Struggling with back pain is very common and becomes even more evident as you and your friends get older. Something like four out of five people in North American will have a serious episode of low-back pain at some point in their lives. What makes it worse is that one episode usually leads to another.

The good news is that the right treatment, including exercising safely, can make a huge difference between healing and building up your back to become more resilient, more injury resistant, and less likely to incur another injury.

This may be an over simplification of what causes back pain but back pain is either due to an injury to a disk or to a joint. One very unscientific way to find out which is yours is:

• If you have pain when standing and walking and feel better when you’re sitting, then it’s likely a joint problem.
• If you have pain when sitting and feel better when you’re walking and standing then the pain is likely due to a disc issue.

Joint or disk degeneration can result in the pain commonly called sciatica which is an inflammation of a nerve root. In other cases lower back pain may stem from a muscle strain or pull.

If you’ve just had an injury or surgery and pain is acute, you may need to rest for a day or so. Beyond that there’s no value to resting and it is better to get moving. If you have chronic pain you should be working out regularly, integrating exercises and strength training, flexibility and endurance. The truth is active forms of back exercises are usually necessary to rehabilitate the spine and help alleviate back pain.

Depending upon your specific diagnosis and level of pain, the back pain exercises and rehab programs will be different. That’s a good enough reason to see a spine specialist who can develop an individualized program of back exercises for you and refer you to someone who can provide instruction about using the correct form and technique with these exercises.

In my next post I’ll write about the importance of core exercises.
Until then start moving without over doing.

To your exercising success,

Ruthan

Ruthan Brodsky
Health Writer & Business Writer
Content Creator

Consider knowing where you can find the sources you need for calcium as part of your anti aging journey.  As you know there is no magic bullet that delays the natural aging process but everything you can do to keep up your health and strength and positive outlook will certainly give you the right approach.  And before you consider going under the knife or spending additional money on foods listed as anti aging, the secret ingredient may be right under your nose.

Think of calcium as one of those secrets.

Dairy foods are outstanding sources of calcium and all foods and drinks made from milk contain calcium. There are also many non-dairy foods that are excellent sources of calcium for those who are lactose sensitive or intolerant. The also work if you’re a vegetarian or just don’t like dairy.

Did you know that the highest amount of calcium is in cheese? Just one ounce contains 200 mg of calcium because it takes many ounces of milk to make one ounce of cheese. I like to select reduced-fat products like reduced fat or light cheese, skim milk, no-fat cottage cheese, and light yogurt or no fat yogurt to keep my saturated fat and cholesterol under control. One cup of low fat plain yogurt contains 415 mg of calcium and 1 cup of low fat milk contains 305 mg of calcium.

Non-dairy sources of calcium are the dark-green vegetables like spinach, broccoli, kale and collard greens. Interestingly the calcium in broccoli is as bioavailable as the calcium in milk. Spinach, however, contains phytates that bind with the calcium so you don’t absorb all the calcium. Canned salmon and sardines are also good sources of calcium.  Sardines canned in oil, 3 ounces contains 325 mg of calcium and one cup of cooked collard greens contains 266 mg of calcium.

Finally there are the many foods fortified with calcium such as orange juice, tofu, and cereal. Although a box of cereal may say there are 1,000 mg per serving, your body can’t absorb that much at one time so at best you are only consuming half that amount.  Sometimes when calcium is added to beverages it settles to the bottom of the container and isn’t consumed.
What you do need to help absorb the calcium is Vitamin D. Read my previous posts on this wonderful vitamin and how to make it part of your life style.

Getting older is a challenge and consuming the right amount of calcium for your health and strong bones is all part of that journey.

To your healthy aging.

Ruthan

Ruthan Brodsky
Health Writer & Business Writer
Copywriter & Content Marketer

Drinking milk was not something either of our daughters enjoyed as youngsters and avoided as teens. A friend and I recently had this conversation  after lamenting about another friend who fell on the tennis court and fractured her hip.

We’re certain our tennis playing friend was taking calcium supplements but obviously her bones were weak. People get bruised or sprain an ankle on a tennis court. They usually don’t fracture hips. Osteoporosis and weakening bones is a problem for both women and men as we age.

