Foods That Help WIth Arthritis

Unfortunately, arthritis is common for 1 in 5 adults (2009 CDC report). Medications can help with the pain and inflammation, but did you know that there are foods that can help with inflammation?

These foods, when added to your diet, can help lessen the symptoms of arthritis.

• · Blueberries. These babies are packed with nutritional punch.
• ·      Brazil nuts. Easy to carry snacks!
• ·      Citrus fruits. Vitamin C can help, but be careful not to have too much of it.
• ·      Cruciferous vegetables. Huh? We know. Try broccoli, kale, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage and more.
• ·      Extra virgin olive oil. There are antioxidants in some of the fats in the oil that can reduce inflammation.
• ·      Ginger.  Try adding it to drinks, desserts, side dishes, etc.

Try sautéing some Brussels sprouts in extra virgin olive oil for dinner, or make a smoothie with blueberries and ginger.

What do you do to ease that inflammation of arthritis?

When Exercise Hurts

Yosef Meystel has seen doctors, news outlets, and everyone else tells us that exercise is good, do it 5 times a week at 30 minutes a time and exercise helps our health in many different ways.

But what if we’re harming ourselves?

In cases where exercisers are training chronically or exerting more than their body can handle, that’s when it’s hurting one’s heath. Healthy exercise is exercising at a level, intensity and frequency that your body can handle.

“Chronic extreme endurance efforts, like marathons, ultra-marathons, and long-distance triathlons, can cause cardiovascular damage over time,” says researcher James H. O’Keefe, MD, director of preventive cardiology at the Mid America Heart Institute at St. Luke’s Health System,Kansas City. “Healthier exercise patterns involve not such extreme duration or intensity.”

Moderation is key in exercising. It’s best to consult a doctor before starting any exercise or training programs, and it’s important to listen to your body. For more health tips and news, visit our website

The doctors, news outlets, and everyone else tells us that exercise is good, do it 5 times a week at 30 minutes a time and exercise helps our health in many different ways.

But Yosef Meystel wants to know, what if we’re harming ourselves?

In cases where exercisers are training chronically or exerting more than their body can handle, that’s when it’s hurting one’s heath. Healthy exercise is exercising at a level, intensity and frequency that your body can handle.

“Chronic extreme endurance efforts, like marathons, ultra-marathons, and long-distance triathlons, can cause cardiovascular damage over time,” says researcher James H. O’Keefe, MD, director of preventive cardiology at the Mid America Heart Institute at St. Luke’s Health System,Kansas City. “Healthier exercise patterns involve not such extreme duration or intensity.”

Moderation is key in exercising. It’s best to consult a doctor before starting any exercise or training programs, and it’s important to listen to your body. For more health tips and news, visit Yosef Meystel's website http://yosefmeystel.wordpress.com/

6 Ways To Save On Prescriptions

Yosef Meystel knows that we have enough to focus on in our lives than to worry about how we’re going to save on prescriptions. We have to worry about our families, jobs, financing in other areas of our life as well as dealing with the day-to-day things.

Here, Yosef Meystel has some ways that can help you save on your prescription.

1. Talk to your doctor. Your doctor is aware of what prescriptions you are on and they rather help find their patient the proper medication than not getting a prescription filled.
2. Shop around. Look at different pharmacies, grocery stores and online locations that can help you find the best price for your prescription. Don’t forget to look into discount programs.
3. Sample. Ask for samples, this’ll save you some money and you will also get to find out if this prescription is right for you.
4. Coupon cutting. Look for coupons! There are a lot of coupons out there, you just have to look.
5. Ditch the brand. Look into the generic brand of the prescription you’re taking, that can save a lot of money each refill.
6. Split it. Ask your doctor if they will prescribe you a higher dosage so you can split the pill. This way you don’t have to fill up as often.

Warning Signs of Dehydration

Yosef Meystel knows that just because it's a cool summer week and the temperatures aren’t rising, doesn’t mean you can’t get dehydrated. It’s important to know the signs of dehydration.

Dehydration is when the body lacks enough bodily fluids and can be prevented with enough consumption of water. While there is no specific amount of water that everyone needs to consume; Yosef Meystel read that it’s suggest about eight 8 oz glasses of water or enough water that keeps your urine clear or a light yellow.

