aging well Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Brain Stimulation Helps Elderly Walk and Talk at Same Time

AHA Publisher — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 07:00:01 +0000

Brian Blum via Israel21c – Walking and talking while chewing gum – it sounds like the start to a bad joke, but for older adults with mobility challenges, it’s no laughing matter. “We know that among older people, difficulties performing another task while walking or standing reflect an existing and/or a potential problem concerning both functions, as well as an increased risk of falling,” notes Prof. Jeffrey Hausdorff of Tel Aviv University’s Sackler Faculty of Medicine. Hausdorff and a team from TAU, the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center and Harvard Medical School have discovered that gentle stimulation of the dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (the brain area responsible for dividing attention and executive functions) can reduce the negative impact of standing or walking while at the same time completing an additional cognitive task such as talking on the telephone. The study included 57 subjects over the age of 70. Each treatment included noninvasive transcranial direct stimulation, using a very low-intensity electric current, for 20 minutes. There were four groups: sham (no stimulation), stimulation of the cognitive area of the brain, stimulation of a sensory-motor area of the brain, and simultaneous stimulation of motor and cognitive areas. Immediately upon the conclusion of the treatment, the walking and standing sway of each subject were evaluated, with and without requests to perform a cognitive task at the same time. Stimulation of the cognitive area of the brainreduced the negative effects of the cognitive task on walking and standing stability by about 50%. Stimulation of the sensory-motor areaalone did not improve performance. “Dual tasking that involves walking while simultaneously carrying out a cognitive task, like talking on a cellphone or with a companion, occurs frequently throughout the day,” Hausdorff said. “The concurrent performance of two tasks requires the ability to split attention.” The researchers hope that theirmethodology – which is gentle enough to be done at home – will improve seniors’ ability “to perform both tasks simultaneously in a safer manner.” “We foresee the possibility of combining this type of therapy with exercise and other modes of intervention that can help to improve walking, to enhance thinking, and to reduce the risk of falls. There is evidence that combined therapy could prove to be the most effective solution,” Hausdorff explained. The research was funded by a grant from the US-Israel Binational Science Foundation. The results were published in The Annals of Neurology, the peer-reviewed journal of the American Neurological Association. To read the original article click here.

The post Brain Stimulation Helps Elderly Walk and Talk at Same Time appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

The New Rules of Aging, Common Meds that Shouldn’t Be Common +Mental Health Benefits of Small Movements

AHA Publisher — Wed, 11 Nov 2020 08:00:07 +0000

Dr. Caroline Leaf – As I have gotten older (I am in my 50s), I have started to come across a lot more “you are getting old” jokes and comments. Yes, some of them are quite funny, but how true are the assumptions behind the jokes? Does aging really have to be that bad? In this podcast (episode #221) and blog, I speak with Dr. Frank Lipman, bestselling author and a leader in the field of Functional Medicine, about aging well, how to build a strong immune system, how to start improving your health and longevity right now, and so much more! The New Rules of Aging Well As Dr. Lipman points out in his new book, The New Rules of Aging Well, a lot of ancient wisdom like the importance of meditation and the power of community is now being combined with the latest science, showing us that these things are very real and they work. We can learn so much from both ancient wisdom and the latest science when it comes to our health and how we age. Often, we are so enamored by the latest scientific advances that we forget about the ordinary things that have extraordinary effects on our health, like music, kindness, sleep and volunteering—all these things are also “medicine”! We also need to remember that it is normal to age. However, how well we age is determined by our health and lifestyle choices. Our lifespan is how long we will live; our health span is how long we are going to live healthy. To age well, we want to extend our health span into our lifespan. This means living LONGER and HEALTHIER. A lot of aging depends on how you choose to live your life every day. What are some ways that you can start improving your health and the way you age today? 1. Eating less and eating better. An easy way to start eating less right now is intermittent fasting. Fasting, like avoiding eating for 14-16 hours at night, is one of the most powerful things you can do to age better. It helps with your weight, digestion, longevity, blood pressure, energy levels, self-cleansing mechanisms and more! Fasting is a type of good stress on the body. 2. Movement is important as you age. Try to move as much as possible all day long, even if this just means walking. High intensity and strength training are also good forms of stress on the body, which can positively affect the body as you age, especially when it comes to your muscle mass. 3. Sleeping well. This can be harder as you get older, but you just need to pay a little more attention to it and listen to your body. As Dr. Lipman notes, sleep preparation begins in the morning, not at night. Sleep is the body’s primary rhythm. It is something we need to start preparing in the morning by becoming aware of all our rhythms and cycles during the day. We can start doing this by: Getting a lot of good natural light first thing in the morning. Waking up around the same time each day. 4. Find the joy in life. Laugh at yourself—don’t take yourself or your aging too seriously! This is great for your mental and physical health. What you do to age well will also strengthen your immune system. If you take care of your mind and body, you will take care of your immune system—all these things work together. There is no one way to age well—it is a lifestyle. And it is never too late to start changing and improving your health and the way you age. Tons of research shows that this is possible, even if you are in your 60s and 70s! Just start where you are, and focus on small changes in the areas you are having the most issues, like sleep or exercise. When you start feeling the difference in these areas of your life, you will be motivated to carry on. Never forget that simple things often make the biggest difference. It is also important to look at what you can change within yourself first, rather than going for expensive treatments all the time. How well you age is determined by how you choose to live your life—it is an attitude! To read the original article click here. For more articles from Dr. Leaf click here.

