HEALING THE SPIRIT WITH THE ARTS

   “Anything that is associated with losing memory is greatly feared but we should realize that our brains need exercise as well,” says Dr.Dalia Gottlieb-Tanaka, “and that includes a focus on creativity.  Being physically active now needs to extend to the brain and that is why we need to realize our brain needs care to express itself by doing whatever we can to postpone its deterioration.  The Expression Activities Program and the Memory Café for seniors in the Okanagan is developing in the North Okanagan for older adults.  The program begins in July and is linked to health issues and well being in older adults, especially for those who were diagnosed with early to moderate dementia.  It includes painting, reminiscing, dancing, story telling, acting, cooking, designating, learning new things, singing, sharing dreams and philosophical approaches to life’s lessons learned.  “I can tell you that everyone who has had this experience with the program has loved it.  It is healing our souls and certainly worth trying,” says Dr. Gottlieb-Tanaka.

   The next program begins in July at the Schubert Center located on 30^th Avenue at Seaton Centre and designed to accommodate the needs of older people, 55 and up, who may live at home and function well, or may need some limited help.  Gary Arbuckle, director at services for Kindale, has offered space with his organization for the CEA program and helps people who might be reluctant to participate in programs administrated in adult day care centers. 

   Gottlieb-Tanaka took a circuitous route to her work in the field of gerontology and conceiving the CEA program for which she won an award from the American Society of Aging and the MetLife Foundation.  After raising two children she returned to school to pursue new directions in gerontology in the study of creative expression, dementia and therapeutic environment and received a Masters Degree from the University of British Columbia.  She and husband Mineo Tanaka, a retired architect, now live in Vernon.  “The society is based on my PhD studies, the psychosocial approach to dementia care.  It was initially a tough sell as people were used to dealing with health issues based only on the physical and medical model,” she says.  “If a medical cure is not found by 2021 there will be 600,000 people with dementia in Canada.  So far it is based on volunteer work and I must thank both Jack Gareb and Benjamin Moore who have been so amazing from day one until funding comes through for paid staff.  Contact Gottlieb-Tanaka at dr.daliagt@gmail.com.

  

         

    

NEED AN ANTIBIOTIC - NOT ALWAYS

    Marvin M. Lipman, M.D. tells about a disappointed patient, a 50-year old stockbroker who came to see him with a four-day history of a sore throat, coughing, postnasal drip and low-grade fever.  He said his previous physician had always given him a Z-Pak (a five-day course of antibiotic azithromycin) for similar symptoms and he always got better.  I explained that it was more likely that he had a viral infection for which an antibiotic would be useless.  I outlined some over-the-counter drugs that might be of help.  He left the office in a huff and I never saw him again.

     The age of antibiotics began in the 1930s with the introduction of sulfa drugs followed by penicillin in 1941.  During the last century, antibiotics saved the lives of countless millions of people infected with the deadly bacteria.  The war against viruses, with a few notable exceptions, has not been as successful.  Physicians began writing antibiotic prescriptions “just in case” bacteria might also be involved.  Patients came to expect and even demand such treatment.  Unnecessary antibiotics not only exposes patients to harmful side effects, such as debilitating diarrhea, but also led directly to the emergence of resistant strains of bacteria that then went on to infect others.

         Untreated sore throats can appease miserable patients desperate for a quick cure, but the practice dates back to a time when untreated sore throats were followed by rheumatic fever or acute kidney disease.  Strep throat accounted for only 5 to 15 percent of all sore throats.  Today, there is no need to give antibiotics “just in case” it is strep.  The organism can be reliably detected with a simple throat swab, with results available within 24 hours.  The disease can almost always be distinguished from a viral sore throat on clinical grounds alone.  The patient is usually less than 50 years of age and the sore throat can come on quickly within hours or overnight, making swallowing so difficult that drooling can occur.  The breath has a foul odor, and even speech is affected and a temperature of over 101 degrees F., accompanied by chilly sensations.  One can easily notice tender swollen lymph nodes under the jaw, and yellowish pus overlying the tonsils.  A strep evidently lacks the ingenuity to have developed resistance so penicillin is still the mainstay of treatment unless one is allergic to it.  Throat lozenges, gargling with warm salt water and of course the good old chicken soup treatment would have helped my stockbroker more.

    

BOOSTING BRAIN POWER

   At one time it was felt that brain power begins to deteriorate around college age but the latest news is that the brain continues to sprout new cells into old age.  “It may be that it is possible to bolster your brain power, no matter what is your age depending on what is done to feed and care for it with healthy food and exercise,” according to Louis Blerer, professor of  psychology, at the University of Quebec.    

