Archive for the ‘A Musing’ Category
Keep In Mind . . .
. . . that
all those folks
who try to bring you down
are already below you.
Is It Just Me . . .
. . . or
does anyone else in the building
have a plastic bag
full of plastic bags ? ? ?
I Quit . . .
. . . getting in line
because
I always forget
why the hell is was in there
in the first place.
Why Is it . . .
. . . that the most boring conversations begin with,
“I don’t want to bore you with my problems,
but . . .”
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Everyone seemed to enjoy St. Paddy’s Day doings
so don’t forget the Irish spirits-and-beer-tasting at
5 p.m. Sunday in the bistro.
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3 Little Questions Can Improve Health
If you can read and understand this clearly, you’re already a step ahead of many adults in the battle to stay healthy. Health literacy, which refers to the ability to read, understand, and act upon health information, has been identified as a hidden health crisis that affects all ages, races, and income levels.
This often-overlooked area of the health-care field puts one out of three people at risk for poor health outcomes. Health-care costs for individuals with low literacy skills have been estimated to be four times higher than for those with higher literacy skills. And patients with low literacy skills face a 50 percent higher risk of hospitalization compared with patients with adequate literacy skills.
Research suggests that people with low reading levels make more medication and treatment errors and lack the skills needed to successfully negotiate the health-care system. This affects the elderly because two-thirds of adults 60 years of age and older reportedly have either inadequate or marginal literacy skills.
The literacy problem can stem from poor reading comprehension, the complexity of medical information, the format in which it is delivered, or any combination of these. Studies show that anyone can have difficulty understanding health-care information. Even college-educated people who can understand complicated verbiage prefer to have medical information stated simply.
Medical terms often come across to patients as if the doctor is speaking another language. A sampling of some used by doctors and health-care providers include:
–dysfunction, a medical term that can replace problem;
–landmark, a conceptual term for turning point;
–cognitive, a term that can replace learning, and
–progressive, a value-judgment description that can mean getting worse or getting better._
A tool has been developed to make clear communication easier. It’s available on line at http://www.AskMe3.org. This program promotes three simple, but essential, questions patients should ask their doctor, nurse, pharmacist or other health-care provider in every health-care situation.
1. What is my main problem?
2. What do I need to do?
3. Why is it important for me to do this?
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For Those Who Keep Asking . . .
. . . there is a Roman Catholic Mass
scheduled for the 2nd floor theater
at 10 a.m. Friday.
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If at first you don’t succeed,
just remember that
you’re like the rest of us.
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Let’s Drink to Our Health
Results of several studies and surveys in various parts of the globe support the view that the moderate use of alcohol actually is good for your health and longevity. We’re talking about moderate drinking, which translates into an average of one or two drinks a day.
One drink is defined as an ounce of liquor, four ounces of wine, or 12 ounces of beer. This is not to be mistaken as a promotion for the use of alcohol. If you don’t drink, don’t start. If you do drink, keep it minimal.
Studies have revealed that women who drink an average of half a drink a day have a 14 percent lower risk of developing high blood pressure than non-drinkers. Those who average one drink a day lower their risk of hypertension by 20 percent compared with non-drinkers.
A study of more than 38,000 men over a dozen years indicated that those who have a drink three or more times a week reduce their risk of heart attack compared to those who drink less. Those who average one drink a day are more than 30 percent less likely to die after a heart attack than teetotalers.
People 65 and older who down more than 15 drinks a week are 40 percent less likely than abstainers to have silent strokes, but they are at greater risk for brain shrinkage. Harvard researchers even found a slight reduction in Parkinson’s disease rates among moderate beer drinkers.
Despite the data supporting the cardiovascular-health benefits of moderate drinking, physicians are loathe to prescribe a glass of wine after dinner to improve your well-being. There simply isn’t enough information to encourage patients who do not drink alcohol to start.
When discussing the benefit or bane of alcohol, medical experts argue that its use can lead to abuse, while exercise, proper diet, and cholesterol-controlling drugs can achieve and maintain a quality level of health. Supporters of the moderate use of alcohol suggest it dovetails smoothly into the litany of a health lifestyle: don’t smoke, be active, maintain a healthy weight, and eat a balanced diet — with a daily glass of wine.
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It Was Just . . .
. . . the other day
that I mentioned I couldn’t remember
the last time I had a cold.
Now I remember.
I caught one yesterday and still have it.
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All we hear about Humpty Dumpty is his great fall.
