health and wellness 2012

Take Chargegood health is achievable at any age. Learn how to

eat better, get stronger and feel happier today

Celebrity health: Olivia Newton-John Talks About Her Fight To End Cancer

Move It or LOSe IT?PLUS:

6 exercises For a Stronger Back

Why Caregivers Need Care, Too

Does Less Meat = More health?

PLUSOctober 2012

– Health and Wellness – October 2012

When looking for a doctor to help treat your vein condition, experience matters. You need a physician who understands that vein disease can be very complex and each patient is unique. Offering state of the art treatment techniques, our clinical team is headed by a local physician, Dr. Peter Wrobel. He is extensively trained in

phlebology (vein medicine) and has performed thousands of procedures. He is assisted by a registered ultrasound tech with vascular expertise. A licensed nurse practitioner is also part of our vein services team. In addition, licensed nurses and certified medical assistants lend support and complete our team.

Health and Wellness – October 2012 –

Celebrity HealtH: Olivia NewtON JOHN

After overcoming a tumultuous cancer battle, the iconic music star has set her sights on creating a

better, healthier world for all

FeatUreS

Move It or Lose It? A new study finds that exercise, at any age, may reduce the risk a person’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s.

Care and Care aLIke When a loved one is ill, taking care of yourself is of equal importance.

shouLd I stay or shouLd I Go?A healthier lifestyle doesn’t always have to be doctor- approved. But some experts say: better safe than sorry.

eat Less Meat Americans are consuming less meat without ‘Going Veg’ – should you join the healthy trend?

6 exerCIses For a stronGer BaCk

hI, GrandMa and GrandPa!


By Renee Lee CTW FeATUReS

Physical activity, even simply cooking or washing dishes, may reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, even in people over the age of 80, according to a study by neurological researchers from Rush University Medical Center.

The study recently was published in the online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Rush researchers had 716 older individuals without dementia wear an actigraph, a device that monitors activity, on their non-dominant wrist for 10 days.

Move It or Lose It?A new study finds that exercise, at any age, may reduce the risk a person’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s

Specialists in the Detection and Treatment of Digestive Diseases, Hepatitis and Colon Cancer

Announcing Our New Location in Dawsonville91 Nordson Overlook | Suite 305

770.569.0777

For information about our other locations, visit www.atlantagastro.comor call toll free: 1-866-GO-TO-AGA [468-6242].

Atlanta Gastroenterology Associates is a participating provider for Medicare, Medicaid and most healthcare plans offered in Georgia.

Ozgur (Oscar) Muslu, M.D. E. C. (Chris) Cameron, M.D.

In addition to colon cancer screenings, our Board Certified physicians are experts inevaluating and treating every type of digestive disorder including:

• Crohn’s Disease • Irritable Bowel Syndrome • Ulcers • Intestinal Polyps • Barrett’s Esophagus • Hepatitis• Ulcerative Colitis • Diarrhea | Constipation • Acid Reflux

Now providing safe, painless hemorrhoid banding


All exercise and non-exercise was recorded, and study participants also self-reported their physical and social activities.

“This is the first study to use an objective measurement of physical activity in addition to self-reporting,” says Dr. Aron S. Buchman, lead author of the study and associate pro-fessor of neurological sciences at Rush. “This is important because people may not be able to remember the details correctly.”

Over a mean of 3.5 years of follow up, 71 of the participants developed Alzheimer’s disease.

The study showed that people in the bottom 10 percent of daily activity levels were more than twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease as people in the top 10 percent of daily activity.

Those individuals in the bottom 10 percent of intensity of the physical activities were almost three times as likely to develop Alzheimer’s as the people in the top 10 percent of intensity.

“Since the actigraph was attached to the wrist, activities like cooking, washing the dishes, playing cards and even moving a wheelchair with a person’s arms were beneficial,” Buchman says. “These are low-cost, easily accessible and side-effect free activities people can do at any age, including very old age, to possibly prevent Alzheimer’s.”

© CTW FeaTures

“These are low-cost, easily accessible and side-effect free activities people can do at any age, including very old age, to possibly prevent alzheimer’s.”