   “Healthy eating habits are specific for brain function,” says Guylayne Ferland, professor of Nutrition at UQAM and a researcher at IUGM. Vitamins B12 and C are essential in the manufacture of nutrients that facilitate between brain cells and myelin, the substance that forms an insulating sheath around those cells, thereby speeding the transmission of messages.  Processed foods are the largest source of sodium, mainly in the form of salt.  Recently Ferland with colleagues in Quebec and Ontario conducted a study that shows healthy older adults who were physically inactive were more apt to maintain brain function IF they ate relatively little salt.  Some of Ferland’s researchers noted that a key role in blood clotting may be important to brain health also.  Vitamin K is found in foods such as green leafy vegetables, as well as in canola and other oils.  The darker the green, the richer the vegetable is in vitamin K.  The outer leaves of cabbage contain 19 times more vitamin K than the pale inner core.  Vitamin K is also involved in the synthesis of fats that make up the myelin sheath. 

    Intrigued by earlier studies that revealed vitamin K is involved in the synthesis of fats that make up the myelin sheath, she and her colleges have been investigating its impact on memory function.  “In 2011, we published a study where we showed that animals that had been maintained on a low vitamin K diet during their life showed a cognitive deficit memory task,” she explains.  (As the term implies, episodic memory involves a category long term memory recollection of specific events and situations.)  “As yet unpublished data from the same study hints that the same goes for humans.  We have a paper under review where we show individuals who have higher vitamin K status show better performances on a task that hinges on episodic memory,” Ferland adds.  If you want a tool box for improving your older brain, check out www.baycrest.org/smartaging.php.  It features articles on everything from which food support healthy brain function to tips on how to memorize a new piece of information and how to remember those pesky passwords and PINs.  From October 2012 Good Times.

YOU ARE LOVED

I felt that love, your sincere soul, your sweet and kindly deeds,

 You planted deep within my heart, a lovely kindness seed,

Then angel bells seeped to both souls, though silent, felt so good,

  Within they added special joys that said, “I knew indeed it would.”

Each kindness seed sprouts fast with cheer, and each time joy bells ring,

 Both hearts sense that special joy, and happiness it brings.

You gave a hug of sympathy, when someone tripped and fell,

  Helping them rise up again, again we sensed Heaven’s bells.

Then each seed grew a lovely flower, in the garden of your heart,

 That lit the souls that Heaven had given - we’re all not far apart.

Then spread through glowing fields of flowers, affecting one and all,

  As prayers of thanks returned to Heaven, responding to love’s call.

No need for loud or hurtful words, they will backfire as fuel,   

  Use kind words given us of old, they’re called The Golden Rule.

“As you would have done to yourself, do also unto them.

   At home or work or school, this works for women or men.”

Sue Davis

March 13, 2013

WEEKEND ACTIVITIES

    With the sun rising earlier, we are welcoming the longer daylight hours for early morning or evening walks.  When seniors reach their 80^th year, each one receives a government form to determine their state of health, and ability to continue driving on all public highways.  I took the form to my doctor.  She advised me to consider the $100.00 fee required for a complete physical exam and asked if I really wished to continue to drive a car.  My husband had passed away in 2003 after coping with Parkinson’s disease for a dozen years and since I preferred walking, a car was no longer needed.  Within a few days my husband’s closest friend offered to buy my car.  I had seen a car on a sales lot the same year as mine with double the mileage and some rust showing.  I deduced an extra thousand dollars for this friend of ours who pulled out his check book and the deal was completed.  I was glad not to have to place an ad in the paper to sell it and enjoy my daily walks.

    The above all happened 10 years ago and now I live in a retirement home and when friends offer me a ride to church I am happy to accept.  Last week I enjoyed a sermon about and making notes on meditation.  Sometimes I post blogs about family and building health and wellness.  Before my husband passed away I volunteered my services at the A.R.E. Clinic in Arizona for 10 winters and enjoyed the letters I typed for them as they wrote about how to stay well before their disease has already progressed is too far.  Organic fruits and vegetables should be used and getting regular exercise.  There will be more about this in a future blog as often as I can find the time to do so.  My blog can be found at www.stayingintouchblog.blogspot.ca.  If someone offers me a ride to church on weekends I am happy to attend, sing with them and be among friends and listen to the sermon.  For example take a look in your concordance on the main word like meditate.  For example last Sunday featured Psalms 1 and 2 that says “Blessed is the man that associates not with the ungodly.”  Or try out Psalm 91, or even the Sermon on the Mount in the Bible’s New Testament.  The way of learning and living was made very  clear.  My older sister, Helen and I memorized 500 Bible verses and won a Bible, qualifying us to attend a children summer camp at Gull Lake in Alberta.  Since then Helen has spent 52 years in Ivory Coast, Africa as a dental missionary.  I am preparing more about her that will be forthcoming soon in a future blog.  There will also be a future blog about my brother, John who spent 20 years in Kenya, Africa, setting up group farms in order to be able to cope with the famines that often come in times of drought.            

