I admit to just a touch of that summer tan because I think I look more vibrant. At the very least, the freckles sort of blend together and I don’t look so blotchy. But I am careful about sun exposure and it paid off this week.

I went to the dermatologist (skin doctor) for my semi annual body skin check and lucked out with only 4 burning off of possible precancerous growths. She applies liquid nitrogen to the lesions which are usually benign. Even so the higher possible risk of becoming squamous cell carcinoma is there if left untreated so my dermatologist burns them off.

My husband, who happened to have an appointment that same morning, was not so lucky. The dermatologist  used the liquid a couple of times and then took 4 biopsies off his face. They’re sent to a lab and in a few days we will get the results. Whatever the outcome I know it will be caught early because he gets checked out more than twice a year and we’ll treat it with whatever surgical procedure is required.

The problem is, however, that it is summer and few people are as conscientious about exposing ourselves to the sun as we are. That means more time is spent exposing the skin to the ultraviolet radiation of the sun, the major cause of skin damage and cancer.

Our daughters lather sunscreen on their children before they play outdoors or go swimming. I haven’t seen either of them put any cream on themselves. I’m even to the point of wearing sun protection clothing and for sure long sleeves and full length trousers in the sun, even when I’m playing golf. The protection is working.

However, the concept of protecting yourself from the sun isn’t working for most Americans even thought the market for sun screen products is huge. Even though tanning yourself is good for my doctor’s practice because that’s what she mainly deals with – the damage done to your skin from the sun, I can appreciate her frustration when some of her patients are tan all year round because they visit tanning booth.

Obviously, the concept that a tan is equated with good health is stuck in our cultural thinking. Last Tuesday, Jane Brody wrote a piece in The New York Times that tanning is addictive. She even wrote about one Canadian who said he traveled all over the world to maintain a tan throughout the year.

More in my next post. In the meantime, send me any questions you have about tanning.  I will find your answers or let you know where to go.

To your success at healthy aging.

Ruthan Brodsky

Feeling positive, enjoying where you are, and acknowledging who you are can make your brain healthier and keeps your body functioning well. No one knows for sure why a positive attitude seems to lead to a longer life but it does.

If you were to ask me the question, what’s so good about aging, my instinct would probably be to dwell on all the nastiness of aging – friends who are ill or who died, the fact that I can’t jog 6 miles anymore or get things done as quickly as I used to, and I need to focus more when creating a strategy or learning something that’s technical.

Our society does prize youth and beauty and old age doesn’t fit with that. The fact is messages about aging tend to emphasize the negative aspects.  However, like fine wine, people can get better as they age.

One of my own personal theories about people as they age is that they merely become MORE  of who they are. If they are persistent and pleasant and intelligent they will remain so in their 70′s and 80′s and 90′s. If they have a sense of humor when they’re 30, they’ll keep that sense of humor when they’re 90. The only factor to upset the apple cart is if they become ill because disease and treatments can change personalities.

The point is that experience along with maturity gives older people excellent insight. They are more in touch with their spirituality and the priorities in their life no matter the facial wrinkles. Some even managed to preserve their health and energy.

There also was a large study few years ago that suggested that happiness can lower levels of inflammation and the stress hormone cortisol which is associated with problems in learning, memory and other cognitive functions. Apparently, feelings of contentment and well being bring mental and physical benefits that counteract any negative thinking.

My suggestion, open yourself to humor and friendship. If you are feeling down in the dumps take a walk with a friend and go out of your way to find reasons to laugh and to spend time with people you enjoy. This is not a secret.

To your success at healthy aging.

Ruthan Brodsky

Somehow I managed to have copies of 3 articles in the same pile in which “It’s Not a Fad” was either part of the headline or in the first paragraph.

Apparently, the concept of something being a fad or not being a fad can be applied to just about anything. Most of the time I read about fads and something taking place on the Internet or a new wireless gizmo. And then there’s always the latest diet for quick weight loss. And of course the latest get rich quick and easy scheme that’s a fad before we realize the only people getting wealthy are those selling the product.

