I’m No Expert…

Twenty years ago, maybe you had your yearly physical exam. But after 50 years of age there is more to think about. You may feel 25 but at 50 something you’re at greater risk of developing disease. The good news is most are preventable or even curable when caught early. That’s why routine checkups are so much more important when you are 50 something. Here are some basic health screening tests and guidelines from the U.S Department of Health & Human Services.

Screening tests and immunizations Guidelines for Men Ages 50-64

health, screening, checkups, 50 years old, men over 50, health, screening, checkups, 50 years old, men over 50, health, screening, checkups, 50 years old, men over 50, health, screening, checkups, 50 years old, men over 50

Tags: 50 something, Health by Jay Stuart
No Comments »

There are just so many programs designed to help you lose weight. Some work; some not so much. But the basic element to losing weight and keeping it off is you, your willingness to change.

The foundation of all weight loss programs is for you to burn up more calories that you eat.  One problem is that as we age  our metabolism slows, meaning we naturally burn less calories. For example, an active 31-year-old man needs about 3,000 daily calories, but an active 50-year-old man needs only about 2,800 calories. So even if you are active, if you continue eating the way you did in your 20s and 30s, you’re going to gain weight. For men that often appears in an ever growing pot belly; for women it’s likely to appear in the hips and the thighs.

To avoid gaining weight over time, you should aim to burn up as many calories through basic metabolic function and physical activity as you take in. To lose weight burn more calories than you take in by combining increased physical activity with eating less calories (easier said than done).  To know whether you’re on track, you need to be able to estimate how many calories you need based on your age, gender and level of physical activity. The chart below should give you some basic guidelines:

Adapted from American Heart Association

¹ Sedentary means you have a lifestyle that includes only the light physical activity associated with typical day-to-day life.

² Moderately active means you have a lifestyle that includes physical activity equivalent to walking about 1.5 to 3 miles per day at 3 to 4 miles per hour, in addition to the light physical activity associated with typical day-to-day life.

³Active means you have a lifestyle that includes physical activity equivalent to walking more than 3 miles per day at 3 to 4 miles per hour, in addition to the light physical activity associated with typical day-to-day life.weight loss, over 50, 50+, 50plus, weight loss, over 50, 50+, 50plus, weight loss, over 50, 50+, 50plus, weight loss, over 50, 50+, 50plus, weight loss, over 50, 50+, 50plus, health, health, health, health

Tags: 50 something, Health by Jay Stuart
No Comments »

Now that you’re over 50 you cannot eat the way you did in your 20s. The best way to stay healthy is to exercise and eat right with a well-balanced diet filled with whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean animal and plant-based proteins, low-fat dairy products and heart-healthy fats. In fact, healthy eating can keep your body and mind sharp and extend quality of life. The American Dietetic Association outlines some important nutritional needs for men over 50:

• Calcium and Vitamin D to help maintain strong and healthy bones. Calcium-rich foods include:
  • Low-fat and fat-free dairy like milk and yogurt
  • Fortified cereals and fruit juices
  • Dark green leafy vegetables
  • Canned fish with soft bones
• Older adults need three servings of calcium and vitamin D every day. If you take a calcium supplement or multivitamin, be sure to choose one that contains vitamin D.
• If you fall behind on getting these nutrients, you may need a supplement separate from a regular multivitamin, since they usually do not contain enough calcium to meet recommendations.
  • Men older than age 50 need 1,200 milligrams a day.
  • Men also need 400 IU of vitamin D each day.

• Fiber helps keep bowel functions normal and is good for your heart. If you need to lose weight, fiber keeps you full longer so you do not feel hungry as often.
  • Men older than 50 need 30 grams of fiber a day
  • Good sources are whole grains, fruits and vegetables. For products with a label, choose those with at least 3 grams of dietary fiber per serving.

• Increasing potassium intake along with decreasing sodium (salt) may lower your risk of high blood pressure. Good sources of potassium include:
  • Fruits, vegetables and low-fat or fat-free milk and yogurt.
  • Choose low-sodium foods and replace salt with other herbs and spices to reduce your sodium intake.

• Healthy Fats: For weight control and overall health, limit fat calories to 20 percent to 35 percent of your diet. Most of the fats you consume should come from heart-healthy unsaturated fats including:
  • extra-virgin olive oil
  • canola oil
  • walnuts
  • almonds
  • avocados
• Healthy older men without heart disease should limit their saturated fat, which comes from meat, full-fat dairy and fried foods, to 10% of your total fat calories.
• Men with high cholesterol need to cut more saturated fat from your diet; limit it to 7% of total fat calories.

Be sure to balance your calorie intake by getting at least 30 minutes of physical activity most days of the week

Exercising is even more important now that you’re over 50. Exercise helps men over 50 rev up metabolism, build and strengthen muscles and increase energy levels.

men over 50, men 50 plus, nutrition for men over 50, men over 50, men 50 plus, nutrition for men over 50, men over 50, men 50 plus, nutrition for men over 50, men over 50, men 50 plus, nutrition for men over 50, men over fifty, men fifty plus, men over fifty, men fifty plus, men over fifty, men fifty plus, men over fifty, men fifty plus

Tags: 50 something, Health by Jay Stuart
No Comments »

For decades, the US automotive industry fought pressure to develop and research more energy efficient cars. The big 3 cried that it would be too expensive destroying their bottom line. They spent millions on PR and lobbyists to persuade Congress no to adopt more stringent laws compelling manufacture of cars with higher MPG. Well we knw what happened to the Big 3.

Today, Republicans in Congress are resisting any laws, tax breaks, or financial incentives that would help springboard the renewable energy industry. Their main argument is that it would cost companies and the country too much money. Clearly the Republican party has not learned anything from decades helping the automotive industry fight manufacturing cars with greater fuel efficiency.

Will this country need to run out of gas or become too expensive for anyone to afford it before they wake up?

Tags: Energy, National Issues, Renewable energy by Jay Stuart
1 Comment »

Chocolate Linked to Lower Stroke and Stroke Mortality Risk

A new systematic review from Canadian researchers suggests higher chocolate consumption may be associated with a lower risk for incident stroke and stroke-related mortality.

Results of 2 studies showed, respectively, a 22% reduction in stroke risk for those who had 1 serving of chocolate per week and a 46% reduction in stroke mortality from weekly consumption of flavonoids in 50 g of chocolate vs no consumption. A third study showed no association between chocolate intake and stroke or death…Read more

Tags: Health by Jay Stuart
No Comments »

Well it has been a year and a half since I posted ideas to save money on your electric bill such as unplugging unnecessary electronics and/or turning off powerstrips, but they seem to have caught on.  In fact Yahoo Green is suggesting many of the same ideas.

Tags: uncategorized by Jay Stuart
No Comments »