The post The New Rules of Aging, Common Meds that Shouldn’t Be Common +Mental Health Benefits of Small Movements appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Want to Live Past 100? Doctor Reveals the Secrets to Living Longer, Healthier

AHA Publisher — Mon, 28 Oct 2019 07:00:44 +0000

Lorie Johnson via CBN News – Would you like to live past age 100? It used to be a rarity. These days, however, people over 100 comprise the fastest-growing segment of the population. Right now there are about 500,000 centenarians worldwide. The United States has the most: 72,000. Studies from the United Nations predict the world will have more than three million centenarians by 2050. That’s good news unless that population suffers from declining health. In fact, many people say they don’t want to live that long if it means their last decade is spent in a nursing home not being able to do anything or remember anyone. Rethink What It Means to be Old However, needing a home without stairs and taking lots of medications don’t need to go hand-in-hand with aging. One of the world’s leading experts on aging says far too many people equate getting old with poor health and plan accordingly. “We base a lot of our behaviors thinking that this is what’s going to happen to us, but in fact, that doesn’t have to happen,” he told CBN News. In his book, The Longevity Paradox: How to Die Young at a Ripe Old Age, Dr. Steven Gundry lists the habits of healthy centenarians. “What we know about super old people who are thriving is that they don’t become infirm, they don’t get cancer, they don’t get Alzheimer’s,” Dr. Gundry said, “These people actually have the physiology, have the workings, of a 50-year-old individual.” Build a Better Gut A number of things separate healthy centenarians apart from their sicker counterparts. However, topping the list of what it takes to live a vibrant, disease-free life well into old age is a healthy gut. That means an intestinal tract brimming with good bacteria. “It’s amazing,” he said, “When we look at 105-year-old people around the world, they carry the diverse gut microbiome of 30-year-old people.” Having enough of the right bacteria can prevent just about every type of disease, including inherited ones. “Whether we turn genes on or off with information, and that’s called epigenetics or epigenomics, and it’s that interplay with actually a lot of material that comes from our microbiome telling our genes what to do,” he said. Dr. Gundry said the key to a healthy gut microbiome is avoiding processed foods, because of chemical ingredients, especially the pesticide glyphosate. “It’s probably the biggest health problem that people are unaware of,” he warned, “It’s in all of our products, all of our cereals. all of our breads, all of our crackers. A recent study of 35 oat products in the United States found glyphosate, including some very dangerous levels, in every one of the oat products including many of our kids’ cereals including our granola.” Dr. Gundry says in addition to cancer and other health concerns, glyphosate can wipe out good bacteria and even cause a ‘leaky gut.’ “You will actually make perforations in the wall of the gut, and bacterial particles and plant compounds and toxins will get right through the wall of your gut,” he said. A leaky gut can cause migraines, chronic fatigue and autoimmune diseases like Celiac, according to Gundry. Think Fast In addition to eating right, robust old-timers go without food altogether for long periods of time. Regularly fasting a minimum of twelve hours within a 24-hour period can trigger the body to eliminate whatever hinders survival. “Fasting, or intermittent fasting, gives us an opportunity to really get all the best cells all the time and that’s what we all want,” said Dr. Gundry. Studies show intermittent fasting helps prevent atherosclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease and possibly cancer, all while boosting the immune system. The Problem with Pills Another common characteristic of healthy centenarians is they take few drugs or none at all. While many people, such as diabetics, take specific medication, Dr. Gundry maintains healthier choices can even reverse that need. “I have yet to meet a type two who I can’t get off all medications by teaching them how to eat, he said, “I haven’t met a person who takes a statin drug to lower cholesterol that I can’t get off a statin once I teach them how to eat.” Dr. Gundry says antibiotics and common painkillers can harm the gut microbiome, with even something like an antacid leading to other problems. “And so I see so many people with dementia and congestive heart failure who’ve been taking these drugs chronically,” he said, “In fact, the FDA has a warning on these products that you should never take them longer than two weeks because they’re that dangerous.” Dust Off Those Sneakers Dr. Gundry says exercise keeps the body working well no matter what the calendar says. It improves blood flow, particularly to the brain. Women who exercise routinely during their lifespan have a 90-percent reduction in Alzheimer’s compared to women who don’t. Muscles strengthen bones, thus preventing injury. Turns out, walking against gravity, whether going up or down, is an especially good exercise because it works the area of the body between the knees and the hips, which contains most of our muscle mass. In fact, the five cities worldwide with the highest concentration of centenarians are all very hilly. Those cities are in what’s known as Blue Zones. The only one in the US is Loma Linda, which means ‘beautiful hill’ in Spanish. This California city is not only home to the largest concentration of centenarians in America, but also the largest concentration of Seventh-Day Adventists. That denomination avoids processed foods and drugs while embracing fasting and exercise. Years ago, Dr. Gundry practiced heart surgery in Loma Linda and was inspired by the people and their healthy lifestyle. Not long after that, he shifted the focus of his medical practice to teaching the world how to live strong to a ripe old age. To read the original article click here.

The post Want to Live Past 100? Doctor Reveals the Secrets to Living Longer, Healthier appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.