Calcium supplements can help prevent the problem but they are not the complete solution. It is better to get the calcium we by eating the right food because dietary sources of calcium are better absorbed than calcium supplements. This includes the calcium in dairy foods, the calcium in non-dairy foods, and the calcium in fortified foods.

Most doctors recommend about 1,000 milligrams (mg) of calcium daily for women ages 19-50 and 1,200 for women age 50 and over. Something like 99 percent of the calcium in your body is stored in your teeth and bones.  When you don’t get enough calcium in your diet, then calcium is taken out of your skeleton and this contributes to weaker bones.

What we need to keep in mind is that as we get older good nutrition plays an increasingly important role. Eating a low-salt, low-fat diet with lots of fruits, vegetables and fiber can actually reduce our age related risks of heart disease, diabetes, stroke and osteoporosis.

What we tend to forget is that as we age our body’s daily energy needs are less. We need fewer calories per day than we did when we were younger. What I find particularly tough to deal with is that because of the natural hormone changes in our body we’re prone to producing more body fat, especially around the middle and less muscle. All of which means we need less fat and plenty of protein in our diets plus more activity and muscle strengthening.

All of which brings us full circle to our bones losing mineral content more rapidly than before and our need for more calcium to prevent osteoporosis.

In my next post I’ll talk about some of the foods we can eat- dairy and non dairy- to get our share of calcium.

To our success at absolutely no fractured bones,

Ruthan

Ruthan Brodsky
Health Writer & Business Writer
Content Creator and Content Marketer

The previous post listed some of the questions you should be asking yourself when you’re looking for information on the Internet.  Basically it’s all about not looking for the quick fix or the one pill cure for everything. I’ve always been taught that sound health advice is based on a body of research not a single study. News stories about the latest scientific study, especially on TV or Twitter or Utube, are often much too brief to include all the details you should know.

When looking for information on supplements make sure your thinking is correct.  You may be making assumptions from information and misinformation that you have collected during your life.  For instance, if you are thinking that Even if a product may not help me, at least it won’t hurt me may not always be true. Many times if you consume enough of the product over a long enough period of time or in combination with other substances, all the chemicals can be toxic including your supplements, plant components and other biologically active ingredients.

Here’s another assumption that most people have that is wrong. When you see the term natural, you may think that a product is healthy and safe. Natural does not mean safe and wholesomeness. It may be that thee substances have milder effects which makes them safer to use than drugs.  If you think about it, snake venom is natural and it’s not very good for you.

The term natural on labels isn’t well defined and often used ambiguously to imply claims that something is safe when the claim isn’t substantiated. For instance, many weight loss products claim to be natural or herbal but that doesn’t make them safe. Their ingredients can mix with other drugs and be dangerous.

I use to think that a product is safe when there’s no cautionary information on the product label.  Not so; it’s buyer beware. Manufacturers of dietary supplements may not include warnings about potential adverse effects on the labels of their products. If you want to snow about the safety of a particular dietary supplement, you have to contact the manufacturer yourself. However, it is the manufacturer’s responsibility to determine that the supplement it produces or distributes is safe and there is evidence that the label claims are truthful.

And finally, if you think that a recall of a harmful product guarantees that all those harmful products will be pulled from the shelves, think again. A product recall of a dietary supplement is mostly voluntary. Most manufacturers do their best at a recall but it’s still up to the consumer to be aware of the possibility that some of the products are on the shelves.

If you’re contacting the manufacturer to find out more information about the product you’re purchasing, here’s a list of questions:

• What proof do you have to substantiate the claims for the product? Let them know that company graphs and charts don’t count.

• Can the company provide information about the safety of the product?

• Does the company have a quality control system in place to make sure the product actually contains what is printed on the label?

• Has the company received any negative reports from consumers about the product?

If it seems like a lot of work to find out the information you want to know, you are right. You may want to ask your pharmacist her advice on which brand of vitamin to take. You may also want to discuss the idea with your doctor.

Good luck in your searches.

