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#Blogshare – Turning Back the Clock 2021- Anti-Aging without the Botox by Sally Cronin | Smorgasbord Blog Magazine

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My good friend and multi-talented author AND Nutritional Therapist, Sally Cronin, has a few new series and promotions going on at her Smorgasbord for 2021, so I wanted to share with everyone because she invites you all over and will even promote your books in her vast Smorgasbord Cafe and Bookstore!

In this reblog, Sally is setting the year off to a healthy start. Sally has been updating her book -Turning Back the Clock, and sharing some of her excellent articles on how to maintain good health through aging. AND, she is offering a FREE copy of her book, Size Matters, and all you have to do is email her your request! Have a look!

 

Smorgasbord Health Column – Turning Back the Clock 2021- Anti-Aging without the Botox by Sally Cronin

 

Background to the series.

Sixteen years ago I had a series on radio called Turning Back the Clock, which I presented in response to listeners in their 50’s and 60’s looking for rejuvenation and tips on staying young. Like me they were exasperated by the claims of the cosmetic industry that the various ingredients in their products could knock ten years off their age. I was asked to design a diet that would help reverse the signs of aging and this developed into a weekly challenge that was undertaken by nearly 100 listeners. The series became a book in 2010.

I try to practice what I preach!  And certainly so far I have managed to maintain healthy key indicators such as blood pressure, blood sugar levels and cholesterol without medication, much to the surprise of my doctor!

 

In my opinion the answer to turning back the clock by several years is to consider and address a number of factors which include physical, emotional and mental age markers.

I wish that I could say that my internal key indicators were reflected in a wrinkle free face and perky underarms… However, recently when I mentioned my age to a cashier in the supermarket, she uttered the wondrous words ‘I don’t believe it’. I have to say that wearing a mask does have an upside.

There are some downsides to getting older however, and this is to do with our operating systems. Much like an older model of car, things begin to seize up, the petrol does not seem to be able to ignite quite so much power under the bonnet, and parts seem to need replacing much more often.

 

For example: The Digestive System as we get older.

  • We don’t taste foods in the same way, requiring more sugar and salt. Certainly fueling a rise in diabetes and certain other sugar related health issues.
  • Our appetites change, unless we continue to be very active. We eat less, reducing the amount of nutrients we consume.
  • Our systems are not as efficient, so the nutrients we do consume are not processed as effectively as they need to be.
  • We begin to suffer from nutritional deficiencies which lead to more age related health issues.

That is just one area that focusing attention may increase energy and improve common age related health issues.

During this series I am going to be looking at the physical, mental and emotional elements that contribute to the aging process.

We have all met people in their 30’s who already seem staid and middle aged and it has nothing to do with the wrinkles on their faces. A positive attitude to life is key if you are to beat the clock and how you interact with the rest of the human race will determine your real age.

Certainly our diet plays a part in the health and fitness of our bodies but it is also about our emotional health and how we feel about ourselves that can make all the difference when looking in the mirror. A smile can knock years off as people are deflected from any lines you might have around your eyes.

Why do we all want to stop the aging process?

It is not just about the way we look. Most of us will develop grey hair, expanding waistlines, wrinkles and a somewhat world weary appearance. Of course this is important but at the end of the day no-one is unique and everyone will face this process one day.

I don’t believe that we can stop the aging process, and unfortunately in this modern world, that aging process is accompanied in most cases with degenerative diseases of the body and the mind. Poor quality of life and a dependence on prescription drugs to get us through the last 10, 20 or even 30 years of our lives. However, I do believe that we can slow the process down and ensure that we are as pain free and as vital as possible to the very end.

Now that I am 68, I realise even more, that our age is not just about wrinkles on our faces but the way we approach life and others mentally and emotionally. I want the next twenty to thirty years (and more if I have a good quality of life!) to be fun, and full of new experiences and great people. I have often said that if I get to 100, I will take up some of the habits I gave up to get there!!! . . .

Please hop over to Sally’s blog post, and don’t forget to request your free copy of her book – Size Matters.

 

Part 2 of this series HERE

– Keeping the PH Balance in our body, optimum

 

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Original Source: Smorgasbord Health Column – Turning Back the Clock 2021- Anti-Aging without the Botox by Sally Cronin | Smorgasbord Blog Magazine

 

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Smorgasbord Health Column – Common Conditions A-Z – Working from Home – Backache by Sally Cronin | Smorgasbord Blog Magazine

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Today I’m sharing a worthy reblog from Sally Cronin with her article on backpain, in her Smorgasbord Health series, Sally hits on a topic that many of us writers can identify with – the sitting syndrome, and what we can do to alleviate some of the aches and pains.

