Martha Minniti

7 Habits to Have a Healthier Lifestyle

September 19, 2019 by Martha Minniti

Embracing a healthy lifestyle is not as challenging as a lot of people would think of it. If you want to make a revamp with your life, you do not need to go to the extremes of making drastic changes to your current routine.

Small changes matter, especially if they are done with consistency. If you are planning to change your lifestyle, these habits will help you in this journey:

1. Put standing in your routine

Of course, you are well aware that our bodies are meant to move all the time. So if you have been sitting in your chair for quite a long time now, you need to stand up and move around.

Sitting has adverse effects on the quality of your work and life, such as inflammation and the reduction of good cholesterol that may increase your chances of having a heart attack.

Standing and walking around allows you to move your muscles to promote proper digestion of sugars and fats. In a study by Dr. James Levine, standing up for about 90 seconds activates the muscular and cellular systems responsible for the production of triglycerides, blood sugar, and cholesterol.

Less sitting means more chances of living a healthier life.

2. Get the right amount of sleep

Sleep was never a luxury. To keep your body. Exceptionally your brain healthy, you have to acquire at least 7 hours of sleep.

Having a good sleep enhances your performance on a day to day basis. Those who cannot acquire the right amount of hours are not fully recharged to face and endure the day that is ahead of them.

While there are people who can function with just having 6 hours of sleep or even more, an average adult should have 7.5 to 8 hours of sleep per day, according to WebMD.

Having the right amount of sleep improves your memory and cognition, reduces stress, and keeps you fit. It also alleviates depression.

If you want to change your sleeping habits, a personal assessment would be excellent to cater to your needs.

3. Just keep moving!

A sedentary lifestyle is not a good idea if you want to develop healthier habits. You need to move around even just for about 30 minutes.

Moving around has benefits for your body, mind, and even your waistline. Exercising enhances your confidence and boosts your energy. It also helps you battle with stress.

You can do the basic exercises in the morning for starters. Do some stretching or walk around your neighborhood.

If you are too busy to hit the gym, you can always do squats and burpees at home, or run up and down the stairs to keep your body moving all the time.

4. Always drink water.

For sure, you are all so crazy about diet soda, but nothing will ever compare to water. You release fluids every single day, and you have to drink lots of water for you to replace them.

Keeping yourself hydrated all the time enhances your metabolism and replenishes your body. It also helps you burn more calories and aids in your digestion.

Make drinking water a part of your health routine, and it sure will boost your chances of living.

5. Start opening your windows

When you open your windows, you are also allowing fresh air to go inside your home. And of course, you need this.

Your home has pollutants and particles that are very harmful. With this, opening the window helps air everything out.

Who knows? Your house might have more air pollution than you’d ever thought. Pollutants may come with the form of candles, fumes, hairspray, etc. As these may not be harmful to you, mixing these things all together in the air might raise blood pressure, harden your arteries, and cause inflammation.

Keep your room ventilated at times as this conserves energy and promotes better health.

6. Eat nuts

When you aim to keep yourself healthy, choosing an excellent and healthy snack is a good idea since it makes you feel better.

Ditch the crackers and potato chips and indulge yourself in eating nuts instead. With its omega-3 component, nuts are known to be good for the heart and even your waistline. They also have healthy unsaturated fats to reduce inflammation and cholesterol and avoid the dangers of having cancer or heart disease.

7. Remove clutter from your life

You need to declutter. You must get rid of the things you don’t need and use.

Having too much clutter around you prevents you from getting focused on things. Decluttering allows you to keep your house clean and remove the unnecessary items inside your home. You also get to make your area spacious if you start eliminating clutter around you.

Decluttering does not apply to things or stuff at home. It may also mean people. If you start eliminating people who you don’t need and are toxic to you, you will begin to feel more relieved and energized. It does help your emotional health, too!

Having A Healthier Lifestyle

In a study, it has been found out that healthier habits can add more years to a person’s life.

If you are up for the challenge of embracing a healthier you, choose the habits that you think will suit you well. Never pick something you cannot handle.

Learn to appreciate the small changes that you witness every day since lifestyle change is a process. You are never too slow or fast, but you keep on moving forward.

Having a healthier lifestyle might be tedious, but it does not mean it is not doable. It may take time, but all the sacrifices will surely be worth it. Everything will work the way you want them to be.

Good for Senior Health: Swimming, Rebounding, and Walking

September 5, 2019 by Martha Minniti

When you are in your golden years, you will start experiencing a lot of unpleasant effects. The great thing is, exercising can help you get rid of those. Aside from fun and enjoyment, swimming, rebounding, and walking can keep your blood pumping, make you healthier, and give more strength to your body and mind.

