4 Myths About Senior Nutrition

Many adults across the country enjoy alcoholic beverages in moderation. But as you age, your body goes through changes that affect how you metabolize alcohol, how you experience its effects, and the risk it poses to your overall health. According to studies, 3 in 10 drinks at levels that put them at risk for alcoholism, liver diseases, and other health issues caused by alcohol, and nearly 20% of this group are adults aged 60 and older. How do you think about your drinking? Do your habits place you at low or increased risk for problems? Find out below.How Alcohol Affects the Aging BodyAnalyzing how alcohol affects people, doctors use several factors including age, gender, and size. Many people are surprised to learn that what counts as one drink varies from person to person and from drink to drink. Each of the drinks below counts as a single drink:12 fl oz. of regular beer8-9 fl oz. of malt liquor5 fl oz. of wine (a standard bottle of wine contains 5 standard drinks)1.5 fl oz. of 80-proof spirits such as vodka, whiskey, gin, rum, or tequila (a fifth of liquor contains 17 standard drinks)The general rule of thumb is, the more muscle mass a person has, the more likely they are to feel stronger effects from alcohol. This is because your body stores much of its water content in your muscles, and the effects of alcohol are slowed and dispersed by the water in your body. As you age, your body begins to naturally lose muscle mass. When you lose muscle mass, you lose the same water content that slows and minimizes the effects of alcohol. This means older adults are more likely to feel the effects of alcohol stronger than younger adults. This can lead to dizziness, confusion, and loss of coordination, which in turn leads to a higher risk of falls, accidents, fractures, and car crashes. Alcohol is a factor in about 60% of fatal burn injuries, drownings, and murders; 50% of severe trauma injuries and sexual assaults; and 40% of fatal crashes and falls.Increased Health Risks and SensitivityEven drinking within the limits of your body, adults 65 and older who drink are at a much higher risk of health problems associated with alcohol. As you get older, your heart, liver, and brain functions begin to slow and become less efficient. These three internal organs affect how you process alcohol and can be seriously damaged by overuse. Older adults who drink are more at risk for:Heart diseaseLiver diseaseStrokeDigestive problemsCertain types of cancerCognitive declineAdditionally, older adults who have or have experienced conditions such as osteoporosis, diabetes, memory loss, ulcers, or mood disorders may find their condition worsened by excess alcohol consumption. People who have blood disorders such as high blood pressure or heart conditions or are prone to them may have a harder time getting them diagnosed and treated due to changes in the heart and blood vessels. This could not only increase your risk of stroke or heart attack but heighten the chances that the typical pain and symptoms that could alert you to your condition might be dulled or not felt at all.Many people are shocked to find out that prescription medicine can affect the effects of alcohol, and vice versa. Medications can have harmful interactions with alcohol, exacerbating side effects or reducing the effectiveness of the medication. Many of these prescriptions are given to people over the age of 65, and they may not know the effects alcohol has on them. These medicines include:Antihistamines and allergy medicationsPrescription painkillers or benzodiazepinesDiabetes medicationArthritis medicationBlood pressure medicationAnticoagulantsAnticonvulsantsSleep medications and other hypnoticsPsychiatric medications such as antipsychotics, antidepressants, or anti-anxiety medicationIf you take any of these medications, consult your primary care doctor or specialist before consuming alcohol.Understanding Your Risk Factor and Knowing When to Get HelpWhether or not you may be predisposed to any of the conditions listed above is based on your risk factor, which is calculated by the number of drinks you consume in a day or week. To understand your risk factor, you have to calculate whether your low risk or high risk. Low risk doesnt mean no risk. Even if you stay within the daily and weekly limits, you can still have problems if you drink too fast, have a health problem, or are over age 65.Low risk for men is no more than 4 drinks in a day, or 14 drinks a weekLow risk for women is no more than 3 drinks a day or 7 drinks a weekIncreased risk for men is more than 4 drinks a day and more than 15 drinks in a weekIncreased risk for women is more than 3 drinks a day and more than 7 drinks a weekAnyone in the increased risk category may be at an increased risk for alcohol dependency. In older adults, these conditions may be harder to spot as conditions such as memory loss or balance problems are often associated with age rather than addiction. Social and emotional withdrawal and loneliness or depressive disorders also put older adults at a high risk for alcohol dependence. Symptoms of alcohol dependency include:Increased tolerance to alcoholInability to limit the amount of alcohol you intakeCognitive decline or brain fogNeglect of responsibilities, personal hygiene, and social relationshipsParticipating in risky drinking behaviors such as drinking and drivingStrong, unavoidable cravings for alcoholExperiencing withdrawal symptoms such as sweating, shaking, nausea, or vomiting when you dont consume alcoholUnsuccessful attempts to cut down your drinking in your pastIf you or a loved one has any of the signs and symptoms listed above, talk to your doctor about getting help for your dependency. For help on identifying and treating addiction or dependency, start here.

