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I wanted to share some of my Frequently Asked Questions from people that come in to see me for the first time. Am I too old to start an exercise program? Absolutely not! No one is too old to start a regular, consistent, and progressive exercise program. Everyone begins where they are and builds from there. The older you get the faster you lose your fitness. It takes only two weeks of not doing anything to lose all that you’ve built up, especially if you are over 60. You cannot store fitness: you need to lead an active lifestyle to prevent d...
We are not afraid of the ides of March anymore, since the IRS beckons us now to the ides of April. For the many questions I have been asked about the differences between Medicare and Medicaid, I will explain. Medicaid is a joint federal and state program that helps with medical costs like nursing home care and personal care services, for some people with limited income and resources. You may be eligible for extra help paying for Medicare prescription drug coverage (Part D), even if your income...
Calcium carbonate nanoparticles may help combat cancer Researchers have now found a way to keep a cancerous tumor from growing by using nanoparticles of the main ingredient in common antacid tablets (calcium carbonate). Investigators at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, have created nanoparticles from calcium carbonate and injected them intravenously into an animal model to treat solid tumors. The compound changed the pH of the tumor environment from acidic to more alkaline. It also...
Alaska Health Fairs’ spring series of health fairs are underway, featuring free health screenings and education, low cost blood tests and more. The tests can help you learn about your health and detect potential problems early, when treatment or changes in personal habits can be most effective. The test results give you and your health care provider important information about your physical condition and vital organ functions. A complete and comprehensive chemistry/hematology test is available for only $45 and panels 27 different tests for c...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following peer support meetings in March. This month’s focus: National Nutrition Month. March 1, Caregiver support meeting at Sterling Senior Center, 1 p.m. March 8, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m. March 15, Caregiver support meeting at Kenai Senior Center, 1 p.m. March 15, Caregiver support meeting at Anchor Point Senior Center, 3 p.m. March 29, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m. Support meetings allow you to share your e...
You've heard of omnivores, vegetarians and vegans and you probably have an idea of what these terms mean. But, a newer term "locavore" may be unfamiliar. Actually, the word locavore has been around for 10 years and current momentum promoting sustainable communities by "eating local" has pushed the locavore movement. The locavore chooses to eat only locally grown and produced food or as much locally produced food as possible. "Local' is often defined as grown or produced within a 50 mile radius...
Pill Splitting: A Two-fer Deal Whatever your opinion about health care reform and Obamacare, you’ve probably noticed that health care is getting more expensive and harder to find. And chances are, it’s only going to get worse. The fact is, the number one cause of bankruptcy in America is medical bills. For most of us, the older we get the longer the line of pill bottles on the shelf grows. Jim Miller, a regular contributor to the NBC “Today Show” and the author of “Savvy Living,” has information that could help you reduce the money you spend f...
People with Medicare can get off to a healthy start in the new year. Medicare covers a full range of preventive services to help keep you healthy and find problems early, when treatment is most effective. If you have Original Medicare, you’ll be able to get a yearly “Wellness” visit and many preventive services at no cost to you. Talk with your doctor or health care provider to find out what tests or other services you may need. Medical assistance and your taxes If you are one of the milli...
Benefits from eating chocolate Historically, chocolate has been recognized as a vasodilator, meaning that it widens blood vessels and lowers blood pressure in the long run. However, chocolate also contains some powerful stimulants. Now, researchers are reporting that adults who eat chocolate receive immediate brain benefits. They have found that the brain is more alert and attentive after consumption of chocolate and blood pressure also increased for a short time. “Chocolate is indeed a s...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following peer support meetings in February. This month’s focus: National American Heart Month. Feb. 2, Caregiver support meeting at Sterling Senior Center, 1 p.m. Feb. 9, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m. Feb. 16, Caregiver support meeting at Kenai Senior Center, 1 p.m. Feb. 23, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m. Support meetings allow you to share your experiences as a caregiver, or support someone who is a caregiver. If y...
I used to think multivitamins filled a nutritional gap, but today I think differently. There’s no way that 1.7 mg of any B vitamin will boost energy, or 20 mg of magnesium could improve mood. I’m beginning to realize that multivitamins are an absolute joke. It’d be funny except the joke’s on us, and you spend good money on them. Here’s my rationale: Negligible amounts There are so many nutrients in a multivitamin that the amounts of each become negligible. For example, 1 mg of pyridoxine (B6) doesn’t impact you, metabolically speaking. I...
A series of online trainings on geriatric health care topics will be available beginning in January, sponsored by the Area Health Education Center (AHEC), the Alaska Training Cooperative and Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority. The series is a partnership with the Northwest Geriatric Education Center, and will offer 10 weeks of trainings from Jan. 5 through March 8, to Alaska via virtual classroom on the Internet. The series is designed to give community-based providers working in the field of aging – physicians, nurses, physical and o...
