Who wants to be 18? Not me.

I haven't heard anyone at The Estates (formerly the Forum) say this--"I wish I were 18 again." But I've enjoyed listening to some of the men (widowers, usually) talk about their kids when they were little--how cute they were, lessons they learned, crazy risks they took. I think I've seen men in a whole new light. If you're young, don't miss that part. https://youtu.be/81FjrGwkhi0?si=DR9jjtonqwH4ULmn Burns was about 85 when this was made.

Group singing with YouTube

Today at The Forum I did something I hadn't done in a long time--2006--I sang with a group. Yes, apparently there are singalongs on YouTube and our activity director gathers a group and we do singalongs. It was quite a variety like Moon River and Yellow Rose of Texas and Take me home, Country Roads. So, I looked it up, because that's what I do, right? I found a 2025 review article on the cognitive benefits of singing.

"Results: Key benefits of singing include improvements in verbal fluency, executive function, and episodic memory. Structural changes such as increased white matter integrity and enhanced auditory–motor integration highlight the potential of singing to stimulate neuroplasticity. Among individuals with dementia, singing fosters episodic memory, mood enhancement, and social connection, while healthy older adults demonstrate improved verbal flexibility and cognitive resilience. However, methodological limitations, such as small sample sizes and cross-sectional designs, preclude definitive conclusions about long-term benefits. Conclusions: Future research should explore the specific neural mechanisms underlying these effects, with an emphasis on longitudinal studies and diverse populations. Tailored, inclusive singing programs could address individual cognitive and physical abilities while fostering sustained engagement and social connection. As a low-cost, scalable intervention, singing holds promise for addressing cognitive and emotional challenges associated with aging, offering an accessible avenue to support healthy aging and enhance quality of life across diverse populations." Brain Sci. 2025 Feb 21;15(3):227.

There is also a choir here as well as three different church services and a Bible study. So, I'll work on that white matter. Another article I looked at suggested that amateur musicians may benefit even more than professional musicians in lowering the brain age (pros have more stress). Well, I sure qualify in the amateur department.

A big move to a smaller space

 We are downsizing for a move. I expected a lot of dust, mustiness, foxing, mystery computer and TV cords and clothes that will never fit again, but was unprepared for grief, sadness, and bewilderment on what to do with "treasures" no one wants, or things we want but can't store. How can 2 people have 70 photo albums.

Aging is Painful by Adam Cifu from Sensible Medicine

"Aging is Painful

Anybody who gets to middle age knows that things don’t work like they used to. Around my house we say that any day that nothing hurts is remarkable. My patients are full of pithy phrases to make the point that aging is physically difficult.1

“Getting old is hard, but it beats the alternative.”

“Aging is not for wimps.”

“Every time I look in the mirror, I ask myself, how the hell did that happen?”

People respond to their progressive disability in all manners. Some fight at every turn. Every visit, irrespective of age, is spent discussing aches, pains, and things that can no longer be accomplished. There are demands for me to make things better. I find it challenging to address the concerns, rather than dismissing them with “it’s just age,” while also letting people know that some suffering is “part of the human condition.”

Other people accept frighteningly steep and acute declines. My challenge at these visits is to balance, “She’s not asking me to address the problem, so who am I to pry” with “This actually seems like something I should explore, even if she is willing to accept it.”

Where there is little diversity is our ability to adjust to disability. I was taught that people rate the quality of life with a disability higher when they are living with it than when they are watching other people live with it. Thirty years of clinical experience has made this real. We should add to the saying, “There but by the grace of God go I” the addendum “but, when I end up there, I’ll be OK.”

Aging is Sad

When I was an intern, I admitted an elderly woman with pneumonia. Her biggest problem was not the pneumococcus but her depression. Her mood made her miserable and the associated psychomotor retardation was going to make her post-hospital rehabilitation impossible. She was already taking an SSRI and seeing a therapist. I called her primary care doctor, a geriatrician. Like a true intern, I expected he would have an answer to her misery. His response was, “Yup, it is a sad time of life.”

There is a lot to be said for the golden years: retirement, family, friends, greater financial security – but as the years go on, the psychological costs mount. Besides the physical decline, there is the constant loss. I repeatedly hear, “Everyone around me is dying.” Siblings, cousins, friends. It sometimes seems like those who are most connected suffer the most – that big family that has always provided support now provides an unending procession of funerals.