 

Smorgasbord Health Column – Common Conditions A-Z – Working from Home – Backache by Sally Cronin

 

 

In this series I take a look at some of the more common health conditions we might experience.

Backache and working from home.

To give you an idea of how common backache is around the world; it is estimated that nearly 10% of the global population will experience either acute (one off or occasional event with recovery) or chronic backache (constant and disabling).  There are a number of proven factors such as weight, height, age and of course occupational posture but generally the causes of lower back pain in particular are very hard to diagnose.

Back pain is one of the leading causes of disability but it also results in one of the biggest financial burdens on health services and industry around the world. An estimated 25% of all sick leave is the result of back problems with billions of pounds and dollars in medical costs.

In a paper published by the World Health Organisation it mentions the number of work days lost in a year due to back problems in the UK alone as over 100 million.  

“Low back pain is the single biggest cause of years lived with disability worldwide, and a major challenge to international health systems. In 2018, the Lancet Low Back Pain Series Working Group identified a global problem of mismanagement of low back pain.” WHO

 

Work from Home and lack of Health and Safety Regulations.

Most businesses where staff are working at desks and on computers will have a some guidance on best work practices to prevent issues such as back pain or repetitive strain injury. But what about when hundreds of thousands of office workers are at home and using computers. Will their chairs be the right height, or their screens be at the right level?

Some of the pictures I have seen of people working from homes seem to be of laptops on knees, working on the sofa or sat on the floor with a laptop on a coffee table, or even when in bed. None of which will be good for posture and likely to result in back or neck pain.

Most people when experiencing lower back pain will reach for over the counter pain-killers.  Whilst these may be effective in the short-term, they only mask the symptoms and do not address the cause of the back pain. If it is chronic, it becomes very easy to become dependent on the tablets, and very likely that the body will develop a tolerance. The nervous system, particularly the brain and spinal cord become less able to interpret the actual levels of pain you are experiencing requiring increasingly more medication over time.

This results in most people taking more pills that is good for the body. Apart from the risk of addiction, it can seriously damage your endocrine system (hormones) and this can impact many functions within in the body reliant on hormones for health. One condition in particular, Osteoporosis is already a risk factor for women following menopause, but with a consistent use of painkillers the impact on bone health can be very severe.

Unfortunately, since the cause of back pain can be difficult to diagnose, it is likely that your doctor is simply going to move your medications to the next level to opiods such as Tramadol which are highly addictive if used long-term.  I have experience of this with my mother who had chronic hip pain and in her late 80s and early 90s was prescribed Tramadol. Very difficult for the person suffering the pain and those who care for them.

Where to start.

Most back pain is the result of posture issues due to your own physical condition or your work environment. . . continue reading at Sally’s Smorgasbord

 

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Source: Smorgasbord Health Column – Common Conditions A-Z – Working from Home – Backache by Sally Cronin | Smorgasbord Blog Magazine

 

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Smorgasbord Health Column – UnSeasonal Affective Disorder – The Missing Link – Vitamin D by Sally Cronin | Smorgasbord Blog Magazine

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For those of you who aren’t aware, Sally Cronin isn’t only an amazing author and blogger, but she is a certified nutritionist. And among her many series she holds at her Smorgasbord Invitation, Sally shares important information about health and simple things we can do to keep our bodies in check – especially as we age.

This a great accompaniment article to Sally’s Cholesterol series, today – Sally educates us on the importance of our bodies getting enough Vitamin D – especially in Covid times, today at Smorgasbord Health.

Sally also explains the link between Vitamin D and statin drugs and how to get enough of the vitamin in our diets, along with proper dosages.

 

Smorgasbord Health Column – UnSeasonal Affective Disorder – The Missing Link – Vitamin D by Sally Cronin

 

 

Normally I would refer to Seasonal Affective Disorder in February as the winter months take their toll on our physical, mental and emotional health. However, reading the various reports in the media on Vitamin D Deficiency being one of the causes for susceptibility to Covid-19 and raised concerns on the levels of mental health issues including depression, the comments from readers who are experiencing lack of energy and focus, I began to see some parallels to SAD, but six months ahead of schedule. You can find more about SAD in Part One

Regular visitors will have read my previous posts on Vitamin D but as one of the key nutrients for the efficiency of our immune system, I will keep banging this particular drum.

First a reminder if you missed the first post in this series of the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder.

  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Inability to concentrate
  • Unexplained weight gain and loss
  • Slow growth in children,
  • Overeating of carbohydrates and sugars
  • Insomnia
  • Increased infections.

