemical is not very harmful in this form, but when paired with vitamin C, as well as light and heat, it can form benzene, a strong carcinogen. Therefore, take caution not to buy drinks with both vitamin C and benzoate. Better safe than sorry!
10. Bisphenol A, aka BPA
BPA is not necessarily a food ingredient, but is found in the epoxy resin lining aluminum cans, the lining of some glass jar lids, cash register receipts and some plastic bottles and containers.
The FDA has banned it in baby bottles and infant formula containers, but it’s still allowed in the others.
There is more and more research linking BPA to many reproductive disorders, such as infertility, cancer and abnormalities in child growth. Look for BPA-free cans and containers and avoid microwaving in plastic.
Seasonal allergies are nearly a year-long affair these days—from spring tree pollen to fall weeds. Learn how to battle back. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
They can travel 130 miles per hour, packing enough force to break blood vessels, and shooting as many as 100,000 germs up to 30 feet away.
No, these aren’t sledgehammers of slime; they’re the common, everyday, ordinary sneezes, brought on this time of year by some sinister seasonal allergies.
But while fall brings with it a powder keg of pollen and an all-star lineup of other allergy instigators, there are ways to fight back from a firestorm of seasonal sneezing.
“I had a patient yesterday that said, ‘I sneezed 300 times in a row,’” said allergist Karyn Gell, MD. “They get these sneezing fits, from everything in the air right now. But that’s the problem with allergies, it’s always more than one thing.”
Here are Dr. Gell’s 4 keys to fighting seasonal sneezing:
Allergy avoidance. “Keep your windows in your car and your home closed,” Dr. Gell said. “However, you’re going to want to go outside, so if you’re doing a big job like mowing the grass, wear a mask and perhaps glasses or goggles.”
Medication. “Wonderfully, they’ve all gone over the counter, so you don’t need to see a provider or get a prescription anymore,” she said. “There are several over the counter: Allegra, Claritin, Zyrtec and Benadryl. Or generics are just fine, too. That’s the antihistamines. Decongestants, now those can help beautifully to decongest all that mucus and plugging. They are behind the counter for safety as side effects may occur. And then we have eye drops, like Zaditor. You don’t want the ones that say ‘Get the red out,’ it’s addictive, and you don’t want to use that for four to six weeks of allergy season. If you drop decongestants in the eye, or spray it in the nose, it’s addictive. That’s the caution on anything decongestant.”
Irrigation. Dr. Gell says products like SinuNeb and others can help clean you out by flushing your sinuses.
Prescriptions. “When your symptoms require medication you would like to avoid, or begin adding up to 30% of days a year, we can identify exactly what you’re allergic to, how to avoid it, and how to treat it,” Dr. Gell said. “Prescription therapy is associated with an 80% success rate for your allergies.”
One strategy Dr. Gell says won’t work is waiting for allergy season to end. That’s because there really is no end to allergy season.
“Each person’s immune system is so unique, and often with allergies there are multiple,” she said. “Early spring allergens come from mostly trees, but still to come: grasses. …When rain hits, you’ll have mold, which is present whenever there is no blanket of snow on the ground, and peaks summer through fall. Pretty soon, the weeds come! And all season we have dust mite and animal dander.
“That’s the nice thing about finding out what you’re allergic to, the more you learn, the more you can make good choices about what you do.”
Researchers suspect there may be a social stigma with snoring among women, leading some to withhold information about their snoring habits. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
New research shows that snoring is not the sole domain of men.
“We found that although no difference in snoring intensity was found between genders, women tend to underreport the fact that they snore and to underestimate the loudness of their snoring,” said lead investigator Dr. Nimrod Maimon. He is head of internal medicine at Soroka University Medical Center in Be’er Sheva, Israel.
“Women reported snoring less often and described it as milder,” Maimon said in a news release from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
The study included more than 1,900 people, average age 49, who were referred to a sleep disorders center.
Snoring was found in 88% of the women, but only 72% reported that they snore. Both rates were about 93% in men in the study group.
Among people who snored, the average maximum loudness was 50 decibels among women and 51.7 decibels among men. While 49% of the women had severe or very severe snoring, only 40% rated their snoring at this level, the researchers found.
The study authors noted that there is a social stigma associated with snoring among women, so women may not be truthful when asked about snoring. More troubling, this may contribute to the underdiagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea in women.
