A Women's RV Forum run by Women RVer's!

So here is a thread for all those suggestions and research information that everyone was sharing earlier. I do want to thank those that took time to share what they had researched and those that that shared their personal experiences. Being a special education teacher I learned long ago that we are all individuals when it comes to how we learn and have a theory that our bodies respond similarly to foods. Yes, many facts run true for a large group of people but then there are those that have more individual, or more sensitive unique systems (or brains). I hope that some of you will take the time to copy and paste your previous lengthy responses so maybe they can be more easily found if any of us want to recall just what information you were sharing. As I mentioned in yesterday's post I have lived long enough to know that many individuals have found health by following individual paths. I have friends that break out in hives at just a hint of wheat. I have known vegetarians, followers of Keto diets, Mediterranean diets, and the famous "eating all things in moderation" theory. Other ideas such as Statins. No statins. Homeopathic. Herbal. Please share. If you have a better idea for a title share that, too!

Anyone ever heard of Green Salt made from a plant.

https://www.trygreensalt.com/

Hi Tina.

Thanks for starting this thread.

So far as diets go, it has been my observation over a lifetime that "one size does not fit all". (I'm not speaking of a "weight-reduction diet" here, but rather one's individual, every-day eating pattern) but that individuals, by and large, need to seek out what works best for their own individual bodies.

Over my life, ever since I was a young person, I have always subscribed to the "eat a variety of foods in moderation and exercise regularly" theory. It has not always been easy - I do like to eat - but it has stood me in good stead.

I am of normal weight, my blood pressure is in the normal range, I take no prescribed drugs and I have minimal age-related arthritic change (that gives me no discomfort). I have no health issues, aside from the getting old part.

I might be doing something right. I think I will keep on doing what I am doing.

I encourage anyone to do what works best for them to keep themselves healthy.

Each one of us knows our own bodies better than anyone. We have lived in them for a while.

Anne

Shirl, I just might try that even though salt isn't a problem for me.

Anne, you took those words right out of my mouth. Except I've been gaining because of overeating until last summer when I tried to cut back on how much. And I did lose some but slacked off over the winter. Hopefully I get back in the groove this summer. I'm not a fan of most "diets" including keto but just because of how I eat, should I try to really follow something it would be the Mediterranean diet. I grew up eating lots of fruits and veggies and feel my best when I stick to doing that. But good fruits and veggies aren't always easy to find.

I like vegetables much more than fruit but I do try to eat some fruit but usually only during the summer. I have tried several diets. Did Keto for a while but found it too restrictive for me. So now I do mainly low carb, meaning some kind of meat or fish and veggies. I eat carbs just not like I used to. Now when I have a sandwich I have half a sandwich and some salad or sliced tomatoes etc. Anne is right, eating in moderation is the key I have found. I dont eat out very often as a burger and fries is just too many calories. I will tho once in a while just not frequently. I think this will be a great thread and give some of us some ideas on what to make sometimes.

Two cents from an old timer. You name it, I have tried it. Some things didn’t work others I didn’t like. Check your medication first at Medlineplus.gov Fatigue can be a side effect of medication. If it is don’t stop medication but make your doctor aware. Walking is wonderful exercise but not enough. If there is a yoga class near by try it. I have a dvd that makes this aging body feel good but only if I do it. “Qi Gong For Seniors” With Lee Holden it’s gentle, no equipment , no on the floor. There is also mental fatigue, stress of daily life plus the scary world we now live in. Lower your expectations of what your body can still do. Parts wear out. Your never too old to set a new goal or dream a new dream.

https://youtu.be/A1IYf7fKdhY

Thanks for the reminder. I always check the information on what meds I take. About twenty years ago after a year of shedding about 60 pounds I started a new medication to address my ongoing chronic headaches. I began to struggle with impulses to get milkshakes and eat things I had successfully avoided for months. As I usually do every so often I reread the medication information pamphlet and came across the section that referred to cravings for sweets. I had either missed or forgotten that side effect. Lights went off and a discussion and search for an alternative medication ensued.