In my recent series Project 101 – Resilience I shared some of the recent research into the nutrient’s connection to the current pandemic.

There have been a number of risk factors identified that put certain groups of the population at a higher risk of a critical outcome from being infected with Covid- 19 – one of these is a deficiency of Vitamin D which is also a key nutrient in preventing SAD.

It was initially thought to be more common in those living in the Northern Hemisphere. However, there is also evidence that shows that middle-aged women in countries such as Greece and Italy also suffer from Vitamin D deficiency, largely due to the fact that they tend to cover up and avoid the sunshine. Many countries now fortify dairy products and other foods and that does appear to help the deficiency status of the population.

There have been a number of studies to determine if in fact having sufficient Vitamin D levels offers protection or minimises the severity of Covid-19, and this is obviously going to be ongoing and interesting to follow. . . continue reading at Sally’s blog.

 

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Original Source: Smorgasbord Health Column – UnSeasonal Affective Disorder – The Missing Link – Vitamin D by Sally Cronin | Smorgasbord Blog Magazine

 

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Smorgasbord Health Column – Supplements – Absorbing the nutrients, avoiding the additives by Sally Cronin | Smorgasbord Blog Magazine

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Today I’m reblogging a segment from Sally Cronin’s Health Magazine at her Smorgasbord Invitation. Sally is a certified nutritionist among MANY other talents, and in this article she goes through the instruction of sharing the awareness about where it’s best to purchase natural supplements, the importance of understanding what you are taking, and caveats and conflictions with possible other medications.

 

Smorgasbord Health Column – Supplements – Absorbing the nutrients, avoiding the additives by Sally Cronin

 

 

 

I frequently get asked about taking supplements and when and how to take. In this post  I am looking at the use of supplements, the ingredients you should avoid and which ones are more easily absorbed by the body.

My research into absorption of supplements goes back to my days of running my diet advisory clinic and health food shop twenty-two years ago here in Ireland. I noticed that herbal remedies in tincture form appeared to work more effectively than their tablet format, and as a consequence I usually suggested that customers and clients use the tincture or liquid form whenever it was available, and if not move to capsules. The capsules were easy to break apart and mix with water, rather than have to crush tablets which was recommended if hard to swallow or digest.

Roll forward a few years when I was taking care of my mother who was on several medications (all tablets) to keep age related problems under control. She was 92 and had developed early stages of congestive heart failure. She had a pacemaker but she was now largely inactive, getting picky about eating and reluctant to drink fluids (except for banana milkshakes and black coffee). Her digestive system was unable to absorb her medications in tablet form and after changing to liquid or capsule forms showed a marked improvement in a number of physical symptoms. This was confirmed when diuretic pills she was taking stopped working and she needed an intravenous diuretic to clear the build up of fluid.

Methods of improving the absorption of pills and tablets has improved in recent years but there are also new ways to take your supplements that increase that process significantly.

I have taken supplements in one form or another when needed since my 20s, so for 47 years. However, I moved any supplements I take when possible, to oral sprays via the inside of my cheek or under my tongue for quick absorption into the bloodstream. I was taking a cross section of separate nutrients but now find that a multi-vitamin spray, with additional Vitamin D in the winter months sufficient. I also use an oral spray for Turmeric which seems to have been effective against my usual joint pain in the wet Irish winters and is hopefully maintaining my immune system. I cannot say definitively that they work, only that I find they do so for me.

Why do we need to take supplements?

I would love to be able to tell you, that eating a healthy and varied diet provides you with all the essential vitamins you need, but I would be misleading you.

Good nutrition does begin with food, but today there is no guarantee that the food you are consuming, contains the same level of nutrients that it did 50 years ago or even 20 years ago. In some areas of the world, the soil we grow the food in is becoming depleted, and this results in less nutritious food.

For the younger generation with a very active lifestyle combined with heavy work schedules or parenthood, taking a booster dose of nutrients is probably necessary.

Also, as we age, we absorb food differently as I mentioned earlier, and this can impact the amount of nutrition we are obtaining. Once you become less active, you are likely to reduce your food intake, further restricting your ability to consume enough to provide all the nutrients you need.

Once you are in your mid-60s both men and women lose their hormonal protective elements. We need to maintain our organ health, including our brains and also bone density to prevent age related physical and mental decline. This requires maintaining a balance of healthy fats, moderate intake of whole grains and plenty of fresh vegetables and fruit, and this can become hard to achieve.

Here is a summary of the nutrients we need to be healthy and the foods you need to consume. However, despite eating these foods, it is usually necessary to take some form of supplementation. to maintain healthy levels across the nutritional spectrum. Smorgasbord Health Column -Shopping list by food and by nutrient  . . . please continue reading.