Snoring is a common warning sign for obstructive sleep apnea, in which the upper airway repeatedly collapses during sleep. Left untreated, sleep apnea can lead to high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease and other health issues.
“The fact that women reported snoring less often and described it as milder may be one of the barriers preventing women from reaching sleep clinics for a sleep study,” Maimon said.
When screening women for obstructive sleep apnea, health care providers should consider other factors in addition to self-reported snoring, he suggested.
For example, women with sleep apnea may be more likely than men to report other symptoms, such as daytime fatigue or tiredness.
The study was published online recently in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.
“Never miss a party… good for the nerves — like celery. “
F. Scott Fitzgerald
¿But will there be a piñata?
La Fiesta Mexicana will run Friday-Sunday, Sept. 13-15, at the Calder Plaza, 300 Monroe Ave. NW. The three-day event is packed with music with two mariachi bands scheduled to perform on Saturday. Don’t miss it! Info here.
Food & music to ease into the end of summer
A variety of for trucks will be at Kentwood’s End of Summer Food Truck Festival. (WKTV)
The City of Kentwood and GR8 Food Trucks invites foodies and families to explore cuisine from nearly 30 vendors during the fourth annual End of Summer Food Truck Festival on Saturday, Sept. 14. The free-to-attend community event will run from 11am to 8pm in the parking lot of the Kent District Library – Kentwood (Richard. L. Root) Branch, 4950 Breton Ave. SE. In addition to a cornucopia of food trucks, the event will also feature live music and a beer tent. More here.
Fountain Street Church’s birthday bash is Sept. 15 — and we’re all invited!
Cool old postcard
Fountain Street Church honors its past during its 150th anniversary year, a multi-event celebration reaching its peak Sunday, Sept. 15, with its Grand Celebration Street Party. The public is invited. Get the scoop here.
Fun fact:
A real party pooper
He’s not trying that hard.
The mantis shrimp attacks its prey by punching them really, really hard and really, really, really fast with fist-like appendages that can boil the water around them and split your finger to the bone. Not someone you’d invite to a party — especially on Friday the 13th.
Camping fun doesn’t need to end once the kids are back to school and the leaves begin to change. If anything, fall camping offers participants unique opportunities to appreciate a new perspective on camping.
“Even though we like to think RVing and camping is never out of season, RVing and camping after Labor Day gives families a different impression of the activity,” said Darren Ing, director of Michigan Association of Recreation Vehicles and Campgrounds, (MARVAC).
In Michigan, the camping season usually goes until the end of October, with many campgrounds hosting special events for Halloween, or other fall-themed activities.
“We love when families make reservations after the typical camping season because it gives them the opportunity to enjoy our campground and stunning sunsets over Lake Huron when it is less crowded,” said Anthony Gallo, owner of Sunset Bay Marina and RV Park in Bay City, Michigan.
Fall camping has more benefits other than increased availability of sites, said Ing. Cooler temperatures mean better sleeping conditions, more active natural wildlife and fewer mosquitos and traffic. Area attractions and trails are also typically less crowded then the summer season.
There are also unique excursions and events that only happen in the fall including leaf-peeping color tours, harvest festivals, farmers markets and more. Check activities at www.michigan.org.
As if another reason to try fall camping is needed, many MARVAC campgrounds offer reduced rates in the waning months of the year. “While there may be more availability after Labor Day, it is still strongly suggested to call and make a reservation, as opposed to just showing up,” said Ing.
To find a MARVAC-member campground, visit www.marvac.org. Multiple campgrounds will also be at the 30th Annual Fall Detroit RV & Camping Show Oct. 2-6 at Suburban Collection Showplace, Novi.
Many will be taking reservations for the 2020 camping season. The Michigan Association of Recreation Vehicles and Campgrounds (MARVAC) is a statewide, nonprofit organization dedicated to encouraging growth in the recreation vehicle and private campground industries while contributing to the quality of Michigan tourism. For more information, visit MARVAC’s website, www.marvac.org. MARVAC, 2222 Association Drive, Okemos, Mich. 48864-5978; 517.349.8881.
The good news is there are ways to manage your health care costs to save money. This article will focus on Health Savings Accounts for your health care out-of-pocket costs. Also, look for related articles on reasons to have health insurance (Part 1) and Health Flexible Spending Accounts (Part 3).