Consequences of Not Exercising

Living a sedentary life has its own set of health complications for anyone.

In a 2019 study reported conducted by the U.S. Physical Activity Council, it was found out that Americans have been living a sedentary life after more than 10,000 individuals were surveyed by their frequency, type of exercise, and level. Increased inactivity has also been shown for people aging 65 years old and above between 2013 and 2018.

Inactivity has a significant effect on seniors, especially on their balance and muscular strength. According to a report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the musculoskeletal system weakens when there is a lack of physical activity. Seniors may experience a higher risk of falls, lower muscle strength, and a higher possibility of bone loss due to inactivity. It is evident that out of four seniors, one of them would most likely suffer a fall. Thus, an increase of 30% in the deaths of elder Americans due to falls by 2007 to 2016.

The good news is reducing mortality among seniors can be achieved if they have high levels of recreational physical activity, according to the National Institute of Aging.

Just Keep Swimming!

Due to the changes in reaction time, vision, overall muscle mass, and bone density that seniors are experiencing, they are more prone to the risks of falling. In a study, it has been found out that swimming helps reduce the chances of falling among elders.

A study led by Dafna Merom of the University of Western Sydney in Australia was done by surveying 1,700 men aging 70 years old and above to compare the rate of falls and the types of exercise they are engaged in for four years. In the research, men who were into swimming were 33% less likely to experience the risk of falls.

Remember: When you are swimming in a pool, try to avoid one that makes use of bromide and chlorine products for cleaning. These chemicals have harmful side effects. A saltwater pool would be your safest choice!

Bounce Up to A Healthier You with Rebounding

Around 10 million Americans have been reported to have suffered from lymphatic diseases as published by the Lymphatic Education and Research Network. Elder Americans have undergone treatments that have helped them a lot. Rebounding, for these people, is a way to go.

Movement makes it possible for lymph fluid to circulate throughout the body. Exercising, such as rebounding, stimulates muscular contractions. These allow the lymph fluid to move. As a fantastic aerobic workout, rebounding promotes strength training and helps you with balance, blood circulation, and muscle development.

People who have issues with their hips or knees can resort to rebounding for healing. This type of exercise is quite similar to walking, yet it does not put so much stress on your joints. In research conducted by the University of Kentucky with NASA, rebounding with its ability to build muscles has been considered an excellent exercise for astronauts who just came from space.

Since it has a higher level of oxygen uptake and does not require much effort, rebounding has been better than running on a treadmill. One may have an extended time working out without experiencing fatigue.

Rebounding, in a study found in the Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, allows people to shift their weight properly and gets them back to the appropriate body position and balance.

Walking Boosts Your Health

This may come out of the ordinary but walking is an essential exercise as you get older. We do this every day and out of habit. But truth be told, it does have lots of health benefits according to various research.

Walking may not be the ideal form of exercise, but surely, it keeps you on the right track. If you are too tired to swim, you can always stroll around your neighborhood every morning or afternoon.

Walking is the foundation that will help you gain balancing and strength building skills necessary for the two other forms of exercise mentioned in this article earlier. Another thing is walking gives you some peace of mind. Depression, anger, confusion, anxiety, and fatigue are reduced if you take a walk, especially in areas with views of nature, as reported by a 2012 Korean research.

Do not feel sad if you realize one day that you are already in your golden years. Celebrate your life and be grateful to your body. Do whatever it takes to make yourself come around. Go swimming, take rebounding sessions, or enjoy the beauty of nature while walking around. As long as these exercises bring benefits to your body, you are doing the right thing.

Positivity Is Key to a Longer and Happier Life

July 25, 2019 by Martha Minniti

Being positive with your age is the key to a longer and happier life.

When we were young, showing respect to elders is important yet evidence shows respecting elders save their lives and improve their mental and physical health.

According to Orb Media, countries having high respect for elders have lower levels of poverty and have better health compared to other older populations above 60 years old.

Despite the prediction that by 2050, 2.1 billion people will live beyond 60, attitudes towards elders have not been maintained.

Based on a survey by the World Health Organization in 2016, there are low levels of respect for older people according to 60% of respondents across 57 countries.

Royal Society for Public Health states that 47% of 2,000 British citizens believe that learning new skills is a struggle for people over 65 years old. 15% and a portion of 18 to 24 years old from the total number of respondents think that being unhappy and depressed when you are old is normal.

Because of the growth of medicalization of older adults and the promotion of anti-aging industry to gain more profit from the fear of aging, it is believed that negative attitudes have developed towards aging.