People mourn their losses as well as their own mortality. You cannot ignore what is to come when your peers are dying. Those who deal with this best seem to be the people who can be honest that their grief about the loss of a friend is partly the fear and sadness that they are next.

Loss is Never Easy

I never felt like I had enough time with MM. Not that she needed time for me to attend to her medical problems. She was blessed with enviable genes and an outlook that combined cheer and steel. I just wanted time to hear more about her life and her experiences. I wanted to learn from her.

On one unpressured Friday afternoon we chatted. I did not have another patient to see, another note to write, or another meeting to run to. Her daughter would not pick her up until 6:00 PM. I told her that I still thought about her husband, also a patient of mine, who had died about a decade earlier.

She paused and then remarked. “We lived together in the same old house for more than 60 years. Every time something stops working there, I curse the damn house and I curse Charles for leaving me alone in it. He was always puttering around, fixing things. Then, of course, I think of the wonderful years we had here. I cry because I still miss him, and then I thank the house for reminding me of him.”

I can’t write anything original about loss and grief and mourning. We’ve been writing about it for as long as we’ve had written language. What strikes me, though, watching so many people experiencing loss, is that it is always hard. Losing a loved one is hard. It does not matter if your father is 50 or 90. It does not matter if your mother’s death is sudden or expected. It does not matter if you have come to terms with the complexity of your relationship with your sister or have not.

Our losses become a part of us, they shape us. The tearing, searing grief might last days, or weeks, or months, or years, but it always ends. Nobody, however, ever “recovers.” Nobody “gets over it.” Having known, having loved, and having lost makes us who we are."

https://www.sensible-med.com/p/friday-reflection-39-what-to-expect?

Aging well research was ignored during Covid longdown

This Harvard study (2017) on longevity, good health and happiness isn't surprising. Many other studies have shown similar results. So why was all this research ignored in 2020-2022 when people were denied relationships with family, friends and community and locked inside their homes? Our taxes paid for the research--we should be demanding answer. Power (Biden and Fauci) and money (Big pharma) would be my guess. Over nearly 80 years, Harvard study has been showing how to live a healthy and happy life — Harvard Gazette

"Close relationships, more than money or fame, are what keep people happy throughout their lives, the study revealed. Those ties protect people from life’s discontents, help to delay mental and physical decline, and are better predictors of long and happy lives than social class, IQ, or even genes. That finding proved true across the board among both the Harvard men and the inner-city participants."

"In a book called “Aging Well,” Vaillant wrote that six factors predicted healthy aging for the Harvard men: 

physical activity,

absence of alcohol abuse 

and smoking, 

having mature mechanisms to cope with life’s ups and downs, and 

enjoying both a healthy weight and 

a stable marriage. 

For the inner-city men, education was an additional factor. “The more education the inner city men obtained,” wrote Vaillant, “the more likely they were to stop smoking, eat sensibly, and use alcohol in moderation.”

Hydration and the elderly

"The amount of body water decreases by approximately 15% (about 6 L) between the ages of 20 and 80⁵. With this decrease, the body becomes more susceptible to dehydration from the loss of a small amount of body water⁶.

Moreover, the elderly often experience diminished thirst sensation which leads to a reduced fluid consumption⁷ ⁸.

Also as a consequence of aging, the kidneys have a reduced ability to concentrate urine and retain water during water deprivation⁹. In addition, aging kidneys are less able to conserve or excrete sodium¹⁰.

Insufficient fluid intakes can also be the result of limitations such as reduced swallowing capacity, decreased mobility, or comprehension and communication disorders. Disease-related factors, such as incontinence can increase water losses. Dehydration may also be caused by warm temperature, inadequate staffing in institutions, or use of laxatives or diuretics¹.

SOME STRATEGIES FOR ENCOURAGING FLUIDS CONSUMPTION ⁹ ¹¹

• Offer fluids regularly during the day
• Make liquids readily available all day (at bedside or chairside in geriatric institutions) by placing containers such as small bottle of water or sippy cups
• Encourage consumption of fluids with medication
• Provide preferred beverages
• Prescribe and safeguard a minimum intake of 1.5 L in periods of increased risk for dehydration"

I took a hydration test associated with this article and it said I was under hydrated.