Ruthan

Ruthan Brodsky
Health Writer & Business Writer

Above all keep in mind that under the law, manufacturers of dietary supplements are responsible for making sure their products are safe before they are distributed. The manufacturers are also responsible for making sure that the claims on the labels are accurate and honest.

The process of whether or not the supplements are safe is similar to the distribution of most food products. Dietary supplements, like spinach, aren’t reviewed by the government before they are distributed, but the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must take action against any unsafe dietary supplement product that reaches the market. If the FDA can prove the claims on the supplements are false and misleading, the agency can take action and request changing the ads or shut down the distribution.

So what does this mean for you? This approach to lack of vitamin regulation simply means that you are the key to determining whether the supplement works and whether it causes you any harm.

One of the first things you look for when searching for a supplement is who runs the web site. If it’s the manufacturer or even the distributor you probably are not going to unbiased opinions and information. On the other hand, if the internet site is sponsored by a medical or health organization such as American Heart Association or by a government agency you have a better chance of getting honest information.

Once you’re at the website examine the purpose of the website. Is it to educate? to market products? Commercial sites are supposed to distinguish scientific information from advertising. Sometimes that doesn’t happen so it’s up to you to figure it out.

Then decide whether the information is current. Check the date when the material was posted or updated.

Now ask yourself are the claims too good to be true?  It’s important that you learn to distinguish the hype from evidence-based science. Testimonials don’t count when you’re looking for science especially when they don’t have formal training in nutrition. This holds true for the sales clerk to your friends on Facebook.

In my next post I’ll write about more questions you should be asking yourself to find out if the supplements you’re taking work. In the meantime, read the labels of the vitamins you’re taking.

To your successful healthy aging.
Ruthan

Ruthan Brodsky
Health Writer & Business Writer
248 568 6970
ruthan@ruthanbrodsky.com

I take supplements three times a day, with every meal. I’ve been doing that for at least 10 years and before that I took supplements at least once a day.
I spend a lot of money purchasing those supplements.

I even joined a direct marketing company to sell supplements. Instead of spending all the money at a local vitamin shop I received a commission on the vitamins I purchased for myself and if I recruited any other people to purchase or sell those vitamins. I am no longer active with the company other than purchasing several of the products that I believe do help improve the quality of my life.

The more I read, however, the less I am convinced that I need to take all those vitamins.

My reasoning for taking vitamins is simple: I couldn’t possibly eat all the food required to get the correct amount of nutrition. Actually, I still believe that and there are some vitamins that even my physician is prescribing and tests  for in my blood – like vitamin d.

Government agencies, hospitals, doctors, dieticians – they all get questions asking for information about dietary supplements. It makes sense they we all want to know more about the herbals, vitamins, minerals or other substances that we choose to  supplement our diets. I’m convinced that choosing a dietary supplement can be a wise decision. However, there are circumstances where a dietary supplement may be harmful or just a waste of money.

Today the direction of the questions about dietary supplements has changed slightly. That’s because there is so much information now available people want to know how to sort out all that information. Which sources of information are reliable and which are questionable?

All this thinking about supplements has led me to rethink about my total diet. It’s important that you and I keep in mind that dietary supplements are intended to supplement our diets, not replace the balance of the variety of foods which we require. It’s true we need enough nutrients but too much of some nutrients may also cause problems.
That’s why it’s a good idea to check with your doctor or healthcare provider before using a supplement. If you’re already taking them, make a list and show them to your physician. This is especially important if you take medication for a chronic condition such as diabetes, hypertension or heart disease.

The problem is some supplements may interact with your prescription drugs and even with over-the-counter (OTC) medicines and have adverse effects. For example Coumadin with ginko biloba and aspirin with vitamin E. Coumadin and aspirin thin the blood. Ginko biloba and vitamin E thin the blood even more.

Another one is St. John’s Wort. That supplement reduces the effect of certain HIV drugs and it also may reduce the effectiveness of prescription drugs for heart disease, depression, seizures and certain cancers.

Talk to your physician. Talk to the pharmacist. And keep in mind that you are the bottom line: it’s your responsibility to know what you need to know about supplements.

