Seniors Staying Sharp and Socially Connected

"Studies have suggested that as new information is learned, new con-nections are formed among the neurons, even in older people," says Margaret C. Sewell, PhD, director of Memory Enhancement Program and assistant professor of psychiatry at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. "People often focus on cross-word puzzles as a way to keep their brains sharp, but many activities can help, including learning new technology."

Our Senior Tennis League is a great example of "Seniors Staying Sharp." The benefits of staying socially connected have been well-documented. For example, a study in the February 2007 issue of the Journal of the American Geriatric Society showed that women in their 80's who had a strong social network were less likely to experience cognitive decline. Another study, in the February 2007 issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, found that people who reported being socially connected were half as likely to develop dementia as those who reported feeling lonely. Staying in touch with family, friends, playing tennis, badminton, volleyball and other social-recreational type activities can also help to stave off depression. Depression---and chronic depression has been associated with shrinkage of the areas of the brain responsible for memory, judgement, and language.
In our Senior Tennis League, members are encouraged to email each other and to read the STL E-MAIL updates. In doing so, they get the latest information on other members in our group and receive healthy eating tips, while watching "slide shows" of our summer picnic. When they have problems opening attachments, we help them to use effective means of accessing those beautiful memories. The summer days when they played, sang and talked with those they love and who love them are never lost.
The incentive to use a computer also gives them access to millions of information sources via the Internet. You can learn about a medication you’ve just been prescribed, read the latest news, and find healthy recipes. For more mental stimulation, play free games, including cards or puzzles and you can find where to play tennis, badminton, table tennis and meet other people who live healthy lifestyles. "If you are afraid to try something new, like learning the computer, there's safety in numbers," says Dr. Sewell. "Sign up for a class at your local library with a friend."
Many libraries offer classes that introduce older adults to computer basics. You may also take classes offered by a nonprofit organization called SeniorNet, which educates older adults and provides them with access to computer technology. The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) also has a section on computers and technology at its Web site, including lessons on how to use the internet.
Cell phones can be life-savers. In the 70's we used CB technology to communicate with others and especially in emergencies on the road. Truck drivers did that a long time before we did - to keep informed on road conditions, radar and just plain talk. Now you can use cell phones as a special life line. If you’ve suffered an injury or a fall and need emergency assistance, help is available (in many cases) with the press of one button. The phone numbers and names of your friends, doctor, dentist, cardiologist, tennis and badminton players can be quickly accessed by just hitting the first letter of their name and then pressing one button to dial the whole number. No need to fumble with the phone book or the Rolodex.
More of our seniors are leaning towards the new technology as a means of staying connected and now there are hands-free devices for your automobile. Need a plumber? Can’t make it home in time for the electrician, painter or a delivery?- - Use your cell phone! Before long, a lot of the names, numbers and basics of cell phone use will become second-nature to you. Seniors Staying Socially connected improves the transmission of information in your brain. Those who are now able to see their friends and family, as insurance carriers are now realizing, enjoy the importance of love, friendship and support with fewer guilt-ridden children and parents.
The bottom-line is to stay connected and feel the joy of talking to your friends, family and playmates. You will worry less about reaching out for new ideas. Calling your health care providers and service people is just a matter of scrolling down on the cell phone or touching one button in the "phonebook" of your cell phone or even accessing your "Outlook Express" on the internet for names, emails, addresses, birthdays, appointments, and even personal notes to help you remember their spouse’s name (or their pets). The internet can also remind you of all your special dates and appointments through "Lotus." Letters can be typed, spell checked, and corrected by the automatic built in "HELP" in a word processor before copying it to your email (as I am doing now).
Technology, senior groups, and internet sites of all kinds can make change your best friend. Contact information:

http://www.seniornet.org/(408-651-0699),AARP: http://www.aarp.org/learningtech/
Jitterbug phones: http://www.jitterbug.com/ or (800) 918-8543)
"Enjoy Yourself, It’s Later Than You Think"-- Music and words of wisdom are all around us for the effort and the "Magic Pill" is no more than fantasy and a money maker.

Remember to LIVE well, Love often, and Laugh a lot.

Chili Pasta Bake/Mexican Lasagna

Diced Tomatoes are heart-healthy and can be used in many dishes. In this recipe we could consider this to be a kind of "Mexican Lasagna."

10 oz. Penne pasta, 1 pound of ground beef,
1 cup of chopped onion, 2 Tablespoons of chili powder, 1 can of diced tomatoes-undrained, 1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce,
1 cup salsa, 1 can (7 oz.) Diced green chilies, drained, 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
1. Cook pasta according to package directions, drain.
2. Cook meat and onion in large skillet; drain. Add chili powder. Undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce, salsa and chilies. Cook 5 minutes.
3. Toss pasta and sauce, Spoon into a 13" X 9" baking dish.
Top with cheese. Bake at 350˚ F, for 20 minutes.
Del Monte is designing more heart-healthy meals as are many of the food manufacturers.