Hydration in the elderly - Hydration for Health

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167494321000431?

Nutrition Strategies Promoting Healthy Aging: From Improvement of Cardiovascular and Brain Health to Prevention of Age-Associated Diseases - PMC (nih.gov)  Section on importance of hydration.

A strange old lady

A strange old lady has moved into my house I have no idea who she is, where she came from, or how she got in. I certainly did not invite her. All I know is She is a clever old lady and manages to keep out of sight for the most part, but whenever I pass a mirror, I catch a glimpse of her. And, whenever I look in the mirror to check my appearance, there she is hogging the whole thing, completely obliterating my gorgeous face and body. This is very rude! I have tried screaming at her, but she just screams back.

The least she could do is offer to pay part of the bills, but no. Every once in a while, I find a $5 bill stuck in a coat pocket or some loose change under a sofa cushion, but it is not nearly enough. And I don't want to jump to conclusions, but I think she is stealing money from me. I go to the ATM and withdraw $50 and a few days later, it's all gone! I certainly don't spend money that fast, so I can only conclude the old lady is pilfering from me. You'd think she would spend some of that money to buy wrinkle cream. And money isn't the only thing I think she is stealing.

Food seems to disappear at an alarming rate-especially the good stuff like ice cream, chips, and sweets. She must have a real sweet tooth, but she'd better watch because she is really packing on the pounds. I suspect she realizes this, and to make herself feel better, she is tampering with my scale to make me think I am putting on weight, too.

For an old lady, she is quite childish. She likes to play nasty games, like going into my wardrobes when I'm not home and altering my clothes so they don't fit. And she messes with my files and papers so I can't find anything. This is particularly annoying since I am extremely neat and organized.

She has found other imaginative ways to annoy me. She gets into my mail, newspapers, and magazines before I do and blurs the print so I can't read it. And she has done something really sinister to the volume controls on my TV, radio, and telephone. Now, all I hear are mumbles and whispers. She has done other things-like make my stairs steeper, my vacuum heavier and all the knob and taps harder to turn. She even made my bed higher so that getting into and out of it is a real challenge.

Lately, she has been fooling with my groceries before I put them away, applying glue to the lids, making it almost impossible for me to open the jars. She has taken the fun out of shopping for clothes. When I try something on, she stands in front of the dressing room mirror and monopolizes it. She looks totally ridiculous in some of those outfits, plus, she keeps me from seeing how great they look on me.

Just when I thought she couldn't get any meaner, she proved me wrong. She came along when I went to get my picture taken for my driver's license, and just as the camera shutter clicked, she jumped in front of me.

I hope she never finds out where you live!

Ketogenic and low carb diets and cognition in the elderly

This article is really complicated with lots of tabs to open so you can review the results of the research, so I'm just providing the abstract and the conclusions, however, from my limited knowledge of nutrition and chemistry, I'd say it's worth a try.

To Keto or Not to Keto? A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials Assessing the Effects of Ketogenic Therapy on Alzheimer Disease

Advances in Nutrition, Volume 11, Issue 6, November 2020, Pages 1583–1602, https://doi.org/10.1093/advances/nmaa073
Published: 29 June 2020

ABSTRACT

Alzheimer disease (AD) is a global health concern with the majority of pharmacotherapy choices consisting of symptomatic treatment. Recently, ketogenic therapies have been tested in randomized controlled trials (RCTs), focusing on delaying disease progression and ameliorating cognitive function. The present systematic review aimed to aggregate the results of trials examining the effects of ketogenic therapy on patients with AD/mild cognitive impairment (MCI). A systematic search was conducted on PubMed, CENTRAL, clinicaltrials.gov, and gray literature for RCTs performed on adults, published in English until 1 April, 2019, assessing the effects of ketogenic therapy on MCI and/or AD compared against placebo, usual diet, or meals lacking ketogenic agents. Two researchers independently extracted data and assessed risk of bias with the Cochrane tool. A total of 10 RCTs were identified, fulfilling the inclusion criteria. Interventions were heterogeneous, acute or long term (45–180 d), including adherence to a ketogenic diet, intake of ready-to-consume drinks, medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) powder for drinks preparation, yoghurt enriched with MCTs, MCT capsules, and ketogenic formulas/meals. The use of ketoneurotherapeutics proved effective in improving general cognition using the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive, in interventions of either duration. In addition, long-term ketogenic therapy improved episodic and secondary memory. Psychological health, executive ability, and attention were not improved. Increases in blood ketone concentrations were unanimous and correlated to the neurocognitive battery based on various tests. Cerebral ketone uptake and utilization were improved, as indicated by the global brain cerebral metabolic rate for ketones and [11C] acetoacetate. Ketone concentrations and cognitive performance differed between APOE ε4(+) and APOE ε4(−) participants, indicating a delayed response among the former and an improved response among the latter. Although research on the subject is still in the early stages and highly heterogeneous in terms of study design, interventions, and outcome measures, ketogenic therapy appears promising in improving both acute and long-term cognition among patients with AD/MCI.