The signs of dehydration are:

• Thirst
• Dryness of the mouth or tongue, skin and lips
• Sluggishness
• Sunken appearance of the eyes
• Light-headedness or dizziness
• A high fever
• Dark urine/decreased urine output

Water is the best choice when it comes to hydrating the body, while soda pops are the worst. Dr. Oz suggests drinking one glass of water for every caffeinated drink. If a fever, confusion or rapid breathing happens it’s best to call a doctor for further assistance in the dehydration.

Prediabetes – What Is It And How Can You Treat It?

Yosef Meystel wants you to know, most people almost always have a ‘warning sign’ before they are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. What’s their warning sign? It’s prediabetes.

What is prediabetes?

Prediabetes is when “blood glucose levels that are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes” according to the American Diabetes Association. The good news is there are ways you can prevent or delay the development of type 2 diabetes if you catch your prediabetes.

There are three different tests that can be done to test for prediabetes, they are the AC1 test, the fasting plasma glucose test (FPG), or the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT).  In these tests, the blood glucose levels are measured to determine whether you have prediabetes or diabetes.

If your blood glucose level is abnormal following the FPG, you have impaired fasting glucose (IFG); if your blood glucose level is abnormal following the OGTT, you have impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). Both are also known as prediabetes.

So you did the test, what happens if you have it?

The good news is that you can prevent the development of type 2 diabetes by making changes in your diet, exercising regularly and staying in communication with your doctor. Also, losing weight can help prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes.

If you have more questions about prediabetes, contact your doctor.

Stress & Your Stroke Risk

Stressed out? Well, aren’t we all? But that doesn’t help our stroke risk, Yosef Meystel has found out. But we can work towards lowering our stroke risk by lowering our stress levels according to researcher Ana Maria Garcia, MD, of the Hospital Clinico Universitario San Carlos in Madrid.

When dealing with stress, it’s best to deal with it by using The Four A’s:

• Avoid the stressor.
• Alter the stressor.
• Adapt to the stressor.
• Accept the stressor.

There are a few ways you can manage or reduce your stress. One suggestion is a stress journal. In this journal you write what is causing your stress, how you feel about it, how you are reacting and how you can make yourself less stressed about the situation/what made you feel better.

Other ways to relax is by exercise; go for a walk, job it our or jump on the bike. It’s best to do this outside because fresh air and nature can have a calming effect. You can always try calling a friend to talk things out or to lighten your mood, take a long bath, have a warm cup of tea. Pets are also great de-stressors and can help keep blood pressure low and moods high.

Next time you’re stressed, take a few deep breaths and use one of these stress relievers to tackle your stress to lower your risk for stroke.

Melanoma in Older Men

Even though it’s not summertime, it’s important to be checking your skin. Yosef Meystel has found that in a recent study done by American Academy of Dermatology, it was found that older men have an increased risk of developing melanoma. But most older men are careless about skin protection and they do not know how to properly check themselves for signs of skin cancer.

The American Academy of Dermatology is concerned about this because nearly 132,000 new cases of melanoma will be diagnosed in 2012. In an online poll, it was found that most men do not protect themselves from the outdoor sun (which is still relevant in the winter time) whereas women knew how to and followed through. It was also found that majority of men knew that they should be checking their skin for signs of melanoma but did not.

“Men need to examine their skin and see a dermatologist if they spot anything changing, bleeding or growing,” said dermatologist Dr. Thomas Rohrer, a clinical associate professor of dermatology at Brown University School of Medicine. The study noted that the five-year survival rate for people who had the melanoma diagnosed and treated early before it spread to the lymph nodes is at 98%.

Yosef Meystel knows that it’s important for everyone to wear sunscreen on the face, ears and lips year round, to wear hats or sun-reflective clothing in the summertime, to regularly check skin for any growth in moles, new ones, and to regularly visit a dermatologist.

Exercise Matters

In a world where advertising is everywhere all the time, it’s hard to look past the “Try this and look 10 years younger!” “Eat our product and feel young again!” “You’ll be in the best shape of your life!” But does that really matter? Yosef Meystel says it shouldn’t.

