Newsletter

December 29th, 2010

• Some caregiving statistics
• “Zoomers”: A new vision for Canada BCLocalnews.com
• Aging in good health poses challenges

1. Some caregiving statistics

…information from the internet CIEPS, Dec 29, 2010

Five million Canadians currently provide care for a loved one with long-term health problems, and one-quarter of them also upholding regular employment and other family responsibilities. Typically, a growing number of inter-generational households with grandparents, parents and children live under the same roof.
The average caregiver has been providing care for four years.

• One in four caregivers indicated they do not have any help.
• One in four caregivers indicated they do have additional hired help.
• 61 per cent indicated they could use more help.

The number of hours of care provided weekly:

• 40 per cent of caregivers devote 20 hours a week.
• 34 per cent of care givers reported that they devote less than 10 hours per week.
• 25 per cent reported they spend at least 40 hours a week.
• 32 per cent of care givers noted they have children under 18 living at home.

The quality of life scored while being a care-giver*:

• 46 per cent rated very good to excellent
• 39 per cent reported good
• 15 per cent rated poor to fair

*those with aging relatives living within the home gave a lower rating.

Care in the home or out of the home:

• 25 per cent of care givers share a home with an aging relative.
• 27 per cent provide direct care to aid a senior to live independently.
• 68 per cent provide care from a distance, financially and/or by coordinating services etc.

Emotional experience was noted:

• 76 per cent of caregivers indicated the experience is rewarding
• 72 per cent of caregivers indicated it enriched their relationship.
• 49 per cent of caregivers admitted it was stressful at times.

2. “Zoomers”: A new vision for Canada BCLocalnews.com

Published: December 27, 2010 1:00 PM

Well it has taken me over a year but now I finally know what a “zoomer” is. It is me! The term was coined by a Canadian, Mr. Moses Znaimer in October 2009.
“The population bubble that was the youth market 30 years ago is, today, the market I’ve defined as Zoomers,” says Znaimer. “They were the dominant generation then…they remain the dominant generation now. Zoomers are a growing, vibrant and affluent community. They look at the world with optimism.” Zoomers encompass Baby Boomers (in Canada, ages 44 to 62) and older and account for 44 per cent of the population. Well this is certainly the population that has been seeking my help in the last number of years. They are well-educated people who are looking for alternatives to medication for blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, pain management and prevention of stroke, heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease. They are reading books such as those written by Dr. Trucotte and Dr. Abramson who speak to the truth behind research statistics and drugs such as statins, blood pressure medications and drugs for type 2 diabetes.

It used to be that turning 65 put a person “over the hill” but now more and more people are living a quarter of their life retired. Their question is “if I am going to live another 30 years or more how can I remain healthy for those years?”

Here are some of the common factors that can help slow aging, prolong your lifespan and prevent disease:
Eat less and exercise more — Most of the research in this area has been done on rats, as humans are not interested in calorie restriction diets, at least not long term.

Calorie restriction, but not nutrient restriction, leads to lower inflammatory biomarkers such as C reactive protein, IL6, fasting blood sugar, fasting insulin, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.

It also decreases visceral fat and reduces oxidative stress and damage.

In non-human primates it decreases mortality due to type 2 diabetes,

cardiovascular disease and cancer. Calorie restriction and exercise activates a metabolic pathway called “Master Metabolic Regulator Pathway”.

This ultimately leads to the production of new mitochondria which means more effective, more efficient and sustained energy production with less oxidative stress.

Exercise also improves insulin sensitivity and is the only way to enhance the uptake of glucose by the cells sparking the production of insulin.

Damage to the hippocampus of the brain is one of the primary aspects of memory loss in Alzheimer’s which is accelerated by having high levels of cortisol.

Moderate exercise lowers cortisol.

Optimize cellular pathways through dietary interventions and specific nutrients — Specific nutrients that enhance the Master Metabolic Regulator Pathway and the Multiorgan Protector Pathway include: sulforaphanes (found in brassica foods) resveratrol, curcumin, green tea, alpha lipoic acid, and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). These nutrients ultimately protect the mitochondria and nuclear DNA. Telomeres are repeating units on the end of the chromosome strands and the longer the telomeres, the slower the aging process. Studies indicate that those who ingest vitamin D, fish oil and Chinese tea have longer telomeres.