Conclusions

Currently, there are no approved drugs to delay or halt the progress of cognitive decline in AD (124). Although faith in the therapeutic effects of the KD was initially attributed to Hippocrates (136), research on ketoneurotherapeutics for AD appears young. The results underline that, collectively, the efficacy of ketogenic therapy in MCI/AD appears promising, indicating that it is more than a symptomatic remedy (137). Nevertheless, research is still scattered and heterogeneous in terms of study design, intervention, participants, and outcomes of interest. Predefining a set of important outcomes for relevant RCTs would add weight to the evidence and aid toward the development of recommendations advocating for the usefulness of ketogenic therapy in AD. Thus, apart from reviewing the available RCTs assessing the efficacy of ketoneurotherapeutics on AD, the present study can also serve as a primer for the design of future clinical trials, to support public health translation and promote the KD as an evidence-based AD prescription remedy.

A second review: probably a lot of duplication.

Ketogenic Diet for the Treatment and Prevention of Dementia: A Review. 

Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neurology 2021, Vol. 34(1) 3-10  (excerpt) 

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0891988720901785

Ketogenic Diet

The ketogenic diet is a high-fat and low carbohydrate-based diet. It is thought to simulate the metabolic effects of starvation by forcing the body away from its traditional fuel source, glucose, to primarily use fats. Fats are converted by the body to various ketone bodies (eg, acetoacetate, b-hydroxybutyrate, and acetone) used by the cells for fuel. This diet was originally described in the 1920s after the observation of the beneficial effects of starvation on seizure frequency in children with epilepsy.18 The keys to a ketogenic diet are to limit total caloric intake and, more importantly, carbohydrate intake. In this diet, total daily carbohydrate intake is typically limited to 10 to 50 grams or 5% to 10% of total caloric intake.19,21,22 It is important to note that a ketogenic diet differs from other low-carbohydrate diets. The level of carbohydrates in a ketogenic diet is drastically lower than that of most traditional “low-carbohydrate” diets used for weight loss. One form of the various ketogenic diet protocols uses large amounts of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) as part of the diet to help enhance ketone production.23 Shorter than traditional triglyceride chains, MCTs are transported more directly to the liver and enter without the assistance of carnitine, a metabolic compound responsible for the transport of fatty acid chains that are broken down for energy. The MCTs are more rapidly broken down into ketones and energy. Regardless of specific carbohydrate consumption levels, the essential goal of the ketogenic diet is the production of ketone bodies. The degree of ketone body production will vary by individual and diet factors. Some people using this diet will even test themselves for ketones using either blood or urine to ensure the adequacy of their regimen.

The evidence is building—fat matters

If your New Year's Resolution was to walk more and eat less, you could be smarter at this time next year.

Auriel Willette and Brandon Klinedinst of Iowa State University discovered people mostly in their 40s and 50s who had higher amounts of fat in their mid-section had worse fluid intelligence as they got older. Greater muscle mass, by contrast, appeared to be a protective factor. These relationships stayed the same even after taking into account chronological age, level of education, and socioeconomic status.

Highlights https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0889159119306531

• Adiposity exacerbated cognitive aging.

• Greater muscle mass was protective against cognitive aging.

• The effect of muscle on cognition was more than adiposity.

• Lymphocytes, eosinophils, and basophils may link adiposity to cognitive outcomes.

• Sex-specific mechanisms of action were noted among eosinophils and basophils.

Also, Intermittent fasting could be added to medical school curricula alongside standard advice about healthy diets and exercise.

