Omega-3 oils may protect elderly brains

High blood levels of omega-3 highly unsaturated fatty acids, which are found in fish oil, may help preserve thinking ability in the elderly, according to the findings of two studies published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The results were particularly striking among subjects with high blood pressure or high cholesterol levels.

Accumulating evidence suggests that diets that include omega-3 fatty acids, specifically, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), protect against the development of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, according to a Dutch research team. However, the effect of EPA+DHA consumption on thinking ability, or “cognitive function,” has received less scrutiny.

So Dr. Boukje Maria van Gelder, from the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment in Bilthoven, and associates evaluated data for 210 healthy men in the “Zutphen Study,” who were 79 to 89 years old in 1990 and had normal mental capacity. Their diets were assessed in 1990, and cognitive function was tested in 1990 and again in 1995.

Stress Management Tip

If you are experiencing mild depression or anxiety, aerobic workouts such as walking or jogging can significantly improve your mood.

Non-aerobic exercise, like weight lifting, can also boost your spirits, improve sleep and appetite, reduce irritability and anger and produce feelings of mastery and accomplishment.

Be sure to check with your healthcare professional before you start any new exercise program.

Weight Training Tip

To build strong, muscular calves, try the 'step up' exercise. Stand on a step or stairway on the balls of your feet, leaving the rest of your foot off.

Use a wall to balance yourself so you don't fall. Rise onto your toes slowly as high as you can and hold for the count of three. Lower your heels below the step.

Using your calf muscles, push up onto your toes again and lower. Repeat 10 to 12 times. Add another set as you get stronger.

Water Works for Weight Loss

Nothing quells the appetite like water, lots and lots of water. Start out with two quart bottles in the morning and carry one with you to work or wherever you go. If you like, divvy up the 64 ounces of water into eight (8-ounce) bottles or four pint (16-ounce) bottles to carry around with you all day.

Freeze half of them the night before and they will last all day, even in a hot car. Keep some unfrozen so they will be ready to drink immediately.Yes. You will have to make more frequent bathroom trips, but it is worth it. Drink your 64 ounces of water before dinner, if possible, so you're not up half the night going to the bathroom.

Water not only fills you up and lessens your appetite, it prevents those "hungry horrors" we all encounter when our blood sugar drops and we reach for cookies, candy, ice cream, fries or other high-calorie treats. Water also flushes out the system, rids the body of bloat and toxins and rosies up the complexion. Now, start splashing.

Diet and Exercise are Keys to Healthy Living

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