The Culture of Immobility

Dec 8, 2009

The Snow as a Complementary Feature of the Culture of Immobility and Fear which Permeates the Retirement Communities of an Aging Society. by Howard Sachs, MD, PhD

I’m 83 years old, a retired neurologist, living in a retirement facility in Easthampton, Massachusetts, where most of the residents are widows between the ages of 68 to 98. The two major activities here are engaging in eating and sitting immobile near the fire, engaging in gossip.

The first snowflakes serve as reinforcement to the above activities since the beautiful site of the snow outdoors is terrifying to the residents who regard stepping outdoors, regardless of the amount of snow as unthinkable. I personally love walking in the snow as long as pushing my walker through it is manageable and not treacherous.

I do have a great pair of cleated boots, but admittedly, it would be a lot easier if I didn’t have to push a wheeled walker. I do recall the ease of walking with ski poles along the desert of snow in Antarctica, or on the trail in the Nepali Himalayas. Nevertheless, I feel grateful to Ram Das, who in his book, “Still Here” reminds us not to dwell in the past.  For certain, I will never revisit those places again.

But certainly, the ploughed parking lot outside of this “Inn” is hardly comparable, and simply provides a little exercise and lovely cold fresh air. Nevertheless, it’s understandable why the elderly women with their osteoporotic bones fear walking in the snow and falling. However, I do resent it when the staff places me in the same category as these decaying souls. Although no longer a college football player, the years of hitting the ground and training did build a sturdy bone structure, not easily perturbed by a fall in the snow.

[Via http://hmsachs.wordpress.com]

USDA Puts "Spent Hens" In School Lunches

Just how bad does a product have to be if McDonald’s, KFC and other fast food chains refuse to use it?  Pretty bad.  Afterall they have no reservations about using high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, carcinogenic binders and a ton of genetically modified corn (the Chicken McNugget is more GM corn than chicken).  But even the Colonel and the Clown draw the line at using “spent hens.”

The USDA, however, claims that spent hens are safe enough to feed to your children.  To prove it they have spent 145 million of your tax dollars so they could put 77 million pounds of spent hens into your child’s school lunch.  That’s right the USDA, whose Strategic Plan Framework states their goal of  “enhancing food safety by taking steps to reduce the prevalence of foodborne hazards from farm to table,”  is feeding your kids food that even McDonald’s will not.

So what are spent hens?  Good question.  Spent hens are laying hens that no longer produce eggs.  Once they stop producing they are of no use to the producer; they are simply a living, breathing financial liability.  Commercial laying hens spend their lives crammed into tiny battery cages unable to walk freely.  As a result they suffer from osteoporosis.  These brittle bones prevent them from retiring to a farm in the country.  They simply would not survive.

Consequently it is these same conditions that make them hazardous for human consumption.  Their fragile bones splinter quite easily while being processed often making them a choking hazard even in a “boneless” form like a patty or nugget.  Also, one study shows spent hens are four times as likely to be contaminated with salmonella.  Children are very susceptible to salmonella poisoning.

So why does the USDA take such reckless chances with your child’s health?  Could it be because of this government organization’s unholy union with biotech and agribusiness giants like Monsanto and the Biotechnology Industry Organization?  Perhaps their indifference to human life has rubbed off on the USDA?  It would be hard not to conform, afterall much of the department’s leadership is made up of agribusiness moles.

Take Former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack, a strong proponent for genetically modified corn (which has been proven to be the root cause of every e coli outbreak on record).  In 2001 he was awarded the title Governor of the Year by the aforementioned Biotechnology Industry Organization.  On January 21, 2009, Vilsack was appointed by President Barack Obama as the 30th Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).  The fox guarding the proverbial hen-house.

For more on the issue I suggest reading the article by Blake Morrison, Peter Eisler and Anthony DeBarros for USA Today.

For more about the dangers of GM foods take a few hours to watch the movies The Future of Food and Food Inc.

Photo courtesy of Farm Sanctuary.

[Via http://wannabetvchef.wordpress.com]

Standing Pilates to strengthen your hips

Hi there!   