We should be more focused on the quality of our health and to aim for the highest potential of our current health. The best way to get in “the best health” is not with products, gimmicks or spending a fortune. Simple healthy eating, exercise and sleep helps.

But why is exercise so important? This is why:

• Happy heart. Exercise can help clear your arteries, reduce your heart rate and keep your heart strong and healthy. Who doesn’t want to show their heart some love?
• Controls weight. If you want to lose weight or control your weight, getting at least 30 minutes of exercise a day is a great way to do that. Hitting the gym may not be for everyone, but there are other simple things to help you lose weight. Such as walking, low impact aerobics or even doing household chores and gardening!
• Relieves stress and depression. When you exercise endorphin’s are released, the “feel good” hormones. The benefit of this is that they take effect immediately, they last and have no side effects like drugs can
• Sleep. Physical activity can help regulate sleep schedules. Who doesn’t love a sound sleep? 

It’s never too late to get started. Whether you have been doing to for years and took a break, or have never done it, now is a good time to consult your doctor and get started. Whether you do all 30 minutes of working out at once, or 10 minutes here and there, motivate yourself by finding a buddy or rewarding yourself every time you reach a goal.

Migraines and The Weather

One of Chicagoan’s favorite things to say is “If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes and it’ll change.” Yosef Meystel knows that we've been experiencing it all week. Hot and humid in the morning, a shower in the mid-day and now warm, but cooler than before, temperatures.

But did you know that some people who experience migraines are triggered by the change of the weather. A study found that the temperature change was actually the culprit about a fifth of the time, and this association was more obvious on colder days than warmer days.

“Our study provides evidence of a link between the perception of temperature sensitivity and headache incidence in migraine patients,” study author Shuu-Jiun Wang, MD, of Taipei Veterans Hospital in Taiwan, says in a news release.

The study also found that the weather change more commonly triggered headaches than moderate to severe headaches. It’s important to know your migraine triggers and to prepare for them. With the weather it’s harder to predict and prepare, so it’s best to have your migraine medicine on hand. If the sun triggers your migraines, wear sunglasses, hats, drink lots of water and try to avoid outdoor activities if you have a headache.

The Hidden Important Relationship In Your Life

Yosef Meystel wants to know, when you think of relationships in your life that are important to stay true to the common ideas are your spouse, friends, and family. But what about your pharmacist?

Yes, your pharmacist. Yosef Meystel knows that you may only see them once a month or so, it may not be the same person, but it’s the same pharmacy/location. This is extremely important, but why?

• Familiarity. When you continue to go the same pharmacist, your pharmacist gets to know you more and more each time where they become familiar with you, and your history.
• Knowledge. Not only on a personal level, but for your medication history as well. They know what you have taken, what you are taking and what you should avoid. This comes in handy when you have questions about mixing medicines and supplements.
• Help. Pharmacist know what kind of over-the-counter drugs work as well as prescriptions, they know what medications are offered in generic brands and they can work with you to help you save money.
• In-case-of-emergency. If you are in another town, state or just can’t get to your pharmacy, your pharmacist may be able to help you get the medications you need at a pharmacy closer to your current location. This comes in handy when you are traveling.

Walk For Your Health

Yosef Meystel knows that they say exercise helps your body in so many ways. But not all of us are able to go run, tackle the machines at the gym or life weights. Did you know that walking has some great benefits for you?

Take a few steps during your lunch break, get walking in the morning or take a stroll after dinner. Researches at the University of Washing and the University of Pittsburgh have found that those who walked the most in the study had a 29 percent lower risk of diabetes compared to those who walked the least. People who walk between 5,400 – 7,799 steps each day lowered their risk of diabetes; to put that in perspective, there are about 2,000 steps per mile.

Other benefits of walking are:

• Lowers diabetes risk
• Boosts your mood
• Reduces ‘bad cholesterol’
• Increases ‘good cholesterol’
• Reduces fatigue
• Lowers your body fat
• May prevent obesity

Eating Habits When You're Tired

Have you ever woken up still tired and sluggish, grabbed a donut for breakfast then some chips and candy at lunch? Yosef Meystel wants you to know, you’re not alone.

Researchers have found after examining the areas of the brain that unhealthy foods are more appealing to people who haven’t had enough sleep.

