Health Podcast: Drink For Your Heart; Age Passionately; Make friends NOW!

In this episode we feature:

An interview with Geriatrician and co-founder of ChangingAging.org

Let Grandma drive!

Workout outside!

Beware of emotional eating

And more ways you can improve your health today!

For more information, and to sign up for our private coaching, visit tesh.com

Our Hosts:
John Tesh: Instagram: @johntesh_ifyl facebook.com/JohnTesh
Gib Gerard: Instagram: @GibGerard facebook.com/GibGerard X: @GibGerard

Transcript

Unknown: 0:08

Gib, hello and welcome to another episode of the podcast. I'm Gib Gerard here with yet another one of my favorite things that we do, the special intelligence for your health. With Connie Celica. Episodes of the podcast today, the interview is with none other than Dr Bill Thomas, a geriatrician and co founder of changing aging.org so you can hear all about how to age, age better, staying healthy as you age. So here, without further ado, is intelligence for your health. With Connie Celica, no one likes talking about urinary tract infections, but UTIs are the second most common type of infection in the body, and the reason for more than 8 million doctors visits each year, and yes, men get them too. So do this SIP hot or iced green tea, or matcha tea, which contains the entire tea leaf, green tea has an anti microbial compound, EGCG, that can pass through your GI tract without being broken down. That means, once it reaches your bladder, it can destroy the bacterial strains that cause UTIs to get the benefits just sip 12 ounces of green tea a day. Are you really hungry, or are you eating for an emotional reason, like boredom, sadness or stress? Here's how to know the difference, according to Dr Gary foster director of Temple University's Obesity Research Center, first ask yourself, Am I hungry for a specific food, like a taco supreme? If you're craving something specific. It's most likely not real hunger. It's what Dr foster calls reward driven hunger, because eating something you crave triggers the reward circuits in your brain making you feel good. Next, ask yourself, Is my stomach growling? Do I have hunger pangs? If the answer is yes, it's real hunger, or what Dr foster calls physiological hunger. Basically, think of it this way, reward driven hunger is a false signal to eat. You're not starving. You're reaching for food out of habit or to soothe your emotions. That's why Dr Foster says, if your cravings are based on an emotional trigger, let yourself feel that emotion instead of stuffing it down with food, our emotions peak and then fade in roughly 15 minute cycles, coincidentally, about the same amount of time it takes for a craving to pass coming up. We'll talk to aging expert, Dr Bill Thomas. He'll share the top factor that determines whether you'll stay healthy as you age, or spend your golden years being sick all the time. But first, what can harm your heart almost as much as smoking a cigarette? Dehydration. A report from the University of Arkansas found even mild dehydration makes our blood thicker, making the heart work harder to pump it around the body. The researchers found being dehydrated increases levels of a certain hormone that damages the tissue lining our blood vessels, which also plays a part in regulating blood flow. So the researchers say a good plan is to drink enough liquid so you're using the bathroom six times a day at least, we often talk about the value of being optimistic and looking on the bright side, but if you do that too often, it can become what psychologists call toxic positivity, that refers to when people think staying positive is the only mindset to have. Why is that a problem? According to psychotherapist Whitney Goodman, when you deny negative emotions, you risk making them bigger and more problematic. And instead of acknowledging a friend's problem, a blanket statement of positivity can increase their anxiety. For example, if a friend is going through a tough time and your reaction is to say, everything happens for a reason. Dr Goodman says it sends the message that you're dismissive of their pain and you're incapable of offering support or empathy, but if you acknowledge their sadness, that shows you're willing to help them process their negative emotions and move on. Dr Goodman says sometimes there's value in embracing sadness, because one of the keys to growing stronger emotionally is to embrace and process difficult emotions. Okay, listen to this. To get the biggest benefit from your workouts, exercise in the morning. That's according to Dr Anthony Hackney, a sports scientist at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. First of all, working out in the morning, especially on an empty stomach, burns more stored fat for energy than exercising later in the day, because our body produces more metabolism, boosting cortisol and growth hormone in the morning. Also, studies show morning exercisers have lower levels of the hunger hormone. Gray Lynn, all. Day making them eat less overall. Today, our special guest is geriatrician Dr Bill Thomas. He's one of the world's leading authorities on elder care, and is the co founder of changing aging.org and since his career began, he's interviewed 1000s of senior citizens to learn what it takes to help us all thrive as we age. And I asked him if he could identify one factor the healthiest older adults have in common. It's actually pretty simple, the healthiest, happiest