 

Source: Smorgasbord Health Column – Supplements – Absorbing the nutrients, avoiding the additives by Sally Cronin | Smorgasbord Blog Magazine

 

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Smorgasbord Health Column – Project 101 – Resilience – An opportunity to get fighting fit – Round Up – Sally Cronin | Smorgasbord Blog Magazine

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Anyone in our writing community knows what a gift we have in Sally Cronin who runs so many series and author showcases for us writers. But you may not know that Sally is also a certified health nutritionist. Sally is running this current health series at her Smorgasbord Invitation – Project Resilience-101. In this post, Sally shares a wealth of information on how to stay fit, especially in our Corona times, offering tips for both mental and physical good health maintenance.

 

Smorgasbord Health Column – Project 101 – Resilience – An opportunity to get fighting fit – Round Up – Sally Cronin

 

 

I began this series 10 weeks ago with the aim of offering some strategies to increasing our resilience to disease. Not just Covid-19 but any opportunistic pathogen who feels we might make a good host.

Since then the world has struggled to return to normal, with varying success and a great deal of uncertainty. However, it is becoming clear that the experts can not find a consensus on what will happen next, whether the virus will fizzle out, or come back as a second wave or an annual event.

The fact that the supermarkets have erected permanent perspex barriers for cashiers and service industries such as hairdressing have done the same, seems to indicate that we will need to take precautions to stay infection free for some considerable time to come.

I believe that we need to take responsibility for our own health where possible, and since the majority of modern disease is lifestyle related offers plenty of scope!

What has not changed is our role in what comes next.

Our bodies may have genetic tendencies towards some specific diseases. But the vast majority of health issues are lifestyle related and involve our own decisions about what we eat and drink, how much exercise we take, and what harmful contaminants we ingest or inhale.

I am not guiltless as far as this is concerned and I was 42 years old before I starting taking back control of my body and its health. Twenty-five years on I hope that the changes I made to my diet and lifestyle at that point was enough. At 330lbs with high Blood Pressure, Blood Sugar levels, and high levels of the most unhealthy Low Density Cholesterol, I was told I would be lucky to reach 45 years old.

And if that had been today, it would have put me smack bang in the middle of the most vulnerable to the infection.

As more and more analysis is done on the pandemic and those that were infected and tragically died; risk factors have been more clearly defined. Obesity is very high up on that list.

With any respiratory infection being severely overweight is a risk. When I weighed 330lbs 25 years ago, I could not lie on my back because the weight of the fat on my chest and stomach restricted the movement of my lungs. Just walking made me extremely out of breath, and I was not getting sufficient oxygen into my system.

Other risk factors.

This leads directly into the identified key risk factors for all ages during the pandemic which include obesity, underlying health issues such as high blood pressure, diabetes, respiratory diseases such as COPD and heart conditions. Being deficient in Vitamin D for example has also been included in this list although there has been some doubt raised recently. However, Vitamin D is a very important element of our general health and that of our immune system, and as such it plays a vital role in limiting our susceptibility to infections.

The most at risk members of our society are those over 65 years old, not just because they are more likely to have underlying health issues, but because the human body as it ages goes through some fundamental changes in structure and function.

For example, we are more likely to become less active and our lungs . . . please continue reading

 

Source: Smorgasbord Health Column – Project 101 – Resilience – An opportunity to get fighting fit – Round Up – Sally Cronin | Smorgasbord Blog Magazine

 

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Smorgasbord Health Column – Guest Writer – D.G. Kaye – What I did Yesterday — Besides Having a #Colonoscopy | Smorgasbord Blog Magazine

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Sally Cronin is running a new series called #Potluck. Sally has been running her ‘posting from the archives’ series whereby bloggers submit some of their older posts to Sally to have featured and given fresh eyes, but in this series, Sally has requested permission to search through our archives and choose what she’d like to share from us. I had to laugh when Sally chose my post on preparing for #colonoscopy. LOL. Enjoy!

 

 

Smorgasbord Health Column – Guest Writer – D.G. Kaye – What I did Yesterday – Besides having a #Colonoscopy

 

 

 

D.G. Kaye.. Debby Gies has updated her post from 2015 on her experience with a colonoscopy which was repeated last week. It is one of those things that people are reluctant to talk about, but needs to be demystified and discussed.

 

What I did Yesterday — Besides Having a #Colonoscopy by D.G. Kaye

As I was digging through some older posts, I came across this one I wrote 4 years ago after a colonoscopy and before another one was to come, and I’ve had a few more since that time.