So how do you know when a food or a diet or a medicine or a treatment is the real thing and not a fad? When does a fad become a trend?

You need to read the content that goes along with the headline and use your good judgment.

For instance in an article titled, “It’s not just a fad – organic food is better for you, say scientists” published 3 years ago in England, the author points out the evidence to demonstrate that organic food is better. “The reason why it’s such a grey area is because it’s extremely difficult to measure the health benefit in any food, but we can say that if you eat 400g of fruit and vegetables per day you would get 20 per cent more nutrients in organic food.” (Dr. Kristen Brandt of Newcastle University)

Now that argument makes sense to me and appears to have long term value. Another one with long term value was published in the Los Angeles Times 2 years ago: “Not a fad: Oats do help hearts”.

“Findings on food and health sometimes swing back and forth like a pendulum. But in the 10 years since that claim was allowed, continued research into the reported benefits of oats has verified the link and offered new insights into how oats help the heart.”

Most of the time it is content and you interpretation of the content that will help you decide whether this or that statement is a fad or something verifiable.  Sometimes, however, it is straight information that says if it’s a fad, it is a mighty powerful one.

For instance, it took radio 38 years to reach 50 million listeners. It took TV 13 years to reach 50 million viewers. It took the Internet 4 years to reach 50 million people on board.

It took FACEBOOK 9 months to have 50 million people register.

Now you know why so many of the health fads have their origins on social networking sites!

Am I way off in my conclusion?  What do you think?

To your success at healthy aging.

Ruthan Brodsky

It’s Not a Fad

Somehow I managed to have copies of 3 articles in the same pile in which “It’s Not a Fad” was either part of the headline or in the first paragraph.

Apparently, the concept of something being a fad or not being a fad can be applied to just about anything. Most of the time I read about fads and something taking place on the Internet or a new wireless gizmo. And then there’s always the latest diet for quick weight loss. And of course the latest get rich quick and easy scheme that’s a fad before we realize the only people getting wealthy are those selling the product.

So how do you know when a food or a diet or a medicine or a treatment is the real thing and not a fad? When does a fad become a trend?

You need to read the content that goes along with the headline and use your good judgment.

For instance in an article titled, “It’s not just a fad – organic food is better for you, say scientists” published 3 years ago in England, the author points out the evidence to demonstrate that organic food is better. “The reason why it’s such a grey area is because it’s extremely difficult to measure the health benefit in any food, but we can say that if you eat 400g of fruit and vegetables per day you would get 20 per cent more nutrients in organic food.”  (Dr. Kristen Brandt of Newcastle University)

Now that argument makes sense to me and appears to have long term value. Another one with long term value was published in the Los Angeles Times 2 years ago: “Not a fad: Oats do help hearts”.

“Findings on food and health sometimes swing back and forth like a pendulum. But in the 10 years since that claim was allowed, continued research into the reported benefits of oats has verified the link and offered new insights into how oats help the heart.”

Most of the time it is content and you interpretation of the content that will help you decide whether this or that statement is a fad or something verifiable.  Sometimes, however, it is straight information that says if it’s a fad, it is a mighty powerful one.

For instance, it took radio 38 years to reach 50 million listeners.

It took TV 13 years to reach 50 million viewers.

It took the Internet 4 years to reach 50 million people on board.

It took FACEBOOK 9 months to have 50 million people register.

Now you know why so many of the health fads have their origins on social networking sites!

Am I way off in my conclusion?  What do you think?

To your success at healthy aging.

Ruthan Brodsky

It’s Not a Fad

Somehow I managed to have copies of 3 articles in the same pile in which “It’s Not a Fad” was either part of the headline or in the first paragraph.

Apparently, the concept of something being a fad or not being a fad can be applied to just about anything. Most of the time I read about fads and something taking place on the Internet or a new wireless gizmo. And then there’s always the latest diet for quick weight loss. And of course the latest get rich quick and easy scheme that’s a fad before we realize the only people getting wealthy are those selling the product.

