Caregiving Archive

A walking program is good for you; so is resistance or weight training; balance exercises help improve your athletic abilities and keep you independent.

The current U.S. physical activity guidelines emphasize all three aspects of fitness. Here are the recommendations:

Medications can be lifesaving by performing critical tasks such as keeping blood sugar at safe levels, hearts thumping rhythmically, and moods afloat. Yet side effects and interactions between drugs (both prescription and nonprescription drugs) may increase your fall risk in numerous ways. Prime examples include blurred vision, dizziness or lightheadedness stemming from low blood pressure, drowsiness, delirium, and impaired alertness or judgment. Some medications may affect the inner ear, spurring temporary or permanent balance disorders.

Often, problems stem from the sheer number of medicines you take, rather than a single drug. According to a national health survey, a third of 45- to 64-year-olds and two-thirds of people 65 and older take three or more prescription drugs over the course of a month. And 16% of 45- to 64-year-olds, as well as 39% of people 65 and over, take five or more drugs. Some gerontologists say they rarely see patients who take fewer than six or seven. Taking many medications at the same time can boost the severity and frequency of side effects among people of any age. Older adults are especially vulnerable, because people's bodies absorb and respond to drugs differently with age.

The benefits of meditation go beyond stress reduction.

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Most of us sense instinctively that clutter is unhealthy. Sure, we may joke about a disorganized desk or a teenager's messy room, but we feel that a clean, organized space is a healthier, more soothing environment. What about a cluttered mind — a mind constantly presented with different simultaneous challenges and distractions? Is that unhealthy, and is there a fix?

Uncluttering — or, as is usually said, "emptying" — your mind through meditation has a host of health-related benefits, and maybe that's why more people are taking up the practice. Data from a national survey conducted by the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics, published online by the CDC in November 2018, found that 14% of American adults reported meditating in 2017, compared with just 4% in 2012.

Pay attention to healthy ingredients, inspection documents, and online reviews.

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Food trucks — once the catering staples of construction sites — are no longer just about convenience. These rolling kitchens bring innovative gourmet food to busy streets and crowded parking lots, with diverse menus that attract hordes of hungry customers and discerning foodies.

But as popular as food trucks are — nationally, a billion-dollar industry that defines the landscape in places like Los Angeles; Miami; Austin, Tex.; and Portland, Ore. — they still serve restaurant fare, which is typically loaded with saturated fat, salt, refined carbo-hydrates, sugar, and calories.

The weights add more oomph to your workout, but you'll have to mind some safety rules if you use them.

 Exercises photos by Michael Carroll

Move over, dumbbells; kettlebells are cool again. The little weights with handles have been used by athletes around the world for centuries and gained popularity as the staples of 19th-century strongmen. Today, kettlebells have made it to the mainstream as the featured tools in exercise classes and gyms, with home versions of kettlebells available on the shelves of every big-box store.

What's the attraction? "Kettlebells work multiple muscle groups at one time, so you get a lot of bang for your buck with each exercise," says Nancy Capparelli, a senior physical therapist at Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

News briefs

Three newly approved medications are garnering national attention. The first is an oral form of a powerful opioid painkiller that's been available by injection since 1984. Dsuvia is the sublingual (under the tongue) version of sufentanil, and it was approved by the FDA in November 2018. Dsuvia is 1,000 times more potent than morphine. The FDA says it may be helpful for use on the battlefield or in hospitals. Critics worry the drug will wind up on the streets, furthering the country's opioid crisis. Another medication of note is the first prescription drug made from marijuana. The FDA approved cannabidiol (Epidiolex) in June 2018 for the treatment of seizures associated with rare forms of epilepsy. The medication is made from a component of marijuana that does not cause intoxication or euphoria. And finally, baloxavir marboxil (Xofluza), the first new antiviral in 20 years to help fight the flu, received FDA clearance in October 2018. The drug is a one-dose pill that may help shorten the duration of the flu if it's taken within 48 hours of the start of symptoms. One caution: the new antiviral has not yet been tested in older adults, so talk to your doctor if the drug is prescribed and you have concerns.

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