Setting money aside to manage health care expenses helps reduce your need to use credit to pay medical bills and reduces your concerns that you can cover a bill, according to the University of Maryland Extension. You can save money in your emergency fund. You might qualify for a Health Savings Account (HSA).
Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) are medical savings accounts available if you have a HSA-qualified, high-deductible health insurance plan. Ask your benefits office or insurance provider if your plan meets these criteria. If yes, you can open the account to save pre-tax dollars for qualified medical expenses. You set up the account with a trustee, which can be a bank, an insurance company or any organization approved by the IRS to be an HSA trustee. You can comparison shop to choose an institution. Consider the fees, interest rate and convenience for deposits and withdrawals. Your money can be invested to earn interest, so manage these funds like you do your IRA or retirement savings accounts.
By using pre-tax dollars, you set aside money before taxes are taken out each pay period. Thus, you reduce your income tax bill and keep more money in your pocket. When you incur qualified medical expenses—copayments, coinsurance, prescriptions and other allowed costs as defined by IRS code—you can pay using the funds you have set aside.
You and/or your employer can contribute to an HSA, but you are the account owner. You can build up savings to help pay for future health care costs and earn interest on your contributions, within IRS limits. If you do not spend some HSA money, you can carry it over year to year.
How do you figure out how much to contribute? A good place to start is to calculate your out-of-pocket expenses for the past year. You can get this information from receipts, looking at your explanation of benefits, or obtaining a print out from your doctors’ offices and pharmacy for all visits and prescription purchases. Use the worksheet online health care cost calculator.
You can often lose weight by making small yet strategic calorie cuts at every meal, rather than eliminating entire meals or cutting portions so severely that you never feel satisfied.
You probably already know that a cup of blueberries with a dollop of creamy yogurt has a fraction of the calories of a slice of blueberry pie.
But there are many other ways you can trim the calories in favorite meals without diminishing their satisfying taste.
Here are 5 ideas that each shave off about 200 calories:
Eggs
If your idea of a big breakfast is a fatty sausage, egg and cheese sandwich, have a veggie-filled omelet instead. Make it with one whole egg and two extra whites for more protein and “overload” it with tomatoes, peppers and onions.
Romaine
Ditch the bread and high-calorie sandwich condiments at lunch by wrapping up lean protein, such as slices of roasted chicken, in large leaves of romaine lettuce with a touch of balsamic vinegar or hot sauce.
Cauliflower
To get the toothy appeal of steak, make your main course grilled portabello mushrooms and serve them with a side of mashed cauliflower instead of potatoes. With some no-salt seasoning, you won’t taste any difference.
Squash
There’s no need to give up your favorite red sauce if you use it to top spaghetti squash (or zucchini ribbons) rather than spaghetti, plus you can eat twice as much. Want healthier meatballs? Try making them with a blend of ground turkey and a whole grain like kasha or farro.
Salsa
Love Mexican food? You can still enjoy the taste—and get the fiber and protein goodness of beans—by simply skipping the tortilla or taco shell. And you don’t need sour cream if you have a dab of guacamole. Just go easy on the cheese and rice but double up on low-cal zesty salsa.
When researching family history, many genealogists considering tracing their family back to when they came from another country to be a milestone. Do you know how your family came to the United States? Are parts of your family Native American and have been here an extremely long time?
Understanding your own family history and immigration story can help put the current discussion about immigration in context. This can be an opportunity to learn about history and discuss current policies and those of the past. How is the experience of your ancestors the same or different than immigration today? When you are discussing this subject, try to ignore the memes and potentially out-of-context snippets, and examine the issue at a deeper.
Why do you think your family came to the United States? Was it economic opportunity? Religious freedom? Were they leaving because of a war? If you have family stories discussing this, it can be a great part of your family history. If not, looking for clues in world history might be helpful. For example, over 1.5 million Irish people came to the United States during the Great Famine, also known as the Irish Potato Famine. Another example is of Finnish people coming to Michigan in the late 1800s and early 1900s. There was a combination of economic opportunity to work in the mines of the Upper Peninsula, and Sweden and Russia warring over what is now Finland.
How did the arrival of your ancestors to what is now the United States happen? Did they just “walk off the boat” or did they have to go through a screening process?