So how do you know when a food or a diet or a medicine or a treatment is the real thing and not a fad? When does a fad become a trend?

You need to read the content that goes along with the headline and use your good judgment.

For instance in an article titled, “It’s not just a fad – organic food is better for you, say scientists” published 3 years ago in England, the author points out the evidence to demonstrate that organic food is better. “The reason why it’s such a grey area is because it’s extremely difficult to measure the health benefit in any food, but we can say that if you eat 400g of fruit and vegetables per day you would get 20 per cent more nutrients in organic food.”  (Dr. Kristen Brandt of Newcastle University)

Now that argument makes sense to me and appears to have long term value. Another one with long term value was published in the Los Angeles Times 2 years ago: “Not a fad: Oats do help hearts”.

“Findings on food and health sometimes swing back and forth like a pendulum. But in the 10 years since that claim was allowed, continued research into the reported benefits of oats has verified the link and offered new insights into how oats help the heart.”

Most of the time it is content and you interpretation of the content that will help you decide whether this or that statement is a fad or something verifiable.  Sometimes, however, it is straight information that says if it’s a fad, it is a mighty powerful one.

For instance, it took radio 38 years to reach 50 million listeners.

It took TV 13 years to reach 50 million viewers.

It took the Internet 4 years to reach 50 million people on board.

It took FACEBOOK 9 months to have 50 million people register.

Now you know why so many of the health fads have their origins on social networking sites!

Am I way off in my conclusion?  What do you think?

To your success at healthy aging.

Ruthan Brodsky

There are volumes of information on the Internet about what you can do physically to enjoy the health benefits. In the next couple of posts I’m going to summarize – or at least give you my best attempt – that information so you won’t get on information overload and not do anything! Read the rest of this entry

I schedule some type of aerobic exercise each day but to be honest, I hadn’t thought about the concept of making physical activity part of my life. Yet that’s exactly what I’ve done.

“I’m so tired after I play 9 holes what can I do to build up more strength so I can play 18 holes of golf with my husband?“  She asked that question in the woman’s locker room of a golf course where I frequently play and practice.

To be honest, I was surprised at the question. I see her husband a lot. We once took golf instruction from the same teacher and often compared notes. He’s a physician with a very bad back and knows what he needs to do so his back doesn’t go out of whack.

I was surprised because I thought she would know. She is bright, thin, and she looked in good shape. Actually, she did have a pretty good general idea abut what she needed to do because she just had her first session working out with a personal trainer for an hour with 3 other women. She just wasn’t aware of how much she should be doing to get in better shape.

I told her I do something aerobically each day of the week. It is usually walking at a fast pace and most often combining walking and some jogging. The combination walking and jogging is easier to do outdoors but I can also do it on the treadmill by just increasing the pace. I also work out with weights about twice a week for 45 minutes and in between in small chunks of 10 minutes as part of the cooling down from walking.

I have made physical activity part of my life. If there’s a day when for some reason it is impossible to spend time with a physical activity, I tend to be more lethargic and much less productive throughout the day. My goal right now is to increase the pace of what I am doing by increasing the jogging portion. I find that to be more of a mental than a physical challenge!

I suggested to my locker room friend that, providing she is healthy and has no injuries, she needs to increase the time she works out with weights and to do something aerobically at least three times a week. She walks occasionally with a friend but that often turns out to be more social than physical.

Being engaged in physical activity is so important as you get older. It’s important for your bones as well as for your brain because it helps increase the strength of your bones and helps support the oxygen that flows to your brain. Besides, you’ll be in a better mood each day you exercise or do something physical.

Love to hear your tips about what you do that’s physical.  Just type them in the comment box and I’ll put something together to share with our readers.

To your success at healthy aging.

Ruthan Brodsky

Regardless of the season it is important that you know how to guard against dry skin as you get older not just for appearance but also  for your health.  A good soak in the tub can relieve you from aches and pains and a bath before bed can relax you.  However, long, hot showers can also dry your skin. Read the rest of this entry