I have a lot of clients who have osteoporosis and I teach them this exercise so that they can train for balance, stability and strength in their hips.   It’s always surprising that one hip is so much stronger than the other so do a few more reps of this exercise on your weaker side.      You can also download this exercise from my website – the exercise changes monthly so check back at the beginning of each month!

Exercise of the Month for December 2009

www.PersonalizingPilates.com

Joan Breibart, head of the PhysicalMind Institute in New York, created this exercise and included it in her book “Standing Pilates”.  I love this exercise because it can be done just about anywhere, anytime.   It’s great for mobilizing the hip joint and for strengthening the muscles that support the hips.  This exercise is fantastic if you have osteoporosis because it’s weight bearing and I’ve included in my Personalizing Pilates/osteoporosis workout.   It’s also in the Runners workout since runners need strong hips and balance because there is always just one foot on the ground when running.

• Stand with your weight on the four corners of your right foot (base of big and baby toes, inner and outer heels). 
• Place your left heel on top of your right foot.  
• Your hips will be facing forward (a) and your eyes will be on your horizon.  
• Inhale and slide your right hip out to the right side (b). 
• Exhale and slide it back underneath you (a). 
• Repeat six or eight times and switch sides.

 

Start position

 

Slide your hip

[Via http://personalizingpilates.wordpress.com]

Lock Out 'the Bone Thief'

First, a look at just what osteoporosis is, and who it strikes. This “silent disease” has no outward symptoms: it gradually steals mass and strength from bones, leaving them porous and weakened. Its main targets? The hip, spine and wrist.The damage leaves victims vulnerable to falls and fractures, and that can lead to even more scary situations – including death. While “the bone thief” can attack people of any age and either gender,women and mature adults are most likely to be affected. Osteoporosis is not an inevitable part of aging, and it is a big deal.

One of the latest in a long line of studies about osteoporosis indicates that in people over age 60, any bone fracture dramatically boosts the risk of dying.

The Australian study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, looked at more than 4,000 people over a period of almost 20 years, and found these dramatic results: * After even a minor bone break like a wrist fracture, the risk of death zoomed by 42% in women and 33% in men. * After a hip fracture, women were twice as likely to die than before, and men, three times as likely to die. * These jumps in death risk lingered for years: 5 years for all fractures, and up to 10 years after a hip fracture.

What brings on bone loss? Time steals bone from us all. Around age 30, bone (which is living tissue made of collagen protein and calcium phosphate, a mineral) reaches a peak of density and strength. After that, bone starts being lost at a faster rate than it’s created; the process really speeds up after menopause, and continues into postmenopause due to decreased levels of the hormone estrogen. People most at risk are small, thin-boned Caucasian and Asian women with a family history of osteoporosis, and their risk increases with age.

The bone-breaking risk goes up in general for people who smoke, don’t exercise, drink alcohol, take certain medications and don’t get enough calcium and Vitamin D.

Detection & Prevention.

Sadly, the first clue some people get about osteoporosis stealing their bones is a sudden fall that fractures a hip or makes a spinal vertebra collapse. At this stage, or before, during a wellness exam, a healthcare professional may order a bone mineral density (BMD) test. This painless test can detect the current stage of bone loss, or identify bone issues before they become a problem (“osteopenia” or low bone density can be a sign of osteoporosis to come). There are medications for osteoporosis, and several other everyday ways that everyone can help protect their precious bones.

Healthcare professionals recommend three main strategies to turn away the bone thief and help stay strong:

1. crank up the calcium. This mineral is vital to bones; if you don’t get enough over your lifetime, you’re leaving yourself wide open to bone theft. Since many people consume less than half the recommended amount of calcium, it’s important to take up the slack: eat foods like low-fat dairy products, dark green, leafy vegetables and calciumfortifi ed foods. Taking quality calcium supplements is also suggested for many people. This is especially important as we age, because our bodies become less able to absorb calcium effi ciently.

2. Dose up on “D.” Vitamin D is a key player in helping absorb calcium and maintaining bone health. We get it via sunlight and foods like egg yolks and liver. D supplements are smart for many, especially older people and anyone during winter months who tends to stay indoors.