Researchers found that the reward centers of the brain were activated when sleep-deprived volunteers saw pictures of unhealthy foods.

“We found regions associated with reward and motivation — those that are involved with addiction and pleasure-seeking behaviors — were more strongly activated in the short-sleep phase,” said Marie-Pierre St-Onge, a research associate at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital Center and an assistant professor at Columbia University’s Institute of Human Nutrition in New York City.

Researchers at University of California, Berkley found that there was impaired activity in the area of the frontal lobe of the brain with sleep-deprived volunteers. This area helps the brain control behaviors and makes complex choices. When the sleep-deprived volunteers saw pictures of unhealthy foods, this area of the brain did not respond well – making healthy choices more difficult.

The National Sleep Foundation suggests that there is no magic number on sleep, but it depends on the person’s needs. On average, it’s been found that adults need 7-9 hours of sleep per night whereas teenagers need 8 ½ – 9 ½ hours of sleep. Setting up a consistent sleep schedule is recommended, so the body can get used to sleeping at certain times.

Tips For Managing Migraines

Some of us are plagued by the horrible migraine. It can ambush you; it can be a common occurrence and can keep you from carrying out your daily tasks. Yosef Meystel wants to know,  how do you nip the problem before it becomes a problem?

Know your symptoms. If migraines are common for you, then you know the typical signs that warn you of their coming. Sometimes too much of a food, smell, etc. can trigger it – beware and limit your intake of these.

Sleep. A lot of people disregard sleep to catch up on their daily activities. Too much lack of sleep can trigger a migraine. If you maintain a regular sleep schedule, and sleep with the lights off, it’s less stress on your brain.

Eat. Skipping meals and starving yourself of vital nutrients does not help.

Exercise. If you exercise, it releases good endorphins in your body, releases stress and helps regulate sleep patterns. This reduces the frequency or severity of the migraines.

Calm down. Stress and anxiety can increase your chances for a migraine. If you feel stressed out or feel yourself getting anxious, try touching your temples, try a few breathing techniques, switch jobs if it’s a major stress contributor and lie low for an afternoon to reduce stress.

Always be prepared because migraines can strike anywhere at anytime. Carry some Advil or Tylenol with you, sometimes a small intake of caffeine can help (it could also hurt you, know whether it triggers you or not), and make sure to talk with your doctor if it becomes a prominent issue.

Exercise After Stroke

Yosef Meystel knows that for most of our lives we’ve been told that exercise is an important part of our life, and a staple to our health. When we’re little kids it helps us grow and burn off our energy, as adults it keeps us healthy and provides many other benefits; later in life it can help us recover from strokes.

People who have suffered from strokes can improve their memory, thinking, language and judgment problems by nearly 50 percent through exercise, according to a new Canadian study. Yosef Meystel read that it is suggested that exercise should be a routine part of treatment that follows the stroke.

Serious exercise is not needed for stroke patients; mild to moderate exercise, depending on the patient, is suggested. Walking, light weights and body resistance five days a week are some good exercises to do.

“Healthy living is important for reducing your risk for stroke, recovering from stroke and preventing another,” Ian Joiner, director of stroke for the Heart and Stroke Foundation, said in the news release. “All of us should manage our risk factors for stroke and, when needed, have access to information and counseling about strategies to modify our lifestyle choices.”

Being Lonely Can Hurt

Yosef Meystel knows that no one likes being lonely. Some people might like being alone, but it’s not every day you meet someone who says “I’m lonely and love it.”

Did you know, being lonely may raise a person’s risk for a decline in health, shown by two new studies Yosef Meystel read.

One study found that people who were on their own were more likely to pass away during the four years of the study, versus the people who did not live alone. It happened across cultures since people in the study were from 44 different countries.

In the second study, people who identified as lonely were 45% more likely to pass away versus those who didn’t feel isolated. Almost 23% of the lonely people passed away, compared to 14% of people who didn’t feel lonely.

It’s a hard battle, being lonely. But it’s suggested to join clubs or social events of people who have similar interests in you. If you know someone who appears to be lonely, invite them to dinner or visit them sporadically.