Diabetes drug may help combat fatty liver disease New research published in The Lancet is showing that a drug currently used in the treatment of type-2 diabetes can be effective in clearing fatty liver disease from some patients. The researchers from the University of Birmingham in the UK believe that the findings present the possibility of new therapies for patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Currently, there are no licensed treatments. The trial was the first of its type t...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following peer support meetings in January. This month’s focus: “What topics would you like discussed in 2016 support meetings?” All caregivers should attend and help direct the support program by sharing your training needs and areas of interest to your situation. If you are unable to attend, please call and give your input. Jan. 5, Caregiver support meeting at Sterling Senior Center, 1 p.m. Jan. 12, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m.. Jan. 19, Careg...
What are the physical effects of religious faith? A study tracking 20,000 Americans found that white people who attended church regularly lived an average of seven years longer than their counterparts who didn’t go to church. And churchgoing black people lived an average of 14 years longer. The relationship between religious faith and health has been analyzed in thousands of studies in recent years, according to Harold G. Koenig, MD, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke University. “People who feel their life is part of a l...
The numbers associated with food waste are nothing short of staggering. Americans waste 35 million tons of food per year. This isn't just a loss of food that might otherwise feed us. Growing, harvesting, transporting and storing of that 35 million tons also consumes fuel and degrades our air and water. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN and the National Resources Defense Council estimate that "as much as 40 percent of the U. S. food supply ends up in a dumpster." This is a 50...
Many of you are convinced that prescription medicine is the best way to heal. As a pharmacist, I would agree with that at times, but not every time. Don't forget that before man pulled the plant from the ground, took it to a lab and attached a synthetic chemical by force to the plant (just to get it patented), we all used Mother Earth. Last week, I did a health segment with television evangelist Pat Robertson on "The 700 Club," and I showed viewers how ancient herbs were used to improve health....
Combating the holiday blues For some individuals the holidays can be a very difficult time emotionally. For some it is just the blues but for others it can result in serious depression. Recently a new study showed that in older adults a combination therapy was able to help those who were clinically depressed. More than half of older adults with clinical depression don’t get better when treated with an antidepressant. However, results from a multicenter clinical has found that adding an a...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following peer support meetings in December. This month’s topic is “How to Measure Vital Signs.” Dec. 1, Caregiver support meeting at Sterling Senior Center, 1 p.m. Dec. 8, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m.. Dec. 15, Caregiver support meeting at Kenai Senior Center, 1 p.m. Dec. 15, Caregiver support meeting at Anchor Point Senior Center, 3 p.m. Dec. 29, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m. Please join and share your exper...
In an over-fed, undernourished world, here’s a bit of tasty news. Addressing just one simple nutrient deficiency can prevent a long list of modern society’s present-day diseases while vastly improving the quality of your life. You never hear magnesium mentioned in the same breath as vitamin C, A, E and calcium; however, magnesium is responsible for over 300 biochemical reactions in your body. The role of magnesium in preventing heart disease and kidney stones is widely accepted. Individuals who die suddenly of heart attacks have been shown to...
Memory Screenings are an important part of checking our overall health as we age. If you or a loved one are having concerns about memory loss and the difference between normal aging and cognitive impairment, make an appointment for a screening and learn more about both. Alzheimer’s Resource of Alaska will offer free memory screenings during November at the following locations and times. Registration is required. Nov. 3 Juneau 3225 Hospital Drive, #101, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call Amber, 586-6044 Nov. 6 Fairbanks 565 University Ave., #2, 9 a.m. to 4...
Winter has finally arrived, with one small fall of the flaky, white stuff and if the prognosticators are to be believed, due to the imminent arrival of “El Nino,” it will be a mild one. At my age I am forever thankful. I used to welcome snow, when I could go “sno-go” riding and even take a turn on the old skis, but now snow is just a nuisance. It is again time to remind us that winter brings slippery steps, streets, roads and don’t forget fallen leaves, and we have to step carefully. And that...
* The University Center Health Fair in Anchorage is Nov. 21. The print edition incorrectly listed it as Nov. 15. Please take note and spread the word! Alaska Health Fair, Inc. wraps up their fall series of health fairs around the state this month, featuring free health screenings and education, low cost blood tests and more. These tests can help you learn about your health and detect potential problems early, when treatment or changes in personal habits can be most effective. The test results give you and your health care provider important...
The Alaska Kidney Patients Assoc. is offering free kidney health screenings in November for people at increased risk for kidney disease, meaning people with diabetes, high blood pressure, or immediate family members with kidney disease. To participate, contact the Alaska Kidney Patients Association, and they’ll arrange for you to get your lab work done at a local lab, free of charge. After you’ve completed the lab work, an appointment will be made on Saturday, Nov. 21, to go over the results with a medical professional, who will be able to ans...
The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following peer support meetings in November. This month’s topic is “Caregiver Wellness.” Nov. 3, Caregiver support meeting at Sterling Senior Center, 1 p.m. Nov. 10, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m.. Nov. 17, Caregiver support meeting at Kenai Senior Center, 1 p.m. Nov. 17, Caregiver support meeting at Anchor Point Senior Center, 3 p.m. Nov. 24, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m. Please join and share your experiences as a car...