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/newsroom/news-releases/intermittent-fasting-live-fast-live-longer

Winter Friend, source unknown

AND THEN IT IS WINTER

You know time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing years. It seems like yesterday that I was young, just married, and embarking on my new life with my mate. Yet in a way, it seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all those years went.

I know that I lived them all. I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams. But, here it is... the winter of my life, and it catches me by surprise... How did I get here so fast? Where did the years go and where did my youth go? I remember well seeing older people through the years and thinking that those "older people" were years away from me and that winter was so far off that I could not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like.

But, here it is...my friends are retired and getting grey... they move slower and I see an older person in myself now. Some are in better and some worse shape than me... but, I see the great change... Not like the ones that I remember who were young and vibrant...but, like me, their age is beginning to show and we are now those older folks that we used to see and never thought we'd be.

Each day now, I find that just getting a shower is a real target for the day! And taking a nap is not a treat anymore... it's mandatory! Cause if I don't on my own free will... I just fall asleep where I sit!

And so... now I enter this new season of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains and the loss of strength and ability to go and do things that I wish I had done but never did!! But, at least I know, that though the winter has come, and I'm not sure how long it will last... this I know, that when it's over on this earth... it's over. A new adventure will begin!

https://www.inspirational-words-phrases.com/AndThenItIsWinter.html

Yes, I have regrets. There are things I wish I hadn't done... things I should have done, but indeed, there are also many things I'm happy to have done. It's all in a lifetime.

So, if you're not in your winter yet... let me remind you, that it will be here faster than you think. So, whatever you would like to accomplish in your life, please do it quickly! Don't put things off too long!! Life goes by quickly. So, do what you can TODAY, as you can never be sure whether this is your winter or not!

You have no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life... so, LIVE FOR TODAY and say all the things that you want your loved ones to remember.. and hope that they appreciate and love you for all the things that you have done for them in all the years past!!

"Life" is a GIFT to you. The way you live your life is your gift to those who come after. Make it a fantastic one.

Remember: "It is Health that is real Wealth and not pieces of gold and silver."

~Your kids are becoming you......but your grandchildren are perfect!
~Going out is good.. coming home is even better!
~You forget names... but it's OK, because other people forgot they even knew you!!!
~You realize you're never going to be really good at anything.... especially golf.
~The things you used to care to do, you no longer care to do, but you really do care that you don't care to do them anymore.

~You sleep better on a lounge chair with the TV blaring than in bed. It's called "pre-sleep."
~You miss the days when everything worked with just an "ON" and "OFF" switch..
~You tend to use more 4 letter words ... "what?"..."when?"...???
~Now that you can afford expensive jewelry, it's not safe to wear it anywhere.
~You notice everything they sell in stores is "sleeveless?!"
~What used to be freckles are now liver spots.
~Everybody whispers.
~You have 3 sizes of clothes in your closet.... 2 of which you will never wear.

~But "Old" is good in some things:
Old Songs, Old movies ...
and best of all, our dear ...OLD FRIENDS!!

Stay well, "OLD FRIEND!"

What about NAD+

Highlights:  “NAD+ and sirtuins in aging and disease,” Shin-ichiro Imai and Leonard Guarente, Trends in Cell Biology, 2014, Aug. 24(8): 464-471. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4112140/  71 references

• NAD ⁺ plays a key role in regulating metabolism and circadian rhythm through sirtuins.
  
• NAD ⁺ becomes limiting during aging, affecting sirtuins’ activities.
  
• NAD ⁺ decline is likely to be due to a NAD ⁺ biosynthesis defect and increased depletion.
  
• Supplementing key NAD ⁺ intermediates can restore NAD ⁺ levels and ameliorate age-associated pathophysiologies.
  