The U.S. had open borders for nearly 100 years of its history until the Page Act of 1875, which excluded Chinese women from entering the U.S.. This was followed by laws banning Chinese men and other Asians. If your ancestors came to the U.S. before 1875, there were very little screening processes. How do you think open borders might have affected the safety of the country? Why do you think Congress waited so long to end open borders?
The Immigration Act of 1882 was the first comprehensive immigration law. It was designed to keep people out of the country who might be dangerous or would be unable to support themselves financially. How this was done was left up to the state or city where the immigration occurred. What do you think of this? Should local control determine who should enter the United States, or is this a national issue?
The Immigration Act of 1891 put the federal government in charge of processing immigrants. The most famous place where this happened was Ellis Island, which opened in 1892. The average processing time through Ellis Island was just a few hours. At first, no papers were required, and folks were checked for diseases and asked some questions. What do you think is an appropriate inspection for someone entering the U.S.? What questions would you ask someone? What background checks should be required? In 1917, literacy tests were added. Do you think this is a good idea? Why or why not?
From 1921 to 1965, the United States had a series of different systems that restricted how many could enter the U.S. based on their country of origin. Why might that be a good or bad idea?
In 1965, the system changed to favor immigration to relatives of current U.S. citizens, those with particular job skills and refugees seeking asylum from dangerous conditions in their own country.
Family-based immigration currently takes place between a few months to many years. Employment-based immigration can take one to four years. Refugees have an average wait time of over 700 days. What do you think is an appropriate wait time? How might this wait time affect both legal and illegal immigration?
For many of our immigrant ancestors, the process of coming to this country was relatively simple. It is much more complicated today. How do you think the change over time has affected our country? If you were recreating the system from scratch, what would you do?
Hopefully these questions get you reflecting on your own family history and how it relates to the immigration issues of today.
This article was inspired by and adapted from the 4-H Folkpatterns curriculum:
Michigan State University Extension and the Michigan 4-H Youth Development program help to prepare youth as positive and engaged leaders and global citizens by providing educational experiences and resources for youth interested in developing knowledge and skills in these areas.
Job stress, high blood pressure and poor sleep may be a recipe for an early death, German researchers report.
In a study of nearly 2,000 workers with high blood pressure who were followed for almost 18 years, those who reported having both a stressful job and poor sleep were three times more likely to die from heart disease than those who slept well and didn’t have a trying job, the investigators found.
“As many as 50% of adults have high blood pressure,” said Dr. Gregg Fonarow, a professor of cardiology at the University of California, Los Angeles.
It’s a major risk factor for heart attack, stroke, heart failure, kidney disease and premature cardiovascular death, said Fonarow, who had no role in the new study.
“A number of studies have found associations between greater work stress and subsequent risk of cardiovascular events. Impairment in sleep has also been associated with increased risk,” he said. However, these associations did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship.
In the new study, the researchers reported that among people with high blood pressure (“hypertension”), those who had work stress alone had a twofold higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, as did those who reported having poor sleep alone.
According to lead researcher Dr. Karl-Heinz Ladwig, “Sleep should be a time for recreation, unwinding and restoring energy levels. If you have stress at work, sleep helps you recover.” Ladwig is a professor at the German Research Centre for Environmental Health and also with the Technical University of Munich.
“Unfortunately, poor sleep and job stress often go hand in hand, and when combined with hypertension, the effect is even more toxic,” he added in a statement.
According to the study authors, a stressful job is one where employees have many demands but little control over their work. For example, an employer demands results but denies authority to make decisions.
“If you have high demands but also high control, in other words you can make decisions, this may even be positive for health,” Ladwig said. “But being entrapped in a pressured situation that you have no power to change is harmful.”
Poor sleep was defined as having difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep. “Maintaining sleep is the most common problem in people with stressful jobs,” Ladwig said.
These problems combine over time to sap your energy and “may lead to an early grave,” he added.
Ladwig suggested that to lower the risk of an early death, people have to keep their blood pressure low, develop good sleep habits and find ways to cope with stress.
Mika Kivimaki, a professor of social epidemiology at University College London, thinks this study provides a unique look at workplace risk.
Most previous research on work stress has targeted the general working population, he said.
“The effects on health have been relatively modest. However, recent findings suggest stress might be a much bigger problem for those with pre-existing disease. This new study supports this notion,” said Kivimaki, who had no part in the study.