3. Bone up on exercise. Any activity that has you working against gravity is working for your bone health; it’s called weight-bearing exercise. You don’t have to lift weights or run marathons: just walk, hike, jog, climb stairs, play tennis or dance. Bonus: Since exercise helps improve your muscle tone and strength, coordination and balance, it boosts your overall health. And, with stronger muscles and better balance, you’ll help avoid the falls that can lead to fractures.

Since falling down can fracture bones, avoiding falls is especially important for anyone with weak or brittle bones. This is why exercise is so helpful to stay balanced and coordinated. In addition, these tips can help you stay upright and safe: * If needed, use a cane or walker for added stability. * Wear traction-soled shoes. * When sidewalks are slippery, walk on grass. * Tread carefully on polished fl oors that can be dangerously slick when wet. * Indoors, avoid walking in socks or slick-soled slippers. * Don’t use scatter rugs. All carpets and area rugs should either have skid-proof backing or be secured to the floor. * If possible, have handrails on both sides of stairways.

Help avoid fractures from weakened bones with TriVita’s Bone Growth Factor:

http://www.trivita.com/13170419

[Via http://wellnesscrusader.wordpress.com]

Osteoporosis Compression Fractures - New Thoughts

Osteoporosis Fractures: Severe osteoporosis can lead to compression fractures of the spine, often in the mid-back. (See illustration to the left) Note that its the part under the disc, the vertebral body, not the rear part that causes paralysis.  However it is painful and leads to a humpbacked posture (hyerkyphosis).

Conservative Measures: Rest, ice packs, OTC analgesics and limited vertical time are common treatments while the body heals the crushed bone. Posture will deteriorate with each fracture event of significance.

Vertebroplasty: One of the respected Chiropractic Radiologists, Deborah Pate D.C., D.A.C.B.R. wrote in Chiropractic literature that  vertebroplasty surgery (see second illustration) was an option to be considered  In a recent article she reversed her position and even apologized.  In the respected New England Journal of Medicine, one of the leading journals of medicine, two recent studies raised question about the efficacy of the surgery and one showed no significant difference from the procedure vs. conservative healing. (N. Engl. J. Med. 2009, 361: 569-579 & 557-558)

The surgery involves injecting an acrylic into the fracture area  (see vertebroplasty illustration).  The acrylic hardens and supposed to support the fracture.  But it can leak.   A more recent variation includes a balloon process.

Accepted Procedure? This procedure has been accepted as efficacious for more than twenty years! UNTIL NOW when two studies.

Frequency: 750,000 compression fractures are estimated in the U.S. annually.  One third are estimated to have treatment costing from $12 -$18 billion.  The number of vertebroplasty procedures has doubled in the last six years.

Chiropractic Moral:

• question even the assumed “normal” procedures in medicine.
• don’t assume later in life there will be no complication or that there will be lasting results.
• don’t assumed there will be always  less pain and/or disability in life with a surgery than without.
• use holistic methods to support your body’s health including activity, nutrition, chiropractic etc. – HEALTH IS CUMULATIVE.

[Via http://millerfamilychiropractic.wordpress.com]

Al elegir tus alimentos, eliges tu salud

Uno de los aspectos más importantes de la cultura es la comida. No se trata solamente de cumplir una necesidad fisiológica, sino que, además de proporcionar el alimento necesario para el organismo, el comer se ha convertido en un acto social de gran importancia,  en torno al cual se estructuran las actividades cotidianas y, también, las extraordinarias. Con frecuencia, las celebraciones se realizan alrededor de una buena mesa. La publicidad nos informa de las supuestas bondades nutricionales de uno u otro alimento, y muchas veces no sabemos a qué carta quedarnos.

La alimentación influye en la salud humana ya desde la infancia y adolescencia.  Por ello, es muy importante que los niños adopten formas de alimentación saludables, enseñándoles cómo deben alimentarse y aprendiendo a comer de todo.  La educación alimentaria o educación nutricional, es la base para lograr un estado de nutrición saludable.