The risky side of stereotyping

Older people are placed under a lot of risks because of negative stereotypes, such as shortening their life span

Research shows that individuals who had a positive view on aging have lived longer than those who viewed it by about an average of 7.5 years.

Having a positive mindset gives people a longer life span because behavioral, physiological, and psychological mechanisms in the body are influenced by positive attitudes.

Behavior is improved with positive thinking which leads people to have healthier habits, such as exercising. Optimism allows people to cope with stress well which reduces the risks of brain shrinkage and memory loss. Also, having negative attitudes towards aging increases the development of mental conditions such as anxiety and depression.

Other research shows that people who had perceived aging positively develop cardiovascular diseases less and produce lesser stress hormones such as cortisol. Also, dementia was less frequent.

Where most negative people are found

Research shows that a higher level of respect for elders is evident in traditional rural societies compared to highly industrialized countries which find older people less valuable.

The World Values Survey that was carried out from 2010 to 2014 states that South Korea, Argentina, and Japan have the lowest level of respect for elders even if they have large populations for elderly people.

With this survey, a change in perception was established.

Middle-age men, for example, in Japan were highly regarded but are now valued less in the society.

Prejudice about the elderly had been established since the age of 6 and it was then hard to unlearn such stereotypes.

Where did these stereotypes originate?

Since 1880, a shift in attitudes toward older people had been found by researchers.

From 1810 to 1879, the United States had a positive view on the concept of getting older based on the synonyms analyzed from the word ‘elderly’, which has taken from 400 million words.

By the age of industrialization, starting from 1880, aging has then been viewed negatively. As the number of people over 65 years old increases, researchers found that there has also been a rise in the negative beliefs of that age.

Despite this, a lot of countries still view elders as people who have value and deserve respect.

Qatar, Georgia, and Uzbekistan have the highest scores when asked if people over 70 years old are regarded with respect.

A positive attitude towards age plays a crucial role among the elderly.

In a 2018 report, chances of developing dementia can be reduced by 49.8% when a positive mindset is kept. Happy thoughts also helps in the faster recovery of older people from cardiovascular disorders.

In order to increase their lifespan, people should acquire changes in their lifestyle and should make themselves ready as they age. Having a healthy diet and exercise help prolong one’s life.

When aging comes, it’s not so bad if you have been planning for it.

Participating in the Arts Promotes Healthy Aging

July 23, 2019 by Martha Minniti

Having a healthy diet, exercising, and getting the right amount of sleep is crucial for one’s health.

However, does being creative helpful to us when we age?

According to an ongoing research, visual arts, theater training, and singing group programs for older people may help improve one’s well-being, health, and independence.

According to NIA’s Division of Behavioral and Social Research’s Lisa Onken, Ph.D., “researchers are highly interested in examining if and how participating in arts activities may be linked to improving cognitive function and memory and improving self-esteem and well-being. Scientists are also interested in studying how music can be used to reduce behavioral symptoms of dementia, such as stress, aggression, agitation, and apathy, as well as promoting social interaction, which has multiple psychosocial benefits.”

Singing promotes healthy aging

Developing efficient and sustainable approaches for the improvement of the lives is needed as stated by Julene K. Johnson, Ph.D. of the University of California, San Francisco School of Nursing. She added that, “Singing in a community choir may be a unique approach to promote the health of diverse older adults by helping them remain active and engaged. It may even reduce health disparities.”

The Community of Voices spearheaded by Dr. Johnson used this approach.

This was the largest randomized clinical trial in order to assess if the participation in a community choir on the health and well-being of almost 400 culturally diverse adults who are from 60 above from 12 senior centers in San Francisco has an impact at all.

Selected randomly, the centers were to conduct the choir program immediately which were the six intervention groups and 6 months later which were the six control groups. The collection of outcome measures were scheduled from the baseline which is before the start of the invention, 6 months which is the end of the randomization phase, and 12 months which is a year after enrollment.

By meeting only once a week, each choir engaged in 90-minute sessions and had several performances in informal concerts for 44 weeks.

During rehearsals, experts from the San Francisco Community Music Center promoted activities that improve health and well-being. The cognitive, physical, and psychosocial functions of the participants and their cost and use of healthcare services were assessed before the program started and after 6 and 12 months.

One key feature of the study was the presence of community partners who can enroll, engage, and retain a large group of low income and ethnically and racially diverse older adults. In order to make sure that the participants will continue joining the study, they were recruited and asked to complete all the choir activities at the senior centers to be assessed.

Within 6 months, positive results were gathered from one’s participation in the community choir.