Experience How Medicine Used to

Be Practiced

Longer AppointmentsMake Healthier

PatientsWe schedule longer appointments

because this allows Dr. Karnstedt to get to know the whole you. It enables her to address multiple problems in

one visit. This means less time waiting or being rushed through.

Laena Karnstedt, MDBoard Certified Internal Medicine

2008 American Heart Association Doctor of the Year North GA Region

106 pilgrim village dr.cumming • 678-455-0030

www.LanierAdultMedicine.com


A heAlthier lifestyle doesn’t AlwAys hAve to be doctor-Approved. but some experts sAy: better sAfe thAn sorry.

by lindsey romAin ctw feAtures

everyone’s heard it: It’s important to consult with a doctor before trying a new diet or exercise regimen. It’s in the footnotes of

every infomercial, magazine article, diet handout

or meal plan. It’s the go-to mission statement for any lifestyle change. But how important is it, really?

That depends, according to professionals.“Unless you have some type of pre-existing

health condition that requires you to check in with your physician, you really don’t need to,”

should i stay or should i Go?


says Colin Milner, CEO of the International Council on Active Aging.

But it isn’t just Milner’s opinion that counts. The American College of Sports Medicine released an official statement last year declaring that consultations with a medi-cal professional when beginning a new exer-cise regimen are “useful when clinically indi-cated, but are not recommended with uni-versal screening.”

Experts can almost unanimously agree that exercise is important for people of all ages, especially those middle aged and older. An active lifestyle manages weight and decreases the likelihood of chronic illness, and is also extremely beneficial to cognitive function, according to a 2007 report from the ACSM. Best of all, it’s mostly risk-free.

“Eighty-five percent of people have at least one chronic health condition by the time they’re 65, but many of those condi-tions are improved with exercise,” says Milner.

According to the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, “the health bene-fits of physical activity far outweigh the risks.”

So when is it important to get a consulta-tion?

According to Barbara Bushman, Ph. D., a Department of Kinesiology professor at

Missouri State University, the ACSM guide-lines suggest older adults do not require an exercise test prior to initiating a moderate physical activity program. But if an older adult wants to begin a vigorous intensity program and has risk factors – like a family history of heart disease, cigarette smoking, obesity, hypertension or prediabetes – then they are at moderate risk for cardiovascular disease and should have a medical exam first. As such, anyone will a full-on cardiac, pul-monary or metabolic disease, asthma, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, thyroid disorder, renal or liver disease should also see a doctor.

Even if you don’t fall into one of the above categories, Bushman says it’s never a bad idea to speak with a doctor anyway. “I personally feel keeping open lines of com-munication with one’s health care provider is a good thing,” she says.

Milner also advises a mindful approach to the mixture of certain medications, as that can play a role in exercise performance. “As we get older, so many of us are taking more than one medication, and the interaction between the two is having an effect,” he says. He advises being open with doctors so they’re aware of what’s going on and can prescribe according to a specific lifestyle.

For any older individual looking to start a new exercise program, Milner suggests tak-

ing it slow and starting with a solid comfort level. “A lot of people throw themselves into it,” he says. “They go too hard, too fast. Just start off at a place that feels comfortable,

and grow from there.”

© CTW FeaTures

Percentage decline in number of U.S. adults with high total cholesterol.Source: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention27%

F. Edward LeVert, M.D. Dimple Raina, M.D.

Long B. Nguyen, D.O. Brian Hudes, M.D.

Medical Director

If you are over 50there are no excuses.

Make a colon cancer screening appointment today.

,LLC

Specializing in colon cancer screening, and the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of liver disease, acid reflux, and other gastrointestinal diseases.

AAAHC accredited and conveniently located next door to AGA.

, LLC

4275 Johns Creek Pkwy, Ste. A, Suwanee, GA 30024www.advgastro.com

678.475.1606


After overcoming a tumultuous cancer battle,

the iconic music star has set her

sights on helping women live

healthier lives and creating a

better, healthier world for all

Newton-JohnOliviacelebrity health:


By Lisa iannucci cTW FEaTuREs

She’s sold more than 100 million albums and had ten number one hits, but mega superstar Olivia

Newton-John is probably best known for her co-starring role as Sandy in the classic 1978 film “Grease.” Back in the 70s and 80s, women wanted to be her and men wanted to date her. With her girl-next-door looks that came with a side dish of sex appeal, Newton-John became an icon.

