Surviving the Senior Citizen Years

  I know if you have health and mobility problems, it is easy to feel like you should give up. Quality of life, or lack thereof, can be a sore spot for all of us. I am doing everything I can to improve my life. Healthy eating You are eating right, which is so important. But when you do eat all the right things, you might feel like you are missing out. I have a problem with snacks. I should not eat them, but putting them down is hard, so I’ll keep trying to cut back. What else can I do? Getting regular checkups is so important. Nobody likes going to the doctor. Especially if you have an ailment that bothers you. Taking another medication isn’t what you want either. You could always get another opinion, but they may tell you the same thing. Take the medication! Yearly physicals are essential as well. Bloodwork can show the doctor and you where you stand health-wise. Blood work can sometimes detect something early, and that is important. Exercise I need to walk more, t...

  Your body is older and certainly isn’t as strong as when you were young. Things sag and sometimes ache. You get out the salve and lay it on the muscles thick, knowing that you’ll have to continue to care for your body more and more through the years. You knew this time was coming, but what can you do? Do you dream of the old days? Most do, but it doesn’t help, does it? Life is a process of stages, and if you are older, you are in a stage that takes a lot out of you.   “I used to be able to run faster, lift more weights, and do activities where I didn’t strain myself, requiring days of recovery.” It's true but remember that things are different. Life can still be enjoyable even though you can’t go full out anymore. And everyone fortunate enough to get older is in the same boat. While it's okay to enjoy memories of days gone by, the life you lead now can be just as sweet. It’s a matter of having the right mindset and knowing that limitations affect us all. Diet and e...

  While physical exercise is essential, exercising your brain is just as important. Dementia is a scary prospect when you get older. Everyone knows someone or has a family member in those dire straits. It’s sad to see and frightening to think it could happen to you. There is no absolute cure for dementia, but there are things you can do to reduce your chances of having it. Can I Prevent Dementia? (alzheimers.gov) It is a great site and very informative. I worry about dementia quite a bit because of my Parkinson’s disease diagnosis and my isolation. I have been writing for many years, and I believe it has helped me. I also read a lot as well. You can also do other things like crossword puzzles, problem-solving games, jigsaw puzzles, and more. Proper diet and exercise combined with critical thinking are a great combination. Comments are always welcome David  

What’s holding me back from improving things in my life? Well, me, I guess. I can blame the health issues till I’m blue in the face, which makes matters worse.   I’ve found that being negative about everything in life is easier than trying to find happiness and contentment somewhere. Change can be difficult. It’s difficult for me as well. I’m attempting to change my diet to include more fiber. Reece’s cups do not have fiber. Never do chocolate ice cream or potato chips. I’ve never loved fruit , but I add an apple or an orange daily.   As well as low-fat yogurt. It doesn’t sound like much, but it’s a start. I’m also walking a little with my wife. It's not much, maybe 15 minutes, but it helps. I’ll increase the distance as I feel more comfortable with it. I have found some stretching exercises that seem helpful. You must start somewhere. Just don’t overdo it. If you do, you might injure yourself or get frustrated and quit entirely. You don’t want to do that. I’ll ...