Lets Get Heart Smart  February Is American Heart MonthBy the time you read this, the reported deaths from COVID-19 and its variants in the U.S. will be close to 900,000. As staggering as that statistic is, its 400,000 short of the number of Americans killed by Heart Disease in the same time period. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women of most racial and ethnic groups.Lets not allow the topic to overwhelm the fact theres a miracle inside your chest. Weighing about as much as a grapefruit, the heart is a powerful pump that drives five to six quarts of blood to every microscopic part of your body every second. And if it fails for even a second, the body is very unforgiving. Even though its the one piece of machinery driven by the brain, we tend to treat the heart like a kitchen appliance that we take for granted. Rarely serviced, rarely cleaned, and overworked until it burns out. Although heart bypass and transplant have become routine since the pioneering operations in the 1960s, its not like replacing the coffee maker you neglected too long.One Thing at a TimeThe better way to treat your heart with the respect it deserves is to start with changing just small habits. That way, youll avoid the relapse from trying to change everything at once and falling back to unhealthy heart habits inside of a month. The most obvious: if youre a smoker or heavy drinker, work on that first. Imagine a small team of remodelers arriving at your heart to do a makeover. The first thing theyre going to say is, Well, we cant do anything with the plumbing until we clear the smoke.Look for Help During Heart MonthQuitting smoking and reducing alcohol is never easy, but this is probably as good a time as any during the year to start a cessation program with help. February is American Heart Month, so youre likely to be reminded frequently of heart health and offered tips on modifying your routine to help your heart and prolong a happy life. If you only look to one place, trust the American Heart Association www.heart.org. Prediabetes and Heart DiseaseWhats your blood sugar level? If you dont know, you should find out from your doctor if youre not already monitoring it yourself. You could be pre-diabetic without knowing it or showing any symptoms. Theres a good chance you could avoid becoming diabetic and reverse your pre-diabetic blood sugar to normal with relatively little change to your diet and a slight increase inyour activity. Diabetes has long been linked to heart disease, but recent studies suggest that reversing prediabetes is also linked to fewer heart attacks and strokes. [Reversing Prediabetes linked to fewer heart attacks, strokes, heart.org, Jan. 26, 2021.]While youre at it, get your cholesterol tested and routinely monitor your blood pressure.If youre worried you might be at risk for heart disease, ask your doctor to perform a simple cholesterol test to let you know if youre at risk and should adjust your diet. Home blood pressure monitors are not expensive, theyre digital, and theyre easy to use. Blood pressure stations are common in supermarkets now, and you can also check your weight and pulse.Womens Heart HealthWhy the emphasis on womens heart health? The American Heart Association tells us that cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer of women, causing 1 in 3 deaths each year about one woman every minute. They devote an entire website to womens heart health: Go Red for Women (www.goredforwomen.org). Here are just a few of the common misconceptions about womens heart health:Myth: Heart disease is for men, and cancer is the real threat for womenFact: Heart disease is a killer that strikes more women than men and is more deadly than all cancer forms combined. While one in 31 American women dies from breast cancer each year, heart disease is the cause of one out of every three deaths.Myth: Heart disease is for old peopleFact: Heart disease affects women of all ages. For younger women, the combination of birth control pills and smoking boosts heart disease risks by 20 percent. Heart defects are more common than you might think: 1.3 million Americans alive today have some form of congenital heart defect and at least nine of every 1,000 infants born each year have a heart defect. Even if you live a completely healthy lifestyle, being born with an underlying heart condition can be a risk factor.Myth: I run marathons no way I could be at risk.Fact: Factors like cholesterol, eating habits, and smoking can counterbalance your other healthy habits. You can be thin and have high cholesterol. The American Heart Association says to start getting your cholesterol checked at age 20. Earlier, if your family has a history of heart disease.Age and Heart HealthMany things, like wine and most people, grow better with age. The heart, however, takes