Six Ways to Promote Brain Health

The following is from McMaster University Optimal Aging Portal and contains some great advice.

Physical Activity and Weight Management

Follow the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines. Engage in 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous−intensity aerobic physical activity per week, in bouts of 10 minutes or more. Add muscle and bone−strengthening activities using your major muscle groups at least two days per week. Pick activities that you enjoy so you are more likely to stick with it. Eat a balanced diet to assist with weight management.

Diet and Nutrition

Adopt the Mediterranean Diet to optimize brain health. There is no evidence that vitamin and mineral supplementation will promote brain health.

Blood Vessel Health

Actively manage conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes to promote blood vessel health.

Smoking and Alcohol Use

Quit smoking and stay within Canada’s Low−Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines, which advise:

• For women: no more than 10 drinks a week, with no more than 2 drinks on most days.

• For men: no more than 15 drinks a week, with no more than 3 drinks a day most days.

• Plan non-drinking days every week to avoid developing a habit.

• For women aged 65+: no more than 1 drink per day, and no more than 5 per week.

• For men aged 65+: no more than 1-2 drinks per day, and no more than 7 per week.

• A standard drink is 142 ml (5 oz.) of wine, 341 ml (12 oz.) bottle or can of beer or 43 ml (1.5 oz.) of liquor.

Brain and Social Activity

Strive to maintain higher levels of brain activity in mid to late−life. Being socially active is an important predictor of well-being in general and brain health throughout life. For optimum effect, incorporate activities that provide both cognitive and physical elements such as yoga or tai chi. Health Conditions and Drug Side Effects

Watch for medications that have the potential for adverse effects on memory and cognitive function (e.g. benzodiazepines, ‘Z−drug’ sleeping pills and certain pain medications such as those that contain opioids. Treat depression, get adequate sleep, manage conditions that lower your oxygen levels, like heart failure, COPD, or sleep apnea. Get help with hearing loss.

Other Resources

iGericare

Learn more about dementia and mild cognitive impairment with free online lessons developed by experts in dementia and online learning at McMaster University.

Visit iGeriCare.ca

Fountain of Health

Tap into five actions you can take to maximize your health and happiness. Use The Wellness App assess your health and resilience, set doable goals and track your progress.

Visit fountainofhealth.ca

Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines

Learn more about the recommendations for adults and older adults. Download the guidelines from the

ParticipACTION website and access other helpful resources.

Visit participaction.ca

Smoker’s Helpline

Access free and personalized tools to help you quit smoking successfully from the Canadian Cancer Society.

Visit smokershelpline.ca

Canada’s Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines

The guidelines for adults aged 18 to 64 were developed by the Canadian Centre for Substance Use and Addiction.

Visit ccsa.ca

Baycrest Brain Health Diet

The Brain Health Food Guide, developed by Baycrest, provides practical advice about healthy eating for the aging brain.

Visit Baycrest.org

Hacking Exercise for Health. The Surprising New Science of Fitness

Take this free online course developed by experts from McMaster University to learn more about the right mix between cardio and strength training.

Visit coursera.org/learn/hacking−exercise−health

McMaster Optimal Aging Portal

Your source for healthy ageing information you can trust.

Visit mcmasteroptimalaging.org

The journey is short

The journey is short earliest publication in 2017 on a blog called Speaking Tree by Muthender Velishala

An elderly woman got on a bus and sat down. At the next stop, a strong, grumpy young woman climbed up and sat down sharply beside the old woman, hitting her with her numerous bags.

When she saw that the elderly woman remained silent, the young woman asked her why she had not complained when she hit her with her bags.

The elderly woman replied with a smile: “There is no need to be rude or discuss something so insignificant, as my trip next to you is so short because I am going to get off at the next stop."

This answer deserves to be written in gold letters: “There is no need to discuss something so insignificant because our journey together is too short."

Each of us must understand that our time in this world is so short, that darkening with struggles, useless arguments, jealousy, not forgiving others, discontent and an attitude of constant discovery is a ridiculous waste of time and energy.

Did someone break your heart? Stay calm.

The trip is too short.

Did someone betray you, intimidate, cheat, or humiliate you? Relax. Excuse. The trip is too short.

Did someone insult you without reason? Stay calm. Ignore it. The trip is too short.

