Physical Inactivity:

Being Inactive or leading a sedentary lifestyle can lead to:

*Weight gain or obesity

*Osteoporosis

*High cholesterol levels

*Diabetes

*Heart disease including heart attack and stroke

*Depression

Reasons for Increased Activity:

*Being confined to bed rest (homebound)

*Feeling depressed and unwilling to partake in activities

*Having arthritis pain which makes it difficult to move joints

*Being overweight which makes it difficult to move around easily

*Feeling ‘old’ and believing that you shouldn’t exercise “at your age”

*Feeling tired and fatigued (Good diet)

Benefits of Regular Physical Activity:

*Reduction in weight

*Reduction in blood pressure

*Elevation of mood

*Prevention of heart attack or stroke

*Reduction in cholesterol

*Less insulin needed

*Prevention of osteoporosis

Ways to increase Physical Activity:

*Walk instead of driving or taking public transportation

*Take the stairs instead of the elevator

*Park farther away from the store

*Go dancing

*Find a friend to walk with you to make it enjoyable

*Plan your days well in advance so you can schedule time for exercise

*Take advantage of exercise classes at senior centers, Y’s, and fitness centers. Look into the Oxford Forever Fit program

*Join the Oxford Walking Club or participating in a mall walking club

*Get moving! Any form of physical activity that you can do any amount of time is better than doing nothing

Sleep:

Problem:

I just can’t get a good nights sleep

Myths:

*Everyone needs at least 8 hours of sleep per night

*Everyone should be able to sleep soundly at night

Facts:

*As people get older, their sleep patterns change. Sleep becomes more ‘broker’ so people tend to wake up often and then go back to sleep.

*Each person has her own specific sleep wake rhythm. Some people need as little as four or five hours of sleep. The more stressed out a person is, the more difficult it is for him/her to get a full night’s sleep.

*Stress greatly impacts sleep. The more stressed a person is, the more difficult it is for her to get a full night’s sleep.

*It is important to have good, solid, comfortable mattress and pillow to get a good night’s sleep.

*When a person gets a good night’s sleep, they are more alert, less anxious, and able to handle day-to-day challenges with less difficulty.

Helpful Recommendations:

*If your mattress is more than ten years old, consider getting a new one.

*Get ready for bed the same time every night.

*Do not watch TV, listen to the radio or read a newspaper a half-hour before bed. You can listen to soothing music.

*Get in bed, find a comfortable position and close your eyes.

*Do not eat foods with a lot of carbohydrates or sugar before going to bed. You will wake up in about three to four hours unable to sleep. Avoid caffeine also.

*Focus on relaxing while in bed and not your worries. If you can’t sleep, just relax, don’t try to make yourself sleep. It won’t work.

Stress:

Question:

What is stress?

Myths:

*Stress only happen once in a while

*Not everybody has stress

*Only negative things that happen are stressful

Facts:

*Stress is anything that puts demands on a system, whether it is positive or negative

*Stress is a natural part of each person’s life

*When faced with stress, the body first goes through a stock stage where the heartbeat is irregular and the blood pressure, muscle tone and body temperature all drop.

*In the next stage, the body gets ready to protect itself and the heart beats faster, and the blood pressure and body temperature rise.

*When you have a lot stress in your life you develop problems digesting food, sleeping and fighting diseases.

*People under a lot of stress tend to get sick more often, get hurt more often or just generally feel tired and our of sorts.

*When stressed, it is also difficult to think and you may react emotionally to things that don’t normally bother you.

Helpful Recommendations:

*Figure out what is causing the stress in your life

*If possible reduce the stress. For example if takes too much out of you to keep your house clean, ask someone for help.

*Allow yourself time each day to just relax. Sit quietly in a chair and simply close your eyes and breath.

*Do one thing each day that you like to do, just for you. Talk a walk, talk on the phone to a friend or take a bubble bath.

Sources of Vitamins in Foods:

Vitamin

A

Deficiency Disease

Night Blindness

Food Source of Vitamin

Eggs, whole milk, cream, cheese, liver, green and yellow vegetables (carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, spinach, kale and broccoli)

Vitamin

B1 (thiamine)

Deficiency disease

Beriberi

Food source of Vitamin

Ham, Pork, Milk, fortified cereals, peanuts, liver and yeast

Vitamin

(B2 riboflavin)

Deficiency disease

Ariboflavinosis

Food source of Vitamin

Liver and other organ meats, milk, green vegetables, fortified cereals and yeast

Vitamin

Niacin

Deficiency disease

Pellagra

Food Source of Vitamin

Peanuts, lean meats, poultry, fish, bran, yeast, liver

Vitamin

B6

Deficiency disease

Vitamin B6 deficiency

Food Source of Vitamin

Whole-grain cereal, fish, legumes, liver and other organ meats, yeast

Vitamin

B12

Deficiency disease

Pernicious anemia

Food source of Vitamin

Eggs, milk, liver

Vitamin

C (ascorbic acid)

Deficiency disease

Scurvy

Food source of Vitamin

Fresh fruits and vegetables (oranges and other citrus fruits, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, etc)

Vitamin

D

Deficiency disease

Rickets

Food source of Vitamin

Fortified milk, fish liver oil

Vitamin

E

Deficiency disease

Vitamin E deficiency

Food source of Vitamin

Vegetable seed oil, egg yolk, cereals, beef liver

Vitamin

K

Deficiency disease

Vitamin K deficiency

Food source of Vitamin

Leafy green vegetables, liver