Maybe you're getting a little bit older. Just a little. And, maybe you are noticing that things are not exactly the same as they used to be. What kind of things?

Well, have you been noticing you re a little stiffer when you get up? Or, that you forget some things you used to always remember, like where you put your keys?

Well, these little signs of aging aren t really that serious, and are more annoying than anything else.

But that s not the stuff we want to discuss with you this month. We get asked a lot of questions about health problems that pop up more often as we get older. Patients often ask us what they can do to prevent these conditions and diseases, so we thought this would be a good time to address these concerns for you!

See, we don t just think that preventative measures work to delay or eliminate disease and infirmity.

It is our belief that preventive actions work remarkably well, and that you do have a great deal of control over how healthy you are at any age!

OK. Let s review a checklist of the most common health problems that are associated with increased age&and what you can do to hold them off from affecting you.

Diabetes

Diabetes is a disease that affects most people in their older years. 90% of all diabetes cases are classified as Type 2 diabetes, which is sometimes called adult onset diabetes. It is estimated that 5-7% of the adult population suffers from Type 2 diabetes. If you think you may be at risk for diabetes, you should get a blood sugar test. If it reads above 126 mg/dL, you are in the area that is considered to be an indication of diabetes. Some risk factors that increase the chance of contracting diabetes are: being more than 20 pounds overweight, eating a high fat, high calorie diet, being a couch potato , (not much going on in the exercise department), and having a parent who had Type 2 diabetes.

If you contract type 2 diabetes, you are at much greater risk of stroke, blindness, heart attack, amputation, kidney failure, and dementia. Here s some of the things you can do to help lower the risk of getting this:

Lose weight. Now. If you re more than 20 pounds overweight, you need to consider talking to us about how to get the weight off safely and permanently.

Exercise. Yes, you have to move it or lose it! Ask us what exercises are safe for you, and how to do them.

Reduce your consumption of alcohol. We re not saying you have to stop drinking, we re just saying that drinking in moderation is correlated with a lower incidence of diabetes.

Eat a diet that is full of fruits and vegetables.

Cancer

A healthy lifestyle is still the best defense against cancer. Here are some actions you can take to help reduce your chance of developing cancer:

Eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grain foods&as opposed to high fat, high calorie choices.

Add more monounsaturated fat in your diet. These types of healthier fats are found in foods like olive oil, avocados and fish like salmon.

Wear sunscreen and watch how much exposure you get to the sun. Skin cancer is one of the most common types of cancer, and is almost always the result of too much unprotected skin being exposed to the sun. Of course, this is quite common here in Florida.

If you smoke, stop. Enough said about that one. If you re still smoking, you re asking for trouble. (But you know that.)

Alzheimer s Disease

There are many diseases that fall into the category of dementia, or the gradual degradation of the mind's ability to think normally. While there are many different types of dementia, many people lump them together into what is commonly known as Alzheimers's Disease.

Here are some things you can do to help prevent your brain from sinking into dementia:

Exercise regularly and strenuously. There is a correlation between regular (at least three times a week) and sweat creating exercise, and a lower rate of developing dementia.

Use it or lose it. Your brain is an organ that needs regular and strenuous exercise too! The more you use your mind, the more synapses you build, and the larger you make the working part of your brain. This has not been scientifically proven but it is believed that people who do active thinking have a lower incidence of Alzheimer s Disease.

Did you ever notice how politicians and Supreme Court Justices, and others like them seem to live to a ripe old age and stay sharp as a tack all the way through? This is anecdotal evidence, of course, but it s hard to ignore when you look at the average age of these types of people when they die, and how long they can stay effective in their jobs. These folks are always thinking and thinking.

Interesting, don t you think?

Heart Disease

Heart disease is still North America s most virulent killer. It usually arises because of a build up of clotting material inside the arterial walls, that eventually creates a blockage that prevents normal blood flow, and leads to heart attacks

an other coronary diseases. If you d like to lower your risk of heart disease, here s some things you can do:

Have the right balance of good and bad cholesterol. Your bad cholesterol, LDL, should be under 130, and good cholesterol, HDL, should be above 35, with the total under 200.

Hostility and anger have been isolated in many studies as being correlated with a higher incidence of heart disease. Although it s easy to say this, and harder to do, you really have to work on ways to reduce your stress levels and get rid of internalized anger.

Keep your blood pressure under 140/90 or better. There are many things you can do to lower your blood pressure

including a healtier diet and exercise.

All of these common aging problems can be controlled or even eliminated. You do have the choice of whether or

not you have minimum or maximum risk of succumbing to these ailments and conditions. .

Of course, ALL of these preventative measures should be integrated with regular Chiropractic Care. When your spine and nervous system is in perfect balance, ALL of your body s systems work properly and the way nature intended them to work for many, many years. So, if you ever have any questions or concerns about your health, talk to us. Contact us with your, Here s what I was wondering about , type questions, instead of Guess what I just did , statements. We re here to help, and don t enjoy anything more than participating in your life long good health!