Second that motion
Use it or lose it. That is what health experts say about staying active as we age. They found that people over age 70 who don’t exercise are likely to develop problems with basic mobility, like walking and climbing stairs.
Exercise helps increase muscle mass and strength, enables us to maintain balance, and keeps us from getting winded doing simple activities. A study out of the Netherlands says that even exercising a bare minimum is better than none at all. Researchers found that those who walked even a little — such as brisk walking for a little over an hour per week — lowered their risk of mobility problems.
Exercise is definitely an important part of staying healthy. But it’s only one part. Recently the Wall Street Journal published 10 tips that I think could help us all age gracefully. Their list was drawn from the latest health research. I share a condensed version with you here:
- Eat your veggies. Leafy green vegetables may prevent age-related diseases and keep you mentally sharp.
- Vitamins help. Take a multivitamin each day to bolster nutrition.
- Change it up. Modify your exercise routine so that all muscles are worked and add strength training to fend off osteoporosis.
- Take a hike. Walking is good for the body and the soul and every bit helps. Take the stairs, park your car away from the store, make exercise a part of your everyday routine.
- Look for change. Skin cancer soars as we age. Have a physician check for signs of this disease.
- Smile. And floss. Periodontal disease can mean more than gum loss. It has been associated with strokes and cardiovascular disease.
- Get some rest. Sleep apnea becomes more common as we age and it is associated with heart problems, stroke, and diabetes. If you have a problem sleeping, seek out your physician to discuss it.
- Seek help when needed. If you’re depressed, seek help. Depression has been linked to heart attack and stroke.
- Keep your mind active. Read, try a new hobby, enroll in a class. It all keeps the mind sharp.
- Be a people person. Studies show that people who are able to sustain relationships live better and longer.
I hope you are doing all of these things already. But if not, pick one area to work on at a time. Tackling things in small bits allows us to make changes without feeling overwhelmed.
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Thwarting warts
Q: Is there another way to remove warts other than by freezing them off or applying an expensive liquid to my skin? I’ve tried those remedies and they only seem to burn all the healthy skin around the wart and just leave the wart itself intact.
JVW: I see you don’t like conventional medicine’s solutions to this problem. Well, neither do I. Actually, there is a very easy, inexpensive way to get rid of warts. You simply cover them with duct tape. I know this may be hard to believe, but try it. Just cut the duct tape the size of the wart and stick it on for six days. (You can cover the duct tape with a band-aid to disguise it or keep it from falling off.) Then remove the tape, soak the wart in water, and rub it with an emory board or pumice stone. Twelve hours later apply the tape again. Keep doing this and until the wart is gone.
Another treatment is to soak a cotton swab in food-grade peroxide (which is much stronger than the hydrogen peroxide solutions you find in the pharmacy — the food grade form contains 35% peroxide, while the more commonly used form of hydrogen peroxide contains 3%) and press it against the wart, until it and a small part of the skin around it turns white. It may take three weeks, but the wart should blacken and fall off.
Either method should leave you wart-free without the bother and cost of traditional preparations.
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What is…a plantar wart?
Plantar warts are usually found on the soles of the feet and are the result of a viral infection of the skin. The warts tend to grow inward and leave thick, rough, calloused bumps on the underside of the foot. Walking barefoot in areas of moisture — like swimming pools or showers — can place you at risk for coming in contact with the virus that causes warts to develop, the human papilloma virus. Warts are contagious and can grow in clusters.
Yours in good health,
Amanda Ross
Editorial Director
Nutrition & Healing
Sources:
“Type and Intensity of Activity and Risk of Mobility Limitation: The Mediating Role of Muscle Parameters,” Journal of American Geriatrics Society 2005; 53(5): 762
“The Baby Boomer Tuneup,” Wall Street Journal, 3/8/05, page D.1