Focusing on people with high blood pressure was a good choice, he noted.
“In this group, atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) is common,” Kivimaki said. And for these patients, “stress response could increase cardiac electrical instability, plaque disruption and thrombus (clot) formation,” which can contribute to an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia), heart attack or stroke.
The researchers think that employers can help by implementing programs that teach employees how to relax.
Employers should provide stress management and sleep treatment in the workplace, Ladwig added, especially for staff with chronic conditions like high blood pressure. Such programs should also include helping employees to quit smoking.
It is well known that people with high blood pressure can substantially lower their risk of heart attack and stroke by achieving and maintaining healthy blood pressure levels, Fonarow said. Whether or not workplace programs designed to reduce stress and improve sleep will pay off remains to be seen, he said.
The report was published recently in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.
But it’s essential for the making of nerve and red blood cells, as well as DNA along with many other body processes.
Adults and teens need just 2.4 micrograms a day, but you can fall short even on this small amount.
You’re at particular risk of a B12 deficiency if you’re a vegetarian because animal foods, like meat and dairy, are the only foods that deliver it.
If you have a health problem that affects nutrient absorption, like Crohn’s disease, have had bariatric surgery or take certain medications, you also run the risk.
So do people over 50 because of changes in stomach acids.
Common medications that can affect your body’s B12 levels:
PPIs such as omeprazole (Prilosec) and lansoprazole (Prevacid), used for treating heartburn or GERD.
H2 receptor antagonists such as famotidine (Pepcid) and ranitidine (Zantac), also used for treating those and other conditions.
Metformin, the diabetes drug.
A deficiency can develop slowly over time or come on rather fast.
Possible warning signs include emotional or thinking problems, fatigue, weakness, weight loss, constipation and numbness or tingling in hands and feet. These can also be symptoms of many other conditions, but it takes only a blood test to diagnose a B12 deficiency.
If you don’t eat animal-based foods, you can boost B12 with fortified soy foods or grain products like cereal.
And unless the deficiency is severe, you’ll get enough through a multivitamin supplement. When the deficiency is more serious, your doctor might give you a B12 shot to bring your level up to normal.
Be certain that the doctor who prescribes B12 supplementation for you is aware of any medications you’re taking to avoid negative interactions.
If you have developed swallowing problems as you age, a new study may explain why.
A loss of muscle mass and function in the throat helps explain why 15 percent of seniors have difficulty swallowing (dysphagia), researchers have found.
“Dysphagia has serious consequences for health and quality of life,” said study author Sonja Molfenter. She is an assistant professor of communicative sciences and disorders at New York University in New York City.
“This research establishes the need for exercise programs for older adults that target throat muscles, just like those that target the muscles of the arms, legs and other parts of the human body,” Molfenter said in a university news release.
Swallowing problems can also lead to health issues such as malnutrition, dehydration and pneumonia from food and drink that end up in the lungs instead of going down the throat.
Research has also shown that when patients with dysphagia are admitted to the hospital, they’re in the hospital an average of 40 percent longer than those without dysphagia. That adds up to an estimated cost of $547 million a year, the study authors said.
Dysphagia in older adults is concerning as the proportion of seniors in the United States is expected to top 20 percent by 2030, the researchers noted.
The findings were published in the journal Dysphagia.
Researchers in one recent study said doctors should consider quickly prescribing antibiotics to older adults who develop UTIs, given the increased risk of sepsis and death. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
For older adults with a urinary tract infection, antibiotic treatment should begin immediately to prevent serious complications, a new British study finds.
Delaying or withholding antibiotics in this age group can increase the risk of bloodstream infection (sepsis) and death, researchers reported recently in the BMJ.
The findings suggest that doctors should “consider early prescription of antibiotics for this vulnerable group of older adults, in view of their increased susceptibility to sepsis following UTI and despite a growing pressure to reduce inappropriate antibiotic use,” Paul Aylin and colleagues said in a journal news release. Aylin is a professor of epidemiology and public health at Imperial College London.
UTI is the most common bacterial infection in older patients. But concerns about antibiotic resistance have led to reductions in antibiotic use in England, the study authors noted.
For the study, the researchers analyzed data on more than 300,000 urinary tract infections among more than 150,000 patients aged 65 and older, between 2007 and 2015.