It had increased one’s interest in life and feelings of loneliness were reduced. Healthcare costs and cognitive and physical results, however, did not have a significant change.

Being able to provide a meaningful opportunity to interact with people, socialize, and establish a sense of belongingness, according to Dr. Johnson, resulted to these improvements.

“By examining the mechanisms through which arts participation may provide benefits to health and well-being, and by studying arts participation with scientific rigor, we hope to establish a firm basis on which to develop programs to improve the health and well-being of older people. As these studies continue, we expect the results to show us how we can implement cost-effective, community-based programs that benefit older people,” says Dr. Onken.

Coping with dementia through theater improvisation

Theater improvisation is one of the art forms that Northwestern University is looking into to help elderly people in dealing with early-stage dementia by improving their quality of life.

Called the Memory Ensemble, it is a program for people who have been newly diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia who are looking for ways to find programs that suit their needs.

In order to experience and create improvisational theater, 69 participants of The Memory Ensemble have used their spontaneity, creativity, and instincts.

With the goal of improving the quality of life for people with dementia and Alzheimer’s and to spread it such benefits to other communities, the program was developed in 2010 in Chicago by the Northwestern and Lookingglass Theatre Company.

Groups with 10-15 participants who are from 50 to 90 years old have to attend sessions for 90 minutes as part of the 8-week program which had a specific pattern to be followed and are repetitive. A clinical social worker and an expert in theater improvisational techniques facilitated and guided the participants in all the activities.

Dr. Morthardt said that rather than reducing decline or improving cognition, the whole program aims to aid people in enjoying their lives.

According to her, “There are limits to medical treatments for people with dementia… Patients and families are looking for ways to continue to engage. For participants in the program, it’s about being in the moment and using their imagination. We enhance their remaining skills and mood. As the condition progresses, it can become challenging to communicate with words, so we really focus on nonverbal means of expression.”

Through participating in the Memory Ensemble, initial results state that participants had increased their sense of belonging, destigmatization, and normalcy, reduced their feelings of anxiety, and improved their mood, according to Dr. Dunford. Feelings of empowerment, achievement, and self-discovery were also reported.

These programs have proven that participating in the arts promotes healthy aging.

You should consider participating in visual arts, theater training, and singing group programs to maintain or improve your well-being, health, and independence.

Caring for an Elderly Parent? 4 Ways To Reduce The Stress

June 20, 2019 by Martha Minniti

One day your parent seems fine and then the next day it seems like they’ve aged tremendously.

It’s sad when you realize that your once young and vibrant parent has become an elderly person needing your help.

Sometimes it feels like they’ve gone from taking care of you and then in the next moment they’re suddenly relying upon you to look after them.

Or, in the case of some elderly parents they’re hiding the fact that they need you to care for them in order that they can keep their independence. Then a major event happens that brings this need to be cared for to the forefront.

Making this transition into caring for an elderly parent can take a toll on your emotional well-being and theirs as well.

We care for our parents out of love and we don’t want them to end up in a place or situation where they are not cared for. Sometimes it’s impossible for us to properly care for them so we have to look into facilities or on-site help to keep them in their home as they make this transition from independent living.

If you find yourself in this situation, having to take more care of your elderly parent or being more involved in their affairs here are four ways that you can ensure that you care for them without compromising your own health and well-being.

Make Lists of What They Need

It’s helpful to make a list of all the things that your parent needs help with right now. When you’re thinking about that list includes all of the daily activities that you need to assist with as part of their normal health and care routine.

Then make a second list of all the things you think they will need to have help with in the future.

Some of the things on this second list are:

What will happen when there are not able to drive anymore?
What normal daily care and health routine will they need help with in th future?
What kind of access do they have to get help if they need it?
What financial resources do they have?

Making these two separate lists will help you visualize and think about what they need now and also in the future so that you are prepared.

It’s better to make these lists and kind of have a plan of action in place for the future rather than waiting until it becomes more urgent.

If you have siblings, you definitely want to make sure that everyone is pitching in to help and understands the situation of your parents. Keep in mind that in most situations research shows that in 90% of families one sibling takes on the majority of care. This can happen because of proximity to the parent or because of parent-child relationships.

Everyone has a different idea of what their role should be in caring for an elderly parent and at times it can be hard to coordinate all of these expectations and desires.

Just understand that it is normal that caring for an elderly parent is not usually split evenly between siblings.

2. Take time to Educate Yourself

Take the time to educate yourself because you need to know about what facilities there are in plans that you can use to help care for your parents. Think of it this way knowledge is not just power it is also a way to lower your stress levels because you’re taking care of things in the best way possible.