More than 30 years later, she is still performing and is still stunningly beautiful. Today, she is busier than this article even has room to discuss and, you could say, is hopelessly devoted to helping the environment and ultimately wiping cancer off the planet.

When asked about how she came to love environmental causes or even how she stays so beautiful, she quickly credits her mother, Irene Born, for both. “I didn’t understand it at the time, but people who lived through a war were very careful,” she says. “She would reuse paper bags and always made me turn off the lights. She also wrote to the government to ask them not to chop down the trees.”

She also credits her German mom for her healthy eating habits and her flawless skin. “She was raised on fresh vegetables, but when I was young, I resented it,” she says. “After school there was fruit, but no cakes and candies like the other kids would have. I remember being jealous of my friends who got junk, but now I'm really grateful for those early years of training with healthy foods, because that's what I reverted to and that's what I did with my daughter Chloe was born.”

Married to Amazon Herb Company owner and founder, John Easterling, Newton-John also swears by their Amazon Rain skin care line. “There's no preservatives in it and a lot of the ingredients are from the rainforest. The base of some [products] is from the Camu's root, which has the highest vitamin C of any fruit in the world,” she

says. “I use that, eat well, exercise pretty regularly and take care of myself the best I can.”

Unfortunately, even the healthiest regimen couldn’t stop Newton-John from receiving the worst possible news in 1992, on the same day her father passed away from cancer. She was diagnosed with breast cancer. “I did all the things that were supposed to be right – hardly drank, didn’t smoke and I exercised -- so sometimes these things are random,” she says.

Forced to go public when a tabloid was going to print an article claiming the superstar was dying, Newton-John has no regrets. “Looking back, I realized that it was very healthy to talk about it, because keeping those things to myself would have been much more stressful than just being open about it.”

Newton-John held off becoming an advocate for breast cancer issues until more than five years later. “They say that a five-year period is when most recurrences can happen, so I was a little nervous to be too much of an advocate for anything before that,” she says.

Her positive mentality and energy is contagious. She says that she never once asked herself the fatalistic question, “Why me?” even while penning a song by that name on the album “Gaia: One Woman’s Journey” (1994). Instead, she asks, “Why not me?... I see it now that maybe there was a reason it’s me so I could now be helping others. That’s my journey.”

Now, she is extremely involved in raising cancer awareness. She served as Goodwill Ambassador to the United Nations Environment Programme in 1991, and she served as the national spokesperson for the Colette Chuda Environmental Fund/Children’s Health Environmental Coalition, founded after the tragic death of her daughter Chloe’s best friend from a rare childhood cancer. She partnered with Austin Health to create the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre (ONJCWC) in Melbourne, Australia, and in April 2008, led a team of fellow cancer survivors, celebrities

and Olympians on a trek along the Great Wall of China to raise more than $2 million to build the ONJCWC.

She also launched Liv Aid®, a breast self-examination aid that assists women to conduct breast self-exams correctly (www.liv.com). She’s now been cancer-free for two decades and wants to make sure that other women take a more active role in their breast health. “Everyone has different breasts, and we shouldn’t leave it up to our doctor once a year to recognize something is wrong,” she says. “You should be aware if there's anything that doesn't feel right to you.”

For those still in the midst of treatment, Newton-John says to keep a positive spirit. “I send my love. They have to believe they are going to be okay,” she says. “They should do everything they can for themselves, because as women, we tend to always put everybody before ourselves. They need to find time in every day that's just for them, whether it's taking a walk, reading a book or going to the

gym, whatever it is that gives them joy and pleasure.”

She also advises women to allow someone else to update everyone on any changes in condition. “A lot of your energy is expended on people asking, ‘How are you?’ and then you're always talking about illness rather than focusing on your recovery and being positive.”

Newton-John is also a firm believer in having fun and treating yourself, which is why she opened Australia’s Gaia Retreat and Spa approximately six years ago. Her book, “Livwise: Easy Recipes for a Healthy, Happy Life” (Lyons Press, 2012) was just released.