Another article (print full text, free) to read at the fitness center.
“NAD AND THE AGING PROCESS: ROLE IN LIFE, DEATH AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN” Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2017 Nov 5; 455: 62–74.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5419884/

“NAD was discovered over a hundred years ago (Harden and Young, 1906), and now that it has achieved its status as a super-centenarian molecule, its role in the biological process of aging is being recognized (Braidy et al., 2011; Gomes et al., 2013; Lin et al., 2000; Massudi et al., 2012; Scheibye-Knudsen et al., 2014; Zhu et al., 2015). It has been shown that NAD levels decline during chronological aging, and that this decline is both a consequence of the aging process and also a contributor to the development of age-related cellular dysfunction (Braidy et al., 2011; Gomes et al., 2013; Massudi et al., 2012; Scheibye-Knudsen et al., 2014; Verdin, 2015; Zhu et al., 2015). It is possible that a vicious cycle exists in which molecular mechanisms involved in the aging process, such as oxidative stress, DNA damage, senescence, and inflammation, lead to tissue NAD decline which subsequently exacerbates the processes that caused its decline in the first place (Figure 1). To potentially intervene in this vicious cycle it is crucial that we understand the mechanisms that lead to cellular NAD decrease during aging and, in particular, whether the decrease is mediated primarily by changes in its degradation, synthesis, or both. Furthermore, it is critical to understand how oxidative stress, DNA damage, inflammation, and senescence impact cellular NAD metabolism during the aging process. In the current review we will present a critical analysis of this subject, and will provide new mechanistic hypotheses to explain the age-related NAD decline.”

The grey, golden years—Vantage Point Devotional for February 13

I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come.
Psalm 71:18

In Psalm 71, we see David reminiscing on his life, and now acknowledging the grey in his hair. While he is filled with praise for God’s lifetime of provision, he is eager to pass what he has learned to the next generations. David asks the Lord to sustain him so that he might.

Aging has its challenges…failing health, falling income, possibly even thoughts of uselessness or obsolescence. But God wants you to glory in your grey. You have lessons to teach. Times when God healed health issues, or provided just the right job when you thought financial ruin was looming. You are not useless so long as you can have the sound of praise in your heart and in your voice. Grandparents can often get their messages through to children and youth when the words of parents fall on deaf ears.

What legacy are you preparing for the generations who will follow you? The most important is their memories of your love and praise for the Lord. Ask Him to be your sustainer through your grey (or golden) years. Intercede for God to grant His loving wisdom to the grandparents who serve in Congress, the courts and the Trump Administration.

Exercise and aging (are you over 30?)

“Although the causes of muscle loss are numerous and complex, there is now copious evidence to suggest that exercise may prevent or reverse many of these age-related changes, whereas inactivity will accelerate muscle aging.”

https://www.the-scientist.com/features/how-muscles-age--and-how-exercise-can-slow-it-64708

Something’s gotta give movie for Saturday

It’s a gorgeous day at Lakeside, one of the prettiest we’ve had, and after a stroll through the craft show I sat down and watched a throw away movie, “Something’s gotta give” with Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson. Kind of predictable—the movie begins with him dating her (Keaton’s character) daughter, but in the end the two who are closer in age end up together. Lots of sex scenes and innuendo and jokes about heart attacks, eye glasses,  age and aging.  I wandered away a lot, looking for something crunchy to munch, but there was nothing but healthy stuff in the house.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0337741/

What I found surprising was how up to date everything looked—from the fashion, to the phones to the kitchen counter tops.  For a movie that is 15+ years old, it has aged well.  If this were 1958 or 1968 and the movie was 15 years old we’d be giggling at the fashion and hair styles.

Around town

Dinner tonight: roast chicken, coleslaw, baked potato, grapes and cherries, and carrot cake.  The place is crawling with people.  The program tonight, Home Free, was the biggest draw in 2017, so they’re expecting a big crowd.  I think we’ll have to be at Hoover when the doors open at 7:30 if we want a good seat.

Here’s what I wrote last year. “Home Free, a "vocal band" put on a fabulous show Friday night at the Hoover in Lakeside. Pretty much a packed house--lots of covers of Oak Ridge Boys, Statler Brothers, Alabama, etc. Loved Elvira. Nice Johnny Cash Ring of Fire, too. A few of the hip hop genre I thought were inappropriate for our regular audience, but they are a quality, fabulous group. Don't miss them if they are performing near you. Amazing sound--all vocal. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXQpDDcrN-w

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_W9ue85L9PA

Diet information sometimes conflicts

A recent article in JAMA says weight gain, even in small increments, before age 55 can make you susceptible to chronic diseases, but then a new article in NEJM based on the famous Nurses’ Study (began about 40 years ago) reports that 12 years of modest diet changes (more veggies, less meat, etc.) can extend your life.  I had a bowl of blueberries for breakfast yesterday, but it was downhill after that. Potato chips for a snack, biscuits and gravy for supper, and so forth. I just love those Pillsbury Grands (frozen).  So much better than mine.