Losing and keeping weight off was usually a matter of portion control and quieting the cravings for those empty calories and things full of sugar. In more recent years of course as we all discover it takes fewer calories to maintain or, unfortunately, increase our weight.

Earlier on BJ shared the possible effect of gentle yoga with me. I have my books and even wrote up a short series of exercises I could move through but alas, as you mentioned, one must actually do them. The only exercise that I have faithfully maintained or returned to through all these many years (through memberships to the local YMCA, a membership to a Fitness store, home exercise equipment) has involved a leash and dog/s. Left with only my own motivation, I think my "slugness" would overcome me and at some point, I would crawl in a hole and I would not care if I moved or not. The dogs have always been the ones to remind me that it matters to them.....and I regain some balance to what is important.

So I will keep on, keeping on. Checking medications, asking doctors questions, making my body move and sometimes doing things it doesn't want to, being kind to myself at other times when needed. I know enough not to blindly trust the medical profession. I trust what my body says more. So I question many things. That whole nature/nurture question.

Shirlv wrote:. . .Lower your expectations of what your body can still do. Parts wear out. Your never too old to set a new goal or dream a new dream.

Shirl, thank you.

Well said.

I find that I can - mostly, at least for now - still do many of the things I have always done (although I gave up some activities - like riding horses - about 10 years ago), only slower and (with big tasks) not all at once. Pacing is the key - at least for me.

Anne

I saw this article on Facebook this morning and thought that it fit with some of our earlier conversations. You should be able to copy and paste into your browser.
https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/08/health/c ... index.html

Tina glad you looked into yoga. With Zoom and WhatsApp an online class could be a possibility. A couple of exercises that are doable without a lot of instruction is the point and flex. Sit upright in a chair, straighten your back, put one foot out and point and flex your foot 6-8 times each. Another is while sitting straight roll your shoulders forward 3-4 times, then backwards 3-4 times. I also would be happy to do a reiki/hypnosis session with anyone who would like. Skype works well for that.

BJ, thanks for the article, I found it very interesting. Not surprising just interesting. These days it is much harder to eat healthier, it seems so much is processed or enhanced by flavorings, sugars, and carbs. I will never take statins, I will take my chances. My friend became fairly incapacitated with muscle and back pain after only a month. She went to her chiropractor and she asked if she was on statins. Told her that could be the cause, she didnt tell her to get off of them but my friend is a smart cookie so she quit them. Called me and told me she should have listened to my reasons for never taking them. I would never tell anyone not to take them but I dont mind saying I will NEVER take them. She is much better now but after only a month of taking them she still has some lower extremity weakness. And this was over a year ago.

Good article BJ. I haven't been eating as good as I should but totally controlled my triglycerides by what foods I ate (and particularly no processed foods and lots of fruits and vegetables) several years ago which also kept my cholesterol in line.

I read this study elsewhere but when searching found it here. I find it interesting and I try to eat healthy and watch calories more than anything else.
https://www.marthastewart.com/8256563/e ... ch%20night.

So, Beth, did you actually read the study? It was only on 68 subjects age 90 or over asking about what time did they usually eat and some data was based on how much food went to the region, because it was inaccessible. Not exactly stellar research. That said, it points out that intermittent fasting is possibly linked with longevity.
Velda

I have been eating intermittently for about 3 years. I eat dinner around 6pm and lunch between 11- noon. I am not strict, drink two cups of coffee in the morning with cream and sugar. Practice portion control, cook from scratch, eat what I want in moderation. Doctor seems to think , if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.

Yes, I read the whole thing. A couple other things to consider... The population over 90 is about 4.5% of the total population. Then consider that "It is estimated that 90% of adults over age 65 experience one or more chronic condition, and need specific treatments and medical care, setting them apart from the rest of the population." And that increases considerably by 90 plus. Therefore the # of healthy people in that age group is not large. And I'm very interested in what is working for them.