Drink Coffee, Lower Your Cancer Risk

Yosef Meystel knows that some of us don’t need another reason to drink coffee, some of us may dislike the taste of coffee – regardless there has been another study published with another benefit of coffee.

On July 1, 2012 there was a study published in the Cancer Reasearch journal that suggests drinking caffeinated coffee could lower the chances of developing basal cell carcinoma – the most common form of skin cancer.

Yosef Meystel read that the study had found that women who drank more than three cups of caffeinated coffee were less likely to develop the disease than women who drank less than one cup per month by 21%. With men, the risk re-education was 10%. The study also found that caffeinated tea, cola and chocolate appears to reduce the risk as well.

While this is an interesting study, it’s important to note that this will not prevent skin cancer. It’s still necessary to apply the appropriate sunscreen with SPF and apply it regularly throughout the day.

Guide Dogs For People With Dementia

Yosef Meystel knows that everyone loves a fluffy friend? There are a lot of guide dogs that help people who are blind, deaf, have epilepsy or other health conditions. Did you know, oversees there are not dogs that can help people with dementia?

These guide dogs can help humans by encouraging them to eat, take medications, sleep and show them other reminders. These guide dogs may prevent people with dementia from checking into a nursing facility so soon. Sounds triggered in the home can prompt the trained dogs to perform tasks.  Some of the tasks may include delivering a bite-proof bag of medicine with a note inside reminding the patient to take it or waking the dementia owner up in the morning.

The idea was developed by students in Glasgow School of Art and will be put in practice by the Alzheimer’s Scotland and Dogs for the Disabled. Dogs trained for people with dementia will start with Labradors and retrievers and training will begin in Banbury.

Joyce Gray of Alzheimer’s Scotland said: “People in the early stages of dementia are still able to live a relatively normal life, and dogs help to maintain routine.”

The dogs also offer support for the person.

Ms Gray was quoted in The Independent and said, “The anecdotal evidence we have is that people may forget familiar faces but not pets. It’s such a strong bond that people often remember them longest. People light up when they see animals. They don’t need to communicate verbally but they can still interact. You can have a speechless bond.”

While this idea is still in development, it could be a global possibility in the near future. The dogs can help people with dementia in the early stages to develop and maintain routine.

What Common Factors Are in Half Of Alzheimer Cases?

There are many, many studies out there that try to convince us of what can contribute to Alzheimer’s and what doesn’t. One source says that red wine helps decrease the chances, other sources say that’s not true.

While we cannot pinpoint what causes Alzheimer’s, we can see what common factors are in just about half of Alzheimer cases.

At the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) 2011, scientists were able to use a mathematic model to calculate the percentage of Alzheimer cases that may attribute to certain factors. It is important to note, that this is an observation and has not been proven.

The researches found that around half of the Alzheimer’s cases could be associated with modifiable risk factors. These seven factors contribute to as many as 3 million Alzheimer’s cases in theU.S. and 17 million cases worldwide.

The researchers reported on seven risk factors, specifically in the U.S., and those risk factors included:

1. Physical inactivity (21 percent)
2. Depression (15 percent)
3. Smoking (11 percent)
4. Mid-life hypertension (8 percent)
5. Mid-life obesity (7 percent)
6. Low education (7 percent)
7. Diabetes (3 percent)

While this is a broad spectrum, it is things we should be working on anyways for our overall health.

Eat A Nutritious Breakfast

Yosef Meystel wants to know, have you ever looked at the word breakfast? Look at it: breakfast. Do you know why it’s so important? Besides the fact that breakfast meals are usually delicious, it means it’s time to break the fast (see? break – fast) and eat something. Skipping breakfast is not recommended. It’s actually recommended to eat a nutritious breakfast. Breakfasts jump start your metabolism, help wake you up and fill you up. Sumo wrestlers skip breakfast then eat all their calories the rest of the day and that’s how they pack on the pounds. Do you want to look like a sumo wrestler? If you eat breakfast but make it all sugar or too heavy you can throw off your day just as much as you would by skipping it. A caffeine-filed or sugary breakfast can lead to a crash and a heavy meal can lead to a food coma at work.