She’s accomplished so much in her personal life and career, it’s hard to imagine that she still has something unchecked on her to-do list. “I’ve walked the China Wall, but I've always wanted to do a walking tour across Italy,” she says. “I think we’re going to do that soon.”

© cTW FEaTuREs

REsOuRcEsGaia Retreat and spawww.gaiaretreat.com.au/about-gaia

children’s Health Environmental coalitionHealthyChild.org

amazon Herb companywww.AmazonHerb.com

Facebookwww.facebook.com/olivianewtonjohn

Twittertwitter.com/olivianj

“They should do everything they can for themselves, because as women, we tend to always put everybody before ourselves. They need to find time in every day that's just for them, whether it's taking a walk, reading a book or going to the gym, whatever it is that gives them joy and pleasure.”


Where's the Beef?AmericAns Are consuming less meAt

without ‘going Veg’ – should you join the heAlthy trend?

By Ben lArrison ctw FeAtures

In a country known for its love of the fast-food hamburger and a thick, juicy steak, something strange has been

happening of late: People are eating less meat.

By all statistical accounts, Americans have been cutting cut back on their meat consumption – though not necessarily by going vegetarian. USDA projections for 2012 show a notable decline in meat and poultry use, just as they did in 2011, while

a 2010 American Meat Institute study found that 18 percent of Americans regularly eat meatless

meals for health reasons.There is plenty of medical evidence

in the case for consuming less meat. Studies have demonstrated that eating

meat can help cause cardiovascular disease, Type II diabetes and certain cancers – including those of the colon and prostate. Processed meat is even worse.

The latest bad news for meat comes in the form a new study from the Harvard School of Public Health, which shows that eating even a small amount of red meat every day raises mortality risk by 13 percent, while a daily serving of processed meat every

day comes with a 20 percent increased risk of mortality.In light of such news, you may very

well be thinking of cutting back on your meat consumption. But just because you have decided to eat less meat – be it for health, environmental, cosmetic or other reasons – doesn’t mean you must become all-out vegetarian. In fact, these eat-less-meaters have even earned their very own term: flexitarian.

“To be strictly vegetarian or vegan, in my view, is not 100 percent necessary for health,” says Dr. Donald Hensrud, editor of The Mayo Clinic Diet. “And what I mean by that is it’s what you eat 90 percent of the time, or 95 percent of the time, that makes the most impact.”

So how can you join the “Eat less meat” movement? Well, one easy way would be by participating in what is perhaps its most recognizable offshoots:


Meatless Monday. The initiative began in 2003, when founder Sid Lerner – a 72-year-old former ad man– worked with Johns Hopkins University to begin a public health awareness campaign regarding excessive meat consumption by encouraging people to give up meat at their Monday meals. “The goal,” says Tami O’Neill, project associate for The Monday Campaigns, “is for people to use the start of their week to contemplate healthier eating.”

But O’Neill is also quick to mention that the Meatless Monday campaign is not recruiting people to vegetarian or vegan lifestyles. (“We’re completely for people eating meat or wanting to eat meat,” O’Neill says.) The idea is more for people to take the start of the week as an opportunity to think about what they eat, and to explore the ever-growing world of plant-based meals.

While the notion of giving up daily meat may seem daunting at first, it’s often just a matter of mindset. “Instead of focusing on what you can’t eat, focus on what you can,” Hensrud says. “And come up with different meals that are tasty, healthy, practical, but don’t involve meat. Whether that’s including fish more often, or just starting out going plant-based instead of meat one day a week or something.”

Plus, thanks to the Internet, it’s pretty easy to find quick-’n’-easy meatless recipes, some of which may even introduce your taste buds to some new foods and flavors. One such food is quinoa, the so-called “miracle grain” that eats like rice or couscous while also packing a great deal of protein. Who knows? Maybe you’ll like it so much you’ll try it again with chicken or fish. “A lot of it is not necessarily time, it’s planning,” Hensrud says. “And what could be a better return on investment than spending some time to improve your health?”

