September 26th, 2008 -- Posted in aging wellness, baby boomer fitness, baby boomer health, boomer fitness, boomer health, boomer wellness, elderly exercise, senior exercise, senior health |
The thyroid is a gland (a hormone-producing organ) located in the front of your neck. It manufactures a hormone that affects many bodily functions, including heart rate, respiration, the central nervous system, and the reproductive system, and helps control the metabolic rate of the body. There are two main problems that can occur with thyroid functioning:
Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) is the production of too little hormone, causing fatigue, weight gain, memory and hair loss, depression, difficulty sleeping and swallowing, mood swings, enlarged thyroid gland (also known as goiter), dry skin, intolerance to cold, and/or high cholesterol levels.
On the other hand, hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) is the production of too much hormone resulting in irritability, nervousness, muscle weakness, tremors, irregular menstrual periods, weight loss, sleep disturbances, goiter, vision problems, palpitations, heat intolerance, and/or impaired fertility.
According to the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter, up to 12% of Americans have thyroid disorders. Women are much more prone to thyroid disorders than men. Hypothyroidism is more common than hyperthyroidism, especially among older women. The risk increases with age. Only 6% of 40-year-old women have been diagnosed with hypothyroidism, compared with 21% of those over 75. It’s estimated that more than half of all cases have not been diagnosed. Testing is easy and should be considered if you have a family history of thyroid problems, symptoms that may be related to a thyroid disorder, high cholesterol levels, had radiation to the neck, or have diabetes.
Published by Joanne Deck, CWC
Technorati Tags: aging wellness, baby boomer wellness, Joanne Deck, Joanne Musson, nurture you, senior wellness, weight loss, weight management, wellness
September 18th, 2008 -- Posted in aging wellness, baby boomer diet, baby boomer fitness, baby boomer health, boomer diet, boomer fitness, boomer health, boomer wellness, elderly exercise, food wellness, senior diet, senior exercise, senior health |
When you think about aging and wellness, what thoughts do you hold? Does it seem inevitable to you that your physical strength will diminish and your energy decline as you age? Do you expect to be ill more frequently and for longer periods of time? When you get injured, do you think that it will take longer to heal at your age? I hear these ideas expressed by people all the time. I’ve had them suggested to me we when I broke my toe recently or felt fatigued because I had cut my sleeping short for a couple of consecutive nights.
Studies show that these expectations do not have to hold true. Experts in body/mind healing such as Deepak Chopra confirm this.
So why do many people experience these outcomes? Often it’s a combination of lifestyle changes and thoughts. As we age, many of us are less active, and we lose muscle as a result of our more sedentary lifestyle. In turn, we gain weight because we don’t reduce our food portions although we’ve reduced our activity levels. Less muscle and increased weight drains our energy more quickly, so we feel tired more often. Our reflexes suffer and we can’t respond as quickly as we used to, so we may get hurt more easily. Yet rather than recognize our role in all of this, we chalk it up to aging, which only exacerbates the problem!
I urge you to deny any thought or suggestion that your health and abilities must decline in any way as you age. You CAN be well as you gain years and wisdom. Do your part to care for yourself. Look for opportunities to move, nourish yourself with a balanced diet of healthy foods in moderate portions, and listen to your body. Rest when you need to and follow your doctor’s advice. Finally, decide to expect the best, and you can achieve the best!
This post is written by Joanne Deck, CWC of Nurture You.
Technorati Tags: aging wellness, diet, exercise, fitness, Joanne Deck, Joanne Musson, senior health, senior wellness