Una buena alimentación es indispensable para el crecimiento y la salud del individuo.  Por ejemplo,  es fácil de reconocer por cualquiera  de nosotros el aumento de  la talla media  que se ha producido en España asociado a una mejoría de la alimentación de nuestros escolares. Una  persona bien nutrida (sin déficits ni excesos) tiene más reservas para combatir  ciertas enfermedades. Al contrario, las personas desnutridas, que en nuestra sociedad  suelen ser los enfermos, los indigentes y los ancianos, tienen una especial susceptibilidad a  desarrollar enfermedades, especialmente de tipo infeccioso. Ya lo dice el refrán “a perro flaco, todo son pulgas”.  Las personas bien alimentadas, lo que no significa necesariamente alimentadas en exceso,  tienen un mejor  rendimiento en el trabajo. De igual  forma, se recomienda que  los niños deben desayunar para lograr un buen rendimiento escolar.

Desgraciadamente, los médicos parece que no llegamos a cumplir con nuestro deber de información a la sociedad. En la consulta son múltiples las personas que hacen preguntas sobre la nutrición. No depende de la clase social ni del nivel cultural. Algunas personas vienen a la consulta y me dicen “enséñeme qué debo comer”. Por otra parte, las mujeres somos las transmisoras de la cultura nutricional, ya que influimos directamente en los hábitos alimenticios de nuestros hijos. Si queremos hacer una adecuada prevención de las enfermedades de la nutrición, es prioritario enseñar bien a las madres. Alguna vez he dicho algo que creo profundamente: “el mejor consejo nutricional que una madre puede darle a un hijo es enseñarle a comer con agrado las frutas y verduras”.

Y lo verdaderamente importante es que el estilo de vida y la nutrición es un importante determinante de la salud en los años futuros, a edades más avanzadas y de las enfermedades que vamos a desarrollar. Por ello, se puede decir que al elegir los alimentos, también se está eligiendo, en cierto modo, la salud . Sin embargo, el estilo de vida  y la nutrición de las sociedades avanzadas,  u  “occidentales”,  va cambiando. Y no todos los cambios son positivos.  La falta de actividad física, sobre todo si se une a un consumo  excesivo de energía, aumenta el riesgo de enfermedades crónicas  relacionadas con la nutrición, como por ejemplo, la obesidad, la hipertensión, las enfermedades cardiovasculares , la osteoporosis y determinados tipos de cánceres.

Y me dirán, ¿cual es esa dieta ideal? No existe una única dieta adecuada para conseguir una buena nutrición. Tampoco hay alimentos buenos y malos o completamente prohibidos.  Los patrones de dietas y de hábitos alimentarios varían de una sociedad a otra. En España, debido a la riqueza gastronómica de nuestra nación, varían incluso  de una Comunidad autónoma a otra, y también varía el patrón de alimentación a lo largo de la vida, según van cambiando las necesidades nutricionales  con la edad. La gran abundancia de alimentos en la sociedad industrializada ha hecho que cambien rápidamente los hábitos alimentarios. Además gracias a los modernos medios de transporte, hay un intercambio cultural de alimentos. Alimentos  y  platos que antes se consideraban exóticos, actualmente se consideran “corrientes”.  Además, la incorporación de la mujer al mundo laboral supone la aparición de platos y comidas rápidas y prefabricadas,  junto con  la dificultad para compartir en familia, por razones de horario, los momentos de las comidas.  El alimento natural,  como son los alimentos ecológicos, se ha elevado a la categoría de mito. Los avances científicos hacen variar los conceptos de la alimentación sana. Por ello, para conocer la dieta correcta es necesaria una cierta información nutricional, que les voy a ir exponiendo en este blog.

Dra. Pilar Riobó

 

raining and still raining

arrgghhh..hujan daripada pagi tadi sampai petang ni. sendi pun sakit pasal tu la i pakai stokin dan minum Anlene. yealah mother i ada Osteoporosis, jadi i pun kena la berhati hati kan. kesian tengok my mom suffer from osteoporosis. rasanya tak semua orang tau tentang Osteoporosis. actualy i pun tak tau sangat tapi after my mom been diagnose with osteoporosis ada lah buat research sikit. Sesiapa nak tau lebih lanjut bolehla klik link below.. remember prevention better than cure..

www.infosihat.gov.my/penyakit/Dewasa/TulangRapuh.pdf