With so many “new” elements to the eat-less-meat movement, it may at first feel like nothing more than a trend. But in some ways, the move away from meat is actually a return to the days of the past. “We’re eating double the amount of meat that we were eating in the 1960s,” O’Neill says. “Our diet has rapidly changed,” she says, from sit-down meals with healthy sides into “…a fast food culture and a take-out culture, and we’re seeing that on our waist lines.”

Health is a significant factor to wanting to cut down on meat, but there are plenty of other reasons to change your eating habits. Industrial farming takes a major toll on the environment, while some folks have trouble just getting past the idea of eating Wilbur. And then, of course, there is simple truth that cutting back on meat often means cutting back on calories, making it a great help if you are looking to cut a leaner figure.

Such was initially the case for Carole Carson, author of “From Fat to Fit: Turn Yourself into a Weapon of Mass Reduction” (Hound Press, 2007), a book in which she chronicles her efforts to shed pounds and get in shape just before turning 60 – efforts that included eating less meat.

Carson says when she lost weight, her family members started losing weight, too: “And I wasn’t proselytizing!” Having the fellow motivators made all the difference.

“I don’t think anybody can do this alone,” Carson says. “Changing you habits has to be done as a family or a community. You really need people around you to help you make a change.”

© CTW FeaTures

“We’re eaTing double The amounT oF meaT ThaT We Were eaTing in The 1960s. our dieT has rapidly Changed, From siT-doWn meals inTo a FasT Food CulTure and We’re seeing ThaT on our WaisT lines.” — Tami O’Neill, project associate for The Monday Campaigns

hi, grandma and grandpa!staying connected is a phone call – or an online chat - away

Grandparenting, or even parenting, long distance is easier than ever with modern technol-ogy.

Camille Noe Pagán’s two toddlers use Skype, a free service for Internet video calls, to visit regularly with her husband’s parents, who live states away.

“Indi was about two-and-a-half when we started Skyping with JP's dad,” says Pagán, a novelist in Ann Arbor, Mich. “We see him about two to three times a year, and I think that virtual chatting has definitely helped Indi remember who he is.”

And her son, Xavier, has been Skyping since birth — long before he had any idea what he was doing.

“It helped JP's parents feel like they were able to see him in all the baby stages instead of every quarter or six months when he looked like a different person,” she adds.

But keeping in touch with older kids may be more difficult. A new study by Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project found that only 14 percent of teens talk daily with friends on a landline, and only 26 percent do so on cell phones.

However, the study notes that 75 percent of teens send text messages through their cell phones, with the average number of texts rising to 60 a day in 2011.

Technology-savvy parents and grandparents might be wise to keep texts simple, lest their well-intended communications end up on a website like “When Parents Text,” a blog “dedicated to the trials and errors that come when a parent handles a cellphone.” –Darci Swisher

© CTW FeaTures

Percentage of mobile phone gamers that are ages 55 and older.Source: 2011 PopCap Games Mobile Phone Gaming Research, Information Solutions Group16%


By AnnA SAchSe cTW FeATUReS

The first of four books in the “The New Rules of Lifting” series came out at the end of 2005. A few years

later, the authors Lou Schuler and Alwyn Cosgrove found that readers were asking for something more specific: a book for middle-aged and older people who want to continue lifting weights but know they can’t do it the same way they did when they were younger. The fitness gurus resisted at first, mostly because they didn’t want anyone to think in terms of their limitations. Schuler says, “Much better, I thought, to focus on what you can do, rather than what you can’t.”

What changed? Schuler got older

himself. He’s 55-years-old now, and in the past five years he’s dealt with shoulder, knee, calf and hip injuries, and a hernia surgery. So, he and Cosgrove put their heads together and created a boomer-friendly book – “The New Rules of Lifting For Life: An All-New Muscle-Building, Fat-Blasting Plan for Men and Women Who Want to Ace Their Midlife Exams”(Avery, 2012; TheNewRulesOfLifting.com) – with a unique format: each type of exercise has a menu, with versions ranked from Level 1 to Level 5 (plus modifications that are even more basic or more advanced), and readers can choose the moves they want

accordingly.The whole point of the book is that

everyone has different problems and needs, but among mid-lifers, back pain tends to be a front and center concern. Here, Schuler outlines six basic, tried-and-true moves to help you strengthen this fundamental structure of muscles, ligaments, tendons, nerves and bones that allows you to walk, lean over and pick up your grandchildren.