Of those patients, 87 percent were prescribed antibiotics on the day of diagnosis, 6 percent received a prescription within seven days and 7 percent did not take antibiotics, according to the report.
The patients were tracked for 60 days after their diagnosis. After accounting for other factors, the investigators found that sepsis and death rates were much higher among patients with no antibiotics or delayed prescriptions, compared with those who received immediate prescriptions.
On average, for every 37 patients not given antibiotics and for every 51 patients with delayed antibiotic treatment, one case of sepsis would occur that would not have occurred with immediate antibiotic treatment, the study authors said.
However, because this was an observational study, it cannot prove cause and effect.
The researchers also found that hospital admission rates were 27 percent among patients with no and delayed prescriptions, compared with 15 percent among those with immediate prescriptions.
Older men, especially those over 85, and those living in poorer areas had the highest risk of problems from no prescriptions or treatment delays, the findings showed.
Writing in an accompanying journal editorial, Alastair Hay, of the University of Bristol in England, suggested that further research is needed “to establish whether treatment should be initiated with a broad- or a narrow-spectrum antibiotic, and to identify those in whom delaying treatment (while awaiting test results) is safe.”
Researchers have found that injuries sustained while dog walking—fractures, specifically—have jumped 163 percent in the 65 and older group over the past 15 years. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
Walking the dog can be great exercise for seniors, but there could be one downside: fractures.
Fractures suffered by elderly Americans while walking their dogs have more than doubled in recent years, new research shows.
Still, taking your dog for a walk can also bring big health rewards, one joint specialist said.
“Pets can provide companionship for older adults—and the physical exercise from regularly walking a dog may improve other aspects of physical and psychological health,” said Dr. Matthew Hepinstall, who wasn’t involved in the new study.
“So, the risks of walking a dog should be balanced against potential benefits,” said Hepinstall, who helps direct joint surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.
The new research was led by Kevin Pirruccio, a second-year medical student at the University of Pennsylvania. His team tracked national data and found that among people aged 65 and older, fractures associated with walking leashed dogs rose from about 1,700 cases in 2004 to almost 4,400 cases in 2017—a 163 percent rise.
More than three-quarters of the fractures occurred in women, with hip and arm fractures being the most common. About half of all fractures occurred in the upper body, with fractures of the wrist, upper arm, finger and shoulder leading the way.
The most common type of fracture was a broken hip (17 percent). That’s cause for concern, Pirruccio’s team said, because the death rate linked to hip fractures in people older than 65 is close to 30 percent.
The researchers added that the study only involved data on fractures treated at emergency departments. The actual number of dog walking-related injuries among seniors might even be higher if injuries not typically seen in a hospital—for example, tendon or muscle tears—were factored in.
Why the rising rates of fractures tied to dog walking? The study authors theorized that increased pet ownership and a greater emphasis on physical activity for older adults may be driving the trend.
In a university news release, Pirruccio stressed that walking your pooch each day “has repeatedly demonstrated social, emotional and physical health benefits.” It’s also “a popular and frequently recommended activity for many older Americans seeking new ways to stay active,” he said.
On the other hand, “patients’ risks for falls must be factored into lifestyle recommendations in an effort to minimize such injuries,” Pirruccio said.
Hepinstall agreed.
“The take-home message for older adults and their families is that, when choosing to care for a pet, be sure to consider the strength and coordination of the older adult, and the size and expected behavior of the pet selected,” he advised.
Pet ownership and care may need to be re-assessed with age, Hepinstall added.
“When the mobility of older adults changes, they should be encouraged to re-evaluate their ongoing ability to care for any pets,” he said. “This will help ensure that the health and other needs of the adult and of the pet can be properly managed.”
Picture yourself at some point in the future — on a cruise, at an event, or reaching a milestone. How do you want to look and feel? Make a plan to achieve your picture of self. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
Several years ago (well, a few more than several), when I was 39 years old and not happy with the size of scrubs I fit into at the hospital, I really began to think about how I wanted to be in the future.
I realized that if I couldn’t run a 5K or fit into yellow tie scrubs (the smaller scrubs) at 39, how would I be able to run a 5K or fit into anything I wanted to wear at age 60? So, I started to think about my future.