more tending than a glass of fine wine. Avoid things that weaken your heart beyond the normal aging process. These are the usual suspects: smoking and tobacco use, lack of exercise, diet, alcohol, overeating, and stress. Some preexisting conditions you cant control: irregular heartbeat, congenital (inherited) heart defects, sleep apnea (although this may be a product of obesity or alcohol consumption).Viruses and MyocarditisMyocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscle mostly caused by a virus, including COVID-19, and can lead to left-sided heart failure. The left ventricle of the heart is the part that pumps oxygen-rich blood back to the body. This valve tends to stiffen with age. Thats one of the many reasons why age combined with a preexisting condition puts you at greater risk of death from COVID-19. Even survivors of the novel coronavirus infection can sustain permanent heart damage. All people must protect themselves and others from COVID-19 by observing precautions, not just because of its immediate lethality but also because of its impact on the heart, known and unknown.How to Start with Your HeartThe factors involved in heart health and the onset of heart disease are many, varied, and complicated. But the common preventions (listed here, from the Mayo Clinic) are simple. You probably already know them by heart, so to speak:Not smokingControlling certain conditions, such as high blood pressure and diabetesStaying physically activeEating healthy foodsMaintaining a healthy weightReducing and managing stressThose may seem like six significant challenges, especially if you take on all six. But you should notice something else about them. Almost every one of them can affect the other five. So, if you pick one, youll find it easier to take on the next one. People who quit smoking usually discover that they have more energy within the first week, and exercise becomes easier. A little exercise and switching out one unhealthy food will help with weight, stress, blood pressure, and diabetes. Easy does it, especially if youre 65 and older. Youve spent a whole life learning one way. You can take your time. Learn to enjoy your healthier heart. But start today.First, Get a Checkup!Most of the questions this article has raised in your mind (Whats my blood sugar level? Whats my blood pressure? I used to smoke am I at risk?) can all be answered in a single doctors visit with simple lab work done a few days before. Schedule it now, before you start a program of exercise and diet. And schedule a regular exam per your doctors recommendation. Relieving the stress of not knowing will be a good start on your way to a healthier heart.

Pickleball, the highly addictive sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton, and ping pong, is friendlier on the body than most other sports. However, like any other sport, there is a risk of injury that comes along with playing the game.Its estimated that pickleball-related injuries cost Americans nearly $400 million in healthcare last year.To avoid injuries on the pickleball court, follow these tips from Dr. Justin McCoy, a sports medicine specialist with Intermountain Health in Grand Junction, Colorado.Stretch and warm up your bodyPrior to pickleball play, spend 10 minutes getting your body ready. Spend five minutes warming up (try a brisk walk) and then five minutes stretching.Be aware of your playing areaNot all pickleball courts are created equal. Be aware of obstacles and avoid back pedaling during play.Never play on a wet courtWet pickleball courts are slick and can lead to dangerous falls. To test a court surface, press your toe down firmly and make a twisting motion. If you see water rise or move, the court is unsafe for play.Wear proper court shoesInvest in footwear that is designed for court sports and will support your feet. Sneakers and running shoes do not provide the right kind of support for the side-to-side motions in pickleball.Know your limitsDont try to make plays that are beyond your abilities. Age, experience, physical condition, and athletic ability will impact the level of your game.Stay hydratedA balance of food, water, and electrolytes and appropriate snacks are needed to prevent dehydration. Dehydration symptoms include dizziness, weakness, fatigue, an irregular heartbeat, and fainting.Learn from a proYes, there are professional pickleball coaches. A pickleball coach can help you maintain good form, fundamentals, and habits, which will help you avoid injuries on the pickleball court. Dr. McCoy says the most important piece of advice he can give picklers is to pay attention to what your body is telling you. Take time away from the court if you need to rest or recover. By not listening to your body, you could get an injury that will keep sidelined you for an even longer period.