people I've taken care of, and I'm talking about being a geriatrician. You know, have almost all been passionate about something that's bigger than themselves. And I'll give you an example when, when somebody new would come into my office and I'm like, Hello, how are you to do get acquainted, and the first thing they want to talk about is their medicines or their diagnoses or their symptoms, I immediately become worried about that person because their main focus is directed inward. So I'd really put it this way, when you when you look at people who are thriving in old age, almost all of them have the arrow of concern pointed out, and if that arrow turns around and points in, that's when you're in for trouble. And it's kind of funny, because a lot of those people whose arrow of concern is pointed out are actually they have lots of diseases and conditions, and they take medicines, but they're not sick because their their life is about something greater than themselves. Today we're talking to healthy aging expert, Dr Bill Thomas, author of the book, what are old people for? How elders will save the world? And one of his big messages is that it's time for us all to retire. The phrase, you're only as old as you feel, because in his experience, the healthiest and happiest people embrace the age they actually are. When people say, oh, you know, I'm 70, but I really feel like I'm 20, what they're really saying is that my authentic, lived experience as a genuine, gold plated 70 year old isn't worth claiming, and that instead, I'm gonna tell everybody how great I feel by comparing myself to the person I was 50 years ago. When you're not that person, you're not the person you were 50 years ago, that person is long gone, and it's ageist to talk about you're only as old as you feel, because it communicates a message that your experience as a young person is actually more valuable to you than your experience right now today as an old person, besides eating right and exercising what's another secret to staying healthy? Telling the truth? According to the University of Notre Dame, people who told the truth the most often were the least likely to have mental or physical health complaints. Lead researcher Dr Anita e Kelly believes it's because telling the truth significantly reduces stress because you don't have to use mental energy to make things up or remember what you've said. Today's medical term pertussis, also known as whooping cough, we're in the middle of the largest outbreak in a decade, with more than 16,000 cases reported so far, that's five times higher than a year ago, and those are only the ones we know about. According to the University of Wisconsin, for every case of whooping cough that's reported, there are probably 10 cases that are not and the coughing can be so severe that some people have difficulty breathing. It's the main reason whooping cough is so dangerous to children, not only do they have smaller air passages, their bodies can become so physically exhausted from coughing that they vomit, choke, stop breathing and lose consciousness. And 90% of deaths related to the infection happen among babies less than a year old. Unfortunately, the vaccine wears off over time, so boosters are recommended roughly once every 10 years, starting in middle school, because more than half of all cases have been transmitted by family members whose immunity has worn off, and people with whooping cough shed the bacteria for three or four weeks, so they can infect a lot of people, and that's today's medical term pertussis, also known as whooping cough, coming up. We'll hear more from Healthy Aging expert, Dr Bill Thomas. He'll talk about a few common tweaks you can make in your home that are proven to help you stay in your home. And live more independently for years, longer than you normally would. But first, if you're suffering from aches and pains, you can get some relief by getting the lighting right in your environment. Specifically turn on more lights during the day and turn off all light at night. The Cleveland Clinic did that for patients recuperating at the hospital, and they found they experienced significantly less pain. It works because exposure to bright light during the day and darkness at night resets our internal body clock, that in turn reduces inflammation and increases energy, and those are two key elements when it comes to decreasing pain. If you're like three and four pet parents, you feel a stab of guilt every time you leave your pet home alone. But does leaving the radio or TV playing help to ease an animal's separation anxiety? Here are the facts. If you have a cat, audible and visual distractions will not do much animal behavior psychologist Dr Charles Snowden says that cats communicate in a much higher frequency range, so there's very little about human music that will interest them, plus cats perceive TV images as a series of flickering lights. But Dr Snowden says cats aren't prone to separation anxiety anyway, because they're more solitary animals. But with dogs, it's a different story, since dogs are pack animals, when you leave, they may think they've been abandoned for good, so hearing human voices, even on the TV or radio, can be soothing for them, and many vets recommend TV for puppies, even when you're home with them, because it can acclimate them to real world noises like vacuums, doorbells, car horns and squealing tires. Okay, listen to this if you need to chill out, try