I am a very visual person, so I picked a specific age —53— and pictured myself at that age. When I am 53, my youngest child will graduate from high school, and I pictured myself at his graduation party. How did I want to look and feel at that age? At that party? To reach my goal, I knew my plan had to be very clear, so I sat down and started to develop my plan.
The following week, during a busy day in my office, I almost bumped into a patient as I rushed through the hallway.
I apologized and started to continue on my way when she stopped me and said, “You don’t remember me, do you?” I told her I did not recognize her, and she said, “During my appointment last year, you asked me how I wanted to be when I turned 50. I left your office and really thought about that question. I decided I wanted to be ‘hot’ — and now I am! I ran a 10K, and developed a new food plan that I love and can follow. I have so much more energy now, and I feel great!”
She looked amazing.
This patient really listened to what I had to say at her yearly physical, and she came up with a plan to reach a goal she set for herself.
The truth is that many women don’t have a plan for the future. It’s easy to think, “I will exercise and eat better tomorrow,” but tomorrow comes and nothing changes.
In addition, many women don’t have any plan, and they foolishly think that being healthy will just magically happen. Unfortunately, good health doesn’t just happen. It requires commitment and a detailed strategy.
This is true for all women, including those who are successful at work, successful at home and successful at being a good parent. But, all this success doesn’t mean they are also happy with their health, weight, or energy level. In other words, they don’t plan for themselves.
So, where should you begin? Every strong plan starts with a goal, and I recommend you call your goal your picture of self.
Picture of self is simply how you see yourself at a specific point in the future. It can be short term or long term—a college graduation, before you get pregnant, one year after the birth of your child, your daughter’s wedding, retirement, or an upcoming trip. It just needs to be a specific event or time where you can picture the event well and put yourself there figuratively.
You begin with visualizing the overall picture and then breaking it down into the fine details — the style of your hair, how it feels to walk into the event, how you interact with others in the room.
Creating your picture can help you start thinking about your own health both now and in the future. Then, make a plan for how to become that picture of self. Start today.
Know where to seek medical help quickly on vacation. Immediate care is especially critical in the event of a heart problem. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
Headed out on vacation? Beware of heart attack: It’s the leading cause of natural death among travelers.
If you have heart attack symptoms on the road, getting immediate medical care can improve your odds of long-term survival, according to a study presented Saturday at a meeting of the European Society of Cardiology, in Malaga, Spain.
“If you are traveling and experience heart attack symptoms—such as pain in the chest, throat, neck, back, stomach or shoulders—that lasts for more than 15 minutes, call an ambulance without delay,” study author Dr. Ryota Nishio said in a society news release.
“Our study shows that long-term outcomes after a heart attack while traveling can be good if you get prompt treatment,” added Nishio, who works in the cardiology department at Juntendo University Shizuoka Hospital in Izunokuni, Japan.
For the study, the researchers examined data on more than 2,500 patients who had a heart attack and rapid treatment with a stent (percutaneous coronary intervention) between 1999 and 2015 at the hospital. It’s located on the Izu Peninsula, a popular tourist destination near Mount Fuji, and a regional center for percutaneous coronary intervention.
Patients who were traveling tended to be younger than other patients and had a higher prevalence of heart attacks due to a blockage in a major artery to the heart, the investigators found.
The researchers followed the patients for up to 16 years, comparing death rates among different groups. The median follow-up period was 5.3 years—meaning half were tracked longer, half for less time.
During the follow-up period, local patients had a much higher rate of death from all causes (25 percent) than travelers (17 percent), mainly due to cancer. But the two groups had similar rates of death from heart-related causes.
“It is important that, when you are over the immediate emergency phase, and return home, you see your doctor to find out how you can reduce your risk of a second event by improving your lifestyle and potentially taking preventive medication,” Nishio said.
Research presented at meetings should be viewed as preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.
Research has shown that strength training leads to a significant reduction in risk of developing cardiovascular disease. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
Americans have long been told that heart health depends on activities like walking, running and cycling.
But as experts continue to sift through piles of research about the relative heart health benefits of cardio versus strength training or flexibility, the conclusion about any so-called best exercise is rather surprising.
Essentially, it’s up to you.
“It all comes down to discovering your own internal motivation,” said Hannah Wright, certified exercise physiologist with the Spectrum Health Preventive Cardiology program.