Servings: 6 Prep time: 5 minutes Cook: 32 minutes

Women's Guidelines for Preventing Heart Disease

In 1999 the American Heart Association (AHA) reacted to the mountain of research showing that cardiovascular disease may affect women somewhat differently than men by publishing the first Evidence-Based Guidelines for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in Women. Since then the guidelines have helped physicians establish preventative strategies for their female patients. The recently updated 2007 guidelines-include some new information that you may want to discuss with your doctor.
Guidelines published in previous years focused on strategies for preventing cardiovascular disease over the short term—10 years. But Roger S. Blumenthal, M.D., Director of the Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease at Johns Hopkins, stresses that the most important new concepts in the updated 2007 AHA guidelines in that they go beyond 10-year risk.
Dr. Blumenthal says,"By the time a woman turns 50, her risk of heart attack or stroke over the next 35 years is between 5-10% —if she has no other risk factors. Unfortunately, only a small percentage of women have optimal risk factors by age 50, suggesting an even higher lifetime risk. So, women need to make changes sooner rather than later to reduce their lifetime risk."
As part of the revised guidelines’ broader approach to prevention, more stringent dietary, exercise, and cholesterol goals have been added. And the AHA has designed a new, more encompassing lifetime risk prevention algorithm for doctors to follow as they determine a patient’s risk of heart disease and her treatment options. In addition, there are new recommendations for the use of aspirin, folic acid, and other dietary supplements.
Smoking Cessation: The new guidelines suggest smokers try behavioral modification programs, counseling, nicotine replacement therapy, or prescription smoking-cessation medications.
Exercise: The best type of exercise raises the pulse rate. (Know how to take your own pulse). The best kind of exercise is one you will enjoy and make part of your regular lifestyle. New this year is the recommendation that to lose weight, physical activity should be increased to 60–90 minutes of moderately intense exercise on most days of the week. My own opinion is that you allow a day in between to rest the joints and heal any minor damage that may have occurred. Aspirin before and after rigorous exercise may keep down the inflammation and prevent it from spreading to other muscle groups. My Senior Tennis League plays on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and they take off the weekend (from tennis) for walking, biking or swimming. Enjoy the outdoors and take in some of that free Vitamin D from the sun. The skin cancer seems to appear in long exposure such as you would have in playing golf.
Aspirin: The AHA now recommends aspirin every day for all women age 65 or over. I would disagree with that. The benefits of aspirin have been well known since 1983 and the research proving the positive effects were censured by the FDA. In 1998, they called the OTC aspirin, "Freedom of Speech Aspirin." It wasn’t until the past decade that the information was shared with the public. The doctor who strongly encouraged the writing of my book said, "Stan, we now know why you haven’t had another heart attack since 1996." I asked why and he responded, "The aspirin prevents inflammation of the heart." Like any medication, some people do not tolerate aspirin well, but having Rheumatoid Arthritis caused me to research the best medicine to keep me moving - it was aspirin. I have recorded the times and amount of aspirin I have taken these past 15 years and they all remain intact in my self-study of how it has affected my rheumatoid arthritis. People don’t believe me when I tell them that I have taken three - 325mg of aspirin every 6 hours for over 25 years. In 1981 I was told I had 1 - 3 years before I would be totally unable to walk. Well, I beat that rap by at least an additional 22 years. Each person has to do what works best for him. I wouldn’t recommend that much intake of aspirin to anybody, but it kept me active and allowed me to exercise at badminton and tennis, bike and swim for at least 2 decades after the doctor seriously discussed the consequences of my disease.
Supplements: Women with heart disease are encouraged to take 850 – 1,000 mg of the omega-3 fatty acid supplements eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) daily. Women with high triglyceride levels should take up to 4 g of EPA and DHA daily. My whole- food approach to triglycerides shows that cinnamon, oatmeal, apples, raisins and high antioxidant fruit like blueberries have been very effective with me.
Walking the Dog: A three year study of 2,533 people over age 71 found that dog owners who walked their pet at least three times a week were twice as likely to walk the recommended 150 minutes or more a week than non-dog walkers. They could also walk faster and had better mobility. This study was conducted by the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society in September 2006.
NSAIDs: The risk of taking aspirin or NSAIDS to prevent colorectal cancer was not adequately researched. The high doses of drugs reduce the risk of developing polyps, but there wasn’t sufficient evidence that the drugs actually decreased mortality to offset the gastrointestinal and kidney problems that high doses of these painkillers can cause. In my case, (taking 12 aspirin/day for 25 years) my doctor said after tests, that I have the kidneys of an 18-year-old. The study was conducted by the Annals of Internal Medicine, March 6, 2007.
I spend thousands of dollars gathering and comparing findings from many sources including Harvard Medical School, Life Extension (www.lelf.org), Journal of Health & Longevity,the Institute for Vibrant Living and many other sources.
You can find more information about AHA recommendations for both men and women at the AHA website: www.americanheart.org , Johns Hopkins Medicine of Baltimore, Maryland provides me with an excellent source of new developments in health research and trials. The website for "HealthAfter50" is: www.johnshopkinsHealthAlerts.com
The information contained within these articles is meant to be used to educate the reader and is in no way intended to be providing individual medical advice. Medical advice can be obtained from a qualified healthcare practitioner.

The information is received from sources believed to be accurate, but no guarantee can be made. This is a non-profit activity provided to help people develop a lifestyle that is based on an informed reading of the research and opinions of many professionals, as well as those with PHDs and my own experience serving seniors for more than 20 years.

My general opinion is that well-read and intelligent people live longer, happier and healthier lives and that many of them rely on friendship, a strong faith, fresh air and sunshine and activities that are interactive, recreational and social.