this. Get out an ironing board and spend time slowly erasing the creases in your clothing or sheets. Research in the journal comprehensive psychiatry shows that predictable, repetitive tasks are a popular form of self soothing because they give us a sense of control over our environment, and that can be an important tool for overcoming stress and treating mental health issues like depression. So next time you need to blow off some steam and relax, do it literally, grab a hot steam iron and get ironing back with more health intelligence from geriatrician Dr Bill Thomas. He says that throughout North America right now, there are actually more nursing homes than Starbucks coffee shops, but in surveys, a whopping 92% of adults say they want to avoid living in a nursing home and remain independent as long as possible. So I asked Dr Thomas if that's a realistic expectation, and if not, when is it appropriate to begin talking about nursing homes with our older loved ones? You know, Connie, this is a this is one of those extremely difficult conversations I'm speaking as a geriatrician taking care of people for a long time. If you have somebody in your office and you're sitting down and you're talking about leaving your home and, for example, moving into a nursing home, that's a tough conversation. And the thing is, the way we've built, the homes we occupy in the communities we live in, they're terrible for aging. So for example, I'll just say people love their house that they've lived in for maybe a long time, but they don't realize that the house doesn't love them. People might love their community, but they don't realize that those helpful neighbors that they had for so many years have moved away. Houses have been sold. There comes a point where the house we have and the community it's situated in, and the family members who love us can't close the gap between what we need every day to remain independent, and when they can't close that gap, that's when the conversation about nursing homes comes up back with more health intelligence from Healthy Aging expert Dr Bill Thomas, and he was just saying that most of the homes We live in today are, quote, terrible for aging. So I asked him to explain why that is, and what are some of the factors we should pay attention to that could make our homes better as we age, there's a 98% probability that the home you live in doesn't meet basic standards of mobility, visitability, accessibility, very, very few of the housing units available in the United States actually meet those standards. A lot of people are living out their 80s and 90s in houses that were designed for fit. Young adults to raise children, and those houses have features including inaccessible bedrooms and bathrooms and slippery surfaces on the floors and bad lighting and deferred maintenance and all these things that make those houses actually pretty risky and dangerous for a lot of people. So the mismatch between living in the later decades of life and living in an antiquated house that was designed for another purpose, it's not surprising that a lot of people lose their independence because their house doesn't fit anymore. So is the key to making homes fit us better as we age, as simple as, say, making them more accessible or upgrading the lighting. There's a fantastic program got started in Baltimore called capable, where they had this shocking idea, let's go to people's houses and make their houses fit them better. Like that was it? That was the big idea. And it turns out that when, when you do that, people can stay independent longer, because, you know, you made some changes in the plumbing, you made some changes in how you move between different parts of the house, or the width of the door, is simple things, really, and as a result, people can stay home longer. So yeah, updating the house that can really pay off. And in terms of being able to be independent longer, if you'd like to instantly eat less serve yourself. A study in the Journal of Marketing found when someone else dishes out your food, whether it's a family member or the chef at a restaurant, you feel more obligated to eat what you've been given. But when we serve ourselves, we don't feel that guilt. We subconsciously make healthier choices and give ourselves 30% less food. So when you can serve yourself to eat less more intelligence for your health. From geriatrician Dr Bill Thomas, and as we get older, he says there's a risk of many of us being disappeared, as in, stashed away in a nursing home and forgotten. So I asked Dr Thomas to explain how that process usually happens, and more importantly, how can we avoid being disappeared? So there's an epidemic of what scientists call social isolation among older people in America, and that what that means is people's circle of friends and neighbors and family members. Shrinks get smaller. Shrinks get smaller, until that circle kind of virtually collapses, and an older person can find themselves really honestly, alone in this world. So when we think about the community that we're part of, and we ask the question, who cherishes us, who loves us, who cares about us, who are our friends, who who are our relatives, who are our neighbors, and if your list gets shorter and shorter and shorter, you're at risk for social isolation. And the study the science is unequivocal, social isolation and loneliness are damaging to human health. So we were talking a bit there about getting a house that fits you, but you also have to have a social circle that fits you, and to be surrounded by people who you rely on and who can rely on you. That's super important. What's the worst time of day for bad breath? 