How healthy is the county in which I live?

Ever wondered if your place of residence is a “healthy” place to live? Well, even if you haven’t, you can now find out if your residence promotes healthy lifestyles for seniors. The University of Wisconsin recently completed a study in which they ranked every county in all 50 states. Numerous factors were researched, including mortality and health factors such as smoking, obesity, alcohol consumption pollution. Check out your county’s rankings at www.countyhealthrankings.org.

What are the best foods for your heart?

Most of this is common sense, of course, but it never hurts to read articles like the one below to help reming us what foods we should emphasize in our diets.  It’s also important to remind ourselves of portion control, although I can never remember anyone telling me I’ve eaten too many green beans.  For more information on which foods are best for a healthy heart, click here.

Myths About Healthy Aging

The following comes courtesy of www.helpguide.org

MYTH: Old age means poor health and disability.

Fact: There are some diseases that are more common in older adults. However, getting old does not automatically mean poor health or that you will be confined to a walker or wheelchair. Plenty of older adults enjoy vigorous health. Preventive measures like healthy eating, exercising and managing stress can help reduce the risk of chronic disease and fall risk later in life.

MYTH: Memory loss is an inevitable part of aging.

Fact: You may eventually notice you don’t remember experiences as easily as in the past, and memories may take longer to retrieve. However, significant memory loss is not an inevitable result of aging. Brain training and new learning can occur at any age. And there are many things you can do to keep your memory sharp.

MYTH: You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.

Fact: One of the more damaging myths of aging is that after a certain age, you just won’t be able to try anything new or contribute things anymore. Quite the contrary. Older adults are just as capable of learning new things, thriving in new environments, and sharing their wisdom and experience with many generations.  If you believe in yourself and have confidence in yourself, you are setting up a positive environment for change no matter what your age.