More in my next post.
To improving your health with supplements

Ruthan

Ruthan Brodsky

Health Writer & Business Writer

Content Creator

Your doctor gave you a diagnosis that could change your life. Good communication with your doctor will help you survive and thrive through the treatment and care of this new turn in your life’s journey.

You probably have many questions about your condition or disease or you may not have understood what your doctor was telling you. Her words were too technical and there was so much to absorb.  Ask her to slow down when she speaks with you and to talk in simple terms that you can understand.

It’s good to look for more information from other sources, to Google your condition and see what you find. But think of your doctor as your partner, someone who will discuss the situation with you, explain your options and help you make the right decisions.

Not only will talking with your doctor help you feel you are receiving better care but it will probably improve the outcomes of your treatment. Just as importantly, when you are an active member of your health care team, your participation can reduce the chances of medical mistakes and you do get better care.

Ask your doctor questions about anything that concerns you. It’s your body that’s being treated. Keep asking until you understand the answers. If you don’t, your doctor will think you understand everything he said. My friend’s brother asked his doctor to draw pictures to help him understand the surgical procedure suggested for him.

When you talk to your doctor, take notes, have a family member or friend with you, even tape the visit if that’s okay with your doctor.  Your doctor is your partner but remember you are still the captain of your ship. You are the holding company. It’s still up to you to learn more about your health problem and treatment, look for information that is based on careful review and current scientific findings.

Why don’t you ask your doctor to recommend resources such as Web sites, or journal articles?

I also suggest you get a second opinion. You can find a qualified  physician with the same specialty through the hospital. And then find out more information about what are the next steps after surgery or treatment. If you think you may need help of any sort during the treatment you can also ask the hospital about resources such as support groups and helpful agencies.

Make talking to your doctor and asking at least two reasonable  questions with each visit a regular practice. It’s all part of your health care.

To your better care in healthy aging,
Ruthan

Ruthan Brodsky
Health Writer & Business Writer
Content Creator

As we get older we seem to spend more time at doctors’ offices treating the myriad of conditions that tend to impact us as we age. As long as you’re spending more time with health care professionals, make that time of more value to you.

The research shows that if you talk to your doctors and actively work with them collaborating in your treatment, you are going to feel more in control of your health and better able to tolerate symptoms. You also will take more responsibility for your own health which is a major factor to better health.

It doesn’t help much either when a doctor acts paternalistic. There was a huge study in 1995 which surveyed over 70,000 Consumer Report readers. They were asked about their doctor patient relationship. The result was that those patients whose doctors encouraged questions, solicited opinions and explained recommendations were more likely to report they were in good health

It’s been reported that good doctor is one who knows how to listen to his patients. I strongly believe that patients who contribute to their own health are also good listeners. For example, they don’t show up at the doctor, place a print out of a research report they found on Google, and insist their treatment follow the same path. Listening goes both ways.

Ideally, doctors should spend enough time getting to know their patients. That doesn’t happen very often especially when you’re changing insurance plans or you need to find a new doctor. You may want to consider making a special appointment with your new physician and let them know in more detail about your health issues or why you’re avoiding specific medications or why you want to try alternative methods.

One of things I always do when I have a doctor’s appointment is to make a list of my questions. I take them with me and refer to them during and after the exam. Keep in mind, however, that your doctor may have different priorities than you. Your tennis elbow may be aggravating you but your doctor is more concerned about your blood pressure so your questions may have to wait. If that happens and you are interrupted, persist in getting an answer by asking to talk about your concerns at the end of the appointment.

Get and give feedback during your appointment. Repeat key points such as the diagnosis and medication directions and ask the physician to confirm that you understood them correctly. If you don’t understand an expression ask for an explanation. On the other hand, if you already know a lot about the disease, let you doctor know that too so she won’t be repeating herself explaining something you already understand.

I often ask for a good reference about the condition she’s treating. Usually I’m giving an internet address for a professional healthcare site that focuses on a specific disease or treatment.

Bring a paper and a pencil and take notes while your doctor talks to you. Write down your weight and height and your blood pressure numbers. Even though your physician may say she will mail or email you a complete report, let her know you want the numbers available to you during the appointment in case you have another questions. This is when taking a friend or spouse along for the appointment helps.  Another pair of ears.