“People don’t like being told what to do,” Wright said. “But when they start to see exercise in the context of their long-term health goals—whether they want to get off medication, chase after their kids and grandkids, or just feel better—they can start to see exercise as something that is in their self-interest, not just something they’re supposed to do.”
It’s not about doling out treadmill prescriptions or mandating weightlifting sessions. It’s about building solutions that suit lifestyles.
“We ask them what kind of life they envision for themselves,” Wright said.
And this hinges on a simple question: What do you want to do most?
The answer to that, when based on true inner wisdom, will invariably recognize that real motivation is derived from the “joy of living” as opposed to the “fear of dying,” Wright said.
Exercise as medicine
To understand what exercise is best for you, it may help to get a refresher in just how powerful a medicine exercise can be to begin with.
“The amount of activity we do isn’t just good for our hearts,” said Thomas Boyden, MD, cardiologist with Spectrum Health Medical Group. “It reduces risks for many things, including cancer. The more time you put into being active each week, the more likely you are to stay healthy.”
Thirty minutes of moderate exercise each day—even a brisk walk—will lower the risk of cardiovascular disease by 45 percent and lower cancer risk by 34 percent, Dr. Boyden said.
And the more you do, the bigger the benefit.
“Even moderate amounts of regular exercise can be enough to reverse some chronic diseases and help people get off medications,” he said.
If moving more and sitting less is the general goal, you should start by sketching out what your typical exercise week might look like.
Ideally, adults should strive for least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week, or about 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
You can also opt for an equivalent combination of the two.
Does everyone achieve this? Not by a long shot.
According to the CDC, only about 23 percent of Americans actually meet these recommended standards.
Moderate intensity means you’re still able to speak in short sentences while working out, but you shouldn’t be able to sing or speak in a normal conversational voice.
In vigorous activity, you’d likely only get a few words out without pausing for breath.
The CDC also recommends adults engage in moderately challenging strength-training muscle activities twice a week.
Research continues to show weight training isn’t just good for building muscle and improving bone health—it builds heart health, too. In fact, it could be just as helpful as cardio.
In a 2018 study of 4,000 American adults, researchers tracked cardiovascular outcomes in two groups: those who engaged in a static activity, such as weight training, versus those who pursued dynamic movements, such as walking or running.
Both exercise styles were linked to a 30 to 70 percent decrease in cardiovascular disease risk factors, but the most significant declines in risk factors were seen in the static-activity group.
Build your best
If you don’t have access to fancy equipment, fret not. You can still structure workouts to suit your needs, whether you’re looking to become more active, create a structured exercise routine—or both.
“You don’t need to go to a gym for strength training,” Wright said. “There are plenty of bodyweight exercises like wall push-ups, squats or leg raises that can be done anywhere for short bouts.”
Those seeking more of a challenge can add resistance bands.
If you’re looking to try something new at home, experiment with working in some weight exercise using household items like soup cans or water bottles, walking up and down stairs, or repeatedly rising and sitting from a chair, which builds muscle.
She suggests trying to make these moves habitual—and imagine how they’ll help achieve your goals. For example, try doing calf raises while brushing your teeth and think about how it will help you walk on the beach this summer.
You can also experiment with combinations of cardio and strength training. YouTube has videos for all levels. (Wright likes HASFit.)
For maximum benefits, consider high-intensity interval training.
These workouts involve exercises performed at high speed for very short periods—20 seconds of planks or step-ups, for example, followed by 10 seconds of rest.
Just seven minutes of interval training can have a powerful impact. One of the best aspects of these types of workouts is the abundance of free programs and apps.
Flexibility is also essential, particularly if you’re looking for something that makes you feel better fast.
“It prevents injury and increases range of motion,” Wright said. “It’s amazing the changes people see in a short amount of time. People who are gaining flexibility are able to move more freely, which aids in everyday activity and structured routines.”
Softer forms of fitness, such as yoga, are also beneficial.
“Yoga is a lot more challenging than many people give it credit for,” Dr. Boyden said. “It raises your heart rate, uses big muscle groups and lowers stress. That reduces inflammation. And it improves mental health.”
Finally, while a mix of cardio, strength training and flexibility workouts is ideal, there is one exercise that stands out above all others.
And only you will know what it is.
“The best exercise is the one you’re most likely to stick with,” Dr. Boyden said.