Here are some nutritious breakfast suggestions:

• Eat lean protein. You can eat food full of lean protein such as Canadian bacon, eggs, cheese, deli meat, peanut butter or yogurt.
• Eat whole-grain carbohydrates. Eat things such as whole-grain cereal, bread, waffles and pancakes.
• Fruits and veggies! Top your yogurt, pancakes or cereal with fruits or add veggies to your eggs to make an omelet.
• Prepare in advance. Mix eggs, veggies and meats in a muffin pan and bake them. Put the cooked mini omelets in the fridge and pair them in the morning with a whole-grain English muffin. It’s a quick and nutritious breakfast that you can grab on the go.

Do You Know What You And Sumo Wrestlers Have In Common?

Remember all those times as a kid your parents told you not to skip breakfast? Yosef Meystel understands that we all brushed them off – c’mon, what do they know?

Well, a lot more than we do/did.

A new study found that people who skip breakfast are more likely to become obese and obtain type 2 diabetes or gain a few inches around their belly.

Researcher Andrew Odegaard, PhD, MPH, of the University Of Minnesota School Of Public Health says that having breakfast just four to six times a week may help.

One of the ways sumo wrestlers train and gain weight is by skipping breakfast. We don’t want to be sumo wrestlers, do we? (Maybe you do, if so, more power to you!)

Having regular eating habits, versus random eating, is seen to help fend off weight gain and control blood sugar.

While eating balanced meals is advised, in the study there was no breakfast food that stood out as the best.

“The findings [held true] regardless of what they ate for breakfast,” Odegaard told WebMD. Still, what you eat for breakfast clearly impacts risk of these disorders, he says.

Yosef Meystel suggests some fruit, whole wheat toast, smoothies or whole grain cereal for your breakfasts!

Health Tip: Break(the)fast!

Yosef Meystel wants to know, have you ever looked at the word breakfast? Look at it: breakfast. Do you know why it’s so important? Besides the fact that breakfast meals are usually delicious, it means it’s time to break the fast (see? break – fast) and eat something. Skipping breakfast is not recommended. It’s actually recommended to eat a nutritious breakfast. Breakfasts jump start your metabolism, help wake you up and fill you up. Sumo wrestlers skip breakfast then eat all their calories the rest of the day and that’s how they pack on the pounds. Do you want to look like a sumo wrestler? If you eat breakfast but make it all sugar or too heavy you can throw off your day just as much as you would by skipping it. A caffeine-filed or sugary breakfast can lead to a crash and a heavy meal can lead to a food coma at work.

Here are some nutritious breakfast suggestions Yosef Meystel has gathered for you:

• Eat lean protein. You can eat food full of lean protein such as Canadian bacon, eggs, cheese, deli meat, peanut butter or yogurt.
• Eat whole-grain carbohydrates. Eat things such as whole-grain cereal, bread, waffles and pancakes.
• Fruits and veggies! Top your yogurt, pancakes or cereal with fruits or add veggies to your eggs to make an omelet.
• Prepare in advance. Mix eggs, veggies and meats in a muffin pan and bake them. Put the cooked mini omelets in the fridge and pair them in the morning with a whole-grain English muffin. It’s a quick and nutritious breakfast that you can grab on the go.

Risk Factors for Heart Disease

Yosef Meystel read that according to Medicine Net, over a million people each year will have a heart attack and 25% will die before they get to the hospital while or in the emergency room.

While not all risk factors for heart disease can be prevented, Yosef Meystel has gathered some steps that can be taken to reduce your risk.

The Risk Factors

• Smoking
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Diabetes
• Family history
• Peripheral artery disease
• Obesity

The Steps

• Maintain a health cholesterol and blood pressure.
• Quit smoking and avoid drinking too much.
• Try to control diabetes.
• Maintain a healthy body weight.
• Exercise regularly.
• Get on and remain on a regular sleep schedule.

Prevention is the key to heart disease. Unfortunately smoke people may have atypical symptoms or may not have any at all. Testing can be done to confirm diagnosis and plans can be done to get the appropriate treatment.

6 Pains You Cannot Ignore

The pain comes, it’s severe, we complain but we’re too stubborn to go see the doctor. Sometimes the suffering in silence is okay and sometimes its not!

Here is when you shouldn’t ignore those signs and why.