Although this post is quite humorous in parts, colonoscopy is serious business. We all dread them, and if you’re anything like me, worse than the actual procedure is the poison prep we have to drink the day prior to the test. In this post I share some of the humorous findings I came across while searching out alternative methods to getting the guck down, but no matter how you slice it, a beast is still a beast, even with lipstick.

Since the time of this posting, I have managed to find the potion of lesser evil that actually works for me, but everyone’s system is different so what works for some may not be as effective for others. Just remember, having a colonoscopy can literally save your life. So many people who have them have had polyps found and removed in routine checks which could ultimately have led to colon cancer left unchecked. So put on your big girl/boy pants, choose your potion and do yourself and your families a favor and get yourselves checked!

 

Colonoscopy – An ugly word, with fearful connotations.

Yesterday I went for my overdue colonoscopy appointment. When I say overdue, I mean that it’s been three and a half years since my last one, and consequently, that was my first one.

After having my first one and enduring the awful, but not most awful of all the preps, I was lectured then by the gastroenterologist because I didn’t take the prep she instructed me to take, . . . please continue reading

 

Source: Smorgasbord Health Column – Guest Writer – D.G. Kaye – What I did Yesterday — Besides Having a #Colonoscopy | Smorgasbord Blog Magazine

 

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Smorgasbord Health Column – Guest D. G. Kaye – Dietary Restrictions, Consequences and the Eye-Rollers | Smorgasbord Blog Magazine

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I was delighted to be invited to write an article for  Sally Cronin’s Health Column at the Smorgasbord Blog Magazine. Sally is not only a brilliant writer with entertaining stories, she is a certified nutritionist and therapist. I’ve always done thorough research on on any ailments I encountered and in this article I’ll inform you why that’s important for everyone to do before taking prescribed medications and the importance of listening to what your body is telling you.

 

Smorgasbord Health Column – Guest D. G. Kaye – Dietary Restrictions, Consequences and the Eye-Rollers

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My guest today writing for the health column is D.G. Kaye… Debby Gies.Debby has suffered from chronic intestinal disease for many years and has researched and devised a way to keep herself healthy without medication. It is all about the diet….

 

Dietary Restrictions, Consequences and the Eye-Rollers by D.G. Kaye

 

Thanks for inviting me here today Sally to share my own experience with dietary restrictions and the symptoms I experience when not paying heed to my body’s warnings.

There are so many of us who suffer with digestive issues. Some of us take preventative measures to avoid having to endure unpleasant symptoms, some don’t pay any mind, while others may have no idea, thinking that many symptoms they live with on a daily basis are just part of the aging process. But listening to our bodies is essential to better health and avoiding worse complications down the road.

I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease twenty years ago. I can certainly speak from experience about what straying from my gluten-free, and dairy-free diet entails. It took me a few years to find healthy and tasty substitutions for my diet while in the process of eliminating the foods I knew were aggravating my symptoms, despite my then doctor telling me that there was no special diet for Crohn’s, Colitis, and other forms of IBS.

Many people who are blessed enough not to have to suffer from these diseases, often don’t understand the connection with foods and intolerances that so many others deal with on a daily basis. Whether these are intolerances or allergies, eating culprit foods can exasperate symptoms from feeling discomfort to possible life- threatening situations if one ingests what doesn’t agree with their systems.

 

identifying intestinal issues

 

When I was first diagnosed with Crohn’s, it took several months and a few ambulance trips to the hospital and several experimental drugs and tests before they figured out what was wrong with me. A few decades ago there weren’t as many drugs available for my disease, and the ones I was on had left me with terrible side-effects – some worse than the initial ones I was taking the medication for. One of the prescriptions I was on began eating away at my muscles in a short time and had me taking a few tumbles down the staircase. That was when I knew I had to seek my own information on the disease and search for something better to help me live better with the disease.

It was the late 90’s, just before computers were becoming household necessities, so I had my brother’s secretary at the time do some computer research for me and I visited my local bookstore to read up on it. I learned about other people who had suffered the disease and what worked and didn’t work for them. I learned a lot from Dr. Jordan Rubin’s book – Patient Heal Thyself, how the disease worked and how the body attacks itself when it no longer recognizes enzymes and natural functions within and how the body sees them as foreign invaders wreaking havoc on the intestines. And I learned how wrong my doctor was – diet absolutely was a factor in controlling my disease. Even though there is still no cure for Crohn’s and Colitis, there are quite a few things I found helpful in bringing myself back to better health. . . Continue reading.

 

 

Source: Smorgasbord Health Column – Guest D. G. Kaye – Dietary Restrictions, Consequences and the Eye-Rollers | Smorgasbord Blog Magazine