3pm that's when things like coffee, lunch and stress combine to make your mouth smell like a cesspool. The hormones we secrete when we're stressed dry out our mouth, and a lack of saliva contributes to bad breath to freshen your mouth, if you don't have toothpaste on hand, simply swish and gargle with plain water, then keep drinking it to stay hydrated. Here's an email I received at connie@intelligencefoyourhealth.com It comes from Nell Dugan, who writes, I'm a truck driver. Do you have any tips on staying awake, besides the obvious things like caffeine, Nell, here are some tips to help you stay alert while driving number one, open a window. Warm, stuffy environments make you feel sluggish, but fresh air sends extra oxygen to your brain, making you feel alert. The next way to stay awake behind the wheel, try acupressure. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine recommends massaging the muscles between your thumb and index finger. This is an acupressure point that will increase circulation, helping you feel alert. Also grab a strong mint. In a study from Wheeling Jesuit university, drivers who had peppermints were more alert than those who didn't, they also reported. Feeling less frustrated when they were stuck in traffic. One last tip to help you stay awake behind the wheel. Cough, according to AAA, coughing causes your heart to vibrate, pumping more blood and oxygen into your system. It's almost impossible to fall asleep after a coughing attack, but now, if you feel like you can't keep your eyes open, please pull over when you can do so safely. Thank you for your email. Now, I hope this helps. Okay, listen to this. There is no need to worry when the kids are out for a drive with grandma and grandpa. According to data from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, grandparents drive more safely with their grandkids in the car than the kids' parents do. In fact, kids are twice as safe when riding with grandparents than with their own parents. The study looked at 12,000 kids up to age 15, and the doctors speculate that grandparents may be extra cautious and drive more slowly when driving around with the grandkids in the back, and if they do get in an accident, the injury rate is considerably lower in crashes where grandparents are the drivers. Whenever you can take your workout outdoors, according to the journal mental health and prevention, exercising in open green spaces, relieves stress more than breaking a sweat indoors, the biggest stress reducer was exercising somewhere with no buildings or cars in sight, and running outdoors in nature came out on top as far as exercise for all mental health outcomes tested, which were restlessness, bad mood, stress and anxiety. The psychologists believe it's the calming effect of nature that makes outdoor exercise so soothing, and we already know that being in nature, even a city park, is a proven mood lifter. The only indoor exercise that came even close to the stress reducing effects of outdoor exercise was swimming in an indoor pool, but all other outdoor exercise topped that, as far as stress relief, more intelligence for your health from geriatrician Dr Bill Thomas, and since we're always talking about the importance of staying socially active as we age and having a strong social circle, I asked Dr Thomas if He had any advice for helping us make more friends at any age? I would give you some advice I got from a 92 year old woman. For many years, I toured with a theater company. We did non fiction theater about ageism, among other things, and in the audience. One day, I was in the lobby after the show, talking to people, and this woman came up to me, and we were chit chatting, and she had this big circle of friends around her. And so I said to her, well, wow, kind of cool. You came out to see the show and you got all these friends with you. Tell me your secret. And she said to me, I have a friend funnel. I've had it my whole life. And when I was very young, I realized that friends were always falling out of the bottom of my friend funnel because, like, they move away, or they get married to get a different job. And so she said, all my life, I focused on putting new friends in the top of my friend funnel so I'll never run out. Like, wow, I was, said to her, I've got a friend funnel, and I need to make sure I keep putting new friends into the top of my friend because when I'm 92 I'd love to be hanging out with some cool peeps, and because I have lots of friends in my friend funnel. So that's kind of the advice I'd give if you're looking to make a change here, start investing time and energy and making friends. I don't care how old you are, because friends are always falling out of the bottom of your friend funnel. That's it for our show today, our special intelligence for your health with Connie Selig. Edition of the podcast, I'm Gib Gerard. Don't forget to rate comment and subscribe on Apple podcast. Spotify, wherever you get your podcast. It helps us out a lot, and also you can reach out to us on social media. All of our links are listed down in the show notes. We try to respond to every DM, every mention of the show, because ultimately, we do the show for you guys. So thank you so much for listening. You.