Did a neighbour comment on the chat that you didn't like? Stay calm. Ignore him. Forgive that. The trip is too short.

Whatever the problem someone has brought us, remember that our journey together is too short.

No one knows the length of that trip. Nobody knows when it will arrive at its stop. Our trip together is too short.

We will appreciate friends and family.

Let us be respectful, kind and forgive, we will be filled with gratitude and joy, after all our trip together as the journey is truly short. 

Low-income workers unprepared for retirement.

Longer life expectancy, complicated retirement savings systems leaving many low-income workers unprepared for retirement.

In a virtual webinar developed as a collaboration between the Stanford Center on Longevity and the Longevity Project speakers spoke to the idea that almost half of all U.S. families reported lacking any retirement savings beyond Social Security, according to the Economic Policy Institute. In addition, with life expectancy continuing to increase, many retirees may not be prepared to finance these longer lives.

Speakers also noted that more people are entering retirement these days with debt than they had in the past, which creates an additional drain on retiree’s spending. Pair that with the havoc the COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked on the Social Security trust fund reserves and the fact that many retirees eventually will need extended long-term services and support raises concerns about retirement and Social Security.

Not all the panellists were quite as concerned about the current retirement system, however.

One speaker noted that when you look at the data, we’ve really come a very long way from the golden era of traditional defined pensions and more Americans are participating in retirement plans than ever before.

In addition, more and more retirees have been building in a fourth pillar to the traditional three retirement pillars of Social Security: workplace retirement plans and personal savings, they are choosing to work in some form after entering “retirement.”

The definition of work has evolved and changed over the years, and many people are finding ways to monetize their years in traditional retirement.

This is great for the first 10 to 15 years of retirement but it may be a problem in the last 15 years of retirement.

Should I work after retirement or change my job?

 Thanks to Interim health care for the idea

Times are tough, many of us are not working and it is not by choice. The economy in many countries is in the tank and many are searching for a new way to make a living. Maybe it is time to re-invent ourselves or to start a new career. Note I said career not a job.

A job is work you perform to earn money to support your basic needs. It can be full-time or part-time and may be short-term. You might earn an hourly wage or a set paycheck rather than a salary with benefits. You might need to learn certain skills connected with that role, but not all jobs require a specialized degree or advanced training.

You can also define a job as a short- or long-term contract between an employer and a worker. For instance, a company hires a local contractor to complete an office renovation job. They agree upon payment terms, and the job ends once the project is complete.

What is a career?

A career is a journey you embark on based on your passions. It is the path you embark upon to fulfill your goals and ambitions. In addition to a wage, a career brings benefits beyond money, such as personal pride, work satisfaction and self-worth.

While everyone's situation is unique and there are more questions to consider than what I can include in just one blog post, I can share some reasons why you should absolutely consider starting a new career after 50.

In fact, depending on whether you're currently working, here are some reasons to consider starting or changing your career:

To reduce stress.

Stress is at an all-time high for MANY people right now. You're not alone! Dealing with physical distancing, fear of COVID, worrying about family and friends and then work stress on top of it?! While you may not be able to control some things, work is one thing you CAN control. In fact, research shows that the right job can make you happier. And when you're making a difference in your work, that can have a major impact on your stress levels.

To slow things down.

Living through a pandemic has forced many of us to pause and reflect on what makes us happy. Rather than returning to the hustle and bustle once the most difficult days of the pandemic are behind us, changing careers now can help you prioritize what's really important and slow down your life a bit.

To keep your brain sharp.

Our brains are like muscles -- we must use them to keep them fit! Changing careers helps us flex our brain "muscles," learn new things and step out of our comfort zones. As a bonus, challenging our brains by trying something new can even help reduce your risk of Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

If you're currently retired or not working...

If you've been thinking about returning to work, and especially of trying a new career, now is a GREAT time!

We could all use some extra money.

We've said it a few times already, but we're living in uncertain times. Extra money can make a big difference right now for nearly every family.

Branch out and meet new people.

To the point above about brain health and keeping sharp, starting a new career after 50 can help you get out of the house, branch out of your comfort zone, and meet new, wonderful people!

We've all seen the headlines about loneliness in the pandemic, loneliness has been shown to have a major, negative impact on heart health. Getting out and interacting with new people can do WONDERS.