The first two exercises, the plank and side plank, develop stability in your core, the muscles responsible for keeping your lower back and pelvis in a safe, neutral position. The hip raise teaches you to

engage your gluteal and hamstring muscles in order to straighten your body when it’s bent at the hips. The squat engages your supportive butt and thigh muscles as a unit, and the standing cable row and elevated push-up engage your core while working your biggest, strongest upper-body muscles.

Notice that there aren’t any sitting exercises in this workout? That’s by design. “You sit all day at work,” Schuler says. “Why would you want to go to the gym and sit some more? If you want a strong, healthy back, you need to sit less, and move more.”

© cTW FeATUReS

exeRciSeS FoR A STRongeR BAck6Back pain is one of the biggest concerns and problems for boomers. These six moves from the new book “The New Rules of Lifting For Life: An All-New Muscle-Building, Fat-Blasting Plan for Men and Women Who Want to Ace Their Midlife Exams”(Avery, 2012; TheNewRulesOfLifting.com), will help keep you pain-free and active longer.

The Six MoveSThis routine takes about a half-hour, and you want to do it three times a week.

PlAnk: 1-2 holdS oF 30-60 SecondSGet into plank position, which is also called a modified push-up

position: You’re facedown, with your weight resting on your forearms and toes, forearms aligned with your torso, elbows

directly beneath your shoulders, and your body in a straight line from neck to ankles.


Side plank: 1-2 holdS of 20-40 SecondS (each Side)Lie on your left side with your legs straight and your right leg on top of your left. Position yourself so your weight rests on your left forearm and the outside edge of your left foot. Your left elbow should be directly beneath your shoulder, with your upper arm perpendicular to the floor. Lift your hips until your body is in a straight line from neck to ankles. You want your shoulders square and on a plane that’s perpendicular to the floor, as if your back was supported by a wall. You can place your right hand on your right hip or left shoulder.

hip raiSe: 1-2 SetS of up to 15 repSLie on your back, knees bent, feet flat on the floor, arms out to your sides. Squeeze your glutes and lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from knees to shoulders.

elevated puSh-up: 1-2 SetS of 12-15 repSCosgove is no fan of the “girl” push-up, with knees on the floor. One of the main benefits of the push-up is the way it uses the core muscles to stabilize the spine and pelvis, and most of that benefit is lost when you cut your own body off at the knees. Instead, do push-ups with your hands elevated as high as they need to go. If you’re an absolute beginner, or recovering from something no one should ever have to recover from, you can even do wall push-ups: stand a few feet from a wall, lean forward, rest your hands on the wall, come up on your toes so your body forms a straight line, and do the exercise with whatever range of motion you can. The point is, always do the hardest push-up variation you can manage for the required repetitions.

Standing cable row: 1-2 SetS of 12-15 repS (each arm)Set the pulley of a cable machine to waist height, and attach a stirrup handle. Grab the handle in your nondominant hand (your left if you’re right-handed) and step back from the machine until you have tension in the cable with your arm fully extended in front of you. Stand facing the machine with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointed forward, knees and hips bent slightly, chest up, shoulders back, and your working arm extended out in front of you. (You can rest your nonworking hand on your thigh or hip, or hold it behind your back, whichever you prefer.) Tighten your hip and torso muscles to brace your core. Pull the handle to the side of your torso, keeping your shoulders forward and minimizing rotation. Return to the starting position, do all your reps, switch arms, and repeat the set with your other arm.

goblet Squat:1-2 SetS of 12-15 repSGrab a dumbbell or weight plate and hold it with both hands against your chest, just below your chin. (It’s called a goblet squat because if the weight were a cup, you could drink out of it.) Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, push your hips back, and squat as described above. Keep your eyes focused forward and your torso as upright as possible.


By AnnA SAchSe cTW FeATUReS

In “A Bittersweet Season: Caring for Our Aging Parents – and Ourselves” (Vintage, 2012), newly out in

paperback, author Jane Gross chronicles the difficult final years of her mother’s life, weaving together intimate experience and practical advice. Here, the founder of The New York Times blog, The New Old Age, talks about the hard-earned lessons she’s learned along the way.