1. Headache. There are numerous reasons you can’t ignore a sudden and severe headache. It can mean many things such as a migraine, glaucoma, trauma, temporal arteritis or more.
2. Chest pains. Sudden chest pains could indicate a heart attack or pulmonary embolism.
3. Abdominal pains.  Severe abdominal pains could be a symptom of inflammation, stretching of an organ, IBS, pr abdominal hernia. For women, pain in the pelvic area could be a symptom of ovarian cysts, endometriosis or ovulation.
4. Legs. If you have pain or tingling in your legs, it could be a sign of nerve damage, muscle cramps, blood clots, arthritis or more.
5. Side. Sharp pains in your side could indicate kidney stones.
6. Back. Sharp back pain can mean various things. Some of the things to be careful for are back pain after trauma, back pain in patients with a history of cancer or osteoporosis.

It’s a good idea to contact your doctor if you get any of these sudden and severe pains. While it may be nothing, or there may be an easy explanation, Yosef Meystel knows it is better to be safe rather than sorry.

Importance of Maintaining A Connection In Our Old Age

As children the more we learned the more we talked to people, we made friends with everyone who would play with us. As young adults we found out who our friends were and made our own social circles. As adults our families grew bigger, and we started to let our children take over the dinner plans, then they took over the holiday traditions and it was nice to not have to deal with it.

But Yosef Meystel wants to know, what happens in the stage after that?

Most of us as seniors tend to withdraw as we get older. It’s not always on purpose, sometimes it’s just the ‘consequences’ of getting older; we may decrease or stop activities that become challenging, downsize homes to make it more manageable or stop going out on a regular basis because it’s tiring.

“I would argue that as each of us gets older, we shrink our environment to get better control of it,” says Dr. Eric Tangalos, a professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic who specializes in Alzheimer’s Disease research and other aging issues. Tangalos argues that our behaviors reflect a shifting balance between the levels of autonomy and risk in our lives and our desire for safety and security.

Some of the shrinking activities are:

1. Driving. Seniors tend to drive less or get rid of a car or two.

2. Home. Downsize to a smaller home with less maintenance or even a retirement village where there are less responsibilities.

3. Hobbies. Some of our pastimes require a lot of physical exertion like golf, gardening or other hobbies.

4. Travel. This can require a lot of energy, time, and can be tiring. As we get older we may take shorter vacations or no vacation at all.

5. Children. Some times as seniors, we relocate close to adult children and rely on them for errands and support activities.

6. Clothing. Downsize the wardrobe, particularly business attire.

7. Entertainment. We may stop going to restaurants and shows as we get older.

8. Learning. Reduce reading (active) in favor of television (passive); stop learning how to use new consumer technologies.

9. Food. This can require a lot of energy, so we will either stop cooking or eat the same things all the time.

10. Friends. As we get older, we may cut back on activities outside the home with friends.

Lose Weight For You!

We see it everywhere; the TV, standing in line at the grocery story, the radio or billboards, sometimes our own children. What do we see? We see the desire to lose weight to look good, so we can wear the fashionable clothes, or to attract someone.

But what about the most important reason? For our health.

The weight-loss benefits go beyond just looking good, there are a lot of health benefits to losing weight. Yosef Meystel thinks it's important to lose weight for you!

• Allergies and asthma. Sometimes being overweight can contribute to asthma or allergies. Shedding a few pounds can help lighten the allergy symptoms or asthma.
• Foot pain. Losing a few extra pounds can mean less weight and/or pressure on your foot!
• Skin. Our skin tends to ‘glow’ when we lose weight. This is because our body is getting the nutrition and the hydration that it needs.
• Arthritis. Our weight loss and arthritis have a strong connection that’s tied to inflammation in the body. A lot of people who lose weight have noticed that their arthritis is a bit more manageable.
• Mood. Our mood tends to improve when we lose weight because our body increases our overall well being, which lowers our risk of depression.
• Memory. Yes! Those who lose weight have better memory.
• Sleep. People who had lost weight had lower risk of sleep apnea and got a better night of sleep.
• Diabetes. The correlation between Type 2 Diabetes and being overweight is incredible similar. Losing weight can be at reversing the impact of type 2 diabetes!