EAT YOUR WAY TO A BEAUTIFUL COMPLEXION

    According to Ruth Harper, M.D., “When the body is out of balance, one of the first places it reveals itself is the skin.”  Dr. Harper is a board certified internist in Austin, Texas.  “If you are not getting the right nutrients, the skin gets cheated out of what it needs for optimum health and beauty.”  The skin-stomach connection with the following five foods gives you a healthy, glowing complexion while warding off a host of dry skin problems.  When the stomach’s natural flora is unbalanced, skin problems such as acne, psoriasis, eczema, dullness and wrinkles develop.

    “When the gut’s bacteria is not balanced, it leaks through microscopic holes in the wall of the gastrointestinal tract and travels throughout the body, including your skin, causing inflammation that prevents the skin from functioning properly,” says Frank Lipman, M.D., an integrative physician and director of Eleven Wellness Center in new York City.  To prevent problems, keep your digestive tract populated with good bacteria, which “coat the lining of your gut and help seal it so unwanted substances can no longer leak out and cause irritation,” says Whitney Bowe, M.D., assistant medical director of cosmetic and laser services at Advanced Dermatology in Ossining, N.Y.  The best way to get the good bacteria is to take a probiotic supplement (available at most health food stores) or consume fermented foods such as Kefir, yogurt, buttermilk, miso, kimchi and sauerkraut. You should also eat foods that contain prebiotics which are undigestable nutrients that stimulate the growth of good bacteria in the gut.  Other sources include whole grains, bananas, onions and garlic.

     “The healthy fats known as omega-3s are like manna from Heaven for dry skin so it stays soft and supple and lines are less noticeable.  Research shows that eating more omega 3s may even protect against sun damage and skin cancer.  Salmon, sardines and mackerel are also powerhouses for protection against sun damage.  If you do not care to eat fish, flaxseeds and chia seeds offer a great alternative.  Just one tablespoon of these seeds ground up has six times the recommended amount required for daily use,” Dr. Harper adds. When skin is exposed to UV rays or environmental pollutants, such as carbon monoxide or cigarette smoke it sets off a chain reaction including cellular structures in the skin.  Purple is the power color for produce, so include blueberries, purple potatoes and cabbage, and all leafy greens.  I asked a local health store what to do for dry skin.  They offered Boreal Green Beaver.  For $15.00, it’s likely worth the try.

A NEW ERA IS ON THE WAY

A land of beauty, hope and love where many tribes have roamed,

  And walked its hills and dales and found a special home.

Then from the bounties of this land, others came to share,

  To blend their cultures, hopes and dreams, each culture came aware.

The noble red, the white, the tan, intrepid blacks and browns,

   By living love and sharing, all wore a victor’s crown.

With pleasant thoughts, ideals and growth, a special beauty share,

   Their cultures, hopes and dreams to blend, and treat each other fair.

With higher thoughts, ideals and growth, a special beauty shone,

  Transcending selfishness and greed, this beauty felt and known.

Each person, shade of color showed a trust that all could share,

  To form a great mosaic as, together all played fair,

And thus to build a land of peace that spread throughout the earth,

   Sharing wealth and power found, sweet living showed true worth.

S.B. Davis

PREVENTION PLANS FOR AVOIDING CANCER

·        Follow the cancer- prevention diet by living organic and buy foods with the USDA certified organic seal.

·         Consume a range of fresh, colourful produce.  Berries, cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage, tomatoes, and dark green leafy vegetables are especially potent cancer fighters.

·        Add fiber to your diet, every 10 grams daily reduces the risk of colon cancer by 10%.

·        Eat more fish that are low in saturated fat and high in omega 3 fatty acids, such as salmon, Atlantic mackerel, Arctic char, and sardines, and reduce inflammation, which is linked to cancer.

·        Drink green tea.  Green tea contains catechins, antioxidants in a class of compounds called polyphenols, which protect cells from damage, strengthens the immune system and activate enzymes that will curb tumors.

·        Get enough vitamin D which is associated with lower rates of colon, breast, ovarian, renal, pancreatic and prostate cancers.  Have your blood level tested and discuss supplementation with your doctor.

·        If you are a smoker, quit immediately.