Q What consequences can caring for an ailing loved one have on the

health of the caregiver?

JG There’s a mess of research on this. The issues are primarily

stress-related, actual diseases, depression and not caring for oneself physically, but there is wide variation. In general, the health of the caregiver correlates to whether they are responsible full or part time, the ill person’s condition, if you have help or if they are at home or at an assisted-

living facility. But even if they are at a nursing home, you’re not off the hook – you’re still visiting, advocating and on-call mentally. If you tend to get colds, you will probably get a lot of colds. If you tend to get migraines, then you will likely get a lot of migraines. If stress typically makes you over-eat or under-eat, then it will likely be a problem.

QHow can one use the experience of watching a parent age to make

better decisions about their own health future?

JG Well, I don’t want to blame the victim – our parents grew up in a

different environment than we live in now. I never saw my mother riding a bicycle or even wearing sneakers, and her worst problems initially were mobility issues. Had she exercised and not been overweight, it probably would have changed her particular trajectory. No matter what you do, you are still going to age, but watching someone fall apart and knowing how they ate, didn’t exercise or smoked certainly ought to give you pause.

Q You must have had many realizations during your mother’s decline. What

stands out?

JG Caretakers get a lot of advice about being healthy, but this can

be difficult and becomes just another burden. That said, I started doing yoga when my mother was sick, and it was an enormous help. I got more massages and became a mani-pedi junkie because, at the nail salon, I didn’t know anyone, there were no questions, I was in suspended animation.

These things were helpful, but more important was making adjustments inside my head. If I had to do it over, I would have done quite well to think about the

Care and Care Alike

When A loved one iS ill, TAking cARe oF The SelF iS oF eqUAl impoRTAnce


process differently. My brother and I were running ourselves ragged, almost as if we thought, “If we just do everything on our to-do list, everything will get better and we can get back to our lives.” That doesn’t happen. It’s preordained. The end point is that the person is going to die, whether it’s five years or a week from now. You have to think of it like a marathon, not a sprint – maybe then you won’t rush at the begin-ning, when you tend to make mistakes.

There’s a whole school of geriatric medicine called slow medicine: Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. Mother didn’t want a lot of stupid things done, and said no after a certain point. In my experience, it’s not

the old people who want to keep going, but rather the children or medical pro-fessionals who ram it down your throat or don’t explain alternatives. Rather than viewing death as a medical problem with a solution, you can see it as a natural part of life. The kindest thing you can do is just be present. Focus on quality of life, talk about your memories and ask stories about their lives. For me, that was the epiphany: “I can’t make her well or young, but I can make the time very rich for both of us.” It’s a very different kind of caring for yourself that really can take the stress away.

© CTW FeaTures

“The kindest thing you can do is just be present. Focus on quality of life, talk about your memories and ask sto-ries about their lives.” — Jane Gross

Call or visit us online for more information!770-888-4929

www.thevillasatcanterfi eld.com

Come Enjoy Our Hotel-inspired Hospitality

Offi ce Hours:Mon-Fri 9-5 • Sat 10-5 • Sun 12-5

815 Atlanta Highway • Cumming GAConveniently located near Exit 14 of GA 400 & Highway 9,

just west of Northside Hospital - Forsyth

Our assisted living community offers a neighborhood concept unlike any other. We have neighborhoods designed for more active seniors, those needing a higher level of care, as well as a

neighborhood devoted to memory care.

Elegant Assisted Living

Arrives in Cumming!

Now Open and Filling Fast!

1,000,000Number of people in the U.S., 65 and older,

that received home health care in 2007

Source: 2007 National Home and Hospice Care Survey, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics


Georgia’s most trusted hands behind every surgery

The latest diagnostic services and treatments are only as good as the team performing them. At Northside, our skilled doctors and nurses

perform more surgeries than any other hospital in Georgia. We provide a level of experience, knowledge and compassionate care

you won’t find anywhere else. Visit us online at www.northside.com.

health and wellness 2012

Documents

chargegood health

vein disease

new study

happier todaycelebrity

vein services team

vein condition

colon cancer screenings

rush researchers