Here are a couple of examples for you to consider

Do you know the local respite facilities?
Do you have back-up to help you while you help them?
Do you know how to best take care of medical bills and facility bills?

Don’t take on the role of a caretaker so that the whole rest of your life gets taken over by this and everything seems to fall apart, including your health and well-being.

Understand that you cannot do it all alone and that nobody should expect you to.

3. Setting Boundaries is important

Setting proper boundaries can be tricky at times. You love your parents but you need to have good boundaries in place so that you don’t become resentful.

Yes you’re going to feel pressure and stress at times after all you’re worried about your parents’ well-being comfort and health while also feeling like it’s a burden. these emotions can feel very stressful.

especially if you are managing everything all by yourself with no help from your family. you need to set good boundaries and find a way to feel okay about saying no or taking a time out for yourself when you’re feeling overwhelmed.

4. Find Safe People To Talk With

When you’re feeling overwhelmed it’s a good idea to have someone that you can discuss your situation with that is understanding and supportive to your situation.

Speaking openly Like this will help release tension and work to manage your emotional health and well-being. It’s important to find someone who is empathetic and a good listener like a spouse a friend or even a professional.

Resist the temptation to keep it all inside and not share your emotions and feelings. honestly it’s hard enough to care for elderly parents and don’t add to the stress by keeping all of those feelings pent up inside of you.

Getting things off your chest and talked out will help you feel so much better

And while you’re at it, take a moment to step back and appreciate yourself for all of the effort you’re putting into caring for your elderly parents.

And also while you’re in this stage of life with your elderly parents it’s also good to find time to lovingly bond with them as best you can. Especially if you know that you are getting close to their end-of-life you want to make sure that you have closure.

Getting help to deal with this aspect of your relationship with your parents is a very smart choice and will help you to navigate this particular phase in both of your lives.

To sum it all up, I suggest that you start with making the list and educating yourself. don’t forget those all-important boundaries and finding someone support that you can talk with as you navigate caring for an elderly parent

Caring for your elderly parent or parents does not need to be an all-consuming and stressful situation.

If You Feel Thankful, Write It Down. It’s Good For Your Health

June 13, 2019 by Martha Minniti

Did you know that being thankful not only makes you feel better it helps your heart too?

I”m sure you’ve heard people touting the power of gratitude. Gratitude journaling is so popular these days, you can even buy different kinds of specific gratitude journals, or download apps that remind you to jot down your blessings.

You don’t have to have any of these things to practice gratitude, it’s free. Even just spending time each day to note your gratitude will pay off. There’s a growing body of research on the benefits of gratitude. Studies have found that giving thanks and counting blessings can help you sleep better at night.

Gratitude takes very little time, and the benefits are so powerful.

Let’s talk about the benefits of gratitude on you

Gratitude can give you hope.

Research shows that focusing on the positive, in addition to the negative, can boost your mood more than you might expect.

Gratitude improves physical health.

Research has shown that grateful people experience fewer aches and pains and report feeling healthier than other people.

As a result, grateful people are also more likely to take care of their health. They make exercise a priority which also increase feelings of well being and are more likely to attend regular check-ups, which is likely to contribute to further longevity.

Gratitude Improves Your Psychological Health

The positive emotions from gratitude helps to reduce toxic emotions such as emotion, frustration, resentment and regret.

Your gratitude practice will effectively increase feelings of happiness while reducing depression.

Gratitude Improves your Sleep

Going to bed with positive feelings rather than negative feelings makes it easier to drift off to sleep. Try spending just 15 minutes jotting down a few grateful sentiments before bed, and you may sleep better and longer.

Gratitude Improves Your Self Esteem

Studies have show that a gratitude practice reduces feelings of social comparison to others. So if you have feelings of jealousy, comparison try gratitude. Once you lower the social comparisons you make you’ll improve your self-esteem and be able to appreciate other’s accomplishments.

Gratitude Increase Your Mental Strength

Research has shown that it not only reduces stress, it also may help to overcome trauma. Recognizing all that you have to be thankful for , even during the worst times will help to foster your resilience.

What works for some people may not work for you

To find what works best for you, try to think about what feels right and what feels natural or meaningful to you. Then pick one method and get started whether is mindful gratitude or jotting down what you’re grateful for each day.

Some may find that a daily dose of gratitude in the morning can be transformative or doing it at night will help you get a better night’s sleep.

Everyone has the ability and opportunity to cultivate gratitude.

Rather than being stuck in the negative complaining about the things you think you deserve, take a few moments today to focus on all that you have.

Developing an “attitude of gratitude” is one of the simplest ways to improve your satisfaction with life and improve your health.