Reduce or eliminate environmental toxins — Environmental toxins such as organochlorines can contribute to obesity by causing insulin resistance. Worsening insulin resistance accelerates the aging process. Reduce environmental toxins by using environmentally clean household products, drinking pure water, eating organic food and not smoking. In the winter 2010 issue of Zoomer Magazine, Deepak Chopra embraces these notions in his nine rules for making healthy changes including defining your current biomarkers with your physician. These include CRP, homocysteine, fasting insulin, HDL cholesterol/triglyceride ratios, and plasma vitamin C levels. In a recent study of 20,000 participants by Khaw plublished in PLoS Medicine, if you were a non smoker, had moderate alcohol intake and had a serum Vitamin C greater than 50mmol/L the mortality risk was equivalent of being 14 years younger in chronologic age.

Naturopathic physicians are ideally suited to help the Zoomers age well. Are you ready to have your biomarkers checked?

Dr. Ingrid Pincott, naturopathic physician, has been practicing since 1985 and can be reached at 250-286-3655 or www.DrPincott.com

3. Aging in good health poses challenges

Making sure you get all the nutrition you need but not overindulging can be tough for people with busy lives
By Andrea Holwegner, For Postmedia News November 16, 2010

For Generation X or those between 30 to the mid-40s, there are many nutrition challenges that emerge with "life in the fast lane." Hectic family schedules combined with hefty work commitments can make eating healthy and keeping active a challenge. The good news is that with a little awareness and some planning, you can have it all -- a full life and the health you need to enjoy it.

TOP 4 NUTRITION CHALLENGES FOR GENERATION X:

BUILDING A SUPPER POWER PLAN

One of the questions I have informally asked clients coming into my counselling practice is simply, "What's for supper tonight?" I would estimate three-quarters of my clients had absolutely no idea and at the same time would wonder why supper was stressful for their family. I believe that one of the single most important questions you can ask yourself each morning is, "What's for supper tonight?"
Alternatively, if you are not a morning person or are too rushed in the morning, then consider the night before asking, "What's for supper tomorrow night?"
Chances are, if you have an answer to this question, your family's nutrition is off to a good start. Most of my clients find that if they can at least determine the protein source for the meal, the rest of the meal comes together quickly.

PRIORITIZE A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

According to a 2005 Ipsos Reid survey, 51% of Canadians agree that "it's important to make healthy food choices, but find it difficult to do so" and 41% find it hard to include healthier food options on a daily basis because their life is so hectic.

I often hear people say things such as "when things slow down at work" or "when the kids are back at school and I'm not so busy" then I will have time to take care of my health.
The truth is, life never really slows down long enough to give us the time we want to make all the changes to our health that we want. There is no better time than now to start small changes to improve your health. Take a look at your to-do list and calendar for the week and see if you have allowed time and focus to prepare healthy meals and fit in fitness.
Some of the busiest people I know are also the healthiest.
BATTLING THE BULGE
Couple an age-related decline in metabolism with busier work and family commitments and you might be like many Generation X Canadians who are battling their weight.
While there are many contributing factors that can explain why you might be carrying extra weight, there is one common nutrition factor we see day after day in our counselling practice. Many of our clients eat relatively healthily, but simply eat too much. Food researchers suggest that we underestimate how much we eat by 20 to 40%. "Calories are king" when it comes to managing a healthy weight. Small shifts in daily quantities add up to be big calorie deficits over the long run.

BOOSTING VEGGIES, FRUIT AND CALCIUM-RICH FOODS

Approximately half of Canadians aged 31 to 50 years are below the minimum recommended number of servings of vegetables and fruit according to Statistics Canada in the Canadian Community Health Survey.
This survey also showed that 65% of males and 72% of females aged 31 to 50 years are below the minimum recommended number of servings of milk and milk alternatives such as yogurt, cheese and calcium-fortified soy milk per day.

Keep in mind the more variety, the more good fruit and veggies we'll eat. Researchers have termed this phenomenon "sensory specific satiety." What this means is that our senses such as sight, taste and smell get numbed and overwhelmed if they continually experience the same stimulus.
So, be sure to have a variety of options in your house to please everyone's taste buds and encourage you to eat more of the items you are falling short in.

One way to get more fruit into your diet is to choose fruit at breakfast and for snacks every day. Remember that outside of fresh fruit, you can build your fruit servings up per day by choosing other options such as dried fruit, canned unsweetened fruit and smoothies.

If vegetables are falling short for you per day, try to make sure you have veggies in your lunch daily as well as two different types at supper. I recommend my adult clients aim for half of their plate as veggies at suppertime. I know for myself and my family, if I was having steamed peas or green beans for supper, I likely would not have a half a plate of them. If you are like me, you would benefit from having a second option.

© Copyright (c) Postmedia News