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/improving-diet-quality-over-time-linked-with-reduced-risk-premature-death/

http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2017/07/weight-gain-from-early-to-middle-adulthood-poses-risks/

Life style or genetics: The super agers

 I know a few "super agers" over 90, and although I can't comment on their exercise habits, I do know they maintain an active intellectual life (including e-mail, internet, music) and have a better social life than many younger people. 

"While there’s currently no proven method to preserve cortex volume, research has shown specific lifestyle changes that seniors can perform to help keep themselves sharp as they age, Kornel and Wright said. These include:

• Regular physical exercise, including strength training.
• A healthy and balanced diet.
• Brain workouts that involve challenging puzzles or tasks.
• An active social life."

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/brain-scans-reveal-mental-secret-of-super-agers/ 

Links to recent research on lifestyle and cognitive decline:

https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/paperchase-aging/pdf/NjJf3fWGKw4e99CyC.pdf This is the 2014 article with the chart on lifestyle changes like diet, exercise, supplements.

.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4931830/  This is the follow up article on the previous one. Reports on changes and brain scans.

 

https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/circj/81/2/81_CJ-16-1011/_pdf Published this year about B12 and homocysteine. 

 

http://www.buckinstitute.org/buck-news/Memory-loss-associated-with-Alzheimers-reversed The above cognitive studies explained in everyday English

Ageism and 8 strategies

Almost 50 years ago Dr. Robert Butler, a gerontologist, coined the word "ageism." I was in my 20s then and probably laughed at the jokes and ridicule about the old that was so common in those days in the movies and on TV. Befuddled, confused, hair askew, thick glasses, sloppy, drooping socks that didn't match--it was standard fare, and probably the last group comedians could ridicule publicly with impunity. Except on social media (although now those sites have added hatred for white men to their list to demean and put down). I've logged out of those groups that called me an ugly old hag because of my faith or politics. Well, they'll learn. It was the boomers who were the writers and actors in those silly shows 30-50 years ago. And now look where they are--joking about the grandchildren showing them how to use their smart phones and forgetting the names of their neighbors of 20 years.

Butler died in 2010 and his final book, "The Longevity Prescription" listed 8 strategies, each a chapter in the book, for a healthy old age: maintain mental vitality; nurture your relationships; seek essential sleep; set stress aside; connect with your community; live the active life; eat your way to heath; and practice prevention. Good advice, even for millennials and gen-x. Genetics are only responsible for 25 percent of our length of life. The rest is lifestyle and environment.

And I'd add a 9th key--nurture your relationship with God.

 

Aging with fads, as seen on Facebook

Leaf peepers

One photo shared today on Facebook was by my veterinary medicine librarian friend (also retired) and colleague  Mitsuko Williams (University of Illinois) sitting atop Cadillac Mountain. I had a flash back to the mid-70s when we drove to New England to see the fall color. Friends Scott and Tricia stayed with our children. It was off season so we thought we'd have our carefully planned sites of interest and roads to ourselves. We were stunned to see a whole world of retired people traveling and enjoying themselves. They were giggling, flirting and laughing like middle school kids, even with various frailties like low vision and walkers. Every restaurant parking lot was filled with their buses and the conversation inside was about the menu, which was often being read aloud. We'd quietly laugh. Now we know what fun they were having.

Keep your mind challenged

Just in case you think the only reason to discuss things, argue and research for a blog or Facebook is to change someone's mind,  keep in mind we’re fighting dementia! It's good for us.  Each time you shut down an idea you don't agree with or say "Oh, let's talk about something more pleasant," you might be depriving yourself of a brain boost.

College is protective by about a decade, but lifelong intellectual activities such as playing music or reading keeps the mind fit as people age and also delayed Alzheimer’s by years for those at risk of the disease who weren’t college educated or worked at challenging jobs. http://archneur.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1883334 This is a free access article. 

 

Since I read it to my husband about 2 years ago, he has taken up guitar. Had zero musical training so also had to learn to read music.

 

At our cottage in Lakeside where we attend lectures and concerts daily.