In my next post I’ll write about what you need to tell your doctor.

To your success with your physicians,
Ruthan

Ruthan Brodsky
Health Writer & Business Writer
Copywriter & Content Marketer

My mother never understood what her doctors were telling her.  Even when she was a business owner and out in the community, I took her to her appointments and was chief interpreter for her.  I was also interpreter for the doctor because often my mother did not understand what the doctor was asking.

I don’t think my mother was dumb. I do believe, however, she had this uncanny ability to shut the door whenever a health care provider spoke with her. I attribute that to her having polio when she was three years old and living in fear of doctors.

What I learned during those years is that my mother was not alone. Lots of people, not just seniors, have no clue what their physician is telling them. In fact, my advice to anyone, regardless of age, is that when you are meeting with a physician for a consultation regarding a condition or disease that is relatively serious, it’s a good idea to take someone with you who will be able to listen better than you can at that moment.

Sometimes, as in my mother’s case, I was needed at a regular exam. For instance, if the doctor were to say the results of your x-rays are equivocal or I think we should proceed with a colonoscopy before any exploratory surgery my mother probably would have started crying. She may have been in tears but there are lots of people, so nervous at the time, that they too would have tuned out the physician and missed out on any communication.

Many of you know, for example, that negative lab tests results are a positive outcome. Most of you also know that exploratory surgery doesn’t mean you’re a lab rate and they’re experimenting on you. Even so I recall reading somewhere that about half the adult population has difficulty understanding the health information they get from their doctors.

I think it is more than just vocabulary however. Too often patients leave a doctor’s office in a fog because there is not much effort given to make sure  patients understand what they’ve been told even if the nurse comes in and explains everything again and gives the patient a sheet with instructions.  Patients may not be so intimidated by the nurse and may ask more questions but the nurses don’t have time for lengthy responses either.

What upsets me when my doctor tells me what to do is he doesn’t ask me if I understand because he assumes I do and that’s usually true. It is worse, however, when they don’t involve me in developing a treatment plan that I’ll buy into. I can think of 3 prescriptions, for example, that I never took from my now retired gynecologist.

Communicating to patients is a two way street. I need to make my voice heard and make sure my doctor understands me. And my doctors need to make sure that I do understand and that I agree to whatever it is they’re trying for treatment. Lack of two way communication is not just frustrating, it can lead to medical problems because patients won’t follow thru on the advice or they don’t understand, or like me, they don’t agree.

More about communicating with your doctor in my next post.
Be sure to ask any questions. Type them in the comment box.

To great communication with your doctor,

Ruthan

Ruthan Brodsky
Health Writer & Business Writer
Copywriter & Content Marketer

The evidence keeps getting stronger that older adults who eat a healthful diet can prevent early mortality from cancer and other diseases.

One of our common misconceptions about health as we age is that  at some point it’s too late to change eating habits because it won’t make a difference. Fortunately for all of us, a new study from the University of Maryland shows that people’s diets have an important impact on their health regardless of age.

In the U.S, cancer is the second leading cause of death and heart disease ranks first. As you get older the risk increases. The new study categorized the eating pattern of 1500 cancer free participants, ranging in age from 70 to 79.  The participants were divided into 6 groups depending upon what they ate. Groups included Health Foods, High-fat Dairy Products; Meat, Fried Foods and Alcohol; Breakfast Cereal, Refined Grains, Sweets and desserts.

After tracking the participants for 10 years, the study found that adults in the High-fat Dairy Products and Sweets and Desserts groups were at higher risk of dying, about 40 percent, compared to the Healthy Food Group. The Healthy Foods consumers also had more years of a healthy life.

Perfect timing for a study like this when more than 10,000 U.S. Baby Boomers will turn age 65 every day. Think of the impact they could have on their health with healthy eating.

You can find more information on this at   American Institute for Cancer Research

To your successful  healthy eating,

Ruthan

Ruthan Brodsky
Health Writer & Business Writer
Copywriter & Content Marketer