He musta had a lousy summer.
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Fish Fight Arthritis
The omega-3 fatty acids in fish bolster your body’s ability to battle inflammation that autoimmune rheumatoid arthritis causes to its victims’ joints, heart and lungs.
A couple of fish servings a week can alleviate the pain and discomfort as can a daily dose of fish supplement.
Vitamin C-rich foods, such as citrus fruit, also can help. Two CCs – celery and cherries – can alleviate the pain caused by gout, a form of arthritis that flares up without warning to attack joints. Cherry juice also can help.
If you’re prone to gout attacks, you should avoid carbohydrates, such as white bread, and commercially prepared baked goods as well as processed foods.
Got Wondering . . .
. . . while waiting for breakfast the other morning,
where do they get the seeds
to plant for seedless watermelon?
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Inflation is a Four-Letter Word
There’s a lot of talk about inflation these days.
No one can pin point its cause nor can they really explain what it means. One generally accepted description is “Too Much Money Chasing Too Few Goods.” An economic term describes it as a general increase in prices and a fall in the purchasing power of money.
How ever you say it, it means things cost more than they used to while your money’s purchasing power has declined.
But just because the price of air fare goes up because everyone’s going on vacation doesn’t mean we’re being hit by inflation.
Money mavins are interested more in why prices rise. A rainy season can ruin a crop, boosting its price until regular seasonal supply can resume. Supply-chain breakdowns can cause sudden but short-lived surges in the price of certain products.
Those events are not to be confused with inflation.
Money supply is important, but so is the demand for money. If you lose confidence in the future of your currency, you’re likely to seek something else that will maintain its power to purchase what you need and want. Dumping dollars for gold and silver is one common practice, as is buying another country’s currency.
Like so many economic theories and multi-syllabic words, inflation is not easy to define.
When prices rise when consumers change their behavior or supply chains get snarled, that’s not inflation. But when prices climb because there’s a shift in the supply of and demand for money, that’s when inflation starts to become a problem.
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Do dyslexics get . . .
. . . get depressed
when life
gives them melons?
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Smaller Bulk Buys Also Save
Even if you’re living alone, you can save money by buying the family size packages of such meats as beef, pork and poultry, which are usually cheaper per pound than the smaller packages.
At home, you can divide the pieces into meal-size portions and keep them in the freezer.
The same, of course, applies to large packages of frozen fruit and vegetables that are much more economical than smaller individual packets.
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Super Supper Shuttle, Super Idea
Beginning next month,
a twice-a-month shuttle
will provide Verena residents
late-afternoon free transportation
to and from nearby restaurants.
Because it’s a shuttle, there is no need to sign up.
Just show up at the times advertised starting at 3 p.m.
If you miss a shuttle, wait for the next one.
Just don’t miss the last one.
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I just realized
I’ve mastered how easy it is to sleep.
I can do it with my eyes shut.
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Coffee A Healthy Break
Coffee might be considered the WD-40 of the food system. It’s been cited as a defensive mechanism against health risks ranging from sunburn to diabetes. Scientific, medical and diet gurus around the globe claim drinking three to five cups a day is a healthy regimen.
While not the source of nutrients found in diets of the health-conscious, an eight-ounce cup of coffee, regular or decaffeinated, contains more disease-fighting antioxidants than a typical serving of blueberries or oranges.
The anti-coffee culture points out that coffee also can cause nervousness, keep you awake at night and boost your blood pressure. To counter these over-stimulating effects of coffee, nutritionist suggest spacing out one’s intake, drinking a cup of coffee every few hours during the day.
A European study also revealed coffee retards the cognitive decline in the elderly.
Caffeine reduces the risk of cirrhosis of the liver as well as lowering the odds of death by heart disease among the elderly. Studies have also revealed coffee drinkers are less likely to develop basal-cell carcinoma – skin cancer – than non-coffee drinkers. Coffee has also been found to reduce pain, protect against strokes, fight depression and a variety of cancers, and protect the liver.
While the consensus is that coffee can be good for you, it shouldn’t be considered a cure-all. If coffee gives you the jitters, try decaf. If that doesn’t work, talk with your doctor.
Go easy on milk, cream, sugar and other-coffee-shop add-ons because they add calories to an otherwise low-calorie beverage. When brewing your own coffee, use paper filters that trap the oils in coffee that can increase your levels of cholesterol.
As with anything that involves your health and well-being, discuss your coffee habits with your primary care physician.
Mature Life Features 